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Little River, TX | A good number of the Organic growers I know are in the Vegetable and fruit line and selling directly to the susceptible public.
They talk all more healthful and more earth kindly, but if you listen you hear economic opportunism. Which is not all bad.
I guess it was two years ago I was seriously looking at organic alfalfa. Sixty years ago this farm grew alfalfa that was close to being according to the precept of the organic rhetoric.
It should have been no problem changing horses in this friendly stream.
Trouble appeared quickly. The basic Organic Rules, now regulations, were at the Pennsylvania Rodale farm.
For years I read their New Farm as they do have some interesting and useful ideas.
Now we have a program that was developed on an Eastern Farm with Forest Soils, a humid climate, and I have a semi arid climate with calcareous soils.
What this does is limit my source of phosphate to rock phosphate that not available at a high pH, or More Newer, (manure) which is a scarce commodity, HERE.
There are a few requirements that would make going organic difficult.
Organic qualifying seed is scarce and lacks much of the better pest resistance found in the top of the line alfalfa varieties. True most years even Oklahoma Common will yield equally with any of the named varieties. In trials OK 49, a public domain variety, is right up there in yield with all the offerings.
Upon further investigation I conclude the Certified Organic is a Closed Shop mentality. It is a closed shop to keep the supply down and allow the exorbitant prices asked to survive.
What have I said? For one I agree with Ben, organic Alfalfa is not impossible. There are a few challenges but ok. BUT throw in the Closed Shop thinking and certified organic can be a real challenge!
I also have been privy to some private conversations by a few Real Organic on a commercial scale growers. I value my reputation enough not to consider being associated with those.
Edited by Hay Wilson in TX 1/11/2013 09:50
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Going organic
