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New Organic Vegetable Farmers Have A Lot to Learn By Harriet Behar, New organic vegetable farmers come from a variety of backgrounds: home gardeners who want to expand into larger commercial production; people who don't have much experience but are attracted to farming and want to start out in organic vegetable production; and experienced, non-organic vegetable producers who want to transition some or all of their farm. Organic vegetables must be grown on land that has not had prohibited substances on it for a minimum of three years prior to the harvest of the crop. Prohibited substances are typically synthetic substances not allowed under the law governing organic production, including chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and insecticides [and fungicides] . It is important to document, as close as possible, the last date of prohibited substance application in order to prove to the certification agency when the 36 months has passed and the subsequent harvests can be held as organic. This is especially important for vegetable growers who want to have early season crops such as lettuce or spinach, which might need to be harvested before the land is free of prohibited substances. Planning crops for the first year of organic production should be done carefully. All synthetic materials are prohibited unless they have been specially approved by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) and are on the national list of substances for organic agriculture. All natural products are allowed, unless they are specifically listed as prohibited. The list can be found on the NOP website, www.ams.usda.gov/nop, or from any organic certification agency. Organic farming is much more than what you cannot use. It's a proactive management system based on ecologically sound practices in concert with use of natural or approved synthetic inputs. Soil fertility is approached not only to feed the current year's crop but to continuously build organic matter and improve soil tilth through the use of green manure plowdowns, crop rotations, animal manures, plant materials and compost. Balancing soil nutrients using natural-mined crushed rocks (lime, lime rock phosphate, etc.) are also permitted. Organic vegetable growers need to document — on maps — where crops are planted from year to year, in order to make sure their crop rotation avoids planting the same pest and disease hosts in subsequent years. Vegetable crops are heavy feeders, and good soil stewardship — such as incorporation of green manures — will pay off in healthy crops and lessened insect pressures. Resources on organic production requirements and practices can be found at the NOP website, from MOSES (www.mosesorganic.org or 715-772-3153) and from ATTRA (www.attra.ncat.org or 800-346-9140). Organic seeds must be used when you are growing an organic crop (they are not mandated during the transition years). This includes green manure crop seeds, such as rye, that may not be harvested but are still grown on organic land. The only exception here is when you cannot find the specific variety or type of seed you wish to grow and can prove with documentation or phone logs or seed catalogs that you made a good faith effort to find the organic seed. In no case are GMO or seeds treated with non-approved, synthetic substances permitted during the transition years, nor for an organic crop. High price is not an acceptable reason to not buy organic seed. Organic transplants must be used when growing an organic crop for sale. Non-organic tubers or rhizomes can be used for an organic crop, if you can prove they are not available as organic. Perennial crops such as strawberries must be organic plants or have been under organic management on your land for one year before an organic harvest can be taken. Understanding your pest and disease challenges can aid you in choosing appropriate seed varieties. Use of manures and the definition of compost are strictly regulated under U.S. organic law. If the edible portion of the crop is in contact with soil particles (and this would include splashing that might occur from rain or irrigation for tall or trellised crops), then manure cannot be applied any sooner to the soil than 120 days before harvest of that crop. This would include all root crops such as potatoes and carrots and most vegetables where you eat the skin, such as peppers, tomatoes or squash. If the edible portion of the crop is not in contact with soil particles (such as sweet corn, which is inside a husk), then the organic crop cannot be harvested sooner than 90 days after application of raw manure. All components of your potting mix must be allowed for organic production. Clear documentation that the product does not have prohibitive synthetic fertilizers or wetting agents or has not been treated with fungicides is needed for each item in the potting mix. There are suppliers of both ingredients for potting mixes, as well as complete potting mixes that are approved for organic production. Check the OMRI website (www.omri.org) or with your certification agent. OMRI is the acronym for Organic Materials Review Institute. Weed control can be a challenge, especially for fine-seeded and slow germinating vegetable crops. There are many mechanical and hand tools for the vegetable grower. Plan your weed control realistically, with your acreage, rows or beds fitting your equipment and your own physical capabilities. Mulching is another possibility, with non-organic mulch allowed as long as it does not pose a risk of having recent applications of herbicides, such as lawn clippings. Plastic mulches of all types are allowed but must be removed at the end of the harvest season. Use of cover crops and inter-seeding also can help the vegetable grower build organic matter and smother unwanted weeds. Organic regulations mandate that a specific pest control hierarchy be used, starting with cultural, mechanical or biological control. If these methods are documented as ineffective, natural inputs can be used. If not effective, approved synthetics can be used. For pest control products, both active ingredients and inerts must be allowed. The acceptability of name-brand products should be verified, either with your certification agent or with OMRI. Documentation is an important aspect of organic farming, and during the transition years a record-keeping system can be developed that suits your operation. Small pocket calendars or spiral notebooks can be used for field activities, inputs, storage and sales information that will be needed once the farm is certified organic. These records are a valuable historical reference detailing your farm's unique growing conditions, and aid you in making yearly management decisions. If you plan to sell more than $5000 per year of organically labeled products, your farm must be certified organic. If you sell less than $5000, you must meet all USDA regulations for organic production but are not required to be certified and inspected. You can choose to contact a certification agency at the beginning of the three-year transition, or you can wait until early in the third year to do so. |
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