Organic Conversion of Cropland

One major aspect of converting our farm to organic certification standards is to allow our cropland to return to a natural, non-chemical state. The standards require that the land must be free of non-natural fertilizers and pesticides for at least three years before it can be “certified organic.” This also means that any land which borders our fields must be chemical free or we will be required to leave a 27 foot buffer zone.

Obviously, one of the big issues with converting the land and crops was what to do with the fields that were still one or two years from being certified as organic. At the same time we needed to feed the cattle which are in the process of conversion an appropriate organic diet. At the present time we all of our fields are now certified.

The organic crop farming involves a lot of record keeping as well as a different mind set. Things that we had always assumed to be true now have to be approached with a new philosophy. There are no "silver bullet" ways to save a crop or to counter some massive invasion of weeds or insects. Instead the production must be in balance with nature to a greater degree. This demands a much more thorough understanding of the interaction between the organisms, enzymes and other trace materials which work together in healthy soil to encourage growth of the desired crops and discourage undesired plant life (weeds) and undesired insect life (pests).