ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – Organic products could become the future of agriculture. A state farmer says it’s crucial to protect the soil’s natural nutrients used to grow fruits and vegetables.

Wright Way Farm in Beloit grows everything from strawberries and tomatoes to cabbage and onions. Farmer Denny Wright started gardening in his backyard and over the past 15 years it has grown into a multi-field operation, requiring round-the-clock care.

“We know the food that we grow goes to people locally and they appreciate it and people want to know where they grow, they come here, they visit,” Wright said. “Sometimes they go out and work a little, they get their hands dirty and they work in the ground and they see where their food is coming from. It’s in me, it’s the connection. So for me it’s about bonding, bonding with the community.

Wright says farmers must learn to cultivate the land without eroding the topsoil and stop using all the nutrients.

“The studies show that we are probably in our last 80 years of topsoil, we are mining it, we are removing all the nutrients,” Wright said. “The idea is that a farm like this, respectful of the environment, works with nature, but leaves out the topsoil as much as we take, so it’s a job.

Several employees and volunteers help maintain the crops and harvest them when they are ready. All workers are engaged in organic farming.

“It’s really nice to see people excited about what you choose, they’re just as excited as we are, so we love to see that.”

You can find organic produce from Wright Way Farms and others at the Edgebrook Farmers Market in downtown Rockford on Wednesdays or at the Beloit Farmers Market on Saturdays.

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