Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

http://newfarm.org/features/2007/0307/certorg/kupfer.shtml

California farmers dropping organic certification cite crop management,
yield and marketing challenges as reasons for opting out

Converting from conventional farming-and sticking with organics- means
changing thinking, diversifying enterprises, linking with other farmers and
finding many means of support.

Strochlic found that the decertifying farmers found that "the transition to
organic production is complex, and that there are no guarantees of success.


"In particular, we've seen that the 'input substitution' approach is often
not that successful. Transitioning farmers must understand that organic is
a
different farming system, which requires a deep understanding of the
importance of soil health and the interconnectedness of all on-farm
systems." 

Klonsky said that many of those dropouts may be attributed to the farmers
just not feeling a compelling need to bother with formalizing their organic
farming status.

"If it was a hobby or roadside farmer, or a smaller organic farmer who
knows
all of his/her customers at a farmers market and through a CSA, why would
they bother with the expense and paperwork of certification? A lot of very
small farmers don't need certification, but are still using organic
practices."

Klonsky's study found that organic farmers tend to "build long-run
reputations as part of their marketing strategies and are likely to be able
to maintain their markets once they have developed them."