An Introductory Virtual Training Curriculum for Crop Advisers and Extension Educators Working with Transitioning Organic Grain Crop Producers

Since implementation of the National Organic Program Standards in 2002, the organic agriculture sector has markedly evolved. While for many years organic products were purchased as a lifestyle decision by a small segment of the United States population, now they are consumed by a large number of Americans. Although the United States' organic food sales still account for a relatively small portion of the country's total food transactions, double digit growth has been observed for the organic sector for most years since 2002. Total organic food sales are now greater than $40 billion. Although fruits and vegetables are the top-selling organic product, consumption of organic breads and grains has also markedly increased (Greene et al., 2017). While organic cropland still represents a small portion of total American farmland, it continues to experience sustained long-term growth (e.g., organic operations grew 16% between 2008 and 2014). Today organic farms vary in size from a couple of acres to thousands of acres, are found in all 50 states, and produce a variety of commodities, including a diversity of grain crops commonly grown in the North Central SARE Region. Concomitant with the growth of organic agriculture is a growing population of new and transitioning farmers that are demographically diverse, comparatively young, relatively progressive, sustainability-oriented, consumer-focused, and knowledge-hungry.

While nearly all grain crop producers rely on agronomic technical assistance and educational support to begin, grow, and maintain their crop production operations, organic operations have a unique educational demand given how fundamentally different organic grain crop production practices are from their conventional counterparts. For example, the majority of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are prohibited by the National Organic Program Standards, so organic producers and their advisers must understand and rely on complex biological processes and system-level, sustainable agronomy practices to build soil health and combat pests. This includes using a variety of fertility inputs and strategies [e.g., cover crops, manure, and compost (Entz et al., 2001; Diacono et al.,2014; Tosti et al., 2016)], weed management tools [e.g., tine weeders, rotary hoes, row cultivators, and smother crops (Rasmussen, 2004; Legere et al., 2005; Benaragama and Shirtliffe, 2013)], and pest management techniques (Schnieder et al., 2010; Cullen and Holm, 2013). Further adding to the agronomic complexity are the diverse crop rotations that organic farmers use, with crop selections driven by regional conditions, markets, processing infrastructure, and agronomic knowledge (Delate et al., 2003). These management requirements create business and technical difficulties for organic producers and those that strive to provide them with agronomic advice [e.g., Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) and Extension agents].

The interest in and adoption of organic grain crop production practices continues to increase in the North Central SARE Region due to depressed commodity prices for conventional grains, burgeoning public demand for organic products, and growers and consumer interest in sustainable crop production. Thus a growing number of producers and advisers are going to be navigating the transition between conventional and organic farming. This includes farmers, CCAs, and Extension agents that have had little exposure to the nuances of organic grain crop agronomy. Conversion to an organic grain crop production system requires a three-year transition period before crops are considered organically certified. During this transition period, growers often experience reduced grain yields followed by a return to yields near or equal to conventional practices. To successfully navigate this period of transition, these farmers and their advisers will need educational resources to help them make sustainable agronomic decisions and therein take advantage of special transition grain market opportunities.

With the ever-increasing body of organic research arising from farmers and land-grant universities, the amount of agronomic information related to organic agriculture has increased since 2002. As the knowledge base on organic farming has expanded, so too has the informal knowledge-sharing among producers, advisers, and Extension agents. However, the last decade has seen little formal development of educational resources and information delivery systems geared towards CCAs and Extension agents interested in or tasked with converting conventional growers to certified organic farmers. A decade ago, most farmers and advisers sought information from local Extension agents, books, workshops, and/or farmer networks. Today, farmers have access to a new suite of educational avenues including webinars, podcasts, social media, electronic fact sheets, and email newsletters provided through diverse organizations including non-profits, universities, and government agencies (Mishra and Williams 2009; Stephenson et al., 2012; Jerkins and Ory, 2016; Moynihan 2016). A greater use of these non-traditional educational tools is similarly occurring among conventional crop producers and their agronomic advisers. Providing agronomic education resources through these emerging approaches is therefore increasingly desired and effective.