Tag: Organic

Lots of Summer Tours with Organic Topics!

There have been a lot of opportunities this summer for Organic Farmers to attend tours held outside, in the field, that featured organic agriculture.  I hope that you as an organic farmer took the time to attend, learn, and show your support.  I hope that organic farmers realize that Extension education works much like a business! If farmers do not show up (make a purchase) then there will be an assumption that they do not need Extension organic education. If they do not need organic education, then the “educators” might be forced to do something else – just saying! Check out the pictures and information and then plan to be a part the next time you get the invitation!

The picture above is at the Hi-A Corn Field Day held July 31 in and around Halfway just west of Plainview.  There was a good crowd of farmers, seed producers and businesses interested in new corn hybrids.

The pictures below are of the Organic Cotton and Peanut Field Day held on August 19 just north of Seminole in Neil Froese’s fields.  We toured peanuts, cotton and had a robot demonstration and a great talk by Aigen about their new robot weeders.

Dr. John Cason has his back to us in the picture as he talks to the crowd about the organic peanut variety trial. It was great weather that day with a little over 2 inches of rain the day before.

The picture above is some discussion about the organic cotton fields surrounding the crowd. The fields were clean of weeds, and we discussed the implements and timing to keep them clean.

Below the picture is showing a potential crop robot developed by Texas A&M researchers using common components found in most electronic stores. The technology is sophisticated but the design and parts are pretty simple. Imagine building robots in your shop that could run continuously weeding your fields!

The pictures below are from the Resilient Cropping Systems Tour held on September 24 that started at the Quarterway Cotton Growers but toured from there to the Helms Farm south of Halfway.  This tour featured so many speakers and demonstrations that I can’t name them all but organic was discussed on many of the tour stops. I want to also mention that Megan Singletary is doing some great work in organic weed control and results should be something we can use to improve our fields.

Let me add one more tour that I wish I had more pictures to show you the crowd and facilities. I am a terrible photographer and wish I would do better! The Southwest Dairy Day had over 300 attending and Organic Dairy was front and center.

This is just one of many seminars given at the Southwest Dairy Day held on October 9. The day featured lots of exhibits in outdoor tents, lots of equipment demonstrations, and a tour of the Aurora Organic “Pepper” Dairy just outside of Dublin Texas. The Pepper Organic Dairy features the latest in robot milkers for batch milking. A completely automated system we were able to tour from above the entire operation from the balcony at the milking parlor – it was a site to see!

Texas Organic Agriculture: Expanding from Farm to Market

The Texas organic industry continues to grow on both ends of the supply chain—from the farms that grow organic crops and livestock to the companies that process, package, and distribute them. As of October 2025, the state lists 412 certified organic grower operations, including farms that produce crops, livestock, and wild crops on 512,000 Texas acres. At the same time, the number of certified organic handlers—processors, distributors, and packers—has climbed from 457 in 2023 to 694 in 2025, a 52% increase in just two years.

Who’s Growing Organically in Texas

Organic production in Texas is anchored by key field crops such as cotton (175 farms), peanuts (147), and wheat (132)—mainstays of the High Plains and Rolling Plains, where organic systems are well adapted to semi-arid soils and rotations. Corn (51) and sorghum or milo (49) are part of diversified feed and grain operations, while rice (25) remains strong along the Gulf Coast. Forage crops like alfalfa (25) and grass (40) support both organic livestock and soil health, while vegetable operations (21) range from small local farms near urban markets to large commercial producers serving regional buyers.

Among these 412 operations, 28 are certified for livestock, including 20 cattle and 8 poultry operations. The cattle operations include both grass-fed beef and organic dairy systems, emphasizing rotational grazing and homegrown forage to meet organic standards. The poultry farms focus mainly on pasture-based egg and broiler production, serving local and specialty markets. Together, these farms show how organic agriculture in Texas is evolving into an integrated system linking crops, forages, and livestock within the same ecological and market framework.

A Rapid Rise in Certified Handlers

The sharp increase in certified organic handlers—from 457 to 694—signals strong momentum beyond the farm gate. Much of this growth is tied to the USDA’s Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule, implemented in 2023. This rule requires certification for more middle-market entities such as brokers, traders, and distributors who take ownership of organic products. The result is a more transparent and traceable supply chain, but also a measurable expansion in the number of certified businesses operating within it.

Texas’s 694 organic handlers now represent a wide range of activities. The largest sectors include fruits and vegetables (285), beverages (125), grains, flours, and cereals (105), nuts and seeds (111), seasonings and flavorings (102), and oils and oleoresins (71). These categories show that Texas’s organic sector is growing not only in raw production but in value-added processing, product manufacturing, and consumer-ready goods. Additional activity in livestock feed (23), dairy and dairy alternatives (27), meat, poultry, and eggs (35), processed foods (47), and fiber, textiles, and cotton (20) rounds out the picture of a maturing organic industry.

A Strengthening Organic Ecosystem

The combined growth in organic growers and handlers marks a new phase for Texas organic agriculture. Producers are supplying more raw organic commodities, and a growing network of handlers is processing, packaging, and marketing those products—creating a more complete and resilient organic system. The enforcement of SOE has helped formalize this network, ensuring that products remain traceable from farm to table. What was once a scattered mix of farms and processors is now forming into a connected supply chain—one capable of supporting long-term growth in the Texas organic market.

2025 Sorghum Variety Testing

In case you didn’t know I want to emphasize that Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension have an extensive variety testing program for corn, cotton, sorghum, peanuts, wheat, sunflower, soybean, silage, forages, rice, oilseeds, and more than I can count!

The trials are conducted in farmer fields and on Texas A&M AgriLife Research Stations across the state with companies that want to see how their varieties perform in multiple locations. Here is a YouTube video showing the process.

Recently Katrina Horn with Variety Testing sent out the pdf files for 8 tests conducted from the Rio Grande Valley up to Central Texas including San Angelo. There are still three test sites to be harvested located in the South Plains and Panhandle, but still, we are getting great information to be able to think about next year’s planting season. Why is this important now for organic sorghum growers?

Many, many sorghum seed companies will set aside sorghum seed for organic growers that is not seed treated. Unfortunately, they will treat the rest of their seed inventory making it unavailable to organic growers because it is treated seed. I wish it was easier but at least we can get seed, in most cases, if we are just a little bit pushy with a seed dealer!

Since we still have some more test sites to add I probably should wait a month or two, but I think it is better to be thinking about sorghum now. Here is all the 8 tests we have results for as of now. Just click the button below.

2025 Sorghum Variety Test Results

Photo: Sorghum Partners R&D (https://sorghumpartners.com/rd/)

Okay, you have all the results which is a huge amount of information for each test site and for the varieties. Please take a look at all the information, you will be surprised. Now let me give you some summary information that might help you focus your thoughts.

CompanyVarietyTest Ranking (in the significant top)
DeKalbDKS 44-071,1,3,4
DeKalbDKS 36-071,2,2
Dyna-GroM62GB361,4,5,6
DeKalbDKS 43-764,6,9
Integra (Wilbur Ellis)G3665 2,3,4,8 (only planted in 6 tests!)
Sorghum PartnersSP65M601,2
DeKalbDKS 49-762,3,4
DeKalbDKS 43-764,6,9

As a note of explanation! I looked at all the tests (8) and looked at only the top varieties in the test by significance. What I mean is that these top varieties were statistically better than all the others in the test. If a variety was statistically better in more than one test, I put it on this list and gave you its ranking from the test where it was statically significant. So, all, except one variety, were in all 8 tests. Some varieties you may see in the overall results may rank high, but to make this list they need to rank in at least two tests and rank significantly! Clear as mud?

What I am hoping does come through is that these varieties seem to do well across locations and would be worth looking at for organic growers – if you can get untreated seed. That is the question?

You are special and everybody knows it!

Yes, if you are certified organic you are special and yes, everybody knows it or can know it! I have many, many opportunities to speak to groups about organic every year. I do my best to tell people that really don’t know about organic, what is involved in being certified organic, and then to describe the people who grow, process and sell organic products. Most of the groups I speak to, have no clue that you as a certified organic entity have your business name, your address, your email, your phone and more in a database for all the world to see – did you as a certified organic farmer or processor know that?

Well, it is true! For instance, do you know about this farm?

This is the Kirov Farm called Peresvet. You are looking at a portion of their organic certificate that I downloaded from the Organic Integrity Database (OID). But there is more:

In this picture you can see that Sun Xun grows Maize (corn), Soybeans and Wheat. I can call Mr. Xun on the phone if I want to make an international call because he lives in the Kirov District of the Russian Federation. Or I can email him and ask a quick question about maybe buying his wheat crop.

Based on this certificate, I now know pretty much everything about this organic operation I need to know to make contact and begin a discussion about his crops and a possible purchase or even a collaboration to expand our markets. This is exactly how I am able to send you a newsletter by email or mail since I can get both off of the OID website!

I asked Chat GPT to give me more information about this place and here is what it said:

The listing you shared is for an organic operation certified in the Russian Federation, specifically in Primorsky Krai within the Kirov District.

  • Primorsky Krai is a region in the Russian Far East, bordering China and North Korea, and stretching to the Pacific Ocean.
  • The Kirov District is one of the administrative divisions inside Primorsky Krai.
  • The crops listed (maize, soybeans, wheat) are fairly typical for the region, which has a mix of fertile plains and a temperate climate suitable for grains and legumes.

So, the only thing I am missing is a physical address so I could look up the farm on Google Earth but we are getting pretty close! I asked Chat GPT to do more searching and here is the result:

  • In QIMA’s “Supplier Details / Food Certifications Database,” “Peresvet” LLC (Kirov Farm) is listed with registry RU007-1, address in Kirov District, Primorsky Krai, and products: soybean, wheat, maize. ibd.com.br
  • In IBD’s certified operator list, LLC “Peresvet” (Kirov Farm) is listed under organic certification (CA23319/24), with the same RU007-1 ID. ibd.com.br
  • In Russian corporate registry data (via “saby.ru”), there is a company ООО Пересвет (Peresvet LLC) registered in Primorsky Krai / Ussuriysk with INN 7720493313, with a general director named Трачук Дарья Сергеевна (Trachuk Darya Sergeevna). Saby
  • That same registry listing shows that “wholesale grain trade” is its main business (among many activity codes) and that the authorized capital is quite small (50,000 ₽) compared to the vast acreage declared in OID. Saby
  • The registry also indicates the business was registered on 16 January 2020. Saby
  • In “spark-interfax.ru” (an information aggregator), ООО Пересвет has 119 (or 106 in other listings) registered types of business activities (OKVED codes), and the head or sole owner is the same Darya Trachuk. spark-interfax.ru

Okay, Okay I know I have proved my point!!

There is a lot that the OID can tell us about organic throughout the world, and you are a part of that world. I like to think that you are part of a large “family” since you all share both the benefits and rules of being in that organic family. We know that Mr. Xun yearly gets inspected and so do you!

Now that you know that information is in the database is there more information out there? Yes, there is a lot of information out there and it can be used a multitude of ways! First, you already know one way and that is for a mailing list like the one I use to send out email or mailed newsletters every month. I just go to the webpage https:// organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity/Home and then I do an advanced search. This allows me to sort the database on several criteria but for me, I want to know all the organic entities in Texas. I simply list Texas as the state and then search. In seconds I see the screen filled with all the Certified Texas Organic Entities, which includes both growers and handlers. I can then download that list to an Excel Spreadsheet (it has a place to click to download) which allows me to look at the data very in-depth.

Above is just a small screenshot of the Excel Spreadsheet I downloaded of all certified organic entities in Texas. If you want a closer look at the information, just click here: OID Certification for Texas

I can also find out if we grow any organic cotton in Texas and who grows it. I can find out who buys organic cotton in Texas and even who is making products from organic cotton in Texas. I can look up organic acres, find phone numbers, locate certifiers, I can see if you have a website, in fact there are many other places for you to tell the world about your business or advertise your business!

So, that leads me to ask why aren’t you using this as a business tool? If you are in the organic world then you can only buy or sell in the organic world and here is a free opportunity to advertise to that world. Unfortunately, I find so many mistakes in the database that I wonder if you are even paying attention! Wrong addresses, no addresses, bad emails, wrong crops, wrong products, misspelled names, no zip code, no company name. One of my pet peeves is to have your consultants name or their phone number and email as the contact person in the database. That just signals to folks that you don’t want to be contacted by anyone!

Here is my Call to Action: Claim Your Space

I have some thoughts – the database already tells the world you’re certified organic. Why not make it work for you?

  • Look up your entry. It is easy and I hope you now know how!
  • Make sure your contact information is correct. Call your certifier.
  • Make sure your products are listed correctly. Call your certifier.
  • Share the link with buyers: “You can find us in the USDA Organic Integrity Database.” That link can be a link to your Organic information like this:
  • Click this link! or like this Click this link!

Because you are special—and yes, everybody really does know it.

Why Bread Tastes Better in Europe Than in the U.S. and Does it Matter?

If you’ve ever traveled to Europe and wondered why the bread, pasta, or croissants taste so much better, you’re not imagining things. Organic wheat products in Europe really do have a different flavor and texture compared to what we’re used to in the United States. The reasons come down to how wheat is grown, milled, and baked—and even what people expect when they buy bread.

I have had opportunities to work all over the world and most of those travels end up going through Europe. One of the truly delightful things to do when in Europe is just to walk the streets looking at shops and many of those are bakeries. The smell is unbelievable, and the taste is beyond compare. I was visiting with a friend of mine who lived in Paris for a number of years. He said they bought bread fresh daily versus maybe once a week here. There the dough would take hours to rise, and you could walk in a shop and watch it. Here, it is never anything to watch and certainly something that happens fast.

How Much Wheat Do We Eat?

The average American eats about 130 pounds (58–60 kg) of wheat each year, while Europeans eat closer to 200 pounds (90 kg). That’s about 50% more! For Europeans, bread and pasta are still part of almost every meal. In the U.S., diet trends like low-carb and gluten-free have pushed wheat down the list.

But, let me ask a question! Which group has more problems with weight – so it is not the consumption of wheat products – is it?

The Wheat Itself

In the U.S., most organic wheat is bred for high yields and disease resistance. That’s great for farmers but not always for flavor. The result can be wheat with really strong gluten—perfect for making bread chewy, but sometimes too tough. In Europe, many organic farms still grow older varieties like spelt, einkorn, and emmer, or modern wheats chosen for taste as much as for yield. That’s why European bread often feels lighter and more flavorful. I have bought organic breads when I can find them and unfortunately, they taste bland and tough!

Milling Matters

How the grain is ground also makes a difference. In the U.S., organic flour is often very “whole”—meaning it keeps lots of bran and germ. That’s healthy, but it can make bread heavier and a bit bitter. In Europe, countries set rules for flour types, like French Type 65 or Italian Type 00, which allow for partial sifting. The flour still has nutrition, but the bread turns out softer, lighter, and often tastier.

The Secret of Fermentation

In American organic bakeries, loaves are often made quickly—mixed, baked, and on the shelf the same day. In Europe, bakers take their time. Long fermentations, sometimes 16 to 24 hours, bring out natural sweetness, make bread easier to digest, and build that classic sourdough flavor.

What People Expect

In the U.S., shoppers often buy organic bread because it’s “healthy.” A dense, hearty loaf feels like you’re getting your money’s worth. In Europe, bread is part of everyday life, so even organic loaves have to win people over with taste and texture first.

A Side-by-Side Example

  • U.S. Organic Loaf: 100% whole wheat, baked in a few hours, dark, dense, and chewy.
  • French Organic Baguette: flour sifted just enough, fermented for over 16 hours, crisp crust, airy inside, and nutty flavor.

Both are organic—but they couldn’t be more different.

The Takeaway

So why does bread taste better in Europe? It’s not just nostalgia from your travels. It’s the wheat varieties, the flour standards, and the time bakers are willing to invest. If the U.S. wants organic bread that rivals Europe’s, we might need to rethink what we value most—nutrition on the label, or flavor on the table. I think we have a great product on the farm, and we need it to be a great product at the bakery!

Hi-A Corn Field Day Brings Farmers, Researchers, and Industry Together

On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Halfway Station hosted a Hi-A Corn Breeding and Genetics Field Tour and Research Forum that brought together around 30 participants, including farmers, researchers, seed companies, and agricultural lenders. The event highlighted the exciting potential of Hi-A (high anthocyanin) corn varieties in both production and food markets.

Hi-A Corn Variety Plots at the Halfway Research Station

Field Tours and Research Highlights

The day began with a welcome from Dr. Todd Baughman, followed by an introduction from Dr. Wenwei Xu, Regents Fellow and corn breeder at Texas A&M AgriLife Research in Lubbock.

Dr. Xu has led the development of Hi-A corn varieties, including TAMZ 102, which is known for its deep purple kernels and high anthocyanin content. His work has focused on combining yield performance with enhanced nutritional traits, creating hybrids that perform well in the field while offering health-promoting properties. The Hi-A program under Dr. Xu’s leadership has become a cornerstone of innovation for Texas A&M AgriLife, linking plant breeding with food and health research.

Participants then toured Hi-A corn plots at the Halfway Research Center before traveling to Helms Farms to view large field-scale strip trials. These demonstrations highlighted how Hi-A and short-season hybrids are performing under West Texas growing conditions. Mr. Ken Igo, Halfway Farm Chemicals discussed on-farm performance results at the Edmonson location.

Hi-A Corn Varieties at the Helms Farm. Dr Xu is discussing the variety performance.

The tour then returned to the Halfway Research Center where Dr. Tim Paape (USDA-ARS) provided updates on breeding, genetics, genomics, and metabolism research. Tim Paape is a Research Geneticist with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), who works in the areas of plant and crop genetics, genomics, and molecular biology. He is directly employed with the USDA-ARS Responsive Agriculture Food Systems Research Unit (RAFSRU) located on the Texas A&M College Station campus.

After Dr. Paape spoke, I was able to share about the opportunities for organic corn in Texas, focusing on how Hi-A varieties can align with organic markets where consumer demand for nutritionally dense and colorful grains continues to grow.

Dr. Tim Paape introducing Hi-A Corn to HHS Secretary Kennedy when the Secretary visited the TAMU Campus in early July.

Joe Longoria, president of CASA RICA Tortillas in Plainview, shared his experience using this corn in commercial tortilla production, noting its excellent qualities for both flavor and nutrition. Joe is committed to the healthy food movement and talked about his interest in continuing to showcase healthy grains in his products.

From Research to Food

One of the highlights of the day was the luncheon, where participants tasted enchiladas, chips, and tortillas all made with Hi-A corn. The deep color and flavor of these products come from naturally high anthocyanin content in TAMZ 102. A big thanks to Joe Longoria and Casa Rica for providing the Hi-A chips and tortillas. Amazingly there were no chips or tortillas left after lunch!!

This hands-on experience helped bridge the gap between the research plots and the food plate, showing how agricultural innovation can quickly translate into consumer products.

Building Toward the Future

The classroom event did conclude with an informal Research Forum, where scientists, producers, and industry leaders discussed strategies for integrating breeding, production, and commercialization of Hi-A corn. By combining genetics research with market development, this crop has potential not only in specialty food markets but also in animal nutrition.

A Shared Success

The Field Day was a success thanks to the collaboration of researchers, growers, and industry leaders. With Hi-A corn gaining momentum, it’s encouraging to see strong partnerships forming around this crop. The tortillas, chips, and fresh ears we shared at lunch gave everyone a taste of what the future of corn could look like—nutrient-rich, flavorful, and farmer-driven.

Big thanks and a great deal of appreciation to the Texas Corn Producers Board, Southern SARE, High Plains Underground Water Conservation District, and USDA-ARS. These outstanding groups not only helped fund this important work but attended the field day as well!