Transitioning More Farmland to Organic is Easier Said Than Done

With the U.S. organic industry having just surpassed the $50B mark for the first time ever, one aspect of this number that remains problematic is the amount of organic food that we produce on our own soil.

Less than 1% of farmland in the U.S. is organic, and with organic comprising approximately 5.5% of overall food sales in the country, we are forced to rely heavily on imports to meet our needs.

There is nothing inherently wrong with supporting organic farmers in other countries. Furthermore, given the lack of domestic production of certain products, such as bananas or coffee, purchasing organic from international markets is essential.

Yet, as we have learned over the past few years, there have been major issues with fraudulent imported organic grains, and there is no valid reason why we should not be growing more organic corn and soy here in the U.S., especially since this is in complete alignment with the current administration’s political agenda.

Wanting to gain insight from someone who works closely with farmers on a daily basis, I spoke with Dr. Kathleen Delate (below), Professor and Organic Extension Specialist at Iowa State University and one of the foremost organic agricultural experts in the country. She was the recipient of the 2017 Organic Pioneer Award from Rodale Institute and is heavily involved in the Organic Agronomy Training Series (OATS), an agricultural training program within the Organic Trade Association’s GRO Organic program.

What are the key reasons preventing more farmers from transitioning to organic?

Organic takes a commitment — in management, record keeping, and finding your own markets.

Most farmers are conditioned to their current system of producing as much grain as possible and taking the crop to the local elevator (grain processing facility), while organic farmers may be asked to grow according to certain specifications, such as protein level in soybeans. Producing an optimal organic crop requires undergoing an annual organic inspection to verify organic practices and attention to weed and nutrient management that is more knowledge-specific than conventional farming.

Many organic growers must store their grain on-farm until the organic buyer is ready to pick up, so that involves additional equipment/on-farm storage.

All of these extra steps are rewarded with premium prices and a more environmentally-sound method of farming, but many conventional farmers see these steps as a burden and are reluctant to try organic.

What is the big need of farmers?

In a survey I conducted of organic and transitioning farmers in Iowa, the majority expressed a need for more research and education in weed management, followed by developing markets for all crops in the rotation (particularly the soil-building phase of oats or other small grains).

While there is a high demand for small grains in the organic food industry, it is difficult to produce small grains with sufficient food-grade weight characteristics in our humid summers, which are conducive to disease, such as oat rust.

What is the Organic Agronomy Training Series (OATS) and what areas will it be addressing?   

While we, in the organic agriculture program at Iowa State University, have been offering trainings in organic agriculture, specifically for transitioning farmers, OATS is the first combined effort between Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota to target educators or service providers that work with transitioning farmers.

I am currently teaching a 16-week course on Transitioning to Organic Agriculture, and the joint training will take place on August 14-15 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, with the first day encompassing classroom workshops on organic certification, crop rotations, nutrient and pest management, and markets. The second day will include a field trip to local organic farms that will demonstrate hands-on training in basic and innovative organic practices, including organic no-till. The targeted audience will include NRCS (USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service), Extension, private consultants, and others working with transitioning organic farmers.

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In regards to what the organic companies and consumers can do to help, Professor Delate emphasized continuing to buy more organic food and support trainings such as OATS. Programs such as QAI’s Certified Transitional, embraced by Kashi, and initiatives to support the transition of organic farmers, such as Prairie Organic’s Spirit of Change Fund, all are important contributions.

As we lament the shortage of organic farmland in the U.S., what we cannot forget is that being a farmer is very difficult work and being an organic farmer is even more so.

With our industry in a constant race to lower prices for consumers, the financial and operational support that we provide to organic farmers must continue to strengthen and cannot be compromised.

Because without organic farmers, we have no food.

(Professor Kathleen Delate describing best practices to produce organic corn. Photos courtesy of Iowa State University.)

With gratitude, Max Goldberg, Founder