As a student at Smith College, I have been afforded the opportunity to travel abroad and within the U.S to study the benefits of organic farming practices. During my studies, many farmers emphasized the importance of eliminating pesticide usage and promoting crop diversification. One farmer that I met in Ecuador even claimed that any farmer can adapt these organic practices. But after hearing David Haughton’s experience producing organic crops, it makes me wonder if that sentiment reigns true for small farmers in the U.S? During my interview with Farmer Haughton, he went on to explain how the challenges with organic farming range from access to loans to the price of organic products (fertilizers, seeds, etc.). Within one year, he spent $30,000 to produce a crop of organic apples, which only yielded a profit of $200 in return.
Aside from the cost of organic products and loans, it can be difficult to maintain chemical free pest management practices. Haughton said that people would be shocked to see the damage caused by missing one day of pest management activities. Organic farms across the U.S require up to 35% more time maintaining these labor-intense pest management practices compared to non-organic farms. As a result, the organic apples Haughton produced appeared rough and bore worm marks on the skin. Although the apples were in perfect condition for consumption, market shoppers consistently bypassed his produce based on the remnants left behind by pests or even the presence of an insect on a vegetable. Essentially, “People don’t want to see worm poo on their cabbage. It’s healthy, but people don’t want to see it.” Haughton expressed a deep sadness and pain that comes from investing his time, money, and labor into a product only to be rejected by others.
The issues Haughton faces go beyond his 30 acre farm. Many small-scale, organic farmers in the U.S and abroad experience the same challenges. According to USDA data from 2012, small farms lost money farming and 100% of their income was sourced from outside of the farm meaning that in addition to working on the farm, farmers had to maintain a second job, off-farm, to pay the bills. Some of the widespread challenges organic growers face in the U.S include lower yields relative to conventional farming, difficulty maintaining high quality soil nutrients, gaining proper certifications and market access. When considering the additional costs and labor required for organic farming, one could imagine how a farmer like Haughton only made $200 that year from his imperfect, organic cabbage and apples.
Now, Haughton practices Integrated Pest Management (IPM) by limiting the use of pesticides and commercialized products. IPM not only helps to mitigate the threat of fruit worms, but it also provides farmers with a cost effective alternative to traditional pesticide usage. Haughton plans to continue using an IPM approach until he finds alternative practices that make organic farming financially feasible and attractive to market goers.
Although organic farming practices present many barriers to small-scale farmers like Haughton, I still believe that farmers should strive to produce organic foods based on the well documented benefits to the environment. However, policies and government programs need to better accommodate the financial needs of small-scale organic farmers the same way they do for commodities like corn and soybeans. Aside from policy reform, I still wonder how consumers can deconstruct their cosmetic standards for organic produce to increase the sale of unattractive vegetables. One thing I know for sure is that the next time I visit a farmers market, I’ll be purchasing the “poo” covered cabbage.
References
Jouzi, Z., Azadi, H., Taheri, F., Zarafshani, K., Gebrehiwot, K., Passel, S. V., & Lebailly, P. (2017). Organic Farming and Small-Scale Farmers: Main Opportunities and Challenges. Ecological Economics,132, 144-154. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2016.10.016
Karavolias, N. (2019, May 10). Organic food is booming, but it’s grinding field laborers into the dirt. https://massivesci.com/articles/organic-farming-food-usda-pesticide-agricultural-labor/
Moyer, J. (2015, February 10). What nobody told me about small farming: I can’t make a living. https://www.salon.com/2015/02/10/what_nobody_told_me_about_small_farming_i_cant_make_a_living/
Storm Lewis