OrganicFarmer_AprMayFinal_e

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largest producers of organically grown
leafy green vegetables, Arnott Duncan,
said growers need to be willing to learn
what consumers want.
“You need to listen to signals, buyers
asking for certain products, time slots.
The challenge is to meet that need,”
Duncan said.
Large v Small Growers
He also touched on the
small versus large organic
producer issue, noting it is
not true the larger growers
are attempting to keep small
organic producers out of the
market. Local agriculture
groups may also
struggle to
include
service farm labor provider, noted that
securing a labor force has become more
acute in recent years and labor can be
the largest cost in production.
Due to more labor intensive practices
employed in organic production,
the need for skilled farm labor
is increasing. A 2018 study of
organic farming employment in ten
Washington and California counties
found that more workers are hired
per acre and more year-round
employment is offered than
on conventionally farmed
acres. More full time, year
around employment helps
provide livable wages for
California farm workers.
Arnott said new
technology is coming
that will reduce
the need
for many
unskilled
jobs, but he views the next generation
of organic farmers will come from other
industries and adapt their knowledge of
technology to the farm.
“They will see organic production
as cool, fun, collaborative and
challenging,” Arnott said.
According to the Benefits Report,
farmers who grow organically use
more labor intensive practices than
conventional farmers to manage weeds,
insect pests and disease. Organic
systems also include a higher diversity
of crops, requiring more skilled labor.
Jenny Ramirez, director of human
resources for Harvesters Inc., a support
system for farm workers, said treatment
of workers, including providing a safe
work place is paramount in retaining a
labor force. Workers who feel they are
treated well by their employers tend to
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organic growers, perceiving them to
be a threat.
“It is not easy to move forward if
there is distrust between large and
small producers. That is a bridge
we need to build,” he noted. Large
producers are not monopolizing the
market, Duncan said. They do open
doors for organic products and create
spin-off opportunities for all organic
producers.
Duncan, who farms more than 8,000
acres of organically certified ground
in Arizona and California, said
learning to farm organically has been
a humbling experience for him.
“You have to be willing to learn, fight
your way through challenges and
learn how to deal with them. Don’t
cheat.”
Strong Labor Force
Maintaining a strong labor force
in organic food production is one
challenge producers face. Matt
Rogers, founder of AgSocio, a Bay
Area company that operates as a full
32 Organic Farmer April/May 2019