Organic Farming: Is It For Me?
A-1181, August 1999
Brad Brummond, Extension Agent, Cropping Systems -- Walsh County
The first thing a farmer considering switching to organic production needs to
understand is what organic farming is and what it is not. Organic farming is working in
partnership with nature to produce food. Organic farming is much more than selling your
farm products for premiums and having not used prohibited substances in your farming
practices now and in the past three years. How will this affect your approach to farming?
What will this mean to your family?
Organic farmers do not claim their product is chemical free. No one can make that
statement in today's world. All you are certifying is that the product was handled in a
manner consistent with the rules and standards of the certification organization to which
you belong.
Organic farming requires developing and maintaining an ecological system where nature
solves problems with proper management. It also involves keeping good records of
production practices and yields. Consumers can be assured the product is organic, as
labeled, through records and a tracking system that allows tracing the product back to the
very field or farm on which it was produced.
Record keeping for the organic certifying agency is required and extensive. There are
no quick fixes in organic production, and the best control is prevention. The best
strategy is to create a system where no one pest can gain a competitive advantage within
your system. Pests are not unlike ourselves. We need food, a favorable place to live, and
the ability to reproduce ourselves. Making your cropping system diverse through rotations
and alternative pest control strategies will reduce weeds, insects and diseases to
acceptable economic levels, while not eliminating every pest in the field if properly
done. Developing and maintaining this system is part of the attraction for some producers
and frustration for others.
Before you change the way you farm, think about what the change will mean to you and
your family. Visit with successful organic farmers. Contact organic certifying
organizations to understand the requirements for certification. Talk it over with the
people who have a financial stake in the farm and spend time researching and reading
everything you can on the subject. It is recommended that this process be initiated a year
before the first crop you plan to produce organically, since some certifiers require that
land be inspected the year before it goes into organic production. More time spent
preparing for the change will result in less stress and anxiety when you begin the
transition.
Characteristics of successful organic farmers
While not all successful organic farmers have these characteristics, they are common to
many of them:
- They farm organically because they seek a safer food supply and a better environment,
not because of the hope for premiums. Those producers who get into organic farming just
for the premiums generally last less than two years.
- They are very observant and patient.
- They have a good understanding of the ecological system they have created.
- They have developed extremely good marketing skills and devote much effort and time in
seeking out strong market outlets.
- They are a very open and caring people who are usually willing to share stories of
success and failure.
- They are people who have incorporated their faith and beliefs into their production
practices.
What are your goals?
Organic farming will require you to prevent the problem from happening, not treat the
problem once it emerges. This is what most new producers find most difficult to manage and
accept. Sometimes organic producers accept losses, gain experience, and salvage what is
left of the crop for livestock feed or other uses.
There are two major types of risk in organic farming: pest outbreaks, resulting in
lower yield and inferior products, and marketing and financial risks. Prevention of pest
outbreaks through managing your ecological system cannot be stressed enough. If a pest
gains a major advantage in your system, there are going to be yield and quality losses,
some of which can be substantial. Examples of this are getting a heavy grasshopper
infestation in your organic flax when it is setting bolls, or getting a major wild mustard
outbreak in your organic soybeans. While there are some solutions to these problems, they
are not nearly as effective as conventional remedies and tend to be more expensive.
Marketing is one of the final challenges and turns some producers back to conventional
production. Much of the organic production in North Dakota is sold to organic grain
companies or grain buyers. These entities tend to be smaller than the buyers in the
conventional market and sometimes are not bonded. Many long term organic producers can
relate stories of selling some of their grain to a company and never receiving payment for
it. Know the buyers in the market and seek out those with a good reputation. Payment for
your grain can be received on the spot or delayed for six months or longer. Marketing your
own grain involves calling the buyers, sending samples, getting quotes and sometimes
arranging the transportation for it. It does pay financial dividends to develop good
marketing skills.
There is usually a three year educational process that takes place with the switch to
organic production, and you usually pay for the education. If there is a financial
struggle with conventional farming, this switch could hasten the process of financial
deterioration.
Organic certification organizations and certification
It is difficult if not impossible to sell organic grain without being certified organic
by a recognized certification organization. Each organization has its own rules and
standards but most agree on the main points. It is important to find one that you will
feel comfortable with and follow their rules closely. When in doubt ask.
Two organic certification organizations certify the bulk of the organic acres in North
Dakota. These are Farm Verified Organic (FVO) and Organic Crop Improvement Association
International (OCIA).
The OCIA requires that the total farm be in organic production, or at least in
transition, within five years. The one exemption may be rented land. Different crops may
have to be grown on this land to prove it can be kept separate.
Certification begins by becoming a member of a certification group and applying for
certification of your agricultural commodities. The application and initial document
review takes place in the spring, so application completion and compiling the required
documents is necessary before that time. After the application has been approved and
required fees paid, you are ready to proceed with certification. Your farm and paper work
will be inspected some time during the growing period for your crop. Inspectors are
typically hired by the certifying group, and they will contact you for an inspection. You
are expected to be present at the inspection and answer any questions relating to
certification. Typically an inspection involves going over your records and inspecting the
land and crops to be certified, grain bins, equipment and facilities. Inspections are a
chance for producers to showcase the farm and learn something at the same time.
Organic producers are also expected to keep an audit trail of the grain produced. This
consists of marking your bins and keeping records of where the grain was produced, when it
was produced, the quantity of grain sold, and who purchased it. It is also common to keep
samples of the grain sold for several years so if there is a question of contamination a
base sample will be available. The key to the organic marketing system is to be able to
verify production practices and to be able to trace the product in an unbroken line from
the field it was produced to the final consumer.
Keys to a successful conversion
- Talk to successful producers and take their advice in the beginning.
- Be willing to spend some time in learning the systems approach.
- A mind switch must occur from treating the problem to treating the cause of the problem.
This becomes prevention. Some well intentioned farmers never do entirely comprehend this
approach.
- Marketing of organic production needs special attention and knowledge.
Resources
Transitions is a sustainable farming guide designed with the new producer
in mind. It covers philosophy, sources of information, production practices, marketing,
and sustainable organizations. This can be ordered. Your extension agent may have an
office copy for viewing.
COST: $25.00
ORDER FROM:
NPSAS
9824 79th St SE
Fullerton ND 58441-9725
Sustainable Agriculture Training Manual has the certification standards
and addresses of organic certification organizations and is much more in-depth than the
transition guide. Every extension agent in North Dakota should have an office copy.
Tom Hanson
Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator
North Central Research Extension Center
5600 Hwy 83S
Minot ND 58701-7645
Phone: 701.857.7679
thanson@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society is an organization of
organic farmers and sustainable agriculture practitioners. Besides being a strong network
for advice and encouragement, they have educational events and resources.
9824 79th St SE
Fullerton ND 58441-9725
Phone 701.883.4304
For further information contact:
BRAD BRUMMOND
Extension Agent/Walsh County
PO Box 29
Park River ND 58270
Phone 701.284.6624
Fax 701.284.7383
bbrummon@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Certification Organizations
Farm Verified Organic Inc.
5449 45th St SE
Medina ND 58467
Phone 701.486.3578
Fax 701.486.3580
farmvo@daktel.com
OCIA International Inc.
North Dakota #1 contact:
Darlene Philbrick
4124 15th St NW
Garrison ND 58540
Phone 701.337.5789
North Dakota #2 contact:
Wayne and Kathy Mittleider
4045 43rd St SE
Tappen ND 58487-9421
Phone 701.327.8157
A-1181, August 1999
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