Texas ‘grows’ organic agriculture through education, research and opportunity
From dairy to cotton, producers explore organics with Texas A&M AgriLife support programs
Growing organic in Texas has never been easier. Much of that is due to the hard work of growers and their collaborations with Texas A&M AgriLife to build the state’s organics industry.
Texas leads all states in organic production in the areas of dairy, cotton and peanuts, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service leaders say the industry continues to expand through education, research and producer support.
Today, Texas accounts for an estimated $1.55 billion in organic output with 399 certified producers operating on 695,506 organic acres, with and 726 certified handlers, said Bob Whitney, Regents Fellow and AgriLife Extension organic specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Stephenville in the Department of Agricultural Economics.
Those handlers play a critical role in the organic supply chain because organic commodities must move through certified transportation, handling, storage and processing systems before reaching consumers.
Whitney, who leads the largest state-run organics program in the nation, collaborating with others throughout AgriLife Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, said the state has added roughly 100 producers and 400 handlers since he began working with the industry.
Providing research-backed information
Whitney said one of his biggest advances in recent years has been connecting producers, handlers and researchers through organized communication and education efforts.
He and Waltram Ravelombola, Ph.D., AgriLife Research organic and specialty crop breeder and assistant professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences stationed at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Vernon, established a network to engage with growers.
The network distributes approximately 400 newsletters to producers and industry professionals bimonthly. Additionally, a monthly newsletter with 1,400 subscribers is sent to producers, AgriLife Extension and AgriLife Research personnel, and industry on state, national and international organic issues. The flow of information keeps the network, from researchers to growers and sellers, aware of the latest science and news about the evolving field.
For Whitney, the network presents an active outreach arm for researchers.
“The organic network in Texas and our researchers had not had the support to share research findings,” Whitney said. “We are taking the mystery out of it and putting the education into it through an organized system.”
Outreach efforts also include grower meetings and workshops focused on organic production opportunities. One recent sorghum and dairy meeting attracted more than 30 participants interested in organic agriculture, where they discussed the $3.5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative grant and study, Climate-Smart Organic Sorghum Partnership for Grain and Silage Production.
Whitney said the organic community remains close-knit and openly shares detailed information available on where production occurs and how many acres are involved. That information helps identify growth opportunities across the state and guides research priorities.
Texas advantages in certifying organic land
One big advantage Texas holds over many other states is land availability. Whitney said large areas enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, or CRP, as well as other idle acreage and generational land changing hands, can be transitioned more easily into organic production.
To help producers make that transition, AgriLife Extension is involved in the USDA Texas Transition to Organic Partnership Program, or Texas TOPP. Texas TOPP includes Texas’ higher education institutions, USDA agencies, nonprofit organizations and farm associations. The five-year partnership recruits, trains, mentors and advises farmers interested in organic production.
“Texas is the shining star in TOPP,” Whitney said. “We’ve signed up more people than most other states.”
While organic markets have softened recently, particularly for cotton and peanuts, organic agriculture continues to provide producers with additional marketing opportunities.
Another marketing tool for producers
Many Texas producers operate both conventional and organic acreage, allowing them to diversify production and optimize marketability. AgriLife Research scientists from various disciplines, including animal, crop sciences and horticulture, continue to explore ways to enhance organic productivity.
For example, plant breeders are working to create next-generation organic specialty crops, sorghum, wheat and corn varieties. Whitney believes education, technology and improved production practices will continue to strengthen the industry.
“The hardest part is learning to farm the way you have to,” he said. “Much of organic farming is like going back in time, but we have new systems and technology to work with now.”
Advances in soil health, pest control and plant variety selections are changing how organic farms operate. Organic soil amendments like microbes and beneficial nematodes are optimizing compost management, while beneficial insects and pest- and disease-tolerant varieties are mitigating impacts on crops that growers once faced.
In the end, Whitney said it all comes down to three factors: price, program and philosophy.
“Markets fluctuate, but by continuing to explore organic agricultural production, we can help meet challenges, identify opportunities and support grower success through science, knowledge and outreach,” he said.
