Here at Kelder's, our goal is to produce fresh, healthy and delicious fruit and vegetables. Growing produce, from seed to harvest, is a complex process and since so many of you have taken an interest, we thought we'd take a little time to talk it. The part of Kelder's Farm on Rt. 209 is about 100 acres, on which we grow over 85 varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. The land that you see spreading out in the valley beyond the big white barn is fantastic soil-a total of seven feet of pure topsoil, with no rocks--deposited over eons of flooding of the Rondout Creek, which meanders along the far edge of the field. 
Corn grows on ancient fields. We take great care of that soil, avoiding open-till methods where possible and growing grass strips and buffers at strategic places to eliminate erosion and carbon release. We irrigate, when necessary, with water from the Rondout Creek, which contains nutrients as well as moisture. We use a method called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to reduce the use of chemical pest controls and optimize what we do use. IPM is an innovative method that is supported by Cornell University (the NYS Land Grant College for research and development of agriculture) where Chris studied agriculture. In understanding what IPM is, it helps to know a little about the range of strategies that farmers use to help their crops grow well. Traditionally, conventional farms sprayed their fields with pesticides and fungicides on a schedule to completely control what lived and what died. One reason they do this is that when they wholesale their crops, supermarket buyers want produce that is perfect-no marks, bugs, worms or mysterious bumps. For example, if even one ear of corn in a shipment has a worm in the end, they will turn down the entire crop! |
| | View from our fields. |
Although organic farming is seen as on the vanguard, it's actually the oldest method of agriculture, in existence long before modern fertilizers and pest control chemicals. Modern organic methods vary, but generally limit the use of high-tech manufactured fertilizers and pesticides, while still allowing pesticides like copper, sulfur, and pyrethrum. Permaculture farming is a newer organic method, emphasizing especially sustainable, efficient practices.  | |
View to the northeast.
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We have chosen to employ the IPM method because we think it uses the smartest techniques from all types of farming. IPM is employed in three stages: prevention, observation and intervention. The goal of IPM is to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides while keeping pest populations at a level where they cause little damage. Because we use minimal chemical methods only when necessary to save a crop, IPM is more economical than conventional practice and healthier for us and the environment. How do these methods play out in the field? We grow varieties that are well-adapted for the Rondout Valley and that will be naturally robust and healthy, since healthy plants are more pest-resistant. We run small-scale trials of new varieties and new methods before doing them on a large scale. For instance, we tested zone-tillage (a low-till method) with our pumpkins on a couple acres first, and it worked beautifully--conserving water, burning less fuel, and by leaving previous dried vegetation as a mulch it keeps pumpkins cleaner. We now zone-till all 15 acres of pumpkins we grow.  | |
Irrigating corn during a dry spell.
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We use preventative cultural practices, like removing diseased plants rather than spraying. We rotate crop locations continuously so pests don't recur year after year. We use mulches to retain moisture and for soil health. We carefully monitor our crops for early signs of problems, and we stay in touch with Cornell, which provides us with information about pests soon appearing in our area. If we can find out early, we can often avoid large-scale spraying. We also use mechanical methods to eliminate pests. If you have picked blueberries here, you have experienced one of them--the solar-powered bird repellent. It's a recording of several species of birds' distress calls and it keeps hungry birds scared away from those luscious berries destined for your basket. Because we use IPM, every now and then you'll find some little living critter on your produce. Don't be upset or grossed out--just look at it as proof that your fresh fruit or vegetable is so naturally good to eat that someone else got there first. Flick it away or cut it out, eat what is still good and remember, it's the price we pay for fewer pesticides. (photos for this article by Emilia Stern) | 
You can catch more flies with vinegar than honey! It's true--fruit flies are attracted to the fruit ripening on your countertop when the sugars begin to ferment. You can practice your own counter-top IPM by filling a tiny bowl with diluted vinegar and adding a drop of dish soap to weaken the surface tension. Fruit flies are lured to their demise!
