Karma’s Food Issues Committee shines a spotlight on Sosnicki Organics and Reyes Farms
Author: Helena Friesen, for the Food Issues Committee
Karma offers a selection of produce from the farms featured here. In addition, these producers help to supply our Buy the Bushel program, for people who would like to use larger quantities of very fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. Sign up for the Buy the Bushel Program here.
Sosnicki Organics in Norfolk County
Run by: Jessie and Ben Sosnicki | https://sosnickiorganics.com/ & Check them out on Instagram
Sosnicki Organics is a Certified Organic Farm committed to sustainable agriculture. They are a small family farm with 100 acres, and five greenhouses to extend the season. Sosnicki produces 30 different vegetable crops with over 100 varieties. They also sell their produce at Dufferin Grove, the Brickworks, and Wychwood Farmers’ Markets.
Sosnicki has been organic for over 19 years. To control weeds, they use mechanical and hand weeding along with strict crop rotation. They use cover crops, animal manure and fish fertilizer to ensure nutrient-rich soil. They do not use synthetic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or fungicides. This means that some years, certain crops are not productive. As they point out in their blog, “You will notice our tomato selection will be very dire if there is a cold wet year, as we DO NOT use chemical controls for Blights and diseases.”
Sosnicki Organics grows most field vegetables you can think of and some fruits. Right now, they are producing corn, tomatoes, green beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cantaloupes, carrots, celery, eggplant, kale, leeks, lettuces, peas, peppers, and zucchini (among others).
Reyes Farms in Niagara, Ontario
Run by: Ignacio Ruiz Reyes and Mimi Bizjak | http://www.reyesfarms.ca/ & Check them out on Instagram
Reyes Farms provides premium local fruit sustainably grown in their orchards in Niagara. Reyes Farm is a family-owned tender fruit farm that has been in the family for over 40 years. They also sell their produce at Dufferin Grove and the Brickworks Farmers’ Markets. Produce from Reyes Farms is not certified organic, but they work hard to achieve sustainable farming practices. To deal with pests, they use a combination of organic products and an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system. According to their website, this means they do everything they can to avoid using any conventional products. But, if they are going to lose the crop because of pests and diseases that cannot be controlled by using organic products, then they choose the least harmful options available on the market.
Currently, Reyes Farms is producing raspberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, grapes, and apples.
This is the first article in a multi-part series from the Food Issues Committee (foodissues@karmacoop.org), focusing attention on the farms, processors and distributors that supply Karma with all the products that its members can enjoy.