From craig.harris@ssc.msu.eduTue Jul 16 12:11:15 1996 Date: Mon, 15 Jul 96 11:53:09 EDT From: craig.harris@ssc.msu.edu To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu Subject: request dear sanet'ers . . . the following item came across agnet recently . . . STUDIES SHOW SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE MEASURES UP TO CONVENTIONAL YIELDS 11 Jul 1996 Manitoba Co-operator A series of stories about organic agriculture. A study just released by North Dakota State University found the overall incomes of sustainable farmers lag behind those of conventional farmers. But when their incomes were compared on a per-acre basis, the gap between the two groups closed. The second largest income source for sustainable farmers was livestock sales, while government program payments were the second largest income source for conventional farmers. The study found that sustainable farmers grew more crops, and often included alternative crops such as alfalfa, buckwheat, hay, millet, oats or rye. They nearly always raised livestock as well. Conventional farmers grew more soybeans and wheat. AGnet July 12/96 Douglas A Powell Saturday 13 July 1996 3:49 AM AGNET IS SPONSORED BY THE ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS PLANTS PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH i'm wondering if anyone can provide me with information on how to obtain a copy of the 'study just released by North Dakota State University' thanks, craig craig k harris dept of sociology michigan state university east lansing michigan 48824-1111 tel: 517-355-5048 fax: 517-432-2856 From RDMACGREGOR@gov.pe.caTue Jul 16 12:13:31 1996 Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 10:06:28 -0400 From: Bob MacGregor To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu, craig.harris@ssc.msu.edu Subject: request -Reply >>> 07/15/96 11:53am >>> Craig Harris inquired about the following AGNET item: >STUDIES SHOW SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE MEASURES UP TO >CONVENTIONAL YIELDS 11 Jul 1996 and asked: >i'm wondering if anyone can provide me with information on how to >obtain a copy of the 'study just released by North Dakota State >University' thanks, craig Sorry, I don't have info on the North Dakota sustainable agriculture study, but, if studies of the relative economic merits of conventional vs. sustainable farming systems interests you, you might want to track down the following reference: Stonehouse, D.P., S.F. Weise, T. Sheardown, R.S. Gill, C.J. Swanton. 1996. A Case Study Approach to Comparing Weed Management Strategies under Alternative Farming Systems in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 44: 81-99. The sample sizes were small, and (as is usually the case) the authors recommended broader-scale study to verify their results, which included: "Linear programming model results for whole-farm analyses revealed highest net farm incomes on organic farms and lowest on conventional farms, in part due to lower overhead costs on organic farms, and in part due to greater enterprise diversification and to greater self-sufficiency in material inputs." I hope this helps. R. Macgregor PEI Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, Charlottetown, PE rdmacgregor@gov.pe.ca (902) 368-4847