Gen-O Part 2: The Future is Organic

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series written by young organic farmers traveling the Midwest on Organic Valley’s Generation Organic™ “Who’s Your Farmer?” Bus Tour. Generation Organic is a program by Organic Valley which provides leadership opportunities and mentors to young farmers ages 18 to 35 with a mission to inspire the next generation of organic farming.

Since leaving the family farm bright and early the morning of September 25, I’ve traveled more than 2,500 miles and visited numerous college campuses, retail stores (most of which are food cooperatives), and even some of Organic Valley’s own family farms throughout the Midwest. The past three weeks have been very educational and inspiring, both for me and the other young farmers I met while traveling on the Generation Organic Tour bus. But it’s also good to be home, back in the comfort of routine.

My parents and I farm 385 certified-organic acres in Northeast Iowa and have 60 head of beef cows and 30 sows. We have a very diversified organic farm, consisting of multiple crops: corn, soybeans, barley, wheat, oats, hay, and of course, pasture for our livestock. (As the only person on the Gen-O Tour without a dairy background, it was exciting spending time with the Gen-O dairy members on the bus.) I farm full-time with my parents today, an obvious career choice since organic farming is in my blood and caring for livestock, particularly hogs and cattle, is my passion.

I chose to farm full-time because I care about the land I was raised on and the future of our family farm. Farming can be financially challenging, especially in our current economy. However, the increasing demand for organic products has brought my family the opportunity to stay on our land and keep our farm running. Purchasing organic food is not just a good personal health decision, but it also strengthens the promise for next-generation farmers, like myself, to keep their family farms in operation.

I became involved in Generation Organic because the network of fellow young organic farmers throughout the country assures me that I’m not alone and that it is possible to carry on my family’s farm legacy. While spending time on the Generation Organic bus, I met with dozens of students from various universities, all of whom are trying to answer the same question: Where will the future take us?

My answer: The future is organic. The organic food movement is a demand for healthy and sustainable food production. And strong organic markets will sustain more young family farmers like myself for generations to come. This is what we like to call “Generation Organic”!