To mark the end of the third annual Idaho Organic Week, the Boiseans were invited to visit two Gem County organic farms – the Treasure Valley Food Coalition and the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides. Apart from a tour of the farms, the participants sampled wine, observed various farming practices, and ended the day with a sumptuous meal.

Organic Farm Visit During Organic Week

The Idaho Organic Week celebrates the producers, farmers, distributors, and organizations that work toward production and distribution of a wide range of superior quality organic products. The festivities began on 23rd June 2013 and came to a close on 29th June 2013 with a tour to two well-known organic farms.

The Organic Gems Farm Dinner and Bus Tour started at 3:00 pm from the Albertsons location at 16th and State streets in Boise. The first stop was at Emmett. A tour of the vineyard belonging to Joe and Carmen Morton at Silver Leaf Farm was followed by sampling wine made by the Vale Wine Company based in Caldwell.

Later, the group headed to Sweet for a tour of Sweet Valley Organics and other organic farms in the area. At Sweet Valley Organics, the visitors witnessed the actual farming procedures for pepper, tomatoes, and basil. They also observed vermicomposting processes and pastured chicken demos.

The evening's activities came to an end with a delicious field dinner, cooked using local organic products from Sweet Valley Organics and other local farms.

The tour cost of 75 dollars per head included the transportation to and back, from all the destinations, by bus. The cost of the visit to the vineyard, wine tasting, the farm tours, and dinner was also covered by the tour cost.

The main objective of the organic farm visit was to propagate the varied organic options the state has to offer, by giving individuals a firsthand experience of the same. It was indeed an experience that lived up to the expectations of all the tourists alike.

Organic Weed and Organic Food as Eco-Friendly Promotional Items

Organic farming depends on natural methods of cultivation such as the use of natural manure and compost, crop rotation, as well as biological pest control, for better agricultural output. Since the crops were grown are free of chemicals, they are considered to be eco-friendly promotional items.

Organic farming is advantageous as it helps to maintain the ecological balance of the soil while reducing the risk of ground water pollution. Organic foods are a safer dietary option as they are not contaminated with harmful pesticides as well as fertilizers and they do not have artificial flavors and preservatives.