Provident Organic Farm

   prov‧i‧dent [prŏv'ĭ-dənt, -dĕnt]  adj, providing carefully for future needs and events 

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Meet the Farmer

Farmer Jay Martin has 20 years of organic farming experience.  He began gardening organically in 1973 in upstate New York.  In 1980 he moved with his family to Bivalve, Maryland, where he worked as a waterman. In 1985 Jay and his wife Kathy started Silver Seed Greenhouses, a major supplier of organic transplants for the mid-Atlantic region.  For 16 years Silver Seed supplied farms, market gardens, urban gardening projects, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs with custom-grown transplants.  Silver Seed was the first and only certified organic, wholesale greenhouse operation in Maryland.  While running Silver Seed, Jay also cultivated an acre garden for the farmer's market in Salisbury, Maryland.  Jay sold Silver Seed Greenhouses in 2001 to create Provident Organic Farm CSA and pursue his dream of a safe, just and sustainable food system for this region.  He still serves as a consultant to the present owners of Silver Seed Greenhouses. 

Jay Martin is considered a regional expert in organic practices and speaks at numerous conferences on organic transplant growing and facilitates workshops to train growers.  He has served on Future Harvest small farm board, evaluating funding requests for small-scale innovative research and enterprises.

CSA farmer Jay Martin on Sustainable Food Systems

Presentation to the Assateague Coastal Trust by Jay Martin

9 March 2005

Alternative Agriculture

Provident Organic Farm and Organic Certification

It has become apparent to me that I need to explain my reasons for not certifying Provident Organic Farm with the new USDA National Organic Program. 

My reasons fall into three categories:

• financial,

• philosophical

• and personal.

The cost of certification is currently subsidized by the USDA.  I am opposed to subsidies as they distort the true cost of any activity.  Once critical mass is reached, the subsidies will be removed and costs will escalate.  It is estimated that certification will cost at least $800.00 and could go beyond $1000.00.  In a direct marketing situation, as we are, this is an unnecessary burden.  The foundation of the CSA model is mutual commitment; you commit to provide me with a living wage, I commit to do my best to provide you with safe, fresh and nutritious food. This is known as “face” certification.  Provident Farm is open to inspection by any member, you are welcome to question any of my farming practices.

One of my goals in building our CSA is to establish a sustainable, regional food supply.  The same economic model that is destroying family farms is now being applied to organic agriculture. The organic certification program, as administered by the USDA, is designed to enable large corporate farms to enter the organic market.  There have been numerous attempts by these corporate farms to dilute the standards.  Some of these efforts have been thwarted, some have been successful.  They will not give up, organic growers will have to maintain constant vigilance to maintain the integrity of the program.  I prefer to focus my attention on growing high-quality crops.

Regulations inhibit innovation.  The organic “movement” has come a long way from a handful of backyard gardeners.  Until very recently, there has been no research by any university or extension service.  Knowledge of organic growing techniques has been mostly gained through the innovations of dedicated folks willing to share the lessons they learned with other growers.  The USDA has provided strict guidelines for organic growing practices.  Any new ideas will have to be reviewed by bureaucrats before being implemented.  This could take years, and is unacceptable to me.  If I have a new idea, I  run it by my peers for review.  There is no better source of information than another farmer who is dedicated to the improvement of the land, as I am.