Greenhouses — Maybe Not So Green?
A Sterile Wasteland Built of Concrete, Plastic, and Steel
Our family began farming avocados on seven acres in the
Carpinteria Valley in the late 1950s. Over the years, we have added small
parcels of land, knitting together what has become a commercial, family-owned
business. Avocados, lemons, and cherimoyas are our mainstays and provide a
diverse balance that helps even out the ups and downs of the produce markets.
Some of our orchards are certified organic, requiring an annual
third-party audit. Other orchards are conventionally farmed, not restricted by
the stringent organic protocols that limit the use of programs such as Best
Management Practices (BMP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which allow us
to combine the best aspects of organic and conventional techniques. We strive
for becoming truly sustainable in our production methods, where high fruit
quality, low costs of production, and minimal adverse environmental impacts are
achieved.
Over the years, we have watched Santa Barbara agriculture change,
particularly in regard to the ever-increasing conversion of large tracts of
land covered by greenhouses, hoop structures, and acres of plastic tarps. Is
this the future of agriculture, where factory farming, production volume, and artificial
environmental control are paramount?
