Menu

by Seth Teter

Matt Peart has to tolerate weeds. In a good year, he may only produce 30 to 35 bushels of soybeans per acre. Because he nets more than $16 per bushel, he's willing to compromise.

Peart is among a small but growing number of organic farmers who raise crops without using pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. He grows corn, soybeans, hay and spelt on his 400-acre Wayne County farm. Some of his crop goes to organic livestock production, in which animals have access to the outside and are never given hormones or antibiotics.

"I wouldn't say organic agriculture is for everybody. It's worked for me," Peart said.

U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows Ohio had 295 certified organic operations on 51,360 acres in 2003. Organic foods now account for 2.5 percent, or $13.8 billion, of total U.S. food sales, according to the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

Organic production is a philosophy for some; a profitable niche market for others. For Peart, it's both. Unhappy with the financial returns of conventional farming and feeling he did not have to be so reliant on chemicals, he switched to organic 18 years ago.

On average, organic food sales have increased by nearly 20 percent annually since 1997, according to OTA. But as the market has grown, so has the potential for a rift between conventional and organic agriculture.

Peart said there will always be some farmers who will feel organic should be the only way to farm and others who will scoff at organic production. He believes farmers should find the method that works best for them.

OFBF supports all farms operating within the current regulatory framework, according to Pat Petzel, OFBF director of consumer communications.

"We're not in a position to say one farm is better than another," she said. "We have to find a way to represent and communicate to and about all of these types of operations."

Petzel said farmers should promote their product without degrading the competition. The problem comes when fears are raised about conventional agriculture's impact on food safety, the environment or the treatment of animals that are not based on science.

"Organic is a farming technique but it’s only one farming technique, and it doesn't necessarily mean a better product," Petzel said. She noted consumer demand ultimately determines food production methods.

"Consumers have the luxury to be discerning, and when farmers are in the business of meeting consumer demand, then the consumer is always right," she said. "Farmers shouldn't resent that consumers are asking questions and have high expectations for their food and how it’s produced."

While the vast majority of OFBF members are conventional farmers, Peart believes there is a place in Farm Bureau for organic producers. He belongs to an advisory council made up of fellow organic farmers who provide grassroots input to OFBF.

"The benefit of belonging to Farm Bureau is that you can come forward and have a voice and share your needs," said Chris Henney, OFBF director of agricultural ecology. "The networking opportunities that Farm Bureau provides allows for diverse production techniques to be discussed in a reasonable atmosphere."

Henney said OFBF takes on issues that affect all farmers such as land rights and farming regulations. OFBF also supports buying local opportunities and interaction with consumers, which may directly benefit organic farmers. "There are opportunities for both organic and conventional farmers if we join together," he said.

Peart said he discusses his production techniques with nearby farmers and has been received well. "They watch with some skepticism," he admits. "(But) none of my neighbors think I'm crazy."

With Peart's corn selling for $5.75 a bushel, who would?

Caption: Wayne County Farm Bureau member Matt Peart examines soybeans on his certified organic farm.