Saskatchewan organic farmers Eric and Betty Leicht have earned an honourable mention from an international certifying body as its organic farmers of the year.
The Leichts, who farm at Spalding, about 160 km southeast of Prince Albert, were named at the Organic Crop Improvement Association’s (OCIA International) recent annual general meeting in Huatulco, Mexico.
The Leichts grow pulse, cereals and oilseeds and in 2007 grew five varieties of organic lentils, including small green, large green, red crimson, beluga and French green. They also grew peas, spelt, wheat, barley, oats, brown and golden flaxseed and brown and yellow mustard.
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“When they feel the soil needs it, they plant a plow down crop or green manure of clover, peas or lentils,” OCIA said in a press release.
OCIA International, which is headquartered in Lincoln, Neb., and has offices in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, Japan and China, named Minnesota organic beef and crop producer Lynn Brakke as its other honourable mention.
Brakke raises organic Angus beef and grows alfalfa, soybeans, blue corn and barley at Moorhead, about 350 km south of Winnipeg.
Darrell and Marva Holt of Dalton, Neb. (about 300 km northeast of Denver), who have been certified organic producers with OCIA since 1993, producing both crops and livestock, were named as the association’s organic farmers of the year. Darrell Holt passed away March 22, OCIA said.
