Getting to Organic: Profiles of How Michigan Farmers Made Their Transition to Organic Agriculture (August 2008) is a 12 page report that features profiles of 5 Michigan farmers as they discuss how they began organic farming and the lessons they learned in the process of getting organic certification. The farmers included:  Jim Sattelberg of Bay Shore Farms and Thistledown Farms in Snover, Don Cinzori of Cinzori Farms in Ceresco, Gene Garthe of Garthe Farms in Northport, Fred Leitz of Leitz Farms LLC in Sodus, and Bernie Ware of Ware Farm in Bear Lake.

MOFFA prepared this report to help farmers considering organic certification, and to provide guidance to researchers and agriculture specialists who are trying to assist farmers making the transition to organics.

The report was written by Carol Osborne, MOFFA Project Coordinator, as part of a MOFFA grant project with Michigan State University titled "Partnering to Cultivate Organic Agriculture in Michigan and the Midwest."  This project is supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), under agreement number 2005-51300-02391. Any opinion, finding, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the USDA.

Click here for a PDF version of the report. A limited number of print copies will be distributed by MOFFA at farm conferences and other events.