b"Organic and Conventional Farming Arent as Different as You ThinkAs organic markets grow, its time to dispel the myth behind growing organic.Ally RodenTHE CERTIFIED ORGANICmarket has seen an increaseent on the type of crops grown. Wheat is a crop that can almost over the past few years, reaching $63 billion, compared tomatch conventional yields, while experts are still working on how $48 billion in 2016. The land used for growing organic cropsto reach the same yields with corn. has also increased, almost doubling between 2016 and 2020,The increase in yield is largely due to improved crop rotations according to Nate Powell-Palm, owner of Cold Spring Organics. where the soil can experience various plant species without the The rapid expansion reflects consumers want for traceabilitybuildup of pressure that farmers would see from planting crop of products. Every organic product found in grocery stores canon crop. Succession planting is key to avoid a pest or disease be traced back to the field where its ingredients were grown,from wiping out the entire crop, says Spoonemore.which is a benefit consumers will pay more for. Another compo- The utilization of manure for fertilization and the reliance on nent that entices farmers and consumers are the climate benefitspulses and legumes to augment the manure allows the nitrogen that organic offers, as studies have shown that organic soil canto come from a source closer to home. Growing crops in this sequester more carbon and has a better water holding capacity. fashion provides a more resilient system that is affected less Despite the individual benefits of organic and conventionalharshly by supply chain shocks that the world has seen over the farming, there remains a long-going argument between the twopast year or two, continues Powell-Palm. but there isnt anything versus when comparing, according toIt's a shorter supply chain in organic, which leads to a more Powell-Palm. As farmers try to get high yields and clean fields,resilient food system, which in turn is something we really need the set of tools used are the greatest difference. for a growing population. We're getting parity in yields, and In organic, we're primarily figuring out how to utilize organicwe've got a robust system that's going to result in a more reliable sources of nitrogen, whether it be manure, cover crops or otherfood production system, he says.inputs, he explains. Organic primarily relies on the ecologi- The same goals that we have in conventional are the same cal potential of the farm for maximizing those yields. We havegoals that we have in organic: that were able to take care of the a lot of little hammers that we use for things like weed controlsoil, have profitable farms, produce good, abundant food crops or good seed considerations for maximizing those yields, asand do so with style so that were able to have good clean fields, opposed to the really big hammers you might have in conven- Powell-Palm says.SWtional, like herbicide or synthetic fertilizers.One of the most-widely believed misconceptions surrounding organic farming is cost. Many farmers believe that making the switch to organic will be expensive due to the funds required toWHERE become certified organic. In reality, 75% of the cost is covered byON THE WEBreimbursements from the Farm Bill, leaving a few hundred dol-lars for the individual to pay out of pocket, says Powell-Palm.In addition to lower cost requirements for organic certifica-tion, there are other short cuts to avoid additional charges. There are things you can do to help that you don't have to pay for, says Carrie Spoonemore, co-founder of Park Seeds From Seed to Spoon. You can use companion plants and benefi-cial critters to help you out with pests. You don't necessarily have to pay for a lot of these organic fertilizers. You can keep it cheap and simple, and it's not that hard once you know what to do.Many people also believe that organic farming produces lower yields than conventional. While that might have been true in the past, science and research is seemingly catching up. Data shows that after three to five years, organic yields are catching up to conventional yields, though these numbers are depend- To watch the full conversation, visit https://youtu.be/6yZ4QGh3q2g.44/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2023"