Macomb, IL – Organic food is growing more popular, but it might take a while before enough growers can become certified to meet the demand.
Joel Gruver of Western Illinois University runs the organic farm near Sciota and is a booster of organic growing.
He says the difficulty of certification will prevent a wholesale switch of many farms to producing organic crops.
Organic farming includes cultivation to control weeds, and not using chemical fertilizers or pesticide.
It takes several years of the different regime before the land can be certified. During that time, there can be no organic premium for the crops.
Some believe organic production automatically leads to lower yields. However, organic farmer Jack Erisman of Pana says yields tend to increase as the land regains its health.
He says the demand for organic food is growing at about 20 percent per year. So far, that's a small portion of the country's food supply. However, he says it will become an important part.
He says the question is whether the number of organic growers will increase enough to meet demand.
He says already, some food brokers are importing organic food because they cannot meet their needs from American growers.