Progress by Organic Farmers

All farms are different, but certain problems recur, some to do with husbandry and some to do with marketing. In this chapter, problems that are common to several farms are described, in the belief that they will be of interest to farmers treading the same path to full organic production. Actual organic farms are described and the progress that has been made towards a solution is charted. 

The dilemma was resolved by making the farm part of the environmentally sensitive area (ESA) scheme and also sowing an extra 280 ha of grassland. As his farm was now part of an ESA, the farmer was paid to reduce his stock numbers so that they then had sufficient organic grassland. This meant that although fewer lambs and beef cattle were sold per ha, the grant from the ESA scheme more than compensated for the reduction in output. 

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