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Wisconsin tries to take lead on organic farming Tuesday, June 22, 2004
The Associated Press
Organic farming at Pearson's Mann Valley Farm near River Falls can mean more work than farming with chemicals, but its owners say selling the organic sweet corn, eggs, milk and meat make up for it.
"We enjoy it and feel better about it," owner Dan Pearson said about farming organically, which they began to do in 1989. "For us, it was partly economical and partly philosophical. It helps smaller farms survive and be economically viable, and the healthier food you have, the better you will be."
Dan and Terri Pearson are among a growing number of Wisconsin farmers who have gone organic. Organic farming is the fastest-growing segment of agriculture in the United States and has been growing more than 20 percent annually for a decade.
Wisconsin is third behind California and Washington in the number of certified organic farms and first in the number of organic dairy cows, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The state is home to La Farge-based Organic Valley, the largest organic cooperative in the United States, and to the Spring Valley-based Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service.
In 1995, Organic Valley had sales of $9 million. This year's sales are projected to be about $180 million. The nonprofit MOSES programs include an annual conference that has grown from 90 attendees to 1,500 in 15 years.
But unlike neighboring Minnesota and Iowa, Wisconsin government and educational institutions have not done much to promote organic farming.
According to "Organic Agriculture in Wisconsin: 2003 Status Report," recently published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the state rates poorly in supporting and promoting organic agriculture.
Gov. Jim Doyle wants to change that. His "Grow Wisconsin" program includes making the state an international leader in organic food production, processing and manufacturing.
"I always envied what Minnesota and Iowa were doing, but Wisconsin is getting on the bandwagon now," said dairy farmer Steve Pechacek, who began making the switch to organic in 1986 on his rural Prescott farm. "People need to be educated. Many(don't know what organic is."
Federal officials also are offering support. A bipartisan Organic Caucus was created last year in Congress to "enhance availability and understanding of information related to the production and processing of organic agriculture products." A provision in the 2002 Farm Bill provided $3 million annually for four years for organic agriculture research.
"Organic is becoming more popular all the time," said Bill Anderson, University of Wisconsin-River Falls professor of agronomy. "And there is now more research, which was needed."
Consumers, too, are taking note. Organic products now are available in 73 percent of U.S. grocery stores, the USDA said. Of the $433 billion spent on food annually, about $43 billion is spent on organic and natural foods -- an increase of 72 percent in the last five years.
Faye Jones, executive director of MOSES, said the trend would continue.
"I never would have dreamed it would come this far this fast," said Jones, who started the nonprofit 22 years ago. "But now that it has, I don't see it slowing down."
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