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The Economic Benefits of Organic Farming
on a Dairy Farm in Thurston County, Washington

by
Daniel C. O’Neill

A Thesis
submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Master of Environmental Studies
The Evergreen State College
December, 2012



2012 by Daniel C. O’Neill. All rights reserved.

ii

This Thesis for the Master of Environmental Studies Degree
by
Daniel C. O’Neill

has been approved for
The Evergreen State College
by

_________________________
Ralph Murphy Ph.D.
___________________
Date

iii

ABSTRACT
The Economic Benefits of Organic Farming
on a Dairy Farm in Thurston County, Washington

Daniel O’Neill
The new millennium has brought a growing, global interest in the
consumption of organically grown food accompanied by an increasing
demand for growers to shift from traditional crop production to
certified organic crop production. Many factors have contributed to
these growing interests, including changing attitudes about food, new
trends in the marketing and merchandising of food products, an
explosion in media attention paid to more natural diets and lifestyles,
mounting costs for treating illness and disease, and even increasing
incidents of congenital conditions in newborns and young children. But
can growers meet these new demands? How do they go about making
those shifts, and, once they do, will they enjoy economic benefits from
the changes they’ve implemented?
This thesis begins with an historical overview of chemical-free food
production, with specific references to increasing public awareness and
market opportunities. It also provides a basic introduction to
resources, agricultural organizations, and regulatory bodies that
provide a structural framework for the organic growing community. A
discussion of the organic certification process follows, with a step-bystep ‘road map’ for obtaining certification, specifically in the state of
Washington. It continues with an in-depth, transitional template that
can be followed by growers who wish to shift from traditional crop
production to certified organic farming. It emphasizes the importance
of planning, goal-setting, and self-educating in making the transition a
successful one.
The thesis then presents a detailed case study involving a family dairy
farm, located in Thurston County, Washington, which follows the
transitional template to introduce organic farming methods, and then
shares its results. Based on the case study, the work concludes that
there can be distinct economic benefits to growing organic crops. It also
makes specific recommendations to those who are committed to
reducing and/or eliminating the use of chemicals in their food
production, for both today’s world and as we move into the future.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

v

LIST OF TABLES

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

vii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

viii

INTRODUCTION

1

PREFACE AND FAMILY HISTORY

4

CHAPTER ONE
The Origins and Growth of Organic Agriculture

12

CHAPTER TWO
Organic Certification in Washington State

30

CHAPTER THREE
How to Transition from Conventional
to Organic Crop Production

37

CHAPTER FOUR
Black River Ranch: A Case Study

56

CHAPTER FIVE
Conclusion

84

REFERENCES

86

APPENDIX A: Recommended Government Publications

92

APPENDIX B: Sample Business Plan

95

APPENDIX C: Black River Ranch /
Organic Transition Placement Maps

102

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1

Case Study: Anticipated Expenses
Corn & Cover Crop, YEAR 1

Table 2

Case Study: Anticipated Expenses
Corn, Cover Crop, Nursery Stock, YEAR 2

Table 3

76

Case Study: Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit,
YEAR 3

Table 8

75

Case Study: Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit,
YEAR 2

Table 7

74

Case Study: Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit,
YEAR 1

Table 6

73

Case Study: Anticipated Expenses
Corn, Cover Crop, Nursery Stock, YEAR 4

Table 5

72

Case Study: Anticipated Expenses
Corn, Cover Crop, Nursery Stock, YEAR 3

Table 4

71

77

Case Study: Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit,
YEAR 4

78

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1

Black River Ranch /
Organic Transition Placement Map
Year 1

Figure 2

102

Black River Ranch /
Organic Transition Placement Map
Year 2

Figure 3

102

Black River Ranch /
Organic Transition Placement Map
Year 3

Figure 4

103

Black River Ranch /
Organic Transition Placement Map
Year 4

103

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people have contributed to the following pages, and I believe no
work is complete without giving proper thanks. To everyone who has
helped me in any way with this thesis, I am personally grateful for your
patience, ideas, suggestions and criticisms.
Several individuals have assisted me on my journey. At The
Evergreen State College, Russ Fox worked with me on soil management,
sustainability and the protection of the environment. I thank John Hurley in
the Finance and Administration Office for his review and assistance with
the fiscal portions of this document. Jaime Kooser, a former professor in
the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) program, spent countless hours
reviewing my work as a beginning MES student, and I have always
appreciated her constructive critique of the written word. This thesis would
not have been possible without the guidance of Ralph Murphy, my MES
faculty and thesis advisor. Ralph not only provided me with solid direction
but he got me to keep going until I finished the work I had embarked upon
years earlier. I truly appreciate his willingness to work with me and not
give up. I would also like to acknowledge Susan Alexander, who helped me
organize and state my thoughts clearly throughout this paper.
Heart-filled thanks to my great-grandparents, Joseph and
Magdalena Wickie, who immigrated to Washington State from Switzerland
more than a century ago and worked tirelessly each day to manage dairy

viii

animals, recycle dairy by-products, and be good stewards of the land.
Their practices on the farm inspired me to continue those practices, and
adapt additional methods of recycling and soil management to help
ensure sustainability and encourage environmentally friendly practices.
A very special thanks to Carla O’Neill, my wife and business
partner, for constantly making me think, for always challenging me to set
the bar higher, and for her patience in allowing me to take time out of our
lives to pursue a graduate degree and write this document. I also
appreciate the inspiration that our three children have provided with the
questions they’ve asked and ideas they’ve offered as they have grown in
knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Stephanie, Melissa and Joseph,
you are my three best reasons to remain healthy and protect the planet.
This paper has benefited me in countless ways, and it is my
personal hope that others will benefit from the work and enjoy the many
potential benefits of organic farming. Please read, enjoy, learn and live
healthy!

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INTRODUCTION
A family dairy farm, a one hundred-year tradition of sustainable
farming practices, and a keen personal interest in improving the health
of people and the planet have been the major inspiration for this thesis
about growing crops for human and animal consumption using organic
practices. This work was conceived as, and is intended to be, a
digestible, reader-friendly introduction to the history, basic principles,
regulatory guidelines, and environmental benefits associated with
organic farming. It is also designed to serve as a template for
conventional growers who may be considering making the transition to
organic crop production. Its primary purpose is to demonstrate that
organic crops, when grown using a methodical and well-planned
approach, can produce definite economic benefits.
While the resulting profitability is a sound reason for growing
crops using organic methods, it is of course not the only reason.
People and the environment have much to gain if more of our foods
are grown using methods that do not threaten our health and wellbeing but instead, promote and enhance it.
It is true: To grow organic crops, there is need for more intense
management and labor, thus raising production costs. However, in this

1

thesis, I will demonstrate the economic advantages of growing and
marketing organic products.
We will begin on a personal note in the Preface and Family
History section, with a bit of background regarding my own family
members, whose use of natural growing techniques and recycling
practices made them somewhat ahead of their time.
Chapter One will explore the origins and growth of organic crop
production. We will meet the pioneers whose early research studies
and experiments shaped today’s culture of organic farming. We also
will become familiar with the growing global awareness of organic
farming and its benefits, and the organizations and regulatory bodies
which serve to ensure the integrity of organic growing.
Chapter Two will describe in detail the process of obtaining
organic certification in the state of Washington. Included will be the
various steps required as well as specific contact information for
growers interested in pursuing certification.
In Chapter Three, we will present a comprehensive ‘road map’ to
making a transition from conventional to organic crop production. We
will be introduced to today’s leading organic growers and learn their
specific recommendations for making the transition a successful one.
Finally, Chapter Four will take us through an actual case study
involving a transition implemented on a dairy farm located in Thurston

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County, Washington. A detailed business plan will compare the
expenses and revenues that can be anticipated in making the
transition.
It is my goal—and my hope—that the following pages will
demonstrate that there are definite economic, social, and health
benefits to growing organic crops, and will further inspire others to do
the same.

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PREFACE AND FAMILY HISTORY
My interest in farming and agricultural by-product management is
rooted in the history of my father’s family, beginning with my greatgrandparents, Joseph and Magdalena Wickie, who were immigrant
dairy farmers from Switzerland. Shortly after arriving in this country
in 1893, Joseph and Magdalena set to work, building a small dairy
farm off Yelm Highway in what is now the city of Tumwater in Thurston
County, Washington. They would own and operate that farm from 1896
until 1958, receiving the 1955 Dairy Farmer of the Year Award from the
Washington State Dairy Products Commission (Knight, 1955).
Primary activities on the Wickies’ farm centered around the
raising and milking of Jersey cows. They grew and harvested oats,
grass, and corn for animal feed as well as vegetables, poultry, and
additional grains for family consumption. They fertilized their crops
with by-products (manure) from the dairy cows. Ahead of their time,
the Wickies were demonstrating how by-product management and
recycling not only made optimal use of their resources and greatly
reduced waste but also enabled a family farm to be self-sustaining.
Soon after starting their farm, Joseph and Magdalena made the
acquaintance of Leopold Schmidt, a German immigrant who had
brought his knowledge and interest in beer making to this country. The

4

artesian water in southwestern Washington had attracted Leopold to
this region, and he had built the Capital Brewing Company in
Tumwater in the same year the Wickies began farming. Joseph Wickie
had long ago learned that a by-product of the beer manufacturing
process known as brewer’s grain or “malt” could be fed to dairy cows,
and he approached Leopold Schmidt with his idea. He would, in
essence, help Leopold by removing these materials from the brewery
and taking them to his farm. As the newly-named Olympia Brewing
Company expanded and increased its beer production, it produced
more malt, which was eagerly hauled away and utilized by the Wickie
family. They fed it to their own animals and even began distributing it
to other dairy farmers in Washington State.
When Prohibition came to Washington State in 1916 and
temporarily forced the Schmidt family to abandon brewing operations,
the Wickie family, whose own farm had expanded considerably,
needed to replace the brewing by-products they had been using with
alternate and additional sources of nutritious feed for their dairy cows.
Increasing corn and grass production was the answer.
Meanwhile, the Wickies’ daughter, Marie, had married William
“Bill” O’Neill, a grower of animal feed who had been cultivating his
family’s land not far from the Wickie farm. With the repeal of

5

Prohibition in April, 1933, when brewery by-products were once again
available, Leopold Schmidt’s son, Peter, asked Joseph Wickie if he
could again make use of the malt. The family also had learned by that
time that hop leaves, another by-product of the beer manufacturing
process, was an effective material to be used for amending, or
improving the growing capabilities of the sandy soils in Thurston
County. Wanting to support his son-in-law’s efforts, Joseph instead
offered the opportunity to Bill O’Neill. Continuing his father-in-law’s
service to the brewery by removing its by-products, O’Neill launched
the next generation of by-product utilization and resource
conservation.
Throughout the next fifty years, Bill O’Neill and, eventually, his
son Charles—my father—would remove malt and hops from a number
of other northwest breweries and distribute them to dairy farms
throughout Washington and Oregon. Some of those farms had excess
manure available, which my dad gladly removed and brought to
Thurston County to amend soil. It was at that time that home
gardening enthusiasts began amending their soils with manure and
hops, giving my family an opportunity to market those materials on a
wholesale and retail level.

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In 1958, my father purchased the Wickie farm for the purpose of
continuing its dairy operations and the raising of crops for dairy feed.
He also continued using the brewery’s malt to feed his cows and the
hops and dairy manure to amend the soils for crop production. He
would eventually sell the farm in 1968 and focus his business on
transport, re-use, and recycling.
Having been schooled by my father through dinner table
conversations about land conservation and by-product utilization, it
was no surprise that when the time came for me to participate in the
family business, I continued to implement these practices of reuse,
recycling, and responsible land stewardship with fresh enthusiasm.
After graduating with an accounting degree from the University
of Portland in 1972, I had served in the United States Air Force and
then pursued a career in transportation. I had seen this as a natural
extension of the agricultural by-products distribution and delivery
business by which my family was still making a living. Five years had
passed, during which I primarily worked in the shipping industry in the
San Francisco/Oakland area. However, a deep-rooted interest in
agriculture and by-product recycling coupled with a desire to be a part
of my family’s business led me back to Thurston County in 1978.

7

My initial role was to expand the by-product transportation, reuse, and recycling services we were offering. An additional challenge
was to find a substitute material when the Olympia Brewing Company
eliminated the hop leaves from their beer recipe. We found it in
mushroom compost from Ostrom’s mushroom plant in Lacey,
Washington, and used it in much the same way we had previously
utilized the hops. We began to find several additional uses for our
manure and compost mixtures, including landscaping in lawns and
gardens. Now, we had another material we could market to residential
consumers.
In 1980, while still in the transport business, I established a new
landscape supply company which would bring these soil amendments
and mixes to the public. Great Western Supply also sold rock and bark
products. Customers came from Thurston, Pierce, Grays Harbor, and
Lewis counties. Additionally, staff at Great Western Supply offered
information to its customers regarding the various regional soil types
and amendments available for gardeners and landscapers.
As luck would have it, our business property included an
abandoned barn, which stood 500 feet down the road from Great
Western Supply. Now running the businesses on my own but joined
by my wife, Carla, I had a physical space from which we could sell

8

wholesale and retail plant material to our customers as well. The Barn
Nursery began in 1987, complementing the services we provided at
Great Western Supply.
Throughout these years, we had continued serving the brewery by
removing their malt by-product. The brewing business and facility were
now owned by the Miller Brewing Company. However, in January of
2003, Miller announced that the entire operation was shutting down, and
a chapter closed in the history of the Olympia community. The end of the
brewery also marked the end of my family’s service to the facility.
We now embarked on identifying new sources of feed for dairy
cows in place of the malt. Furthermore, my interest in recycling and
re-using by-products had not diminished. As environmental issues had
become a critical global concern, we were committed more than ever
to encouraging sustainability and demonstrating quality stewardship of
our soil.
By this time, I had been leasing some cropland on the Black River
Ranch, a dairy farm in south Thurston County. The dairy and land
provided a variety of feed for its dairy animals plus many of the
necessary components for the next phase of recycling and by-product
management.

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After many years of service to the Tumwater brewing facility and
providing malt by-products to more than seventy local dairy farms, my
family had built a network of customers interested in crops grown in an
organic manner, specifically those which have been raised in soil
amended by natural products as opposed to chemical additives. Seeing
a growing trend and increasing demand, we began to educate ourselves
in organic growing methods, learning the procedures required by the
Washington State Department of Agriculture in order to label and sell our
crops as ‘certified organic.’
Meanwhile, back at Great Western Supply, we were now
blending soils and marketing a variety of soil mixes including a
certified organic soil mix. We decided our next logical step would be to
bring organic nursery stock to the public consumer at The Barn
Nursery located next door. We also sold landscape supplies, tools, and
educational materials. Gardeners and landscapers now had a reliable,
local source of organic soils, with an adjacent retail and wholesale
plant business. Those complementary businesses continue to thrive
today.
I set out on the research for this document in order to determine
whether or not large scale growers can enjoy economic benefits from
raising certified organic crops in the state of Washington. My other

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objective has been to enhance and share my own knowledge of
organic crop production in order to encourage good stewardship of the
land and provide healthy food sources for both human and animal
consumption. This work has excited me and I hope that readers will
become as enthusiastic about the raising of organic crops and nursery
stock as I have as a result of this research.

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CHAPTER ONE
THE ORIGINS AND GROWTH OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Introduction
There is a growing global awareness of the harmful effects of
chemicals used in food production for both human and animal
consumption. According to the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (2011), food growers in the U.S. spend billions of dollars
annually on chemical pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and
fungicides on their crops and in their pastures to boost growth, reduce
or eliminate insect infestation, decrease unwanted vegetation, and
even enhance appearance for marketability. But more and more, as
people are becoming aware that these chemicals are harmful to
humans, animals, and the environment, they are questioning what
they’re eating. Increasing food allergies, for example, are prompting
people to reconsider their diets and seek foods that have been grown
without chemicals and are safer for themselves and their families.
At the same time, new lifestyle trends are leading us away from
a culture of high fat, high sugar, and artificial preservatives toward a
healthier attitude regarding the products we consume. Concerning
food specifically, we are seeing an increase in the availability of whole

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and natural foods, particularly among younger populations who are
concerned about the future of the environment, as well as healthconscious, aging baby boomers who are seeking new ways to remain
youthful. In their 2011 publication Farming Systems Trial, the Rodale
Institute reported that organic food and beverage sales, which were
less than $1 billion in 1990, had reached nearly $27 billion by 2010.
Today’s popular ‘slow food’ movement, which promotes a safer, more
mindful, and more participatory approach to food consumption, is an
example of a trend which avoids overly processed foods in favor of
foods that are prepared more naturally, do not harm the environment,
and are healthy for the consumer.
Organic food production addresses both of these issues. By
definition, it is the raising of crops and livestock using natural techniques such as amending soil, composting, and rotating crops. It limits
or excludes the use of any synthetic or chemical pesticides, fertilizers,
or additives. It is internationally regulated and based primarily on the
standards established by the International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which defines the objective of organic
farming as follows:
Organic agriculture is a production system that sustains
the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on
ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to

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local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse
effects. Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation
and science to benefit the shared environment and
promote fair relationships and a good quality of life for all
involved (Definition of Organic Farming,
www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/definitions/doa/index.html).

Organic agriculture was conceived in the early part of the
twentieth century as a philosophical framework linking healthy soils
and natural farming methods with healthier eating and a better quality
of life. It has steadily risen in popularity, with increasing demands
around the world for organically raised food products. In 1954, Jerome
Irving Rodale, organic farming pioneer and advocate who had founded
the Rodale Institute in 1947, predicted the eventual rediscovery of and
return to more natural farming methods and the growing social
movement toward healthier diets (The History of Rodale Institute,
http://rodaleinstitute.org/about_us). He could not have been more
astute. Over the past decade, organic products have become the
fastest growing sector of agriculture, with an annual increase of at
least 20 percent (Duram, 2005).

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An Historical Context
In order to gain an understanding of today’s increasing significance of
organic food production, we will first examine its history and development and meet some key pioneers in organic farming practices.
Since time began, farmers have sought the most effective ways
to generate the greatest possible yield of their food products.
Throughout most of history, harmful chemicals were not used to
enhance crop production, and crops were grown successfully following
the same naturally-based, tried-and-true methods used by our ancient
ancestors. In other words, the entire concept of organic farming, or
the raising of crops without the use of chemicals, is nothing new.
Instead, it is a basic return to simple crop management without the
potential dangers associated with the use of chemicals.
It was not until the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries that scientific discoveries began to reshape
agricultural practices and allow those yields to multiply substantially.
The introduction of gasoline-powered engines gave farmers new
methods with which to till their soil, spread seeds, and harvest their
crops. Tractors could do what oxen and horses had done but in far
fewer hours and requiring far less human labor. At the same time,
scientists began developing the earliest nitrogen fertilizers which would

15

reduce insect damage and increase crop volume per acre. Together,
tractors and chemical fertilizers changed the entire landscape of crop
production. When farmers used their tractors and other mechanized
equipment to apply chemical fertilizers, they could substantially boost
their production levels.
The twentieth century brought further increases in the use of
chemicals. Advances in mechanization as well as fertilizer and
pesticide development impacted the farming industry worldwide.
Irrigation systems and water management combined with more
advanced farm machinery and newer uses of chemicals improved work
efficiency and boosted production capacity.
During this time, however, research being done by a handful of
forward-thinking environmentalists gave cause for many to begin to
question the direction in which the agricultural industry was heading.
One of the earliest of these pioneers was Lord Northbourne of Kent,
England. An agriculturist, educator, author, and visionary thinker, he
was educated at Oxford and was for many years Provost of Wye
College, the agricultural college of London University. In 1940, Lord
Northbourne wrote his significant book, Look to the Land, in which he
coined the term "organic farming." His book describes his personal,
spiritual philosophy regarding the essential connection between
nature, soil, man, and God, as well as the idea of managing a farm as

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an organic whole (Lord Northbourne, www.sophiaperennis.com/
books/spiritual-ecology/look-to-the-land/).
Another British aristocrat, Sir Albert Howard, was considered by
many to be the founder, or father, of the organic movement. An
accomplished English botanist and son of a farmer, Sir Howard was
sent to India from 1905 to 1924 to be an agricultural advisor and
teach Western farming methods to Indian food growers. He soon found
that it was their methods he wanted to study. He began to favor
traditional Indian farming methods over conventional agricultural when
he saw the connections between healthy, compost-amended soil and
healthy crops, livestock, and people. After further improving traditional
Indian composting techniques into what is now known as the Indore
method, Sir Howard came to be thought of as the father of modern
composting. Today, he is known for his quote, “The health of soil,
plant, animal and man is one and indivisible” (Sir Albert Howard,
Founder of the Organic Farming Movement, www.ifoam.org/growing_
organic/definitions/pioneers/sir_albert_howard.php).
Keith Addison, noted journalist and founder of the Journey to
Forever Project, wrote this about Sir Albert Howard for the Journey to
Forever online library:
He adopted the best teachers: nature—“the supreme farmer”
—India’s peasants (whom he regarded as his prime

17

customers) and the pests and weeds the scientists were
committed to fighting with an ever-widening array of
poisons, but which Howard called his ‘Professors of
Agriculture.’ He saw pests in the context of nature’s use for
them as censors of soil fertility levels and unsuitable crops
growing in unsuitable conditions. He found that when the
unsuitable conditions were corrected, the pests departed. His
crops were virtually immune to pest attacks, and so was his
livestock (Addison, Journey to Forever).
Another early pioneer in organic agriculture who was inspired by
Sir Howard’s work in India was Lady Eve Balfour, a British-born student of
farming methods who conducted significant research in compost-based
farming and other organic agricultural concepts. At a 1977 international
conference of organic growers in Switzerland, Lady Balfour described her
initial interest and involvement:
Although I started farming in Suffolk in 1919, my own
interest in the ecological approach only began in the early
1930s. By that time local societies had been formed in
more than one country to promote organic husbandry and
whole food, though I was not aware of this until 1945
when plans were underway for forming the Soil
Association, the first society in the movement aiming at a
world membership, and with research high on its list of
priorities (Balfour, 1977).
In 1939, as part of her own research, Lady Balfour initiated the
first known study comparing organic farming methods with
conventional, chemical-based farming in a controlled setting. Her
Haughley Experiment was conducted on two adjoining English farms

18

where topography, weather patterns, and management were the same
but the specific farming methods used were different (Balfour, 1977).
At the conference in Switzerland, she described the experiment:
This pioneering experiment was the first ecologically
designed agricultural research project, on a full farm scale.
It was set up to fill a gap in the evidence on which the
claims for the benefits of organic [growing] were based.
The purpose [was] to assess what effect, if any, the
different soil treatments had on the biological quality of the
produce grown thereon, including its nutritive value as
revealed through its animal consumers. This had never
been done before. … Side-by-side units of land were
established, each large enough to operate a full farm
rotation, so that the food-chains involved—soil–plant–
animal and back to the soil—could be studied as they
functioned through successive rotational cycles, involving
many generations of plants and animals, in order that
interdependences between soil, plant and animal, and also
any cumulative effects could manifest (Balfour, 1977).

In 1943, in large part based on the Haughley Experiment, Lady Balfour
published The Living Soil, considered by many to be the definitive work
in organic agriculture and the organic movement. In 1946, she cofounded and became the first president of the Soil Association, an
international organization dedicated to promoting sustainable
agriculture (Lady Eve Balfour, www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/
definitions/pioneers/lady_eve_balfour.php).
One of Lady Balfour’s most important contributions was
inspiring other innovative thinkers to reconsider their approaches to

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food production. In the same address, she described other leaders in
early organic research:
These pioneers had one thing in common—they were what
we should now call ecologists. They all succeeded in
breaking away from the narrow confines of the preconceived ideas that dominated the scientific thinking of
their day. They looked at the living world from a new
perspective—they also asked new questions. Instead of the
contemporary obsession with disease and its causes, they
set out to discover the causes of health. This led inevitably
to an awareness of wholeness (the two words after all,
have the same origin) and to a gradual understanding that
all life is one” (Balfour, 1977).
The innovative research being done by Lady Balfour and Sir
Howard paralleled the discoveries of a Japanese scientist, farmer, and
philosopher, Massanobu Fukuoka. After recovering from a serious
illness at the age of 25, Fukuoka experienced a spiritual awakening
that led to his questioning of traditional, Western farming methods. He
began to study his father’s citrus orchard and developed a new belief
in the simplicity and healing benefits of nature. “I just emptied my
mind and tried to absorb what I could from nature,” he later wrote.
(Massanobu Fukuoka, www.onestrawrevolution.net/One_Straw_
Revolution/Massanobu_Fukuoka.html).
Today, Massanobu Fukuoka is credited for creating a method of
farming commonly referred to as Natural Farming or Do-Nothing

20

Farming, in which he advised farmers not what to do, but what not to
do. (Massanobu Fukuoka, www.onestrawrevolution.net/One_Straw_
Revolution/Massanobu_Fukuoka.html). Inspiring many within the
natural food and lifestyle movements, Fukuoka published his first book
in 1975 entitled One Straw Revolution that emphasized a meticulous
balance of the local farming ecosystem and a minimum of human
interference and labor. He broke his approach down into four primary
principles of natural farming: (1) no plowing or turning of the soil, (2)
no chemical fertilizers or prepared compost, (3) no weeding by tillage
or by herbicides, and (4) no dependence on chemical pesticides. “The
earth cultivates itself,” he wrote. “There is no need for man to do what
roots, worms, and micro-organisms do better” (Massanobu Fukuoka,
www.onestrawrevolution.net/One_Straw_Revolution/Massanobu_
Fukuoka.html).
In 1947, organic pioneer Jerome Irving Rodale established the
Rodale Institute in rural Pennsylvania to explore and develop methods
of rebuilding natural soil fertility. He had already established himself as
a writer and publisher of several books and magazines on topics
related to health, most notably Prevention Magazine. (Our Mission,
http://rodaleinstitute.org/about_us). Before founding the Institute,
Rodale had become keenly interested in farming. He had learned about
new food-growing concepts being pioneered by Lady Eve Balfour and

21

Sir Albert Howard. Rather than working on reducing insect damage and
increasing crop output, he began to study farming methods which
focused on making people healthy. He made the connection between
healthy soils and healthy people, popularizing Lord Northbourne’s term
"organic" as a reference to its being grown without pesticides. (J. I.
Rodale Dead, June 8, 1971, http.select.nytimes.com/gst/
abstract.html?res=F70615F83D5A1A7493CAA9178DD85F458785F9).
As Rodale communicated the idea of creating soil rich in nutrients and
free of contaminants, people began to listen and acceptance grew.
“Organics is not a fad,” he wrote in 1954. “It has been a longestablished practice—much more firmly grounded than the current
chemical flair. Present agricultural practices are leading us downhill”
(Moyer, 2011, p. xiii).
The Rodale Institute launched a comparative study in 1981 under
the leadership of farm manager Jeff Moyer to research organic growing
methods versus conventional growing methods over the long term. The
focus of the Farming Systems Trial was “to study what happens during
the transition from chemical to organic agriculture.” The results
“surprised a food community that still scoffed at organic practices. After
an initial decline in yields during the first few years of transition, the
organic system soon rebounded to match or surpass the conventional
system” (Rodale Institute, 2011, Farming Systems Trial, p. 5).

22

To this day, under Jeff Moyer’s management, that study
continues, and the Rodale Institute also maintains its other pioneering
research in organic agriculture, advocating for policies that support
farmers, and educating people about how organic methods are the
safest, healthiest option for people and the planet. Jeff Moyer is an
expert in organic crop production systems including weed management, cover crops, crop rotations, equipment modification and use,
and facilities design. He has helped countless farmers make the
transition from conventional, chemical-based farming to organic or
sustainable methods. Throughout his more than thirty years at the
Rodale Institute, Moyer has brought a farmer’s practical perspective to
numerous issues in organic agriculture. He is a past chair of the
National Organic Standards Board, which assists the USDA Secretary
of Agriculture in developing standards for materials to be used in
organic production as well as advising on other aspects of implementing
the National Organic Program. He is also a member of the Leonardo
Academy’s committee on sustainability, and a founding board member
of Pennsylvania Certified Organic (Moyer, 2011, back cover).
In his on-line article, Making the Transition to Organic Farming,
It May be Easier than You Think, Jeff Moyer writes,

23

As a farmer, I am happy to report that organic farming can
deliver many rewards. To begin, organic farming makes
good economic sense. Using organic management
practices, I have minimized my input, increased my
market opportunities, and most importantly, increased my
control over prices (Moyer, 2005).

Following in the footsteps of earlier innovators, today’s leaders in
the organic movement deal with the challenges we face as a society
that recognizes the critical need for change. These challenges of
change include persuading growers to make the transition to certified
organic farming methods as well as the stringent steps they must follow
in order to become certified. One of today’s organic agriculture leaders is
Leslie Duram, PhD, a professor of geography and environmental
resources at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Dr.
Duram is an expert in the social and ecological aspects of organic
farming and local food and a strong advocate for education. In her paper
Organic Farmers in the US: Opportunities, Realities, and Barriers, she
points out that in addition to the challenges farmers face in shifting from
conventional to organic farming, there also are plentiful opportunities—
and financial rewards. “Organic farmers need research and information,”
she wrote. “They need to be informed so that they can make good
choices for their production and marketing activities” (Duram, 2006).

24

Like Leslie Duram, Eliot Coleman is a leader and advocate in
today’s organic growing movement. He is a self-taught farmer from
New England who is well known for developing successful techniques
for cold-weather growing. He developed his own farm into a center of
learning for people who are interested in organic and sustainable
farming practices. He has been active in the International Federation
of Organic Agricultural Movements, serving as its executive director for
two years, and he has been an advisor to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (Eliot Coleman, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Coleman).
He wrote The New Organic Grower in 1989 and published its revised
edition in 1995. The book is considered the ‘go-to’ document for
anyone interested in organic growing, from commercial farmers to
beginning home gardeners. The 1995 revised text and appendix
provide a wide variety of answers on topics ranging from soils, seeds,
manures, tools, seasonal growing, weed and pest control, and
marketing techniques (Coleman, 1995).

Organizations, Advocacy, Regulation, and Promotion
As organic agriculture has developed, there has been a need for an
organizational framework uniting its leaders, providing education,
promoting information sharing, and regulating its methods. From a

25

global to a local level, growers and advocates rely on these
organizations for information, guidance, and structure.
The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements
(IFOAM) was established in 1972 in Versailles, France, under the
leadership of Lady Eve Balfour and four other international pioneers in
organic farming. Its mission, as stated in its preamble, is “leading,
uniting and assisting the organic movement in its full diversity”
(Mission and Goals, www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/inside_ifoam/
mission.html). The goal of this international umbrella organization is
“the worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially and economically
sound systems that are based on the principles of organic agriculture”
(Mission and Goals, www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/inside_ifoam/
mission.html). Through annual conferences and other well-attended
gatherings that take place around the world, IFOAM actively ensures
an ongoing exchange of ideas concerning the status and advancement
of organic agriculture (Mission and Goals, www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/
inside_ifoam/mission.html).
In order to fulfill its mission, IFOAM follows five main objectives:
(1) building a worldwide voice for the organic movement; (2)
developing, communicating and defending the principles of organic
growing; (3) advocating and facilitating the implementation of organic
agriculture; (4) promoting the development of markets for organic

26

food products; and (5) ensuring an effectively managed organization
with sufficient and sustainable resources (Mission and Goals,
http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/inside_ifoam/mission.html).
The most significant contribution IFOAM has made, and the one for
which it is best known, is its Four Principles of Organic Agriculture.
These standards provide a basic philosophical approach in the four
areas of health, ecology, fairness, and care, as follows:


The Principle of Health: Organic Agriculture should sustain and
enhance the health of soil, plants, animal, human and planet as
one and indivisible;



The Principle of Ecology: Organic Agriculture should be based on
living ecological systems and cycles, work with them, emulate
them and help sustain them;



The Principle of Fairness: Organic Agriculture should build on
relationships that ensure fairness with regard to the common
environment and life opportunities; and



The Principle of Care: Organic Agriculture should be managed in
a precautionary and responsible manner to protect the health
and well-being of current and future generations and the
environment (The Principles of Organic Agriculture,
http://www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/principles/index.html).

The National Organic Program (NOP) works on a national level to
ensure the integrity of USDA organic products in the United States. It
is “a regulatory program responsible for developing national standards
for organically-produced agricultural products. It requires all organic
food products to meet the same standards and be certified under the

27

same certification process. These standards assure consumers that
products with the USDA organic seal meet consistent, uniform standards”
(Organic Certification, http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/
usda/usdahome?navid=ORGANIC_CERTIFICATIO). Among the key
activities of the NOP are: (1) developing guidelines on organic
standards; (2) maintaining a list of acceptable and unacceptable
substances; (3) accrediting and certifying organic producers and staff;
(4) providing international import and export policies; (5) training
USDA certifying agents and staff; and (6) investigating violations and
complaints in organic production and distribution (National Organic
Program, www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop).
Within the National Organic Program is the National Organic
Standards Board (NOSB), which was organized in 2000 using the tools
set forth in the Organic Food Production Act that had been passed
earlier that year. The NOSB is composed of growers, environmentalists,
consumers, distributors, retailers, and USDA certifying agents. Their
role is to make recommendations to the USDA on a wide variety of
issues relating to organic food production, distribution, and marketing
(National Organic Standards Board, www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOSB).
One of the first in the nation to establish an organic certification
program, the state of Washington is considered a leader in the modern
organic movement. The Organic Food Program of the Washington

28

State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) ensures and upholds the
integrity of the statewide organic food label by educating growers and
consumers and regulating standards for growing. They also certify and
inspect organic crop and livestock producers, distributors and retailers
(WSDA Organic Food Program, http://agr.wa.gov/foodanimal/organic/
#WSDAOrganic).
On a local level, according to WSDA Organic Food Program
specialist Christa Bemis, Thurston County, Washington does not have
its own regulatory body regarding organic food production or labeling.
Instead, it follows the guidelines issued and maintained by the WSDA
Organic Food Program (C. Bemis, personal communication, January
21, 2005).

29

CHAPTER TWO
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION IN WASHINGTON STATE

Introduction
As explained in Chapter One, organic agriculture refers to an ecological
production management system that promotes and utilizes bio-diversity,
biological cycles, and biological soil activity (Washington State
Department of Agriculture, Organic Crop Production, AGR PUB 420175). It minimizes the use of potentially harmful farming management
practices and emphasizes practices that restore, maintain, and
enhance ecological harmony. Accordingly, when used in the context of
the National Organic Standards Board, the word ‘organic’ is a labeling
term that indicates that crops have been produced using the systems
described above and in compliance with the approved certification
standards of the United States Department of Agriculture Organic
Foods Production Act of 1990 (WSDA, Organic Crop Production, AGR
PUB 420-175). WSDA Organic Food Program specialist Christa Bemis
explained that the National Organic Program, which oversees the
National Organic Standards Board, sets the standard to which all food
and crops intended to be sold in the United States as ‘organic’ must be
produced. Organic certification, then, designates and assures the
consumer that an independent third party has verified that all
30

requirements of organic crop production, processing and handling have
been met (C. Bemis, Personal communication, 2005). The only
growers who are exempt from meeting these certification
requirements are those who annually sell $5,000 or less of organic
products. Within the framework of the National Organic Program, each
state has its own specific certification process and requirements (C.
Bemis, Personal communication, 2005).

The Certification Process
In order to be certified ‘organic’ in Washington State, organic growers
are required to complete an application process that can take anywhere from three and a half months to three years. Applicants who
have never farmed their land before and/or those whose land has
never been treated with substances prohibited by the National Organic
Program can expect to receive 100% organic certification for their
crops in as little as three or four months. However, conventional
growers—those whose land has been treated with prohibited
materials—who now wish to switch over to organic growing must
undergo a 36-month, transitional waiting period prior to the planting
and harvesting of their first ‘100% certified organic’ crops. For those
applicants, the WSDA offers a Transitional Certification Program, which
is explained in more detail below.

31

The basic application process involves written forms, inspections,
reports, and recommendations. The process is set forth by the
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) in seven basic
steps which are listed in two WSDA documents: (1) Guide to Organic
Certification [AGR PUB 420-237, p. 8]; and (2) Organic Crop
Production [AGR PUB 420-175]. By following the details provided in
these steps, an applicant will be assured that the application is
complete and the inspection of the organic growing business is
successful. These basic seven steps are:
Step 1:

Applicant contacts the WSDA Organic Food
Program and requests application materials
and resources.

Step 2:

Applicant reads the WSDA’s Guide to Organic
Certification and Organic Rules and
Regulations.

Step 3:

Applicant completes the WSDA application
materials and submits appropriate fees.

Step 4:

WSDA reviews and approves application packet.

Step 5:

WSDA Organic Field Specialist inspects
applicant’s farmlands for previous treatment
using prohibited materials. Also examined are
the applicant’s growing practices, business
plan, and written records.

Step 6:

Field Specialist submits report; WSDA
Certification Specialist reviews report, requests additional information or makes
recommendations, if necessary, and makes
final certification decision.

Step 7:

WSDA issues Organic Certificate to applicant
(WSDA, Organic Crop Production, AGR PUB
420-175).

32

WSDA Transitional Certification Program
Not all applicants will be eligible for 100% organic certification in their
first year. As explained above, growers whose land has been treated with
prohibited synthetic materials in previous years will need to transition
their land over a period of 36 months before they can label their crops as
100% organic. (A definitive list of those prohibited materials can be
found in the WSDA’s publication Organic Rules and Regulations [AGR PUB
420-209, pp. 46-48], a helpful resource which is discussed in more detail
below.) It is at Step 5, listed previously, that a determination will be
made by an Organic Field Specialist whether or not the application may
proceed or be delayed and considered ‘transitional.’ Should the
application be deemed transitional, the waiting period will be 36 months
during which the applicants must refrain from applying any of the
prohibited substances to their land and crops (WSDA, Organic Crop
Production, AGR PUB 420-175).
The WSDA offers the option of a unique transitional certification
level. It allows a grower to use a “Certified Transitional” label after the
first twelve months of growing crops during which no prohibited materials
have been applied. Requirements for transitional labeling are listed on
page 25 of A Guide to Organic Certification, also described in more detail
below (WSDA, Guide to Organic Certification, AGR PUB 420-237, p. 25).

33

Helpful Resources
The Guide to Organic Certification described in Step 2 above is an
excellent resource for crop producers who wish to apply for organic
certification in Washington State (WSDA, Guide to Organic
Certification, AGR PUB 420-237). It provides answers to a number of
questions regarding soil preparation, fertilizer application, weed
control, and crop transplantation. It also offers guidelines to recordkeeping requirements as well as a detailed description of the process
of transitioning from conventional farming practices to organic
growing. Finally, the guide describes the labeling requirements of the
National Organic Program and explains the differences between
various labeling claims, e.g., “100% Organic,” “95-100% Organic
Ingredients,” “Made with 70-95% Organic Ingredients,” and “Less than
70% Organic Ingredients” (WSDA, Guide to Organic Certification,
AGR PUB 420-237, p. 20-21). Also, as described above, the WSDA
Transitional Certification Program allows growers to use “Certified
Transitional” labels after their first twelve months during which no
prohibited materials have been applied (WSDA, Guide to Organic
Certification, AGR PUB 420-237, p. 25).
Another invaluable resource for potential organic certification
applicants is a booklet, also published by the WSDA Organic Food
Program, entitled Organic Rules and Regulations. In a straightforward

34

manner, it begins by presenting the National Organic Program’s
certification and accreditation standards regarding the production,
handling, labeling, and overall administration of an organic growing
operation. Section Two provides WSDA organic regulations concerning
specific products, registration, labeling, marketing, and required fees
(WSDA, Organic Rules and Regulations, AGR PUB 420-209, pp. 62-87).
One of the most critical components in Organic Rules and
Regulations covers record-keeping and documentation. It should be
noted by any grower about to transition from conventional farming to
organic growing that the record-keeping practices are different. In
order to maintain the status of certified organic, each business must
possess and maintain records indicating compliance with the
regulations set forth by the National Organic Program and the WSDA.
Such records, which must be maintained for a period of no less than
five years, should detail production, harvesting, and handling of
agricultural products that are intended to be sold, labeled or
represented as organic. They also must fully disclose all activities and
transactions while adequately demonstrating compliance with the
Organic Foods Production Act of 1990. Growers must make records
available for inspection and copying during regular business hours
(WSDA, Organic Rules and Regulations, AGR PUB 420-209, p. 12).

35

WSDA’s Christa Bemis advises aspiring organic growers that
accurate and complete applications will expedite the permit process for
staff at the WSDA (C. Bemis, personal communication, 2005).
Applicants will find that the WSDA publishes a helpful guide, Tips on
Completing Your Application Forms for Organic Certification, which is
available by contacting the WSDA Organic Food Program.
Ms. Bemis also emphasizes the point that the staff of the
WSDA Organic Food Program are readily available to address specific
questions or concerns regarding either the application process or
actual practices in organic food production (C. Bemis, personal
communication, 2005).

36

CHAPTER THREE
HOW TO TRANSITION FROM CONVENTIONAL
TO ORGANIC CROP PRODUCTION
After thirty years of a rigorous side-by-side comparison,
the Rodale Institute confidently concludes organic
methods are improving the quality of our food,
improving the health of our soils and water, and
improving our nation’s rural areas. Organic agriculture
is creating more jobs, providing a livable income for
farmers, and restoring America’s confidence in our
farming community and food system (Rodale Institute,
Farming Systems Trial, 2011).

Introduction
Those of us who have made the choice to change the way we
grow crops have based that decision on our personal ideals. We value
people, health, and the environment, and we seek ways we can
contribute to our shared wellbeing. If you have made the decision to
begin this conversion, there is no question: You have a long road
ahead of you. But your beliefs and ideals will provide the fuel you will
need, and the benefits will prove to be immeasurable, and vastly
rewarding.
The challenge in making the transition from conventional to
organic farming might at first seem overwhelming. Jeff Moyer, the
Rodale Institute farm manager, recognizes that. On the Rodale

37

Institute website, he wrote, “The idea of having to change your
farming practices and then wait three years for certification may seem
rather intimidating” (Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/
transition_fact_sheet). But he also assures his readers that the
transition can be accomplished—as long as it includes plenty of careful
forethought, information gathering, and planning. “A transition to
organic farming is not as hard as you might think,” he writes (Moyer,
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet).
While thousands of growers have made successful transitions to
organic crop production, it is Jeff Moyer’s work with the Rodale
Institute and its research farm that positions them as the continuing
leader in the field. Therefore, for the purposes of this thesis, we will
focus on Moyer’s own experience. In the same newsletter article
referenced above, Moyer describes the transition to organic agriculture
as a five-step process that can be both profitable and rewarding, and
can, most likely, be followed when beginning any transition or new
program. Specifically, Moyer’s five steps as taken directly from this
article are (1) visualize, (2) evaluate, (3) educate, (4) plan, and (5)
act (Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet).

38

Visualization
The secret to productive goal setting is in establishing
clearly defined goals, writing them down and then
focusing on them several times a day with words,
pictures and emotions as if we've already achieved
them. —Denis Waitley, American writer, speaker and
consultant
(S. Hartmann, 2003, http://silviahartmann.com/essaygoal-setting.php).

The visualization process—perhaps the most individual and personal of
the steps—allows the grower to use his or her imagination, to come up
with a picture in one’s mind of the endless possibilities of this new
venture before writing any plans or taking any action. The visualization
process is one that shouldn’t be limited. It should be a creative and
expansive exercise that includes not only the knowledge you now have
and the ways you plan to apply that knowledge, but also the vast
potential of new ideas and opportunities that may present themselves
along the way. Visualization can begin with some basic questions:
What is your ultimate goal in this transition? What new crops might
you want to introduce? What variables will you need to consider in
bringing about changes? What markets for organic products might you
now be able to access? How much of your space is not currently being
used that could be? What additional capacity might be available?

39

“Envision the ways in which you want your farming business to grow and
change, including a clear idea of your ideal future, and possible one, five,
and ten-year goals to help you along the way,” Moyer writes (Moyer,
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet).

Evaluation
People must be realistic when evaluating their
business. A company with no sales can still have
value, but it depends on the intellectual property
the company has … It is not the idea, it’s the
execution, and in the product world, you can’t
just license an idea.
—Kevin Harrington, American entrepreneur
(Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2012/06/08/
shark-tank-roundtable-how-to-evaluate-your-business/)

Before any business can be launched or major change introduced, one
must always take inventory of the factors that might influence the
outcome of the project and then determine whether it is prudent to
continue, or whether specific conditions must first be adjusted. “Take
inventory of all your current resources and practices,” Jeff Moyer says.
“You may be surprised to discover the real value of your machinery
and operation, and you may find that some of your current practices
meet, or can be easily modified to meet the organic standards”
(Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet). Moreover,

40

to ensure success, the evaluation process should become a continuing
part of the overall project. The data you gather from thorough record
keeping and from ongoing evaluations will inform other decisions being
made throughout the entire project. This is especially true in crop
production due to the many variables that must be considered, such as
soil composition, weather conditions, and market demands. Perhaps
most importantly, Moyer also reminds us, “As you evaluate your
position and begin your transition toward organic practices, it is
important to take your time” (Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/
transition_fact_sheet).
The evaluation process can begin with an overview and assessment of current crop production including the condition of the soil and
equipment being used, and the knowledge and availability of existing
staff. Jeff Swotek of the Natural Resources Conservation Service states
that the testing of the soil is prudent for nutrient management, best
return of farming efforts, and the gaining of knowledge of soil types
and possible amendment alternatives (J. Swotek, personal
communication, March 25, 2005). Current operating expenses,
recorded weather patterns, recent market performance, and the level
of revenues now being generated are other aspects that need to be
assessed (R. Hastie, CPA, personal communication, March 20 2005).

41

Crop rotation should be considered as part of the ongoing
evaluation process in order to maintain production levels and meet
evolving market demands (Coleman, 1995, pp.50-53). Crop rotation
may require changes in your planting and harvesting operation. A
former manager of the Barn Nursery, Chuck Pavlich, suggested that it
may become evident that exploring the market for alternative crops
would also be of economic benefit (C. Pavlich, personal communication, February 26, 2005).
Subsequent evaluation could address the need for additional
equipment to make the transition, and even some innovative ways in
which that equipment could be used to generate extra income. For
example, Robert Wallace, an expert in farm and equipment management in the Thurston County area, suggests that your equipment can
be used off site when it is not being used on site.
With the appropriate tractor, a trained and knowledgeable
staff person can provide tilling or weeding services to other
nearby farm operations and generate revenues in so doing.
Just be sure that tractor is never too far from your own
farm should it be needed there (R. Wallace, personal
communication, March 2, 2005).
Even at the completion of harvest, a thorough evaluation of the
entire process may reveal various changes that are needed to improve the
planting, production, and security of the crop in future years of production.

42

Eliot Coleman, a national figure in the modern organic
movement who is described in detail in Chapter One, cautions growers
to base the evaluation process on clear, accurate, representative data.
Whether it concerns weather patterns or market fluctuations, being
realistic will increase the chances that the transition to certified organic
farming will be a successful one (E. Coleman, personal communication, February 25, 2005). “Organic growing is not complicated. Nor is it
difficult,” he wrote in his book, The New Organic Grower. “It is the
most straightforward way of raising plants. Difficulties usually arise
from a misunderstanding of how it works” (Coleman, 1995, p. xii).

Education
Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
—John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
(www.quoteworld.org/quotes/12210)
While much of a grower’s experience and body of knowledge will carry
over from traditional to organic farming methods, there will be much
new information to learn as well. “Begin by learning the basics about
organic practices and guidelines,” Moyer recommends, “and compile a
list of contacts and resources (other farmers, extension agents,

43

organizations, and books) that can continue to provide help to you as
you progress toward your goals” (Moyer, www.rodaleinstitute.org/
transition_fact_sheet).
Aspiring organic growers in Washington State are fortunate to
have access to a strong statewide community of individuals, farms,
businesses, schools, state organizations and professional growers’
associations. You will find that organic farming is an industry that is
not only about profits but also about the intangibles of organic
farming: making improvements to the environment and to personal
and public health. As a result, it is a community characterized by an
eager willingness to share knowledge and support (J. Gordon,
personal communication, August 22, 2012). In addition to establishing
these types of contacts, an individual seeking to establish a new
organic farm or convert an existing farm to an organic one will benefit
from the wealth of information available in print and on the Internet.
Among the most helpful websites are those maintained by:


The Rodale Institute (www.rodaleinstitute.org)



The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(www.epa.gov/oecaagct/torg.html)



The Organic Consumers Association
(www.organicconsumers.org)

44



The Oregon State University, Organic Agriculture Program,
Department of Horticulture (http://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/
group/organic-agriculture-program)



The Washington State University Organic Agriculture Program
(http://csanr.wsu.edu/Organic)
Some of the most helpful publications are Eliot Coleman’s The

New Organic Grower, Jeff Moyer’s Organic No-Till Farming, and Ron
Macher’s Making Your Small Farm Profitable.
The New Organic Grower was first printed in 1989, then revised
and reprinted in 1995. It is a clear, comprehensive, and straightforward guide to all aspects of the successful organic farm, regardless
of its size, location, climate, soil composition, or crop output. In this
book, Eliot Coleman, a well-known author and a recognized leader in
the modern organic movement, shares his vast, practical knowledge
about how to grow top-quality organic vegetables and fruits, how to
harvest and market crops, and how to keep an operation sustainable
and profitable. He also offers a wide range of recommendations to the
grower on a month-to-month, crop-by-crop, and region-by-region
basis, as well as a lengthy list of resources for equipment, seeds,
building materials, tools, livestock, and more. Coleman endorses a
production model that simplifies production techniques, uses the most
efficient machinery and tools, reduces expenditures on purchased

45

supplies, and markets produce for maximum profitability. “From my
experience, these four areas represent the basic information needed for
small-scale, economically successful, biologically based food production”
(Coleman, 1995, p. 3).
Jeff Moyer’s book, Organic No-Till Farming focuses on the specifics
related to reducing or eliminating tillage while improving the organic
matter in soil. The information in his book is based on the research Moyer
has conducted in his more than thirty years as farm manager at the
Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and can be applied equally
well on conventional and certified organic farms. It reflects the Rodale
Institute’s well-known founding theme and trademark phrase: “Healthy
Soil, Healthy Food, Healthy People” (Rodale Institute, Anthony Rodale,
Chairman Emeritus, www.rodaleinstitute.org/boardofdirectors). The book
provides a logical approach to making the transition to organic no-till
growing with an emphasis on the importance of cover crops in this type of
operation. It also covers the key areas of erosion control, pests and
diseases, weed management, water management, nutrient management,
and financial planning. A glossary, an inclusive list of resources, and a
catalog of Moyer’s own contributions to the Rodale Institute’s Web site
rounds out this very worthwhile publication (Moyer, 2011).

46

As its title suggests, Making Your Small Farm Profitable by Ron
Macher is focused on the fiscal side of running a successful farm.
Macher offers a list of twenty-five guiding principles to help a grower
produce new crops and cultivate new markets while ensuring and
maximizing per-acre profits (Macher, 1999, pp. 43-49). He takes the
reader through the entire building process, beginning with the basic
concepts of sustainable farming and ending with his proven
agricultural management practices. Macher’s book concludes with
extensive, comprehensive resource lists which will be invaluable to any
grower who wants to make his or her operation profitable (Macher,
1999, pp. 244-268).

Planning
Developing the plan is actually laying out the sequence of
events that have to occur for you to achieve your goal.
—George Morrisey, Strategic and Tactical Planning Expert
(www.iwise.com/goKDq)
Anyone who has gone through the steps of envisioning an organic
farm, evaluating available and potential resources, and learning what
makes an organic farm successful will be wise to follow the advice of
D. E. McFarland, author of the 1958 university-level textbook,

47

Management Principles and Practices, who wrote, “Planning must be
planned for” (McFarland, 1958, p. 84). In other words, you must allow
yourself the time that will be needed to develop a sound, realistic
business and management plan.
Regarding the value of the business plan for implementing a
transition to organic farming, Rodale’s Jeff Moyer explains it this way:
“Organize a ‘road map’ of practical steps that you plan to follow to
achieve your goals and vision. Be certain to commit this plan to paper so
it is clear for you, and be prepared for some of the steps to change as
your work progresses” (Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/
transition_fact_sheet).
In The New Organic Grower, Eliot Coleman shares his approach
to planning.
I soon learned to plan ahead much more efficiently than I
ever had — to set out the whole year’s work on paper during
the winter months and thus have a good grasp well in
advance of what resources I would need, where they would
come from, how I would acquire them, and how much time
I could allot to each task” (Coleman, 1995, p. 33).
The planning process also includes the marketing of your proposed
crops, which may not all be for food or agricultural consumption. Some of
the crops may be planted and marketed to retail nurseries, garden
centers, and farmers’ markets as organic nursery stock (C. Pavlich,
personal communication, February 26, 2005).

48

The management or business plan is critical for a number of
reasons. First, your plan will serve as an inclusive and comprehensive
blueprint of what you can expect, from the initial stages of
visualization and goal setting, through each subsequent benchmark
and milestone, to the final steps of harvesting your crops and taking
them to market. Your plan will allow for the correct and timely flow of
the different action steps you will take in the areas of production
planning, financial planning, manpower planning, and product
planning, ensuring that you keep your focus, remain true to your
vision, and follow a logical progression of your planned process
(McFarland, 1958, pp. 86-89).
Thorough, advance planning will also give you the opportunity
to take what you read and learn about other organic operations, and
then tailor your own plan to incorporate the knowledge you’ve gained
and apply it to your own land, conditions, and goals. Because all
farming is impacted by external factors over which you have no
control—temperatures, rainfall, staffing issues, mechanical
breakdowns, market fluctuations—a well thought-out plan can help to
ensure that you are prepared at every step—and for the unexpected.
In addition, the plan you develop and follow this year will serve you
well next year when you want to look back, recall what you did,

49

evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and determine what you need
to change and what should remain the same.
Another purpose of the business plan relates to obtaining your
organic certification. In Chapter Two (pages 30-36), we outlined the
seven steps that must be taken in order to become a certified organic
grower in the state of Washington, as recommended by the
Washington State Department of Agriculture. After contacting the
WSDA Organic Food Program, reading both their Guide to Organic
Certification (AGR PUB 420-237) and Organic Rules and Regulations
(AGR PUB 420-209), and then completing the necessary application
forms, an applicant will be contacted by a WSDA representative who
will conduct an inspection of the prospective farm and determine the
viability and qualifications of the operation. The applicant’s business
plan and record-keeping practices will be two of the most critical
components of that inspection. From them you will have an ongoing
journal of daily operations that will demonstrate to the inspector that
the applicant is in full compliance with all required documentation.
Without the business plan, the inspection will be incomplete (C. Bemis,
personal communication, January 21, 2005).
There is one more reason why a business plan is crucial to your
success as an organic farmer. Unless you have adequate funds and are

50

able to make a substantial investment, you may need the assistance
and support of a financial institution for either long or short-term
borrowing. Should that be the case, your business plan, with an
accompanying financial pro forma, will be required by the prospective
lender to demonstrate that you have thought through your goals,
anticipated your expenses and revenues, built an infrastructure to
support the business, and will be a strong candidate for lending.
Any effective business plan—regardless of the type of business—
will include some main components. On the following pages, an outline
for a suggested plan lists and explains those components. The outline
is based on a composite of plans as found in two different business
resources: (a) The Complete Book of Business Plans [Covello &
Hazelgren, 1995, pp. 88-116] and (b) The Suitcase Entrepreneur
[Sisson, www.suitcaseentrepreneur.com/tag/one-page-business-plan/].
This outline contains each of the main components of a business plan
followed by a brief explanation of each component. A fully developed
sample business plan for transitioning to organic farming can be found
in Appendix B.

51

SUGGESTED OUTLINE FOR A BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary – an introduction and overview of the entire
business plan condensing project goals and objectives, anticipated
operations, staff and equipment requirements, revenue and
expense projections, and opportunities for growth.

II. Mission Statement – a brief statement that explains the primary
purpose of the business. Every activity that takes place in the
business must directly or indirectly contribute to the realization of
the purpose described in the mission statement.

III. Main Goals – a list of three to five main objectives for the
business, i.e., what you want most to accomplish. These goals should
be specific, realistic, positive, and both short- and long-term.

IV. Strategies for Achieving Goals – a detailed list of the activities
that must take place in order to accomplish your objectives.

V. Strengths and Challenges – an inclusive list that outlines both
your assets and the possible obstacles that will impact your ability
to reach your goals.

52

VI. Anticipated Customer Base – the potential consumer markets
for all your products and services.

VII. Estimate of Anticipated Expenses – a comprehensive list of all
operating costs you will need to consider in planning the business.
See Tables 1 through 4 on pages 71-74 for a sample annual
breakdown of anticipated expenses.

VIII. Estimate of Anticipated Gross Income – a list of revenues
you expect will be generated by your products and services. See
Tables 5 through 8 on pages 75-78 for a sample analysis of total
annual revenue, expenses, and net profit.

IX. Areas of Potential Diversification/Growth – essentially, a
vision of future possibilities, i.e., how you can expand and grow
your business beyond the objectives described in the initial
business plan.

X. Staffing Needs – a detailed list of needed personnel and their
qualifications, roles, responsibilities, and wages/benefits.

(END OF BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE)

53

Action Plan
Take your first practical step, as outlined on your road map,
and then continue along your planned path
with patience and deliberation.
—Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute Farm Manager
(Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet)

As you prepare to make the transition from conventional to
organic farming, it will be helpful to keep some key ideas in mind.
First, Jeff Moyer recommends that if you break the process down into
manageable steps, the transition can be both profitable and rewarding.
He adds, “Many farmers who have made this transition have told me
that their organic management practices have brought them a sense
of fun and satisfaction to their work, and to their lives as a whole”
(Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet).
Second, it will help to remind yourself frequently why you are
taking on this challenging project. Continually touch base with your
value system and reflect on the long list of benefits of what you are
doing, on both a small and broad scale: improved soil health, reduced
damage and decreased toxicity in the environment, and healthier
children, families, and communities.
It will also be helpful to make and maintain connections with
others who share these basic values, from small local growers’
associations to nationally recognized educational institutions. You are

54

not alone in your decision to find a better way to grow crops. The
experience and knowledge that others have accumulated will inspire
and encourage you, while at the same time, your own enthusiasm may
inspire yet others to follow a similar path.
Together, Jeff Moyer’s five-step transition process and the
suggested business plan outlined in this chapter form the basis of the
transition plan provided in the following chapter. It is a case study of
an actual transition from conventional to organic farming that took
place on 350 acres at the Black River Ranch in Thurston County,
Washington.

55

CHAPTER FOUR
BLACK RIVER RANCH: A CASE STUDY
Introduction
The following case study describes an actual plan to make a profitable
transition from traditional farming methods to certified organic farming
methods on a dairy farm in Thurston County, Washington. This plan
was originally conceived and written in 2005. At that time, I was a
lessee of some cropland on the Black River Ranch located in southwest
Washington, where I was growing corn silage (animal feed) during the
main growing season and a variety of cover crops in the off season.
When I wrote this plan, I anticipated implementing the entire
transition as described on the following pages, and although the
complete transition was never fully implemented due to unforeseen
changes in land and business ownership, the plan does cover all
aspects of a projected transition and ultimately demonstrates the
profitability of growing certified organic crops in this region.
The Black River Ranch is a successful, 700-acre commercial dairy
farm that has been in operation for approximately forty years. Activities
on the farm have consisted primarily of (1) raising, feeding and
milking dairy cows, (2) growing feed crops for the dairy cows, (3)

56

managing dairy by-products to be used as soil amendments, and (4)
maintaining the land in a purposeful and responsible manner.
The Black River Ranch and its land and business operation are
described in detail in a Conservation Plan that was approved and
published in 2002 by the United States Department of Agriculture Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in cooperation with the Thurston
Conservation District. The Conservation Plan, which is written in
compliance with state permit requirements, is a tool designed to help a
grower be a responsible steward of the land. It evaluates the soil, water,
air, and plant and animal resources on a farm property and provides the
land owner with options for effectively managing and protecting
resources. Copies of a conservation plan are typically kept at two sites:
the farm operations office and the NRCS office. The Black River Ranch
Conservation Plan was written by Jeff Swotek of the USDA NRCS
(Thurston County Conservation District Farm Plan, 2002).

The Vision
Like Jeff Moyer’s system of transitioning to organic farming,
which is described in detail in the previous chapter, this plan began
with the visualization process (Moyer, http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/
transition_fact_sheet).

57

In the early winter of 2004, having become keenly aware of the
growing popularity and healthy benefits of organic foods, I had begun
to consider using the land I was already farming (using traditional
methods) to try growing organic crops instead. As stated above, I had
been leasing 350 acres of farmland on the Black River Ranch. I was
using 330 of those acres to grow corn and sell it to dairy farmers for
cattle feed. The additional twenty acres, which were adjacent to the
larger portion, had been inactive for more than three years. While
working the fields, I would analyze the possibilities of a transition to
organic farming methods and consider what some of my options and
advantages would be if I were to make this transition. I concluded that
my vision had potential, and I decided to go about it in a logical
manner, learning what I needed to know, meeting other growers
whose experiences could guide me, and farming the land using the
approach and specific practices that would ensure a successful
transition.
One of the first things I learned was that Washington State
requires farmland to be free of non-approved chemical and pesticide
use for a period of three full years before crops grown on it can be
marketed and sold as certified organic crops. I had previously used
chemicals on my 330 acres of corn crop to control weed growth, but it
had been more than three years since I had applied chemicals to the

58

smaller, twenty-acre area. I learned that crops grown on the those twenty
acres could be sold as certified organic in the first year, but that it would
be three years before the larger section of land would be con-sidered
chemical-free and corn grown on it could be certified and sold as organic.
(See Appendix C, page 102-103, for Black River Ranch Site Maps.)
Based on those built-in timeframes, I envisioned further.
Because I had been successful both growing and selling corn silage in
the past, I decided to continue, but now I would be using an allorganic (chemical-free) approach. In my first season I would plant
corn seed on the entire 350 acres. After the harvest, the majority of
corn would continue to be sold as it had been in previous years.
However, the corn grown on the smaller section would now be
certified organic by the state, and I could market and sell it as such
and expect it to yield higher prices as a result.
Even further ahead, I envisioned using a portion of the land to
eventually grow a variety of nursery stock (primarily fruit trees) which
I could sell at The Barn Nursery—my family business—for additional
revenues. My vision also included growing organic vegetables to sell at
The Barn as well as at local farmers markets.
I knew I needed to educate myself, which would provide me with
the tools and skill sets I would need as well as a broader picture of

59

what all my options were. With these visions and concepts, I was
initiating the journey Jeff Moyer had written about—although I didn’t
realize it at the time.

Evaluation
My early research on organic farming provided my next big reality
check. As described above, I had been growing corn silage at the Black
River Ranch for several years. I planted the corn in early spring, and by
the fall harvest, each acre was producing between 23 and 30 tons of
corn. Now, I learned that increased weed competition (from not using
chemical herbicides) would result in a per-acre yield of 33 percent less
than before. Instead of 23 to 30 tons of corn per acre, I should now
expect a yield of only 18 tons per acre.
Also in previous years, I had grown off-season cover crops such
as winter wheat, rye, and triticale, which also were used for feeding dairy
animals. Each acre produced between four and eight tons of cover crop.
While making my transition, I could continue to plant winter cover crops
after the conclusion of each corn season and harvest them in the
spring. I figured that with a yield of four tons per acre on each of the
twenty acres considered certified organic, I would add 80 more tons of
organic dairy feed to what I could market and sell as certified organic.

60

Before proceeding further, an important next step was to test the
condition of the soil on the farmland, just as it had been tested at least
once each year per the Thurston County Conservation Plan. In previous
years, to enrich the soil with additional nitrogen prior to planting, I had
always applied liquid manure from the dairy operation, and then
repeated the process shortly after planting. A final liquid manure
application was put on immediately following the harvest. Now, as a
result of those efforts, my soil tests revealed that the soil was rich and
fertile, and—as expected— the small portion of twenty acres was also
chemical-free.
The next step in the evaluation process was to consider any large
expenses I might have to be prepared for. Since I had been harvesting
crops for several years already on the Black River Ranch, I already had
the necessary tractors, disks, seeder, chopper, harvester, and
transportation equipment that would allow us to make the transition. I
also had an irrigation system in place for both water and liquid manure
applications. Because I would not be using chemicals to control the
weeds and would now be weeding more frequently, the only new pieces
of equipment I needed to purchase were special weeding attachments.
(In fact, I would be saving money by no longer purchasing herbicides
and pesticides, although those savings would be offset by increased

61

labor, additional fuel, and equipment wear and tear that would all be
related to controlling weeds.) Finally, I would need to order certified
organic corn seeds, similar to the variety I had planted in years past but
somewhat more costly.
My existing farm staff, consisting of four full-time workers during
the growing season and two in the off-season, would all be
participating in the transition process. When I introduced my idea,
each responded with interest, eagerness to learn, and a willingness to
meet the additional demands of organic growing.
We had previously been selling conventionally grown corn silage
for $32 per ton, but market reports and personal contacts indicated we
would now be able to sell organically grown corn for $58 per ton. (C.
Schmid, personal communication, May 26, 2005). Although revenues
from the cover crops, which were grown less for their sale value and
more for their soil amendment qualities, were low (even after the
transition), they would still be considered as part of our business model.
The overall evaluation, which considered each component
individually as well as a part of the larger picture, showed that our
anticipated transition would be a viable project.

62

Becoming Educated
Not surprisingly, learning the basics and transitioning to organic
growing came easy to my team and me, because we understood that
we were basically going to do the same tasks as before, without
applying pesticides. Still, I was determined to learn as much as
possible, so I began researching and reaching out to find new sources
of information. While reading Eliot Coleman’s 1995 revised The New
Organic Grower, which had been given to me as a gift, I found other
book titles and became familiar with the names of other pioneers in
the organic growing field. It wasn’t long before I was also reading
publications from nearby educational institutions as well as articles on
the Internet, and learning about the Rodale Institute, for example.
Numerous other local resources were available to me, including the
State of Washington Department of Agriculture, located—conveniently—
in Thurston County. Being invested themselves in my ultimate success,
the staff there were (and are) a wealth of information. I found them to
be extremely accommodating in supporting my vision, answering my
questions, and directing me to other resources. They gave me
publications to read and websites to visit, all of which led to further
opportunities for learning. At their suggestion, I also became connected
with the Washington State Dairy Federation and the Western Organic
Dairy Producers Alliance, attending conferences and trade shows and

63

meeting dairy farmers who also were producing organic milk. Through
those contacts, and learning from their experiences, I became further
aware of effective new methods of soil preparation, planting, and
harvesting. The value of these contacts extended far beyond the
countless tips I picked up; by meeting people who had done what I
wanted to do gave me a deeper level of insight, comprehension and
confidence I could not have come by any other way.

Business Plan
With my vision in place, an evaluation completed, and my learning
process well on its way, I then set out to develop my business plan for
the transition to organic growing at Black River Ranch. My plan, which
followed the business plan template that is outlined in Chapter Three
on pages 52-53, is on the following pages.

I.

Executive Summary

The purpose of this plan is to develop a strategy to transition from
conventional farming techniques to organic growing in a profitable
manner. Over a four-year period, the project will be implemented on
a 350-acre parcel of land that is a leased portion of a dairy farm in
Thurston County, Washington. This plan is a response to the growing
interest in, and importance of, foods that are grown without the use of
potentially harmful chemicals and synthetic substances. Along with

64

learning the techniques, marketing our products, and making a profit,
this plan is also intended to educate and raise awareness in the
community of the benefits of growing organic produce.
As stated above, this transition will take place over four
consecutive years. This will include the three-year timeframe required
to earn organic certification status from the Washington State
Department of Agriculture for the entire 350 acres, plus one year
following certification status. Currently, 330 acres are producing corn
silage (feed for dairy cows), which we want to continue during and
after the transition. We also will explore the potential of eventually
growing nursery stock on our land to sell for additional revenues.
Although I currently produce between 23 and 30 tons of corn
silage per acre, I expect that yield to drop to 18 tons per acre, a 33
percent decrease, due to changes in weed competition and fertilizer
application. I also anticipate that my expenses will increase 30 percent
because of the additional labor that will be required, the added fuel
needed for weed control, and expenses related to equipment upkeep.
I expect that after four years, my sales revenues will go up
approximately 75 percent based on the higher prices I will get for
certified, organically grown animal feed.

65

Finally, I have the equipment, staff, and knowledge of basic
farming techniques, all of which I can use and apply as I make this
transition.

II. Mission Statement
The mission of this project is to make the transition from the
conventional production of crops to an organic production practice in a
profitable manner.

III. Main Project Goals
A. To educate myself and my staff in the field of organic
growing.
B. To obtain organic certification in Washington State.
C. To plant and harvest crops and plants that conform to
certified organic growing principles and practices.
D. To make organic animal feed available to local dairy farmers.
E. To increase local awareness of the health and environmental
benefits derived from organic crops.
F. To make the transition successful and profitable.

66

IV.

Strategies for Achieving Goals
A. Conduct research, join local and regional organic farming
associations, and establish relationships with others in the
local organic community.
B. Learn, follow, and complete the certification requirements of
the WSDA.
C. Implement operational procedures for growing organic corn
silage: prepare soil, select seeds, apply manure (dairy farm
by-products), plant seeds, water and weed plantings to
optimize growing and nutrient uptake, evaluate maturity of
corn crop, harvest and store crops, perform annual
evaluation of operational procedures, market and distribute
corn silage to local dairy farms.
D. Implement similar, applicable operational procedures for
planting, growing, harvesting, and selling organic plant
material (for nursery stock); increase acreage for nursery
stock from two acres in Year 2 to ten acres in Year 4.
E. Implement similar, applicable operational procedures for
planting, growing, harvesting and selling a winter cover crop,
e.g., winter wheat, rye, and/or triticale. This will enrich the
soil, discourage or eliminate weed growth, and generate
additional revenue after it is harvested in the spring.

67

F. Develop an overall communication plan including a website
and printed handouts designed to let other growers learn
about the methods and benefits of organic farming.

V.

Strengths and Challenges
A. Strengths
1. My own five-plus years of experience growing corn silage,
as well as a four-person staff of experienced growers.
2. Personal desire to learn and implement healthier growing
techniques and to promote the benefits of organic farming.
3. Availability of land offering fertile soil and water.
4. Well-established reputation for providing competitively
priced feed to local dairy farmers.
5. Well-established local nursery with existing customer base
for sales of nursery stock.
6. Availability of existing equipment, tools, and staff.
7. Supportive community of organic growers and resources.
8. Increasing trends toward organic food production and
supporting local growers.

68

B. Challenges
1. Inability to predict temperature, rainfall, and other
conditions critical to successful growing.
2. Uncertain market conditions for purchasing fuel and seeds,
as well as a globally influenced commodities market for
selling animal feed.

VI. Anticipated Customer Base
A. Local dairy farmers
B. Local and regional nurseries and garden centers (for nursery
stock and vegetables)
C. Farmers’ markets for nursery stock
D. Other growers of animal feed

VII. Description of Anticipated Expenses
A. Field preparation: The price per acre is based on expenses
related to all labor, vehicles, attachments, fuel, and
maintenance needed to plow, turn, loosen, and level each
field in preparation for amending and planting.
B. Corn and Cover Crop: The price per acre includes the
purchase of corn seed, cover crop seed, and the vehicles,
equipment, and labor required to plant them.

69

C. Manure application: This price includes the cost of labor,
vehicles, equipment, fuel, and associated maintenance costs
related to manure application. These costs must also include
the electricity needed to operate manure pumps.
D. Water management: This includes the cost of electric well
operations and the labor, equipment, fuel, and maintenance
needed to irrigate fields.
E. Weed Control: The price includes the costs associated with
weeding each corn field at least three times between planting
and harvesting.
F. Costs of chemical herbicides and pesticides: There will not be
any cost for chemicals.
G. Harvesting of corn and cover crop: Costs include labor,
supplies, vehicles, maintenance, and fuel for the harvesting
machine, transporting, and storage of corn.
H. Nursery stock (after Year 1): The price per acre includes the
purchase of organic nursery stock from certified vendors, and
the labor and equipment needed to plant the stock in rows
that will allow for proper weed control and digging.

(See tables of anticipated expenses on the following pages.)

70

Table 1:

Anticipated Expenses/Corn & Cover Crop, YEAR 1

Operating
Costs

330 acres corn & cover
crop, organically grown,
non-certified

20 acres corn & cover
crop, organically grown,
certified

Field preparation
@ $80/acre

$ 26,400

$ 1,600

$ 20,790

$ 1,260

Manure applications
@ $23/acre

$ 7,590

$ 460

Water management
@ $115/acre

$ 37,950

$ 2,300

Weed control
@ $115/acre

$ 37,950

$ 2,300

Chemicals &
associated costs

$0

$0

Harvesting costs
@ $200/acre

$ 66,000

$ 4,000

Total Anticipated
Expenses, Year 1

$ 196,680

$ 11,920

Purchase corn &
cover crop seed;
plant seeds @
$63/acre

71

Table 2:

Anticipated Expenses/Corn, Cover Crop, Nursery
Stock, YEAR 2

330 acres corn &
cover crop,
organically grown,
non-certified

18 acres corn &
cover crop,
organically grown,
certified

2 acres nursery
stock,
organically
grown, certified

$ 26,400

$ 1,440

$ 160

$ 20,790

$ 1,134

n/a

Manure applications @ $23/acre

$ 7,590

$ 414

$ 46

Water
management
@ $115/acre

$ 37,950

$ 2,070

$230

Weed control
@ $115/acre
(corn silage)

$ 37,950

$ 2,070

n/a

Purchase, plant,
& maintain
nursery stock
@ $2,900/acre

n/a

n/a

$5,800

Weed control
@ $200/acre
(nursery stock)

n/a

n/a

$ 400

Chemicals &
associated costs

$0

$0

$0

Harvesting costs
@ $200/acre

$ 66,000

$3,600

n/a

$ 196,680

$ 10,728

$6,636

Operating
Costs
Field preparation
@ $80/acre
Purchase corn &
cover crop seed
& plant @
$63/acre

Total
Anticipated
Expenses
Year 2

72

Table 3:

Anticipated Expenses/Corn, Cover Crop, Nursery
Stock, YEAR 3

Operating
Costs

330 acres corn & cover
crop, organically grown,
non-certified

18 acres corn & cover
crop, organically
grown, certified

2 acres nursery
stock, organically
grown, certified

Field preparation
@ $80/acre

$ 26,400

$ 1,440

$ 160

$ 20,790

$ 1,134

n/a

Manure applications @ $23/acre

$ 7,590

$ 414

$ 46

Water management @ 115/acre

$ 37,950

$ 2,070

$230

$ 37,950

$ 2,070

n/a

n/a

n/a

$5,800

n/a

n/a

$ 400

$0

$0

$0

$ 66,000

$3,600

n/a

n/a

n/a

$1,000

$ 196,680

$ 10,728

$7,636

Purchase corn &
cover crop seed
& plant @
$63/acre

Weed control
@ $115/acre
(corn silage)
Purchase, plant,
& maintain
nursery stock
@ $2,900/acre
Weed control
@ $200/acre
(nursery stock)
Chemicals &
associated costs
Harvesting corn
& cover crop
@ $200/acre
Harvesting
nursery stock
@ $500/acre

Total
Anticipated
Expenses
Year 3

73

Table 4:

Anticipated Expenses/Corn, Cover Crop, Nursery
Stock, YEAR 4
340 acres corn
& cover crop,
organically grown,
certified

10 acres nursery stock
organically grown, certified

Field preparation
@ $80/acre

$ 27,200

$ 800

Seeds & planting corn &
cover crop @ $63/acre

$ 21,420

n/a

Manure application
@ $23/acre

$ 7,820

$ 230

Water management
@ $115/acre

$ 39,100

$ 1,150

Weed control (corn)
@ $115/acre
(mechanical)

$ 39,100

n/a

n/a

$ 29,000

n/a

$ 2,000

Operating
Costs

Purchase, plant, &
maintain nursery stock
@ $2,900/acre
Weed control (nursery
stock) @ $200/acre
(mechanical & manual)
Chemicals &
associated costs

$0

$0

Harvesting corn & cover
crop @ $200/acre

$ 68,000

$0

Harvesting nursery stock
@ $500/acre

n/a

$5,000

Total Anticipated
Expenses, Year 4

$ 202,640

$ 38,180

74

VIII. Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit
A. YEAR 1
On all 350 acres, I will be growing corn silage during the summer
growing season and a cover crop during the winter. Although I will
use only organic methods of crop production on the entire parcel of
land, I can only market and sell the corn grown on a 20-acre
section—where no chemicals have been used in more than three
years—as certified organic. Grown organically, each acre will
typically yield at least 18 tons of corn. With the certified organic
label, a ton of corn can be sold at the market rate of $58. Corn sold
without the certified organic label can be sold for $32.
Table 5:

Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit, YEAR 1

330 acres; crops are sold
without certified organic label

20 acres; crops are sold as
certified organic

CORN REVENUE:
18 tons/acre @ $32/ton =
$190,080

CORN REVENUE:
18 tons/acre @ $58/ton =
$20,880

COVER CROP REVENUE:
4 tons/acre @ $20/ton = $26,400

COVER CROP REVENUE:
4 tons/acre @ $20/ton = $1,600

TOTAL REVENUE: $216,480

TOTAL REVENUE: $22,480

TOTAL EXPENSES: $196,680

TOTAL EXPENSES: $11,920

NET PROFIT: $19,800

NET PROFIT: $10,560

75

B. YEAR 2
During this year’s major growing season, I will grow mostly corn
silage and also some nursery stock; I will continue growing cover crop
during the winter season. Again, I will use only organic growing
methods on the entire parcel of land, but I can only market and sell
the corn grown on the 20-acre section—where no chemicals have
been used in more than three years— as certified organic. Like the
first year, each acre planted with corn is expected to yield at least 18
tons of corn. I anticipate that market prices for both certified organic
and non-certified corn silage will remain relatively consistent. On two
acres of the chemical-free land, I will plant and grow trees for nursery
stock, which I will be able to sell next year at my family’s nursery.
Table 6:

Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit, YEAR 2

330 acres;
crops are sold without
certified organic label

18 acres;
crops are sold as
certified organic

2 acres of nursery stock,
can be sold next year as
certified organic

CORN: 18 tons/acre @
$32/ton = $190,080

CORN: 18 tons/acre @
$58/ton = $18,792

n/a

COVER CROP:
4 tons/acre @ $20/ton
= $26,400

COVER CROP:
4 tons/acre @ $20/ton
= $1,440

TOTAL REVENUE:
$216,480

TOTAL REVENUE:
$20,232

n/a

EXPENSES: $196,680

EXPENSES: $10,728

EXPENSES: $6,636

NET PROFIT:
$19,800

NET PROFIT: $9,504

NET LOSS: $6,636

n/a

76

C. YEAR 3
This year, on all 350 acres, we are again growing corn silage, a cover
crop, and nursery stock. Once again, all activities will follow only
organic growing methods, but I have one more year before I can sell
all the corn and cover crop I grow as certified organic. Like the first
year, I expect each acre planted with corn to yield at least 18 tons of
corn. I anticipate that market prices for both certified organic and noncertified corn silage will remain relatively consistent. On two acres of
the chemical-free land, I have been maintaining the small fruit trees I
planted last year; I can sell them this year at my family’s nursery for
$2 per plant.
Table 7:

Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit, YEAR 3

330 acres;
crops are sold
without certified
organic label

18 acres; crops are
sold as
certified organic

2 acres nursery stock;
can be sold as certified
organic

CORN: 18 tons/
acre @ $32/ton =
$ 190,080

CORN: 18 tons/acre
@ $58/ton =
$ 18,792

2,500 plants /acre @
$2/plant (sold wholesale) =
$10,000

COVER CROP:
4 tons/acre @
$20/ton = $26,400

COVER CROP:
4 tons/acre @
$20/ton = $1,440

n/a

TOTAL REVENUE:
$ 216,480

TOTAL REVENUE:
$ 20,232

TOTAL REVENUE:
$ 10,000

EXPENSES:
$ 196,680

EXPENSES: $ 10,728

EXPENSES: $ 7,636

NET PROFIT:
$19,800

NET PROFIT:
$ 9,504

NET PROFIT:
$ 2,364

77

D. YEAR 4

My entire growing operation is now certified organic by Washington
State because it has been three full years since any chemicals or
pesticides have been applied to any portion of the 350 acres that I
lease. Therefore, all crops grown can now be marketed and sold as
certified organic at the higher market prices. I can now sell nursery
stock at a minimum of $5 per plant as the trees have grown for one
or two more years.

Table 8:

Anticipated Revenue & Net Profit, YEAR 4

340 acres
All crops certified organic

10 acres nursery stock
certified organic

CORN: 18 tons/acre @ $58/ton
= $ 354,960

1,000 plants/acre @ $5/plant
(average, sold wholesale) =
$ 50,000

COVER CROP: 4 tons/acre @
$20/ton = $ 27,200

n/a

TOTAL REVENUE: $382,160

TOTAL REVENUE: $ 50,000

EXPENSES: $202,640

EXPENSES: $ 38,180

NET PROFIT: $ 179,520

NET PROFIT: $ 11,820

(END OF ANTICIPATED REVENUES & NET PROFIT)

78

IX. Areas for Potential Growth and Diversification
A. Sale of growing nursery stock
B. On-line sales of nursery stock
C. Sale of other organically grown feed, produce, and trees
D. Sale of organically grown plants as natural medicines

X. Staffing Needs
A. One full-time Operations/Marketing Manager:
1. Qualifications
a. 5+ years of experience in farming and crop production
b. minimum one year marketing experience with farmproduced feeds, produce, and nursery stock
c. familiarity with benefits of organic growing and organic
crop consumption
d. Proven experience and success in all aspects of farm
operations including planting, watering, harvesting,
equipment maintenance, transportation, storage, and
marketing
2. Responsibilities
a. all scheduling and documentation regarding employees,
operations, production, and distribution of product

79

b. remain up-to-date regarding weather patterns and
predictions in order to schedule and monitor all farming
operations
c. manage and perform year-round maintenance on farm
equipment and vehicles
d. maintain organic certification and compliance
e. participate in and maintain membership with
educational, agricultural, and—specifically—organic
resources and certification associations
f. cultivate and maintain farm’s relationship with WSDA
g. research, negotiate, and purchase seeds, equipment,
and supplies
h. submit required reports and meet weekly with
employees and business owner
3. Compensation: $35-50,000 annually based on education
and experience; competitive benefit package
B. One part-time Bookkeeper/Office Manager (10-20 hours/
week during growing season; 5 hours/week during off season)
1. Qualifications
a. 3+ years of experience
b. proven ability in all aspects of accounting and bookkeeping
2. Responsibilities
a. oversee all accounting and bookkeeping activities

80

b. conduct monthly and seasonal budgeting
c. maintain and track all business transactions and activities
d. maintain all documentation regarding compliance/
certification
e. maintain open communication among staff and with
outside vendors, customers, and organizations
3. Compensation: $17 per hour
C. Five full-time Equipment/Transport Operators (during
growing/harvesting season only; weekly hours vary)
1. Qualifications
a. CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) or equivalent
b. safe driving record
c. experience in equipment and vehicle maintenance
d. familiarity with growing and harvesting crops,
specifically using organic methods
4. Responsibilities
a. operate all farm equipment and vehicles for the purpose
of planting, growing, harvesting and transporting crops
b. follow all safety requirements and recommendations
c. assist with the maintenance of equipment and vehicles
d. be present in a timely and reliable manner
5. Compensation: $15 per hour
6.

(END OF BUSINESS PLAN)

81

ACTION PLAN

Year One:

Year Two:

● Harvest, store & sell cover crop

● Harvest, store & sell cover crop

● Apply liquid manure

● Apply liquid manure

● Disk fields

● Disk fields

● Purchase & plant organic corn seeds

● Purchase & plant organic

● Apply water

corn seeds

● Control weeds as necessary

● Plant & maintain nursery stock

● Re-apply liquid manure

● Apply water

● Apply water until harvest

● Control weeds as necessary

● Control weeds as necessary

● Re-apply liquid manure

● Harvest, store & cover corn

● Apply water until harvest

● Market and sell corn

● Control weeds as necessary

● Evaluate year’s outcomes and

● Harvest, store and cover corn

identify adjustments needed

● Market and sell corn

for Year Two

● Evaluate year’s outcomes
and identify any adjustments
needed for Year Three

82

Year Three:

Year Four:

● Harvest, store & sell cover crop

● Harvest, store & sell cover crop

● Apply liquid manure

● Apply liquid manure

● Disk fields

● Disk fields

● Purchase & plant organic corn seeds

● Purchase & plant organic corn seeds

● Apply water

● Apply water

● Control weeds as necessary

● Control weeds as necessary

● Re-apply liquid manure

● Re-apply liquid manure

● Apply water until harvest

● Apply water until harvest

● Control weeds, as necessary

● Control weeds, as necessary

● Harvest, store & cover corn

● Harvest, store & cover corn

● Market and sell corn

● Market and sell corn

● Dig nursery stock to prepare to sell ● Dig nursery stock to prepare to sell
● Market and sell nursery stock

● Market and sell nursery stock

● Evaluate year’s outcomes/

● Evaluate year’s outcomes/identify

identify adjustments needed

adjustments needed for

for Year Four

subsequent years

83

CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION

The purpose of this thesis has been to demonstrate the potential
economic benefits associated with making a transition from
conventional to organic crop production, and then continuing to grow
crops using organic practices. Through this study, we have seen not
only the tremendous social and health benefits of organic farming but
we have proven that profitability is definitely possible.
To begin this thesis, I introduced the Wickie and O’Neill families,
both well ahead of their time in terms of recycling and implementing
sustainable farming practices. I also explored my personal interest in
continually protecting and improving the environment by utilizing
recycled products and reducing the use of harmful substances.
We met the early pioneers of organic crop production and
became familiar with their individual contributions to the field. We
reviewed the rules and regulations of certified organic crop production
in the state of Washington. We also presented a suggested business
plan for making the transition from conventional to organic growing,
as well as an example of that type of business plan. Finally, we
described an actual case study for this type of transition that was
implemented at the Black River Ranch in Thurston County,

84

Washington. Based on the profitability we saw in the case study just
four years after beginning the transition to organic growing, and with
continuing sales activity for animal feed and nursery stock, we have
concluded that there is a viable market for all, and therefore this is the
direction in which we will continue.
In addition to proving that there are economic benefits to
growing organic crops, my research also gave me abundant
opportunities to personally experience the welcoming and inclusive
organic farming community by reaching out to a number of seasoned
and knowledgeable growers. Through numerous phone calls, e-mails,
and visits—including an actual trip to the famed Rodale Institute in
rural Pennsylvania—I was able to ask direct, meaningful questions and
learn the basic fundamentals of their successful farming practices.
This experience has also allowed me to ‘unearth’ additional
intangible benefits that come with the organic growing of crops. I
have become better informed and inspired by the level of interest and
the amount of research being done across the country and around the
world, by the innovative new equipment being designed and
developed, and by the accessibility of people and resources that can
help to further our knowledge and expand our shared vision of the
benefits of organic crop production.

85

REFERENCES
Addison, K. (n.d.). Albert Howard [Review of the work of Sir Albert
Howard]. Retrieved from www.journeytoforever.org/
farm_library/howard.html
Balfour, Lady Eve. (1977). Toward a Sustainable Agriculture –
The Living Soil. [A talk given by Lady Balfour at an IFOAM
conference in Switzerland]. Retrieved from
http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010116balfours
peech.html
Coleman, E. (1995) The new organic grower (2nd ed.). White River
Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Covello, J.A., Hazelgren, B.J. (1995). The complete book of business
plans (2nd ed.). Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Eliot Coleman. October 30, 2011. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Coleman)
Damrosch, B., Coleman, E. (n.d.) Four Season Farm. Retrieved from
www.fourseasonfarm.com/about/eliot.html
Duram, L.A. (2005). Good growing: why organic farming works.
Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

86

Duram, L.A. (2006). Organic farmers in the US: opportunities, realities
and barriers. Plant Management Network. Retrieved from:
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/cm/
symposium/organics/Duram/
Forbes website/Shark Tank Roundtable. June 8, 2012. How to
evaluate your business. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/
sites/danschawbel/2012/06/08/shark-tank-roundtablehow-to-evaluate-your-business/
Hartman, S. (2003). Goal setting the easy way. Retrieved
from http://silviahartmann.com/essay-goal-setting.php
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM).
(2009). Definition of organic agriculture. Retrieved from
www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/definitions/doa/index.html
IFOAM. (2009). Sir Albert Howard founder of the organic farming
movement. Retrieved from
www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/definitions/pioneers/sir_albert_
howard.php
IFOAM. (2009). Lady Eve Balfour. Retrieved from
www.ifoam.org/growing_organic/definitions/pioneers/lady_eve_
balfour.php
IFOAM. The Principles of Organic Agriculture. (2009) Retrieved from
www.ifoam.org/about_ifoam/principles/index.html

87

I-Wise Wisdom on Demand. Retrieved from www.iwise.com/goKDq
J. I. Rodale Dead. June 8, 1971. [Obituary] New York Times. Retrieved
from http: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/
abstract.html?res=F70615F83D5A1A7493CAA9178DD85F458785F9
Knight, B. (1955, June 5). Farmer, active in dairy business 75 years,
has no desire to give up career now. The Daily Olympian, pp.1-2.
Lord Northbourne. Sophia Perennis Publishing, 2005. [on-line book
review] Retrieved from http://www.sophiaperennis.com/books/
spiritual-ecology/look-to-the-land/
Macher, R. (1999). Making your small farm profitable. Adams, ME:
Storey Publishing.
Masanobu Fukuoka: The one straw revolution. Retrieved from
www.onestrawrevolution.net/One_Straw_Revolution/
Massanobu_Fukuoka.html
McFarland, D. E. (1958). Management principles and practices. New
York, NY: The Macmillan Company.
Moyer, J. (2011). Organic no-till farming: Advancing no-till agriculture
— crops, soils, equipment. Austin, TX: Acres USA.
Moyer, J. (n.d.) Making the transition to organic farming: It may be
easier than you think. New Farm [on-line publication of The
Rodale Institute]. Retrieved from
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/transition_fact_sheet

88

National Organic Program. Organic certification. Retrieved from
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ORGANI
C_CERTIFICATIO
National Organic Program, Welcome to the National Organic Program.
Retrieved from www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
National Organic Program, National Organic Standards Board,
Retrieved from www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOSB
QuoteWorld. Retrieved from www.quoteworld.org/quotes/12210
Rodale Institute. (2011) The farming systems trial. Kutztown, PA:
Rodale Institute.
Rodale Institute. (n.d.) Our mission. Retrieved from
www.rodaleinstitute.org/about_us
Rodale Institute. (n.d.) The history of Rodale Institute. Retrieved from
www.rodaleinstitute.org/about_us
Rodale Institute. (n.d.) Anthony Rodale, chairman emeritus. Retrieved
from www.rodaleinstitute.org/board_of_directors
Swotek, J. (2002). Black River Ranch farm plan. Olympia, WA:
Thurston County Conservation District.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). EPA Releases
Report Containing Latest Estimates of Pesticide Use in the
United States. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/cb/
csb_page/updates/2011/sales-usage06-07.html

89

Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Organic Food
Program. (2008). Guide to organic certification (AGR PUB
420-237). Olympia, WA: Washington State Dept. of Agriculture.
WSDA Organic Food Program. (2011). Organic rules and regulations
(AGR PUB 420-209). Olympia, WA: Washington State
Department of Agriculture.
WSDA Organic Food Program.

Retrieved from http://agr.wa.gov/

foodanimal/organic/#WSDAOrganic
WSDA. (March, 2007). Organic crop production (AGR PUB 420-175).
WSDA. (2007). Organic Food Program Brand Name Material List (AGR
PUB 420-029).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON
TOPICS RELATED TO ORGANIC GROWING
Adams, E. B., Ballard, J. C., Christiensen, P. D., Hilston, N. W., Hull,
E. E., Openshaw, M. D. (1973). Soil Sense. WRP 9. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill’s handbook of leadership. New
York, NY: The Free Press.
Brown, L. (1990). Soil survey of Thurston County, Washington. Soil
Conservation Service, Olympia, WA: USDA, NRCS.

90

Faulkner, E. (1943). Plowman’s folly. Norman, OK: University of
Oklahoma.
Faulkner, E. (1945). Soil development. Norman, OK: University of
Oklahoma.
Hess, E. (2007). Road to organic growth. New York, NY: McGrawHill.
Macher, R. (1999). Making your small farm profitable. Adams, ME:
Storey Publishing.
Mackenzie, R. A. (1969). The management process in 3-D. Harvard
Business Review, Nov-Dec issue.
Newton, J. (1994). Profitable organic farming. Oxford, UK: Blackwell
Science.
Salatin, J. (1998). You can farm. Swoope, VA: Polyface, Inc.
Simpson, K. (1986). Fertilizers and manures. New York, NY: Longman.
Walters, C. (2007). A farmer’s guide to the bottom line. Austin, TX:
Acres, USA Publishers.
Washington State University Cooperative Extension. From end to
beginning: a manure resource guide for farmers and gardeners
in western Washington. Olympia, Washington: Thurston
Conservation District.

91

APPENDIX A
RECOMMENDED GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

Following is a list of recommended publications produced and provided
by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Each contains
helpful information and certification guidelines that will be of interest
to anyone who is learning about organic farming and essential to a
successful transition from conventional to organic growing.

The following USDA National Organic Program information is available
at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop:
 What is Organic?
 National Organic Program Mission
 Organic Standards & Regulations
 National Organic Standards Board
 Organic Certification & Accreditation
 List of Certified Operations
 Compliance & Enforcement

92

The following WSDA publications are available through the Washington
State Department of Agriculture Organic Food Program, 1111 Washington
Street SE, PO Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, (360) 902-1805),
http://agr.wa.gov/foodanimal/organic/

 WSDA Organic Certification New Application Packet/
Crop Producer
Packet includes the following, in this order:


AGR 2510: Table of Contents



AGR 2508: Organic Labeling Guidance - Producers



AGR 3000: Certification Fact Sheet



AGR 2289: Application for Organic Certification - Producers



AGR 2281: Organic Operator Agreement



AGR 2259: Organic Certification Fee Form - Producers



AGR 2509: Organic Yields and Sales Estimates - Producer



AGR 2121: Organic System Plan – Crop Producer



AGR 2264: Site Application - Producers



AGR 2262: Previous Land Use Declaration



AGR 2282: Organic Cost Share Application



AGR 2261: Organic Seed Commercial Availability Record



AGR 2161: Organic Material Application Record

93

 WSDA Organic Food Program, 2007 Brand Name Material List
AGR PUB 420-029
 WSDA Organic Food Program, Organic Crop Production, AGR PUB
420-175
 WSDA Organic Food Program, Organic Rules and Regulations,
AGR PUB 420-209
 WSDA Organic Food Program, Guide to Organic Certification,
AGR PUB 420-237

94

APPENDIX B
SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN

Following is a sample business plan for a small farming project.
This example can be easily followed when making a transition from
conventional to organic farming. It covers a period of four years in
order to allow for the three-year waiting period needed for a complete
transition to certified organic status, followed by one full year
operating at the certified level. In this fictitious scenario, the crops
being grown are carrots and potatoes for human consumption.
(Author’s note: This is an example of a business plan and it should not
be confused with the Case Study Business Plan in Chapter 4.)
It is important to point out that this is an anticipated business
plan which allows for the frequent and unexpected variables that are
inherent in the farming industry. While we will focus on the main goals
of our business plan—which meet the ‘SMART’ criteria of specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic, and within a time frame—our planning
process will be flexible enough to allow for changes or adjustments
that may be needed (Sisson, www.suitcaseentrepreneur.com/tag/
one-page-business-plan/). We may decide to diversify our crops, for
example, based on changes in weather patterns, availability of labor,
or market demand.

95

SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary
Building on the global trend toward more natural lifestyles and away
from reliance on potentially harmful farming practices, our intention is
to convert approximately 100 acres of conventional farmland in
Thurston County, Washington, to certified organic farmland. This
process will take three years, which is the timeframe required for
Washington State Department of Agriculture certification. Currently,
the acreage is producing carrots and potatoes, which we want to
continue to grow during and after our transition. We also will explore
the potential of growing other vegetables once we have achieved
certification status. Another aspect of our plan is to promote
community awareness of the benefits of organic consumption.
We have been farming this land for five years using conventional
farming practices. We have the equipment, staff, and knowledge of
basic farming techniques, all of which we can use and apply as we
make this transition. Although we currently produce approximately 29
tons of carrots per acre and 31 tons of potatoes per acre, we
anticipate that, based on our research, our crop output will initially
decrease 33 percent due to differences in weed competition and

96

fertilizer application. We expect that our expenses will increase
approximately 30 percent due to the additional labor required as well
as more fuel consumption and increased maintenance on our
equipment. However, our sales revenues should increase up to 75
percent due to the greater market value of organic carrots and potatoes.
The most significant change that will take place during this
transition will be the shift from the use of costly, potentially harmful
chemical pesticides to the use of more affordable, natural fertilizers
(from animal by-products) and other growing methods that promote
health and wellbeing. These changes will not only reduce costs over
the long term but will help to create a system of “agriculture that is in
harmony with the natural world” (Coleman, 1995).

II.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to make the transition from conventional to certified
organic farming in order to generate a profit, improve the environment, and enhance and promote personal and community health.

III. Main Goals
A. To become more educated in the field of organic growing.
B. To obtain organic certification in Washington State.

97

C. To plant and harvest healthy crops in accordance with organic
growing principles and practices.
D. To make organic crops available to the community.
E. To increase local awareness of the health and environmental
benefits derived from the consumption of certified organic crops.

IV.

Strategies for Achieving Goals

A. Conduct extensive research, join local and regional organic
farming associations, and establish relationships with others in
the local organic community.
B. Learn, follow, and complete the certification requirements of the
WSDA.
C. Implement operational procedures: prepare soil, select seeds,
apply manure (dairy farm by-products), plant seeds, water and
weed plantings, evaluate maturity of crops, harvest and store
crops, perform annual evaluation of operational procedures.
D. Market and distribute products.
E. Create educational materials, develop and maintain a website,
and seek opportunities for teaching others about the benefits
and practices of organic crop production.

98

V. Strengths and Challenges
A. Strengths
1. Skilled, motivated leadership
2. Existing farmland, water sources, tools, and equipment
3. Supportive community of organic growers and abundant
resources
4. Proven market trend toward organic food consumption
5. Proven market trend toward buying local products
B. Challenges
1. Unpredictable farming conditions, e.g., temperatures,
rainfall
2. Difficulty in finding skilled labor familiar with organic
growing methods
3. Struggling, uncertain regional economy

VI. Anticipated Customer Base
A. Farmers markets
B. Nurseries
C. Canning companies
D. Other organic growers

99

VII. Estimate of Anticipated Expenses (labor, seeds, water, fuel,
equipment, marketing)
A. Year 1 (conventional):

$50,000

B. Year 2 (conventional):

$50,000

C. Year 3 (conventional):

$50,000

D. Year 4 (organic):

$80,000

VIII. Estimate of Anticipated Gross Income (from sales of carrots
and potatoes)
A. Year 1 (conventional):

$75,000

B. Year 2 (conventional):

$75,000

C. Year 3 (conventional):

$75,000

D. Year 4 (organic):

$125,000

IX. Areas of Potential Diversification/Growth
A. Various cover crops (e.g., legumes and grasses)
B. Additional organic crops based on market demand (e.g.,
nursery stock)
C. Offsite equipment use/rental
D. On-site farmers market/community gardens

100

X. Staffing Requirements, Qualifications and
Responsibilities
A. Operations Manager: 5+ years of experience in farming and crop
production; responsible for overseeing all aspects of planting,
watering, harvesting, equipment, transportation, storage.
B. Marketing Specialist: 2+ years of marketing experience, familiar
with benefits of organic growing and organic crop consumption;
responsible for marketing and selling the vegetables to local
vendors and maintaining memberships with local educational and
agricultural organizations.
C. Office Manager/Bookkeeper: 3+ years of experience;
responsible for budgeting, record keeping, accounts payable and
receivable, compliance documentation, and communication.
D. Equipment/Transport Operators: safe, skilled, licensed, and
reliable for maintaining, harvesting, and transporting crops;
should have safe driving record and experience in equipment
and vehicle maintenance.

101

APPENDIX C
Black River Ranch / Organic Transition Placement Maps

20 ACRES – CERTIFIED ORGANIC SOIL
(corn & cover crop)

330 ACRES –
1 YEAR OF TRANSITION
TO ORGANIC
(corn & cover crop)
ST

TABLE 1
YEAR 1

18 ACRES –
CERTIFIED
ORGANIC SOIL
(corn &
cover crop)

2 ACRES – CERTIFIED ORGANIC
SOIL (trees for nursery stock)

330 ACRES –
2 YEAR OF TRANSITION
TO ORGANIC
(corn silage & cover crop)
ND

TABLE 2
YEAR 2

102

18 ACRES – CERTIFIED
ORGANIC SOIL (corn &
cover crop)

2 ACRES – CERTIFIED
ORGANIC SOIL (trees
for nursery stock)

330 ACRES –
3rd YEAR OF TRANSITION
TO ORGANIC
(corn silage & cover crop)

TABLE 3
YEAR 3

10 ACRES – CERTIFIED
ORGANIC NURSERY STOCK

340 ACRES –
TRANSITION COMPLETE
CERTIFIED as ORGANIC
(corn & cover crop)

TABLE 4
YEAR 4

103