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Organic Trade Association (OTA) is a membership-based business association that focuses on the organic business community in North America.
PO Box 547
Greenfield, MA 01302
413-774-7511
What better way to experience the benefits of organic and sustainable farming than through the stories of both new and experienced farmers? Below you'll find stories that capture the complex social, economic and environmental benefits--and challenges--of being an organic farmer. Many of these stories give you a window into the transition process, too.
You'll encounter folks like Iowa grain farmer Jeff Klinge, who got into organic to save his farm from the auction block but has since developed a real passion about the social, environmental and health benefits of organic farming. Or John Vollmer, a third generation tobacco farmer in North Carolina who transitioned to a successful organic strawberry operation. Enjoy. And let us know if you're aware of other great stories we missed.
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Resource Listing
 Farmers' Stories |
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The New Farm Web Site NewFarm.Org is one of the most useful organic and sustainable farming web sites in the country. It features research, hundreds of farm profiles, a... |  |
| A Rich Mix of the New and the Old on Iowa Organic Farm In scenic northeast Iowa, organic farmer Dan Specht combines conservation, grass-based livestock production and open-pollinated corn breeding. It's... | |
| A Three-Part Series on Sustainable Ranching in Wyoming Ranchers who practice Holistic Resource Management focus on keeping the native grasses healthy--everything else follows from there. This excellent... | |
| Angelic Organics Manages the Economics of a 1,000-Member CSA The owners of the Illinois-based CSA shared their mission statement, organizational chart and business plans with attendees at a Biodynamic Farming... | |
| Apples: Hard Times for a Big Organic Orchard One New England farmer shares some of the struggles and triumphs of going organic. | |
| Beginning Farmers: Young Farmer Couple and Established Landowner Explore Innovative Land Access with Trust, Hard Work and Patience in Old Virginia They wanted to farm. He wanted young farmers on his land. So they--and their lawyers--worked out an agreement tailored to their needs now and going... | |
| Berries: Organic Blueberry Grower in New Jersey Developing organic management strategies near the birthplace of commercial blueberry cultivation: John Marchese trades in a six-figure salary for... | |
| Bob Quinn: The Story of Transitioning to Organic Grain Production Montana organic grain grower Bob Quinn talks about the factors that led him, as a fourth generation farmer, to transition to organic. | |
| Cotton: Converted to Organic Cotton, for Health and Profit A third-generation New Mexico farmer finds environmental benefits and eager markets with certified organic Pima cotton. | |
| Cracking the Organic Nut: Organic Pecans in New Mexico Pecan grower Sally Harper has led the way toward organic management and marketing for this traditional southern New Mexican crop. | |
| CROPP Contracts Bring Profitability to Ohio Grass-Based, Organic Dairies Small-scale, enterprise-integrated Amish farmers were already using the breeds, pasture-management, and herd-health methods favored by many... | |
| Dairy. Simple, Complex and Raw: the Amazing Success of Organic Pastures Dairy Third generation Fresno dairyman Mark McAfee has designed a "pro-cow" environment that leads to pathogen-free raw milk. | |
| Dairy: Newly Organic, an Old New England Dairy Thrives in Massachusetts Bucking convention and the conventional, one farming family in a remote corner of Massachusetts fine tunes its operation and sets its priorities to... | |
| Farming the Fungi Kingdom--Organically Ohio couple Thomas and Wendy Wiandt developed their mushroom hobby into a viable second career. In addition to marketing wild mushrooms from their... | |
| Farming Without Chemicals in Ohio: A Case Study This report, based on in-depth interviews with several certified organic grain and soybean farmers in Ohio, hopes to provide conventional farmers... | |
| Fifth Generation of Citrus Growers in Florida Convert to Organic Production A short profile of Roper Family Farms in Central Florida, which converted to organic production in 1995. | |
| Flower Power Pushes Texas Hill Country Organic Farm to New Heights Frank and Pamela Arnosky started with $1,000, twelve acres in the middle of nowhere, a tent to live in and a passion for flowers. Now they're... | |
| Full Circle Farm, an Organic CSA in Washington State It started ten years ago with "a rototiller and an idea." Today, Full Circle Farm grows organic produce for 500 CSA members, 50 restaurants, 15... | |
| Getting Small: New Hampshire Organic Farmer Tells His Story Eero Ruuttila of Nesenkeag Farm in Litchfield, N.H. decided to flip his marketing focus from 80 percent wholesale and 20 percent direct market to... | |
| Grain: A Farmer's Profile--Organic Crop Rotations A story about Canadian organic growers Steven, Robert and Rosemary Snider, in Alberta. The profile describes their grain rotation in detail. | |
| Grapes: Organic Wine Grape Grower Ahead of the Curve in California Phil Coturri has been growing organic wine grapes in Sonoma for 25 years, and 10 years ago helped set the trend for organic olive oil production in... | |
| Learning to Create Abundance in the Rough Shadow of the Rockies Chuck Barry and Rosie Carter make a living on three acres in the high desert of Southwestern Colorado at Stone Free Farm. | |
| Marketing and Production Insights from Mariquita CSA in California Several dozen entertaining articles from an experienced organic CSA farmer near Santa Cruz cover marketing, production, packing, labor, new... | |
| Michigan Organic Farmers Sell Direct to Japan Over the last four years, two brothers and a loose affiliation of independent growers have sold most of their organic food grade soybeans directly... | |
| New Farmer Journals: Journal Entries from New Farmers Around the Country Reflections from new farmers in Colorado, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, Virginia and California. Sometimes lyrical,... | |
| New Life for Organic Farm on the Big Island of Hawaii In the wake of the Hawai'ian sugar industry's decline, small organic producers like Lou Russo and Bari Green emphasize diverse cropping systems,... | |
| Northern California's Full Belly Farm Redefines What It Means to be a Family Farmer Despite its 35 full-time workers, 15 retail accounts, 15 wholesale accounts, 650 member CSA and three farmers' markets almost year 'round, Full... | |
| Organic Citrus Down by the Bayou On the very northern edge of this country's citrus growing zone, organic citrus farmers Lester and Linda L'Hoste have suffered killing frosts and... | |
| Organic Clementines and Olives, and Sustainably Raised Flowers, in California's Central Valley Mike and Diane Madison sell 20,000 bunches of cut flowers a year through direct market and retail. They also grow clementines and high quality... | |
| Organic Vegetable and Dairy Operation in Southwest Colorado Outside of Durango, Colorado, the James Ranch is using holistic management, direct marketing, and community involvement to build a sustainable... | |
| Organic--and Sustainable--in South Jersey Beginning in 1999, Bob Muth started transitioning acres to organic. He now has nine of his 80 acres certified organic . . . and is wondering if he... | |
| Pennsylvania Wine-Grape Grower Pioneers Sustainable Vineyard Management Methods The Roth family has been part of southern Pennsylvania's fruit world for four generations. Reigning patriarch Phil Roth--now in his seventh... | |
| Portrait of a Pioneering California Organic Wine Family Frey Vineyards: 62,000 bottles a year, 90 acres of vineyard, grape contracts with 18 neighboring organic farms, sales in 44 states, Asia and... | |
| Profile of Tierra Wools in New Mexico In the high range country of northern New Mexico, a community of ranchers, shepherds and weavers has found new markets for the rare Navajo-Churro,... | |
| PROFILE: From Big City to Small Farm: Couple Successfully Follows their Dream Jeffrey Frank and Kristin Illick started farming four years ago as novice apprentices. Now they supply a farmers' market and 10 restaurants with... | |
| Profile: Pastime Farms, LLC, in Roseland, Louisiana Pastime Farms, on 105 acres, is now the largest certified organic farm in Louisiana and produces from May through November. It has 95 linear miles... | |
| Profiles of Three Graduates of the ALBA Farmer Incubator Program in Salinas, California Graduates of the ALBA program--now independent farmers--say what they value most is growing food without chemicals, working with family members and... | |
| Seven Stars Organic Yogurt, Based in Pennsylvania Seven Stars Farm is two places, cheek by jowl. On the front of the main building are two doors: one leading into the milking parlor, the other into... | |
| Success Story: Holding on to the Family Farm As a fifth-generation Iowa farmer, Jeff Klinge's primary motivation for going organic was to find a way to boost profitability without expanding... | |
| The Apprenticeship Program at Brookfield Farm in Massachusetts It's not just a way to trump up cheap labor, says Brookfield Farm’s manager, but a committed partnership that requires a real investment from... | |
| The New Ranch: A Series of Articles on Sustainable Ranch Management These profiles of innovative ranchers cover operations in Oregon, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado. | |
| Way Beyond Organic: Strawberry Grower in California California maverick Jim Cochran became the first strawberry farmer, and the first organic farmer, to sign a contract with United Farm Workers. And... | |
| Wildrose Organic Farm and Cotton Clothing Business in Minnesota Chuck and Karen Knierim grow organic vegetables to sell at their local co-op--and Karen started a successful organic cotton clothing business. | |
| Case Studies in Small Farm Profitability, Beginning Farming, and Value-Added Initiatives, from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center This page includes two sets of case studies: studies from the Illinois Value-Added Rural Development Center, which focus on value-added cooperative... | |
| Hundreds of Farmer Success Stories Featured in SARE Publications On this web page, you'll have access to online or print versions of SARE pamphlets and booklets that feature stories of farmers across the country... | |
| Producer Profiles: Farmers Who are Building Better Soils The profiles on this web page, from the SARE book Building Soils for Better Crops, demonstrate how producers across the U.S. have successfully... | |
| Transitioning to Organic Production This document features an overview of organic farming, production advice, transition guidance, a section on the economics of organic production, an... | |
| Calypso Farm & Ecology Center in Alaska Susan Willsrud and Tony Zimmer recognized growing interest among members of their community in Ester, Alaska for locally produced foods. They felt... | |
| Inaba Produce Farms in Washington State The Inaba Produce Farm is in the Yakima Valley of Washington. The Inabas grow, pack and ship fresh market vegetables, including asparagus, bell... | |
| Wishing Stone Farm in Rhode Island Skip and Liz Paul work 35 acres, on which they grow a range of herbs, vegetables and fruit. He's converted most from conventional practices to... | |
| A New Optimism for Farmer in Missouri who Transitions to Organic after 30 Years After 30 years of conventional farming, James Maberry of Dawn, Mo. never second guesses his decision of transitioning his farm into organic... | |
| Apple Crisp Cooperative in Minnesota Apple Crisp Cooperative was formed by seven independent apple growers. As individual businesses, Minnesota apple orchards are generally small,... | |
Beef: How to Direct Market Your Beef, from SARE "How to Direct Market Your Beef" portrays how one couple used their family's ranch to launch a profitable, grass-based beef operation focused on... | |
| Beginning Farmer Profiles, from Minnesota The Land Steward Ship project runs an education and mentorship program for new farmers in Minnesota. Fifteen of its graduates are profiled here in... | |
| Beginning Minnesota Farmer Profile, from Agriculture Online Mark and Wendy Lange began farming in their mid-forties, after completing the Land Stewardship Project's Farm Beginnings program. They raise meat... | |
| Case Studies of Four Idaho Sustainable and Organic Farmers These in depth case studies profile four different types of farms: a 450 acre organic potato farm that also raises beef, eggs, pastured poultry,... | |
| Certified Organic Rainbow Farms in Kansas Diana and Gary Endicott manage a diversified farm, growing tomatoes, grain and hay on 400 certified acres. They also coordinate Good-Natured Family... | |
| Crystal Organic Farm: Organic Fruits and Vegetables in Georgia Born in Belgium, Nicolas Donck moved to the United States when he was 16, joining his mother on this 175-acre farm in Georgia to which she had... | |
| CSA: A First Year's Experience "I don't recall anybody ever mentioning how personally satisfying running a CSA is. Most descriptions of Community Supported Agriculture start off... | |
| Dairy: Environment, Income and Family Benefit on Organic Dairy Farm The Forgues Family Organic Dairy Farm in northern Vermont provides a prime example of how the environment, a dairy's bottom line and a family's way... | |
| Dayspring Farm: Organic Fruits and Vegetables in Virginia Charlie Maloney grew up on a diversified farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where as a teenager, he took over responsibility for the farm's two-acre... | |
| Dripping Springs Garden: Fruits, Vegetables, Cut Flowers and Ornamentals in Arkansas Mark Cain has been growing commercially for 21 years. He produces organically on five acres near Huntsville, Arkansas. | |
| Earthen Path Organic Farm in Minnesota In an effort to recreate connections to the land, that have been severed and forgotten, Steven Schwen and Susan Draves-Schwen, owners and operators... | |
| Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture "Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture" defines sustainable agriculture by providing snapshots of different producers who apply sustainable... | |
| Family Venture Merges Conventional and Organic Farming A profile of an organic farmer in North Carolina who finds common ground with conventional growers. | |
| Farmers for the Future, a Web Page from Agriculture Online Features dozens of profiles of beginning farmers around the country, plus stories on access to resources, on succession planning, mentoring and more. | |
| Grains: Utah Organic Grain Producer Builds on Last Generation's Successes A SARE profile of Utah farmer Lydia Poulsen, who sells about 90 percent of her organic grain to area livestock producers. When she transitioned... | |
| Greentree Naturals Organic Farm in Idaho "My grandmother told me to never put all your eggs in one basket. This holds true for all aspects of marketing. For the small acreage farmer to... | |
| Harris Farms: Organic Fruit and Vegetables in Tennessee Born and raised on a cotton/corn row-crop farm, Alvin Harris has been a farmer all his life, in and around a 20-year career in the military that... | |
| Hogs: Dry Litter Systems for Hogs Tested on Hawaiian Farm Producers in Hawaii are exploring a different approach to manure and nutrient management that employs a dry litter technology. The system, imported... | |
| Hogs: Swedish-Style Hog Production in Minnesota Minnesota farmer Nolan Jungclaus' great-grandfather homesteaded the family farm in 1896. But a century later, the crop farm was no longer... | |
| Kentucky Farmers Switch from Tobacco to Organic Veggies A story from World Watch Institute about how traditionalist tobacco farmers are switching to organic farming ... and finding health and economic... | |
| M&M Heath Organic Farm in Idaho: Potatoes, Vegetables, Grains Poor potato prices and concern with overuse of chemicals inspired Michael and Marie Heath to switch to primarily organic production. | |
| Mary Jane's Farm: Organic Farm, Magazine and Internet Sales Tucked away amongst the contoured countryside about eight miles from Moscow, Idaho, MaryJanesFarm feeds the swelling national appetite for a sense... | |
| Micro-Farm in Oklahoma Adds Value In More Ways Than One Sometimes personal adversity and limited funds foster an environment of innovation and creativity. For April Harrington, the sole proprietor-farmer... | |
| Organic Cotton in Texas Certifying their land as organic caused few changes in Terry and LaRhea Peppers' operation. The Pepper farm still grows cotton on some 1,400 acres,... | |
| Organic Farming Proves to be a Valuable Conservation System This profile of organic grain and livestock farmer Mikel Lund, from Scobey, Montana, tells the story of their conversion to organic production and... | |
| Organic Production Grows Healthy Profits in New Mexico Monte Skarsgard, owner of Los Poblanos Organics in Albuquerque's North Valley, said sales from his 12-acre vegetable and herb farm grew from... | |
| Organic Roasted Peanuts and Peanut Butter from Green Farm in Alabama Falling conventional peanut prices in 2002 inspired Luke Green and his family to try producing organic peanuts. Then they added value through... | |
| Organic Vegetable Farmers in Kentucky Both Paul Wiediger and his wife, Alison, come from non-farm backgrounds. Both--a continent apart--became interested in organic growing after... | |
| Organic Vegetables and Beef in Kentucky Declining support for tobacco production inspired Chuck and Mary Smith of New Castle, Kentucky to branch into organic production of beef,... | |
| Organic Vegetables and Fruit Trees in Texas Tim Miller grew up in Wisconsin, where he began working on a local estate as a gardener while he was in high school, staying there for nine years.... | |
| Outstanding in their Fields: California's Women Farmers Outstanding in their Fields profiles seventeen women farmers and ranchers who dramatize the pioneering spirit, creativity and courage that animates... | |
| Perry-winkle Farm: Organic Flowers, Vegetables and Herbs in North Carolina Cathy Jones started gardening as a graduate student in Georgia. Intending to farm, in 1983 she bought this farm, part of an old dairy farm, and... | |
| Potomac Vegetable Farms: Organic in Virginia Potomac Valley Farm has been in business for 40 years. It has well-established markets and is well equipped and capitalized. The farm is now run by... | |
| Poultry: Walters Hatchery: Raising a Future with Heirloom Turkeys in Oklahoma A profile of a sustainable pastured turkey operation in Oklahoma. | |
| Prairie Farmers Cooperative in Minnesota Processes Organic and Natural Hogs This co-op's 73 members built a 30,000 square foot plant in Dawson, Minnesota capable of processing 250 hogs a day. Prairie Farmers produce not... | |
| Producer Profiles from PCC Natural Markets This web page provides links to several dozen profiles of mostly organic farmers and ranchers, and ranges from fruit and vegetable growers to... | |
| Profile of a Nevada Market Farm A September, 2000 profile of Custom Gardens, which offers vegetables from artichokes to zucchini, along with melons, strawberries and other produce. | |
| Profile of an Organic Dairy Farmer in Wisconsin This case study, from the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems in Wisconsin, shares the results of a five-year transition from a conventional... | |
| Profile: EquiTerra Farm in Clinton, Louisiana This Louisiana farm was certified by the state program in 2005. They have a CSA, sell at a farmers' market, grow a wide variety of vegetables and... | |
| Profile: Rosie's Organic Farm, Gainesville Florida This profile of a 10 acre vegetable and fruit farm in Florida covers labor, equipment, on-farm facilities, production season, markets, value-added... | |
| Profiles of 5 Organic Producers in Kentucky These profiles, provided by ATTRA, include a stock farm, a CSA, a mushrooms and wildcrafting operation, an organic vegetable farm, and a certified... | |
| Profiles of Farmers Who've Transitioned to Organic Dairy Production, from Organic Valley These excellent profiles of farmers who are members of the Organic Valley cooperative range across the country, and from dairy farmers to orange... | |
| Research on Large California Farm Proves Organic Transition Feasible SARE funded research through the University of California. Researchers helped Tanimura and Antle Inc. convert over 200 acres of their Salinas... | |
| SARE Video Highlights the Benefits of Sustainable Production The video, "Innovations in Agriculture: An Introduction to the SARE Program," highlights farmers who’ve experienced the benefits of transitioning... | |
| Simply Sustainable, Published by Western SARE, Features Farmer Profiles This 24-page online booklet talks about SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) funded projects, but the best feature of the booklet... | |
| Stories About Southern Farmers and Ranchers, from Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) Farmers and ranchers across the South are redefining agriculture. This page links to dozens of examples of Southern producers running successful... | |
| Success Stories of New Farmers Acquiring Land, from Maine FarmLink Two case studies representing different approaches to getting access to land for new farmers. | |
| The New American Farmer, 2nd Edition Ranging from small vegetable farms to cattle ranches and grain farms covering thousands of acres, the producers profiled in The New American... | |
| The Small Farm: Training and Education, and Finding the Right Piece of Land This two part series, on the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners web site, is written by a small farmer in Texas who shares his wisdom about how to... | |
| Thirteen Mile Lamb & Wool Company in Montana Dave Tyler and Becky Weed epitomize modern day pioneers, blending historic roots with 21st Century business savvy. Drawing from the rich history... | |
| This Common Ground, Seasons on an Organic Farm A beautifully written chronicle of the perennial mysteries of the seasons and the soil. Since 1990, Scott Chaskey has worked as a land steward and... | |
| Transition to Organic Vegetable Production by Large-Scale Conventional Farmers This article describes on-farm research in the Salinas Valley of California to describe and solve problems during the transition to organic... | |
| Transitioning Farm Management to a New Generation This Transitions series, as featured in Successful Farming magazine, features stories about farm families that are transitioning management to a... | |
| Transitioning to Organic Production in North Carolina: A Profile When John Vollmer, a third-generation tobacco farmer in Bunn, N.C., decided to stop growing tobacco and start raising strawberries organically, it... | |
| Turkey Ridge Organic Apple Orchard in Wisconsin From the livestock rotationally grazing between the apple trees to the canned apple pie filling on the shelves of the on-farm store,... | |
| Two organic farm profiles in North Carolina: Experienced and Transitioning This page links to profiles of two organic grain farmers in North Carolina. One is an experienced organic grain farmer, the other is a... | |
| Valuing Labor and Improving Efficiency on an Integrated Farm: A Profile of a diverse Farm and CSA Operation in Wisconsin Farmers Tony and Dela Ends want their farm to sustain the land and their family. They began selling subscriptions to their Community Supported... | |
| Video Tells Story of Midwest Organic Farmer THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN is the epic tale of a maverick Midwestern farmer. An outcast in his community, Farmer John stands amidst a failing... | |
| Wine Making That Goes Beyond Organic Paul and Beba Frey started their winery in 1980 using only organically grown grapes with no added sulfites. More than 25 years later, they are the... | |
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| Pathway to Organic: Producers // Processors | |
Regional Guide: United States | |
North American Directory | |
Key Resources |
Disclaimer: Organic Trade Association (OTA) is providing this information solely as a resource to the public. Although the information contained on this site is believed to be correct at the time of posting, OTA disclaims all responsibility for any damages or liability that may result from use or reliance on this web site or information contained herein
© 2010 the Organic Trade Association