09/19/06 Organic field day coming soon

Bryan Hopkins isn`t sure whether it`s beginner`s luck but the 55-acre organic demonstration trial that his University of Idaho team planted near Blackfoot this spring is producing surprisingly healthy potato, sweet corn, barley and alfalfa crops. Hopkins reports no serious pest or nutritional problems in the spuds or any of the rotation crops. Producers can see for themselves October 4th at a field day near Blackfoot. Jennifer Miller of the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides says the national organic market has been growing steadily since the early 1990's at the rate of 20 percent annually MILLER "Right now less than a tenth of a percent of Idaho's potatoes are grown organically and the contrast organically grown foods represent about two percent of the total food sales in the nation." At the field day organic growers will be there to answer questions. Miller says one of the keys to growing organic potatoes is rotation.. MILLER "Critical for organic cropping systems because we need a longer number of years between organic potatoes. So those other rotation crops become very important." Keith Esplin of the Potato Growers of Idaho says someone will be supplying the market with organic potatoes and with only 350 acres in Idaho today he's confident there's a niche market that Gem State farmers could tap into. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott