By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent COLUMBUS, Ohio — The strong demand for organic food presents a growing opportunity for Ohio farmers. So, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Assoc. (OEFFA) and Ohio State University Organic Food & Farming Education and Research (OFFER) have teamed up on an Organics 101 workshop as an introduction to organic crop production.
The event will be at the Agricultural Incubator Foundation in Bowling Green, Ohio, on Dec. 10.
“All Ohio farmers who are looking for information on organic crop production should attend this workshop,” said Mike Anderson, organic education program coordinator at OEFFA. “We’ve seen tremendous growth in the demand for organic foods the past decade and more Ohio farmers are considering organic production to help meet this demand and take advantage of the economic opportunity that it provides.”
According to Anderson, there was a 20 percent increase in organic farming in the United States between 1995 and 2008. Ohio, he adds, has seen a 14 percent growth in organic farming.
“It shows that consumers want a product that is free from contamination as much as possible,” he said.
In 2007, there were 352 organic farms in Ohio. Today, there are 450 organic farms in operation.
Anderson is a certified organic farmer as well, tending to organic blueberries, strawberries, lettuce, tomatoes, peas, beans and sunflowers on his five-acre farm near Sunbury, Ohio. His crop falls under Sundog Special Crops and all his crops carry the special label “Certified Organic.”
Anderson admits there are strict guidelines, or standards, when organic farming. For starters, organic foods must be produced and handled without the use of synthetic chemicals. They cannot be produced on land to which any prohibited substances have been applied during the three years immediately preceding the harvest. Organic farmers must abide by the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances as they grow their crops.
Every organic farm is monitored and certified by a qualified agent. In Ohio, one of the largest certifying agencies is OEFFA. But independent, third-party inspectors also make regular visits.
According to Anderson, organic farming involves more labor done by hand. And without herbicides, he says, there is more labor-intensive mechanical weeding. Statistics from the USDA show that organic farming is one of the fastest growing sectors in U.S.
agriculture, with sustained growth at approximately 20 percent per year since 1990. U.S. sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to roughly $20 billion in 2007. Organic food sales have increased 18 percent from 2007 to 2010.
Fresh produce is the top-selling organic category in the United States, but sales of dairy products, beverages, packages and prepared foods, and breads and grains grew have grown to 63 percent of total organic sales up through 2009.
“Even if a farmer is wondering if organics might be right for their operation, this workshop will be a good place to start,” Anderson said.
Participants at this workshop, now in its third year, will learn about the organic certification standard, the certification process, organic crop production practices, the economics of organic crop production, and the marketing opportunities for organic crop producers. University scientists and experienced organic farmers will lead sessions on these and other topics, as well as field questions.
This educational workshop will be held at the Agricultural Incubator Foundation in Bowling Green, Ohio on Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information contact Mike Anderson at 614-421-2022, Ext. 204 or write to mike@oeffa.org |
