2011 Let's get Started

2018 Let's get Started

     TJ is an electrical engineer who mid life sold out and started an organic farm. After five years and failing miserably with lots of excuses why, he returned in a fashion to electronics to aid in the development of eco-software as it relates to horticulture and land management.

    Because of his love of horticulture he became a self studied horticulturalist and activist in developing growing techniques and involved himself in many areas of eco science, alternative energy and waste management.

   He was formerly CEO and director of research for a non-profit sustainable earth science research group "The Bobbie Howe Foundation"

My editor said, “Why would you post a negative?” She was referring to my bio where I state that I failed miserably at organic farming. I responded, “In a world of contrived presentations of ego, integrity and truth have no place.” Thus I would like to elaborate.

I had become entangled in the term “organic.” It is not enough that a so called “Organic Farmer” is dealing with all the forces of nature to produce pure unadulterated food, this farmer is also over lorded by State and Federal agencies that determine or rather license the use of the term “Organic.”

Disagreement with the powers that be is a cost beyond a small farmer. Let us just say that they threaten your buyers and kill your market. Yes the Feds disallow you and make you go away.

I then developed a new food label called, “SWS PURENE VEGETABLES” This stood for “Sun Water and Soil pure vegetables,” above organic standards. This was an open farm process were anyone could come and see the growing purity. I also stated that these were “Bureaucratic Free Vegetables.” Now you have to know what that means…

Just because you have a food product labeled “Organic” does not mean it is somehow magically good for you to eat. Organic standards are flawed in that just because a toxin is a natural toxin used to kill bugs, it is somehow okay. Another example; cow manure as a fertilizer is acceptable even though it is laden with hormones, antibiotics, antifungal compounds and anti-parasite medications.

Regulation of the label “Organic” is fraught with complications and corruptions. Organic Farmers just play the game with the inspectors and then do whatever is in their best interest to keep their prices high and their food product under the radar. In short they cheat. I was not interested in exposing all the cheaters and inane inspectors.

I was black listed at a critical time and lost my sales channel by threat from the Texas Department of Agriculture. My vegetables were above organic standards but I was bureaucratically disallowed.

Just because the label says it is “Organic” does not mean it is safe. The question really is what is non-toxic and naturally unfettered?

So did I fail miserably? Perhaps I failed to fight the bureaucracy effectively but my growing techniques were a fabulous success. I chose to continue the fight another way.