Being organic ain't easy

Being organic ain't easy

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
The owners of McCluskey farms discuss their challenges and successes. We’ve got some cheeses that we're really proud of. All of our cheeses and and and our beef also. And our syrup, we knock the socks off people when they sample it at market. So we do a lot of direct marketing with our products. And that's really been a godsend for the farm. It's the way to go as far as we're concerned to get your name out there and your face and your products and making connections with the people. We have a lot of our customers are now our friends. I mean, they bring us peaches from Colorado.

Yeah. So it's been a good experience. And the beef, it's definitely helped being organic and grass fed is equal or more than what the organic label is now. I would say honestly it's probably more important to people than organics at this time. It just happens that we're both. It really manifests itself in the dairy aspect of things. I mean, we ran into it this year where the factory wanted us to keep producing organically, but they had marketing issues of their own because of all the organic milk that was on the market. So here we are producing organically and you'll get less milk per cow, it's just how it's going to be and we're fine with that. But you can't take away my organic premium and expect me to. They can't have the best of both worlds. So that yeah, so challenges do present themselves. I mean, it does us right in the face and it makes it hard.

Just this week there was reports that Roundup is in the food system, is in the food chain and that's not good. So organic does really matter. Customers that we see at farmers market want to support the small family farmer. This track to see good stewardship, organic principles. So a certification that some sort of designation that would help us educate the consumer and say, yes, we really are. Our cows are out on pasture. Our cows are eating grass.

Previous ReportLow stress cattle
Next ReportUptick in ag gag