NORWICH – A Norwich farmer was appointed last week to the first ever New York State Organic Advisory Task Force, according to officials from the state department of Agriculture and Markets.
Zaid Kurdieh, who operates an organic produce farm on Rt. 23 in the Town of Norwich just west of the city limits, was the only farmer from Chenango County named to the 19-member board.
“The task force is the first of its kind in New York State and its members will advise the commissioner on how the state can help the organic community address needs and take advantage of opportunities as consumer demand for organic products grows,” states a Jan. 23 press release from Ag and Markets.
Kurdieh owns Norwich Meadow Farm, where he grows a variety of organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and meat that is sold directly off the farm in New York City open-air markets.
If given a chance, he believes the task force can provide the first real look at solving problems and expanding opportunities in organic farming.
“Initially, it will get the issues out on the table and this in itself is positive as this is a new initiative at the state level,” said Kurdieh. “It can result in positive measures if two or three major issues can be worked on systematically and if it is given time and it can survive both economic forces as well as political issues.”
What issues can the task force work on? Reforming immigration, marketing products locally and ensuring safety nets for producers hurt by high input costs – all topics Kurdieh says are common not just in organic farming, but in all of agriculture.
“(The task force) can bridge the gap with all agriculture so that we can work on issues facing all farms such as immigration reform, wider market access, and safety nets for organic farms and other small farms,” he said. “It can help establish organic agriculture as an important and vital part of New York state agriculture.”
There are roughly 580 certified organic farms in New York state as of 2006, as well as over 100 organic processors, according to data from Ag and Markets.
In Chenango County, there are currently around 30 organic farms, 16 of which are dairy operations, according to numbers provided the county Soil and Water department. The rest are a mix of beef, vegetable, fruit and hay producers.
Even though organic farm land numbers nationwide have quadrupled since 1990 to over 4 million acres, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture, still only .5 percent of all crop and pasture land in the U.S. is certified organic. USDA experts cite high managerial costs, risks associated with shifting to a new way of farming, limited awareness of organic farming systems, lack of marketing and infrastructure, and inability to capture marketing economies as the main reasons more farmers haven’t gone organic quicker.
In Chenango County, Elizabeth Dyck, a coordinator with the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY), an organization that provides information and educational resources to farmers and consumers, says there is a “bright future” in organic farming.
“I’m impressed at the number of different kinds of (organic) enterprise” that already exist in Chenango County, said Dyck, a Bainbridge resident and small organic vegetable grower, acknowledging the range of dairy operations like the Evans Farmhouse Creamery in Norwich, as well as the variety of grain, vegetable and beef producers. “I think there’s a bright future here.”
Right now, local dairy and field crop producers have the biggest incentive to go organic, said Dyck, as demand for organic milk and produce continues to rise in light of consumers becoming more health and environment conscious. For some farmers, she explains, switching to organic has been a successful way to offset mounting input costs and fluctuating prices. But it’s not a guarantee.
“Going in organic does not mean your bottom line will get better,” Dyck acknowledged.
Dyck said while money does play a role, most organic farmers also feel a responsibility to practice sound, environmentally sustainable farm practices, considering the focus on global warming and natural resource management.
Since synthesized pesticides, fertilizers and feed are almost totally forbidden in organic farming, organic producers also stake a claim in insuring public health, she added.
The key, locally, will be educating the public and producers about what organic farming really is, said Dyck.
“We would like the people to know more about what we do,” she said.
With offices in Cobelskill and Binghamton, NOFA-NY is one of only two USDA-accredited organic certifiers based in the state.
The state’s organic task force is scheduled to meet Feb. 6 in Syracuse to identify and offer solutions to challenges facing organic agriculture.