Many people think of organic farmers as farmers who don’t use chemicals. However, a group of Cedar County farmers has learned that the "dos" of organic farming are just as important as the "don’ts." Now members of this group, the Fordyce Organic Growers, know what organic farming really entails and are spreading this information to other farmers.
The group got together in 1995 because of the success of Fordyce farmer Rod Lammers. Lammers has not used synthetic chemicals since the mid 70’s and has been profiting from the higher value of organic grains for over 16 years. He usually receives 25% over the going non-organic price for his organic grains. But, as FOG members learned, to take advantage of these organic premiums they had to be certified as organic, in this case by the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA).
For certification, the group had to document that their fields had not received treatments of prohibited chemicals for three years. These three years are called the transition period and crops sold during this time may be called transitional organic. OCIA has established guidelines for producing organic crops that include soil-building practices as well as prohibition of some chemical input use. Normally, the chemicals allowed for use on organic farms are naturally produced or found in nature while many of the chemicals used in non-organic farming are man-made or heavily processed.
Once synthetic herbicides are no longer an option, organic farmers still have to deal with the problem of weed control. Before the introduction of herbicides, weeds were controlled with cultivation. FOG farmers still use cultivation, but their tools have advanced far beyond what their grandfathers once used. FOG member Marvin Lange will be testing "spyder wheels" and "spring hoes" in his 1998 soybeans. These are new tillage tools that may allow higher speed weed control in row crops.
Biological control, which relies on living organisms to kill weeds, is also an option. Lange has been using his Angora goats to eat the leafy spurge in his pasture. This noxious weed is tough to control with herbicides, but Lange thinks his goats may prove a successful alternative. He has been using controlled grazing to direct the goats to the leafy spurge. The goats prefer the weed over grass and will eat the seedheads and much of the plant, reducing the chances that it will spread. He received a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education producer grant from US Department of Agriculture to help the project along.
Some say that it is harder to farm like this, but Lange thinks, "it is probably a little bit easier." He says he wants to help others quit using expensive fertilizers and pesticides.
FOG is also using crop rotations to battle weeds. Rotations create ever-changing environments by planting, cultivating, and harvesting different crops at different times of the year. In this system, a weed adapted to one set of circumstances will not gain a foothold and become a big problem. FOG members grow the usual corn and soybeans, and add alfalfa, wheat, and oats to their rotations. They are on the lookout for alternative crops to diversify both their fields and their markets. Rotation can also eliminate a majority of the insect and disease problems found in continuous production of only one crop. According to Lammers, "When we rotate crops, we are setting up the soil for the next year’s crop, balancing and improving the soil structure. Weeds are more of a problem in unbalanced soil."
During the past three years, FOG has sought to share information about organic farming with neighbors and the community. They hold field days each year at members’ farms to show how they have adapted to organic farming. Demonstrations of blue corn production by Rod Lammers and on-farm composting at Bill Kleinschmit’s farm have been some of the featured practices.
In January of 1995, FOG held an organic marketing workshop. Wilfred Schill from the Prairie Organics Cooperative in North Dakota shared his experience and advice with 35 interested participants. A representative of OCIA also shared the history of organic agriculture.
In 1997, the FOG group focused on the maintenance of soil fertility using organic fertilizers. Balanced soil fertility and how to achieve it was the subject of a workshop they sponsored in Fordyce. Gene Mealhow, a Midwestern Bio-Ag soil consultant from eastern Iowa, spoke on the various practices and additives used to nurture high quality soils. Several non-organic farmers thinking about changing to organic practices attended the workshop.
To make a profit, a relatively high level of production is still necessary, so the group has sought out the experience of long-time organic growers. They have visited Oak Creek Farms in Southern Nebraska and talked to Dave Vetter, who runs the Grain Place grain processing facilility near Aurora. Some FOG members have also visited organic farms in Iowa and South Dakota.
Being in a group has helped FOG members learn new skills and has given them the support needed to start farming organically. They have learned several principles for those interested in trying it: diversify, go slow, and realize that it is a process. Now they believe that organic farming can work for those who have the management skills and a desire to use them.
Contact: Marvin Lange, Fordyce, 402-357-2150