Interview with an Organic Bachelor Farmer

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Kevin Stuedemann, Le Sueur County, MN

photo: Roger Sirek and Kevin (behind the tractor) harvesting potatoes the old fashioned way!

Kevin has about 170 acres of corn, soybeans, pasture, alfalfa, hay, barley, and dairy cows in southeastern Minnesota. The farm was not organic before he started farming it. (The potatoes were for “local” consumption—we had them at Thanksgiving!)

Why aren’t all organic farmers “certified”?

Cost is the primary reason, says Stuedemann. There’s the time and cost of keeping records—you’re required to have 3 years of what you’re growing, seed/feed sources, and methods. Each year, the farmer pays a fee to third party certifying agency for the annual certification ($500 - $1500). In addition, a portion of each sale goes to the certifying agency. That can be a lot of cash in a business that’s not particularly liquid. On the other hand, certification is your “ticket” into the organic marketplace where prices are higher.

Is there a producer you admire whose products are available in Greater Philadelphia?

Organic Valley is a great example of a successful organic cooperative, and it markets nationwide. Six hundred milk producers, mostly in the midwest, belong to it. Organic Valley procures and processes the milk and has a variety of dairy products on the market. It’s also getting in to eggs, orange juice (sourced from the south and west), and hogs for a total of 1200+ farms. The board members all are farmers, and profits go back to the coop. (Give OV a try! Coupons for Organic Valley products, click here.)

Do you see any trends in organic farming?

More organic meats are becoming available—even in Walmarts. Raising livestock organically is expensive—the feed has to be organically grown, of course, and the yield is less than that for animals that have been boosted with hormones. Last summer, Minnesota experienced a terrible drought which meant that farmers of grass-fed livestock had to pay through the nose to get hay from elsewhere. Processing also, whether crop or livestock, has to be certified as organic. The organic dairy processing and distribution infrastructure is reasonably well developed, but meat slaughtering and processing facilities can be harder to find. Consumers are very interested in buying organic meat, but at present the supply lags demand.