Job Idea--Organic Gardener

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Looking into the future, I see an increasing demand for people with the skills to garden organically. People want nice looking vegetables, herbs, and lawns, but don't want nasty chemicals. Someone with the smarts and skills to garden organically should be able to find good jobs--even if their social skills aren't the greatest.

Already, in some places, pesticides are being banned. And, even if they aren't, people still have concerns about their environment.

I already do it. And it's not new, it is merely going back to traditional agricultural practices if done right, and an unholy mess if done wrong. And as far as " nice looking " produce goes, people need to look past blemishes and go for flavor and nutrition. The hardest thing to get people to accept is that a lot of the heirloom varieties of produce ( they seem to do best ) may not be as pretty as the new cultivars.

What kind of organic gardener?....apparently plenty of organic farms use plenty of harmful pesticides to, just like any bigger non-organic farming. Sounds like your goal is to do less of that and grow what a lot of people picture organic means...its just confusing anymore.

There is an organic garden centre close to my house, and to me it looks like a perfect job, the pay isn't great, but the employees seem to be happy in their work. The vegetables are straight from the ground fresh which makes them worth the extra cost.
To be self sufficient (excluding dairy and meat products) one acre is needed per person to grow the necessary amount of vegetables and grain for a years worth of food on a vegetarian diet.

Instead of using a broad spectrum pesticide like an organophosphate, an organic gardener may identify the actual pests, and use something much more selective, like BT.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

You can tell when organophosphates are used--almost all of the bugs are killed--all the buzzing bees are gone.
Ideally, one can let the good bugs live--and they will kill the bad ones. A good example is the use of ladybugs to get rid of aphids.

I do a lot of hand-picking (caterpillars) and hosing off with water ( aphids, plant lice, etc. ). Another very effective method is to spray with Neem Oil. But the most important things are plant selection ( heavy on the heirlooms ) and soil management. I practice crop rotation, varying planting areas with a nitrogen fixing cover crop every three years, and I also have access to all the horse manure I want, which I work into the soil of areas I will be planting the winter before. A healthy plant requires less maintenance and is naturally resistant to a broad spectrum of diseases and pests. Also, I use chelated minerals and sulfur ( to acidify the soil ) at need.

The area required varies from place to place. And you have to be sure to allocate at least 30% more area than you think you need so as to practice crop rotation and feed your soil well.

Indeed the area required does vary. You are fortunate to have an endless supply of horse manure!
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Companion planting -close planting of different plants that protect their neighbour from pests or enhance the growth of the neighboring plant, is another method of pest control.
Basil for example repels aphids and improves the flavor of tomatoes. Borage is a good all-rounder, it repels tomato worms, attracts pollinators and adds minerals to soil.
Nasturtiums will attract black aphids, slugs and cabbage white butterflies, they can be a sacrificial plant to protect fruit and vegetables, and if the pests don't eat all of them, their flowers and leaves are lovely in a summer salad!

Natural predators like the ladybird are another method of pest control.
Attracting Hoverflies (Flower fly) by interspersing potential problem areas with flowers they like means they will lay eggs close to the aphids and the larvae will munch on the aphids and other pests like caterpillars and scale insects.

I also plant Yarrow in amongst any garden I am tending. This both attracts pollinators and inhibits cyst-forming nematodes which are very damaging to rootsystems of plants. You can also introduce parasitic nematodes into your soil and symbiotic soil microbes.

You're right. My brother grows all of his vegetables/fruit from his garden.