Going Beyond Organic, Family Farm in Arizona Grows Crops on Vegan Diet

May 15, 2012 | Jessica Morey-Collins

Do you ever wonder what your produce eats? The Smith family, which owns and operates Sunizona Family Farms in Wilcox, AZ, does. Concerned with animal cruelty and the environmental impact of sourcing manures containing blood, bone and fishmeal from factory farms, the Smiths pioneered a strictly plant-based organic growing method that does not use any animal byproducts. They call it ‘veganic growing’. Read More

Farm Makes Leap from Conventional to Organic Farming for Health and Profit, Proves Naysayers Wrong

April 23, 2012 | Jessica Morey-Collins

The world of organics is a battle for minds in which perceived small picture profits are pit against big picture responsibility, says Klaas Martens, co-owner along with his wife Mary-Howell, of The Martens’ Farms, a large-scale organic legume and grain farm in upstate New York.

Before it was an organic farm, The Martens’ Farm was a conventional legume and grain farm that relied on synthetic pesticides and herbicides. It was in the late 1980’s that the Martens’ began to consider a transition away from conventional agriculture practices and inputs. Read More