Some of the factors that contribute to this market increase include: an increased awareness of health benefits linked to the consumption of fruits and vegetables, adverse health effects from pesticide residues, concern for environmental quality, and the need to conserve renewable resources. We at Caruso-Rozzano Farms believe the impact of organic and sustainable practices plays a factor in the eff
ects on nutrition and the environment. We use sustainable farming practices because we believe them to be healthier for the environment. We believe that the environment, crop management, particularly soil management influences the composition and quality of food crops. Caruso-Rozzano Farms has been trained in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) from the University of Nebraska Agricultural Extension office. GAP are "practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products" (FAO, COAG 2003 GAP paper) The training has served as a reference tool for deciding, at each step in the production process, on practices and/or outcomes that are environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable. We believe that the implementation of GAP contributes to Sustainable Agriculture. The word “sustain,” from the Latin sustinere (sus-, from below and tenere, to hold), to keep in existence or maintain, implies long-term support or permanence. We use farming system practices to maintain the productivity and conserve resources so that the land will continue to be used by society indefinitely. Congress, in the 1990 Farm Bill [Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (FACTA), addressed the term,
“ as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:
satisfy human food and fiber needs
enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends
make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls
sustain the economic viability of farm operations
enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”
We at Caruso-Rozzano Farms believe in the Three Pillars of Sustainability:
Profit over the long term
Stewardship of our land, air and water
Quality of life for farmers, ranchers and their communities
Caruso-Rozzano Farms works in harmony with the environment and uses ecologically balanced agricultural principles and practices. Our sustainable farming practices emphasize renewable resources,water and soil conservation and management practices which aide biodiversity in and of the agricultural system and the environment. Some of the management practices we use at Caruso-Rozzano Farms are: green manures, crop rotations, (the practice of planting a sequence of different crops and cover crops on a specific field) which help to build soil fertility, reduce insects, and to suppress weeds. These practices help to maintain long-term soil health by maximizing the crop activity without using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, (USDA) and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, (SARE); organic farming entails the use of cover crops, “a crop grown to prevent soil erosion by covering the soil with living vegetation and roots that hold on to the soil.” Cover crops are also grown to help maintain soil organic matter and increase nitrogen availability, and to “hold on” to excess nutrients (a catch crop) still in the soil following an economic crop. A green manure crop is “a cover crop grown to help maintain soil organic matter and increase nitrogen availability.” (USDA, 2010.) We are not certified organic, nor choose do to so at this time because organic certification is expensive, and is not warranted by our small production volumes, nor required by our market. We have a belief in the unity of life. We believe that what we do to the land, we do to ourselves. We believe that life and sustainability of the planet will be achieved through an organic and ecological systems approach in food production. We are your neighbors in this community, and we give back to it, and we appreciate and value your generous support.
