Controlling Pests Organically

It goes without saying that spraying pesticides is a big no-no in organic farming. Instead, we rely on natural means of controlling pests like ladybugs and birds.

Ladybugs are great for preventing outbreaks of destructive critters such as aphids. Some hemp growers actually buy and release ladybugs in their fields, but we’ve found they seem to arrive naturally on their own. It’s great to see them patrolling the hemp plants.

Birds are also a terrific ally to have. They love hanging out in the hemp field, especially in the mornings and evenings. They’ll perch on the plants or nearby bushes or fenceposts, scanning for caterpillars–which are a hemp grower’s worst nightmare come flower time, as the cats will burrow into the delicate flowers, eating and pooping until rot sets in, ruining the flowers. But so far this year I’ve only seen a handful of very small caterpillars, and actually none since flowering began a few weeks back. Love those birds! Next year I may add a birdbath or two in the field to make them even more at home there.

The more I learn about agriculture, the more I believe that in many/most cases there’s no need to spray pesticides if you follow smart practices and pay close attention to your crop. The harm done by chemical pesticides, in my view, far exceeds the benefit.

We certainly wouldn’t feel very good about spraying plants that people consume–like the hemp flowers. Our customers can rest assured that all of our products are free from any pesticides–even though we don’t use any we have a lab test for pesticides just so there’s no question about the purity.