Organic Farming Programs Can Be Eye-Opening
June 20, 2016 
Photo courtesy of California Certified Organic Farmers
The need for more organic produce growers is easily evident by looking at two sets of statistics, both of which are rising: sales of organic fruits and vegetables, and the age of the average grower.
Organic food sales in the U.S. have shown double-digit growth during most years since the 1990s, and this trend shows no sign of slowing. Annual growth in the nation’s organic food sales has generally exceeded 10% since the 2008 recession, according to USDA. U.S. organic food sales approached an estimated $37 billion in 2015, up 12% from the previous year.
When it comes to the top organic food sales, fruits and vegetables dominate. Fresh fruits and vegetables have been the top selling category of organically grown food since the organic food industry started retailing products more than 30 years ago, and they now account for nearly half of U.S. organic food sales.
Many think of organic sales as more of a direct sales experience, which is understandable, as that is where the movement blossomed. The number of farmers’ markets in the U.S. has grown steadily from 1,755 markets in 1994, when USDA began to track them, to nearly 10,000 today. But now, all major chain stores such as Walmart and Costco have huge organic food sections.
The U.S. also has a growing export market for organic products. Nearly three dozen organic exports, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, are currently tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau, and their value topped $500 million in 2014.
Growers Graying
The average age of the American fruit and vegetable grower is about 60. Though many growers that age have made the move into growing organic produce — the much larger returns are pretty difficult to miss — many of those involved in organic farming thought there was a need for fresh blood.
Among them was California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), one of the first organic certification programs in the country. In 2014, CCOF launched the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund.
Jessica Beckett Parr
“Our board recognized that the majority of households are now buying organic foods, and our membership — which is primarily vegetable and fruit producers — report that they cannot keep up with consumer demand,” says CCOF Foundation Manager Jessica Beckett Parr.
“Both in talking with our membership and seeing it in the media, it was obvious there are quite a bit of shortages.”
It seemed clear the CCOF should help provide incentives for young people to get into organic farming, she says.
“Besides the supply issue, you have the graying of farmers across the country,” Parr says. “We needed to incentivize people to get into not just farming, but also organic farming, because it is different. From our perspective, there is a huge opportunity for young people.”
Corporate Interest
There are three levels at which they are trying to nurture future organic growers, Parr says. The first, for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade, works with the California Foundation for Agriculture in the classroom to provide $1,000 grants to up to 30 schools nationwide. The second, for high school kids, works with the Future Farmers of America to provide $1,000 grants for students who participate in a supervised organic project.
For those about to enter the GenNext phase, CCOF offers $2,500 grants to up to 30 students nationwide enrolled in educational programs that will benefit their future careers in organic production or in becoming an organic professional. It doesn’t matter why the student wants to study organic farming, she says.
“We have no problem if they’re just doing it for business reasons,” she says. “Because in any case, it will be better for the planet and people. If people are incentivized by greater profits, they will be helping.”
In fact, the grant program is not only attracting the attention of students, teachers, and universities, but also corporations as well.
“We’ve gotten a lot of interest in the program and it’s growing each year,” Parr says. “The corporate interest is just indicative of the growth of the organic sector.”
Making A Difference
One of those grant recipients is Jennie Wagner, who although she is only 19, plans to graduate next May with a bachelor’s degree in Plant and Soil Science from North Carolina State University. She was originally going to major in animal science, but opted for an internship on an organic farm last summer, and she was hooked.
Jennie Wagner
“I really got a lot out of it,” she says. “I haven’t taken advantage of as many of these organic programs as I’d liked to, because I’m on the East Coast and many are based in California, which is huge in produce, especially organic produce, but many are open to anyone.”
Wagner is from New London, NC, where her parents have a small farm in the Piedmont Region, about an hour northeast of Charlotte. The grant, which went to her tuition and helped expand her organic horizons, has helped change her career path. She was originally going to go to graduate school right away.
“I may want to do an internship on a farm for one more growing season and then return and take over the family farm from my parents,” she says.
Her dad started farming full-time in 2007 after retiring from teaching engineering. Both of her parents are civil engineers. They have livestock and milk cows as well as apples, blueberries, tomatoes, and squash.
Wagner says she grew up around huge gardens and loved helping — as well as playing with bugs. One Christmas, she was home from school, watching a food show on TV, and had a brainstorm.
“Our food is so important to our health,” she says, “and I thought, ‘That’s where I can make a difference.’”