Farms
Thanks for wanting to learn more about the farm we use at Isidore Foods - Pittsburgh's Local and Organic Farm Food Delivery Service. We hope this information begins to build a connection between you and your local farmers and artisans.
Items are grown on small family farms in our region which are no more than 175 miles from Pittsburgh. About 50% of the produce is grown organically but without certification, 30% grown organically with certification and 20% grown sustainably with farms using integrated pest management (low or no use of pesticides).
Triple B Farms - small family vegetable farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques. Visit them on the web at www.triplebfarms.com
Yarnick's Farm - small family vegetable farm in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques. Visit them on the web at www.yarnicksfarm.com
Duda Farm - small family vegetable farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques. Visit them on the web at dudasfarm.com
Green Field Farms - a cooperative of organic vegetable farms from Eastern Ohio. Visit them on the web at www.gffarms.com
Bebout Farm - small family vegetable farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania. They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques. Visit them on the web at www.beboutfarm.com
Roush Bros. Farm and Greenhouse - family vegetable farm in Meigs County, Ohio. They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques. Visit them on the web at www.roushgreenhouse.com
Soergel Orchards Family Farm - small family vegetable farm located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques. Visit them on the web at www.soergels.com
Items are grown on small family farms in our region which are no more than 175 miles from Pittsburgh. About 50% of the produce is grown organically but without certification, 30% grown organically with certification and 20% grown sustainably with farms using integrated pest management (low or no use of pesticides).
In the winter we purchase citrus from Florida farms through Sunfresh and in late spring and the early summer we purchase stone fruit from Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia Farms through Soergel Orchards.
Triple B Farms - small family fruit farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They grow fruits using integrated pest management techniques. Vist them on the web at www.triplebfarms.com
Soergel Orchards Family Farm - small family fruit farm located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They grow fruits using integrated pest management techniques. Vist them on the web at www.soergels.com
Soergel Orchards is a distributor of many types of fruits and vegetables they purchase from their network of Soergel Certified Farms. Those farms include:
- Russell Farms (Susquehanna County, PA)
- Peters Orchards (Adams County, PA)
- Shramm Farms and Orchard (Allegheny County, PA)
- Bear Mountain Orchards (Adams County, PA)
- Crown Orchards (Albemarle County, VA)
- B&K Farms, LLC (Baltimore County, MD)
Sunfresh Food Service - full service food distributor in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. They buy and distribute fruits to restaurants and grocery stores. Visit them on the web at www.sunfreshfoodservice.com
Pantry
19 Coffee Company - a family owned business in Washington County, Pennsylvania. They have been roasting organic and fair trade coffee since 2011. Visit them on the web at 19coffee.com
Glossary of Farming Terms
The local farms listed above take the following principals seriously as stewards of their farm for their generation and future generations -
- Soil fertility - they maintain the long term fertility of the soil by helping worms, insects and other organisms to flourish. They add nitrogen naturally by planting cover crops and rest part of their land each year to improve its soil tilth for future plantings. Healthy soil means healthy plants!
- Rotating crops - they rotate the types of crops and animals in a field each year. This helps to keep the soil fertile and to prevent the build up of weeds, pests and diseases that can occur if the same crop is planted in the same field each year.
- Protecting the environment - by reducing or avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, farmers who sell to Isidore Foods reduce pollution in the soil, waterways and the food chain. They encourage natural predators to help control pests rather than using chemicals. If necessary, they will spray their crops as part of their integrated pest management (IPM) system. No genetically modified (GM) crops or animal feed are permitted.
Vegetables and Fruits
Certified Organic: Federal as well as state regulations govern the use of the term “organic” in the marketplace. Vegetables and fruits sold as “organic” must be grown and handled in accordance with these regulations. Operations with more than $5,000 gross annual income from sales of organic products must have their production and handling methods certified by an officially recognized organic certification agency.
Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.
Integrated Pest Management:Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.