“Supporting organic production is a growth area for extension,” says entomologist Mary Barbercheck, the lead investigator on the organic-field-crop research project at Rock Springs. Specializing in biological controls to manage pests, she is collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of entomologists, soil scientists, agronomists, economists, weed scientists, and extension educators.

“The organic-certification agencies are not allowed to act as consultants—that’s the role that cooperative extension can play,” she says. “Penn State Cooperative Extension works hard to gain and keep its credibility among stakeholders, and extension is earning the trust of organic clients. I see some extension educators already doing a fantastic job of working to meet the needs of the organic clientele, and I see organic producers as a growing stakeholder group. They are still a small percentage of growers, but the rate of growth is impressive.”

Organic production can be a viable way for small- to medium-sized farms to thrive in Pennsylvania because it allows farmers to focus more on profit margins than on yields, believes agricultural economist Jeff Hyde. Many organic foods are marketed directly to the consumer, cutting out the middleman, and many carry a premium price.

“Organic is a niche, but a potentially very profitable niche,” he says. “Give consumers what they really want or need, and they are willing to pay more for it. It is well documented that the retail market for organic food products is rising at an increasing rate, and that bodes well for organic producers. According to the Organic Trade Association and Organic Farming Research Foundation, the organic supply is not meeting consumer demand. It seems that an increasing number of consumers believe the message they’ve been hearing about the benefits of organic food.”

What’s not clear to many organic market watchers, according to Hyde, is whether more people are buying organics, or whether the same group is merely buying more organic products. “Nobody is sure what the future holds for the organic market,” he says. “What will happen if the organic supply continues to fall short of demand? Right now in Pennsylvania and across the country, organic- product sales continue to grow at a pace of about 20 percent annually. That’s phenomenal. Organic-food sales account for approximately 2 percent of total food sales in the United States. It is a real opportunity for entrepreneurial producers. There is a lot of potential, especially near urban areas.”