04/14/2026
Which “pests” could you do without and have you found any sustainable methods that work well to deter them? 🐛 In a recent Q & A session, we were asked what we do to control flea beetles. In short, we can’t control them.
Here are a few things we implement to help decrease impact:
➡️ One thing that hasn’t changed since we started this operation is we don’t spray pesticides/herbicides, not even the ones that have been approved by OMRI*.
➡️ We don’t put netting on most garden beds; when we do, a simple tool like an insect net is multi-purpose (especially in the veggie garden) and is long-lasting when taken care of. It can keep away small & large critters alike, at least for a little while. For example, in addition to keeping most flea beetles and cabbage moths away from brassica plants, an insect net also tends to deter ground hogs, rabbits and birds.
➡️ Wildlife can be a major challenge in the garden, but we can’t control it. We basically try to keep them away from certain plants for as long as possible, but we grow knowing there will be wildlife impact eventually.
➡️ Inviting beneficial insects to the garden, planting trap crops, implementing succession planting, and manual squashing of eggs or insect pests (think squash bugs) are other organic and sustainable gardening methods we use.
✨Talk to your farmers, transparency is important! Audio clips are from the engaging Q & A session that followed the webinar presentation Michelle did in March. It was a fun one - thank you to Conservation Nebraska for hosting and to North Central Region SARE for partnering on the opportunity!
✨The full webinar title is “Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Grants” and it can be found on Conservation Nebraska’s YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com//videos
*OMRI stands for the Organic Materials Review Institute; it is the nonprofit organization that reviews pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and livestock products to ensure they meet USDA and other organic standards. There are currently over 230 pages full of approved pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
