There are two obvious barriers organic producers face when they consider on-farm processing. The first is psychological. On-farm processing can appear intimidating and beyond reach, on one hand; on the other, it may seem unnecessary to someone who is already “adding value” by raising crops or livestock organically. The second barrier—a more pragmatic one—is the lack of good, producer-friendly information on small-scale organic processing and handling.
Identifying appropriate varieties for organic production in the mountains of western North Carolina is considered a research priority by local growers. One of the main challenges in growing broccoli in the Southeast is that varieties are not heat tolerant. We received a grant from the Organic Farming Research Foundation to conduct a participatory screening of broccoli varieties for organic systems in western North Carolina.
Investigator: Ray Hicks, University of Georgia, Screven County Cooperative Extension, Sylvania, Georgia Project location: Screven County, East Central Georgia