4. Organic vegetable production

3. Gaining organic certification
Conversion to organic farming
is a dynamic process: it involves
conceptualising, then action and
observation, and finally reflection
and refinement. It is a cyclical and
continuous process. Figure 3.1
illustrates the concept.
3. Observe
3. Observe
4. Reflect
2. Act
4. Reflect
2. Act
1. Plan
1. Plan
Figure 3.1 An action learning
model. Source: Kolb (1984)
Observation and reflection are
particularly important because
organic systems are, by their
nature, holistic. A change to one
component of the system will affect
other components. Monitoring
and recording the consequences of
implementing a change are crucial
to success.
Planning is an essential requirement
of any business—not least an
organic enterprise. To put it simply,
if there is no planning the venture
will almost undoubtedly fail.
3.1 A self-assessment
test
Organic conversion starts with
personal conversion—for you
and your thinking. You must be
committed to strictly following
organic principles, yet be flexible
enough to work with the
ever-changing face of nature.
Information is not readily available
through conventional sources,
so be prepared to spend many
hours researching and testing new
techniques. The self-assessment
test shown in Figure 3.2 is designed
to help aspiring organic farmers
decide how far along the conversion
pathway they are.
3.2 Beginning the
conversion
John Melville, from Bioterm
Consulting Pty Ltd, has a message
for aspiring organic farmers: ‘A
problem is a positive opportunity
for development’. This is how the
farm conversion process should be
considered; failures should not be
seen as problems but rather as a way
of moving forward and developing
and improving your organic system
step by step.
Conversion begins by making
small changes that will have the
biggest impact on the farming
system. It is best to change small
aspects of management that can
be implemented without excessive
cost or loss of crop yield or quality.
Avoid trying to change to total
organic management immediately.
Changes to soil fertility and soil
management should be considered
early in the process. This will
involve conducting soil analyses,
determining how to substitute nonorganic
fertiliser inputs with organic
inputs and crop rotation practices
(for example, green manuring)
and assessing current cultivation
practices. Locating organic inputs
can be time-consuming and costly;
some certification organisations
do, however, provide a database of
suppliers of certified organic inputs.
Livestock can play an important
role in the future soil fertility
program, so it is also necessary
to investigate how stock can be
managed organically.
Paying increased attention to pest
monitoring and determining ways
of reducing pesticide applications
form another area that should
receive high priority during the
early stages of conversion. It is
worth considering employing a
crop-check consultant to help with
pest and predator identification and
the development of strategies to
predict and manage pest incursions.
Noxious weeds and other difficultto-control
weeds (such as perennials
or weeds with rhizomes) should be
targeted before organic practices
are introduced. It is important to
remember, though, that weeds are
commonly an indication of a soil
fertility imbalance or a structural
problem in the soil: these problems
must be remedied if their recurrence
is to be prevented.
The first stage in the planning
process involves information
collection. Armed with as much
information as possible, a farmer
will be in a better position to make
informed decisions and plan the
conversion strategy. Information
can be obtained from a variety of
sources:
• successful organic (and
conventional) farmers
• extension and research staff
employed by government
departments
• state organic organisations
and the Organic Federation of
Australia
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