Strawberries are usually the crop most heavily contaminated by pesticides in conventional production. Some sweet corn varieties are genetically modified (GMOs), which we have serious concerns about and are not allowed in organic seed production.

Given how much kiddos love to eat both of these crops and the problems with how they are conventionally grown, it is very important for them to be grown organically.

Devan, Fair Fields Owner, worked on various organic farms in the early 2000s before starting Fair Fields, so organic methods and ideas have always been part of our production systems.  When we started growing here in 2012, we were selling directly to consumers, so we didn’t feel it was important to be certified organic.  That changed in 2020 when we started to sell small-scale wholesale and were concerned with accessing more markets and providing a guarantee to customers whom we might not meet and get to know directly.  Since then, we have realized that most people we wholesale to and their customers are not concerned with whether or not we are certified.  There is also a hefty price tag for certification and a lot of paperwork we would not otherwise do.  With our small scale, tight budget and busy schedule, the added work and expense were too much to justify. Hence, we are no longer certified, despite having a great record and being in good standing with Ecocert Canada, our former certifier.“