Frith Farm Logo

Our practices prioritize the health of the soil, the diversity of life on the farm, and the farm's role in the community. We see the Organic standards as a set of bare-minimum requirements, and all our vegetables, herbs, flowers, and poultry are certified Organic by MOFGA. There are many ways farmers can surpass these requirements, and our style of farming exceeds them in the following ways:

1. We do not till. Aside from opening our fields initially, we practice no-till farming. This means the ecosystem of our soil does not contend with the destructive nature of fast moving metal. Instead, we engage in biologically-intensive, human-scale methods to manage our permanent raised beds. Benefits of this no-till system include:
      • Less dependance on expensive machinery
      • Less pollution from tractors and runoff caused by tillage
      • Improved soil structure and reduced compaction
      • More soil life and natural resistance to pests and disease
      • Increased water holding capacity and resistance to drought
      • More workers employed and a higher human to land ratio


2. We use no pesticides of any kind. There are a number of pesticides approved for Organic use, but we feel that toxic substances, no matter their origins, should not be applied to food.

3. We use no tractors in our fields. We believe there is a level of care and attention to detail that comes with keeping our feet on the ground and our hands in the soil. The farm is sized for tools, practices and enterprises that celebrate the satisfaction of human work, and in return the work benefits from the increased care that this scale affords.

4. We raise our livestock on grass. We no longer raise livestock, but when we did, we rotated them intensively over pasture and woodland so they get as much of their diet as possible from living forage. Overwintered animals were deep-bedded in bright and airy greenhouses, with daily access to the outdoors.


5. We strive to make our food, land, and ideas available to all. We offer sliding scale pricing, and accept EBT, WIC, and all manner of barter. We welcome anyone and everyone on the farm at any time. We believe agricultural knowledge should be open-source and are happy to share any aspect of our business or practices.

High Tunnels

Peas and Oats

ISSUE
APPROACHES
Conventional
"Organic"
No-Till / Beyond Organic
Soil Preparation Heavy tillage Reduced tillage Plant through residues into undisturbed soil
Fertility Synthetic fertilizers Organic fertilizers Cover crops, organic matter, and soil biology
Weeds Herbicides Tillage, cultivation, bare fallow Undisturbed soil and organic mulches
Pests & Disease Synthetic pesticides and biocides Organic pesticides Biodiversity and soil health
Labor Mechanization with minimal labor Labor seen as input to be minimized Human-scale practices that favor productive labor over mechanization
Markets Commodity markets with set prices Regional wholesale markets Local sales directly to consumer