Transitioning from Conventional Farming to Organic Farming.

I've been attending these organic workshops provided by the Cooperative Extension Service from the University of Guam, for a couple of months now.  The workshops are great and very informative.  The last one dealt with Organic Certification and the process to go about getting it.  It was for both the producer and those interested to become Inspectors. 

It has piqued my interest somewhat attending all the seminars and workshops.  I didn't think it would be feasible for a local producer to go into organic farming.  But when I heard Marty talk about how he transitioned from conventional farming methods to organic.  I became more interested in the process. 

Marty Mesh is from Florida and owns an organic watermelon farm there in the Galveston area.  He was brought out here by the University of Guam CooperativeExtension Service on a grant to give an organic workshop to the local producers.  I learned a lot during the organic certification seminar that Marty presented. 

In hindsight, I have been moving towards doing organic farming.  But more towards raising organic livestock and poultry.  So instead of farming, it is organic ranching, a play in words.  Most of the local producers present at the seminar are interested in organic farming.  I was the only one interested in raising organic livestock.  Which is a lot harder to do by the National Organic Standards (NOS). 

One of my farmer friend's asked me why am I going organic.  Well, certainly not to get rich.  Although the prices for organic products are high, but affordable.  I'm doing it for my family.  I want my children to be able to eat fresh produce and meats raised on the ranch.  None of that store bought adulterated processed junk that we're all eating.  Because we think it's cheaper.  That is what we were taught.  I want to provide good clean healthy food for my family.  Any surplus, I'll sell to family, friends, and clients.  If I make money, so be it. 

A lot of the transition would be on paperwork: doing a farm plan (done that), farm map (done), and record keeping (needs improvement-working on it).  The next step is preparing my land areas.  I have gotten rid of lots of chemical pesticides and fertilizers prohibited on the NOS the last couple of years.  So the ranch area has been cleaned the last 8 years.  I don't spray chemicals for pest control or fertilizers.  So I'm good in that area.  I do need to get rid of lots of metallic junk on the ranch grounds.  That is a work in progress. 

Having gone through and reading the NOS,  I'm about halfway done to transition.  I'll have 3 fields in Transition as of today.  The other four, I can get certified this year using the 3 year rule in the NOS.  I may hold off until next year though to actually get certified.  There are no inspectors on island.  If I do pay for my certification, an inspector will have to fly out from Hawaii to inspect my ranch areas.  So in the mean time.  I'm working on my Farm History and building up my funds for the certification application.

Today, I grow "organic" Cherry Tomatoes.  All my fruits; mangoes, bananas, siniguellas, lemai, are raised organic by the NOS definition and standards.  All my livestock are organic in a sense.  But because I am not certified organic by an accredited certifying agency.  I can't use the term organic on my products.  All in time...  I'll use "Ranch Fresh" for the time being. 


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