Over time it became apparent that,to make the small horticultural farm work,
diversification was one key to that success. Diversified crops, diversified
markets, diversified labor components. This was a true synergy.
One absolute law of my own survival was finding and keeping quality people on
the farm. They became my associates, not hierarchical employees. I may have
directed the work and handled the money, but there was no doubt in anyone's
mind that the farm was a cooperative venture. The employees instantly saw the
benefit in diversified production that, in California, at that time, was 52
weeks a year. Holiday travel, for example, at Christmas, was planned out so
that the farm continued to pull in revenue, folks could decide whether or not
they would go back to Mexico at Christmas-time and we arrived at the
appropriate labor level. I had the farm planted out so that there was always
work, no matter what season of the year. Only the rain kept us out of the
field.
I also paid salaries- 1200-1500 a month and as much as 1000 dollar bonuses per
year. I had to keep these people full-time. People got paid whether they were
sick or not, or if they had business off-farm ( visiting an accountant, or a
relative) or if it rained or not. This is not practical above Zone 7 or 8 for
horticulture, but could be if greenhouse production, holiday floral and gift
mail order, or seed production were part of the farm production plan.
Livestock, conceivably, and particulary for ruminants and other mammals is
just as year-round as horticulture with fewer sales peaks and valleys. Poultry
may be an elective on a year round production system. Labor for the organic
smallholding livestocker is very demanding because of the continual vigilance
of the management style, where timely routine as well as heavy lifting are a
commonplace.
Organic horticultural farming is known to be more labor intensive versus
mechanical/chemical dependent. Weed control is a significant expense. But when
we say that organic farming is more labor intensive it is occasionally by
design, and that is why an organic horticultural producer can make a living
and employ four field workers full time when working on small acreages, and by
small I mean 10 acres cropped an average of twice a year with the third
rotation put into cover. Note again the Zone 7/8-11 criteria on that
assumption.
Organic field crop production is also more labor intensive, usually by
neccessity. Mr. Benbrook was earlier asking for more data on the cost of RR
beans, and I would say that the per acre cost is more like $50.00 per
acre,based on recent anecdotal conversations. The organic field crop producers
claim that it costs 7 to 8 dollars an acre to make a pass through the field.
Rotary hoe, cultivate, seed, its pretty much in that range. Between 5 and 9
passes may be required on a field, depending on the crop. Less for wheat or
barley, more for soybeans and corn. Sometimes three passes are all that are
required for small grains when fall-seeded, four passes if you include
combining. Those are hard figures. Field figures. Costs to the environment,
indirect subsidization by government, and institutions for conventional ag
adds to that. Therefore, for soybeans, 40-75 dollars per acre in pure labor
plus mechanical costs would be indicated. Add seed also, and those costs vary
widely.
Field walking beans and corn is common but not a regularity. Much less for
corn. This practice is found on 40-80 acre parcels. Field-walking is a weeding
crew, pulling out or hoeing troublesome plants that going to cause future weed
pressure or discolor the soybeans at harvest. That cost is around 12-15
dollars an acre. If a 100 acre field yielded 40 bushels@$20.00 per bushel, the
gross value is around $800/acre. Net is around $600-650 ( after discounting
for clean-out).
The sale price in 1999 will go down around 4 or 5 dollars, but it still works
out well on a strict apples to apples comparison of organic to conventional.
Factor in the environmental benefits and farmer health issues and its a real
winner.
Steve Sprinkel
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