Is it time for the Organic Guys to Start taking some Responsibility?

[SASKFARMER]

The organic community is a funny one in Western Canada. Farmers in this group are trying to tell the rest of us how to farm, and that is all right; it is a free country. But this year, I am noticing how much damage organic guys are doing to the local regular farmers.

Weed problems are all over the place. Some are very bad, and others are doing a half-ass job. So yea spreading weed seeds on my fields through the wind etc. is a huge issue. But they say its farming and its ok. But God helps us if we spray their fields by drift.

Then we have organic guys who expect us to know what the heck they are. Certified organic or not quite there, or will I be organic in three years. Most farmers know their neighbours but without putting up some signs etc. who is to blame. I think the organic industry is to blame.

Now the big thing I wish they would do is to make a buffer system around all there fields. A 100 ft buffer strip and full signage to let all know they are organic certified.

The ditch isn't a buffer system; it is RM land and not to be used by the local organic guy for his use.

Similar if your right along a regular farmer why not have a 100 ft organic buffer strip on the natural guy's farm. Take some responsibility also.

Then I still think something is fishy in some organic guys operations. Their farms should be inspected like a certified seed grower.

I still can't figure out how a field of solid Tanzy mustard can disappear and now clean crop left behind — magic organics.

Again both have a place in our country, and if the market wants to pay these guys a premium, go ahead, but maybe the organic industry needs to clean up its act and start farming and looking after its own.

Others thoughts would be great.

All I am trying to say is maybe real farmers need to start waking up and pushing back on some of this shit that's going on. Last night a group of sick ****S got into a turkey barn in Alberta and did a sit in to protest the blight of turkeys. Why aren't these people getting real jail time?

Again I am not against what a person does on there own farm, but I would like the organic group to have an inspection process and a set of rules that has teeth.

Organic guys lets have a go at it and same with regular farmers, but I want a 100 ft strip around all fields, and that doesn't include the RM ditch.

[the big wheel]

[ATTACH]4838[/ATTACH]

The organic community is a funny one in Western Canada. Farmers in this group are trying to tell the rest of us how to farm, and that is all right; it is a free country. But this year, I am noticing how much damage organic guys are doing to the local regular farmers.

Weed problems are all over the place. Some are very bad, and others are doing a half-ass job. So yea spreading weed seeds on my fields through the wind etc. is a huge issue. But they say its farming and its ok. But God helps us if we spray their fields by drift.

Then we have organic guys who expect us to know what the heck they are. Certified organic or not quite there, or will I be organic in three years. Most farmers know their neighbours but without putting up some signs etc. who is to blame. I think the organic industry is to blame.

Now the big thing I wish they would do is to make a buffer system around all there fields. A 100 ft buffer strip and full signage to let all know they are organic certified.

The ditch isn't a buffer system; it is RM land and not to be used by the local organic guy for his use.

Similar if your right along a regular farmer why not have a 100 ft organic buffer strip on the natural guy's farm. Take some responsibility also.

Then I still think something is fishy in some organic guys operations. Their farms should be inspected like a certified seed grower.

I still can't figure out how a field of solid Tanzy mustard can disappear and now clean crop left behind — magic organics.

Again both have a place in our country, and if the market wants to pay these guys a premium, go ahead, but maybe the organic industry needs to clean up its act and start farming and looking after its own.

Others thoughts would be great.

All I am trying to say is maybe real farmers need to start waking up and pushing back on some of this shit that's going on. Last night a group of sick ****S got into a turkey barn in Alberta and did a sit in to protest the blight of turkeys. Why aren't these people getting real jail time?

Again I am not against what a person does on there own farm, but I would like the organic group to have an inspection process and a set of rules that has teeth.

Organic guys lets have a go at it and same with regular farmers, but I want a 100 ft strip around all fields, and that doesn't include the RM ditch.

And by the same token organic will want you to not spray when there is any wind blowing or water running towards their fields. After all you and I both have stated those things make organic not really organic? Or don’t let sprayed gmo seeds fly in the wind or off combines swathers etc. You can fix the weed problem with your spray Quite easily. My small organic experiment does not provide a problem to the non organic farmers around their spray makes my organic questionable though since I can see their spray drift even if slightly in my organic.

But I agree on one thing the ditches should be managed better by rms. They pollute my fields and it’s mostly stuff blowing off of trucks and equipment. They should be mowed more often and earlier before weeds set seed.

Please do not spray within half a mile of my organic fields and I ll stsy back 100 ft buffer. Lol

[SASKFARMER]

It's my farm. I have a buffer and don't spray when the wind is toward there farm. But they don't put up signs and don't do anything to protect the neighbouring farms from there activities. The organic industry needs to be inspected like seed growers. Also, I have miles of fields that are right touching the neighbour's crops. Canola beside peas and no drift or damage. Or wheat beside canola same. Two different chemicals. But it is mutual spraying between neighbours you respect your neighbour. I appreciate the organic guy I think its time organic farming has to change from the guy running out of inputs and cash so ill go natural to the a real inspection process.

[SASKFARMER]

Animal rights terrorists have once again targeted our nation’s food supply. On Monday they descended on a turkey farm run by a Hutterite colony in southern Alberta. They illegally entered the barns before the farmers started their morning chore rounds, trespassing and breaking biosecurity, and putting the birds under immense stress and bringing with them the threat of disease.

[blackpowder]

Smart. Hutterites won't sue for damages.
Too bad.

[SASKFARMER]

I think real farmers have to wake up and start pushing back. We let our Seed go and look at what happened to canola. Then we gave our railways everything and they were able to get so strong were held captive. Then we let politicians push the agenda, and we get the shaft. It's over and over we get pushed to the brink by sick groups, and these ECO NAZIS are the worst. I still like the guy in Europe spraying pig shit on his fields where they were trespassing setting up lunch. What happened to it's my land so piss off.

[the big wheel]

It's my farm. I have a buffer and don't spray when the wind is toward there farm. But they don't put up signs and don't do anything to protect the neighbouring farms from there activities. The organic industry needs to be inspected like seed growers. Also, I have miles of fields that are right touching the neighbour's crops. Canola beside peas and no drift or damage. Or wheat beside canola same. Two different chemicals. But it is mutual spraying between neighbours you respect your neighbour. I appreciate the organic guy I think its time organic farming has to change from the guy running out of inputs and cash so ill go natural to the a real inspection process.

[ATTACH]4839[/ATTACH]

You sound like a good neighbor with those spray practices but that’s not the norm. You roll your window down driving down the road during spray season and spray is in the air no matter how careful. Weeds are blowing off of combines and vehicles not cleaned going down rhe road. A gmo seed is a weed to organic. It moves in the water as well as wind off your fields also.

Be careful what you start demanding I know some organic guys are a problem you are correct but this year and it is a fact some of my sprayed non organic fields had a late flush of after spray weeds that I could not spray again because crop was too advanced and also cannot spray some sprays twice safely. They look worse than my organic fields by a long shot. I m embarrassed but there was nothing I could do.

[SASKFARMER]

But like everything the sloppy farmer gets replaced in time. Karma is a bitch. I park the sprayer on days it's too windy, or I spray fields I know its safe as ours is beside or forest is beside.

yes I have got a neighbours once or twice and they have got me also. You work it out and deal with the situation.

But what I see this year is a massive weed problem coming from one source, and it will have everyone around with the problem in future years.

I want the industry inspected like a seed grower. They want to be organic so take some responsibility and put up a buffer strip it's a speciality ag.

[the big wheel]

But like everything the sloppy farmer gets replaced in time. Karma is a bitch. I park the sprayer on days it's too windy, or I spray fields I know its safe as ours is beside or forest is beside.

yes I have got a neighbours once or twice and they have got me also. You work it out and deal with the situation.

But what I see this year is a massive weed problem coming from one source, and it will have everyone around with the problem in future years.

I want the industry inspected like a seed grower. They want to be organic so take some responsibility and put up a buffer strip it's a speciality ag.

My point is and was reinforced by your statement that even though your careful you got your neighbor and he got you, if we start pushing these issues the organicguys are going to start demanding you and I pay for their entire field due to spray or seeds that have blown from your field to theirs. And their argument about their weeds will be you and I can spray those weeds out easily. Yes some level of standard should be in place my organic on normal year have weeds comparable to most non organic. This year the drought caused problems for everyone. Some organic are bad all the time.

[jamesb]

I'm a neighbour to a couple organic farmers and sit on a local board with a couple others. Firstly I would say that so many organic farmers go organic because they cant afford spray or fertilizer anymore. Many of them are on their way out of farming. I remember my father talking about the importance of keeping good summer fallow. We have been continuous cropping for close to 30 years now but I remember changing lots of shovels on the cultivator. Secondly the organic guys will be certified with one body or another and should have been inspected. I'm told some of these certifying organizations are poor and they can have varying rules to follow. The good organic farmers tell me that the land needs to be in alfalfa or the like for quite a bit of the time. That being said most of the land I see have no rotation, typically wheat, wheat, fallow or wheat, flax, fallow.
We are still fighting wild mustard on former organic land from 15 years ago. All the local organic wheat fields turn yellow every year with wild mustard until it goes out of flower, then the wild oats overtake the wheat. As I said before better organic guys shake their head at the practices of many of these "old school" organic guys and question the certifying body. I understand they are supposed to move away from this kind of farming.
We farm quite a bit of land where the road allowance is farmed opposite organic land except for a trail. We spray to the edge of the trail and what the organic guy does for his certification protocols is his own business.

[SASKFARMER]

I agree to a point, but the post is should organic guys take some responsibility. Like signage and a buffer strip. It's a speciality ag.

Thistle at one wheat plant to 10 thistle needs to be addressed.

But also how can a field become so clean with nothing present and Tanzy is the problem.

Rules need to be in place for them as well.

[GDR]

[ATTACH]4838[/ATTACH]

The organic community is a funny one in Western Canada. Farmers in this group are trying to tell the rest of us how to farm, and that is all right; it is a free country. But this year, I am noticing how much damage organic guys are doing to the local regular farmers.

Weed problems are all over the place. Some are very bad, and others are doing a half-ass job. So yea spreading weed seeds on my fields through the wind etc. is a huge issue. But they say its farming and its ok. But God helps us if we spray their fields by drift.

Then we have organic guys who expect us to know what the heck they are. Certified organic or not quite there, or will I be organic in three years. Most farmers know their neighbours but without putting up some signs etc. who is to blame. I think the organic industry is to blame.

Now the big thing I wish they would do is to make a buffer system around all there fields. A 100 ft buffer strip and full signage to let all know they are organic certified.

The ditch isn't a buffer system; it is RM land and not to be used by the local organic guy for his use.

Similar if your right along a regular farmer why not have a 100 ft organic buffer strip on the natural guy's farm. Take some responsibility also.

Then I still think something is fishy in some organic guys operations. Their farms should be inspected like a certified seed grower.

I still can't figure out how a field of solid Tanzy mustard can disappear and now clean crop left behind — magic organics.

Again both have a place in our country, and if the market wants to pay these guys a premium, go ahead, but maybe the organic industry needs to clean up its act and start farming and looking after its own.

Others thoughts would be great.

All I am trying to say is maybe real farmers need to start waking up and pushing back on some of this shit that's going on. Last night a group of sick ****S got into a turkey barn in Alberta and did a sit in to protest the blight of turkeys. Why aren't these people getting real jail time?

Again I am not against what a person does on there own farm, but I would like the organic group to have an inspection process and a set of rules that has teeth.

Organic guys lets have a go at it and same with regular farmers, but I want a 100 ft strip around all fields, and that doesn't include the RM ditch.

If you do such a good job spraying why do you need a 100ft buffer? Why dont you offer 50ft on your side and 50ft on theirs. Your responsibility too.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Actually, buffer zones are already mandatory. Either a permanent hedgerow/trees, or 8 meters. It may be a strip of a grass or other crop, or it may be farmed the same as the rest, but must be harvested as conventional grain and segregated.

[SASKFARMER]

GDR it is a speciality farming operation and should do there part to protect the farm. I am not organic and will do my best, but they also should do steps to protect the operation.

No signs and no barrier is not certified organic.

Weeds are a huge problem.

[jazz]

None around me that I know. A couple small guys but they still seem conventional though they dont put much into the crop.

Conventional guys had a hell of a time keeping weeds down I can only imagine what organic fields look like.