One of the most frequently asked questions we hear is “what’s the difference between organic and conventional pecans?” We have the “Green Revolution” to thank for the affordable and and what seems to be endless food supply in America. In the 1950’s Green Revolution introduced high yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds mixed with inexpensive fertilizers, precision planting, and pesticides. These HYV’s were used to create increased food production and what we call “conventional” farming methods.
Pro’s
- decrease in starvation rates
- cheap grain can feed more animals
- more animals = more protein for humans
- less labor intensive
Con’s
- chemical carnival on water
- harmful to wildlife
- destroys our soil
- less soil = less land for production
- soil is finite
After 50 years of relentless chemical usage the earth’s soil has taken a beating, losing almost all of it’s organic nutrients. This depletion of nutrients has taken years to get to this point. Therefore, it will take just as long to correct and repair this problem to increase the organic matter in our soil.
Organic farming practices aim to provide food and nutrients while replenishing the earth’s land. Most importantly, organic farming methods are designed to create an environment where plants can thrive while their built-in defenses can combat diseases and insects that will attack them.
Meanwhile, to those of us at Rio Grande Organics (RGO) the preferred farming system could not be a more clear choice. One system reduces nutrients and organic content from the soil while it requires ever increasing input to produce crops and prevent disease. While the other builds and replenishes the soil while producing healthy, delicious foods and sustains productivity for generations to come. We choose to be organic farmers and we invite you to join us in promoting a healthier, more viable future for all!