Fall 2020 - 18

STRONGER SOIL
The organic soybeans grown by Dan
Rossman, a certified organic grower in
Lakeview, Michigan, are a variety that has
large, high protein, clear hilum beans for
the organic tofu market. If the beans don't
meet the market's criteria, they are used
for organic soy milk or to be roasted for
organic dairy feed. Photo: Dean Petersen
rganic producers are always
asking " How am I cycling my
nutrients? " and " When will
they be available to the crop? " instead
of " What fertilizer do I put on? "
Instead of " What herbicide do I
use? " , it's asking " What is my rotation
doing to control my weeds? " and
" What are my cover crops doing to
control my weeds? " and " What is my
plant population doing to control my
weeds? "
O
" Growers asked me in the 1990s
what I knew about organic and I said
not much but I'll learn with you, "
said Dan Rossman, a certified organic
grower and retired Michigan State
University (MSU) Extension educator.
Rossman was with MSU Extension
for 34 years, 31 of them in Gratiot
County, Michigan.
Organic fertility and
weed control
When it comes to soil, organic grower and
certifier Dan Rossman knows the right
questions to ask - and some of their answers
BY DEAN PETERSON
ORGANIC GROWER CORRESPONDENT
LEARNING TOGETHER
The growers started meeting as a
group, visiting organic growers and
learning about organic production.
Several of the growers Rossman
worked with became certified organic
producers.
" Early on, we asked ourselves, 'Is
this a fad that's going to go away?' "
Rossman said. " Then we started
seeing interest outside of the local
health food store and farmers market.
Organic went mainstream and we saw
it in grocery stores. "
The Organic Foods Production Act
was a big step and established the
National Organic Program (NOP)
in 2002. The NOP is part of USDA's
Agricultural Marketing Service. It
develops the rules and regulations
for the production, handling and
labeling of organic food products and
the enforcement of those rules and
regulations.
18 FALL 2020
Fall 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fall 2020
