Produce & Flowers

Mountain Harvest Farm

Owner: Mary Oldham

Address:
710 Goshen Rd
Morgantown, WV 26508
Monongalia County

daytime phone: (304) 692-1044
Web site: http://www.mountainharvestfarmllc.com

Application Date: 2015-03-14

Applicant Details

Please briefly tell us why you are applying to be part of the Certified Naturally Grown program: *
We have been farming at our current location for four years now and have been following NOP standards in our practices. We have seen that because we can not use the word organic we struggle to explain our practices at our farmers market. We see the CNG process as an excellent opportunity to be able to tell the world what we are doing and have some creditability behind it.
Are you currently third party Certified for your produce operation by any other organization (Organic, Biodynamic, etc)? *
no
Have you ever been certified in the past? *
no
Have you ever been denied certification? *
no
How did you hear about Certified Naturally Grown? *
Previously worked at CNG and Certified Organic farms.
How did you learn to farm, and for how long have you been farming for market? What has prepared you to farm successfully according to CNG standards? *
Chico operated his family farm in Honduras since we was 18. Mary learned to farm at a student farm at Dickinson College when studying in undergrad. We've been at the current farm leasing herein WV since 2012.

General Farm Information

Farm Acreage you want listed as Certified Naturally GrownTM:
Total Farm Acreage you actually GROW on: *
9
Number of above acreage that you own: *
1
Number of above acreage that you lease: *
8
Do you have other acreage in "Conventional" Agricultural Systems? *
yes
If yes, how many acres are in conventional agriculture? *
0.5
If yes, please list what you are growing conventionally: *
We grow less than 0.5 acre of potatoes that are grown using certified naturally grown practices but are from seed potatoes that are conventional. We cannot obtain untreated or organic seed potatoes in our region at a feasible cost.
General Listed Acreage Breakdown
Veg Crops:
9
Fruit Crops:
0
Hay:
0
Grains/Beans:
0
Sugarbush:
0
Other Acreage:
0
Please check all items you grow and will market as Certified Naturally GrownTM *











Please Specify Any Other Items:
Please check all markets you grow for (this will be displayed on your farm profile to help potential buyers find you). *











Please Specify Other Markets:

Farmland Management and Practices

Primary Tillage System: *
Walk-behind tractor and larger tractor-pulled tiller and hand-building beds with hoes. Use of cover crops such as tillage radish, rye, and crop rotation to loosen and improve soil. No-till seeding for covercrops.
Do you use Cover Crops? *
yes
If yes, please list: *
Winter rye, oats, peas, tillage radish, clovers, vetch
Do you use Compost? *
yes
If yes, please note general sources (on farm, purchased complete, local grass clippings, local dairy, etc.): *
Made on farm occasionally but mostly purchased composted completely from Ohio Earth Food.
Please list application rates. Give a specific amount or range (for example: one to two tons per acre, ten wheelbarrow loads per 1,000 square feet, or 1-2 inches deep). Do not answer "varies". *
1 inch deep
Do you use Manure? *
no
Please list any other brought in fertility sources that you use (specific rock powders, lime, soybean / alfalfa meal, specific purchased pre-mixes, etc)and how often it's used. If you indicate a name brand product, please also specify the ingredient/s. *
We use Fertrell natural fertilizers (composted poultry manure, greensand, blood meal). Used once a season and selected according to soil tests and planned crops. Use Fertrell Fish/kelp liquid fertilizer on seedlings and as foliar if needed. Dolomitic limestone when needed. Primarily use Ohio Earth Food Revita compost blend which is primarily composted poultry manure with a few organic additivies including greensand, kelp, etc. for nutrients.
Have any chemical fertilizers been applied to the fields you are seeking Certification for in the last three years (36 months)? *
no
Have any non-acceptable pesticides and/or herbicides been applied to these fields in the last 3 years? *
no
Do you use Professional Soil Testing services? *
yes
Describe your primary weed problems AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual weed challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. *
Our primary weed problem is foxtail grass. We have been managing this through using heavy cover crop on un-sown areas, plastic mulch on some garden beds, and mowing before seed heads mature. We also have a problem with Canadian thistle which we address by manually pulling them out and removing them from the fields. All weed management is done through manual removal, mowing, and attempts to suppress weed establishment through cover cropping. We do not use any purchased products to manage weeds directly.
Describe your primary insect challenges AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual pest challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. *
Our insect problems have been cucumber beetles, aphids, flea beetles, and cabbage loopers. We have been able to suppress this problem to some extent by using Agribon row cover to cover beds immediately upon sowing/transplanting. We also rotate crops in the field in order to avoid pest accumulation and worsening of pest pressure and remove crop residue. For flea beetles and cucumber beetles, if we cannot control them by physical separation using row covers and crop rotation, we have sprayed Surround kaolin clay as a repellent. If this does not work, we have used Pyganic (OMRI certified) or Monterey Neem Oil (OG) to suppress the insect population (sprayed every 7-10 days; usually 2 applications sufficient). We have also had a problem with cabbage looper worms. We keep an eye out for moths and scout for small worms. When we determine a critical threshold we use Dipel BT OMRI certified spray to control them before they get to be a bigger problem (generally two application spaced 7-10 days apart works). Additionally, we try to foster beneficial insect habitat by planting flowers within the gardens. For aphids we have tried beneficial insect release or when a complete infestation in the hoophouse, Pyganic.
Describe your primary disease challenges AND methods of control. Do not answer "none". You MUST indicate either actual disease challenges and/or LIKELY challenges, and you must ALSO indicate how you manage (or would manage) them. If you indicate a product, also specify how often it's used. *
The biggest disease challenge we have is late blight in tomatoes. We rotate crops to try to avoid disease buildup and to have healthier crops. We also use drip irrigation to avoid excess moisture on leaves from overhead irrigation that could cause disease environment. We also build soil fertility and use organic fertilizers to build healthy plants that can resist disease as much as possible. We have also tried to put enough space between crops such as tomatoes and orient them in a way that airflow can pass so as to also reduce disease environments. We also remove crop residue from fields to avoid the accumulation of pest or disease issues. When these measures do not work, we have implemented a preventative spray program. We have used OMRI-certified copper spray on tomatoes the past couple years, and find that if we spray when we see early signs of blight we actually spray less over the course of the season (every 10 days if rainy weather; less if drier). We also rotate the location of those crops to avoid copper build up in the soil. We have also used Actinovate (OMRI) for control of blight (sprayed up to every 7-10 days) once signs of disease are detected. This year we will also be incorporating Regalia (OG) (Reynoutria sachalinensis) into a rotation for control of late blight. We also incorporated the use of Serenade (OMRI) in 2014 in order to manage downy mildew on cucurbit crops. We have also used Rootshield (trichoderma) to control damping off in seedlings preventatively.
Please list the water source you use for crop irrigation. If source is public river, pond or lake, please note the name: *
We use pond water from the farm for crop irrigation, pumped up to the fields with a pump and sometimes from a containment tank. We also use municipal water.
Are there any known contaminants in the irrigation water? *
no
Are you a maple producer who seeks to certify your sugarbush? *
no

Seeds, Transplants and Buffers

How do you select your seeds? CNG standards call for growers to make a good faith effort to locate organically grown seeds by contacting at least 3 major suppliers. *
We search 3 major supplies for organic versions of the seeds we want and we always purchase organic if it's available. If not, we only purchase untreated seeds. We never purchase or use treated seeds!
Do you purchase or grow using any Genetically Modified seeds? *
no
Do you use any chemically treated seeds in your operation? *
no
Do you grow your own transplants? *
yes
Do you purchase potting soil, or do you mix your own on the farm? *
purchased
What ingredients does your potting mix contain? If you purchase a mix, please also indicate which product. *
sphagnum, greensand, compost "plant pro" mix from Ohio Earth food
Are all of your transplants grown according to CNG standards, without synthetic fertilizers or wetting agents? *
yes
If any transplants are not grown according to CNG standards, please list them here. (If they all are, put "N/A".) This produce may not be marketed as Certified Naturally Grown. *
NA
Do you purchase any transplants from outside sources? *
yes
From which sources do you buy transplants? *
Sprout Mtn Farm - organic sweet potato slips
How have you confirmed with your supplier that the transplants are grown without synthetic fertilizers or wetting agents? *
yes
Please list any bought-in transplants not grown according to CNG standards. This produce may not be sold as Certified Naturally Grown (except, in the case of perennials, after twelve months of CNG cultivation). *
asparagus and blackberries - Nourse Farm Have not sold until after the timeframe of CNG cultivation *we also have to buy seed potatoes that are not confirmed to be untreated or organic locally. we grow them separately from other crops and that product/plot is not included in our CNG application. they are grown with CNG practices but we do disclose to customers that they were grown from seed potatoes that are not CNG. I have noted in this application the 0.5 acre that would then be considered "conventional" of the potatoes and is therefore not CNG-eligible.
Chemical/Spray Drift and Buffers:
Is there any likelihood of Chemical/Spray drift contamination of your fields? *
no
Do you have an adequate buffer to protect yourself from potential contamination? *
yes
Please describe your buffer. Be as specific as possible. On all sides, how far is it from your crops to the next closest use (road, conventional crop, residential yard)? Be sure to specify what is grown on neighboring land that is in agricultural use. For example: To the north and east, a wooded area of at least 100 yards separates us from the neighbor's corn fields, to the south is a fallow field at least 100 yards deep separating us from the road, and to the west about 60 feet separates our crops from a field where conventional corn and soybeans are grown. *
The land adjacent to the farm is private residential and the owners do not use any prohibited substances or treat their lawns. A road passes through the property but edges are maintained by the land-owner of the farm we lease at who does not use chemicals or prohibited substances. The rest of the farm is just hay fields that are not treated with anything.

Agreements

Please indicate your agreement with the following statements by checking the boxes.
I will not label, or in any way lead consumers to believe that produce not raised in accord with CNG standards is Certified Naturally GrownTM. *
I understand that I have to complete at least one (and hopefully more) Certification Inspection(s) of another farm in my area each year, and that the inspection will NOT be of the same farmer that inspected me. *
I have reviewed the Certified Naturally Grown certification standards, I understand them, and I will abide by them. I understand that if I have any questions I may contact CNG for clarification. *
You may use this space to tell us anything else you think we should know about your farm: