A conversation with Eric Buzby on growing veggies with FilmOrganic!

Last January, one of FilmOrganic long-term users, Eric, the owner of A.T. Buzby Farm, was speaking with us just as he was about to replace some roofing shingles on top of the packing house. Our conversation was about why did he choose to use certified biodegradable-compostable mulch film over the last 6 years.

So, why did Eric choose FilmOrganic certified compostable-biodegradable plastic mulch film? Was it only for the cost savings?  How did he learn about it? Did he try a bunch of products before finding the right one? These are all questions you probably ask yourself when you consider using biodegradable mulch film.

Without wasting a minute, here’s our full conversation with Eric back in January.

1 - First, can you describe yourself and a tell us a bit about your farm?

Yeah sure! My name Is Eric and I’m the owner of A.T. Buzby Farm. We are located in rural Salem County in New Jersey. We currently run a 190 acre farm. The farm has was started by my dad Andrew in 1981, and it’s still going strong after 40 years. We produce fresh crops like eggplant, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and many others.

2 - When did you first try biodegradable mulch film and why?

Our first foray in biodegradable film was back in the 90’s when we tried photo-degradable. It was immediately obvious when we mixed it in with the soil that it wasn’t going to break down. So we knew it wasn’t going to work. We knew that a field would look pretty junky if you were going to use it for years. It also got caught in the chisel teeth of the cultivator. You can’t have trash in your rotation crops because it makes a mess.

I became sensitive to plastic pollution at a very young age. We used to haul our own plastic to the landfill, which is actually only 5 miles away. We had a permit for that. I used to drive the tractor and dump plastic in the landfill. I made many, many trips to the landfill. It’s amazing that even in our rural community, plastic pollution is such a big problem. There is a lot of plastic in landfill, and a lot of that plastic is generated by agriculture. It’s a huge problem!

3 - Did you see any difference between the two types of plastic mulch films?

Yes! We used your film starting as far back as 2015. I think it was the early years for you guys. You pointed out the difference between a biodegradable plastic and your compostable-biodegradable. We didn’t really appreciate the difference until we tried some. Now we understand why you emphasize compostable-biodegradable. Basically, your’s goes away.

To me, calling a mulch flm biodegradable is just like saying your food is all-natural. In other words, it doesn’t mean much. On the other hand, saying it is compostable-biodegradable means it meets a specific quality standard. You’re choosing a label that actually means something.

4 – Did using our certified compostable-biodegradable mulch film increase your productivity as a vegetable Grower?

It has, but to a degree. We can push our later harvest when we have a time crunch for clean up, on the very last fields. In other words, in the last fields, we can harvest longer. That’s because at that time we don’t have the manpower needed if we had to pull plastic. But because we can disk your’s right into the soil, we can harvest right up until the end. Mechanization takes work out of the equation. Otherwise, we’d have to stop and cut out earlier to get the hired help to pull plastic before they leave.

5 - Do you still rely on the same amount of workforce you use too before switching to certified biodegradable mulch film?

Well, I guess I’d say a bit of yes and a bit of no. We still have the same size workforce, but we now have the opportunity to do other work besides clean up plastic. There is always plenty of other work to do. Sometimes we use the extra time to get an extra harvest at the end of the season.

6 - Would you say using certified bioplastic mulch film is economical?

Yes, I do!

A few years ago, I put pen to paper and added up all it cost me to clean plastic from my fields. What I realized was the cost of the plastic + the retrieval costs + the cost to throw it away was much higher than the incremental price difference of using your certified film.

Between the environmental, convenience, and cost savings, it makes sense to use FilmOrganic certified compostable-biodegradable mulch film.

7 - How’s your soil quality, and how much time and money do you spend on cleaning it?

When we used traditional plastic, we would try our best to pick it up in long strips, but there would always be some amount of damaged plastic which would leave little pieces of plastic here and there. We would always take the time to walk over the field afterwards and pick up all the little pieces. The little pieces can get caught on cultivator teeth and make cultivating difficult. Also, I just don't want our farm to look trashy with plastic littering the soil. Now that we use Film Organic, we don't have to worry about that.

8 - What is the biggest perks or benefit of using a certified biodegradable compostable mulch film?

It’s economical, it does really save time, I don’t depend on the workforce. But for me, it’s the fact that it is eco-friendly. There’s no shame to admit it. I mean my soil stays clean and my crops are fresh.

9 - Finally, what would you say to Growers who are thinking of using traditional or non-certified plastic mulch film (Oxo, photo, or enzyme)?

Do I plug you guys in this?

Using FilmOrganic is an excellent way to grow more sustainably, more conveniently and save a few dollars while doing so.

You guys at FilmOrganic were very interested with my success, and that makes a difference.

Eric is currently using Black 36 and CoolWhite 66 for his multiple crops.