Cultivating a Greener Future: The Role of Climate-Smart Agriculture Programs

by Amelia Bruss, CFSA Soil Health Technician

In the face of escalating climate change impacts, the agricultural sector finds itself at the forefront of both challenge and opportunity. As global temperatures rise and weather patterns become increasingly erratic, traditional farming practices are being tested like never before. In this context, embracing climate-smart agriculture practices has become an essential strategy for climate adaptation.

Climate-smart agriculture represents a paradigm shift in how we approach food production, intertwining ecological resilience, resource efficiency, and sustainable development objectives. At its core, climate-smart agriculture seeks to harness agricultural practices that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, enhance carbon sequestration, and bolster the resilience of farming systems to climate-related shocks and stresses.

The urgency for climate adaptation in agriculture stems from the mounting evidence that climate change impacts disrupt agricultural productivity and livelihoods worldwide. Farmers grapple with unprecedented challenges that jeopardize food security, economic stability, and environmental integrity, from prolonged droughts and extreme heat waves to intensified floods and shifting growing seasons.

By adopting climate-smart practices, farmers can mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and seize opportunities to enhance their adaptive capacity and long-term sustainability. These practices encompass various strategies, ranging from conservation agriculture and agroforestry to precision irrigation and crop diversification.

Climate-smart agriculture offers multifaceted benefits beyond climate adaptation alone. By enhancing soil health, conserving water resources, and promoting biodiversity, climate-smart agriculture practices contribute to improved ecosystem services, reduced vulnerability to pests and diseases, and increased agricultural productivity over the long term.

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) provides various grant programs to support climate-smart agriculture practices. These grants are designed to assist farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in implementing these climate-mitigating practices.

The specific details of USDA climate-smart grants may vary depending on the program and funding availability. However, some common themes and objectives include:

Partnerships and Collaboration: Collaborate with other organizations, including universities, research institutions, and non-profits, to administer these climate-smart grant programs. These partnerships help leverage resources, expertise, and networks to maximize the impact of the funded projects.
Research and Innovation: Funding is allocated to support research initiatives focused on developing and improving climate-smart agricultural practices. This can include soil health, water management, crop diversity, and carbon sequestration projects.
Technical Assistance: These grants support technical assistance programs that help farmers and landowners adopt and implement climate-smart practices. This can involve training sessions, workshops, on-farm demonstrations, and one-on-one consultations.
Infrastructure Development: Some grants may also support the development of infrastructure necessary for climate-smart agriculture, such as irrigation systems, renewable energy installations, or facilities for composting and waste management.
Conservation Programs: USDA conservation programs often include components promoting climate-smart practices. These programs may provide financial incentives, cost-share assistance, and technical support to landowners who implement practices that improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or enhance wildlife habitat.

CFSA’s Climate-Smart Partnerships

CFSA is partnering with The Rodale Institute and Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to support farmers interested in adopting and studying climate-smart practices.

The project, entitled “Quantifying the Potential to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Increase Carbon Sequestration by Growing and Marketing Climate-Smart Commodities in the Southern Piedmont,” led by Rodale Institute, is partnering with a team of twelve universities, farming NGOs, and consulting firms, to work with vegetable farmers and farmers markets in the Southern Piedmont to promote the adoption of climate-smart farming practices and expand markets for the sale of climate-smart commodities. Farmers will be asked to add cover crops to their vegetable rotation. Data will be collected on greenhouse gas emissions, soil health benefits, economic impacts, and social barriers to the adoption of using cover crops versus not using cover crops on their fields. This information will provide farmers with the data needed to capitalize on carbon market programs and understand how they can better steward their lands and communities while providing recommendations to the USDA for ways to economically and socially support farmers’ transitions to climate-smart agriculture.

Additionally, Rodale has designed a marketing campaign that investigates the best strategies for educating consumers about the value-added benefits of purchasing climate-smart commodities. The information gained from this work will help farmers better understand the value of their work and provide the USDA with recommendations on ways to support climate-smart markets through consumer education.

The project “Climate-Smart Farming & Marketing: Engaging in Community Science & Practice from Maine to South Carolina” is led by Pasa Sustainable Agriculture and invites farmers from 6 major watersheds across 15 states, including lands stewarded by Tribal nations and Indigenous farmers in the same geographic region to participate. The program offers financial and technical support for farmers who want to implement climate-smart practices such as agroforestry, cover cropping, prescribed grazing, and reduced tillage. Farmer participants will help measure the environmental benefits of these practices, and the project partners will help them educate customers to grow informed consumer demand. The 28 practices that are supported by this program include:

Alley cropping (311)

Conservation Cover (327)

Contour Buffer Strips (332)

Conservation Crop Rotation (328)

Cover Crop (340)

Fence (382)

Field Border (386)

Filter Strip (393)

Forest Farming (379)

Grassed Waterway (412)

Hedgerow Planting (422)

Herbaceous Wind Barriers (603)

Livestock Pipeline (516)

Mulching (484)

Nutrient Management (590)

Pasture and Hay Planting (512)

Prescribed Grazing (528)

Range Planting (550)

Silvopasture (381)

Stripcropping (585)

Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)

Vegetative Barrier (601)

Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till (329)

Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced (345)

Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)

Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645)

Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380)

Watering Facility (614)

Note: The three-digit code after each practice indicates the corresponding Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) practice standard.

Through proactive adaptation measures grounded in climate-smart agriculture, we can cultivate crops and hope for a more resilient and equitable tomorrow. For more information on these programs and how to apply for them, head to the provided links or connect with one of CFSA’s technical assistant providers!

Southern Piedmont Climate-Smart Project

Pasa Climate-Smart Farming & Marketing Project

USDA Partnerships For Climate-Smart Commodities

The CFSA Farm Services Team is here to provide technical assistance on conservation planning, organic production, transition, and certification. If you live in the Carolinas and would like to discuss how we can help, let us know!

Want to meet the farms participating in the 2024 Piedmont Farm Tour?

There’s an incredible blend of farmers who produce food, flowers, and fibers across seven counties of the Piedmont region in North Carolina.

Check out the interactive Google Map or scroll to learn more about these farms and what you can expect to see on your visit.

MAP KEY

Stars: Starred farms are “kick-off” farms that open at noon instead of 2 p.m.
Colors: The different colors indicate clusters (North, South, Central, East, and West) to suggest farms within reasonable driving distances, but you’re free to choose your own adventure during tour weekend!
Logos: The Weaver Street Market logos indicate where you can buy a farm tour pass in person, and CFSA’s logo includes a link to purchase your ticket online.

Here’s the farm tour lineup for 2024:
(Click the farm name or scroll for descriptions!)
- Benevolence Farm | Graham
- Benor Farm – NEW! | CANCELLED
- Catawba Trail Farm | Durham
- Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm + Botanist & Barrel | Cedar Grove
- Chatham Oaks Farm – NEW! | Pittsboro
- Durham Public Schools Hub Farm | CANCELLED
- Elodie Farms | Rougemont
- Ever Laughter Farm & Nursery | Hillsborough
- Faithfull Farms | Chapel Hill
- Fickle Creek Farm | Efland
- Fireside Farm & Sawmill – NEW! | Graham
- Full Plate Farm – NEW! | Snow Camp
- Granite Springs Farm | Pittsboro
- Haw River Mushrooms | Saxapahaw
- In Good Heart Farm | Pittsboro
- Little Way Farm | Siler City
- Minka Farm | Efland
- One Soil Farm –NEW! | Cedar Grove
- Open Door Farm | Cedar Grove
- PlowGirl Farm + Dingo Dog Brewing Company | Chapel Hill
- Rocky Run Farm | Mebane
- Sankofa Farms | Cedar Grove
- Screech Owl Greenhouses – NEW! | Sanford
- Stoney Mountain Farm | Burlington
- Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm | Roxboro
- The Farm at Common Ground Ecovillage | Mebane
- WildSide Farm | Chapel Hill
- Wolfberry Hawthorn Farm – NEW! | Durham

WEST

Benevolence Farm
4265 Thompson Mill Rd, Graham, NC 27253
Farmer(s): Brett Rapkin-Citrenbaum
For sale: body care and candle products infused with herbs and flowers grown on the farm
Benevolence Farm is where second chances grow naturally. Visitors will have an opportunity to learn more about how our non-profit utilizes permaculture and horticulture therapy to train and work alongside formerly incarcerated women as they return from prison. We will host activities that show visitors how we infuse oils from herbs and flowers in our value-added body care product line. Visitors are also welcome to bring food and picnic with us or walk our trail.
Kick-Off Farm
@benevolencefarm

Bountiful Acre
7034 Whitney Rd, Graham 27253
Farmer(s): Keith Shaljian & Kate DeMayo
For sale: cut flower bouquets, perennial plants, fruit trees and berry bushes
A side project of our edible landscaping cooperative, Bountiful Backyards, our 1-acre market garden is a dynamic blend of perennial and annual vegetable systems that complement and enhance each other, creating a polyculture of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit at the homestead scale. Spring perennials and crops, honey bees, chickens, and orchard crops grow together in harmony with our CSA and customers to transform this land and work with our surrounding natural ecosystems and our agriculture community in Saxapahaw/Lower Alamance County. Come learn about our organic and regenerative methods, permaculture design strategies, and the possibilities that just one acre can hold!
Kick-Off Farm, Meal/Snack Stop
@bountifulbackyards

Fireside Farm & Sawmill
5820 Lindley Mill Rd, Graham 27253
Farmer(s): Randall Williams and Lisa Joyner
For sale: unique local lumber, raised garden bed kits, and sawmill shirts & hats
Since 2011, Fireside Farm & Sawmill has been helping landowners turn their trees into barns, homes, and furniture. Visitors to the farm’s new sawmill facility in Saxapahaw will see two sawmills in action: one super-fast mill that produces 1000 board feet per hour and one that cuts 72” wide logs. Come explore the farm’s 10-acre sawmill to learn about healthy forest management, harvesting timber, farmer-friendly wood markets, and how we’re diverting logs from the waste stream to become more affordable homes. Visitors will get to see one of the world’s largest production chainsaws!
Kick-Off Farm
@firesidefarmnc @firesidesawmill

Full Plate Farm
4227 Bass Mountain Rd, Snow Camp 27349
Farmer(s): Matt Ballard
For sale: vegetable seedlings, produce
Full Plate Farm is a 2-acre vegetable and fruit farm using organic growing practices, such as low-till and hand-powered tools. Our market garden annual crops are mixed with perennial crops and flowering hedgerows for pollinators and wildlife habitats. A half-acre of blueberries, blackberries, and more fruits blends permaculture practices and broiler production into the operation. Visitors can join in on ongoing tours of the various parts of the farm enterprise.
@fullplatefarmnc

Haw River Mushrooms
Farmer(s): Ches & Laura Stewart, Annie Seifts
For sale: mushrooms, mushroom jerky, soft-serve ice cream from Ran Lew Dairy, mushroom merch & more
Come see the mushroom growing process up close, from sawdust to harvest at one of North Carolina’s largest mushroom farms. We’ll share how we’ve built our farm over the last 12 years and sample innovative mushroom dishes that reflect our mission to make mushroom nutrition more accessible to everyday eaters. Join us for a mushroom-tastic lunch on the farm featuring some of our award-winning dishes.
@hawrivermushrooms

CENTRAL

Faithfull Farms
1400 Ferguson Rd., Chapel Hill 27516
Farmer(s): Howard & Ronniqua Allen
For sale: seedlings and assorted vegetables
Faithfull Farms is a small-scale no-till market farm that grows year-round produce for local restaurants, grocers, and the Carrboro Farmers Market. Farmer Howard will give a walking tour of the property, or visitors can do a self-guided tour. There will be fresh produce and seedlings for sale. Visitors can relax under the pavilion. Bring lunch and have a picnic on the lawn.
@faithfullfarms

Fickle Creek Farm
11 Fickle Creek Crossing, Efland 27243
Farmer(s): Noah Ranells & Bryan Horton
For sale: grass-finished beef & lamb, pasture & woodland-raised pork, chicken & eggs, beef snack sticks, bites, & jerky; never-sprayed vegetables
With sheep and lambs, cows and calves, pastured pigs, free range pastured chickens, egg mobiles, Great Pyrenees guard dogs, and hoop houses for produce, there is something for everyone at Fickle Creek Farm! Friendly farm staff will gladly assist you on the self-guided tour to see pastures, cover crops, and grazing animals and learn about regenerative & sustainable farming. Join us for music, tractor trikes, farm poetry, and farm-raised meats to eat under a large pole barn. Our farm store offers beef, pork, chicken, lamb, eggs, and veggies to take home. Español, Français, Hebrew, & Tagalog spoken here!
Special directions: Parking entrance for the tour is located under the Duke Power transmission lines just north of the farm drive. Please do not enter farm drive to keep the area safe for visitors.
KICKOFF FARM – SUNDAY ONLY
@ficklecreekfarm

Minka Farm
120 Minka Farm Ln., Efland 27243
Farmer(s): Brian & Kimberly Harry
Minka Farm is home to a wide range of livestock raised on pasture using high-welfare methods. We want to share farming experiences with you, from feeding animals and caring for baby goats and lambs to inspecting tractors, checking on the livestock guardian dogs and pigs, and exercising and grooming the horses. While not yet in fruit, you’re welcome to stroll through our orchard or walk along our hiking trail that varies from stands of old hardwoods to denser pines. The farm store will be stocked with high-welfare meats & eggs, pawpaw seedlings, and asparagus (while it lasts)! We’re also partnering with Burrito Bistro this year, featuring our farm’s ground beef in their beef offerings.
Kick-Off Farm, Meal/Snack Stop
@minkafam

PlowGirl Farm
9907 Leta Dr, Chapel Hill 27516
Farmer(s): Sally Jo Slusher
For sale: Mushroom logs, “grow your own” ginger pots, a variety of spring greens, craft beer, and cider brewed on the farm
Conveniently situated off Hwy 54, PlowGirl Farm is home to two acres of vegetable fields, honeybees, and Dingo Dog Brewery, a zero-waste nonprofit craft brewery whose proceeds benefit animal rescue. Learn about the symbiotic relationship between a farmer and a brewer, see log-grown shiitake mushrooms, and explore fields of organic vegetables. You can also tour the brewery and sample or purchase craft beer and cider made with farm-grown ingredients! There will be culinary ginger pots and shiitake mushroom logs for sale so you can grow your own at home!

Rocky Run Farm
6519 Hebron Church Rd., Mebane 27302
Farmer(s): Isaiah, Whitney, and Wyatt Allen
For sale: pasture-raised chicken and lamb, flowers, and vegetable and herb transplants
Rocky Run Farm is a diversified produce and livestock farm with a one-acre intensive market garden and an orchard of perennial fruit trees, nuts, and berries. It’s home to pastured chickens, ducks, turkeys, and sheep that rotate through the pastures, providing weed and pest management and fertility to our soils. While here, you’ll see our passive solar propagation house, high tunnels where we grow produce and cut flowers year-round, our poultry processing area along with our vegetable wash/pack station and our impressively large compost pile made from wood chips from local arborists, manure, and restaurant food waste.
@rockyrunfarm

The Farm at Common Ground Ecovillage
1021 Frazier Rd, Mebane NC 27302
Farmer(s): Doug Jones, Caleb Buchbinder, Lucas Babinec
For sale: Snap peas, strawberries, salad greens
Common Ground Ecovillage is an intentional agrarian community with an on-site working farm that includes pollinator habitat, extensive seed saving and plant breeding, and season extension techniques that provide a year-round supply of veggies to the farm’s CSA. Come learn about our transition to no-till soil management, and visit our shiitake mushroom operation, solar-powered irrigation well, worm composting beds, and cob and slip-straw buildings!
@common.ground.ecovillage

WildSide Farm
4001 Teer Rd., Chapel Hill 27516
Farmer(s): Walt and Debbie Tysinger
For sale: produce & vegetable starts
WildSide Farm is a new project that endeavors to convert what was once a conventional dairy into a biodiverse, regenerative farm located on 70 rolling acres just outside Chapel Hill. We strive to learn from and connect with the land, working towards rehabilitating soil fertility, restoring water health, and increasing habitat for wildlife while growing nutrient-dense food for our community. Come see the renovated dairy barn, greenhouses, and our thriving annual market garden from which we sell our veggies online and through our CSA. Tour our newly planted berry patches, muscadine grape vineyard, chestnut orchard, and food forest. Bring a picnic, visit the pond, hike the trails, and enjoy the beautiful wide open spaces!
@wildsidefarmnc

NORTH

Benor Farm
Benor Farm is no longer able to participate in the farm tour. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Boxcarr Farms & Boxcarr Handmade Cheese
2207 Carr Store Rd., Cedar Grove 27231
Austin Genke, Dani Copeland, & Samantha Genke
For sale: Handmade cheeses
Spend the afternoon meeting the Boxcarr Farms dairy goat herd and nibbling on award-winning cheeses made at our on-site creamery. We will have self-guided tours of our 30-acre farm and spacious milking parlor, with delicious foods to snack on. Spring kidding will be in full swing, and baby goats will love to meet you!
Kick-Off Farm, Meal/Snack Stop
@boxcarrfarms @boxcarrhandmadecheese

Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm & Botanist + Barrel
105 Persimmon Hill Ln, Cedar Grove, NC 27231
Farmer(s): Kether Smith, Deric McGuffey, Lyndon Smith, and Meagan Saunders
For sale: wine, cider, plants, Farm Pizza, BBQ, and a stocked farm stand
We are home to Botanist & Barrel Cidery and Winery, the first winery in Orange County and the South’s only natural cidery. Our focus is on preserving Southern heirloom apples and culture. Enjoy a stroll through Cedar Grove Blueberry Farm’s blueberry and apple orchard while learning about our organic fruit farming practices and the farm’s history. Following your orchard walk, head inside the cidery for a guided tour and tasting featuring cider and wine made with our fruit. Wrap up your visit with a hot pizza from our wood-fired oven, crafted with locally sourced ingredients from neighboring farms such as Nourishing Acres, Eden Meats, and Boxcarr Handmade Cheese, or opt for Whole Pit Traditional BBQ and sides by Chef Luis Martinez.
Kick-Off Farm, Meal/Snack Stop
@cedargroveblueberry @cedargroveblueberryfarm
@botanistandbarrel

Ever Laughter Farm
2921 Open Ln., Hillsborough 27278
Farmer: Will Cramer
For sale: vegetables, herb starts, and native perennials
Ever Laughter Farm is a small market farm that raises produce, flowers, and plants with organic and sustainable practices. In spring, our main focus is on cut flowers and our plant nursery, though the field will be full of growing vegetables. On the tour, you can see the native pollinator plant garden that serves as a demonstration for nursery customers and diversifies the insect ecosystem on the working produce farm. The greenhouses will be full of ready-to-plant starts and pollinator plants, with plenty to take home for your gardens!
@everlaughterfarm @everlaughterfarm

One Soil Farm
1550 McDade Store Road, Cedar Grove 27231
Farmer(s): Meredith Cohen and Molly Zimmerman
For sale: vegetables, tomato plants, parsley plants (for Passover!), and One Soil merch
One Soil Farm is a farm for everyone, with the unique quality of being led by Jewish farmers and rooted in the local Jewish community. We deliver beautiful, sustainably grown vegetables to convenient locations in Durham, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough through our CSA program. All locations are open to everyone! We are a truly community-based farm committed to building personal relationships, offering Jewish farming education, and connecting the Jewish community with our agricultural heritage and inherent connection to the earth. We are also committed to using organic farming practices that improve the land we grow on, including crop rotation, integrated pest management, and cover cropping. Saturday, we’ll be leading farm tours, and on Sunday, we’ll open our fresh veggie stand and plant sale (feat. tomato plants and parsley plants for Passover!).
@onesoilfarm

Open Door Farm
3116 Carr Store Rd., Cedar Grove 27231
Farmer(s): Jillian & Ross Mickens
For sale: fresh dahlias, tubers, and herb plants
Join us for a guided tour of the farm, where we specialize in organically grown produce and dahlias. Learn about our transition from four-season farming to fall and winter production, during which we focus on growing dahlias, storage vegetable crops and hardy winter produce and herbs. We will have dahlia tubers for sale and can answer all your questions about growing them at home.
Kick-Off Farm
@opendoorfarm

Sankofa Farms
2916 J A Killough Dr, Cedar Grove 27231
Farmer(s): Kamal Bell & Devyn Smith
For sale: Collard Greens, kale, chard, kale salad mix, celery.
Sankofa Farms is centered around solving issues involving food security for African Americans by offering an educational program for students through our agriculture academy. We also provide various educational opportunities for members of the community and a program called Bees In The TRAP, which allows participants to develop a unique relationship with honeybees. Visitors will hear the story of Sankofa, get a chance to tour our apiary, and get a peek into our caterpillar tunnels!
@sankofafarms

Stoney Mountain Farm
6559 Old Stoney Mountain Rd., Burlington 27215
Farmer(s):John & Olga Elder
For sale: a variety of sheep and wool products, including felting supplies, felted crafts, yarn, pasture-raised lamb, and beautiful sheep hides
Dating back to the late 1700s, Stoney Mountain Farm sits on 56 acres just off the beaten path in Burlington and is home to three unique breeds of endangered sheep raised for their wool. You’ll see young lambs alongside their mothers and get to meet our guard llamas! We’ll have a few outdoor activities for the little ones and plenty of tables and vistas to sit and take it all in. There will be guided walking farm tours on the hour where you can learn how we implement rotational grazing systems and land/water conservation along with our permaculture system. And for anyone interested, we’ll share what we’ve learned along the way pertinent to raising sheep! Our farm store will be open with our sheep-related products for sale. Drinks and snacks will also be available for purchase.
Kick-Off Farm, Meal/Snack Stop
@stoneymtnfarm

Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm
465 Yarbrough Rd., Roxboro 27574
Farmer(s): Jack & Sandy Pleasant
For sale: grass-fed bison steaks, ground meat, burgers, sausages, roasts, organs, snack sticks, and jerky
Sunset Ridge Buffalo Farm is an NC Bicentennial Farm, in operation since 1797, and currently raising grass-fed bison using rotational grazing, no-till pasture management, and soil conservation practices. While visiting the farm, join one of our narrated covered wagon tours through the bison fields, where you’ll see bison cows, calves, and bulls while we discuss handling, feeding, and behavior. Tours depart every 30 minutes beginning at noon! There will be a bison burger lunch sale on Saturday!
Kick-Off Farm, Meal/Snack Stop

EAST

Bull City Farm
5315 Isham Chambers Rd., Rougemont 27572
Farmer(s): Samantha Gasson, Scott Stirrup & Kids
For sale: dog treats, pasture-raised pork, turkey, chicken & eggs
Bull City Farm is a pasture-based livestock operation in northern Durham Co., featuring chicks, lambs, cows, geese, and pigs. While on the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to walk our beautiful property, meet some of our friendly animals, and soak in your surroundings. We have some real characters on the farm, from Maisy the donkey to Doll Face and Blue, our pet pigs, to our ridiculous American buff geese.
Meal/Snack Stop
@bullcityfarm

Catawba Trail Farm
2080 Sawmill Creek Parkway, Durham 27712
Farmer(s): Delphine Sellars & Urban Community AgriNomics (UCAN)
For sale: eggs, vegetable plant seedlings, snow peas, spring onions & other early vegetable houseplants, outdoor plants
As one of the oldest farms in Durham County, there’s plenty to take in at Catawba Trail Farm. While visiting the reclaimed historic farmstead, visitors will see a mixture of old and new farm buildings, a large community garden, a high tunnel, a small fruit orchard, and the farm’s bees, ducks, and chickens. Visitors can walk on an original section of the Great Native American Trading Path and see the oldest marked gravesite in Durham County while learning about the farm’s history from the 1800s to the present day.
Kick-Off Farm
@urbancommunityagrinomics

Durham Public Schools Hub Farm – CANCELLED
The Durham Public Schools Hub Farm is no longer able to participate in the farm tour. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Elodie Farms
9522 Hampton Rd., Rougemont 27572
Farmer(s): Sandra Vergara & Ted Domville
For sale: ice cream (including dairy-free) and merchandise featuring our goats!
Elodie Farms is a 1914 former tobacco farm, home to a herd of mixed-breed goats, old and young, that browse happily on 17+ acres of pasture amidst hundred-year-old trees, old barns, and a natural lake. Our farm is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, including migratory birds, turtles, and many other animals that are part of the normal ecology of our farm. We open our farm to agritourism activities throughout the year, including farm dinners, tours, and private events. Visitors can become part of the herd by joining the goats in the pasture, and if they feel like it, the goats may take folks on a short hike through the woods or around the lake!
@elodie_farms @elodiefarms

Wolfberry Hawthorn Farm
2503 Joyner Rd, Durham 27704
Farmer(s): Jason Bzdula
For sale: vegetable starts, culinary and medicinal herb starts, native flowers, herbs, grasses, ferns, shrubs & trees, house plants, gourd birdhouses, dried flower wreaths, shiitake mushroom logs
Our farm produces a wide variety of products on a small scale, making it an interesting example of what can be possible on less than 2 acres. From growing microgreens to cut flowers, to both common and uncommon produce, to a nursery growing herbs, vegetables, and native plants, to workshops, gourd crafts, and experiments in pushing the boundaries of what can be grown here in central NC (this year’s experiments include Jicama and papayas!). Visitors will get to tour the various vegetable garden areas, plant nursery, greenhouse, high tunnels, orchard, herb, and native plant gardens. There’s even a possibility to spot local wildlife such as songbirds, turtles, and the geese that nest on the pond!
@wolfberryhawthornLLC

SOUTH

Chatham Oaks Farm
573 Dewitt Smith Road, Pittsboro 27312
Farmer(s): Rachel Clark and Justin Clark
For sale: strawberries (depending on weather!)
Chatham Oaks Farm is located just 12 minutes from Pittsboro Center and offers a convenient rural retreat. The large gambrel-roof barn, accompanied by a sprawling white oak tree, offers a picturesque landscape for berry-picking (weather permitting) or even a picnic. As a small, family-owned, and operated strawberry farm, we open to the public every Spring during strawberry season for u-pick and pre-picked berries. During the tour, visitors will learn about the annual timeline for growing strawberries, have the opportunity to try our equipment (transplanter and picking assistant), and even pick their own berries (weather permitting!).
@chathamoaksfarm

Granite Springs Farm
265 Granite Springs Rd, Pittsboro 27312
Farmer(s): Meredith Leight, Luis, and Allie Gochez
For sale: ginger plants, produce, microgreens, mushrooms, mushroom growing kits, seedlings
Granite Springs Farm is a diversified vegetable and mushroom farm ten minutes from downtown Pittsboro. Visiting our farm, you’ll see cover crops growing for soil fertility, mulch, and for use in our mushroom-growing substrate. Check out our mini round baler! While you’re here, tour our “Shroom Room,” where we’re growing oyster mushrooms in hanging bags, see our large red wiggler worm habitat, and try your hand at our antique seed-cleaning equipment. We’ll share progress on our plan to convert one of the farm’s five high tunnels into a geothermally heated and cooled subtropical paradise for fruit trees and plants!
@gsfpbo

In Good Heart Farm
456 Friendly Pooch Ln, Pittsboro 27312
Farmer(s): Ben & Patricia Shields
For sale: fresh produce, seedlings, herbal healing salve, calendula skin serum
We are a 4-season market farm growing high-quality fruits & vegetables on 5 acres just west of Pittsboro. Come see our hillside terraced gardens, high tunnels, and orchard on the land of Bill Dow’s Ayrshire Farm fame! We utilize regenerative organic techniques with a focus on mineral balancing and ecological diversity to achieve healthy plants resistant to pests and disease. We will give guided tours at 2:30 and 4:30 daily to share our story, knowledge, and experience of chemical-free farming. Self-guided tours are also encouraged.
@ingoodheartfarm

Little Way Farm
5778 Siler City Snow Camp Rd., Siler City 27734
Farmer(s): Joe & Michelle Sroka
For sale: Grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured poultry, woodland-raised pork, pastured eggs, raw honey, cream-top dairy
Little Way Farm is a small-scale family farm providing pasture-raised meats, eggs, dairy, and honey. We utilize regenerative, intensive rotational grazing practices that create partnerships among animals and steward healthy soil. When you visit our farm, you’ll see rotational grazing partnerships among grass-fed cows and pastured chickens and how woodland-raised hogs create a more beneficial habitat for plants and trees. Stop by our farm store and community hub to take home some of our farm’s offerings!
Meal/Snack Stop
@littlewayfarm

Screech Owl Greenhouses
6055 Lower Moncure Rd, Sanford 27330
Farmer(s): Screech (Ralph Sweger Jr.) and Cameo Strifler
For sale: Tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, and seedless thin-skinned cucumbers
At Screech Owl Greenhouses, visitors will get to learn about the variety of growing methods utilized in our greenhouses. We’ll be featuring our hydroponic system, a method not often used for commercial farming, as well as vertical growing. You also may find a critter or two as you explore, as we use beneficial insects in all of our greenhouses to grow produce that is insecticide-free!

Before the 2024 Piedmont Farm Tour kicks off this Earth Day Weekend, we’re excited to share the newcomers to this year’s farm tour!

We’re thrilled to welcome seven new farms to the tour this year. Within the mix, you can find community spaces, healing journeys, livestock from small to mighty, and growers committed to making their worlds better.

All photos submitted by the participating farms and used by CFSA with permission.

Bountiful Acre Market Garden | Saxapahaw | Keith Shalijan & Kate DeMayo

What to Expect: Bountiful Acre is a 1-acre market garden made up of a blend of perennial and annual vegetable systems. The theme here is symbiosis through and through. Each plant is incorporated into the homestead with the intent of enhancing and complementing the life that is already flourishing. Expect to see honey bees, chickens, orchard crops and spring annuals in full effect and to learn about how they work with the land and greater natural ecosystems. There will also be bouquets and plant starts aplenty for you to take home and green up your own place!

Favorite Spot: “Our favorite spot in the garden is probably our mini-orchard where we have 15 slowly but steadily maturing apple trees, cherries, and plums planted within a beautiful stand of white Dutch clover and orchard grass. Directly down the hill is our 1/3 acre pond which attracts many waterfowl, turtles, and a symphony of various frogs as well as providing our garden with irrigation, and directly behind this area are our two new beehives that we are so excited about! From this spot, we can also overlook the entire garden with all of its diversity of vegetables, flowers and cover crops growing and the many birds and beneficial insects flying through the garden at at all times throughout the year.” – Keith and Kate

Chatham Oaks Farm | Pittsboro | Rachel & Justin Clark

What to Expect: Chatham Oaks Farm is a serene, rural retreat located in Southwest Chatham County. Complete with a gambrel-roof barn, sprawling white oak tree, and picturesque berry fields, Justin and Rachel offer a lovely landscape for picnics, and family photos. In addition to featuring some local snacks, Chatham Oaks will also be opening their you-pick strawberry patch for the spring season. Upon joining their tour, expect to learn about what it takes to run a strawberry farm, have a go at using some of the farm equipment, and- weather permitting- even pick your own strawberries!

Favorite Spot: “Our favorite spot on our farm in the shade under the grand white oak tree in front of our gambrel roof barn. This spot is what drew us to the property to begin with and it remains our family’s favorite place for playing, having a picnic or jumping in giant leaf piles in the fall.” – Rachel & Justin Clark

Fireside Farm & Sawmill | Saxapahaw | Lisa Joyner & Randall Williams

What to Expect: Fireside Farm & Sawmill is an often unexplored realm of agriculture that Randall is excited to share with the Triangle and beyond. Since 2011, they’ve been helping landowners turn their trees into barns, homes, and furniture with their mobile sawmill and at their newly established permanent facility. Visitors will get to see two sawmills in action: one super-fast mill that produces 1000 board feet per hour and one that cuts 72” wide logs. Expect to learn all about healthy forest management, harvesting timber, farmer-friendly wood markets, and one of the world’s largest production chainsaws. You’ll even have the opportunity to buy some unique local lumber and raised garden bed kits, so make room in your trunk!

Favorite Spot: “My favorite spot at the new sawmill facility is standing beside an old-growth log. I get a lot of logs from 100+ year old trees that have died from natural causes, and my clients want to honor the tree in some way. So, when you make the first cut, you’re opening up the tree’s story– the rings tell about its growth rate and its adversities. I find evidence of people’s interaction with the tree over a century– electrical conduit, eyehooks for laundry lines, bullets from the Civil War.” – Randall Williams

Full Plate Farm | Snow Camp | Matt Ballard

What to Expect: Full Plate Farm is the place to be if you hold an interest in doing things the collaborative way. In addition to being a regenerative produce farm with all the fixings- a variety of annual market crops, newly established blueberry and blackberry beds, and integrated pollinator hedgerows- Matt is going above and beyond to work with his fellow farmers to build a tool share library and foster equity of crop revenue. While touring with Matt, expect to learn about these explorations in addition to how he’s farming with both ecological benefits and human efficiency in mind.

Favorite Spot: “One of my favorite spots on our farm recently, during winter and spring, has been overlooking the main annual crop field toward the western sky during “golden hour”… when the sun’s indirect, fading light seems to make its last effort and shines through each leaf with such brilliance… And then within an hour, the dim light scatters and everything becomes a silhouette, especially the defoliated, hardwood trees in the backdrop. As the sunlight grows each day past the winter solstice, there’s a sense of disappointment on farm tasks left undone but also the anticipation of longer light to bask in.”

One Soil Farm | Cedar Grove | Meredith Cohen & Molly Zimmerman

What to Expect: One Soil Farm is a small-scale Jewish farm with a mission to provide the Jewish community (and everyone!) of the Triangle with local, sustainably grown vegetables through CSA programs. Beth El Synagogue, the Jewish Community Center, and Kehillah Synagogue are all part of One Soil’s CSA program to help carry out their mission. Expect to learn about their strong commitment to building personal relationships, offering Jewish education, and connecting the Jewish community with their agricultural heritage and deep rooted connection to the earth. Saturday will be fully dedicated to farm tours, and on Sunday, they’ll be opening up their fresh veggie stand and plant sale (featuring tomato and parsley plants just in time for Passover)! And if you still want to know more, One Soil Farm still has spaces left in their 2024 CSA, starting April 17 – check it out here!

Favorite Spot: “My favorite spot on the farm right now is what we like to call our “backyard” – a cute little area behind the greenhouse where we have our rain garden, our new blueberry patch, picnic tables and umbrellas, and some raised beds where we grow flowers and fun experimental plants for chefs and visitors! It’s so fun to have a place on the farm that’s not in larger scale production, that we can just make beautiful and relaxing for ourselves and for guests. It’s a great spot for a picnic or a cute family photo shoot at the farm!” – Meredith

Screech Owl Greenhouses | Sanford | Ralph “Screech” Sweger, Jr. & Cameo Strifler

What to Expect: Screech Owl Greenhouses is a prime example of farmer innovation and resourcefulness. From the use of hydroponic systems to beneficial insects for pest control, expect to see and hear about a wide variety of growing methods not often used for commercial farming. While touring with Cameo or Screech, you’ll get to witness the great potential that just a few greenhouses can possess and the incredibly tasty crops that they produce. If you’re lucky, you might even glimpse one of the several fur babies that call this place home.

Favorite Spot: “My favorite spot on the farm is the cool bot at the end of the day… I think the best place to take a selfie is in the lettuce house with the rainbow of lettuces. ”

– Screech & Cameo

Wolfberry Hawthorn Farm | Durham | Jason Bzdula

What to Expect: Wolfberry Hawthorn Farm is a produce operation growing a wide variety of herbs, vegetables, flowers, house plants, and more, all on less than two acres! Always trying to think outside the box, Jason is a dedicated experimental grower who is always finding new ways to push the boundaries of can be grown in central NC. Not only can visitors expect to learn about this year’s round of crop trials- including Jicama and papayas- but they can also explore the plant nursery, greenhouse, orchard, and herb & native plant gardens. There’s even a possibility to spot local wildlife such as songbirds, turtles, and the geese that nest on the pond!

Favorite Spot: “[The pergola] is an area on the farm that might be great for people to sit for a bit and relax or take pictures… with a brick patio and some seating surrounded by a variety of fruiting shrubs and various herbs and flowers.” – Jason

Check out the other farms on the 2024 tour, where you can meet the whole list of farms participating and see where everyone is on the map!

Buy Your Tour Pass!

Jamie Rye, CFSA Communications Officer

Located in Conway, SC, just a little past a stone’s throw from the busy beaches, shops, and restaurants of Myrtle Beach is a unique dynamic small farm aptly named Microledon Farm. Microledon Farm is the brainchild (and, some days, burden) of Oscar Chavez, an entrepreneur, father, husband, and first-generation US farmer.

Microledon Farm started as just a twinkle in Oscar’s eye.

When Oscar and his wife were expecting their first child, he became interested in growing organic food to feed his family better-quality and more nutrient-dense foods. Coming out of the tech industry with little experience growing food, he started reading books, watching YouTube videos on small-scale farming, and dabbling in growing food on a 25-30 sq ft section of their then backyard. His first year of farming was extremely challenging, with poor production, and his wife challenged him to “make farming more profitable within a year or keep it as a hobby.”

But inspiration can strike when you least expect it. One day, Oscar was enjoying food at a local restaurant when he noticed they were utilizing microgreens on their menu. That led to a seemingly innocent question: where did this restaurant get its microgreens from?

As fate would have it, Oscar jumped in and began growing and selling microgreens, first to that restaurant that was his inspiration, then to eleven others.

After that backyard farming validation, having more space just made sense. Oscar’s family moved from their small rental property to Microledon’s current 5-acre property. With approximately two acres of this property under production and a permanent residence, he now had the stability and space to dream, plan, and grow. Today Oscar’s full-time farm dream is a reality with a flourishing microgreen business serving twenty-five restaurants while expanding to salad mixes, leafy greens, and edible flowers, all driven by Chef demand.

Beginning and seasoned farmers alike will tell you that it’s essential to have support systems and, more specifically, collaborative relationships to carry you through the challenges and opportunities found in farming. Reasonably early in Microledon’s journey, Oscar connected with Kim Butz, one of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s (CFSA) skilled Technical Assistance team members. Kim forged a lasting relationship with Oscar and helped Microledon navigate food safety and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. These early building blocks opened the farm to new market opportunities and undergirded farm growth.

Then, in 2020/2021, Oscar, looking for new opportunities to improve his farm, began exploring how to implement conservation practices around the farm.

But where do you even begin?

Navigating the conservation planning process

Navigating what conservation practices are best for your context and goals, how to access USDA funding, or even where to start the process can feel like drinking from a firehose. With the support and guidance of Mark Dempsey, CFSA’s primary Technical Service Provider (TSP) at the time (now 1 of 3), Oscar was able to navigate the Conservation Planning Activity “Transition to Organic” process (CPA 138) with relative ease. Mark could set foot on Oscar’s land and dig in, getting to know the farm and the farmer, the heart and vision behind Microledon. The end result of this explorative and collaborative process was a robust, thorough, tailored plan that would serve as a guide to help Oscar implement the ideal conservation practices for the ongoing thriving and growth of Microledon.

With the plan in hand, Oscar has the opportunity to more easily access USDA Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funding to implement the identified conservation practices and also explore additional TSP support from CFSA through the USDA’s new Design and Implementation Activities (DIA 140) process. DIA 140 takes the CPA 138 a step further with significant hands-on support, strategizing, and planning.

Ultimately, as I talked with Oscar, I got a sense that we are all in this together and need one another’s experience on this tremendous food-producing journey.

“Becoming a farmer, I’ve learned a lot through failing. I like it when someone who knows more than I says listen, let’s plan this right the first time; let’s get this where you need it… Once you’re on the property, you can see it. You get a better understanding, and I think that’s where having that onsite third perspective is really helpful. Of course, I can go out there and just start throwing things everywhere, and then next thing you know…I wish I would have done that over here or that over there… knowing what to do from the start comes with experience…”

Whether you are looking for a sounding board to bounce new ideas off, on-farm technical assistance, or the guidance of a Technical Service Provider, CFSA is here for it. We are that “third perspective” that you can count on. We are here to help you thrive and find the support you and your farm need to feed your community, grow your farm business, and care for the land you call home.

The CFSA Farm Services Team is here to support you with all aspects of conservation planning, organic production, transitioning to organic practices, and season extension. If you live in the Carolinas, let us know how we can help.

by Jay Dunbar, CFSA Local Produce Safety Coordinator

Crops come out of the field with field heat, and removing it quickly is an essential part of good post-harvest handling. Some crops, like leafy greens and root crops, typically undergo wash processes that clean and cool the crops with water. Other crops are cooled using specific hydrocooling methods or ice-cooling, as in commercial broccoli production.

More delicate crops, such as small fruits, cucumbers, and peppers suffer from quality issues when treated with water post-harvest. The added moisture leads to rapid decay. As far as cooling of these crops is concerned, growers often have no choice but to get their harvest refrigerated as soon as possible and let the conditioned air of their coolers slowly bring the crop temps down.

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by Joe Rowland, CFSA Organic Initiatives Coordinator

There are so many factors to manage in the greenhouse. From light, heat, water, nutrition, and soil, the list is exhaustive and, at times, overwhelming. A lot rides on good quality transplants, and learning to produce them consistently takes time and patience. This article will help you identify key areas and avoid common mistakes.

Below, I’ll cover potting soil, nutrition, tray types and sizes, planting seeds and filling flats, timing, irrigation, as well as heat and light.

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Background

Published in January 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule has proven to be one of the biggest changes to the National Organic Program (NOP) since its inception.

Designed to protect organic integrity and bolster farmer and consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal, SOE targets organic control systems, farm-to-market traceability, import oversight authority and enforcement of organic regulations. Organic supply chains have become increasingly complex, and the SOE was crafted out of an effort to increase transparency in the organic market.

The USDA currently estimates that, as a result of the SOE rule, approximately 1,000 domestic businesses will require organic certification for the first time. Those affected include not just producers, but businesses and organizations throughout the organic supply chain. The rule features a 14-month implementation period, and compliance is required by March 19, 2024.

New Regulatory Changes

The most significant change is that more operations in the organic supply chain will be required to become certified organic. Previously, only producers interested in selling organic products would need certification. Under the new SOE rule, anyone that produces, but also handles, organic products will need to become certified. Under the new rule, “handling” products involves the sale, processing or packaging of agricultural products, including but not limited to, trading, facilitating sale or trade on behalf of a seller, exporting for sale in the U.S., combining, aggregating, packing, repackaging, labeling, storing, receiving or loading. In other words, businesses that do not even physically handle products may still need to become certified organic if they engage in any of the above activities.

The rule also requires that operations label non-retail containers with critical information designed to prevent contamination and support traceability. “Non-retail” containers can include everything from produce boxes, bulk containers, harvest crates, storage bins and more, and the label must include language identifying the contents as organic.

Regarding on-site inspections, the SOE requires that all certifiers conduct a minimum number of unannounced inspections per year. This was previously required through guidance in the NOP Handbook, but is now codified in USDA regulations.

Language has been added that requires certifiers verify traceability within an operation, as well as traceability to their certified suppliers. The rule also mandates that inspectors conduct mass-balance audits to confirm that an operation’s inputs match its outputs, in an effort to detect the fraudulent use of nonorganic ingredients.

Organic traceability recordkeeping is also becoming stricter. When using a non-certified intermediary, such as an exempt wholesaler or shipping company, certified operations will now have to maintain records showing both the last certified operation to possess or handle the product, and that organic integrity was maintained by the intermediary.

Impact on Small Organic Producers

Though the rule is designed to build consumer trust in the organic label and strengthen compliance with organic regulations, small organic operations and processors will be forced to comply with the new SOE processes in the same manner as any large operation.

While a very small organic operation, one with annual gross sales of $5,000 or less, is still exempt from needing certification, many questions remain around the SOE’s potential impact on organic supply chains, and the degree to which any problems may be passed on to organic producers downstream.

Small producers may face pressure from buyers to provide produce in sealed, tamper-evident retail packaging (STERP) to avoid any requirement that the buyer become certified. Using STERP could increase costs for small producers, while not using STERP could limit their overall ability to sell produce.

Storage facilities will be required to be certified if they store products for producers not sealed in STERP, which may result in storage sites currently used by small producers refusing service to avoid new certification requirements. If storage locations begin requiring STERP, this new cost would be passed on to producers.

Though the new mass-balance audits required by SOE could increase overall inspection time, and thereby certification cost for producers, many small farms have their fees covered by the national Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). The changing non-retail labeling requirements may also have cost implications for small producers, though it is too early to know to what extent.

Overall, major downstream impacts on small producers will need to be examined in 2024 once enforcement of the rule begins in March. There are likely still many processors and other supply chain businesses waiting to decide on whether to pursue certification, and it remains to be seen what disruptions this will have on producer-purchaser relationships.

Summary

The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule proves to be one of, if not the most, widespread change to organic policy since the formation of the NOP. Impacting producers, certifiers, processors, exporters, and more, this rule will reduce the number of uncertified entities throughout the overall organic supply chain and strengthen supply chain traceability.

This effort, however, has the potential to pass along direct and indirect costs to producers, regardless of their size. Cost and paperwork associated with certification continue to persist as a barrier to new and existing organic producers, and implementation of the SOE is likely to exacerbate this. Further analysis will be needed once enforcement begins to determine the size and scope of costs passed on to producers, as well as support and outreach needs for producer compliance.

Outreach for new and existing organic producers should emphasize a streamlined approach for guiding producers through the required recordkeeping process, as well as a continued push for improved training among organic certifying agents.

A downloadable version of this post is available.

This work was supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

About the Author

Matt Kneece is CFSA’s policy director, which oversees CFSA’s advocating for state and federal policies that better support local food, organic farming, and resilient regional food systems. He works closely with CFSA members and allies to educate policymakers on issues of importance to the local, organic farming communities and spearhead grassroots communications in support of specific policy needs.

A native of South Carolina, Matt combines a background in governmental affairs and public policy with a passion for sustainable agriculture to serve as CFSA’s policy director.

Background

Achieving and maintaining organic certification can often be a daunting prospect for producers, and a specific set of requirements must be met before they ever apply.

To be officially certified as organic, products must be grown and processed according to federal guidelines that address soil quality, animal husbandry practices, pest control, additives, and more. Produce must be grown on soil that has had no prohibited substances, including most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, applied for three years before harvest; for organic livestock, animals must be fed all-organic feed, not administered antibiotics or hormones, and raised in natural living conditions.

However, certified organic producers face pressure on the supply and demand side of production. Becoming certified organic is often expensive, takes several years to achieve, and requires higher labor costs than conventional farming.

To navigate the process, local, state, and federal organizations engage in specific outreach efforts to get straightforward, free resources to producers. This article explores some of the existing educational resources available and identifies areas for improvement in ongoing organic education outreach.

Existing Education Resources

With the continued proliferation of organic farming, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) website has greatly expanded their available resources for producers exploring or seeking to maintain certification. The National Organic Program features a landing page and FAQ section for producers interested in organic certification and is divided into basic and advanced sections.

The online Organic Literacy Initiative, launched via a 2011 USDA working group, provides producers with detailed information about organic agriculture and the programs and services USDA offers to support it. The resources include a resource guide that outlines how each USDA agency supports organic agriculture and contact information, an Organic 101 training module about what organic means and how certification works, and a factsheet that contains information about organic standards and certification.

Land grant universities supplement existing USDA outreach by offering a combination of educational outreach and technical assistance. Clemson University, for instance, operates a USDA Accredited Certifying Agent through its Department of Plant Industry, as well as providing a resource hub for producers exploring the viability of organic certification. The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) also provides a variety of competitive grants for education and outreach activities that support sustainable agriculture systems, many focusing on organic production and marketing.

Risk management education and outreach partnerships from USDA’s Risk Management Agency also ensure that producers get the information they need to effectively manage their risk through difficult periods and remain productive.

Non-profit organizations at the state, regional, and federal level also provide organic certification consulting for conventional farmers transitioning to certified organic, beginning farmers interested in organic certification, and farmers interested in using organic production practices in general. These resources include on-farm visits, transition and production handbooks, and more.

CFSA Survey on Organic Education

Primary Information Source

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association conducted a survey among 129 North and South Carolina producers to collect feedback on the organic certification process, as well as the overall accessibility of resources that support producers’ certification journey.

The majority of respondents (33%) get their information directly from private certifiers. 23% of respondents identified state extension agencies as their primary source for organic resources and information. 19% rely on technical assistance from non-profit organizations, tied with 19% who use information directly from the USDA’s website, and 14% use recommendations and referrals from fellow producers.

Note: There is some overlap between state extension agencies and private certifiers, as Clemson University is a USDA Accredited Certifying Agent, and some respondents selected both.

Gaps in Resource Materials

While producers acknowledged a wide range of access to information regarding the organic certification process, 66.7% of producers identified the time-consuming nature of required paperwork as surprising and a barrier to maintaining or achieving organic certification. 21% of respondents stressed a gap in organic training among inspectors themselves, citing undertrained or uninformed inspectors as a barrier to organic certification. 9% cited confusing language around the regulations themselves, specifically around washing, packing, and processing, and 4% cited a need for more resources on best management practices for pest management.

Overwhelmingly, frustration and confusion around the paperwork required to achieve and maintain certification is one of the largest complaints from producers. Certified operations must keep records that detail their production practices, including production, harvesting, and handling of their agricultural products, and must be made available for review by certifying agents. For new producers or nonorganic producers transitioning to organic, this paperwork often comes as a shock, requiring much more intensive documentation than standard farming practices.

For instance, a mandatory Organic Systems Plan (OSP) requires detailed documentation of harvest, tillage, livestock management, and all amendments used, along with date and precise location of application. Activity logs require a detailed record of any farm activities, including irrigation, mowing, weather, and more. Compost production records require a meticulous outline of how compost-production processes satisfy the required regulations. Equipment cleaning logs require documentation of method and frequency of cleaning farm equipment to ensure nonorganic products do not contaminate organic crops. Producers must also complete buffer crop disposition records, indicating what happens to crops that are grown on buffer land that is organically managed but may be exposed to a risk of outside contamination.

Altogether, this paperwork is time-consuming enough that a full-time staffer could struggle to keep up, but most small and mid-sized producers face the daunting task of managing it themselves, in addition to the daily rigors of farming.

Many resources currently exist from the National Organic Program, state extension agencies, and nonprofits that outline the paperwork required, but producers still identify paperwork as a prohibitive burden to certification and would likely benefit from a walkthrough on easy recordkeeping schedules and efficient logging.

An irony in researching the existing gaps in organic research materials was that, when asked about improved access to resources, many of the respondents identified inconsistent inspectors as most needing access to better training materials. Developing a method of standardizing training and compliance will continue to be critical for pending organic producers to have a clear and actionable path to certification.

Several respondents identified confusion around the language of organic regulations themselves, and as one producer specifically cited, around “translating washing/packing/processing regulations, as they are meant for larger producers and thus confusing (for smaller producers).” Producers may benefit from scale-specific guides and resources to help them navigate the respective regulations relevant to the size of their operation.

Summary

While there continues to be a wealth of resources on the organic certification process available to producers, the amount and time-consuming nature of paperwork required to achieve and maintain certification continues to be daunting and is routinely cited by producers as the primary barrier to certification.

A downloadable version of this document is available here.

This whitepaper was supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

About the Author

A native of South Carolina, Matt combines a background in governmental affairs and public policy with a passion for sustainable agriculture to serve as CFSA’s policy director.

Bed Layout

The first step is to shape your beds. I use a raised bed system on the farm, but this also works on flat ground. You will want to prepare your beds as much in advance as possible so you will have time to allow weed seeds to germinate. After your beds are made, the next step is to get some water on the beds to start the germination process. If you have plenty of time before your planting date and cooperative weather, you can let the rain do this. If you are pressed for time, you can irrigate. I use drip irrigation on the farm, so I usually lay out my drip tape and soak the soil since the weather rarely cooperates with my plans.

Germination

After a few days, you should start to see some germination. Once I see good germination, I will cover the area to be planted with a silage tarp held down with sandbags. You will want to cover the area after a few days and keep the weeds from growing too much. The bigger they grow, the longer it will take to kill them off under the tarp. You will want to repeat this process of covering and uncovering as many times as your planting schedule allows time.

The number of weeds you have and the temperature will also play into how often this is repeated. After repeating this several times, you should have relatively weed-free beds to sow. If you have ample time, you can then cover your beds until you are ready to plant. With the clay soil in my area, I like to prepare beds with this method in the fall for the following spring.

Pulling back silage tarps to allow for weed seed germination

Occultation

There is also a method called occultation. This is when you leave the tarp in place and let the weeds germinate under the tarp and die off. If you have the time to cover ground for long periods, this may be a better solution. Moving the tarp on and off is more work, but I have found it necessary at Lomax Farm. There seems to be better weed seed germination when the ground is not covered.

Although it may not be perfect, and some weeds will still pop up, this method will give you a much cleaner start and allow your vegetables to get established without competing with weeds. It makes me smile to see a field of thriving vegetables not being choked out by weeds. I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but my words come from experience. Using tarps to help with weed control will save you countless hours of cultivation and much anxiety.

About the Author

Dylan Alexander is CFSA’s Lomax Farm Manager. He is responsible for land management, maintaining equipment, and assisting with Lomax’s research, education, and the FiT program. Dylan has extensive experience in seasonal organic vegetable production, hydroponics, indoor and outdoor mushroom production, and management on farms and in greenhouses and high tunnels.