Southern SAWG - Start-up Organic Vegetable Production

Organic Vegetable Production and
Marketing
Cathy Jones Daniel Parson
Perry-winkle Farm Parson Produce
Chapel Hill, NC Clinton, SC

Morning Agenda
•  Introduction
•  Marketing Decisions and Organic
Certification
•  Soil Health and Fertility
•  Crop Rotations and Crop Planning
•  Questions and Discussion

Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone
Map

Start Small !!!
making mistakes on a small scale
lays the ground work for
Success on a larger scale

Parson Produce
•  The Farmhouse B & B is 40 acres
•  3.25 acres vegetable and cut flower
•  Small Apiary
•  300 shiitake logs

•  Applying for organic certification

Parson Produce
Marketing

•  75 member Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA)
•  Stella s Southern Bistro
•  High Cotton Greenville
•  Live Oak Farm Store
•  Greenville TD Saturday Market

Marketing Decisions

Organic Certification-
Is it the right choice for you?
How do you get certified?

Survey your marketing
opportunities
What opportunities exist?
farmers markets, restaurants, food coops
What can you create?
community supported agriculture (CSA),
buying clubs, mobile market
What is your comfort zone / preference?
do you like people? solitude?

What are you wanting to
sell/market?

Farm-grown vegetables?
“Value added” products?
Farm-raised meats?
Your farm as a “destination” farm?

Organic Certification as a
marketing tool

Helps you develop your “brand”
Helps to open doors to certain markets
Tells customers about your values
Helps you differentiate yourself from others

USDA and Organic
•  1990 -- Congress passes Organic
Foods Production Act (OFPA)
•  1992 -- USDA establishes the National
Organic Program
–  USDA appoints National Organic
Standards Board
•  2000 -- USDA publishes approved
standards
•  2002 -- NOP rules fully enforced

National Organic Standards
Board definition

A production system that is managed…to
respond to site-specific conditions by
integrating cultural, biological, and
mechanical practices that foster cycling
of resources, promote ecological
balance, and conserve biodiversity.

Cultural Practices
•  Crop Rotation
•  Variety selection for resistance
•  Water management
•  Fertility management
•  Farm-scaping
•  Mulching/Organic matter management

Biological Practices
•  Encouraging natural enemies
•  Releasing beneficial insects
•  Using compost
•  Cover crops and farmscaping
•  Using biopesticides
•  Field sanitation

Mechanical Practices
•  Tillage
•  Cultivation for weed control
•  Row covers
•  Removal of pests
•  Trellising
•  Plastic mulch

What is Certified Organic?

A production system that is managed…to
respond to site-specific conditions by
Keeping records and
integrating cultural, biological, and
registering with an
mechanical practices that foster cycling
agency to prove it.
of resources, promote ecological
balance, and conserve biodiversity.

Steps to Certification
•  No application of prohibited substance for 3
years
•  Implement organic farm plan
•  Contact certifier for details
•  Send application and supporting documents
•  Respond to any questions
•  Complete inspection/interview
•  Decision from certification committee

Organic Farm Plan Worksheet
•  Section 1: General Information
•  Section 2: Farm Plan Information
•  Section 3: Seeds and Seed Treatments
•  Section 4: Source of Seedlings and
Perennial Stock
•  Section 5: Soil and Crop Fertility
Management

Organic Farm Plan Worksheet
•  Section 6: Crop Management
•  Section 7: Maintenance of Organic
Integrity
•  Section 8: Record Keeping System
•  Section 9: Affirmation

Found on web or from certification agency

Resources
•  OMRI listings at www.omri.org
•  National Organic Program at
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/
•  Appropriate Technology Transfer to
Rural Areas www.attra.org

What is Soil?
•  Minerals--Sand, silt, clay, nutrients
•  Organic matter--dead organisms
•  Living organisms
•  Water
•  Air
•  50% solid material

Soil Texture
•  Relative size: Sand>Silt>Clay

•  Ideal soil: <52% sand, 28-50% silt,
7-27% clay

•  Sand: gritty, drains quickly
•  Silt: velvety, holds water, not nutrients
•  Clay: sticky, holds water, nutrients well

Soil Texture
Take a small amount of moist soil
•  Sands and loamy sands
–  Won t hold a ball
•  Loams
–  Will hold ball when bounced in hand
•  Clays
–  Ribbon when pressed between thumb and
finger

Soil Profile
•  O--organic layer
–  Doesn t exist in ag soils
•  A--alluvial layer
–  Top soil: very thin here
•  B--layer
–  Sub-soil: plant roots penetrate this layer
•  C--layer
–  Weathered rock and parent material

http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/images/A-3.jpg

Active Organic Matter
Crop/cover crop residue
•  Plant material you can see
•  Consumed by microbes
–  Increase microbial biomass
–  CO2 released
–  Plant nutrients released
•  10-20% becomes Soil Organic Matter
(SOM)

Soil Organic Matter (SOM)
Nonliving organic fraction of soil--you
can t see it
•  Humic substances
•  Nonhumic substances--unaltered
remains
•  Humic Acid Principles and Applications
of Soil Microbiology, Sylvia,
•  Fulvic Acid Fuhrmann, Hartel, Zuberer,
ed.
•  Humin

SOM Benefits
•  Microbial biodiversity
•  Plant growth promoting
•  Increased CEC (20-80% of CEC)
•  Buffers pH changes
•  Slow nutrient release (2-5% per year)
•  Trace elements Principles and Applications
of Soil Microbiology, Sylvia,
Fuhrmann, Hartel, Zuberer,
ed.

How to Increase SOM
•  Reduce tillage
•  Use cover crops
•  Do crop rotations
•  Compost
•  Mulch
•  Reduce tillage

What is a Cover Crop?

A cover crop is grown to support the
production of other crops; not for
harvest. Cover crop residue is left on
the surface in a no-till system or
incorporated into the soil in a tillage
system.

What is a Good Cover Crop?
•  Legumes
–  Nitrogen fixation (70-200 lb/acre N)
•  Grasses
–  Add biomass (1-5 ton/acre dry)
–  Conserve nutrients

•  Other vigorous growers

Why Grow a Cover Crop?
•  Soil conservation
•  Fertility management
•  Soil organic matter improvement
•  Weed suppression
•  Natural enemies/beneficial insects
•  Essential to organic farm management

National Organic Standards

The producer must manage crop nutrients
and soil fertility through rotations, cover
crops, and the application of plant and
animal materials

How to Plant Cover Crops
•  Minimal tillage to clean field and cover
–  Fine seed on surface
–  Larger seed sow before final cultivation
•  Achieve full coverage
•  Encourage vigorous germination
•  Consider following crop

How to Plow in Cover Crops
•  Early bloom stage before seed sets
•  Mow and shred
•  Allow to dry and shrink
•  Shallow tillage to incorporate
•  Wait 4 weeks before direct seeding

Beneficial Insects
Assassin Bug Lacewing Eggs

Predatory Syrphid Fly
Stink Bug

Photos by Debbie Roos
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/index.html

Beneficial Insects
Big-Eyed Bug Minute Pirate Bug

Newport News Master Gardeners

From University of Nebraska-
Lincoln/Photo by Jack Dykinga,
image from the USDA Agricultural
Research Service.

Warm Season Legumes
•  Soybean
–  Upright easy to grow
•  Velvet bean (up to 200#N/acre)
–  Climbing vines love heat
–  Requires cultivation or companion planting
•  Cowpea (100-150#N/acre)
–  Vigorous vines love heat

Warm Season Grasses
•  Sudan/Sorghum (4-5 tons/acre dry)
–  Great biomass
–  Requires mowing
•  Pearl millet
–  Shorter stature
•  Browntop millet
–  Short season

Warm Season Broadleaves
•  Buckwheat (1-1.5 ton/acre dry)
–  Short season
–  Prolific blooms attract beneficial insects
–  Cycles Calcium
•  Sunflower
–  Great scaffold for climbers
–  Possible harvest with non-climbers

Primary Mixes--Summer
•  Buckwheat, Soybean, and Sudan
–  Early bloom of buckwheat
–  Mow when soybeans bloom

•  Buckwheat alone in sequence
–  Short season cover
–  Constant bloom for insects

Cool Season Legumes
•  Crimson Clover (70-130#N/acre)
–  Rich in N and blooms
•  Fava bean
–  banner for N and biomass
•  Hairy Vetch (90-200#N/acre)
•  Austrian Winter Pea

Crimson Clover, Fava Bean
and Rye

Cool Season Grasses
•  Cereal or Grain Rye
–  Great height
–  Winter hardiness
•  Oats
–  Early biomass and semi winter-hardy
•  Wheat
–  Smaller stature, hardy

Primary Mixes--Winter
•  Rye and hairy vetch
–  More biomass formed
–  Precedes later season crops
•  Oats and Crimson Clover
–  Precedes spring crops
–  Better N source for short crops

Resources
•  Appropriate Technology Transfer to
Rural Areas (ATTRA)
–  www.attra.org
•  Using Cover Crops Profitably
–  www.sare.org
•  Adams-Briscoe Seed
•  Johnny s Selected Seeds

Yield and Fertilizer Addition
Soil Fertility and
Fertilizers
Havlin, Beaton,
Tisdale, and
Nelson

Take a Good Soil Sample
Remove 6 1 wide slice
deep shovel
V

What do we need to get
the right units?

My beds are 236 square
feet, how much do I
apply?

Start with what you know
and get the units right.

Cancel the units and do
the math.

What did we get out of
that application?

What else do we need to
meet our fertility goals?

Determining square footage of field

Step it off- learning what’s your “step” length is
a valuable tool
Measure the length and width- convert to feet-
multiple length by the width
example- 100’ by 200’ = 20,000 sq ft an acre is
43,000 sq ft
to keep it simple – using 40,000- a 20,000 sq ft
field is ½ acre
Consult chart and determine how much seed to
plant

Crop Rotations
3 examples of strategies:
Nutrient based
Cash crop based
Cover crop based

Why develop a crop rotation?

Organic certification requires it
Allows for better use of soil resources
Helps preserve and even enhance soil
structure
Can help improve efficiency on the farm
Breaks weed and disease cycles
and
… an essential part of soil health and soil
fertility

Basic strategies can include-

Successive plantings:
that are in different family groups
that make different nutrient demands-
heavy vs. light feeders
that are susceptible to different pests
Rotating cultivation practices-
shallow vs. aggressive
Rotating the time the soil is occupied by a
cash crop vs cover crop

Utilize a 3 year cycle, or rotation- 5 year is
better, 7 year is best!

Which rotation is right for you?

Started with this book

List of the crops we grew

Determined our space
requirements/limitations

Stack of index cards

Field Rotations - Perry-winkle Farm
Field
linear ft 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Omega taters CVR VR E Spring Taters
1000 Greens S-Frost L Spring deer safe
Fall S-Frost Cover greens
VR Gar/Fall
Taters E Spring OWF CVR Taters
In 2005 our rotation G
1000
Beans
Clover/ sunflwrs
fallow
Fall

looked like this… Rape
E Spring
Oats
CVR
OWF
VR
CVR
OWF
A1 Millet S-Frost L Spring fallow
1000 S-Frost Cover fallow
CVR VR Oats CVR
E Spring L Spring Taters E Spring
A2 Millet cover Beans L Spring
2500 cover Clover/ fallow
CVR Fall Oats CVR

…but before the year D
Taters
Beans
E Spring
S-Frost
CVR
L Spring
CVR
Sum-Sept
E Spring
soy/cowp
Taters
cover

was over we were 2500
Oats
Clover/
Oats
Fall
CVR
cowpeas
CVR
wint-kill soy/cowp
Rape
cover
CVR

already changing things B 1-25 E Spring
OWF/Rape CVR
Taters
2500 Millet
rape CVR
OWF Taters CVR
B 26-51 L Spring Millet
2500 Fall sunflwrs
Gar/OWF rape CVR
OWF CVR Taters
E Sum-Sept
2000 S- Frost
OWF CVR Rape
Gar/OWF Taters-4 CVR Taters-10
C Sum-Sept
2800 S-Frost S- Frost
CVR Rape
Taters CVR CVR CVR Taters
F Sum-Sept L Spring

Field
linear ft 2005 2006
Omega VR E Spring
1000 L Spring deer safe
Cover greens
Gar/Fall

10 fields-
E Spring OWF
G fallow
1000 sunflwrs Fall
OWF CVR
VR OWF

1/8, 1/4, ½ acre A1
1000
L Spring
Cover
Oats
fallow
fallow
CVR
Taters E Spring
A2 Beans L Spring
2500 Clover/ fallow
Oats CVR
E Spring CVR

4 seasons-
D S-Frost L Spring
2500 Fall cowpeas
CVR CVR

early spring
OWF/Rape
B 1-25 E Spring Taters
2500 Millet
rape OWF

mid- summer
OWF Taters
B 26-51 L Spring Millet
2500 sunflwrs
rape CVR

fall
OWF CVR
E Sum-Sept
2000 S- Frost
CVR Rape
Taters-4 CVR

overwinter C
2800 S-Frost
CVR
Sum-Sept
S- Frost
Rape
CVR CVR
F Sum-Sept
2340 S-Frost Cover
CVR CVR

Field
linear ft 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Omega Taters owf/onions Taters CVR/owf E Spring CVR
Espring/
1000 S-Frost chickens salad mix owf millet summer
owf VR basil millet buckwheat summer
pigs CVR/owf fall CVR CVR
Now we are looking at A1
E Spring
millet
garlic
millet
CVR
basil
CVR
summer
taters
taters
CVR
buckwheat

something that looks 1000
garlic CVR
S- Frost
CVR
summer millet fall
rape/radish buckwheat owf/garlic

more like this… Asparag
us chickens
pigs
CVR

CVR OWF taters CVR CVR owf/garlic
Sudangras
A2 Sum-Sept s taters summer pigs millet
2500 millet non-solna fall buckwheat

What has remained constant- OWF
CVR/chicks
rape
CVR
CVR
OWF
CVR
taters
owf/garlic rape/radish
CVR owf
B 1-25 1-10 taters S- Frost sunfl/cowp taters summer sunfl/cowp
2500 millet/ Sum sunfl/cowp millet non-solna sunfl/cowp
CVR fall/owf rape/radish CVR fall/owf CVR
OWF CVR OWF taters CVR owf
We not only rotate the cash B 26-51
2500
millet
chickens
CVR E Spring
S- Frost sunfl/cowp
taters
millet
summer sunfl/cowp
non-solna sunfl/cowp
crops we plant, but we also CVR
E Spring
fall/owf rape/radish CVR
L Spring taters 6-12 garlic/owf
fall/owf
CVR
CVR
CVR

rotate the cover crops we use C
sunfl/
Millet 1-5 spring buckwheat summer E Spring

2800 cowpeas sunfl/cowp S- Frost summer millet
CVR/rape fall/garlic CVR CVR rape/radish
OWF Taters CVR CVR E Spring taters
D soy/cowp millet E Spring L spring sunfl/cowp taters

We avoid planting the same 2500 soy/cowp
Rape
millet
CVR
millet
CVR
millet
fall
sunfl/cowp
rape/radish
millet
CVR

plant families the following year E
CVR chickens
chickens
CVR
summer
CVR
pigs
taters
taters
CVR
summer
2000 millet chickens summer millet non-solna
CVR CVR CVR rape/radish CVR owf
Taters CVR CVR CVR CVR taters
F Taters chickens summer L Spring pigs taters

We are not afraid to change it! 2340 millet
CVR
Sum-Sept summer sunfl/cowp
CVR CVR CVR rape/radish
millet
CVR
owf CVR CVR taters CVR
G S-Frost millet S- Frost sunfl/cowp taters summer
1000 S- Frost sunfl/cowp millet non-solna
owf CVR CVR rape/radish CVR owf
Taters CVR E Spring CVR taters
PIGS pigs Taters CVR millet L Spring taters
sunfl/
1600 cowpeas late summ sunfl/cowp millet millet
CVR Fall CVR rape CVR

3 examples from

Crop Rotation on
Organic Farms-
a planning manual

Cover Crops- drive
our crop rotation plan

Cash crops or cover
crops- which comes
first???

Reality check before you start
(first you need to ask yourself these 3 questions-)
Who - do you want to sell to?
What - are your potential markets and
their requirements?
What - are you going to sell?
…then you can start asking
How - are you going to grow it?

To whom are you going to
sell?
Where is your farm’s located?

What opportunities exist in your area?

What options could you create?

What are you going
to grow???
When is the best time to plant?
How much are you going to grow?
How often can it be planted?
What varieties are best to grow?
and then…
Where are you going to plant it?

When is the best time
to plant?
What are the crop’s cold vs. hot weather
tolerances?
Will the crop be planted as a transplant or
will it be directly seeded?
How many successive plantings to do?

What are the best varieties
to grow?
Regional favorites?
What’s available?
Is it available in organic seed?
Which variety is recommended for outdoor
plantings, for hoop houses?
Open-pollinated vs hybrid?

Where are you going to
plant it?

Thank goodness for a rotational plan!!

Prepare the area ahead of time- don’t rush a field!
Do your field work in a timely fashion

…but always be prepared to “punt”

Scheduling your crops

Work backwards from your intended harvest
dates
Determine how many plantings you will need
Determine how many beds, fields, acres you
will need to grow the crop
Develop a system that keeps you on track

BRASSICAS - 2009
Variety source am't Target Actual Germ. Trans. Harvest

Broccoli Arcadia JSS- 1000 1-Jan
1-Feb
Premium Crop Hlms- 1000 15-Jun
15-Jul

B. Raab Sess. Grossa JSS- 1/4# 15-Mar
7-Apr
21-Jul
15-Aug
Spring Raab JSS- 1/4#

Cabbage Alcosa savoy JSS mini 1-Feb
15-Jul
Capricorn Territorial 1-Feb
15-Jul
Charmant Territorial 1-Feb
15-Jul
Early Jersey Hlms oz 1-Feb
15-Jul
Primax JSS- 2mini 1-Feb
15-Jul
Red
Jewel Stokes-1000 1-Feb
15-Jul
Ruby Ball Territoial 1-Feb
15-Jul

Chinese
Cab Blues Stokes '04 1-Aug

Collards Top Bunch 1-Jul

Flash JSS mini 15-Jan
1-Jul

Kale Lacinato SoC-pkt 29-Dec
1-Jul

Red Russian JSS- oz 29-Dec
1-Jul

Winterbor JSS- mini 29-Dec

The difference a day makes
…on a southern slope

Field Rotation Plan 2010
Field Crop Season
Rye/Clover Winter
1 Cucumbers/Squash Spring
Summer
Rye/Hairy Vetch Fall
Winter
2 Tomatoes Spring
Summer
Oats/Clover Fall
Winter
3 Mix Spring Veg Spring
Soybean/Buckwheat Summer
Mix Fall Veg and Rye Aisles Fall
Winter
4 Potatoes and Fava Beans Spring
Soybean/Buckwheat/Sudan Summer
Onions and Garlic Fall
Winter
5 Spring
Soybean/Buckwheat/Sudan Summer
Rye/Clover Fall
Winter
6 Spring
Winter Squash/Sweet Potato Summer
Rye/Peas Fall
Winter
7 Spring
Peppers/Eggplant Summer
Oats/Clover Fall
Winter
8 Mix Spring Veg Spring
Soybean/Buckwheat Summer
Mix Fall Veg Fall

Afternoon Agenda
•  Irrigation
•  Direct Seeding vs. Transplanting
•  Transplant Production
•  Disease Management
•  Pest Management
•  Alternative Crops
•  Equipment

Is It EVER Going to
Rain Again?

Understanding Irrigation
•  Source: Surface or Underground
•  Pumping: Electric or Gas
•  Distribution to fields
•  Overhead/traveling sprinkler
•  Drip Systems
–  Filtration
–  Pressure reducer

Irrigation
•  What are your needs?
•  What do you have available?
•  Understand flow vs. pressure
–  Overhead = med flow + high pressure
–  Drip = low-high flow + low pressure

Irrigation: Drip Systems
length of drip line/100 ft x gpm per 100 ft
= flow rate requirement

1000 ft/100 ft * 0.67 gpm = 6.7 gpm

Water flow, size of filter, pressure valve,
and header must be adequate

Irrigation
•  Surface pumping starts $1K-$8K
•  Wells can start at $10K

•  Drip irrigation for $750 per acre
–  Filters, headers, fittings: one time
–  Annual drip tape expense

Direct Seeding vs.
Transplanting a crop
How do you decide?
How do we decide?

Greenhouse vs. Field Seeding
Transplant Direct Seeding
•  Earlier seeding date •  Shorter time to harvest
•  Control over planting date •  Better root development
•  No need for thinning •  Faster planting
•  Optimal spacing •  Reduce planting costs
•  Better early weed •  Essential for root crops
management
•  Reduce seed costs

When transplanting makes
more sense…
1.  When the seed is expensive, finicky, slow
to emerge, not competitive w/ weeds

2.  When you are trying to “push” the season

3. If you want to give cover crops more time

4. Allows more flexibility in crop planning

Sources for Transplants

garden centers / hardware stores
nurseries – local or mail order
from other organic growers

or you can - Grow Your Own….

Basic needs of transplants

Warmth
Light
Moisture
Air Flow

What are you going to need?
Good quality potting soil
Flats, trays
Nutrients- fertilizers
Seed covering- vermiculite
Seeds
Heat mats
Seeding tools
Clipboard/ record keeping

Daniel s Soil Mix
•  2 @ 3.8 cu ft peat moss
•  2 cups lime mixed into peat
•  4 cu ft vermiculite
•  4 cu ft perlite
•  4 cu ft quality compost or vermicompost
•  2 cups kelp and/or Azomite
•  4 cups Fertrell 4-2-4

Organic farmer’s goal (dream)….
Raise healthy plants that will
outgrow any insect
pressure, develop
resistance to any disease,
and thrive in less than
perfect conditions.
“Cathy in Wonderland”

Toolbox for combating disease
Crop Rotation plan – include brassicas crops
Use healthy transplants, resistant varieties
Correct watering practices
Maintain adequate air flow
Avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizers
Suitable soil pH
Field sanitation
Solarization of the soil
Compost and compost tea

but the reality is–

there’s disease out there

4 types of pathogens-
fungal bacterial
virus nematodes

can be spread-
seed borne, soil dwelling, air-borne, water
splashed, vectored by insects, humans

Steps for combating disease

Pay attention- do field walks
Identify problems
Brainstorm- disease or fertility or
location?
Isolate- remove dying/diseased plants
from field
Deal with it- apply a remedy or bury it
under/ note and rotate your way out

Favorite book/sites
Pests of the Garden and Small Farm- a Grower’s
Guide to Using Less Pesticide by Mary Louise Flint

http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/plant_index.aspx?title=image

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/

http://web.pppmb.cals.cornell.edu/resourceguide/index.php

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/NewsArticles/BasilDowny.html

http://www.neon.cornell.edu/training/ppts/McGrathproducts.pdf

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/diseaselinks.html

Rapeseed (Canola) -broadcast 8 to 14 lb./A.

Mustard: broadcast 10 to 15 lb./A.

Radish: broadcast 12 to 20 lb./A. Plant in
late summer or early fall after the daytime
average temperature is below 80°F.

Turnip: broadcast 10 to 12 lb./A. Plant in the
fall after the daytime average temperature
is below 80°F.

Weeds: Plant Pests
Vigorous growers
Copious reproduction
Competitive with crop

Perennial vs. annual
Grass vs. broadleaf

Problem Weeds
•  Nutsedge •  Hen Bit
•  Bermuda Grass •  Wild Radish
•  Pigweed •  Yellow Dock
•  Sida
•  Summer Grasses

Weed Management
•  Cultivation •  Smother cropping
•  Hand pulling •  Crop cycles/rotation
•  Crop spacing •  Crop timing
•  Mulching

Insect Pests
•  Leaf chewers: CO potato beetle
•  Sap suckers: stink bug, aphid
•  Root feeders: wire worms
•  Fruit eaters: tomato fruit worm
•  Seed eaters: seed weevil

Insect Pests
•  Colorado Potato •  Tomato Hornworm
Beetle •  Cabbage White
•  Mexican Bean Moth
Beetle •  Tomato Fruitworm
•  Stink Bugs •  Vine Borers
•  Leaf Beetles •  Squash Bugs

Insect Management
•  Beneficial attraction •  Bt/Safer soap
•  Winter cover crops •  Rotations
•  Hand picking •  Tilling in residues
•  Crop timing •  Transplanting

Resources
•  Rodale s Pest and Disease Problem
Solver
•  Garden Insects of North America by
Whitney Cranshaw
•  Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide
to Ecological Strategies by Miguel
Altieri, Clara Nicholls, with Marlene Fritz
•  SARE Books available online

Alternatives to Vegetables

actually…
in addition to your vegetables

… at Perry-winkle Farm
“Variety is the spice of life”… diversification
is our mantra
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”… you
might need to eat some of those chickens
“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never
know what you are going to get” … I wish
we could grow chocolate in NC

How Does Your Garden Mow?
•  Finish mower: Lawn mower on steroids
•  Bush hog: Rotary mower cuts saplings
•  Sickle bar: Low power, large pieces
•  Scythe: Silent sickle bar
•  Flail mower: Shredder
•  String trimmer: Small jobs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=P3U2bEXISHk&feature=player
_embedded

Used -------------- New
•  Lower initial cost •  Years trouble-free
•  Higher repair costs •  Warranty
•  Your time is •  Maintenance counts!
valuable •  Local dealer/repair
•  Greater breakdown •  Options tailored to
potential your operation
•  Best if you can •  Best if you can
repair it afford it

Realistic Maintenance
•  Winter Overhaul
–  Change oil
–  Change filters
–  Adjust settings, clean anything you can
•  Check oil every time
•  Change oil at least once during season
•  Adjust and tighten often
•  Fix problems ASAP

Equipment Safety
•  Read your operator s/owner s manual--
seriously
•  Properly maintain equipment
•  Don t disable safety features--really,
don t
•  Wear well-fitting long pants, shirt
•  Use ear protection, safety glasses

Equipment Sources
•  Bother your local tractor dealer
•  www.earthtoolsbcs.com
•  www.marketfarm.com
•  www.ferrari-tractors.com
•  Johnny s Selected Seeds
•  Peaceful Valley Farm Supply

Morning Agenda
•  Harvest and Post-Harvest Handling
•  Marketing
•  Business Management
•  Labor, Record Keeping, and Taxes
•  Questions/Discussion
•  Evaluation

Harvest / Post Harvest

…now that you have grown it, how
do you maintain it’s quality and
freshness?

Adapt the
equipment you
already have

Sub-soiler with a
shovel purchased at
farm supply store

Note the angle of the
shaft- pushes the
potatoes up and out

This is the ultimate goal …
lots of varieties to draw in customers

Sweet Potatoes

•  Dig and leave on ‘hills’ 1-4 hours
•  Collect ‘seed’ for next year
•  Collect remaining in perforated
containers
•  Cure 4-7 days
–  85-90 degrees Fahrenheit
–  85-90 percent humidity

Food Safety…
GAP certification
(Good Agricultural Practices)

Is this in your future?
Will it be required by your customers?
Will it be required by your future customers?

TRACEABILITY (G-1 to G-2, and
Traceability Policy
•  Each production area is •  If product from multiple
identified or coded to enable production areas is
traceability in the event of a commingled during harvest, all
recall (include these codes on growers, production areas and
dates regarding the comingled
your farm maps) product is recorded
•  Tanks/bins etc. can be traced •  Your records should include to
to individual production areas whom you delivered the
•  Records of crops held in produce
storage before packing are •  All deliveries of produce to
kept processor will be accompanied
by a Delivery Form that
•  Crop records include grower, includes the following
production area, and the date information:
of harvest

Water Testing Policy and Log
Sheet (G-3)
•  Water used for drinking, hand washing,
and on harvested crops is potable. Potable
water is available to all employees. Water
used for chemical applications and
irrigation is known to be adequate for its
intended use.

Field Visitor Policy and Log
Sheet (G-4)

•  person(s) who frequents the farm on a
regular basis, is instructed at the beginning of
the season on proper health and hygiene
practices and is required to sign a visitor log
once (this includes auditors). Visitors who
are on the farm longer than 30 minutes will
be instructed to follow proper health and
hygiene practices (see appendix for
description) and will be required to sign the
Visitor Log sheet.

Preharvest/Postharvest Material
Applicators Policy (G15)
•  Personnel will have a working knowledge of, and comply with proper
use of pre-harvest (pesticides, growth regulators, and fertilizers)
and/or postharvest application material (waxes, fumigants, and
pesticides). Working knowledge will include the appropriate
concentration and what to do if there is a spill.

•  When the use of materials is being completed by licensed or trained
contractors, knowledge is demonstrated as applicators are covered
by Federal, State, or Local laws. All applicable State, Federal, and
Local training and licensing requirements will be met by persons
applying regulated or restricted use materials. If no restricted use
materials are being used the applicator will hold training documents
that prove they have received training on proper use.

Marketing…
Has as much to do with success as
growing
Learning to market is as important as
learning to grow
Markets are determined by farm
location
Know where you will sell before you
plant
Keep it diversified

Direct marketing vs. Wholesaling
What opportunities exist?
farmers markets, restaurants, food coops
What can you create?
community supported agriculture (CSA),
buying clubs, mobile market
What is your comfort zone / preference?
do you like people? solitude?

Types of Markets
Retail-
on farm stands
farmers markets
CSA (community supported agriculture)

Wholesale-
to distributors (including co-ops)
direct to stores
to restaurants

Farmers market tips
Be consistent! Be there week after week

Bring a diversity of product or varieties

Build a great looking display –
colorful, abundant, and clean!!

Offer great customer service –
be friendly, be knowledgeable,
be helpful

Could a wholesaling coop be right
for you?

CSA
•  Financing the season up front
•  Planning of customer numbers/budget
•  Don’t try this your first year
•  Lower costs/possible to avoid
transportation
•  At or close to retail

Budget Crop Planning

Annual Profit
Production
and Loss

Marketing

Budget Crop Planning

Good Record Keeping
is Essential at
Every Station
Annual Profit
Production
and Loss

Marketing

Be Prepared
•  Capital Needs
–  Land
–  Equipment
–  Structures
•  Income Needs
•  Appropriate Operation Size

Getting Started--Create a
Budget
•  Separate capital needs from expenses
–  Financing
–  Timeline: 5, 10, 15 years
–  Consider renting instead of buying
•  Capital spending must lead to income

Renting vs. Buying
•  Land:
–  Permanence of location
–  Relative costs over time
–  Current vs. future value of land
•  Equipment:
–  How often will it be used
–  Relative cost of rental vs. maintenance

Marketing Dictates
•  Farmers Markets
•  On-Farm Sales
•  Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA)
•  Restaurants
•  Wholesale to grocery
•  Coop/Buying club

Land Needs
•  Small operations: less than 5 acres
–  At least 150% of production space
–  As close to the market as possible
–  Consider expansion and surrounding area
–  Irrigation potential is essential!
•  Get you hands on cleared land!

Expenses
•  Automobile •  Dues and
•  Insurance subscriptions
•  Repair and •  Fuel
maintenance •  Tools
•  Beekeeping •  Land
•  Travel •  Marketing
•  Continuing •  Office/office
education equipment

Expenses-Production
•  Seeds •  Mulch
•  Fertilizer •  Cover crop seeds
•  Greenhouse •  Mushroom supplies
•  Irrigation •  Seedlings
•  Potting soil

Expenses-Labor
•  Pay yourself monthly!
•  Full time help
•  Interns--follow minimum wage laws
•  Seasonal help
–  Hourly
–  Summer interns
•  May be 50%-67% of total budget

Record Keeping
•  Incorporate as LLC or Corporation
•  Open a business checking account
•  Pay with checks or card
•  Don t use for personal expenses
•  Keep the business at arm s length

Record Keeping
•  Follow your plan
•  Keep business records
–  Receipts: inputs and expenses
–  Customers: invoices, checks
•  Keep a journal
•  Update your planning sheets

Record Keeping
•  Excel is fine
•  Quickbooks is the best!
–  Categorize expenses/incomes
–  Input receipts/deposits weekly
–  Reconcile with banking monthly
–  Evaluate as needed

Record Keeping
•  Planting:
–  Number of beds, Location

•  Harvest:
–  Field, Variety, Quantity

•  Sales:
–  CSA News, Invoices, Market

Planting Record Sheet #_______

Variety/Plant Date Beds Planted Field/section Notes

Romaine Lettuce 1/11/10 5 1B 11 Flats planted

Harvest Record Date: ________--________--_________
Product Order Customer √ Field #

Evaluating Success
•  Collect feedback all year
•  Market sales/take home
–  Know what sells
–  What do others not grow
•  CSA Surveys
–  mid-year and end of year

Gaia Gardens CSA - Survey
Please let me know how I did over the course of the season. For each item, circle
the most appropriate answer. Thanks for your opinions!

The pro d u c e E x c e l l e n t Fair Poor

Quality of produce 5 4 3 2 1

Amount of produce 5 4 3 2 1

Variety of produce 5 4 3 2 1

Value of produce received 5 4 3 2 1

The newsletter Excellent Fair Poor

Interest of articles 5 4 3 2 1

Helpfulness of recipes 5 4 3 2 1

Email format 5 4 3 2 1

Communication of events and ideas 5 4 3 2 1

The pickup E x c e l l e n t Fair Poor

Was the area clean/organized 5 4 3 2 1

How was the weekly trip for you 5 4 3 2 1

How did the CSA meet your expectations 5 4 3 2 1

How can pickup be improved? ________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

What varieties or vegetables would you like to see grown? __________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Comments/Suggestions:____________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Seed/Variety/Brand # pickups in 2005 Less of Crop Keep it the Same More of Crop
Beets 5
Broccoli 4
Cabbage 6
Carrots 3
Georgia Collards 5
Endive 1
Herbs 2
Cilantro 3
Mizuna Mustard 2
Other Greens 4
Braizing Mix 8
Lettuce Mix 1
Arugula 8
Siberian Kale 5
Lettuce Heads 14
Sugar Snap Peas Pick your own
Potatoes 6
Sorrel 5
Swiss Chard 3
Radish 8
Genovese Basil 8
Yellow or Purple Bean 6
Cucumber 2
Eggplant 5
Figs 1
Flowers 2
Muscadines 3
Okra 7
Garlic 12
Onions 5
Green Onions 2
Hot Pepper On demand
Shiitake Mushrooms 1
Sweet Pepper 16
Edamame Soybean 1
Winter Squash 1
Summer (yellow) Squash 4
Sweet Potato 6
Tomatoes 8
Turnips 3

Percent Response
G
Ye en
l lo ov
w es
e

10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80

0
or Ba
Pu si
rp l
le
Be
C an
uc
um
be
Eg r
gp
la
nt

Fi
gs
Fl
ow
M er
us s
c ad
in
es

O
kr
a
G
ar
lic
O
G ni
re on
en s
O
% of Less responses
ni
Sh H on
s
Crop

iit ot
ak Pe
e pp
M er
us
hr
Sw oo
Ed ee m
am tP s
am ep
e pe
So r
% of More responses

Su W yb
m in
m te
ea
n
er rS
(y qu
el
lo as
w h
)S
qu
Sw as
ee h
tP
ot
at
To o
m
at
oe
s
Tu
rn
ip
s

Labor Issues

Do You Need Help?

Do You Want Help?

Is Help Available?

How Can You Best Utilize Additional Labor?

Economics of employees

They will help you earn money

They are going to cost you $$$
______
Average of 33% of sales spent on
labor

Tax implications of employees
Schedule F- they are a Labor Hired expense

the $250 or $2,500 test-
withhold Social Security and Medicare

Useful Publications from IRS
Pub 51 – Ag employers tax guide
Pub 225 – Farmers Tax Guide

Schedule F for
the 1040

QuickBooks can
help you decide
what classes of
expenses are tax
deductible
or
Schedule F can
help develop
categories of
expenses

useful tax “registrations”

EIN- Employer Identification Number

State Sales Tax exemption number

Property tax- farm use status

Business Management
(or minding your farm as a business)

Record keeping- helpful in not only knowing
where you are and where you are going… but
also where you have been

It is as important as most other jobs on the farm,
perhaps even more so…

There are many types, degrees of,
recordkeeping
Daily work lists- including pick list
Field maps
Planting calendars, schedules
Irrigation logs
Soil amendments records
Market sales records
Sales receipt books
>>>actual accounting ledgers-
Quicken, QuickBooks, spreadsheets

CARRBORO FARMERS' MARKET - 2009

Wed / Sat

Date Weather

Bunch size Quantity S/O Am't

Crop bushel/ # Taken Time Sold Price $$$

Total

Southern SAWG - Start-up Organic Vegetable Production

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