CSA プログラムニュース

　べつにウィルソンのまわしものではないのだけど、とっても興味があることなので、ここに転載（笑）

・・・・と、思ったらはみ出しちゃった（笑）

覚え書きみたいなブログをまた新しくつくろうかなあ。。。。

また家族に笑われるね。

~ ISSUE No. 004 ~

HOW DO WE GROW YOUR FOOD by JIM WILSON Wilson Farm grows all of its crops by practicing Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The practice is a way to control insect pests and diseases on crops by combining several complimentary strategies such as sanitation, soil enrichment, variety selection, pest detection, and biological controls. Chemical pesticides are only used if absolutely necessary. The University of Massachusetts Extension Service has calculated that IPM programs, such as the one at Wilson Farm, have reduced pesticide use by 25 to 85% on participating farms. Here are some IPM techniques we use here at Wilson Farm. Sanitation: Start clean to grow clean. IPM promotes keeping growing areas free of weeds, which harbor pests and disease. Soil Enrichment: Protect the soil. Cover crops provide erosion control and build soil structure. Compost is essential to provide nutrients to the land. Variety Selection: Choosing the best and strongest plants. We select varieties based on a number of factors such as eating quality, vigor, and yield potential. Stronger, more vigorous crops will withstand stresses better and require fewer pesticide applications. Pest Detection: Look for what’s there. Not only detection, but also understanding the life cycles of pests makes them easier to control. The University of Massachusetts provides us with constant monitoring of pest movements throughout the State. Biological Controls: Using “good bugs” (such as ladybugs) against “bad bugs”. Understanding and protecting beneficial insects is part of the system. Pesticides: Only as a last resort. Used only when absolutely necessary. Early detection and study of pest life cycles allows us to select materials that have a more favorable environmental profile. These are more effective and good for everyone. Non-Chemical Controls: There are many ways to deter and confuse pests. Row covers, plastic mulches, and trap plants all allow us to confuse pests and control weed populations. To learn more about IPM and how we grow, sign up for one of our free Summer farm tours. Click HERE to see the full schedule. FIGHTING the ROOT MAGGOT by YOUR MAN on the FARM Meet the Root Maggot Fly. He’s not exactly what we’d call a “friend of Wilson Farm”. The larva spend winter in the fields and in April they emerge as maggots to dine on the roots of many early season veggies. After eating their fill, they transform from maggots into flies. The adult flies, then set about laying eggs in and around our young crops. Each fly is able to lay thousands of eggs, and without a good plan, a farm can find its entire set of crops destroyed by these veggie loving insects. While a common way to get rid of these maggots is to spray pesticide to kill the maggots, we take a different approach here at Wilson Farm. Instead we cover sensitive crops with what is called “row cover”. Our row cover consists of very long sheets of white-colored fabric. We stretch this fabric over the new crop and bury the edges. The fabric allows water and light to reach the plants so they can continue to grow but it serves as a reliable barrier to insects such as Root Maggots and Root Maggot Flies. The Root Maggot Flies, land on this fabric, and lay their eggs, but when the maggots hatch, they can’t get through the fabric to get to the plants. Without a readily accessible source of food the maggots soon die. Since the flies also have a short life span, covering crops with row covers for a few weeks is enough to control the population of Root Maggot Flies for the whole season. Using row covers means that Wilson Farm doesn’t have to spray pesticides to eliminate Root Maggot Flies. An added benefit of the row covers is that they also provide a little extra thermal insulation in the event of a late frost.