Agricultural Careers Organic Farmer

1. Agricultural Careers Organic Farmer By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Katie Murray Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia Department of Education June 2005 START

2. What is Organic Farming? Organic refers to the agricultural production systems used to produce food and fiber, including produce, grains, meat, dairy, eggs, flowers, processed food products, and fibers such as cotton. Organic farmers' use cover crops and crop rotations to disrupt the habitat for weeds, insects, and disease organisms. Weeds are controlled through crop rotation, mechanical tillage, hand-weeding, cover crops, mulches, flame weeding, and other management methods. Organic farmers rely on a diverse population of soil organisms, beneficial insects, and birds to keep pests in check. When pest populations get out of balance, growers implement a variety of strategies including the use of insect predators, mating disruption, traps, and barriers. Under the National Organic Rule, growers are required to use sanitation and cultural practices before they can resort to applying any material to control a weed, pest, or disease problem. Purposeful maintenance and replenishment of soil fertility are also duties performed by an organic farmer. Organic farmers build healthy soil by nourishing its living component: the microbial inhabitants that release, transform, and transfer nutrients.

3. Qualities and Skills Organic farmers should obviously enjoy working outdoors and need to have a love for nature. They must be able to work alone or as part of a team. They must have good interpersonal communication and public relations skills. Organic farmers should also have excellent business management skills. The best organic farmers will be patient, hard-working, determined, and not easily frustrated.

4. “Certified Organic” All products sold as "organic" are required by law to be certified. “Certified organic” refers to agricultural products that have been grown and processed according to uniform standards and then verified by independent state or private organizations accredited by the USDA. Certification includes annual submission of an organic system plan and inspection of farm fields and processing facilities. Inspectors verify that organic practices such as long-term soil management, buffering between organic farms and neighboring conventional farms, and recordkeeping are being implemented. “Certified organic” requires the rejection of synthetic agrochemicals, irradiation, and genetically engineered foods or ingredients.

5. Salary The incomes of all farmers, organic and conventional, vary greatly from year to year. This is due to the fluctuation in the prices of farm products depending upon weather conditions and other factors that influence the quantity and quality of farm output. Fluctuation is also influenced by the demand for those products. A farm that shows a large profit in one year may show a loss in the following year. However, farmers often receive government subsidies or other payments that supplement their incomes and reduce some of the financial risk of farming. Many farmers, primarily operators of small farms, receive more of their income from off-farm business activities or careers than they do from farming.

6. Other Careers to Explore Agronomist Crop Consultant Crop Producer Ecologist Fruit and Nut Producer Vegetable Farmer

7. Career Resources Organic Farming Research FoundationInternet: http://www.ofrf.org Organic Trade Association Internet: http://www.ota.com/index.html The National Organic Program Internet: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexNet.htm University of California, Organic Farming Research and Information Internet: http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Organic/index.htm Organic.org Internet: http://www.organic.org