After a brief summer drizzle passed through, Lloyd Trachtenberg opened his arms to welcome every drop of rain, as if it hadn’t rained in the area for years. The swift rain was quickly followed by a dry desert breeze in the scorching heat of up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (about 32 degrees Celsius).
For Trachtenberg, who works on Laine Organic Farms in Hereford, Arizona, just four miles from the Mexican border, this light rain was a brief relief from the intense sunlight. He mentioned that organic farming is not easy, describing it as “dirty, hot – and you have to work hard seven days a week.” He added, “The machinery is always breaking. Something needs fixing here, there’s a new problem there.”
At 75 years old, Trachtenberg and his 71-year-old wife, Terrie DePoy, run their organic farm with the goal of creating a sustainable legacy for retirement. Their hard work and strategic efforts have required much more time than initially expected. Their work embodies a belief that nature will reward efforts in proportion to what is invested.
“You get back what you put in,” DePoy said.
Trachtenberg mentioned that organic farming, despite the rising costs, lower yields compared to modern agriculture, and the complexities of paperwork, is almost an ideal way of life. Over the years, he has witnessed the rapid growth of organic farming due to federal support and increasing consumer demand for chemical-free and pesticide-free food. However, he and many small farm owners are now facing increasing and costly regulatory burdens.
In 2008, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), there were 14,540 certified organic farms in the United States, covering 4.1 million acres of land. By 2021, this number had increased to 17,445 farms, with total land use approaching 5 million acres.
Meanwhile, consumer spending on organic products has been on the rise. USDA data shows that organic crop sales reached $6.1 billion in 2021, a 5% increase from $5.8 billion in 2019.
Before starting the farm in 2004, Trachtenberg and his wife had a passion for gardening. It was a healthy activity for them, keeping them connected to the land.
Trachtenberg vehemently opposes chemical and pharmaceutical companies and their ties to large-scale agriculture and wholesale food industries. He was a mental health therapist until retiring in 2000, also serving as a livestock quality inspector for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in six New England states.
Through his experience, Trachtenberg gained knowledge about organic food and firmly believes that it is healthier than many processed and chemically contaminated products sold in supermarkets.
“We initially just planted organically without any certification. We decided this was the path we wanted to take,” he said.
Raised on a farm in Michigan, Terrie DePoy recently retired from the nursing profession to focus on organic farming and a healthy lifestyle. She noted that people are becoming more aware of the dangers of processed foods, especially their impact on health. Organic farming provides a natural alternative to modern agriculture, which often prioritizes profits over health.
Trachtenberg said that despite many struggles faced by small-scale farms in the industry’s development, Laine Organic Farms has managed to remain profitable.
“Our profit level is enough to cover all farm expenses, including feed and other costs. The money we earn is sufficient to meet these expenses. Until last year, all funds came out of our own pockets. Now we are starting to expand further,” he said.
Trachtenberg believes that federal subsidies and tax breaks tend to favor larger organic farms over family farms like theirs.
“If you only have 20 acres of land, you are considered a small farmer. You work hard, but you are not big enough, not ‘standard,’ not ‘qualified,’ so you don’t get those benefits,” he said.
The largest certified organic farm in the U.S. is Cal-Organic Farms in the San Joaquin Valley of California, with certified land covering approximately 40,000 acres.
Trachtenberg pointed out that bureaucratic practices and regulatory obstacles make it challenging for new farmers to start organic farming operations.
Every year, organic farmers must invest thousands of dollars to obtain USDA organic certification and undergo annual compliance inspections to meet strict federal standards. Additionally, with inflation, farmers are facing rising maintenance and operational costs.
Many find that the effort required in this work far exceeds the returns from output and investment, leading them to carefully weigh the decision to engage in organic farming.
“Organic farming requires more labor because you cannot use chemicals. You have to battle weeds and deal with weather changes,” Trachtenberg said.
In recent years, the farm has received very little rainfall. However, their well, which reaches a depth of 300 feet, still provides a clean water source for organic farming.
“Every year we must test to ensure there are no contaminants in the water,” Trachtenberg said.
In 2022, Mollie Engelhart established Sovereignty Ranch in Bandera, Texas, a 206-acre farm certified in regenerative agriculture. Prior to that, she operated a 56-acre farm in California.
The ranch cultivates various crops in greenhouses and fields, as well as raises cows, pigs, goats, and sheep. It also has a restaurant and stalls selling meat and produce.
Engelhart noted that organic farming avoids the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, while regenerative agriculture aims to restore and enhance soil quality, water resources, and biodiversity.
“Organic certification is basically a list of what you can and cannot do. It is mainly about not spraying chemicals,” she said.
“For small farms, the main issue with organic certification is that you have to document the purchase of every seed. This itself is not a problem. But if you are a market farmer growing 200 different crops, tracking the sources of so many seeds becomes very difficult.”
Old organic seeds could pose even more problems due to incomplete or missing records. Hence, farmers not only need to submit relevant documentation but also provide a sworn affidavit.
Engelhart explained that the entire process is time-consuming.
“Regenerative agriculture certification is more based on soil testing. Depending on your certification level, you need to commit to reducing or completely eliminating the use of chemicals,” she said.
“This involves some core principles of regenerative agriculture, such as planting cover crops, increasing biodiversity, no-till farming, integrating livestock, and reducing or completely avoiding chemical use.”
Engelhart believes that the additional paperwork and government oversight are more like a “penalty” for small organic farms.
“The regulations penalize those who use fewer chemicals, while those who use a lot of chemicals benefit,” she said.
Due to the lack of lobbying groups representing organic farmers, governments tend to prioritize the interests of large mainstream agricultural groups when providing subsidies and policy support.
She believes that more local autonomy and less administrative intervention would be most beneficial for the development of small organic farms.
“I have hope that small farmers can continue to persevere, but it is really hard,” Engelhart said. “I am struggling to pay off loans and cover all our other bills.”
“Farmers can grow the highest quality produce in the world, but if people are not willing to go to farmers’ markets, drive to farms, or make the effort to support us, our industry will eventually disappear.”
According to ProduceLeaders.com, the cost of obtaining USDA organic certification is high, presenting challenges for new organic farms and farmers transitioning from traditional agriculture.
Compared to larger mainstream agricultural enterprises, small certified organic farms often struggle to maintain soil health solely through natural methods.
The Agriculture Act of 2014 in the U.S. provides financial support to help farmers offset the costs of certification, while also updating the national database and related technology systems of organic farms.
Research by Penn State University’s Extension Service Center found that the cost of organic certification ranges from $700 to $3,000 depending on farm size and total sales. These costs include application fees, site inspection fees, and annual certification fees.
“We wanted to apply for certification early on,” Trachtenberg told The Epoch Times. “But this process is expensive and requires a lot of government paperwork.”
“When we first looked into it, we found that just the registration fee alone was $12,000. This is not a sum everyone can come up with at once.”
Maintaining organic certification also requires annual inspections, leading to additional out-of-pocket expenses.
“We have to pay the inspector’s fees, including travel, accommodation – all expenses are borne by us,” he said.
“She has to stay here all day, spending eight hours inspecting our 20 acres of land. She walks around checking all the details and then spends over an hour sitting at the computer processing paperwork.”
Trachtenberg explained that if they purchase seeds, those seeds must be organic or heirloom.
“We usually save all our own seeds. Once they’re planted on our land, even if they’re organic certified, we can continue using them,” Trachtenberg said. “We have to document everything.”
Trachtenberg mentioned that once the USDA approves a product as organic, it means that the product indeed meets established organic standards. He also acknowledged the prevalence of fraud in the organic market, where many products labeled as “organic” actually come from countries with lax or complete lack of organic farming regulations.
According to USDA regulations, organic agriculture prohibits the use of certain conventional agricultural tools, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
The advantages of organic agricultural techniques include improving soil structure and fertility, reducing soil erosion, increasing biodiversity, and reducing the risk of exposure to toxic chemicals.
According to the 2022-2023 California Organic Agriculture Report, California leads the nation in certified organic agricultural products, with 3,582 certified organic farms.
USDA data shows that in 2021, Wisconsin had 1,455 certified organic farms, ranking second in the nation and accounting for 8% of the total in the U.S. The state has 245,333 acres of certified organic farmland, averaging 169 acres per farm, below the national average of 281 acres. Dairy is the primary organic product, with sales reaching $107 million.
Vermont had the highest percentage of organic farms at 11%; California, Maine, and New York each had a percentage of 4%.
According to EdenGreen.com, the organic farming industry is facing not only rising costs but also sustainability challenges.
“Organic farming requires more land to produce the same yield as conventional agriculture,” the website points out.
Improper management of this increased land use can lead to more deforestation. Additionally, due to lower efficiency in irrigation systems, organic farms typically require more water.
The USDA recently decided to include hydroponics in organic certification, posing new challenges for traditional organic farming.
Hydroponics is a method of growing crops without soil, using a nutrient solution instead.
In March 2020, the Center for Food Safety sued the federal government to oppose this certification decision, arguing that hydroponics did not meet basic requirements for healthy soil and did not comply with organic standards. The lawsuit aimed to prohibit hydroponically grown products from being labeled and sold with the USDA organic label.
Both Trachtenberg and DePoy consider themselves “enthusiasts” rather than “fanatics” when it comes to raising animals and cultivating crops using organic methods.
They take pleasure in watching their plants thrive in their natural environment, with their irrigation system pumping 15 gallons of water per minute from the farm’s natural well. Artichokes in bloom, along with watermelons, asparagus, and leafy greens, grow abundantly in soil fertilized with poultry manure and fish oil.
Outdoors, hens cluck, roosters crow in the henhouse, pigs laze in mud pits, and the farm’s cows roam freely in the fields.
Trachtenberg believes that operating a farm in harmony with nature is a moral responsibility. Despite the industry being full of obstacles, he is still willing to steadfastly fulfill this mission.
“From a moral standpoint, this kind of investment is worthwhile. People without a relevant background wouldn’t do this. I am really indignant when money and power are deemed more important than everything else,” Trachtenberg said.
For the English version of this report, please refer to The Epoch Times.