organic corn

Nebraska Cowman · May 2, 2010

I figure on planting some open polinated corn. What's the chances of marketing some organic? I don't plan to use any spray or fertilizer.

hayray · May 2, 2010

Unfortuneatley the chances are slime to none if you have not already gone through the organic certification and audit process which is usually a 3 year deal unless you can direct contract with a buyer directly.

Anonymous-0 · May 2, 2010

How do you plan to handle worm's?

IOWA NORTHEAST · May 2, 2010

Another note that I have heard is you must leave (100 I think) foot buffer from all neighbors fences to avoid their chemicals.

They are doing good on the market because consumers are supportive. Who knows what is best, and all the facts findings are usualy motivated or funded by special intrest groups that tend to influance the results.

In our area the corn brings better prices, but the yields are very low, as weeds get their share. Having alot of free manure seems to play a important role in yields.

Walt Davies · May 2, 2010

I always get a kick out of Organic vegetables, I wonder if any are made from animal or mineral the only other to types of things on the earth.
Walt

Cub n M in OR · May 2, 2010

The government owns the "organic" label, so you have to jump over their hurdles in order to advertise your product as such.
I grow all my veggies with out any spray or chemical fertilizer, and sell directly to the consumers. If they ask (or sometimes even if they don't) I say that I don't use any chemical. It seems to make people feel better about what they are feeding their families. I don't personally think it is worth the hassle to become certified organic, unless you are selling on a large scale. There are organic methods to control ear worm.

Ben

Pete7 · May 2, 2010

You can sell it as organic as long as your sales do not exceed a certain figure ($5,000 I think), but the problem is that most buyers want "Certified Organic". That "certified" title is important for a lot of buyers and getting certified is what takes time and money to do. But, my experience is with herbs and vegetables not corn and that could make a difference.
Pete

Traditional Farmer · May 2, 2010

If it gets contaminated by GM corn you'll be wasting your time.

Wesley Stephens · May 2, 2010

Most of the foodies around here don't even care if you are certified organic anymore since it is just a government money racket. Our customers ask about production practices when they buy our meat, and we have yet to have anyone decline to purchase it because it is not "organic." We use wormer on our cows, a little atrazine on the corn, and we use commercial fertilizer so we are not organic, but when we explain our production practices to customers, most find them reasonable.

organic corn

Nebraska Cowman

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hayray

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Anonymous-0

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IOWA NORTHEAST

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Walt Davies

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Cub n M in OR

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Pete7

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Traditional Farmer

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Wesley Stephens

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