 Julie Sullivan. WSU's organic major includes a summer practicum on its
organic farm, which provides experience growing, harvesting, and
marketing organic produce. Photo by Bruce Andre.
On the list of farms certified organic by the state of
Washington, Brownfield Orchards is number one, having earned the
designation in 1987. Certification indicates that the designated
farm adheres to a set of farming practices that preclude the use of
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and emphasize the development
of healthy soil.
Mike Brownfield ’88 returned to the family farm, at the base of
Brownfield Canyon, after graduating and spending a couple of years
working on an organic farm in California. Mike’s great-grandfather,
Oliver, had farmed land adjoining the family’s current acreage. His
grandfather, Floyd, grew apples in Chelan from the 1930s until
1969. After he’d taken over the orchard, Mike’s father, John, grew
uneasy with the toxic chemicals commonly used at the time, and
turned to organic methods well before he had the state’s official
blessing. Some of the blocks of the Brownfields’ 52 certified acres
have never experienced the quick rush of synthetic fertilizer.
Even in the late 1980s, any organic farmer was still a pioneer.
The tools of organic production were crude and hard to find, and
the University offered little support. Markets were limited and
hardly lucrative.
But if Brownfield was a pioneer, he was not alone. Across the
lake to the west, Ray Fuller had gone organic even earlier.
After he’d returned to his family’s orchard above Lake Chelan
from Washington State University in 1980, conventional pest control
just didn’t make much sense to him. “You’d apply material to
control one pest, and that made other pests blow up because you’d
killed all the beneficial insects. So you’d apply more materials
for the secondary pests.
“Plus . . . I was in my early 20s and knew I’d be here for a
long time. Thirty or 40 years of being exposed to harsher
pesticides—it’s at least not healthy for you.”
The view from Fuller’s large log home is a strong contender for
the most beautiful in the world. From his vaulted living room, one
looks across his orchards and over Lake Chelan. But the setting
provides more than just a beautiful view. The Chelan area has long
been known for its high-quality fruit, primarily apples, pears, and
cherries.
 John Clement
The lake is the biggest factor, says Fuller. “The colds don’t
get as cold, and the hots don’t get as hot.”
Although organic agriculture at the time was considered more
fringe philosophy than practical horticulture, Fuller recognized
opportunity. Spurred by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and
J.I. Rodale’s organic evangelism, demand was growing for food not
raised with large amounts of synthetic pesticides and
fertilizer.
Whereas Fuller markets all of his fruit wholesale through a
packing house, Brownfield markets much of his directly, which helps
him weather market downturns. But the future organic market is very
rosy indeed for both approaches.
Well over 10,000 acres of Washington tree fruit are certified
organic, and that acreage is increasing rapidly. Washington has
more than 40,000 acres of organic farmland altogether and is
expected to double organic production within the next few
years.
Organic food currently claims about 2.5 percent of the American
food market and is growing at a healthy rate of 20 percent a year.
Two and a half percent does not seem particularly significant,
until you translate that into dollars. Americans spent $15 billion
on organic food and beverages in 2004.
They give any number of reasons for buying organic. Better
taste. Concern about the environment. The health of their children.
Maybe a warm, fuzzy country feeling, what Michael Pollan calls
“supermarket pastoral.” But farmers are moving into organic
increasingly for one reason. To make money. Organic is a major
growth niche in an industry where profit margins shrink daily.
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