go organic, plant org food grade corn get $14 / bu picked up on farm, ave 140- 150 bpa, plant  clear hilum sb get $29/ bu picked up, get 40 bpa, not too hard to do math!  That's how we can all do it , even me !

organic 3 year rotation, other year is wheat, oats, or rye, wheat 60bpa@$12.50/bu picked up=$750, oats 100bpa@$6.50/bu pu=$650, rye 45bpa@$12/bu =$ 540.
Math still works for me!
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sorry to hear about someones bad experience,
i have been certified organic for 8 years, yields are going up and system is working for me, I "survived' 1st year certified with "only $6 corn,100bpa, sold wheat at commodity non organic price, and made money.
yes it is more work and takes more management but the peace of mind and as you can see by the "math" the financial awards are making it possible for me to full time farm 480 acres and do well.
Even if "everyone " got in to organic, i could still make it at lower price / bu.
but don't think we have to worry about that with the reluctance of farmers to raise organic here!
Kinda ironic since "everyone" farmed organic 60  or so years ago, and made it! 

sounds like you are working the right way , keep at it.  Cover crops and manure , and getting the biology working again is what really helped me out. 
I would rather tell the positives of organics than label chemical farming practices as bad.  It is a journey, we were conservation farmers of the year for our county back in 1995, 100% no-till and chemical all the way .  I got to seeing some of the work Practical Farmers of Iowa was doing and it made sense, and slowly keep reading and following up on stuff and made the jump to organic 100% 10 yr ago.  The system works , but takes time and effort to make it fit each specific operation, glad I did it , and see all the benefits to soil, plants , insects, my heath,( no more headaches form using insecticides in planter in the spring).  Also see how organics and more farmers would boost our small rural town communities and economy.  Again I'm trying not to go negative on chemical farming , just trying to show the benefits of an organic system and that it can and does work.
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yes i agree cover crops are essential, for brevity i didn't include my cover rotation, after corn harvest otill drill rye, sb follow in spring,  on sb after harvest either plant otill drill rye or winter wheat, or let set idle and plant oats next spring, on small grains frost seed with spreader on frozen ground med red clover, or after harvest drill hairey vetch and radish.
Yes I agree we shouldn't farm the same practices that destroyed soils 60 yr ago, we can utilize soil saving practices and still be organic, I know since I am doing it along with many others in different regions .
As far as "good old days" , life is what you make it I can either look at life for the positive or I can dwell on the negative.  Adversity builds character! We have a lot of characters in my area since we have sandy rough ground ! They have developed patience , a very good work ethic, usually have a great faith life, would give you the shirt off their back for you.  Think about the sense of community they had back then!  I see that same sense of community and ethics in the organic farming communities I am familiar with.  To me organic farming is a way of life , not just a farming practice.
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those are prices you can get now, transition period is 3 years from last applied prohibited substance, you can sometimes get transition done in 2.5 years if you time it right.  Sometimes can get a Non gmo transition premium but you really have to look to get it. FSA sometimes has help for transitioning farms with cover crops.
Encourage you to keep looking at it!
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the prices I used were actual prices for this fall for certified organic crops,
I have only heard  $.50 / bu corn premium for nongmo, and maybe $2/ bu sb nongmo.
A good strategy is if you can use hay, to put transitioning ground into hay for the 2.5 years and then into corn for first year certified organic .  There are other rotations and market possibilities, keep looking and ask around in organic circles.  Keep looking.
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In our area we are probable giving up $80 to $90 an acre of income on the basis compared to were you farm. I think that farmers around me hear what rent is going for in areas with similar yields and forget how much difference the basis can actually make. $225+ an acre in your area is probable a better deal then $160 in our area.

I did see where you are from and I think it is going to be pretty hard for anyone to make much money on $235.00 an acre rent in our areas. I was responding to Clay and his post about what rent is going for in his area.

Here it is standard practice to pay cash rents in the spring for the coming year.