9 Tips to a Successful Transition
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| et to Know Your Soil: The first place to start a transition is with a soil test. It is easier to transition a field with well-balanced fertility than one with major deficiencies. |
| rganize a Plan: Transition takes 3 years, so plan your crop rotation at least 4 years out. It is often good to start with small grains or hay; crops which have fewer weed problems, and require less nitrogen. |
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| ff Season Cover Crops: Cover crops are an excellent way to build soil humus, smother weeds, and improve soil tilth. Using legumes to provide more nitrogen is a plus prior to corn or small grains. |
| emember Biology: Building quantity and diversity of soil microbiology is a must for successful organic production. Microbial life function to cycle crop nutrients, increasing the “efficiency” of use for most nutrients. |
| et Certified: Carefully consider what crops you are growing and what is required for those markets, how the organizations structure fees, and particular rule restrictions that specific programs or certifiers have. |
| sk Each other: The best way to learn is to study what your fellow organic growers are doing. A great way to network and meet with other organic growers is to attend an AgriEnergy Resources seminar or regional conference. |
| urture Your Crops All Season Long: Many farmers sell their sprayer when they go organic, thinking they no longer need it. We believe that a sprayer is one of the most important tools an organic grower has. The ability to apply foliars and natural insect and disease suppression products on a timely basis is a key to achieving top production. |
| nspect Your Fields: Organic production works best when a grower is proactive. It is critical to spot an insect, disease, weed, or nutrient problem before it gets beyond control and becomes a serious problem. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!” |
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heck With AgriEnergy Resources: The team at AgriEnergy Resources has lots of experience in the world of organics, and is available any time to assist you with questions you might have during this process. We are always just a phone call, or a mouse click away!
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Princeton, IL 61356