How to Farm Organically

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony. The USDA also says that organic farming entails the use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize the soil, maximize biological activity and maintain long-term soil health. Also, biological control, crop rotations, and other such natural techniques should be used to manage weeds, insects and diseases, and organic farming requires the reduction of external and off-farm inputs and elimination of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and other materials, such as hormones and antibiotics. Numerous studies and reports have shown that organic produce is significantly more nutritious than conventionally farmed produce. Here are some tips to get you started on farming organically. Make a plan for your farm! Think about what crops you are going to grow, how you are going to rotate them, what fertilizers to use, and how to keep pests away. Don't use any synthetic poisons to keep away pests. These poisons are harmful to people and our planet! The three parts of Pest Management are prevention, monitoring, and controlling.

To supply your plants with good nutrition, use a soil building program in addition to foliar feeding. Fertility management can be used to deter specific pests. There are, also, good insects that can keep away harmful pests. Other simple things that can go a long way are: good field and orchard hygiene (cleaning up fallen fruit and prunings and using soil inoculants to help break down crop residues, etc.); planting pest and disease resistant varieties, in season; timing planting to outrun or otherwise avoid heavy infestations; interplanting with appropriate companion plants or trap crops; watering properly to avoid stressing plants, etc.
''Monitoring'' Regularly monitoring your plants will help ensure that you know if you have a pest infestation, and, if you do, its level. To help, use tools like pheromone traps, sweep nets, and insect vacuums.

''Controls'' The most natural pest controls are, of course, the physical ones like fences, barriers, traps, etc. After that, the options include beneficial and biological organisms, mineral-based insecticides, oils, botanical insecticides and fungicides.

Crop rotation refers to the sequence of crops and cover crops grown on a specific field. Particular sequences confer particular benefits to long and short-term soil fertility, and to pest management.

Grow different crops on the same piece of land. While conventional farming consists of mass production of a single crop in a single location, organic farming calls for multiple crops in the same space. Agricultural biodiversity has been proven by the science of agroecology to have many benefits. Planting a variety of vegetable crops supports a wider range of beneficial insects, soil microorganisms, and other factors that add up to overall farm health, but managing the balance requires expertise and close attention.

Use natural fertilizers. Natural fertilization is crucial to organic farming. This different from conventional farming, as conventional farms often use synthetic fertilizers that can be harmful to health. Natural fertilizers also make the soil healthier, which can result is better produce. The most common natural fertilizer is manure.
Composting stabilizes the nutrients in manure, builds populations of beneficial organisms, and has a highly beneficial effect on soils and crops. Compost can be produced on-farm by a number of means.

There are other forms of natural fertilizer such as bone meal, blood meal, etc. *The mixed vegetable organic market garden is often associated with fresh, locally-grown produce, farmers' markets and the like, and this type of farm is often under 10 acres. Farming at this scale is generally labor-intensive, involving more manual labor and less mechanization. The type of crop also determines size: organic grain farms often involve much larger area. Larger organic farms tend to use methods and equipment similar to conventional farms, centered around the tractor.