Transitioning to Organic
I was honored to participate in two panel discussions hosted by Rodale Institute this past month on organic transition – one specifically on the Return on Investment (ROI) of organic transition and one entitled “Ask Me Anything” in regard to organic market trends in the US. I had a lot of fun talking with other farmers, food system experts and produce buyers about the ins and outs of organic farming and food distribution. Read about the biggest topics we covered below.
When and why did you decide to become certified organic?
Moon Valley Farm pursued organic certification in 2017 after employing organic practices since our inception in 2012. We first became certified organic in 2018, certifying 6 leased parcels of land in the suburbs of Baltimore.
We pursued organic certification for a few key reasons. One is that we truly BELIEVE in organic farming as a farming system that prioritizes the health of the soil, the ecosystem and the food it produces with a long term lens. Conventional production often (but not always!) prioritizes the maximum yield for THIS SEASON at the cost of the soil health, the ecosystem it relies on and at the expense of human health.
Another key reason is that we knew that organic certification would require additional recordkeeping - and we wanted those records and data to help us make better decisions on what to produce and what practices to prioritize.
Finally, we also knew we wanted to SCALE the operation over the next few years in order to provide the quality of life that I wanted for myself, my family and my staff – and make a bigger impact on changing the food system for the better in the Mid-Atlantic. Organic certification would help us easily communicate to more people that we prioritize the same thing that they do - healthy food grown on healthy soils.
What did that paperwork look like?
Organic certification requires THREE years of historical data – all seed sourcing records, all field maps, soil tests, seeding dates and quantities for all crops, soil input records, transplant records, spray and fertigation records, harvest records, LOSS records (how much produce did you harvest and then find unsellable) and sales records.
We have to write down and submit all of our practices, including our crop rotation plan, disease and pest management plans, our weed mitigation strategies, our post-harvest handling practices and our practices that support biodiversity such as bat boxes, wildflower meadows, honeybee boxes and purple martin homes.
Additionally, the farmer must submit a list of all the inputs used – from fertilizers to mulches used to seeding mix to plants purchased – and all of their organic certificates too. We also submit our Food Safety Plan that details employee training and procedures for growing, harvesting, washing, storing and delivering produce in a food-safe manner.
A new addition to the organic requirements in 2024 is an Organic Fraud Prevention Plan – part of the federal government’s initiative to decrease the occurrences of growing (or buying in) conventionally and marketing as organic. [Note, by far the biggest issue here is in organic IMPORTS, not in domestic production and distribution]
Can you walk us through your approach in assessing return on investment (ROI) for economic transition to certified organic?
Organic REQUIRES that you are making long term investments in your soil fertility - that you actively prevent soil erosion, employ crop rotation, provide habitats for pollinators, promote biodiversity, invest in windbreaks and buffer strips, utilize cover crops and minimize inputs and sprays. This long term approach is a KEY factor to me in assessing our ROI. If we were only focused on this year's profits, we would minimize or eliminate all of the practices listed above, as they simply don’t pay for themselves within a season or two.
As we continue to make long term investments in our soil health and our farms biodiversity, we will be able to continue to minimize imported nutrients to maintain that soil health, lean more on beneficial insects to reduce our spray and input needs, and cover crops to provide the next crop's nutrient needs.
In addition to these investments sowing the seeds for long-term returns, I really love how strict organic standards set a high bar for our team to embrace difficult tasks and stringent record-keeping requirements. Farming is inherently hard work - especially organic vegetable farming - and by setting the standards very high for our team, we’re setting ourselves up for success in farming through climate change.
Support our farm!
We’d love to grow for you and are now accepting sign ups for our Year Round and Peak Season CSA! Have any questions about our CSA program? Reach out to support@moonvalleyfarm.net.