!! NEW !! Click here for proceedings and photos from the On-Farm Exchange for Experienced Organic Farmers held at the 2007 SSAWG Annual Conference"
About Experienced Organic Farmer Network
In
2002, partnering with USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA), Southern
SAWG organized an Experienced Organic Farmer (EOF) Network to develop
and compile successful organic production in the South strategies
based on practical experience and make this information available
to you.
This
was an 18 month pilot project made up of ten full-time, commercial-scale
producers of horticulture crops who have practical experience that
surpasses any information available to them through traditional
learning avenues. The EOF Network participants were Mark Cain
(AR), Ken Dawson (NC), Nicolas Donck (GA), Alvin Harris (TN), Cathy
Jones (NC), Rose Koenig (FL), Charlie Maloney (VA), Tim Miller (TX),
Ellen Polishuk (VA), and Alison and Paul Wiediger (KY).
Generally
underserved by institutions and agencies because of their unique
production and marketing systems, these long-term organic producers
have had to learn on their own almost every step of the way. Yet,
as pioneers, they have also become the ones most sought out by other
farmers and ag information providers for reliable organic farming
information.
Using
email and other internet services, the producers in the EOF Network
exchanged information and learned from each other new practices
and strategies to improve their operations, while project coordinators
collected the information to share with others. A substantial
amount of valuable and comprehensive information was exchanged and
compiled through the 18-month period of the project (Oct 02 - March
04) in farm profles, farm photos, electronic discussions, and in-depth
videos of two EOF Network farms.
Utilizing
information gained through this project, EOF Network producers were
able to incorporate into their own farming operations new varieties,
new crops, new equipment, new practices and new marketing strategies
with much lower risk and a shorter learning curve than when farming
in isolation using the standard trial and error approach.
Now
you can to learn from these most experienced organic producers.
The information accumulated through this pilot project is now available
to you through the following links:
Farm
Profiles of each of the 10 farms participating in the EOF
Network.
Photos
from each of the 10 farms participating in the EOF Network.
Summary
of the EOF Network discussions.
Virtual
Farm Tour of Au Naturel Farm and link to video teaching
guide .
Virtual
Farm Tour of Maple Springs Gardens and link to video teaching
guide.
For more information
about the Experience Organic Farmer Network, contact Jean
Mills at jean@ssawg.org
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