Pam’s Commentary

February 17th, 2006

www.pamkilleen.com

RE: Organic and Local Foods

 I’m a huge fan of organic agriculture. As the media covers more on this subject and you see an increase in organic foods in the stores, beware of one very critical issue – where was the food grown? If you are joining the “Buy Local” movement, you will begin to understand that Local is indeed the next Organic.

 If you haven’t yet come to this realization, watch what happens over the next few years. Much of our food (including organic food) will potentially be coming from countries such as China. The definition of organic is very broad. For me, organic means many things including locally produced, safe or no pesticides, whole foods (unprocessed), healthy soil, healthy water, few corporate and government ties etc….For a complete list of the many factors I consider important in organic agriculture, go to the archives and see my chart, What Does Organic Mean to You? If organic food means a lot to you, then cost will be almost irrelevant. I always say, Pay Now or Pay Later! It’s very expensive to be sick. Also, what kind of cost can you put on protecting the planet and future generations?

 The organic industry is booming and will continue to grow. I will have much to say about the many issues surrounding this subject, but for now, just keep in mind that whatever you include in your definition of organic, make sure it includes locally produced.

Posted on Wed, Feb. 08, 2006

Growers must weigh costs in pursuing organic label

By Jenni Glenn

The Journal Gazette

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/13819278.htm

A single word on a food label can add dollars to the price of a head of lettuce or gallon of milk.

Plenty of consumers are willing to pay a premium for organic foods, but farmers can face steep costs taking the steps necessary to label their products as organic. Because it can take years and a substantial investment to convert a conventional farm into an organic operation, Purdue University professors say farmers should consider whether becoming certified will pay off before making the switch.

Grain and vegetable farmers must stop using synthetic chemicals in their fields three years before they can become certified as organic producers, said Corinne Alexander, an assistant professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University in West Lafayette. Livestock farmers who let their animals graze also must wait until fields have been free of chemicals for three years. During that time, farmers will not be able to command higher prices because their products are not yet considered organic. Farmers should be committed to making the change, Alexander said.

“Transitioning is tough, and there’s no two ways about it,” she said. Alexander, other Purdue professors, organic food processors and farmers discussed when and how to make the switch during a teleconference on organic farming last week.

Price premiums make organic farming a tempting proposition, said Joe Balagtas, an assistant professor of agricultural economics at Purdue who spoke during the teleconference. Organic dairy farmers, for instance, may receive as much as $5 more than conventional farmers for selling 100 pounds of milk.

Farmers have no guarantee these price premiums will last, Balagtas said. Farmers need to gauge whether they think demand for organic foods will stay high, keeping price premiums in place.

“We don’t really know what’s going to happen in these markets,” he said.

Farmers also should consider whether the additional cost of raising an organic crop will exceed the price premium, Balagtas said. Organic farmers may need more labor to run the farm. They must pay for organic fertilizers.

Roanoke farmer Dan Flotow made the leap to show his customers he was committed to meeting organic standards. Flotow said he has noticed increased demand for his produce and nursery plants since his business Country Garden & Farm Market earned its certification in the fall of 2004. Now Three Rivers Food Co-op, where he works seasonally in the produce department, tends to pick his produce over competitors’ because it is certified organic.

“I’ve probably gotten a little bit more business because I am certified,” he said. But Flotow said his prices did not change because he already was growing plants without using synthetic chemicals.

Sharon Harris uses similar methods to raise the herbs, heirloom tomatoes and flowers she sells at the Southside Farmers Market on Warsaw Street. But the Grabill resident has no plans to earn her organic certification.

“Mainly it’s the cost issue,” she said.

Farmers pay hundreds of dollars in annual fees to renew their certification. The Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association, which certified Flotow’s farm as organic, charges a $550 base rate for the annual renewal, said Steve Sears, the organization’s certification administrator. Livestock farms pay an additional $50 fee, and farms with food processing operations pay an extra $50. Organic farmers can recoup 75 percent of the certification costs through a federal cost sharing program, he said.

The recordkeeping requirements deter many farms that use organic methods from becoming certified, Flotow said. To renew the organic certification each year, he must be able to track each vegetable he sells back to the seed. Flotow records which organic fertilizer he uses and other information about how each plant is grown.

“Every time I do something out in the field, I have to write it down in my journal,” he said.

Some studies suggest crops may suffer as farmers learn organic farming methods, Purdue’s Alexander said. Grain farmers could see smaller harvests during the first three to five years of organic farming. Farmers may need to identify additional revenue streams to help them weather the three-year period before the farm can be certified, she said.

Several strategies can ease the burden of making the transition to organic farming, Alexander said. Farmers can start with a section of property and gradually expand the organic part of the farm. Land that has not been treated with traditional pesticide or fertilizer, such as grazing fields or property set aside for conservation programs, can be switched to organic farming much faster than land used for conventional farming, she said.

In spite of the challenges, more farmers are making the switch, Sears said. The Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association expects to certify 325 farms this year, up from 275 last year. Farms with $5,000 or less in annual sales do not have to be certified to label their products as organic, although they cannot use the term certified organic, he said.

Another agency, Indiana Certified Organic LLC, certified 58 farms last year and anticipates growth of at least 20 percent this year. The Clayton-based company is the only certification agency based in Indiana, although several others operate in the state. The number of agencies makes it difficult to count how many farms have been certified statewide.

The price premiums on organic products can make the transition worthwhile, said David Conner, a research specialist at Michigan State University’s C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems. Conner, who spoke at the Purdue teleconference, said farmers need to thoroughly research economic conditions for organic crops. They should know the costs of raising an animal or crop as well as the price it is likely to receive.

“The more you have knowledge of that,” he said, “the more you’ll know which crops are making you money and which ones aren’t.”

jglenn@jg.net