Transcript Organics

Organic Farming:
An Overview
Prepared by:
L. Robert Barber, & Ilene Iriarte
For:
Guam Cooperative Extension Service & Guam Department of
Agriculture
Funding provided by:
United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Western Region Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education, Administration for Native Americans,, &
Sanctuary Incorporated
What is Organic Farming
• Common Misconceptions
– Not toxic, No sprays allowed, No fertility
• Related concepts
– Less toxic & Lower inputs
– Sustainable Ag
– Permaculture
Organics Defined
• Based on a belief that what is natural is good.
• Initially defined by negatives (not allowed) moving to more positive focus
– These do not guide in developing an organic farming practice. Current directions
is to define in terms of sustainable practices with standards that define what is
allowed and not allowed.
– Definition 1:
• “Organic farming is a production system that avoids or largely excludes the use of
synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed
additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming systems rely on crop
rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm organic
wastes, and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilt, to
support plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and other pests.”
– Definition 2
• Good sustainable farming practice, without using synthetic chemicals.
– USDA National Organic Standards Board
• “an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances
biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of
off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance
ecological harmony.”
Foundation Principles
• Biodiversity & Integration
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Agroforestry
Animal/Plant Interactions
Crop Rotation
Intercropping
Enterprise diversity
Foundation Principles
• Sustainability
– Environmental sustainability
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Nutrient recycling vs. External inputs
Improve soil, increase organic matter
Prevent soil erosion and compaction
Direct Market & Sustainability
– Social Sustainability
• Production for sustenance and income
• Good working conditions
• Builds on local knowledge and tradition
– Economic Sustainability
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Reliable yields
Low cost inputs
Enterprise diversification
On farm value added
Foundation Principles
• Natural Plant Nutrition
– Composting
– Green Manure (nitrogen fixing plants:
hedgerows & cover crops)
– Animal Manure (chicken tractors, aqua
culture sludge)
– Natural Fertilizers (seaweed, fish waste)
– Nourishment of soil organisms for soil
digestion.
Foundation Principles
• Natural Pest Management
– Plant health & Natural Defense (resistant
varieties)
– Sanitation & rotation
– Natural Pesticides (natural does not mean
safe)
– Bio control (chickens eating weeds, bacillus
thuringiensis)
– Cover Crops/Living & dead Mulches
– Intercropping & companion planting
Foundation Principles
• Integrity
– Buffers to keep out unwanted chemicals but
also to protect your neighbors from your
activities (don’t want neem drift to hit
neighbors fish pond)
– Records (Proof of practices & economic
analysis)
Certification - Legalities
• Conversion Period: NOS Standards require time
between the beginning of organic cultivation &
when a crop can be harvested as organic
– Annual crops: 24 months prior to sowing
– Perennial crops: 36 months prior to harvest
– Grassland for pasture: 2 years
• Related concepts
– Certification – USDA Certified Organic,
– Transitional,
– $5,000 exclusion,
Transitioning to Organic Farming
• Collect information about how to come
into compliance.
• Experiment on what type of approach
works for your farm
• Develop and implement new management
skills
• Prepare for short-term financial loss
• Evaluate strength and weaknesses of your
farms natural systems
$5,000 Exclusion
• A producer who makes over $5,000
annually in agriculture products and
wants to label the product “organic” must
be certified by a USDA-accredited agency.
• A producer who makes less than $5,000
annually is exempt from certification.
Their products can be labeled organic if
the follow standards, but cannot use the
USDA Organic Seal.
Labeling
• “Organic in Transition” or “Organic in
Conversion” – Products that are produced
in accordance to organic standards for at
least 12 months.
• “Zero year” – Products produced within
the first year of transition. It cannot have
any reference to organic production
methods. Must be marketed as
conventional
Categories of Tools & Practices
(A view of what is to come)
• Through out modules will move between
key groups of practices:
• Soil management & Nutrition
• Agroforestry
• Water Conservation & Irrigation
• Pests, disease, & weed management
• Plant & Animal Interactions
• Direct Marketing and Labeling