Rooted in the Old Ways : Organic Farmers are enjoying their season in the sun now that concerns over presence of pesticides in produce are high.

From a veranda overlooking the Sacramento River, Doug Hemly leans back into a wicker chair and explains why some of the neighboring farms have gone bankrupt in recent years.

“It used to be that if you kept your nose clean, worked hard, produced a good crop and marketed it well then you’d be OK. Now, it’s a lot different. And maybe the growers that didn’t make it just couldn’t adjust,” he said.

Since the 1850s, Hemly’s family has farmed the delta’s rich soil and grown some of the state’s finest apples and pears. He represents the fifth generation to enjoy the broad vista of sculptured orchards and distant foothills from a stately, white colonnaded home here.

And this year, Hemly will share something else with his agrarian ancestors other than this Georgian-style farm house.

On 12 acres just across the river, he has begun organically growing apples. In a curious twist, many of his methods will recall those used by his great, great-grandfather over a century ago.

The nation’s produce industry is re-evaluating pesticide practices now that public fears--whether or not misplaced--have heightened over the chemicals’ presence in food. Changes in the American farm system are inevitable, as a result.

Hemly’s experimental orchard is only a fraction of the farm’s 400 acres. But it is a significant move--both technologically and psychologically--considering that he has routinely applied pesticides and other related compounds as necessary over the years.

“I felt that pesticide use was going to become an issue; well, that it was an issue. And I wanted answers. Can you commercially grow pears and apples organically in the Sacramento Delta? The jury is still out,” he said.

This change of heart seems somewhat out of character: Hemley also serves as a vice chairman of the California Table Grape and Tree Fruit League. The group, one of the state’s conservative grower organizations, represents the status quo in agriculture. Its members have been stung--personally, if not financially--by the growing clamor over chemical residues on food.

“I’ve been told that not all the other growers thought this was a rational thing to do. Some even think it’s silly,” he said. “But the grower community is, in general, pretty open to thoughts about the organic movement. They just don’t think it’s necessary.”

Hemly cares deeply about the strong farm and family traditions that are embedded in this area, 35 miles south of Sacramento. And, as such, he is not celebrating the change. Instead, he says, it may simply offer a way out of the controversy surrounding pesticides and other agricultural chemicals.

“I’ve wanted to be left alone all of my life,” he said. “And if we can grow apples in a manner where (consumer groups and others) won’t criticize me, then maybe I will be left in peace.”

In California, there are an estimated 36,700 acres being farmed organically or, as in the case with Hemly, in a transition to that stage. However, this block represents a mere 1/10 of 1% of the state’s 33 million acres of farm land.

Up until recently, there have been few government incentives for conventional farmers to experiment with organic farming. One exception has been a federal grants program, available since 1988, that encourages growers to reduce chemical usage. In fiscal 1989, for instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Low-Input/Sustainable-Agriculture plan will provide $4.45 million to fund as many as 200 farms making the transition.

“Let’s find out as rapidly as we can how to produce crops with minimal to no pesticide usage,” said J. Patrick Madden, an agricultural economist who administers the USDA program. “The vast majority of farm chemicals are harmless, but we don’t know which one will be the next surprise (health risk).”

For Hemly, and others just embarking on alternative agriculture, it will be three years before his crop can be labeled as “organic.” The wait is necessary because several seasons must pass before the chemicals applied from previous years fully dissipate from soils and root systems.

Although California was among the first to enact regulations defining organically grown food, there is little state enforcement of the laws. A growers group, however, offers a self-regulatory program.

The Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers Assn. audits growers’ methods and harvests before approving a “certified organic” label. As part of the certification process, independent inspectors review farm practices and related records to ensure that organic guidelines have been followed.

The designation does not, however, mean that no chemicals have been applied to the food. A number of compounds are permitted, including nitrites, acids and dried seaweeds. But each of these must be approved and composed of only natural, rather than synthetic, components. In other words, a product that is mined, such as sulfur, would be acceptable, but a similar laboratory concoction would not be permitted.

Several growers, however, said that some of these so-called natural compounds may ultimately prove to be just as toxic as their artificial counterparts. These concerns, for now, are forgotten.

Instead, organic farmers are thoroughly enjoying their season in the sun. And many have been waiting a decade or longer for vindication.

Once dismissed by supermarkets and wholesalers as a fringe element, organic farms are now turning away eager buyers from these same firms as the demand--and price--soar for their produce.

A recent Harris Poll, conducted for Organic Gardening magazine, found widespread acceptance of these foods. For instance, 84.2% of those queried said they would buy organically grown produce if it were priced the same as conventionally raised crops. Of these, 58.3% said they would continue to purchase the chemical-free fruit and vegetables even if they became more expensive.

The findings, though a surprise, are not totally unexpected. Other consumer polls have reported deep-seated concerns about food safety, in general, and about farm chemicals, in particular.

Increased demand for organics was not lost on the supermarket industry. Major food chains now stock organic fruit and vegetables when supplies are available. Other retailers have embarked on ambitious residue testing programs in order to monitor, and eventually reduce, the amounts of chemicals remaining on conventionally grown produce. Some firms do both.

Now bathed in a public spotlight, veteran organic farmers in California report being overwhelmed by inquiries about their systems.

“We’re not saying anything now that we haven’t said for the last 10 to 15 years,” said Andrew Scott, an organic farmer in Northern California’s Yolo County. “Except that now people are paying attention.”

Most of the growers using organic methods cultivate relatively small plots of land in comparison to conventional agriculture. But this trait is considered a virtue, they say, because success among their number offers some hope for the survival of America’s family farm.

“Thirty-five years into the chemical revolution, biological farms are just beginning to redress the effects of past, long-term pesticide usage,” said Otis Wollan, director of the Committee for Sustainable Agriculture in Sacramento.

The nonprofit group assists growers making the transition to organic farming by providing educational information and other research materials.

“The organic system will mean discarding industrial management of farms, or agribusiness, and putting more people on smaller farms. Maybe (organic farming’s success) will also bring people back to the rural sectors of this country,” Wollan said.

There is little agreement on the long-term social consequences of small, organic farms. There is also doubt over whether the system can ever furnish more than just a small percentage of the nation’s fresh produce.

“Commercial-scale organic farms work,” said Madden, the federal grant administrator. “You can produce almost anything with these methods. With some crops the cost is outrageously high and growers need a premium for their harvest. Other items, such as wheat, can be produced at the same cost, or lower, than with conventional methods.”

Regardless of long-term projections, the viability of organic farming quickly becomes clear after a look at some of its leading practitioners.

Wayne Ferrari has been growing produce organically in Linden, just east of Stockton, for two decades. His entry into the business was driven by financial factors and not social consciousness about chemical abuses.

“I was not struck by guilt over pesticides. I went organic to get out from under the influence of wholesalers and growers cooperatives,” he said “Others, I know, start with a philosophy . . . But I like to be able to sell what I grow myself. Or I like working with somebody who prices crops based on my costs plus a fair profit.”

Ferrari frequently travels to San Francisco to sell his produce at a popular farmers’ market in the city. He also distributes his fruit and vegetables through wholesalers, but only those who specialize in organic foods.

Recently, during an inspection of his fields, Ferrari pointed to a crew of farm workers using long hoes to weed between rows of young onions. At a conventional farm, the weeds would be quickly taken care of by an herbicide costing maybe $400. But Ferrari sends his crew into the field a half-dozen times to weed before the onions are harvested. He estimates this cost alone to be $6,000.

“Weeds are our biggest problem. If this was a commercial field then there would be no weeds, just onions and dirt,” he said.

Asked whether there could be a profit after several thousand dollars in labor costs were assumed, Ferrari laughed, and said. “A success? Oh, yeah, I’ll make this field a success. I always make a profit.”

Ferrari Farms grows a wide range of fruit and vegetables, in addition to walnuts, on about 220 acres. Although he’s considered a veteran of the organic movement, he says there are still major problems with the system.

“I made a lot of mistakes when I first started. When you farm a few acres everything seems OK. But when you grow organically for a living then all hell breaks loose,” he said.

Tree fruit is a particular challenge. Several years ago he tore out a cherry orchard because it wasn’t economically feasible. And this year, his apricots are in trouble.

“The lack of fungicide drops the number of apricots you get per tree dramatically. It’s devastating, I won’t make (anything) off of this,” he said while examining trees showing few signs of young fruit. “The hardest thing on stone fruit is the lack of fungicide. That’s why we need to get $3 to $5 more per carton than the conventional guys.”

Ferrari, who comes from a family of farmers, fears that the high demand for organic produce this summer will lead to fraud.

“A lot of bogus material will come to market. No doubt about it,” he said. “If there are not enough supplies of certified organic food, then people will sell other stuff (that’s falsely labeled).”

Although many growers may now consider adding organic acreage to their farms, any significant production increases are well in the future. One reason, Ferrari said, is the shortage of natural fertilizer.

“There’s not enough compost or steer manure or chicken manure available to fertilize the San Joaquin Valley let alone all of California,” he said.

A few hours drive north of Ferrari Farms is the Capay Valley in Yolo County, an area that is home to numerous organic operations.

One of these is Fiddler’s Green Farm in the tiny town of Brooks. Clifford Cain, a retired schoolteacher, purchased the ranch eight years ago to escape urban life in San Jose. He raises sheep year-round and grows organic asparagus in the spring. He has no problem finding fertilizer.

“The sheep flock, which is fed organically grown hay, produces about 18 tons of manure, which I use to fertilize the asparagus,” said Cain. “It’s just like the old days. It’s a fabulous system. . . . Nothing new, only 2,000 years old.”

Cain estimates that this season his three acres will yield about 15,000 pounds of asparagus--all of which has been sold well in advance of harvest.

The Price Goes Up

“Since the recent scare over pesticides there was an instant improvement in the price I received. There is now a tremendous, unsatisfiable demand for organic asparagus,” he said. “If I had 60 acres I could move it all as long as it was certified organic.”

Cain shares a packaging and storage shed with Scott who, along with a dozen other farmers, founded a co-op for organically grown produce several years ago.

The Woodland-based Yocal Produce Cooperative Inc., ships fruit and vegetables daily into San Francisco and operates out of a 7,000-square-foot warehouse.

Scott has an unbounded enthusiasm for his work. He also acknowledges that there are problems with the system and that organic farming requires constant management of soil and crop. But he says there is some satisfaction in being a visionary.

Considered Kooks

“When I started 20 years ago we were considered kooks . . . But the past several weeks, the phones have been ringing off the hook,” he said. “There has been a great deal of increased interest and its coming from people who have a fair amount of education about organic farming.”

Scott was critical of those supermarkets who are relying solely on pesticide residue testing as a means of monitoring farm chemicals on produce.

“Testing means only that there’s no chemical residue left by the time the produce is at the store. But such a system doesn’t care how the food is grown,” he said. “We’re concerned about how it’s being grown and the environment as well.”

In the past, incentives for making the switch from conventional to organic growing methods focused primarily around social or personal reasons such as those expressed by Scott, Cain and others.

But in the last several weeks, or since pesticides usage has been tainted, the monetary rewards have also become a factor. This year will undoubtably represent the most lucrative ever for organic farmers as the demand and price for the products escalates.

‘No Hidden Costs’

“With organic foods, people say the (retail) price is too high. I say food, in general, is too cheap because of farm chemicals,” said Paul Muller, an organic farmer from Yolo County. “There are no hidden costs with organic farming such as health risks from residues, soil depletion and water contamination.”

As an example, Muller sights iceberg lettuce, the price of which can drop to as low as 39 cents a head on occasion. Such a bargain is achieved, he claims, because of a massive infusion of chemicals into the fields and the food itself. The long-term effects of such a process have yet to occur, he said.

“This is a different value system,” Muller said. “We’re not creating pollution here.”

That it has taken so long for organic farming to receive a good measure of public acceptance does not surprise one grower.

“Organic farming started out, or at least gained momentum, in the 1960s,” said Jeff Main, who also raises produce and herbs on 20 acres in the Capay Valley. “However, its practitioners were counterculture types who rejected all that conventional farming stood for. . . . Since then, people have always associated us with the stereotypes of the ‘60s and that was difficult to overcome.”

‘Not Just Playing Around’

Main said that he has been able to generate a livable income from his crops and is expanding the total acreage this season to meet increased demand. Much of what he raises has a short growing season, such as gourmet lettuce, that requires only 45 days till harvest maturity.

“I’m looking for a quick return on my money (with crops like lettuce),” he said. “With tree fruit you get only one shot a year to recoup your investment.”

The quick turnaround time also helps if severe infestation problems arise because he could simply plow the crop under and start again without hardship.

“We’re making a living and not just playing around here . . . (The money) is not what a college grad would expect, but it’s a life style that we can be proud of,” he said. “It feels good to be both growing food responsibly and working for the improvement of the environment.”