Hugh Kent | How The USDA Supports Bad Agriculture | 167
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- čas přidán 16. 04. 2024
- 167: Dave Chapman visits Real Organic blueberry farmer Hugh Kent at his biodiverse King Grove Farm in central Florida, to discuss the takeover of the US berry market by global brands that are rapidly encouraging the growth of plastic farms. By leveling soil, spraying the ground with chemicals, laying down plastic and popping up high tunnels, pedestals, plastic pots and a maze of tubing for feed and water, a new generation of disposable (and non-recyclable) "farming" is being popularized in berry production. Hugh now sees this marked transformation as a threat to all soil-based berry growers, and not just his organic peers. Will eaters be able to easily find soil-grown berries in stores in the near future?
Hugh Kent and his wife Lisa are longtime blueberry growers in Eustis, FL. They're proud to operate a biodiverse farm surrounded by intentional habitat for wildlife and pollinators, where they mow grasses and cover crops directly into their perennial berry rows to act as a fertile mulch. Hugh has been a vocal farmer-member of Real Organic Project to shed light on the changes in the industry that increasingly threaten the livelihood of berry growers like himself. He is now a member of Real Organic Project's Executive Board.
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
www.realorganicproject.org/hu...
The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
#Organic #Blueberries #OrganicFood #OrganicFarming #Berries #Plastic #Glyphosate #Antitrust #USDA #Driscolls #SaveOurSoils #LetsGetReal
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:
www.realorganicproject.org/farms
We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000 Real Friends:
www.realorganicproject.org/re...
To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:
www.realorganicproject.org/em...
Weeds and diversity are the solutions in our 200 plus species of diverse tropical perennial fruit tree crop system whereas compaction caused by mowing has been the root cause (drought, freeze, pests, fungal issues, stunted growth) of all our systemic plant immune issues, whether it is from abiotic or biotic stressors🐸thank you for finally speaking of the overuse of plastic in our organic systems whether it is in hydroponics, water delivery system or used in shade cloth used to make compost🐸Diversity will solve your problems with competition from mono crop growers❤️🐸
Great interview, small,organic farmers are in the crosshairs for extinction, let’s not give the powers that be the satisfaction. Support organic and biodynamic growers like the ones in this interview. Yes real food is under attack and disappearing. Support the real thing and grow it yourself when possible.
"It's called the American Dream... because you have to be asleep...to believe it."
-Geo. Carlin
Looooool, what a nice delivery, and very poetic✨👌🏽
I’m old enough to have grown up in Orange, Ca, where the majority of the city was orange and lemon groves. I would go with my grandmother, pick up our crates and buy oranges and lemons right off the trees. Nothing tastes as good. I cannot remember the last time I had a delicious apricot. Oh how I miss those intense flavors!
Absolutely brilliant information...thank you...💗💗💗
I think really there needs to be a cost with importing. Rather than accepting organic certification from other countries we need to force domestic verification of organic practices for organic certification in domestic markets.
The produce brokers!! It's a cross of union, mafia and major league football recruitment crossed with a horse race of aging produce.
I remember when Romney said that “corporations are people,” and I quipped then that he thinks that because he knows many heartless and faceless people. An accurate statement about corporations is that they can be residents and have a legal person-hood, but that’s much different than being human.
Revolution baby! Decentralize. Interconnectedness. American ag first for Americans.
I think the answer is marrying larger family farms to boutique specialty producers, where delicate, hand farming is required.
As a “REAL” organic grain producer, my fertility comes via livestock. But despite a good wholesale market now, cattle are going to be bad 7 out of every 10 years. Unless I sell direct to the public. But I need more products to put out for my protein buyers in order to get their attention. Hence, for me to set up a producer with the real estate they need and places to market the product in exchange for 18% of the revenue, it is a win win. It allows me to not only compete with all the fake organic, and organic in name only grain producers. As a matter of fact, I could dump it all on the conventional commodities market and still double my money.
When the single goal is to make money, you can guarantee a pile of crap in the end.
What about H‑E‑B in Texas? They claim to buy farm direct?
How can we connect with you and begin co-ops again?
We can WATCH, yes. So you guys have EYEBALLS on your initiatives, but specifically - what can we DO, beyond just buying local in season products? What can we do on a larger scale as just regular folks not farmers?
Join Real Friends, ask your local stores if the "organic" produce is hydroponic, if the "organic" meat, milk, and eggs come from CAFOs. Write a letter to your Congresspeople asking them to support Real Organic. They could start by paying 100% of organic certification costs for farmers grossing less than $500,000. Tell your friends and family to do all of the above. Ask your favorite farmers to get certified with Real Organic. Ask your stores to label Real Organic stuff and promote it. Write a letter to your local paper (if you still have one). Attend our symposia, conferences, and read our weekly letters. Listen to our weekly podcasts. You will become amazingly expert in a year or two. Then share that information with those around you. Basically take back your voice in the food system. Change will only happen when we demand it.
The Godfather movies are a great example of the middle man
We have to change the laws
Contracts have gotten out of control
Well, as painful as the truth may be, you give us fire in our belly to do more, care more and make change a priority.
How do we get this message across in Australia? If we had a real organic project here, the movement would be very small indeed. Sure, there are farm gate producers selling locally in places where people aren't. But in the population centres there is seldom any choice.
It's only happening on the scale of suburban regenerative 1/4 acre homes where we do all the heavy lifting to sustain wildlife diversity. So we feed our endangered, protected wildlife and a bit for humans.
We pay $3 USD for a small to medium sweet potato; $15 USD for 1/2 kilo or an underweight pound of organic (not) sprayed blueberries. The real deal is only available at very select farm gates and that requires a day trip.
The locals, who move to areas where pockets of real organic producers operate, benefit immensely.
Mainly, self funded retires on massive acre block of manicured estates. In other words, you need a cool USD 5 million dollar property to enjoy. For everyone else, it's exactly as you describe and worse, because we have a supermarket duopoly in Australia.
There is a lot of work to do, but if we do it together, ti will be a joy rather than a burden. It IS possible to grow this movement beyond our expectations. And we must.
How do i get some information about the in tree row mower. Im growing avocados in Australia
That's easy, just google it
I will let Hugh Know about your question. He is in the middle of his harvest right now, so working 16 hour days. But there is another side in June.
@@davechapman3569 it wasn't a q, it was an answer to his q
@@davechapman3569 it wasn't a q, it was an answer to his q, re: the under tree mowers
Elect RFK24’…….
⚖️🕊️🇺🇸⏰❗️
I HOPE YOU ARE WILDLY SUCCESSFULL REVOLUTIONIZING THE ORGANIC BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY DIRECT MARKETING YOUR SUPERIOR NUTRITIOUS PRODUCT LIKE JOEL SALATIN WITH HIS CATTLE AND CHICKENS AND MAYBE INCORPORATE “JADAM”(youtube) METHOD OF FERTILIZATION AND PEST CONTROL TO REDUCE COSTS?