Gaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming

A project of the Canadian Organic Growers. 

The Gaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming handbook is an invaluable tool for all farmers interested in organic farming, whether conventional, transitional or organic. The book covers all bases – from soil-building and planting to certification and marketing, revealing an approach that is much more than simply farming without chemicals. Based on interviews with over 80 of Canada’s organic or transitional farmers across the country, this book provides valuable, practical advice and connects you to a national network of organic farmers, the next best thing to having an organic farmer next door. Farmer wisdom is supplemented with a wealth of scientific information from around the globe.

The key tools of organic farming, like a weed and pest management, crop rotations and green manures, composting and equipment are addressed in Gaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming. In addition, it discusses the difficult shift in thinking from an input-output approach to an integrated, whole-system approach based on ecological principles. The handbook includes an extensive list of resources for further reading.The key tools of organic farming, like weed and pest management, crop rotations and green manures, composting and equipment are addressed in Gaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming. In addition, it discusses the difficult shift in thinking from an input-output approach to an integrated, whole-system approach based on ecological principles. The handbook includes an extensive list of resources for further reading.The key tools of organic farming, like weed and pest management, crop rotations and green manures, composting and equipment are addressed inGaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming. In addition, it discusses the difficult shift in thinking from an input-output approach to an integrated, whole-system approach based on ecological principles. The handbook includes an extensive list of resources for further reading.The key tools of organic farming, like weed and pest management, crop rotations and green manures, composting and equipment are addressed inGaining Ground: Making a Successful Transition to Organic Farming. In addition, it discusses the difficult shift in thinking from an input-output approach to an integrated, whole-system approach based on ecological principles. The handbook includes an extensive list of resources for further reading.

Table of Contents 

Sample

Click here for a sample of the book.

Reviews

“The main barrier was believing that it would work. The biggest change is between your ears." – Pieter Biemond, ON

“We were trying to produce a good crop but the more chemicals you use the more disease and problems. We didn’t seem to be gaining anything. We had a beautiful crop but we spent lots of money and had no return. It seemed to be getting worse. Our motivation was economic and we wanted to create a future for our farm. We now want to show that organic can work and it is the way of the future for farming.”  – Gerry DeRuyck, MB

“The hardest part about transition is that there is no recipe. Every farm is different, so talking to a number of farmers, and particularly good farmers in your own area, even if they’re not organic, is a great idea. Take your time. Start paying attention to the needs of your soil and your animals and then the move to organic is easier.”
–Janet Duncan, ON