Advising Farmers Through Organic Transition
The 3-year transition period is a time of learning and sets up a farm for long-term organic success. Farmers gain new skills in organic production, and while yields may drop, the payoff comes with the organic premium after certification. Advisors can help farmers build a solid crop plan and rotation and, just as importantly, map out their budget and cash flow going into and coming out of transition, so they can move through this period with confidence.
In this episode, we’ll speak with an organic farmer and consultant and an experienced ag lender who have helped row-crop farmers around the Midwest plan successful transitions.
SPEAKERS
Scott Ausborn
Scott Ausborn is the Midwest Region Manager for the Rodale Institute Consulting program. Scott was raised on a diversified grain and livestock farm in western Iowa. He attended Iowa State University, where he received a degree in Environmental Science in 2008. Scott worked in the organic seed industry for over 16 years. He has worked with organic and sustainable farmers across the country. Scott also manages an organic and conventional farm near Ida Grove, Iowa. He grows organic row crops, as well as conventional crops, including corn, soybeans, oats, and alfalfa.
Richard Ritter
Richard Ritter has been an ag lender for 43 years. He also has a business degree and six years of experience with crop insurance. He strives to guide farmers toward diversified profitable family farms that operate as a business. He believes in organic farming and its future. The two biggest challenges he has observed in organic farming over the years have been working with lenders and landowners. Starting in 2014, he focused on providing realistic organic cash flow numbers and helpful information for farmers, lenders, and landowners. He brings together real experiences working with organic producers and actual farm producer data. His goal is to give every farmer the opportunity for a profitable future in agriculture through organic farming.
Sam Oschwald Tilton, Facilitator
“I have worked with organic farmers all over the US and Canada to understand production systems and solve weed management issues. This past season, on farms and in winter conferences, I spoke with as many farmers and ag professionals as I could to understand the questions that organic producers have, and the experts that they’d like to learn from. Those conversations helped me identify the topics and guests for this series. I am excited to bring together a wide range of farmers and ag professionals from many backgrounds, all of whom have an experienced perspective to share. In each call I look forward to having an intelligent conversation with the guest that introduces the topic to those who are unfamiliar and also dives deep to bring further understanding and clear tips to listeners. After the conversation, we’ll take questions from listeners, so that they can communicate directly with each guest to get the answers that they need. My goal for this call series is to provide crucial information on topics facing organic and transition-curious farmers, in an approachable conversation that listeners can easily listen to during their lunch hour.”
“To grow organic acres, it’s crucial that farmers come out of transition strong — not only with healthy soil but also with healthy checkbooks. Join us to discuss how advisors can guide farmers through the finances of transition.”