PANEL DISCUSSION: Navigating the Organic Transition Process: Budgeting & Recordkeeping

Join this discussion to learn more about the financial aspect of transitioning to organic. The economic strain of following organic practices while not receiving organic premiums can be challenging. Hear stories and advice from firsthand experiences covering both the farmer and farm credit perspectives. Learn potential strategies for your farm and tips for success. Panelists include Shane Bailey, Linda Schwarz, Tom Schwarz, and Paul Dietmann. Paul Dietmann is Vice President of New Markets at Compeer Financial, a member-owned Farm Credit System cooperative in the upper Midwest. Dietmann has been helping family farmers with farm financial management issues since the mid-1990s, first as a county agricultural agent, then as Director of the Wisconsin Farm Center, as Wisconsin's Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and now with the Farm Credit System. He is co-author of the book Fearless Farm Finances: Farm Financial Management Demystified and author of Turning Grain Into Dough: Farm Financial Management for Organic Grain and Crop Rotations. Tom Schwarz is a 5th generation farmer from south central Nebraska. He originally farmed with his father on a large scale conventional farm through the 90s. Following his father's death in 1997, he began the organic transition process and has farmed organically ever since. He currently farms about 1,500 certified organic acres with his wife Linda and their two children. Tom and his family focus primarily on growing row crops and small grains, but have experience in cattle, vegetable, and hemp production. Linda Schwarz started her journey as an organic recordkeeping specialist in 1997 when her husband Tom began transitioning their land to certified organic production. Coming from a non-farm background, Linda worked at an accounting firm before joining the farm full time in the late 90s. Since that time she has worked to refine her recordkeeping process and frequently receives praise from organic inspectors due to her thoroughness and attention to detail. Shane Bailey is the co-owner and operator of Savannah Ridge Farms. A University of Illinois graduate with a bachelor's in Crop Science, Shane began farming in 2006 at age 16. Since 2016, he has focused on transitioning their land to organic production, specializing in white corn, soybeans, oats, and hay. Alongside his father and brother, Shane also runs a direct-to-consumer, grass-fed yak meat business, employing rotational grazing practices to ensure animal welfare and sustainability.