Use of Beneficial Insects at Eden Farms
 Here at Eden Farms, we believe in taking an eco-friendly approach to the growing process and strive to maintain an insecticide-free facility. Accordingly, we have begun using beneficial insects to combat the harmful pests that can cause damage to the plants. Our concern for the environment and our employees prompted us to take this step in 2008, and we are very pleased with the results. Our beneficial insects are already established on the plants at the time of your purchase, making them more resistant to pest problems that might arise, and allowing your garden to benefit from them as well!
Eden Farms Goes Bugs
Journal America May 2009
When I visited George Cluff (Proprietor of Eden Farms) last week to discuss advertising and business in general as well as to see if we could get together for some golf before his spring rush. I was prepared to hear his tales of woe about this recession and the impact it was having on his business, similar to what I was getting from most of my advertising partners. Much to my surprise and pleasure I found myself talking to some one who was carrying on like he just had a new child. He was happy, proud and excited as he ushered me inside his greenhouse and showed me what created hi excitement… It was bugs! Not just any bugs but Good Bugs.
I have also known for years that George has always enjoyed growing his own spring plants and did feel like a proud parent as they grew and blossomed. I also knew how much he disliked having to use insecticides to spray his plants to ward off the Bad Bugs and keep them from destroying the fruits of his labor.
With all the concern about the disappearing honey bees over the last few growing seasons George was suspicious about the over use of insecticides as a probable cause. In spite of the great strides made with the chemicals used in spraying he knew there had to be a better way to defeat the bad bugs. In his efforts to find the better way he did his homework and found that he was not alone in his search and that their was a better way. Mother Nature! Let the Good Bugs fight off the bad guys.
This however is not quite as easy as it sounds because you can't rush Mother Nature. George went on to explain about how delicate the balance was in using this Biological approach and started to get a little more technical for me to fully understand so he gave me some articles to review. I read them and went on line and found out more about George's project. One of the site was the "bug lady". I called her and she was quite accommodating in educating me. Most of the information was geared toward the larger growers and again a little more information that I could handle. I copied down some of the information which I posted below. For now I will leave the details to George and just enjoy his plants and know this is one fight that we can win. Using Biological Control Agents Against Insect and Mite Pests.
Natural enemies are living organisms that need to be released when pest populations are low. They do not act as quickly as pesticides, so cannot be used as a rescue treatment. Natural enemies are best used preventively, early in the cropping cycle, when plants are small pest numbers are low and pest damage has not yet occurred. This is a completely different mindset compared to the traditional pest control that growers generally do, waiting until they see damage and then treating with insecticides or miticides.
Some of the advantages of using biological control agents include: less worker exposure to toxic pesticide residues, less change of spray damage, no REI intervals to follow and natural enemies do your work (so you can spray less). Using biologically based methods of control should be part of your resistance management plan. You are helping to preserve the effective life of traditional pesticides by removing the selection pressure, when you use biological control agents.
However, biological control programs use living organisms and extra effort is needed to make these programs work. Commitment, patience (natural enemies don't work as quickly as pesticides), and a desire to learn about life history and environmental requirements of pest and its natural enemy are all needed.
I was impresses with George's commitment to this project and all I can say is, Go George Go.
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