"Better food, better health, better world." This is the mantra of Cascadian Farms, an organic foods company based in Washington state's pristine Upper Skagit Valley.

Cascadian was founded in 1972 with the vision of creating a vibrant, successful agricultural enterprise based on sustainability and organic farming. Since then they have grown rapidly to become the largest organic food producer in the United States, now offering more than 150 products in eight major food categories, including organic jams and jellies, frozen vegetables, and frozen entrees.

Alec McErlich

Browsing Cascadian's website (www.cfarm.com), reading quotes from staff - whether it's the marketing director, operations manager, or financial controller - it's clear that quality of life is a driving motivation for the company.

Cascadian founder and CEO Eugene Kahn explains how how the farm is run. "I regard nature as the supreme farmer," he says. "Study nature and the answers become evident. Cascadian Farm was founded on age-old principles in agriculture. Nothing is wasted; in fact, waste has no meaning in nature. All life forms in a sustainable system become fuel for new life. By integrating plants and animals, crops and livestock, we create a unique culture of mixed farming - an imitation of nature's perfect system."

Alec McErlich, Cascadian's Director of Agricultural Research and Development says "our commitment to quality is all encompassing - not just the crop, but at every step in the process from grower to consumer. This means protecting natural resources, food security, farmworker health and safety, and rural communities. By bringing all these factors together, we can move towards sustainability and assure profitability."

Alec advises Cascadian's grower-suppliers on weed control. In his experience, and in nationwide surveys of organic farms, weed management is at the top of the list of concerns for organic operations. Working on the ground with 30 growers he promotes an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach - using a range of tools to control weeds, rather than eliminate them altogether. The objective becomes to prevent weeds from growing to a size where they will compete with the crop or produce seed.

"Without the luxury of herbicides" Alec explains, "we have to use a multiple approach with a number of alternative strategies, including cultural, biological, and mechanical controls. It's not farming by default, it takes a higher level of hands-on management than conventional approaches do. You have to know your weeds in detail, their growth patterns, the timing of germination and emergence. You have to be able to identify your weeds from a very early stage because that determines which tools you will use."

Adequate crop rotations are the first line of defense, breaking up the weeds' life cycles, never giving them a chance to prosper. Cover crops are also important, both to feed the soil and reduce the impact of weeds. Cover crops are used during fallow times to smother weeds and deplete their seedbank, by competing with them for sunlight, soil nutrients, and water. Certain cover crops such as oats, rye or mustard act like a fumigant, releasing chemicals that suppress weed growth.

Cascadian farmers also manage their food crops to more effectively compete with weeds. They choose vigorous pea cultivars for instance, that germinate early and grow large basal leaves to shade out weeds. They also use compost to build diversity in the soil and encourage beneficial organisms.

"Basically, we attempt to promote a biologically diverse soil which will provide the resources for organisms to survive and interact," says Alec. "This pool of organisms are then able to attack weed seeds in their dormant or early growth stages to either destroy them or interrupt their growth. By building soil fertility and structure, we cut down on weed species that prefer a poorer soil profile."

"Weeds may be present in the crop," McErlich remarks, "but are they decreasing yields? If not, the biodiversity they provide may actually be quite beneficial, providing habitat for beneficial insects and spiders that control pests. Although more intensive management costs more in time and labor, diversity also works hard for your farm, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, and you don't have to send a paycheck. It provides a reserve of biological resources to sustain diverse life."

While these cultural methods provide effective control as well as synergistic effects, some mechanical controls are still needed. Depending on the time of year and the weed species present, farmers may cultivate the soil or lay down a mulch of plant residue to curtail weed growth. Mowing can be an effective means to prevent weeds going to seed. With certain crops they use thermal weed management, flaming the weeds to cause heat exhaustion, rupture the plant cells and arrest photosynthesis.

Eugene Kahn

When asked about the economics of their biological farming model, McErlich responds, "I can't agree with stories that organic production is lower yielding. It is the expertise of growers, not the practice itself, that has biggest impact on yields. There is a steep learning curve, which means yields may be lower for a while, but given time and the right expertise, organic production can meet or exceed conventional yields on a number of crops. And weed management costs can be much lower."

He compares weed management in a conventional process pea crop, which costs around $30/acre, to organic weed management at approximately $20/acre. The difference represents the elimination of chemical costs, which have risen steadily for the past 20 years, and reduction of costs for mechanical control through cultural and biological techniques. For example, building soil quality reduces the horsepower required, and thus the fuel needed, to cultivate the soil, since the soil is lighter and more porous.

The economic benefits of organic weed management have enticed many conventional farmers to alter their approach to weed control, although they may not go 100% organic. McEhrlich illustrates with an example. "A corn grower in eastern Washington was having a problem with herbicide resistant weeds. He now uses organic weed management techniques as part of his overall strategy because it improves his yields, addresses the weed problem, and saves him money.

"Time and time again, we find farmers looking for alternatives in weed management to reduce costs, protect their crops from chemical "yield drag," and increase their options for crop management. One of the greatest joys we have is, although we may not convert everyone to an organic system, is to see the trickle down effect of organic management techniques into conventional agriculture practices. It is very rewarding."

Gene Kahn sums up their accomplishment. "We take pride in not only producing the highest quality organic products, but in our ongoing mission to help foster organic farming."

Alec McErlich
Cascadian Farms
719 Metcalf St.
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Tel: (360) 855-0100
Alec@Cfarm.com
www.cfarm.com

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