SUMMER WEEK 5
BOUQUET INGREDIENTS
marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, gomphrena, amaranth
I've never received a complaint from someone who's found a bug in a bouquet, though I am sure it's not because there aren't bugs in our bouquets. I often find myself getting distracted by the abundance of life on the farm, and this week has been no exception!
I use "no-spray" to describe our farming practices in regards to pesticides for a few reasons. First, we are not certified organic by the USDA so we are not legally allowed to use the term "organic". This is a protection for consumers, so when you purchase a certified organic product you can trust that a farm's practices were evaluated by a third-party to meet the USDA's organic standards, set by the National Organic Program (NOP) housed within the USDA. While these standards include the prohibition of applying synthetic pesticides, it is a common misconception that certified organic are grown without any pesticides. The NOP actually permits some natural pesticides like neem, pyrethrins, and pesticidal bacteria in organic production. I could get into the pros and cons of each of these, but I'll spare you. The point I am trying to make is that we've never applied any pesticides—natural or synthetic—on our farm.
I think there's been a lot of fearmongering around this topic, and I do believe that these natural pesticides have their place in agriculture. I'll even concede that synthetic pesticides probably have their place, too. It's just not on my farm.
We prefer to let the ecosystem do the work as much as possible. This not only saves us money on inputs like pesticides, but we feel it creates a garden that is more resilient to pests in the future. By allowing small populations of pests to exist on our farm, we attract populations of their predators as well. Just this morning when I was harvesting for your bouquets, I observed this spined soldier bug nymph preying on a cucumber beetle.
We also have loads of goldenrod soldier beetles on the farm this time of year. They always congregate on our celosia, feeding on its nectar and pollen and, of course, reproducing. These bugs eat other insects' eggs and small soft-bodied insects like aphids in both their larval and adult stages, so we are happy to have them around.
Beyond the benefit these creatures provide to our crops, we're happy to have all variety of bugs on our farm. By avoiding spraying for caterpillars, for example, we're creating a safe haven for Lepidoptera like these silver-spotted skippers on our farm. And by having an abundance of insects and other bugs, we are also feeding the birds and the frogs, who feed the snakes, who feed the birds of prey, and so on.
I like to believe that the reason I haven't received a complaint about a bug in a bouquet is because the kind of people who are my customers understand that the bug represents flowers growing within a living ecosystem.
So yes, you may find a bug in your bouquet. I hope you'll see that as a feature instead of a flaw.
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