The story behind Earthbound Farm organic salads
Since 1984, Earthbound Farm has been growing fresh, flavorful organic vegetables and greens that are free of pesticides and other chemicals. Here’s how they do it:
Develop fertile soil
In order to create healthy, fertile soil, they use compost, natural minerals and cover crops – plants that are grown, then tilled under to replenish the soil with nutrients.
Use only natural fertilizers
In order to fertilize their crops, they use natural waste products such as feather meal, chicken manure, fish slurry, and seabird and bat guano.
Control weeds without chemicals
Cover crops help to “shade out” weeds, keeping sunlight away and preventing weeds from reaching maturity. The farmers also pre-irrigate their fields to grow weeds ahead of time, then they till them under before they mature to reduce the quantity of weed seeds remaining in the soil. Occasionally they use a “flame weeder,” a propane device that directs flames toward the ground to kill newly germinated weeds.
Prevent pests naturally
The farmers rotate their crops to prevent the buildup of diseases and pests, and they use cover crops that release natural compounds to inhibit fungal spores. They also border their fields with “host crops,” such as buckwheat, alfalfa, clover, radish, yarrow, coriander, dill, carrot, vetch, baby’s breath, California poppy, bachelor buttons, and alyssum, which all naturally attract beneficial insects to help eat other pests.
Look for Earthbound Farm organic salads in our produce department.