
Jackie Jeffrey shows a Northern Long-Eared Bat that was caught and released during the 2013 Bat Blitz in Oklahoma. US Fish and Wildlife Photo by Peter Pattavina.
I recently reported that organic farm production continues to grow in the U. S. Farms that were converted to organic production grew by 2% in 2018, bringing the total organic acres to 6.5 million. But converting farms from conventional production to organic isn’t easy, since farmers face several challenges before they’ll reap the rewards of higher prices for what they grow. First, they have to use organic farming practices for three years without being able to sell what they grow as organically produced crops. Second, they also often see yield declines during the conversion process because of they’re not allowed to plant many of the seed varieties that conventional farmers use, and they have limitations concerning the types of fertilizers and pesticides they apply to their crops. To help farmers negotiate these challenges, Rabo Agrifinance recently announced that they’ve developed a new loan program directed at farmers who want to make this transition. The program gives farmers the flexibility to receive the needed capital for upfront costs associated with changing production practices, while providing repayment schedules that coincide with when they will receive the additional revenue from selling certified organic products.