Organic Pays

A new study from England on organic farming.

Researchers from the University of Guelph followed farms that converted from conventional to organic dairy farming over five years to see if it really is viable and better for farmers; the answer appears to be yes. However the study notes that organic farms are more labour intensive and there is a lot of paperwork involved.

Milk production falls immediately, down 10.6%. (It would probably drop more in the USA where they allow bovine growth hormone) . However, chemical costs for fertilizers and antibiotics are wiped out, and veterinary costs are cut in half, saving almost $2,000 per cow.

Also, organic milk sells for 25% more than conventional milk, almost completely balancing it out.

In the Star: Ann Slater, a market farmer near St. Marys and president of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario, says soils continue to improve even after the transition is complete, and farmers get better at running their farms.