Starting this weekend, Salad Sweeties, (pictured above), will be on the tables. Sweeties are an English Turnip, Tonopah Rob actually gets the seed from England. They have a sweet melon like flavor, best eaten raw, sliced onto a salad. Salad Sweeties are the most popular turnip sold from Tonopah Rob's farm.  

As more and more people become educated; how, where and all the questions that come along with the way food is grown, people are finding out there is a difference between organic, naturally grown and all naturally grown.

Naturally Grown or Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) farmers think, at least the ones I've interviewed, all have the same opinion in common, it's ok to use soft insecticides and pesticides as well as using garlic and cayenne pepper sprays and other botanical just because they think it comes from plants or minerals. All of the CNG farmers interviewed claim they are better than organic because they use less pesticide than organic farmers which is true in most cases but both methods use the same chemicals only at different application rates.  Nearly all forms of insect control have some sort of inert ingredient, synthetic or other compound to help activate the botanical part of the "cides".  It's not natural to spray garlic or cayenne pepper on plants, if it were, the rain would smell funny.

The difference between naturally grown and all naturally grown are huge.  First of all, there are no chemicals, sprays or concoctions used in all natural farming. All natural farming is a nature grown method, the vegetables and fruit grow within their season and sometimes there are two seasons for some varieties but they grow all naturally, using the health of the soil, micro-organisms, worms and plant material to keep their leaves sweet in which they continue to grow a very healthy and complex root system preventing non beneficial insects from destroying the plants.

Natural farming practices allow large animal manures as does organic farming.  All natural farming methods do not use large animal manure unless it has time to age for at least five years, but on Tonopah Rob's farm, no large animal manure is used mainly due to the hormone and antibiotics found in animal waste. Antibiotics and hormones are widely used by commercial meat and dairy farms as well as a neighbor nursing his horse back to health.

Commercially, manure is sold from dairies, horse corrals, livestock yards and bags can be purchased from garden nursery's and box stores. There are many sick animals found in those living conditions on a monthly basis, if they are not euthanized, they are injected with antibiotics. Dairy cows are given hormones to keep producing milk way past their post pregnancy. If the manure in the compost is not fully composted, vegetables and plants absorb the bad stuff and is then passed onto you, the top of this food chain.

Tonopah Rob's All Natural or Nature Grown farm uses the wind and moon cycles for planting and crop maintenance. Some crops are planted tightly, growing and twisting their leaves around each other for protection and combining aromas to confuse the senses of insects. The type of water used to irrigate crops are important too.  Pure well water is used for irrigation, not canal water or city water, just pure well water.  In order to have great resources, Rob's farm is away from the city, out in the desert where the land and water is pure and auto pollution is less abrasive, meaning, I don't trust food grown by a busy freeway or down stream from a cement chemical plant.

Why is this farming practice important?  It's crucial we all feel good and eating all naturally is one way to take care of yourself.  Pure food grown naturally is vital for those that are ill and in need of medical help and pure food will boost ones immune system, creating a more positive energy for your temple.

Compared to all of the other growing methods, an all natural nature grown approach to farming is the healthiest way a person can consume produce and benefit from all of its vitamins, minerals and proteins.  Stop by one of the selling locations and pick up your perfect nature grown food for your temple.

Market Locations this week:

Tonopah Rob will be selling at three locations this week.  Sun City Grand Farmers Market this Saturday from 9 to 1p.m.  Penlina Farmers Market from 8 to noon at the Peoria Sports Complex and Tonopah Rob's Farm Stand from 8 to noon. For complete details, click onto the above tab directions to the markets.

Volunteer help is needed.  Since this is the giving season……and if you are feeling charitable and want to help, please contact Tonopah Rob.  The busy days on the farm are Wednesday through Friday beginning around 10 a.m.  We would begin sooner but the garden hoses are freezing every night and around 10 a.m. the vegetation has thawed which allows us to begin weeding and harvesting. If you have four or five hours and want to hop over fences, perform a lot of bend over exercises, build your biceps and firm your buns, this is the place for your burst of energy…… a huge hug and handshake goes to all of the volunteers and helpers, thank you for your support.

Veggie List:

Desert Heirloom Spinach Mix

Lettuce Alone- The Honeymoon Salad Mix

Eggplant

Watermelon Radishes

Salad Sweeties

Assorted Salad Radishes

Bell Peppers

Jalapeno Peppers

Zucchini Squash

Lemons

Cucumbers

Fresh Eggs

Flower bouquets

One well aged and splintered wooden shovel handle

Maybe a surprise or two