10 Reasons Why a Brix Bounty Farm CSA Membership May Be Right For You
A Series Written and Published by Brix Bounty Farm
(“10 Reasons Why” Series Archive)
Reason #4 – Nutrient Density and High Brix – Better Flavor and Nutrition
by Derek Christianson
At Brix Bounty Farm our priority is growing high quality vegetables with an emphasis on nutrition and flavor. This commitment to quality has put us on a journey toward high brix crops; noted for their pest and disease resistance and top notch flavor (see What is Brix for more about Brix). What does it take to grow nutrient dense vegetables? A deep commitment to caring for the land, the full-spectrum of trace minerals present in our soils (critical for the plants enzymatic systems), and healthy and robust soil biology which is the key to providing plants minerals in their ideal form.
The process to restore health to worn our soils doesn’t happen overnight; as we are working with natural systems we must remain patient. Each season we strive to achieve a higher level of quality with our production. Overtime we expect the flavor of our crops to continue to speak for themselves as more and more consumers reconnect with delicious local vegetables. In concert with better flavor will be higher levels of “bionutrients” – minerals, proteins, fats, plant secondary metabolites, and more; all delivered through real food.
Our commitment to quality includes an emphasis on producing crops with high levels of trace minerals often lacking in conventionally grown produce. One small example of this is our commitment to amending our soils with small amounts of selenium (in the form of sodium selenate). Selenium is a trace mineral which has been linked to heart health; in the past century low soil selenium levels were connected to high levels of heart disease in parts of China and Finland. In fact, the Finnish government even took the step of mandating the addition of selenium to crop fertilizers in their country. In America farmers who work with livestock include a focus on selenium levels because selenium is considered a necessary nutrient for livestock. It has not however been proven to be critical for plant health; as a result many growers focusing on produce don’t test their soil’s selenium levels. We have tested our soils, and like many soils in the northeast our selenium levels are less than adequate so we have decided to take action by applying soil and foliar applications of selenium in 2012.
This is just one of the many actions we take at Brix Bounty Farm to provide our community with deep nutrition… and why we feel investing in a Brix Bounty CSA Share is a great investment in your health.