Why Organic Farmers Run Nutrient Budgets Too

Stuart McMillan farm manages Legend Organic Farms near Kamsack, Saskatchewan, with a background in entomology and molecular ecology from the University of Manitoba and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. He pushes back hard on the idea that organic farming means rejecting modern science. The conversation covers what a data-driven organic operation actually tracks, from nutrient budgets across a full rotation to the collaborative culture in the organic sector, where growers share both successes and failures openly. Stuart also walks through the real economics of organic production, including the yield gap with conventional neighbours and what's actually driving it. What's Inside - Why Stuart says he's never seen a poor farmer become a good one by taking tools out of the toolbox, organic or conventional - How organic producers run full-rotation nutrient budgets, and why that challenges the assumption that organic means "no inputs" - The three types of organic farmers Stuart has met in the field, and which one actually drives long-term success - What's really behind the yield gap between organic and conventional grain in Western Canada, and where that gap is starting to close - Why the organic sector's regulatory standards are driven by producers themselves rather than government or industry - What a University of Manitoba long-term trial revealed when an organic rotation started losing phosphorus, and how it was corrected Referenced Articles https://www.producer.com/2018/03/balanced-nutrients-help-soil-microbes/ https://www.kamsacktimes.com/news/world-s-largest-independent-organic-food-brand-purchases-5-000-acres-of-land-near-kamsack-1.23155084 Connect with Growing the Future Website: growingthefuture.ca YouTube: Growing the Future Instagram: @growingthefuturepodcast LinkedIn: Growing the Future Register for the Convergence Conference at convergence.ag and stay updated by subscribing to the Growing the Future Podcast at growingthefuturepodcast.ca.