2013 ASHS Annual Conference

Many growers who manage their lands organically choose not to seek certification. In 2012, we surveyed fresh market tomato growers in the midwestern United States who use MarketMaker^TM, an online platform that connects food producers and consumers, regarding their farm management practices, including weed management.   Respondents were placed into three groups based on their responses: certified organic, uncertified organic, and conventional.   The certified organic group grew more crops, worked fewer off-farm hours, and had higher incomes than the uncertified organic group.   Incomes were similar between the certified organic and conventional growers.   All three groups relied to some extent on manual and mechanical cultivation to control weeds in tomatoes.  However, the certified organic group reported fewer mechanical tillage passes than the uncertified organic group.  Differences in perceived weed pests were also detected among the three groups.  Cumulatively, this study suggests that key differences in weed and farm management exist between certified and uncertified organic tomato growers in the Midwest.