Growing Practices

MorningSide Farm is a Certified Organic vegetable farm.

We have put into production, land that has been ignored by modern agriculture for over 50 years.  Consequently, it is free of the common chemical compounds found on conventional farms today.

To manage fertility cover crops are planted in the fall to stabilize the soil, sequester nutrients and add biomass to the soil. Our soil is fortified with compost from regional livestock farms.  It is further amended and balanced with naturally occurring and organically approved minerals.

To extend Ohio’s growing season, we have constructed 4 high-tunnels that cover a total of 7200 square feet.  These unheated, metal-framed structures are covered with a sturdy clear plastic film.  Inside the buildings, crops are planted into meticulously balanced soil.  The buildings shelter crops from extreme cold temperatures, precipitation and wind.  Consequently we have fresh crops to harvest an additional 4 months each year.

When available, we choose organically produced seeds.  For our greenhouse, we blend our own organic potting soils.  The greenhouse is heated with wood grown and cut on the farm.

We control weeds with crop rotation, plastic and wood chip mulch, and mechanically.  And when all else fails, painstakingly by hand.

We control insects and microbial pests with crop rotation, mulch, floating row cover, beneficial microbes and organically approved biologically based agents.

Our crops are promptly harvested when ripe and delivered fresh.