Field of Wheat
by Catherine Haug, February 4, 2012
(photo from Wikipedia)
Montana Organic Association’s Organic Matters Winter 2012 edition reports that organic grain production in Montana as well as Washington, Idaho and North Dakota is down significantly. Over 30,000 acres of Montana land has reverted to non-organic management over the past 2 years; this is over 20% of the total organic crop land in the state.
In an article that is the first of a three-part series, Amy Grisak explores why this is happening. I’ve transcribed the entire article below, but the bottom line for many organic farmer is weeds, especially bindweed. This weed is prolific, chokes out the grain crops, and manages to survive despite the organic methods tried to control it.
Paperwork, wind erosion and business issues affecting cash flow are additional significant issues facing Montana’s organic grain farmers.
The issue that has me wondering why, is the extraordinary time the farmers have to sit on their product – as much as two years – before a buyer steps up. Perhaps there is not a strong enough market for organic grain?
Where Have All the Organic Grain Growers Gone?
[The following article by Amy Grisak is transcribed in its entirety from the MOA Organic Matters Winter 2012 newsletter. The blue-bold text to highlight each of the four interviewees is my own.]
“In our region we have a new reality,” says Doug Crabtree, organic certification program manager for the Montana Department of Agriculture. for the first time in the ten year history of Montana’s program, we lost growers and acreage. Over 30,000 acres of land in Montana has reverted to non-organic management over the past two years. The ‘lost” acres represent over 20% of the total organic crop land in the state and nearly all of the acres are devoted to grain production. Crabtree says he thought it was a anomaly but realized Washington, Idaho and North Dakota are having similar issues. To find the answers on these decisions, which are not taken lightly, we need to talk to those on the front lines of production.
Mikel Lund of Scobey has been an organic grower since before there was any kind of paperwork to call him one. He obviously understands the value, yet is facing a behemoth with no easy answers.” After 20-25 years of trying to practice organic, and using tillage as the main weed control in this environment (which does not have a lot of rain, nor a long growing season), the weeds tend to get to the point where you lose production,” Lund says.
He says he can live with the winter rye, pigeon grass, and even the Canada thistle using the standard organic practices. It’s the field bindweed that is forcing him to take radical measures. When there are stalks of wheat with five, six or maybe ten kernels on it, something has to change. “It’s all kind of cumulative,” he says. “I’m not excited or happy about it at all, but it’s not sustainable anymore.”
It became glaringly evident when he took a look at his farm on GoogleEarth (R) last year. There was a field where his son, who is assuming management over more of the operation, pre-sprayed, seeded and post-sprayed. It was obvious the bindweed dominated the fields in some of the organic sections. “You could see the little circles (of bindweed patches) on the organic parts,”Lund says. “How am I going to deal with this? I’ve agonized over this for the past five to seven years.”
Lund isn’t turning his entire operation into non-organic crops, and will keep what is not infested with bindweed int he program. And it’s not as if he’s throwing in the towel without a fight. He utilized a Noble blade which is a plow designed to cut the weeds below the surface without actually turning over the soil, to try to keep the bindweed at bay. He also experimented with vinegar in his own yard where bindweed crept into the lawn. “It just burns off the tops. You haven’t done anything to the root,” he says.
He had a glimmer of success in dealing with it in a few small spaces by heavily seeding alfalfa in those spots, such as low lying areas or near the creek bottoms. “Last year, I do not recall having white blossoms from the bindweed (in those area), he notes. “it definitely could be an answer.”
Realistically, though, transitioning to an alfalfa farm simply isn’t feasible. His greater hope is to find organic means to deal with the noxious weed. Until then, he needs to bring out chemical measures to eradicate the monster so he and his son can continue to have a productive operation into the future.
A concern about the future farmer is one reason Dan Nefzger of Vida is going with the non-organic methods. He rents his land and has been growing a fair amount of organic crops in his operation since 1999. “I enjoyed the organic part. I was really tired of using all of the chemicals. This might sound strange coming from someone whose original degree is in chemical engineering,” Nefgzer noted. “I turn 60 years old this year and at some point I’d like to retire,” he says. “this bindweed problem is getting worse and worse. I’ve used the Noble blade, but some years I couldn’t work it enough. I didn’t want to leave the land in poor shape.”
As with Lund, Nefgzer tried various means to gain a hold on it. “I looked to see if the soil was mineral-deficient,” he says. “I actually underseeded alfalfa instead of sweet clover.” Unfortunately, the alfalfa didn’t take hold enough to choke it out. Other weeds, such as Canada thistle and cockleburs, are also becoming more of an issue. So Nefzger decided it was time to clean it up. He says he would spend a year of two bringing the weeds under control before he retires because he doesn’t want to leave the weeds to the next grower who would have to spend a considerable amount of money clearing the fields.
While weeds are a perennial issue, they aren’t the only factor driving growers out of organic production. Roy Benjamin of Shelby started out as an organic grower six years ago, but is leaving the program partly due to basic business rationale. “I grew up on a farm. I started farming organically as a small acreage opportunity.” Benjamin also notes, “My dad switched to organic and will remain that way. Overall there was a big delay in delivery and settlement in the industry,” he says. It wasn’t unusual for him to store grain for eight to 14 months, so cash flow was a major issue. “It was the rule rather than the exception in my organic career.”
On top of this, he notes higher labor costs, including the detailed paperwork, makes the effort less worthwhile. Benjamin says, “I have a nice office, but I want to be a farmer.” He recognizes the need for documentation to ensure universal standards, and appreciates what Montana has done to streamline the process, but it’s something that he struggled with as part of the overall organic operation.
Wind erosion is another significant factor because certain sections of his farm weren’t holding the soil with the tilling practices. Benjamin says it is noticeable, measurable and more every year. “I do still think organic farming is good,” he says. “But I fail to see the benefit here in recent years. I left because you have to be able to sell what you produce in a reasonable amount of time.”
Organic or not if the soil blows away, growing much of anything is a moot point. “We’re huge believers in organics,” says Shawn Matteson [of Galata]. She and her husband Greg, have farmed organically in Galata since 1998. “At the same time, my husband feels a huge responsibility to the land. It ripped his heart out to watch his soil blow away.” They live in an area that often receives less rain than their neighbors, and the wind blows so severely it carries away the precious topsoil. Matteson says it isn’t unusual for her to clean over a half-inch of soil from the window frames of the house.
Matteson says her husband also wants to take care of the bindweed situation. Greg worked a nuisance patch for weeks and weeks without eradicating it. She says they’re hoping to be able to spray responsibly to eliminate the weeds and leave it.
Timely payment is another critical issue. “We see a glut. We ended up sitting almost two years on our product,” she says. She felt their stepping out of the program, during a time she felt there are more people coming into it, would allow them to remedy the problems of soil and weed issues without being missed. It might also give the market time to catch up so growers don’t have to hold onto their grain as long. Fortunately, the Mattesons have been in organics for so long that they know they can also convert back. “This is not necessarily permanent,” she notes.
There are no quick fixes to remedy the challenges facing organic growers these days. The growers recognize the benefit of organic crops, yet the realities of the business climate, as well as issues of weed control and soil erosion, are part of the reason more of them are leaving the program. This doesn’t mean it’s a long term trend. Unless these issues are addressed, it could mean a prolonged downturn in the number of organic grain growers in the entire eco-region.
Amy Grisak is a freelance writer in Great Falls specializing in gardening and agricultural-related topics. Read more about Amy and explore her work at www.amygrisak.com.