August 2022 - 11

Kale is a major item at Jerrold A. Watson
& Sons. The Watsons grow it year-round.
" Nothing has any staying power, "
Watson said. " We must spray (Organic
Materials Review Institute) OMRIapproved
fungicides when we get fog,
dew, mist or rain. It's a never-ending
saga. We never thought it would be like
this when we first got into it. "
There's also more competition in the
organic sector.
In the past, the Watsons grew 1,800
acres of peaches. Because of tough
seasons and disappointing markets, it
now grows about 380 acres. They have
added nectarine and plum acreage.
An escalation of farm inputs is also
pressing. Watson noted that some
Generations of Watsons have grown a variety of fruits and vegetables over the years,
diversifying into more vegetables like these bell peppers, about 40 years ago.
friends in Georgia recently quit farming
because " they couldn't fight the fight
anymore.
" We have gotten to the critical stage, "
he said. " Everything we do, irrigation
equipment, labor, plastic and fertilizers,
it's all going up. The numbers have to be
there or you don't exist. "
100-plus years
In 1918, Joseph H. Watson Sr. planted
the first asparagus in South Carolina
and founded and managed the Monetta
Asparagus Association. Soon after, the
region became known as the asparagus
capital of the world.
In 1925, asparagus production had
shifted from South Carolina to New
Jersey. Watson met with area growers
and encouraged each to plant 60 acres
of peaches each. He did the same,
sparking South Carolina's commercial
peach industry.
Mary Watson, Joseph's wife, ran the
farm after her husband died. Her son,
Jerrold A. Watson Sr., returned from
World War II in 1945, and he worked
the farm until his sons, Jerrold " Jerry "
Watson Jr. and Joseph " Joe " Watson
returned after finishing college.
The family's fourth generation of
Watsons, Jed (Jerry's son), and Jeph,
Jerrold A. Watson & Sons grows cabbage
as well as many other fruits and vegetables.
(Joe's son), returned to the farm after
college. Jed does sales and food safety
while Jeph handles the packinghouse.
Jerry Watson said he often thinks
about the truth in something his father
once told an acquaintance who said he'd
like to be a farmer because " everyone
has to eat. " Watson advised the man to
" grab a life jacket and jump in, because
the water's deep. "
Despite the challenges, Watson
maintains an optimistic outlook.
" We are always looking up, " he said.
" We don't look down. Always look up
and be thankful. And keep going ...
That's the only thing one can do. " VGN
WEEK IN REVIEW
The Latest News Delivered
Directly to Your Inbox
Sign up for the Organic Grower
weekly e-newsletter to receive news
and insight between print issues.
Sign Up for Free! organicgrower.info
VGN | AUGUST 2022 | 11

http://www.organicgrower.info

August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2022

August 2022 - 1
August 2022 - 2
August 2022 - 3
August 2022 - 4
August 2022 - 5
August 2022 - 6
August 2022 - 7
August 2022 - 8
August 2022 - 9
August 2022 - 10
August 2022 - 11
August 2022 - 12
August 2022 - 13
August 2022 - 14
August 2022 - 15
August 2022 - 16
August 2022 - 17
August 2022 - 18
August 2022 - 19
August 2022 - 20
August 2022 - 21
August 2022 - 22
August 2022 - 23
August 2022 - 24
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/vgn-2025-digital-seed-guide
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyers-guide-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/vgn-digital-seed-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyers-guide-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-august
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/vgn-digital-seed-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyers-guide-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/seedguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/seedguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/november-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/september-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/july-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com