What Does It Mean To Be Certified Organic? Or Organically Grown? Or Non-GMO? Are There Differences?

Today, a “conventional” farm would be one that uses man made fertilizers, pesticides, and seed with human originated genetic mutations, such as glyphosate (also known as Round-Up) resistance, or resistance to other chemicals. Conventional crops can be sprayed throughout the growing season, and in the case of beans like black beans or other dry edible beans, they can be sprayed right before harvest to “desiccate” the plant for ease of harvest.

Organically Grown is the “slang” definition for someone who is basically following the organic process but has not been certified. WIth that being said, there is no guarantee that Organically Grown is anything close to organic. You just don’t know without seeing the farm for yourself and doing your own research on them.

Certified Organic will not use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on the operation. Seed cannot be treated with harmful chemicals. Weeds are controlled with tools other than sprays. Crops are rotated year to year. Animals are cared for under USDA Organic standards. With all of this, Certified means that we partner with an certification agency  and supply our farm plans, and are inspected for compliance.

Aren’t All Plants Basically GMO Now?

GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism, and GMO is different from Hybrid or selective breeding. There is sometimes confusion (even among farmers) where people think all crops are GMO because they have been bred (or crossed) with other plants to improve characteristics (such as super sweet corn, or giant pumpkins). GMO means that the plants DNA was permanently altered in a lab by adding or deleting things. A typical GMO trait is resistance to glyphosate (Round-Up). In this case, the plant’s DNA has been altered to inhibit the uptake of glyphosate (and also the unintended consequence or inhibiting uptake of other nutrients).

Do Dry Beans And Popcorn Go Bad If Not Used Right Away?

If you store them in a relatively cool and dry place, such as a pantry, their shelf life is very long. You should have no issues keeping beans or popcorn for one year. However, you will likely have them gone long before that.

Is Your Whole Farm Organic?

All of our crops are certified organic. We feed our livestock organic or non-GMO feed. We are in process of certifying some of our livestock so we can sell Certified Organic retail cuts from the farm.

How Do You Grow Popcorn? Is It Like Regular Field Corn?

Many of the steps are the same, but popcorn takes a bit longer to mature. We’ve tested different varieties to ensure the right popcorn hybrid for our location, growing season, and type of soil, and almost more importantly for the taste, texture and popping quality. Popcorn plants look a lot like field corn but will be smaller in stature. The cobs of popcorn look completely different from field corn as maturity occurs though.

How Do You Manage Weeds Without Spraying?

Using timely passes across the fields with low disturbance tillage allows for the early weeds to be killed without too much harm to the crops. As the season progresses, other tools such as cultivators are used to till the soil between the rows and ideally bury and kill the shorter weeds in the rows with the plants. It’s a very skilled art to operate these tools effectively.

How Do You Cook The Popcorn? Do You Have To Shake It?

We use coconut oil on the stove top. Oil about 400 degrees will create a great popping environment for the popcorn. When we cook the popcorn on the stovetop, we pour the popcorn into the hot oil and stir everything around once, then just let it pop. Do not turn your burner up too high or you can burn the popcorn on the bottom.

Is It Possible To Become Addicted To Your Popcorn?

We think so. There has been such positive feedback on how much better our popcorn is compared to store bought- and big name-brands, it is likely popcorn addiction could be a real thing. In fact, several customers have discarded their National Brand Name popcorn after eating ours.

What Products Do You Sell?

Although we offer meat seasonally as livestock become ready, we also accept requests if you are wanting something specific at a certain time (like a Thanksgiving turkey, a Christmas ham, or a summer pig for a hog roast). You’ll find we usually have:. Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Pork, Turkey, Popcorn, Black Beans, More!

For the most up-to-date selection, please visit our website or stop by our store to see what’s currently in stock.

What Are Your Hours?

As we both work full time at off farm jobs, we don’t have consistent hours for the farm store. Contact us for an appointment or shoot a text before coming to make sure someone is around.

What Payment Methods Do You Accept?

We currently accept Cash upon pickup, Visa and Mastercard credit/debit as well as American Express, Discover, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Link. But of course, “Cash Is King.”

Do You Offer Wholesale?

Yes! We offer wholesale terms. For more information please call or email us.