Scott Park: Why Don't More People Farm Organically?

Real Organic Podcast

#080: Real Organic Project-certified farmer Scott Park grows a variety of vegetables and grains in Meridian, California, amid a population of operations that rely on chemical biocides. Considering his decades of overall success (certainly not without effort and occasional setbacks) why don't more farmers embrace organic practices, especially considering the money saved on chemical inputs? Dave and Scott dig into this question.
Scott Park of Park Farming Organics is a longtime organic farmer in Northern California, who has spent decades experimenting with no-till and low-till practices that aim to minimize soil disturbance on crop farms. Recently, Scott and his wife Ulla transitioned the farm's ownership to the next generation, Brian and Jamie Park.
To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:
https://www.realorganicproject.org/scott-park-why-not-more-organic-farming-episode-eighty/

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.
The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).
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We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.
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