I was given the opportunity to visit Wegmans experimental organic farm on the west side of Canandaigua Lake. As an employee of Wegmans, I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to take a tour of their experimental organic farm and also, as a person who has grown up on a family farm in Ohio, I certainly wanted to see for my self just what Danny Wegman has been up to on his organic farm. The views that I offer here in my blog are my opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Wegmans’ family.
The farm that I grew up on out in Ohio some 60 years ago was a working family farm. We had no other source of income other than what the family earned by working on the farm. Our farm was for the most part, an organic farm in that manure from the dairy cows and hogs were recycled onto the farm land. Very few pesticides were required and the crops were cultivated to control the weeds as opposed to the widespread use of herbicides on today’s farms.
The Wegmans farm is an experimental organic farm which is a very different concept from that of a working farm. Their objective is to try different varieties of vegetables and berries which will thrive in the cooler temperatures of the Finger Lakes. Most of our organic products in the Wegmans Canandaigua store come from California. So, it is indeed a good move on the part of the Wegmans’ family to help establish local sources of organic produce.
The market for organic produce will only continue to grow. There is a rising awareness of the harmful effects from all of the herbicides and pesticides which are used in the production of today’s produce. And if for no other reason, vegetables, berries, and fruits, and meat grown organically just taste better!
James R. Bupp