UBC Farm
by author Michelle Hancock

Nestled in the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus on 40 acres of prime land is a well-kept secret: the city’s last working organic farm.

Since 2000, UBC Farm (landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm) has been a place to appreciate the connections between land, food, and people through both in-depth theory and hands-on experience. The project began when two students pitched the idea to protect the area against development. Interest hasn’t stopped growing. Ten thousand visitors came in 2005, a significant increase from only 200 in their first year.

Features include a demonstration garden, greenhouse, vineyard, compost area, pasture land, hiking trail, rare tree species area, Musqueam garden of First Nations plants, and a free-range chicken coop.

A big draw, the summer market sells 60 fruits and vegetable varieties from their eight-acre garden. “Every Saturday morning, a small group of us arrived at 8 o’clock to set up,” recalls biochemistry and food and nutrition student Leah Scafe, one of the farm’s 100 volunteers.

“At 9 am, the flood gates opened. Near the end of the market season in August, the morning rush was huge! People were coming at 8:30 with lawn chairs so they could be first in line. The things people will do to get farm-fresh organic veggies and eggs…”

So What Does “Organic” Mean?

Basically, that the carrots you’re buying were grown under a farming philosophy whose top priority is maintaining the health and harmony of soil, plants, animals, and people.

No genetically engineered materials or products and no chemical pesticides or fertilizers, artificial growth hormones, irradiated foods, synthetic processing substances, or food additives are used.

Did you know that if you buy certified organic cereal, not only is the cereal organic, but the box or bag around it must be made from materials that don’t contain any synthetic fungicides, preservatives, or fumigants?

This is why UBC Farm is so valuable–to educate the public and dispel misinformation, a need that will only increase as the organic industry grows.

Take, for instance, the case of rotenone, a botanical pesticide singled out in Scientific American magazine during a discussion of environmental culprits of Parkinson’s disease. The June 2005 article claimed rotenone is often used in organic farming because it’s made from natural products.

Rotenone is produced by extraction from the roots, seeds, and leaves of certain tropical legumes. A review of research literature confirms this insecticide’s toxicity; however, rotenone breaks down when exposed to sunlight and has a short lifetime (a week or less) in the environment. In addition, its use by organic farmers is not common, nor treated lightly.

“Regular use for the same problem would most likely result in declassification,” says Kirsten Kale, executive director of the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia (COABC), the province’s largest certifier. Under their standard, rotenone is a regulated substance and is not to be used as the primary source of pest control.

The Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network website lists only a handful of rotenone products sold in Canadian farm and garden supply shops.

The fisheries industry’s 50 years of rotenone use to eradicate exotic fish from their non-native habitats is a more likely culprit for widespread environmental contamination: a reported 94,739 kilograms were used in the United States and Canada between 1988 and 1997.

“In general, we are trying to promote minimal use of off-farm inputs,” says Kale.

Earth-Friendly People and Practices

Back on UBC Farm, they follow COABC guidelines carefully to retain the option of organic certification. Mark Bomford, project coordinator, explains, “Certification provides an assurance that food was grown in a particular way. Our customer relationships are so close we’re able to provide this assurance first-hand. We can answer questions, show them around the site, and they see for themselves the growing techniques we’re using.”

For instance, UBC Farm successfully handled a whitefly infestation by adjusting plant spacing, improving air circulation, and installing sticky traps. “We had a lacklustre garlic crop in 2004, but [in 2005] we paid a lot more attention to soil management, and had our best garlic crop ever,” says Bomford.

Vancouver writer Michelle Hancock is especially interested in health and environmental politics.

Source: alive #280, February 2006