WELCOME! My name is Kevin Wayne Lundgren. I am proud to be a Certified Organic Farmer in Travis County, near Austin Texas. I am 39 years old. I have been growing crops organically since my pre-teen years, long before the term "organic" was cool. Organic food production has always been my passion.
In 1991, I began to restore 11 acres of worn out clay soils on our Eastern Travis County farm. To restore fertility, I used legumes and a limited amount of organic soil amendments. Over time, the land began to take on a new life. The organic matter in the soil actually tripled from 1.2% to over 3.5% which is the level of 100% sustainability. The PH factor of the soil slowly dropped from very alkaline 8.1 to a neutral 6.9. Earth worms and beneficial insects returned. Today, honey bees abound on the land and we are producing organic honey. Plant diseases are no longer a threat. The soil has been restored to a level of virgin productivity.
In early 2007, I plowed under a beautiful crop of Crimson Clover legumes that grace the masthead of this website. Later, I planted shallots on the same land. So, last years Crimson Clover legume crop became this years plant food for the Shallots I supply to numerous independent garden centers across Central Texas.
Adherence to strict organic farming practices prove that the health and nutritional value of the soil always governs the taste and nutritional value of the vegetables grown on that soil. The best tasting vegetables require the highest quality soil. There is no substitute for high quality soil but, optimum soil development is a process that takes years. If a vegetable was grown "in season" but seems bland or tart tasting, the quality of the soil is usually the problem. Too many times, organic gardeners and farmers find it easier to starve their crops and sell their limited production at a premium price which they justify by the avoidance of chemicals and commercial fertilizers. These producers are offering the consumer a poor product that lacks adequate nutrition.
Almost all the organic crops grown on our farm yeilds a sweet tasting food. You can really taste the organic difference of my vegetables. In fact, due to their special flavor, the onions I grow have been given the name WAYNIONS by my family and loyal customers. Incredibly, the organic broccoli I grow even tastes sweet!
My shallots also have an interesting history. I was introduced to shallots many years ago by my neighbor, Selma Eklund. (now deceased) Selma was a avid gardener and she shared her bounty with all her neighbors. Everyone who lives in the Lund community has eaten their share of free meals from Selma Eklund's garden.
For almost 70 years, Selma maintained a small plot of shallots that her parents brought from Germany when they immigrated to the Lund community in the late 1800s.
As Selma grew older, her garden became too much to manage. After she became too frail to garden, she eventually offered a little of her remaining stock to me, which at the time was only seven plants. These were certainly the strongest plants, having survived several years without care. I transplanted them to my farm and, at one point I thought I would lose all of them.
Over many years and thousand of hours of work, I have built the stock to over seven acres and 500,000 plants. Each year, I give some of this production to new growers through Organic Media along with a short course in production and management techniques.
My formula for soil sustainability has taken many years to perfect. In 2008, I produced a bountiful and nutritious crop of scallion shallots without adding any manure or packaged organic amendments to the soil.
My high demonstrates that quality nutritious products are not cheap to grow. Our crops have been produced with the least amount of fossil fuels possible. The only way we could reduce the foot print further is by delivering the crop to your doorstep on a pack mule fed from the same organic farm.
Today, I am also a commercial farmer of corn, hay and sunflowers. We are in the last year of transition to 100% organic on all our farms. When our transition to organic is complete, we will have the distinction of owning and operating the the largest organic farm in Central Texas.
So, why go organic? Well, lets review the reasons! Organically grown foods contain no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Organic foods are not grown from genetically modified seeds. Organic foods are grown in soil that is nurtured by nature, not treated and amended with chemicals.
Moreover, organic farming promises healthy top soil, nutritious foods, clean groundwater, rivers, lakes, streams, watersheds, healthy fish & wildlife, and a healthy population, sustained by the food we eat!
During the past two years, I have rescued several other heirloom species that faced extinction. No announcement yet...but stay tuned for "Film at 11"...
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