Organic farmers bank on exotic crops
10:34 PM 12/25/03
Juliana Barbassa Associated Press

BRENTWOOD, Calif. - Under the low-hanging branches of a fig tree, organic farmer Rick Knoll points out his latest crop. The fierce little plant looks like an overgrown purple thistle, with sharp-edged leaves pointing in every direction. <

"Cardoons," he said. <

Growing exotic vegetables is one way Knoll hopes his eight-acre farm can withstand an increasingly competitive organic marketplace. As organic agriculture goes mainstream, multinational companies have entered the $8 billion market, making organic produce more widely available to consumers - but squashing the profit margin that sustained the small farmers who were once the heart of the business. <

Analysts say organic produce is the fastest-growing part of the agriculture industry. While organic produce represents just 2 percent of the market, consumers expect it, grocers want to offer it, and large growers are moving fast to supply the growing demand. <

"It's really gone from a movement, a political statement, to simply another farming choice, another way of production," said Brian Leahy, executive director of California Certified Organic Farmers. <

But mainstream markets, which need to meet consumers' expectations of finding their favorite fruits and vegetables year-round, make things tough for local farms that are limited to producing what is in season. <

Knoll also said wholesalers don't want to bother with small producers when they can get all the salad mix or romaine lettuce they need from one large grower, who can machine-harvest one bed at a time. <

"There used to be quite a number of lapses in product availability," said Robert Norris, head of Albertson's organic division, explaining the advantages of large suppliers. "You see inherent savings with a larger company - they have more efficiencies, and they pass that onto us." <

Consumers of organic produce have also changed, Norris said, and many are less interested in making a political statement than they are in simply providing healthy food for their families. <

To these shoppers, it doesn't matter if their organic carrots come from a local farm like the Knolls' or from a giant like Grimmway, which produces, packs and ships 9 million carrots a day to more than 30 countries. <

To survive the crunch, family farms offer what the big guys can't; hence the cardoons. <

Knoll Farms offers produce that is more than just organic. Rick Knoll and his wife, Kristie, plant and hand-harvest dozens of varieties of hard-to-find, heirloom or specialty crops on a farm that's open to visitors. They personally take their produce to buyers, whom they get to know over the years, and who are willing to pay more for a specialty product. <

Bustling farmers' markets, where buyers shop and socialize with farmers, seem to be part of the small farm's future. <

Consumers have also taken advantage of subscription services, paying farmers a monthly fee to have a basket of fresh, seasonal organic produce delivered to their homes. <

"It's a balancing act for everybody," said Bu Nygrens, owner of Veritable Vegetable, a regional distributor of organic produce. "The organic marketplace has come to a crossroads. It's not just about whether pesticides are applied. People are starting to think of economic justice and environmental justice." <