Considering Growing Organic?: What You Need to Know
Reasons You Might Consider Organic
Organic growing is becoming more and more popular, and demand is increasing for organic herbs and vegetables. End consumers have a heightened awareness of where their food comes from and the negative effects of chemicals in the food supply. Not only are younger families searching out organic products, but they are willing to pay more for them. According to the USDA, “consumer demand for organically produced goods has shown double-digit growth during most years since the 1990s.”
If you’re thinking about making a move toward organic production, here are some things you need to know:
Growing Organic vs. Conventional
At its core, organic growing boils down to two simple practices: 1) avoiding genetically modified plants and 2) growing without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. This can create some challenges for the grower, as it may take your most effective chemicals and fertilizers off the table. Pivoting from conventional methods to organic requires some trial and error. That’s why small growers have big advantages when going into organic production.
In our experience, the most challenging aspect of growing organic herbs and vegetables has been finding organic fertilizers that have a high enough nitrogen content and produce healthy-looking foliage without clogging irrigation systems. Natural high-nitrogen sources are typically things like manure, bat guano, and fish emulsion — none of which are water-soluble through commercial irrigation systems.
Another issue we face is fungus control. While prevention is the most important part of fungus control in all commercial production, it becomes even more critical for organic growers. Most of the strongest fungicides are not certified for organic use, so fungal outbreaks become harder to treat. Organic farmers rely heavily on proper spacing, airflow, and drainage for healthy growth.
These types of challenges are magnified on a large scale, so if you’re planning to go organic, it’s best to start small. Hand-dipped fertilizers, better spacing and airflow, and effective monitoring of potential issues are all more easily done on a small scale as you figure out what works best for you in your microenvironment.
How to Get Started
The USDA Organic seal is a fantastic marketing tool. Customers can easily identify the organic products they’re looking for. But in order to use that seal legally, you must be certified organic by a USDA accredited certifier. These companies have specific regulations in regards to seed and plant sourcing, inputs that can be used, the way machinery is cleaned, and the way end products will be packaged and shipped. All of these wrapped together are called your farm plan. Although you build the plan and have it approved, inspectors come to your farm each year to ensure you are following the guidelines set forth in your plan.
In our case, this process was quite overwhelming, so we reached out to a consultant who could walk us through it. After an initial tour of our facility, we discussed what we’d need to do in order to get certified. We decided to do a “partial certification” for only one of our enclosed greenhouses — the one we use for herbs, vegetables, and hemp. Because the consultant was familiar with the ins and outs of organic growing, he was able to walk us step by step through the process and helped us receive our certification on the first try. So if you’re considering certification, we highly recommend finding a consultant to help you.
In addition to budgeting for consulting services, you’ll need to understand the costs of organic inputs (i.e., soil, fertilizers, and pesticides). The certification agency also has a fee that you’ll want to know ahead of time. As far as timing, if you’re growing in a greenhouse, you can probably create a farm plan and be certified within a year. If you’re growing in the ground, though, the cropland must be managed organically for at least three years (with records) before you can be certified.
Can I Grow Organically Without Being Certified?
I know all that probably seems overwhelming. It’s a high bar to jump if you’re just looking to get started. But here’s some good news: the USDA has an exemption for growers who market less than $5,000 worth of organic products annually. According to their website, you still have to comply with the organic production and handling requirements (and keep those records for at least three years). Also, these products cannot be sold as organic ingredients in processed products, and they cannot display USDA Certified Organic seal. But as long as you abide by those restrictions, you can start growing organically today and label your product accordingly.
Though there are challenges in switching to organic production, we believe the benefits outweigh the difficulties. As the market for organic products grows, the responsibility to provide organic solutions lies with farmers. This will lead to a large shift in growing practices over time. While transitioning from conventional to organic production is difficult, starting on a smaller scale and building your way up can be a clear path to success. The future of organic agriculture is bright.
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