Winter, 1990 (v2n2)
	The Farmer's Transition In the last issue of Sustainable Agriculture News, we discussed agriculture's agenda, and the precarious position growers find themselves in. As a result of changing markets, legislation and other factors, many farmers are rethinking their production and marketing structures so they can move toward more environmentally safe practices. Some are changing their production systems because they see an expanding market or a niche for food produced in a different fashion. Others will respond as legislation or other forces beyond their control require them to change to stay in business. Eventually, most growers may be faced with very significant changes in their production systems. For some, change will be an opportunity- for others, it will create problems. We have a tendency to resist change because it moves us into unknown directions - but one way or another, change is upon agriculture, and many farmers will be involved in these changes. What Are the Options? So the question for many is: How do we continue to produce and stay in business? What are the options for you, as a farmer, as you face a transition? Many of the decisions regarding the transition to more environmentally sound farming practices will be business decisions. If you are going to change, consider the scale of the modifications in the next few years. You may make major changes on your farm all at once, or you can take a small parcel of land and make modest changes the first year and learn about the management and environmental problems on your particular site. Business Risks There are risks in all business decisions, so some of you may be more comfortable with small changes the first year, while others may take higher risks and make rapid changes in production systems. You must weigh marketing and legislative factors, your management skills and farming environment before you make a judgment that is appropriate for you. No matter what your decision, however, you would be wise to start moving in the direction of change as prudently as possible. No one has all the answers to the production and marketing problems that you will face as your farming system changes. Therefore, it is important to start and learn from your experiences. Even if you only make changes on one acre, that experience will be invaluable in the coming years as the production system changes to meet different demands and needs. Each production system, each environment, each grower will have a different set of circumstances and problems. Where to Start Even though there is no way to set out a complete recipe for change in this column, some general guidelines can be shared. Analyze your current market and production systems and identify the constraints. Take a look at the most limiting factors now and think about ways in which they might be addressed if some pesticides or other tools you use are eliminated. As a general rule, inputs cannot be removed from a conventional farming system without other changes being required. Not understanding that could lead to real problems. A total systems view of your production practices must be taken. It may mean changing some production practices very significantly, or it may just mean some minor adjustments. Your first attempt at managing pesticide or fertilizer inputs might be to strictly monitor fields and gradually reduce the inputs. You might try changes in two or three different ways, in small areas, so that you can see how different management strategies work in your environment. The main decision for you to make is to begin the process on your own operation. The details of what you do may not be as important in getting started. If major legislative changes take place in the next two or three years which enormously restrict your use of chemical inputs, a year or two head start on even a small part of your acreage will be very important. What a farmer needs now is an early and flexible start on transition planning, and the ability to learn from each year's experience. If you are a farmer, you will be helping yourself by planning ahead. You will be setting your own agenda. - Bill Liebhardt, director, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program Index for Sustainable Agriculture Winter, 1990