Naples farmer believes agricultural healing starts locally

By Alex Figares

At first glance, the dirt on Kenneth Alaimo’s boots tells a story of a laborious outdoor job that most would avoid. To him, the dirt represents a symbiotic relationship between a man and his land.

Alaimo is the founder and owner of Harvest Bee Farms, an agricultural farm operating on about 1 acre of land in Naples, Florida.
 
“There are days where I’m cussing at the soil and not really getting along with it,” he said. “But, that’s in any relationship. There’s always going to be good days and bad days.”

Alaimo practices biodynamic farming, which is like organic farming, but with stricter rules that include following moon cycles, leaving land untouched and forgoing synthetic chemicals. 

Pesticides, herbicides and fungicides have to originate on the farm.

The requirements for biodynamic farming are outlined by Demeter USA, a non-profit chapter of Demeter International, the only certifier of biodynamic farming in the country. 

Biodynamic farming aims to stimulate the beneficial organisms in soil, which are usually eradicated by synthetic chemicals used in conventional farming, according to Alaimo. 

Biodynamic farming relies on ecosystems working together, which promotes healthy soils for the long haul, and reduces greenhouse gases.
 
Alaimo is the founder and owner of Harvest Bee Farms, an agricultural farm operating on about 1 acre of land in Naples, Florida.
 
The farm grows 30 variations of herbs and vegetables, including cabbage, snap peas, eggplants and peppers. Alaimo sells his crops through food shares and at local farmers markets. 

He takes pride in his job. He’s at his farm every morning at 7 a.m. sharp, working from sunrise to sundown. He’s especially proud of the biodynamic farming certification he’s working toward, which he has proudly displayed in the company logo.

“We’re at nature’s mercy,” Alaimo said. “When you’re not using those sprays and inputs, you don’t really have a whole lot of defense against nature. Whatever nature does, it’s going to do what it’s going to do.”

Alaimo has been in the farming industry for the past 10 years. As an organic farmer accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture, he quickly realized the loopholes involved. 

For starters, Alaimo noticed that some farms often certified one crop organic, while growing other crops conventionally.

This was a problem because farms wouldn’t specify which crop was grown organic, but all crops would receive the certified organic label, he said. 

Another issue was the use of non-organic seeds. Alaimo said that the paperwork made it easy for farmers to choose non-organic seeds without even trying to look for organic ones.

To him, these loopholes were too close to conventional farming, which he wanted to stay away from.  

Inspired by blog posts and books on the waning quality of food in the U.S., Alaimo discovered biodynamic farming.

The transition took plenty of time and research but turning to biodynamic farming didn’t necessarily mean more costs. 

In fact, according to Alaimo, it can often be less expensive because farmers don’t have to buy inputs that don’t come directly from the farm. 

But even if it was more expensive, Alaimo said he wouldn’t change a thing. 

“I believe in the integrity of growing a healthier, tastier piece of food,” he said. “And nurturing stronger, more sustainable soil.” 

On a large farming scale, biodynamic methods pose challenges, said Dave Pensabene, the production manager for Garguilo Farms in Immokalee, Florida, on 7,000 acres.
 
Pensabene said that small farms like Alaimo’s use a lot of mulch that is generated on the farm, which, on a large scale, could cost thousands. 
 
“Can I get enough mulch to sustain all of the area that we farm?” Pensabene asked. “There’s a practicality issue.”
 
Though it is unlikely that commercial farms like Gargiulo will implement biodynamic practices, Pensabene said there is still a demand for it.
 
“There’s a lot of undercurrent, but there’s a place for all of that and on a small scale that is really increasing,” he said. “There’s a big movement for organics and sustainability, and people want to know more about sustainable practices when it comes to their food.”
 
Over the past decade, Pensabene said there has been an increase in farmers markets in Collier County because there is increased demand for locally sourced produce.
 
“That is a big push in the agricultural industry, even to the point that larger retailers like Publix, even Walmart, want to be able to buy local.”
 
And, while the official biodynamic certification process can take up to three years through Demeter, there are ways to slowly implement biodynamic farming methods to gardens and small farms, such as introducing compost, using animal agriculture and buying from local farms.

Alaimo said that biodynamic farming not only improves the quality of food, it also alleviates food waste.
 
“We don’t need to produce more food,” he said. “We need to be smarter about the food we’re growing. What’s the point in feeding a population if we’re feeding them crap food?”
 
He said healing starts local.  
 
“My goal, first of all, is not to feed the world,” Alaimo said. “My goal is to feed a community as much as I can, and hope that others may be influenced, or encouraged or motivated to do something similar.”