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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

Organic Farmers, Sowing a Passion


By Vickie Elmer
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, August 10, 2008; Page K01

After earning a degree in biology from Gettysburg College, Jack Gurley  
was working for an environmental consulting firm. Then one spring, as  
he was planting seeds at home, he had "one of those moments," and knew  
he was going to become an organic farmer.

That was more than a dozen years ago. Now he and his wife, Beckie, own  
a certified-organic farm, Calvert's Gift Farm, on five acres in  
Sparks, Md. They produce heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, garlic and more,  
and sell at three area farmers markets.

"Honestly, there are just not enough farmers out there," said Gurley,  
president of Future Harvest-CASA (which stands for Chesapeake Alliance  
for Sustainable Agriculture), a growers group focused on sustainable  
agriculture. "It's a great opportunity, but it's not easy."

Demand is rising for locally grown and organic produce, and interest  
in farming as a career is also growing. Young people with no  
experience in agriculture and people in their 50s who have gardened  
for decades are looking to turn farming into a living and a lifestyle.

Some romanticize the career, focusing on the beauty of the fruits or  
the joy of being in harmony with the land. They may not consider the  
bugs, hot weather, backbreaking work to pull weeds and harvest  
cucumbers -- not to mention the long hours and low initial wages.  
Unskilled workers start at $8 an hour in some farms outside the Beltway.

"Mother Nature is a tyrant," said Hiu Newcomb, co-owner of Potomac  
Vegetable Farms. Her two farm locations in Fairfax and Loudoun  
counties hire up to 10 people during the season, which runs from April  
to October or November.

Most organic farms have only a few employees, but counting larger  
farms and dairies, some 1.3 million people nationwide work as farmers,  
ranchers and agricultural managers. Most are self-employed, according  
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although the BLS expects fewer  
farmers by 2016, job prospects look good, especially in the organic  
area, as many farmers retire or quit.


Full story at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/09/AR2008080900335.html?hpid=sec-business
> From bobford79 AT yahoo.com  Sun Aug 10 07:45:18 2008
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this all sounds great, but as a consumer who must buy most produce from markets, my experience is that the so called "organic" is no fresher nor is it tastier than the regular supermarket fare.  Organic is no longer 
important enough to me to pay a premium.  

That which I will pay a premium is actual "farm fresh" produce.  And, I can 
taste the difference.  Just one man's opinion....bobford




--- On Sun, 8/10/08, Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com> wrote:

> From: Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>

> After earning a degree in biology from Gettysburg College,
> Jack Gurley  
> was working for an environmental consulting firm. Then one
> spring, as  
> he was planting seeds at home, he had "one of those
> moments," and knew  
> he was going to become an organic farmer.
>
> That was more than a dozen years ago. Now he and his wife,
> Beckie, own  
> a certified-organic farm, Calvert's Gift Farm, 

>

> Demand is rising for locally grown and organic produce, and

> Some romanticize the career, focusing on the beauty of the
> fruits or  
> the joy of being in harmony with the land. They may not
> consider the  
> bugs, hot weather, backbreaking work to pull weeds and
> harvest  
> cucumbers -- not to mention the long hours and low initial
> wages.  
>
> Most organic farms have only a few employees, but counting