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Profile: My Father's Farm 
Pedro and Dayana Schambon founded My Father's Farm (MFF) in November 2006. The farm is located on 52 acres in Seguin, Texas.
Originally, MFF was under the management of "Fundación Internacional La Casa de mi Padre," a nonprofit organization in Colombia focused on building an orphanage for homeless children, complete with a school and organic self-sufficient farm. You can read the full interview here.
 Quote of the Week
“The market for organic produce continues to grow faster than we can keep up.”
– Pedro Schambon
Organic Facts
Use of the term "organic" to refer to food products is strictly limited by law. The expression "100 percent organic" means that all ingredients are organic. Foods called "organic" and bearing the USDA organic label must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients (measured by weight or fluid volume, excluding water and salt). Expressions such as "Contains organic ingredients" or "Made with organic tomatoes" may only be used if at least 70 percent of all ingredients are organic. Misusing the term "organic" may result in fines of up to $10,000 per violation.
Myths & Misconceptions
Myth: "If I'm certified, an inspector will constantly be on my back checking my farm."
Truth: The certifying agent (inspector) conducts an annual on-site inspection, at which an authorized representative of the farm must be present. Although unannounced inspections are allowed, they are very unusual. For further reading, visit here.
Only in Texas
According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, the Texas county with the greatest number of certified organic farms was Hidalgo County, in the Rio Grande Valley, with 16. Colorado County came in second, with 11 certified organic farms. Other high-ranking counties were Travis (10), Brazoria (9), and Dawson (7).
Questions from the ATTRA Vault
Q: What do I need to know about organic sweet pepper production and where can I get the information?
A: Peppers are a warm-season crop. They are in the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. Do not plant peppers after other nightshades to avoid diseases. Read the full answer here.
Q: Why are urea and ammonium sulfate not allowed in organic crop production?
A: Urea and ammonium sulfate are prohibited fertilizers in organic production because both are synthetic or artificial commercial fertilizers. Read the full answer here.
Texas Organic Chronicles is funded in part by the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program as administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
ATTRA has been a trusted source of information about organic and sustainable agriculture for over 25 years. Visit www.attra.ncat.org, for over 400 (mostly free) publications, as well as many other tools and resources. Send us a question by e-mail, using the form on our website. Text your question to askanag@ncat.org. Or phone us at 800-346-9140 (English) or 800-411-3222 (Spanish). Funded by the USDA's Rural Business-Cooperative Service, ATTRA is a program of the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
TOFGA is a grassroots membership organization, proudly supporting organic and sustainable farming in all parts of Texas. TOFGA hosts an annual conference, regional meetings and workshops, farm tours, and other events. Whether you're a farmer, gardener, or consumer, please join TOFGA today. www.tofga.org.
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