This type of information flies in the face of everything that “modern” agricultural research has been saying for decades — that crops need just a few key nutrients fed to them during their growing seasoned that if these nutrients are provided, the same quality food can be grown in good soil, poor soil, or even “soil less”, hydroponic conditions — essentially the US government’s official word on the subject. 

 This seems counterintuitive to anyone who has ever grown or eaten quality produce.  By now, many consumers have discovered that the organically grown produce from their farmers’ market or CSA — and even from Whole Foods or other large stores — simply tastes better than conventionally grown produce. While there are several reasons for this, I believe the most important is the quality of the soil. 

 As I said last week, plants get everything they need to grow from the soil and the sun, and the sun is the same for both conventionally and organically grown crops.  Organic farming, more than anything else, is about caring for and building the soil.  We view the soil as an ecosystem that must be maintained and protected, rather than as medium for plants to grow in.  To achieve this goal, we add large amounts of compost to the fields, grow a variety of cover-crops that add nutrients and organic material, and apply select mineral supplements to correct imbalances in soil Ph and other aspects.  Weeds, while not allowed to impede the growth of our crops, are not considered an enemy to be destroyed.  

How does this make vegetables taste better, and possibly more nutritious?  For one thing, it allows worms and natural microorganisms to once again flourish in the soil.  Scientists are just beginning to understand the interrelations between soil organisms, but it is clear that they contribute vast amounts of nutrients to the soil.  These nutrients are taken up by the carrots, broccoli, and spinach that you eat — and they are not present in Dole or Safeway’s vegetable fields.  Conventional fertilizers and weedkillers sterile the soil over time, killing most of the life there. The  soil contains only what the farmer adds to it.  When we seed or transplant our plants into this environment, it often takes them a while to get used to it.  Naturally supplied nutrients are not as soluble as chemical ones, they are only gradually available to the plants, and the plants have to work harder to take them up.  But I believe that this produces hardier, healthier plants that produce better, more nutritious crops at harvest time.  And the testimony of so many of our customers has confirmed this hunch — that organically grown crops simply test better and are better for you than conventional ones. 

 At the same time that certain scientists are exploring the complicated ways that better soil contributes directly to human health, others are running as fast as they can in the other direction.   These spokespeople for all things chemical are raising the specter of widespread food poisoning from crops grown with manure and other natural fertilizers.  They are calling for less biology and more sterility in the food supply — irradiation, genetic engineering, and other ways of growing food that will leave fruits and vegetables with even fewer of the potential nutrients that they could be providing us.  Another reason to see some comprehensive scientific studies on nutritional values of organic vs. conventional….

Asparagus:  Store asparagus for just a few days in a wrapped plastic bag — keep moist.  To prepare, “snap”off the tough ends and cook whole or cut into pieces.  Soak the asparagus briefly to remove any silt. Traditionally, asparagus is cooked standing up, in a bunch, with the tips out of the water. But you can steam or sauté briefly, until just tender — or add to soup just before removing from heat 

Fennel:  Store fennel in plastic in the fridge.  To use. Remove the sheaths of the bulb one by one and clean.  Raw, fennel is crunchy and sweet — slice thinly across the grain and dress in a salad.  Cooked, it can be caramelized the ways onions can — sauté over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.  Use the stems and fronds in soup stock or remove the fronds and use as you would dill in a salmon or other fish dish.