Harris Organic Farms

Petroleum-Free Farming
by Keith Richards
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
www.ssawg.org

Just beyond the northern suburbs of Memphis — amid fields of cotton and soybeans, forested creeks, and new housing developments — lies the small family farm owned by Alvin and Shirley Harris. From the quiet road out front, Harris Farms in Millington TN looks like a sleepy, semi-tropical estate with banana plants, elephant ears, and beds of flowers flourishing under a giant oak and native pecan trees. But up close, the farm is buzzing with constant activity.

When Alvin and Shirley Harris decided to quit using petroleum-based chemicals on their small family farm more than two decades ago, information on alternative methods was hard to find. Alvin slowly worked out a system for building soil health with rotations, composting, cover crops, and green manures. After seeing the rewards of better soil fertility and healthy crops, Alvin knew he had made the right choice.

Alvin was born near this piece of property when his grandfather owned it in 1934. Although Alvin left for a 20-year career in the military, he and Shirley came back to the area in 1971. They bought three acres at first, then another five, four more, then another 12. Now they own 24 acres, 18 of which are laid out in bedded rows — tomatoes, peppers, squash, okra, cucumbers, sweet corn, watermelon, cantaloupes — and four more in blueberries.

Perhaps the linchpin to their operation is Alvin’s attitude — he farms because that is what he loves.

Alvin began raising produce for market while he was still working for the military. “I’ve been farming all my life," he says. "Everywhere we were stationed, I grew something and spent time with other farmers. I brought the best of their ideas back from around the world.”

Something else Alvin learned in the military changed the course of his farming practices. “I’m not a scientist,” he says, “but when I went to chemical school, I learned that the same petroleum-based chemicals we put on plants are used in chemical warfare to kill people. Even though farmers are using smaller doses, there must be a cumulative effect.”

That's when Alvin and Shirley decided to quit using petroleum-based chemicals on their farm. Alvin says it was a long process to get their land to the point where it was as productive without the chemicals. They couldn’t find much information on alternative methods, so they slowly learned by experimenting on their own.

The Harrises start all their own plants in two greenhouses on their property, then transplant or direct seed into tilled beds. Alvin has settled on liquid seaweed and Agrigrow as their main fertilizers, although he isn’t afraid to experiment with other products. A few years ago, they bought a load of ground seashells to try as a soil supplement. They cultivate by tractor within an inch or two of the plants, then hoe rows by hand. To combat pests, they have tried natural insecticides made from garlic.

Alvin and Shirley—a retired assistant principal from Shelby County Schools— do 90 percent of the farm work themselves. They continue to look for ways to mechanize with appropriate technology as they grow older.

All of their investment in soil fertility has apparently paid off. “There wasn’t an earthworm on this ground when I bought it,” Alvin says. Now the soil is flourishing with earthworms and microorganisms, making farming much easier.

Alvin and Shirley have been leaders in the sustainable agriculture community of western Tennessee, and enjoy the opportunity to share their expertise with others. “Don’t be afraid to try,” is Alvin’s first advice to others considering organic production. “And,” he says, “if you’re told it can’t be done by others, don’t let it stop you.”