We have several ways of working with pests and damage on our farm.
Since we make a practice of not utilizing anything that has long term consequences for the environment on our farm we have found a couple of really good items to have on hand.
Floating Row Cover
This material not only is good for helping shelter and warm plants, but it also is a great insect barrier! Hundreds of feet of carrots saved each year by preventing root maggot infestations.
This is the only "natural" way besides treating with beneficial nematodes and rotating crops that we have found to keep root maggots under control.
We usually plant two rows at a time and cover with one sheet of row cover to protect the plants.
Avian Invaders…
Eagles, Red Winged Blackbirds, and Starlings are our biggest threat from the skys. Decimating chickens, stripping ears of corn, and bringing possible disease with them are concerns that we face. "Scare Eagles" seem to be the only way we have found to keep the birds at bay. The bigger the bird the less they come near the scare eagles.
SPRAYING
And then there are things outside of your control that you just have to plan for and communicate with your neighbors about. Spraying in the form of 24D, Roundup, Rodeo, and other sprays used in the area can harm your crops and you have the right to ask others to spray responsibly. My neighbors and I work well to let each other know about our concerns - I mow down weeds, they lower their spray booms when approaching my perimeter and only spray in calm conditions to reduce drift.
We also protect our starts from mice!
