Transitional Assistance in Organic Farming.

As demand for organic produce continues to rise, more conventional farmers are interested in transitioning to this profitable market; the current percentage of organic farms, estimated between 1-5% of all farm land in the US, is not ready to meet the demand. The transition to a certified USDA Organic farm involves a minimum time commitment of three years for farms currently using conventional growing practices, and during this time, there is often a large financial hardship for the farm owner. In addition to the costs of certification, farmers must be prepared for investing in the infrastructure of the farm as well as have a business plan in place that includes higher labor costs, a marketing plan for the organic crop, and guidance through the transition, as there is often crop loss to pests and disease as the soil and ecosystems of the farm recovers. Programs and the accompanying funding for promotion of organic farming have historically ignored the transitional farmer, giving little incentive for farms to make the transition, but that is changing. As increasing pollution of the environment is becoming seen more and more as a financial threat, the many benefits of organically produced crops are becoming more attractive to the public. Water use and quality is just one area where we would see economic benefit. Healthy soils retain moisture and hold rainfall, decreasing the need for irrigation and the burden on combination storm water/waste water systems; through decreasing our use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, the burden of pollutants leading to dead zones in our waterways, from the Chesapeake to the Gulf of Mexico, would be reduced. This presentation will introduce the importance of transitional funding and assistance to farmers and outline the current programs available, both at the federal and state levels.