Fundamentals of Organic Farming and Gardening

An Instructor’s Guide

Preface

New opportunities are emerging in Georgia as demand for local, organic food rapidly expands.

With the 3rd largest acreage of fresh-market vegetables planted in the nation, Georgia has an opportunity to reconfigure food chains and feed its residents with fresh, seasonal Georgia-grown products.

Why Teach Organics?

"As a society, we devalued farming as an occupation and encouraged the best students to leave the farm for 'better' jobs in the city. We emptied America’s rural counties in order to supply workers to urban factories. To put it bluntly, we now need to reverse course. We need more highly skilled small farmers in more places all across America — not as a matter of nostalgia for the agrarian past but as a matter of national security."

- Excerpt from Farmer in Chief, written by Michael Pollan, published in the New York Times Magazine on October 12, 2008.

Conventional v. Sustainable Agriculture

Beginning in the 1950s in the U.S. , cheap fuel catalyzed the agricultural system shift from small-scale family farms to industrial agribusinesses and massive farm complexes that produce the majority of our food.

Soaring fuel prices and supply uncertainty, along with the inherent requirements of petroleum-based inputs and cross-country shipping and the environmental impacts, means the costs of conventional farming are increasing every day.

With the resulting rise in food prices and growing concern about environmental impact, consumers are seeking responsible alternatives more than ever. Organic agriculture, as opposed to petroleum-power, offers a welcome alternative.

Agriculture contributes approximately 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

— *Agriculture and Climate Change: Reducing Emissions Through Improved Farming Practices* Report, McKinsey & Company, April 2020

Farmers Wanted

To capitalize on the shifting markets, Georgia must seed farmers into areas of growth by providing high-quality education and resources. Growers must be sought from existing conventional and organic growers, and the next generation of farmers to be future leaders, educators, and advocates for sustainable agriculture.

Growing Green Collar Jobs

$XX,XXX

Average annual salary
of organic farmers in the U.S.

Sustainable and organic farming offers both an opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment and to make a comfortable living.

58 years

Average age
of all farmers in the U.S.

Inspiring younger generations to have a role in agriculture is increasingly important as the average age of a farmer rises and questions abound over who will grow our food in the future.

90%

Fungicides in conventional farming
found to be carcinogenic

Sustainable and organic farming has the potential to improve our overall health, protect and preserve our environment, provide a more secure food future for our communities, and bolster local economies.

A Delicious Revolution

Four key factors—Clean Food, Planet Health, Public Health, and Food Safety—fuel our current food revolution, and sustainable and organic agriculture is both the heart the solution for a more sustainable future.

Clean Food

There is an increased consumer demand for blah blah blah

Planet Health