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.
Project title: Organic Farm Performance in Minnesota Report Coordinator: Meg Moynihan, Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, Minneapolis, Minnesota Stakeholder location: Minnesota and greater U.S.
Investigator: Chuck Ingels, University of California Cooperative Extension, Sacramento County, Sacramento, California Project location: Joe Green Ranch, Courtland, California (certified organic in 2009)
Investigator: Carol Shennan, University of California, Santa Cruz, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Stakeholders: Organic strawberry producers
Investigator: Ray Hicks, University of Georgia, Screven County Cooperative Extension, Sylvania, Georgia Project location: Screven County, East Central Georgia