Organic farming is an interesting career choice and right now, offers opportunity for success. However, organic farming is not a career to take lightly. There are many issues to conseder before you jump into the soil.
Define Some Broad Organic Farm Goals
First get clear on what it is exactly that organic farmers do. There are many types of organic farmers, some certified, some not.
As you research organic farming begin to define some broad goals for yourself. Some key issues to consider include the following:
- How do you define your organic values?
- What are your personal goals related to farming- to learn or fulfill a need?
- Are you going into organic farming due to environmental goals? If so which ones?
- Would you like to run a family farm, a small scale operation or a huge farm?
- What are your economic goals? Do you want to make a lot of profit or just enough to live on?
Are you really to think like a business owner?
While defining your broad goals, you need to decide if organic farming is a realistic business endeavor or simply something you'd like to do in order to feed your family or help the community. Either choice is fine, but there are gigantic difference between running a farm for business or pleasure or another personal reason.
If all your reasons for organic farming involve helping others before yourself or if your goal is only to grow enough food for your family, you're likely interested in a hobby farm or small family farming or even simply organic gardening, not business farming. On the flip side, if your goal is to make profits, then you're likely on board with farming as a business.
Narrow your organic farm goals
Once you suss out your major broad organic farm goals, start to narrow your choices down. Usually a good place to start is with what interests you. For example, it would be silly for a vegetarian to start raising livestock for food and it would be nuts for someone who hates alcohol to grow organic grapes for wine.
Consider the following
- Do you want to grow crops- which kind? Vegetable, fruit, row crops?
- Do you want to raise organic livestock?
- Do you enjoy being outdoors or are you thinking about greenhouse growing?
- Are you interested in growing flowers, trees, plant starts, herbs?
-Do you want to grow a lot of crops or a niche crop, such as organic lavender?
- Are your interested in growing flowers, trees,plant starts, herbs?
-Do you want to grow a lot of crops or a niche crop, such as organic lavender?
- Are your interested in both livestock and crops?
- Do you plan on making a living just from the farm or do you have another career goal?
-Are you interested in processing your crops? For example, making jams or applesauce?
-What sort of markets interest you? On farm sales, Farmers Markets, Wholesale, grocers?
- Do you possess farming skills already or do you need to gain some?
Obviously there are hundreds of questions you could ask yourself. Get a pad of paper and starting narrowing down what you'd like to do as a farmer
Clarify your strengths and weaknesses
Everyone, new and experienced farmers alike, have strengths and weaknesses. The point is to know which skills you already have, which you need and be willing to expand your knowledge if necessary
The skills you'll need will depend on what sort of farming you'll be doing. for example knowing how to choose crops, find seeds, growing, harvesting and pest control are skills organic food growers will find useful, While prospective ranchers and dairy farmers need to know the basics of veterinary science and how to raise and care for livestock.
In a general sense though, most organic farmers will benefit from the following attributes:
- A healthy body
- Critical thinking skills.
- A cool head under pressure.
- Business savvy
- Organizational skills
-The drive to learn new things.
-Organic integrity.
-People skills
Figure out how to improve and grow
After figuring out your major strengths and weaknesses, make plans to fill in any crucial knowledge gaps. As a potential farmer, you can't beat hands-on- training. Luckily, farm internships and apprenticeships are easy to find.
- Locate organic farm internships
- Important considerations when choosing an organic farm Internship
- Locate Sustainable or Organic Farm Internships
- Important Considerations When Choosing an Organic Farm Internship
- College classes.
- Classes and workshops through your local Cooperative Extension.
- Organic farming books.
- Organic conferences.
- Farming magazines.
- NOP Handbook
If your goal is organic farming, it can take a while to get certified, so it's best to start thinking about certification now, not later.
Not all organic farmers are officially certified. Certification has benefits, but not being certified doesn't mean you can't actually be organic.
If you decide that official organic certification is right for you, take the following steps early on:
- Locate an organic Certification Agency
- Start thinking about your organic system plan
