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Published on: 9/14/2006
Last Visited: 5/26/2007
"The department is now in the process of deciding whether there is a need for an organic farming specialty," said Steve Weller, a professor of horticulture.
Organic farming is the production of crops and livestock without artificial means such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, said Weller.
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"Nationally, between 2 to 3 percent of food production is organic," said Weller."There is an estimated 5 to 10 percent growth rate per year for the next eight to ten years, to the point where in five to six years it will be between 5 to 10 percent of the food production."
Although organic food production is a big industry, it only makes up a small part of total food revenue.Economically, organic food is a billion dollar industry compared to the food industry, which has value in the trillions, said Weller.
Organic farming crops now make up less than one percent of the nation's total crop land, said Weller.Locally, Indiana farmers are only small producers of organic food, mostly in beef and dairy.Although fruits and vegetables make up almost half of the organic food market, meat, fish and poultry are the fastest-growing sectors of organic farming.
For now, Purdue only has one course with organic in the title.The course, which is taught by Weller, focuses on organic crop production.
Weller and several graduate students are also involved in maintaining an organic plot.The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants growing in the plot are produced organically and were last planted in July of this year.
As in previous years, the College of Agriculture also plans to host a study abroad trip during Maymester 2007.This time, students will travel to France and Italy to learn different methods of farming, such as organic and sustainable farming, said Weller.
The passing of the national organic standards in 2002 has made it possible for several other colleges to begin offering an organic farming major."Organic farming trends is the fastest growing sector of American agriculture."said Weller.