By Susan Waughtal

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN 

It seems people are paying more attention to what they eat, where their food comes from and how it is grown. Some are even willing to pay a premium for food that is grown organically.

"We have seen a huge growth in demand for and sales of organically-grown and locally-grown fruits and vegetables," said Nicole Kraft, produce manager at The Good Foods Store, Rochester's local food cooperative.

Organic farming is an agricultural approach that uses cover crops, mulching and animal manure to build soil fertility, without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic farmers do a lot more of the labor by hand, such as weeding, and they also use crop rotation to keep their soil healthy, temporarily removing land from production.

Although it seems organic farmers are saving money by not using chemicals, they're spending more on labor. For this reason, organically-grown food costs more to produces, and there are not as many organic farmers supplying it. Given such difficult economic times, why would anyone want to may more for their food?

"Consumers buy organics for lots of reasons: To avoid pesticide and chemical residue on their food. To be good to the earth, to not pollute the water and to rebuild the soil," said Jim Riddle, the University of Minnesota's Organic Outreach Coordinator and formerly an organic farmer and organic farm certifier in Southeast Minnesota. He says organically-grown food actually has greater nutritional value than conventionally-grown food. Studies show higher levels of vitamins, antioxidants, bioflavins and secondary nutrients.

Plus, he says, organics have a higher flavor profile.

"I definitely find organic, local vegetables to be more flavorful and have a better shelf-life," said Chris Rohe, executive chef and owner of Prescott's restaurant in Rochester. Prescotts uses as much local and organically grown produce as possible, buying directly from farmers and the Farmers' Market. They use organic flour in their breads because, Rohe says, it has "a cleaner taste, without all that processing."

Dave Ballanger, manager of perishables at Hy-Vee, attributes the increase in demand of organically-grown food to societal awareness of obesity and health, with more people consciously choosing healthier foods. Kraft agrees. ''It's absolutely worth it to spend more if is a benefit to the earth and to our bodies."

She says most people don't want cheap food once they understand its true cost. In conventional farming, the environmental costs of pesticides, nutrient runoff and excessive water usage are externalized, allowing crops to sell at lower prices. "If the true cost of all the externalities were included, they would be way above organic prices," she said.

Kraft says the cost of organically-grown food is coming down though, because the availability and supply of organically-grown food is increasing. The number of organic farms in Minnesota grew 30 percent in two years, from 433 in 2005 to 718 in 2007, according to the United States Department of Agriculture's recently released farm survey. In 2007, 342 Minnesota farms converted 20,702 acres to organic production.

"More farmers are choosing organic methods so they don't expose themselves and their families to toxic chemicals," Riddle said. "(They) don't pollute the water, they build up the soil, and they are growing products that have strong market demand," Riddle said.

In addition to getting top dollar for their products, organic growers don't have to pay part of their earnings to chemical companies, biotech companies and their banks. Some organic growers have told Riddle, "It's fun to farm again."

Susan Waughtal is a Rochester freelance writer.

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