Becoming a farmer of any kind is not something that you do lightly. You can choose to have a garden and grow a few things for your friends and family but to actually be a farmer, that is to intend to make enough from what you grow to count as a profit, that takes courage and planning. But, not everyone is interesting in just your traditional type of farming. Before you start thinking that you can or should become an organic farmer, there are some organic farming facts that you should know about.

First, farming itself is hard work for not a lot of payback at all but organic farming is even harder. The crops that are yielded by organic farming are often small in terms of numbers and you can’t always count on them for aesthetics either. In fact, for some people, it is the more natural appearance of the organic fruits and vegetables that is the appeal. These people are willing to pay a little extra but does that still make up for what you would be making in volume sales with non-organic farming?

Another misconception is that you can only grow fruits and vegetables organically. That is not true at all. You can raise livestock, grow beautiful flowers and big, towering trees using all organic methods and materials as well.

Imagine taking an armload of gorgeous tea roses to your local farmer’s market and being able to display them with a sign that tells everyone that they are organically grown roses. The same can be said for meats, eggs and even milk products that you are selling- if they are truly organic in nature.

Organic farming is about using other types of processes to help your plants grow bigger and to keep them healthy and strong. You have to be vigilant because a small number of insects of plant problems can turn into a full blown panic in just a matter of days because the plants are not as protected by pesticides used by traditional farmers.

The plants may not be as drought resistant and may not be able to withstand any temperature extremes that might come along.

An organic farmer doesn’t just plop a seed or plant into the ground and then walk away and let nature take its course. There are still pesticides or herbicides to destroy pests and there are some methods that are used to encourage more vigorous growth. There are still chemical processes with these methods- something that the organic farmer might downplay or completely overlook. Compost for instance, even when it is all natural, breaks down and releases a number of different chemicals into the ground, the air and the water.