This document summarizes perspectives on organic versus conventional farming from interviews with farmers and experts. Hans McPherson operates a "hybrid organic" farm that uses herbicides sparingly but focuses on soil health through cover crops and manure fertilizer. Jennifer Holmes of Lifeline Dairy uses organic and biodynamic practices to maintain soil and animal health long-term by avoiding pesticides and focusing on mechanical weed control. Both emphasize the importance of cover crops and soil biodiversity for healthy soil that can sustain crops without chemical dependence. Research also shows organic methods increase soil nutrients and yields over time compared to conventional methods.

1. Susan Wisehart
U.S. Department of Agriculture, NRCS
Soil Conservationist Student Trainee
Summer 2012
To Be or Not To Be…Organic
"Optimism is a good characteristic, but if carried to an excess, it becomes foolishness. We are prone to
speak of the resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Seventh Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1907
The United States has been fortunate in its abundance of natural resources. Its attraction
has brought a myriad of people to this bountiful environment and the confidence they had for the
life they could create using these resources was, for many years, sought without hesitancy.
Theodore Roosevelt recognized this overflowing optimism, in which, he also realized danger.
Danger, that is, to the fragile state of our natural resources. The solution to the threat of
exhausting these resources? Conservation. So, through the 19th
century and entering into the 20th
century, Teddy Roosevelt not only spoke, but also acted upon his passion for conservation and
thus demonstrated the dire need for our moderately young nation to conserve and utilize its
natural resources responsibly.
1936, 27 years after his cousin’s presidency and at the peak of the devastating Dust Bowl
in the prairie lands, Franklin D. Roosevelt acted for conservation as proven by his signing of the
Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of which one of its main aims was to conserve
the soil through “wise and proper land use” (The American Presidency Project, Franklin D.
Roosevelt). This served as an example of how we learn from our mistakes, but this was simply
not enough. Teddy and his cousin Franklin realized with extraordinary perception and
determination that this nation needed a conscious effort to establish a permanent foundation of
conservation in order to protect our natural resources for future generations.
Furthermore, in “Conquest of the Land Through 7,000 Years,” by W. C. Loudermilk,
formerly our own Assistant Chief in what was then called the Soil Conservation Service, we
learn with stunning insight and research, the actual impact that lack of conservation can have on
societies. By exploring past civilizations such as the Mesopotamian Empire beginning in c.a.
5,000 B.C., Loudermilk describes to us the failing agricultural system that choked irrigation
canals with silt and ultimately brought the once densely populated city of Babylon to ruins.
Flashing forward to modern day United States, we can visibly see the difference conservation
efforts have made in protecting our valuable resources while ensuring the wise use of our lands
meets the demand for a growing society.
Recently, resurgence from a movement in the early 1990s has pushed our conservation
and sensible use of the land even further. An organic movement began challenging our
producers, and our customers to stray from the conventional use of synthetic nitrogen and

2. pesticides, which has become more and more common in the past 30+ years, in exchange for
natural foods, crops, and land management. This push, and what some may call a ‘fad’, for
organic products has sky rocketed in the past few years, begging the question; what exactly
might make organic farming better? Making the decision on whether or not today’s landowners
want to be organic requires comparing the actual benefits and effects of both organic and
traditional. With this knowledge, consumers can also better understand whether or not it really
makes a difference to purchase organic vice non-organic products.
To better understand the effects of organic farming, it is useful to take a look at
conventional non-organic farming, first. Non-organic farming, or traditional agriculture, is
composed of methods of farming, in which techniques are used to the production of and maintain
the land for use by, livestock and plant production. Herbaceous weed control often requires the
utmost focus and attention. To protect the crop and pasture and thus increase yield, pesticides are
often used to combat the abundance of noxious weeds. It is helpful to have an understanding of
the pesticides used on these weeds in order to understand the effects of them in an area.
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, herbicides work by, “suppress[ing] plants by
interfering with essential plant processes such as photosynthesis”. Understanding these
interactions helps to determine which type of herbicide to use on a type of weed. What the
USFWS also points out is a concept regarding pesticides that is often over looked by the growing
initiative for organic farming. When considering the environmental and health risks of using
chemical herbicides, the agency explains that, “[t]he federal government, in cooperation with
individual states, regulates herbicides to ensure that they do not pose unreasonable risks to
human health or the environment”. In addition, “The EPA requires extensive test data from
herbicide producers to show that products can be used without harming human health and the
environment” (epa.gov). So, if one trusts strict government regulations and the extensive
research and effort put into ensuring ‘safe’ pesticides, non-organic doesn’t seem like such a bad
idea. In fact, traditional farming seems to ensure positive production results in the use of
herbicides. The questions we then ask are; does organic farming provide the same results? Or
does it provide something better perhaps? What exactly is the appeal to organic?
After an interview and tour by Hans McPherson, owner and operator of McPherson
Farm, it became apparent that while there is indeed a push for organic in agriculture, there is
much to be said about moderation and circumstances. The land being used needs to be accounted
for when deciding how to use it. For instance, McPherson described his family’s farm as, “a large
scale diversified farm”. That being said, their farm includes the growing of alfalfa, wheat, barley,
and peas, on the larger plots of harvested land, as well as lettuce, peppers, grapes, peas, sweet
corn, potatoes, and other produce being grown in the vegetable gardens, and finally some dairy
milk and chicken eggs, used mostly by themselves. The diversity of this farm stems largely from
Hans’s passion for soil health. In fact, his balanced approach to farming has resulted in what he
unofficially calls a “hybrid organic farm”. In this sense, he has developed a system of farming,
which has both utilized herbicides when he believes necessary, and treated the soil in a way that

3. maintains its health in a natural cycle as well. For example, Hans showed us land he has farmed
off Bailey Lane that other farmers told him was “not worth” the effort to farm. The land was
brutally infested with weeds such as Houndstongue, which was seen about “every three feet” and
displayed little hope for a future successful harvest. With confidence in soil treatment and
farming methods that would improve the soil health, Hans decided to give the plot of land a
chance and began by initially spraying for weeds and then by placing cattle on it in order to
utilize the manure for natural fertilizer. Hans explained how infusing the land with nitrogen rich
fertilizer can prove useful in producing a successful crop if soil health isn’t regarded, but the land
can become dependent on this nitrogen infusion, eventually requiring it for every crop as a sort
of “addiction”. By starting this soil out with a natural manure fertilizer, Hans both naturally and
effectively began developing healthy soil as well as saving costs on increased prices of
manufactured fertilizer. At this point, with synthetic fertilizer and herbicides being unnecessary,
he describes the soil as “feeding itself.” It is in these efforts to increase his soil health that Hans
works to ensure development of a healthy cover crop of peas and oats. Cover crops depend on
organic matter, which he forms from the use of cattle manure, and the harvesting of oat and pea
crops before planting and harvesting an alfalfa crop. What makes the McPherson farm more of a
“hybrid organic” farm is the fact that Hans recognizes a need to knock out weeds before planting
a crop in order to prevent the issue in the first place. To do this, before establishing a cover crop,
Hans will use herbicides to eliminate existing weeds on the land. Doing this prevents his farm
from being technically organic, but is effective in that it prevents the need for large amounts of
tillage later down the road. He explained that he indeed does till, but it is the combination of
mild-tillage and mild use of herbicides that allows his soil to remain healthy and produce
successful crops.
To take a further look into what it means to maintain a cover crop and what it does for the
soil, Jeff Moyer explains in Organic No-Till Farming how, “[s]oil life is the ‘engine’ and does
the heavy work of breaking down the cover crop and releasing the nutrients. This includes
microorganisms like fungi and bacteria…These organisms are constantly at work-feeding on
organic matter…releasing nutrients the plants can use.” In fact, “[t]he fungi and bacteria…
physically extend the root system of the plant and help it absorb nutrients from the soil.” Just as
important, cover crops play a major role in management of weeds because it provides
competition for them “from the growing cover crop or from the combination of the killed cover
crop residue and the cash crop…[which rob] weeds of access to water and sunlight” (5).
Understanding how cover crops increase soil health is invaluable whether or not a farm is
organic.
Unfortunately, in efforts to manage weed issues, organic farms cannot use herbicides so
they often turn to heavy tilling, which can then damage the cover crop. This can be a problem,
because excessive tillage can break up the soil and leave it prone to wind and/or slope erosion.
The use of cover crops is important for not only soil health but also weed management. The
concept of no-till farming is a solution to this problem. No-till is crucial for the health of the soil

4. and is becoming more appealing to cut cost and increase production. As our state conservationist,
Joyce Swartzendruber, points out in the Conservation Update of April 2012, “Soil Health is a
new focus for many farmers who are concerned about rising costs of fertilizer and diesel fuel.
They discovered that combining cover crops and no-till farming increases their net income,
controls erosion, and creates a better underground environment for their crops.” She explains
further that a cover crop is a mixture composed of, “legumes, root crops, and oil seeds,” which
assist soil microbes in cycling nutrients within the soil. One of the most significant things about
cover crops is that, “[p]lanting a cover crop instead of fallowing the land creates more nutrient
rich organic matter and increases the soil’s capacity to hold water,” which is essential in these
dry granitic soils found in abundance within the Bitterroot Valley.
In order to gain some perspective from a certified organic farm where practices such as
the maintenance of cover crops exist, I visited with Jennifer Holmes of Lifeline Dairy Inc. where
I was able to understand more of where the organic choice is coming from. Jennifer is married to
Ernie Harvey; one of the original creators of the farm in 1978. The farm was started on an
organic standard before USDA Certification had even been created. Because the market for
organic farming is growing by “approximately 20% each year”, a main goal is to maintain that
organic certification seal to ensure successful market and profit. By starting the organic farm
before the seal was created, Ernie demonstrated his passion for the health of his soil and his farm
as whole. He displayed his genuine desire to understand the whole of the farm and how to ensure
its health for the long term. Today Jennifer joins him in continuing this mission and passion for
both an organic and biodynamic farm that they have maintained. (Biodynamic is described as a
more holistic approach and more “extreme” version of organic farming in that it pays special
attention to the health and strength of the plants, soil, and livestock.) When I asked about the
potential problem of pests for the organic farm, Holmes said that the Dairy does not have
excessive pest issues. Flies become a nuisance and a source of pinkeye for some of the cows
between August and September, but, for the rest of the year, are not really problems. Weeds
contribute to a degree as there is currently a small factor of Canada thistle, Chicory, and
Knapweed. But while there are certified organic sprays to combat the issue, Lifeline refrains
from using much of any kind of spray. Holmes differs with her husband and thinks the weeds
occur due to compaction of the soil which has been grazed on and off for well over the
traditional cycle of 7 years. The main issue with the weeds is the tendency to scratch the eyes of
the cows allowing flies to spread the pinkeye. Since flies are only around for about 6 weeks,
Holmes said they feel that the cost of parasite wasps that would kill the flies is simply not worth
it for the short amount of time they are an issue. As far as preventing the weeds, Holmes says
their main philosophy is to focus on making the land “healthy to begin with” and their main
method of control is mechanical, by mowing down the weeds and a light use of tillage by her
husband, Ernie Harvey. In her opinion, spraying for pests is “counterproductive” and the use of
pesticides may work in short term, but, just as McPherson said for his traditional farm, the land
needs to be looked at as a whole. This includes animal life under the soil, as Joyce
Swartzendruber touched on in the Conservation Update. Damaging pesticides could begin to

5. create unhealthy monoculture ecosystems. Holmes goes further to address the concern of
expensive organic food costs. The way she sees it, the cost of organics will always seem like
more, but then she considers the dyes, processing, and engineering of manufactured foods that
are damaging to personal health. Essentially she begs the question: would you rather spend
money on “healthier food or health care”? She backs this up with the statement, “Food is life”,
insinuating that life is health, and therefore food needs to be healthy. After a meeting with an
organic inspector to certify the farm, Holmes asked them about USDA adding so many
requirements, making it harder for the farmer to meet them financially and therefore increasing
the costs for consumers. According to Holmes, the inspector simply argued, “[that] people can’t
afford a chemical diet”. These chemical diets as well as the infiltration of pesticides into water
are able to cause real health risks as described by a joint article written by Montana State
University and the EPA:
“When pesticides are found in water supplies, they normally are not present in high enough concentrations to
cause acute health effects such as chemical burns, nausea, or convulsions. Acute effects are those which show
up soon after exposure and are likely to be relatively severe. Instead, pesticides typically occur in trace
levels, and the concern is primarily for their potential for causing chronic health problems. These are the
problems that show up due to long-term exposure to relatively low concentrations. An example of a[n]
herbicide which poses concern for chronic toxicity is Atrazine, primarily a corn herbicide. The main reason
this is of such concern is the potential for Atrazine to cause cancer in humans. Atrazine has been detected in
many wells in the Midwest” (Bauder, Pearson, Wintersteen).
Holmes adds that this is “not even considering environmental costs”. For example, as both
McPherson and Holmes stated, applying fertilizer infused with nitrogen can make the soil
‘addicted’ to it. Once given the nitrogen, the soil then develops a need for it, ‘knowing’ that it
will just be given to it and won’t need to be produced naturally through biodiversity in the soil.
This goes back to the idea of short term vs. long term, where the use of fertilizers may produce a
successful harvest in the short term, but refraining from using them will maintain a healthier soil
in the long term. An interesting experiment displays this idea particularly well:
“In 1958, Bo D. Pettersson in the Nordic Research Circle for Biodynamic Farming in Järna, Sweden, began
an agricultural field experiment that lasted until 1990, i.e. 32 years. The field experiment included eight
different fertilizer treatments…In these experiments a comparison was made between two systems,
biodynamic farming and conventional farming, in which both fertilizer regimes and crop rotations were
studied…During the time between 1958 and 1990 the yield increased in all treatments in accordance with the
overall trend in the Swedish agriculture, but the increase was highest in the organic treatments (65 % in the
biodynamic in comparison with 50 % in the conventional)” (Granstedt, Kjellenberg).
The beginning of the dairy cows at Lifeline Farm is a testament to the focus on soil and overall
health of the farm that they strive for. Holmes explained that the cows were originally purchased
to provide fertilizer for the produce farm and since the dairy has become a promising success, the
dairy and produce parts of the farm split a few years ago; both holding strong to their organic
principles. To summarize the passion and respect that Holmes holds for the cows, she referenced
a notable quote by the famous dairyman, William Hoard, who stated that, “"The cow is a foster

6. mother of the human race. The thoughts of men turn to this kindly and beneficent creature as one
of the chief sustaining forces of human life”. A statement as powerful as this, explains Holmes’s
desire to maintain the best possible health for their cows and the land off which they live.
This insight to organic ideals and practices gives a better understanding to consumers of
what this movement for organic is truly about. It seems there are many people choosing organic,
because it is unofficially considered the ‘cool’ thing to do. Going to farmers markets and being
drawn into the USDA Organic Seal is commonly seen, but consumers often don’t entirely
understand what the seal represents. It fails to cross their minds that perhaps the pest issues on a
certain farm are too great to avoid herbicides, or that in order for a farm to break even, fertilizer
is the only option to save their crop. That official seal represents a grand effort and ensures
natural methods of farming, but when consumers attempt to argue for why organic is better, it is
apparent that many do not actually have a solid or convincing reason. Rather, they often resort to
a simple argument; “Because it’s all natural!” And so what? We have explored what natural
methods of farming mean for the long term health of a farm, but when the average consumer
cannot explain past this simple fact, it assumes that regardless of circumstances, organic is the
best way to go and all farms should be ‘all natural’. Instead, for the consumer’s sake of
knowledge, it is valuable to understand organic more realistically. Besides, knowledge can mean
an improved argument for organic next time and possibly a stronger stance for the movement.
Also useful to note are the economic dependencies of both organic and conventional
farms. For example, while a conventional farm will spend less time and money meeting certain
certification requirements of organic, they will also be spending money on fertilizers and
herbicides that organic farms will not. According to the University of Illinois Ag Department, the
average cost/hour of a 75 hp trailer, including overhead, fuel, and labor costs, is about $50/hour.
On the larger end of the tractor scale it estimates that a 530 hp 4WD tractor costs about
$205/hour due largely to the lower gas mileage and higher diesel expense. Tractors will be used
on both conventional and organic farms, because much of the same basic farming principles are
followed by both types of farms. However, conventional farming also uses fertilizers to enhance
production and the costs of fertilizers have been on a steady rise for years. Fig. 1 displays a
sample of a table completed by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, where other than a
jump in 2008, shows a moderately steady increase in the costs of fertilizers in the past 5 years.
The original table shows the same trend for the past 52 years when prices began at an average of
$126/ton as compared to 2012 when the average is $523/ton. Assuming an average of 200 lbs of
fertilizer applied per acre, we see essentially $52.3/acre being spent by conventional farmers on
fertilizer alone. With increasing prices in diesel, used to power the tractors that apply it, the
method is a notable expense.
Year Month Anhydrous
ammonia
Nitrogen
solutions
(30%)
Urea 44-
46%
nitrogen
Ammon-ium
nitrate
Sulfate of
ammoni-
um
Super-
phosphate
20%
phosphate
Super-
phosphate
44-46%
phosphate
Diammonium
phosphate (18-
46-0)
Potassium
chloride 60%
potassium
Dollars per ton
Fig. 1 Average U.S. Farm Prices of Selected Fertilizers
Source: Agricultural Prices, National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1002

7. Economical disadvantages of organic farming are seen as well in the fact that, “farming
this way is more labor intensive and requires careful crop monitoring and rotation, which may
mean that not all available land is being used for a cash crop in any given season”
(organic.lovetoknow.com). This being said, the labor in organic farms is increased. Depending
on how work is distributed, this can mean that they are either spending more money on extra
labor or saving money by working more themselves. So while organic farming can be less
dependable, because it cannot be easily ‘fixed’ with fertilizers or pesticides we have also learned
in the research by Pettersson that long term yields are often higher than in conventional farming.
Also notable, is the increase in organic market. The USDA Economic Research Service
published the chart in Fig. 2, which outlines a general trend in the sales of organic products.
Fig. 2
http://www.ers.usda.gov/
This information demonstrates both the
growing push for organic by consumers as
well as the increase in market value for those
farms, which are or are willing to be organic. The
market is there, but in order to purchase and farm
wisely, it is crucial to maintain a well rounded
understanding of these processes and the benefits
and disadvantages of each type of farming. As
we have explored these farming practices we have
produced both a complicated perspective
and knowledgeable base for decision making for both consumer and farmer.
As both Holmes and McPherson brought to attention, the management of a farm, organic
or not, really must be viewed as a whole system. Essentially, whether or not to farm organic is
extremely circumstantial. One must look at individual farms’ needs and issues, such as pests. As
stated in NRCS’s specifications, “[a]n effective weed management program will usually include
more than one control method.” It requires not just choosing one method a farmer may be
comfortable with to combat the issue, but evaluating and implementing alternative methods that
2007 Apr. 523 277 453 382 288 NA 418 442 280
2008 Apr. 755 401 552 509 391 NA 800 850 561
2009 Mar. 680 320 486 438 378 NA 639 638 853
2010 Mar. 499 283 448 398 326 NA 507 508 511
2011 Mar. 749 351 526 479 423 NA 633 703 601
2012 Mar. 783 373 554 506 451 NA 665 726 647

8. may ultimately handle the issue for the long term. By saving short term solutions such as sprays
and fertilizers as a sort of last result, one can be confident in the natural health of their food and
crops. Then, if more conventional, unnatural methods become necessary for a certain farm’s
issues or for saving a certain crop, one is still able to trust the regulations of the EPA, which
ensure the smallest possibility of harm by these pesticides and fertilizers. The ultimate decision
should be based on whether one would rather trust the natural methods of production or
government regulations more. While government regulations are subject to human change,
natural production is more often than not stable and reliable when it comes to the health of
humans and the environment. In the end, it is arguable that both organic and conventional
methods of farming are trustworthy and reliable, but that when given the choice and ability,
natural organic methods of farming, certified or not, can prove to be a more long term and
healthier success for farmer, consumer, and the environment.
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