Finding the right resources to transition to organic farming

Conventional farmers who transition to organic production face challenges finding resources to help them make the three-year switch but more and more resources are becoming available to help make the transition easier.

For education and training, Rodale Institute offers many resources including several regional centers in the U.S. with organic farming consultants. Rodale offers a new Transition to Certified Organic Online Course, an on-demand, self-paced online course taught by Rodale’s experts and features interviews with organic farmers across the country, covering the basics of organic management, certification requirements, and more. 

Rodale Institute’s Organic Crop Consulting Services can help transitioning farmers with everything from certification paperwork to weed management, crop rotations, and access to markets. Crop consultants can work with farmers to create an individualized plan that fits their farm. These services are free to farmers in Pennsylvania and the Midwest.

Access to organic farmland can be a challenge for farmers. To help with this, Iroquois Valley Farmland Real Estate Investment Trust is a farmland finance company that works with mission-driven investors to provide organic and regenerative farmers land security through long-term leases and mortgages. For farmers looking to increase the size of their organic operation, SLM Partners acquires conventional cropland, enters long-term flexible leases with farmers, and transitions the land to organic certification.

Source: Rodale Institute

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Organic & Non-GMO Insights April 2021