The Gerrit Loo family of Springwillow Farms in Springfield has been supplying organic produce from their market garden for four years now ever since they received their certification from the Organic Crop Improvement Association(OCIA) - Prince Edward Island Chapter. Photo: Organically grown Gooseberry bushes Springwillow Farms had to pass stringent guidelines set up by the OCIA. The certified land has not had any synthesized materials put on it for years and an independent inspector hired by OCIA arrives every summer to assess the farm and ensure that guidelines have been followed. The Loos also have to prepare a plan every year to outline how the land will be used, what crops will be harvested, and how much yield is expected. They have to leave an extensive paper trial to show how much is actually harvested so the association can verify that it's a reasonable amount. As well, plant stock must have come from a certified organic source or have been left for twelve months before harvesting. All bought seed must be untreated. Failure to adhere to the guidelines results in the loss of certification. Photo: "Island Sunshine" potatoes The Loos grow a broad range of vegetables and fruit for their market garden including potatoes. As well, Gerrit Loo recently obtained his Plant Breeder's Rights certificate for developing a new potato variety. "Island Sunshine" is resistant to blight and is now registered and being sold commercially across Canada. Still, the research never ends and Loo has about sixty potato varieties he and his family are currently testing for further development. Photo: A test plot of developing new potato varieties Springwillow Farms consists of two hundred and fifty acres of land. One hundred and sixty five of that is cleared for farming and the remainder is wooded. The crops are rotated each year and that includes the hay fields. The one hundred head of Angus cattle are strip grazed. The manure from the livestock serves as composted fertilizer for the fields. Some of the material gets spread right away after it's cleared from the holding area but most of it is left in eight foot wide strips about one hundred feet long where it breaks down. Some fish waste and lime are also used for the market garden. To avoid soil erosion, the Loos ensure that land has a cover for the winter. Although fall ploughing saves time in the spring when time is at a premium they recognize it weakens the soil structure and allows for heavy run off in the spring and wind erosion in the winter. As well, the fields are divided up into smaller, more manageable areas. Existing hedgerows are being thickened with more diverse species including spruce, poplars, and hawthorn trees for the birds. Being an organic farmer leaves few options for controlling weeds and insects in the fields. Margie Loo says BT, a biological spray is used to control Colorado Potato Beetle. Kocide has been approved by the OCIA to control blight. Cultivation and weeding by hand are the only alternatives to control weeds. Photo: The pond is partially fenced off to prevent cattle from destroying it Not all the terrain is usable at Springwillow Farms. Although it is mostly flat or gently sloping, an extremely sharp hill is not ploughed but is used for grazing. A wet area near the market garden was planted with Tamarack trees and left to grow up encouraging birds. As well, the trees will eventually act as a windbreak. A pond lying within one field is fenced off to prevent cattle from destroying the vegetation on the edges of the pond. The Loos cut hay as late as possible hoping that most of the birds nesting in it have developed reasonable flying skills! In expanding their farm's potential, the Loo family is also marketing dried vegetable soup mixes. Recently, the Loos have developed a medicinal herb bed and are also planning a line of value-added jams and jellies made with organic fruit and low sugar.

Some photos and technical information courtesy of the P.E.I. Department of Agriculture and Forestry