Greg & Lei Gunthorp wrote:
> There sure has been a lot of publicity in the traditional farm
> papers lately about organicbeing looked at seriously by "conventional"
> farmers. The Farm Bureau News even had apage long article about the
> economic advantage organic farmers have in their last issue.
>
> And you can add to that the Succesful Farming Magazine. In the last
> issue, editor Loren Kruse suggested that farmers check out "organic
> and low-imput (I wish he would have said sustainable) agriculture
> that farmers are using to avoid high imputs and high cost solutions
> and working with nature to overcome weed, disease, and insect
> problems."
>
> Is the demand for organic food going to keep pace with increased
> supplies? Or is the potential increase in supply over hyped? What
> keeps the organic industry from ending up in the same capitalistic,
> consolidated shape as the conventional agriculture industry?
>
> I would venture to say that we are seeing the begining signs of the
> organic sector following the same path. Just look at the examples
> above. The organic "premium" will begin to lose it's base as bigger
> farms fill the nich. (Remember, a nich is only that, when the market
> is small and specialized.) I also will be surprised if there is a
> national organic standard any time soon. There is just simply too much
> controversy within the ranks of scientists, philosophers, and the
> organic farmers themselves for a standard to be enacted soon. (Just
> look at the debates here on sanet!) The farmers who are going to do
> well are those who have a reputable, established organic business
> currently, and those jump into it now who have market savy and a good
> solid base of information on how the system is successfully
> implimented. Those who hop into organics, hoping for it to be the
> saviour of their finacial future, might be disappointed.
>
> Steve Groff
>
> Thanks in advance for any thoughts,GregGunthorp's Pasture-ized Pork
> LaGrange, Indiana (a stones throw from Ohio & Michigan)
> hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com
> visit our farm at www.grassfarmer.com
-- Attend our 5th annual Field day, July 29th. Check website for details! "New Generation Cropping Systems": the cutting edge of sustainable agriculture http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com Steve Groff Cedar Meadow Farm 679 Hilldale Rd Holtwood PA 17532 USA Ph. 717-284-5152
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Greg & Lei Gunthorp wrote:
There sure has been a lot of publicity in the traditional farm papers lately about organicbeing looked at seriously by "conventional" farmers. The Farm Bureau News even had apage long article about the economic advantage organic farmers have in their last issue.And you can add to that the Succesful Farming Magazine. In the last issue, editor Loren Kruse suggested that farmers check out "organic and low-imput (I wish he would have said sustainable) agriculture that farmers are using to avoid high imputs and high cost solutions and working with nature to overcome weed, disease, and insect problems."
Is the demand for organic food going to keep pace with increased supplies? Or is the potential increase in supply over hyped? What keeps the organic industry from ending up in the same capitalistic, consolidated shape as the conventional agriculture industry?I would venture to say that we are seeing the begining signs of the organic sector following the same path. Just look at the examples above. The organic "premium" will begin to lose it's base as bigger farms fill the nich. (Remember, a nich is only that, when the market is small and specialized.) I also will be surprised if there is a national organic standard any time soon. There is just simply too much controversy within the ranks of scientists, philosophers, and the organic farmers themselves for a standard to be enacted soon. (Just look at the debates here on sanet!) The farmers who are going to do well are those who have a reputable, established organic business currently, and those jump into it now who have market savy and a good solid base of information on how the system is successfully implimented. Those who hop into organics, hoping for it to be the saviour of their finacial future, might be disappointed.
Steve Groff
Thanks in advance for any thoughts,GregGunthorp's Pasture-ized Pork
LaGrange, Indiana (a stones throw from Ohio & Michigan)
hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com
visit our farm at www.grassfarmer.com
--
Attend our 5th annual Field day, July 29th. Check website for details!
"New Generation Cropping Systems": the cutting edge of sustainable agriculture
http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com
Steve Groff
Cedar Meadow Farm
679 Hilldale Rd
Holtwood PA 17532 USA
Ph. 717-284-5152
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