Gambling on Organic

Is growing organic raspberries in arid Yakima Valley just plain crazy? Greg Berndt takes the plunge. Trained as an engineer, Greg never dreamed hed be a farmer until he saw Chileans growing raspberries on terrain that looked a lot like home.

Back in Washington State, Greg planted a few rows of raspberries around the edges of his Dads apple orchard. As Greg watched the sun fry his brambles he realized two things: one, he needed to find a way to work with the punishing desert temperature and soil conditions, and, two, conventional farming methods werent going to help.

(Raspberries are so sensitive to humidity, wind stress, and local air circulation that there are actually very few growing regions in the world capable of delivering sustainable yields. We were thrilled to find an American grower willing to take on these challenges in the US. )

Undeterred, Greg embarked on a four-year odyssey that involved gaining organic certification, and making peace with an arid patch of ground.

Thanks to his persistence, Greg is now the proud owner of the first organic raspberry farm in the Yakima Valley. One mans experiment has morphed into a thriving small business that supports his family, and produces some of the worlds sweetest and most succulent raspberries.
Stonyfield, Organic, Dr. Sears

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Greg
• Berndt
• Yakima
• Valley
• Raspberries
• Organic
• farming
• stonyfield
• farm
• organic
• certification
• Sun
• River
• Berries
• Farm

[LifeRegenRevolution]

well said