More than 3000 attendees will consider the latest research by members of the Agronomy, Crop and Soil Societies, which are holding their annual meetings through tomorrow at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
Duquesne University graduate student Diana Kobus has been researching the challenges farmers face in the transition from conventional to U.S.D.A.-certified organic farming. Not using herbicides or pesticides means a much more labor-intensive operation where weeds and pests are controlled manually.
Many farmers need help with marketing to a different kind of consumer through community-supported agriculture and farmers' markets.
Most important, perhaps, is the fact that a farmer must forgo chemicals for three years to let the soil recover before being able to sell produce as 'organic'. So the extra labor costs are not initially compensated for by a higher selling price.
Kobus says there's not much federal help available for farmers making the transition, but states are creating many incentive programs.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
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