Go Organic

What is Organic 

Its hard to differentiate and dictate the many different perceptions and ideas that circulate as organic. For us, the easiest way to truly understand what it is to be "organic" is the understand the ecology of the environment in which you are working. Organics and ecology go hand in hand. With the true goal for organic production being to mimic natures own processes and use these as a mechanism to produce food and materials. Therefore, if your interested in producing, living, or thinking organically, the first relationship you must form is your own relationship with the environment around you.

Soil

We believe that the soil is more than the medium in which we grow our food and materials.  The world beneath our feet is as complex, fragile and beautiful as the world above ground. As a whole the soil is no less then a living, breathing, consuming, producing and decaying organism. In its complexity the soil is comprised of a variety of plants, animals, minerals, nutrients and pore spaces, distinct according to its spatial and temporal  location.

Take a step in any direction and you will find a new soil ecosystem with changing  nutrient concentrations, producing a diverse range of flavours, textures and vitamin compositions in your food. The soil is the soul source of variety in our diet, it is the most important spice this earth has to offer.

Considering the soil as a live organism provides the basis for our own understanding of the requirements it needs to thrive.  Adequate water, food and shelter will provide the basis for it to develop.  When left bare the soil is suseptable to the elements; wind and water erode its surface, and the UV rays from the sun kill the ecosystem of microbia living within harms reach. These factors deplete the volume and the quality of this finite resource. As a result we strongly believe in mulch, green manure and cover crops in order to provide the loving “home” for your soil base.

Biodiversity

Aiding and maintaining biodiversity is central to our project.  Moreover it is a vital component of all organic agricultural systems, and indeed the various natural systems which function across our globe. 

Organic philosophy states that  the push and pull of natural systems are self regulating, radiating out in gradual patterns of nutrient, genetic and ecological dispersal. So, as one organism produces, another will consume, forming a web of symbiosis in which each species keeps another in check, both reliant on and vulnerable to each other. Organic production systems follow this concept. Pest and disease outbreaks are minimised by natural competition and predation present within the healthy system. In mimicing organic production systems, we attempt to look at plants & animals in terms of all their functions, rather than treating any area as a one-dimesional, single-product system.

 

To tackle problems of pest management we attempt to break the very cycles we may have created through conventional agricultural practice.  For example we practice crop rotation, a management system which relies on creating an environmnent unbecoming to the pest species previously plaguing the  space.  Its simple, if you have been over zealous planting one particular species, then be aware this will act as a green light for any biota that finds it as tasty as we do.

Localization

We are all about keeping it local here at the CBSUA garden.  We believe localising the food we grow and eat is an invaluable tool for creating a strong and resilient community.  Keeping it local educates us not only about  the practicalities of producing our own food, but also about our local environment and our systems of global food production. We know from experience that thinking and acting locally, and the simple act of growing and sharing food, creates a strong sense of responsibility and friendship with those around you.

Unfortunately, with systems of processing, transporting, marketing and retailing, the supply chain surrounding our food and materials is ever increasing in its complexity in a direct response to forces of globalisation. At the same time food is cheap; we currently spend the lowest percentage of our wage on food then at any other time in history. The economic burden of this increased supply chain is therefore placed upon the farmer, with higher production costs and decreasing independence, the risk of converting to an organic system, or any “unknown” system is often too high. Too commonly the result is the intensification of the current unsustainable system: more food, more chemicals, and smaller space. Otherwise known as industrial farming.

Buying local, seasonal foods and materials supports farmer independence.  It returns the power of what to grow and how to grow it back to those who study the land on a daily basis, removing it from those who dictate the supply chain via external perspectives and soley economically grounded principles . Local food supports the passage of information between producers and consumers giving the consumer the right to know what they eat and what industry they are truely supporting. Short supply chains decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and increases food security. Local food and material urges the community to work together.  Good all around, we're sure you'll agree.

Thats us.