James Durst Farming is a prime example of a diversified, integrated, and successful organic farm. Under the brand name Hungry Hollow‚ Jim Durst and his wife, Deborah, grow and market fresh market vegetables to wholesale and retail outlets in and around San Francisco and other metropolitan areas in the US and Canada. He controls all aspects of production from the time seeds go into the ground, until produce arrives at his vendors’ docks – including harvesting, packing, sales and trucking.

Employee luncheon

About half of Jim’s 550 acres in Yolo County are dedicated to fresh market vegetables. The remainder is planted in processing tomatoes and alfalfa hay for organic dairy feed. As is the case at other organic farms, Jim's farming practices are based on the maxim "feed the soil, the soil will feed the plants." He uses cover crops to add biomass to the soil, and works in ways that minimize soil disturbance and reduce soil compaction. "Cover cropping," Durst explains, "is nothing more than growing crops solely for the benefit of the soil. We have been growing cover crops since the early 80s, and over time we have seen some real benefits – improved soil structure, water permeability, and a healthy soil fauna. By focusing on soil, we attempt to create a healthy environment for the organisms that help our crops access nutrients in the soil."

Jim Durst applies a similar philosophy in dealing with his employees. Durst Farming employs four people full-time. The ranks swell to 80 however at peak harvest periods. "We put a lot of energy into creating a healthy work environment for the people working here," says Jim. "These people are the backbone of our farm, we would not be able to operate without their input. Many of our seasonal employees are here on a temporary basis, often from other countries (primarily Mexico), but we attempt to show our appreciation with employee luncheons, on-farm celebrations, and work recognition. We also have one employee whose job it is to help (foreign workers) navigate through our culture, i.e. dealing with immigration requirements, getting doctors' appointments, helping with housing or transportation. We offered a retirement plan to seasonal employees, and I was really surprised at how many employees paid into it. Our next goal is to offer them some type of health insurance."

The Dursts structure their labor force into teams, with a supervisor leading each group. The Dursts provide training to enable supervisors to become better leaders. Other workers also get chances to learn new jobs and skills. Some may never get promoted to a supervisory position, but the farm benefits. The more complete understanding employees have of how the whole farm works, the better judgement they can exercise in their own specific job. They also become more versatile and able to fill in wherever they may be needed.

Jim is also among a small handful of producers nationwide getting involved in the research and development of new technology that is reshaping agriculture. He is one of three growers (with Bruce Rominger and Ed Sills) participating with a team of researchers in the Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems (SAFS) project at the University of California at Davis. The project compares all aspects of three different farming systems – organic, low-input conventional, and straight conventional farming.

"When we started farming organically, there were not many resources available. Often our farms became laboratories where different farming systems were explored. We had a vision of what we wanted to see happen, but the practical steps were not well understood. The SAFS project has helped us define the steps we had already taken and knew in our hearts to be right, but which were not necessarily supported by research or science. By broadening our understanding of how these systems work, others will not necessarily have to make the same mistakes we made and hopefully have some parameters to follow. As growers we have access to some of the best minds in the University system to help evaluate our farming systems, and they have provided us with some very useable data for understanding what is happening on our farms."

The SAFS project, led by Dr. Steve Temple, is comparing the three farming systems over a 12-year period to evaluate the benefits of each in terms of soil structure and vitality, crop yields, economic returns, and overall sustainability. The project team includes agronomists, microbiologists, plant pathologists, weed and pest management specialists, economists, water management specialists, and growers. The role of the growers is to keep the project true to the real challenges faced by farmers every day. Growers and researchers meet once a month for three hours to share knowledge about best practices, to work together on research questions, and to develop information that will be of real value to other growers – "weeding out the esoteric from the practical" as Jim describes it.

Jim and his wife, Deborah

He has been pleased with the results. "The data has been really interesting. Economically speaking, it shows that the organic and two-year conventional rotation systems tend to be the most profitable. Organic systems tend to get better pricing for their products, and the conventional systems follow a tried and true recipe to get the highest yield possible with less expensive inputs. The project has shown us that there is one more factor we have to take into account: the cultural. Is short-term profit a long-term, sustainable approach to farming? We are learning that in the long run, a hybrid of organic and conventional systems may emerge to blend good science with reduced chemical inputs and better soil management techniques. The results may directly correlate to improved soil and plant health and increased profitability."

Temple and his team have set up research plots representative of the three farming systems as they are practiced in the area. Everything used in the research – from organic and chemical inputs, to crop rotations and harvest equipment – is designed to mimic the systems farmers in area normally use. Once or twice a year, the SAFS project hosts a field day and invites farmers, farm advisors, extension agents and the general public to take a look at what they are doing. "They put on quite a show," Jim says. "They take a tour of the farm and let visitors get their hands dirty looking at crops growing, examining soil structure. They have labs set up where people can look at soil organisms in the microscope, and see how the data is developing. There is a session of reports from different collaborators, including a panel of growers. These field days have been very successful and well-attended, very good at getting exposure with the public."

Jim takes both a practical view of the research, and a philosophical view of its effect on agriculture: "Change does not happen in dramatic ways. Fundamental changes take place over long periods of time. This project is attempting to understand our current farming situation and direct research into methodologies that will help it become more sustainable over time. As we gain more insight into what is happening on our farms, we are sharing that with the larger community. The information is dispersed like seeds in the wind. Some of it lands on fertile soils and some of it lands on bare rock. That's how this project is influencing agriculture."

Jim Durst
Durst Farms
26100 CR 16
Esparto, CA 95627
Tel: (530) 787-3390

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