Organic Farming Solutions

Organic farming experts

Full organic programs

Extensive product range

Over 25 years experience

 New Opportunities, New Markets, New Products

Specialists in Organic Farming in Australia since 1995.

Summary of SFS Organic and NOP inputs.

Why Organic?

Covid 19 is accelerating organic consumer sales

Australia's $2.6 billion a year organic market place thrived in 2020.

The industry is expecting to exceed the 10% growth targets, with Woolworths reporting 20% annual growth in organic lines in 2020.

Health scares typically promote consumer interest in healthy options and organic food.

"Before the coronavirus outbreak, consumers were increasingly seeking out the organic label, but the pandemic simply increased the desire."

In1995 when SFS started trading, in California, large vegetable growers were starting to put 5-10% of their land into organic production and treating it as another production line.

25 years on this is what we have seen in the last few years in the Australian market as the supermarkets have pushed mainstream growers to consider organics as a result of consumer demand.

What Is Involved in Transitioning to Organic?

Four-step focus on sustainability

There are four key considerations for growers who are looking to become more sustainable in their farming practices.

 

  1. Use a carbon source, whether it’s commercial compost or pelletised manure
  2. Use natural nutrition as much as possible, such as slower release sources of nitrogen to avoid peaks of soluble nitrogen that could potentially weaken plants
  3. Add biology or microbes, and use the interaction between the plant and the microbe population in the rhizosphere/root system to your advantage
  4. Feed the biology using food sources that will stimulate microbial life around the rhizosphere.

New Ground Breaking Technologies

The Sabel-X range of Endophytic Trichoderma are a ground breaking new tool for organic growers.

Sabel-X not only unlocks your soil's biological potential, but also increases photosynthesis by up to 30%.

After 25 years in organics, this is a game changer product to help growers manage the microbe interactions between the plant and the soil.

Key features

  • Lives inside the plant so robust
  • Positive ROI is the norm
  • Exceptional grower feedback is the hallmark of this product

 

We've got organics covered - talk to us.

Examples of Sabel-X in action

Organic Inputs

We have an extensive range of inputs for organic and NOP compliance stocked at our warehouses in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.

  • All products trialled and tested
  • 25+ years in organics
  • Specialist agronomic support
  • Specialist organic programs tailored to your farm

Compost – we know compost. 20 years ago we were setting up compost facilities on farm. We ran the largest compost demonstration project Australia has seen. Talk to us to decide if compost is the best way to start or if other options are best for you.

Our understanding of the needs of organic farming processes, soil amendments and natural crop nutrition puts SFS in a unique position to help agronomists and growers use the SFS products in organic agriculture.

Examples of SFS Organic Inputs Helping Crops Thrive

What Help Can You Get?

Our organic programs work and help crops thrive.

For organic farmers that want to incorporate the most ecologically integrated processes and products on their farm, we can help you with the following.

Free Tailored Organic Programs

These organic programs suit a wide range of horticultural and cereal crops.

See our 'Organic Programs'.

Local Agronomy Support

We work closely with growers and our distributors‘ teams to provide all the information you need to grow productive, profitable crops organically.

Nationwide Product Distribution

We have distributors right around the country. We can link you with a local distributor interested in supporting your business.

See our Stockists.

Scientific Approach

We provide up-to-date information on organic farming practices including research papers and trial data.

See our Organic Trials.

Steps to Organic Farming

1) Crop Selection

  • Choose the property to suit the crop
  • Choose the crop to suit the property
  • Don’t push the climate boundaries
  • Minimise the pest & disease pressures
  • Site selection

2) Soil Fertility

  • Balance – physical, chemical, biological
  • Soil analysis – pH
  • Fertilizer history
  • Crop requirements – nutritional & biological
  • Equipment required

3) Plant Health

  • 80-90% via soil
  • Organic fertiliser, compost, cover crop
  • Do we need to supplement with soluble fertilizers?
  • Foliar spray program.
  • Plant tissue analysis
  • Must provide crop requirements
  • Source of Nutrients - compost, cover crops, organic fertiliser, foliar sprays, trace elements

4) Insect Pests

  • Life cycles of pest & beneficial insects
  • Monitoring
  • Solutions - release of beneficial insects, cover crops, poultry, barriers, rescue chemistry

5) Disease Pressure

  • Life cycle of diseases
  • Crop rotation
  • Monitoring
  • Allowable inputs versus natural measures

6) Weed Management

  • Annual, perennial
  • Management methods
  • Equipment required
  • Crop rotation
  • Cover crop

7) Post-harvest Issues

  • Maintaining fruit quality
  • Extended storage
  • Pest and disease issues

8) Risk Assessment

  • Neighbouring activity
  • Prevailing winds
  • Agreements
  • Buffer zones
  • Support base

9) Equipment needs

  • Weed control dedicated to organic blocks

10) Skills Assessment

  • Farmer & staff

Organic Vs Conventional Agriculture

The Rodale Institute in the USA has run a comparison of
organic v conventional agriculture since 1981.

The 30-year report on this side-by-side trial shows:

  • Organic yields match conventional yields – after early years
  • Organic outperforms conventional in years of drought.
  • Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system.
  • Organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient (mainly as a result of N fertilisers)
  • Conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases (N fertilisers again).
  • Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional – this reflects what we see in the field, good organic growers are expanding rapidly.

Done properly organics can be a very profitable and sustainable method of producing crops.

Contact us to discuss options to start developing organic plots, or how to improve your current production or to answer any questions you have about growing organically.

Using Compost in Organics

Maintaining and increasing soil fertility.

The Australian Organic Standards state the basic aim of ecological soil management is  to maintain and increase soil fertility. Balancing the biological, physical and chemical components of the soil is important. The quantity of organic matter and microbial life and the interactions can turn grey lifeless soil into brown active soil. Cycles that allow the flow of nutrients to plants are interconnected and need the help of living organisms.

Compost is one way organic growers can return organic matter to the soil. Compost in the form of organic matter feeds the soil microbes and the plant and provides a source of macro and micro nutrients.

It is not possible to determine compost quality, nutrient content or plant performance levels  by looking at compost. Laboratory analysis is the only reliable way to determine compost quality.

To use compost properly requires a systematic approach to farming of any kind. This means that we should address a range of issues that will affect the health of the soil and the effectiveness of the compost. A biologically active soil is the key to a low chemical input systems. By inoculating the soil with composted organic matter and microbes we are starting on the road back to healthy soil. Healthy soil contains microbes that actively breakdown organic matter into nutrients that can be used by plants. Natures system feeds plants by cycling these nutrients through the soil. Healthy soils have nutrient cycling through organic matter management.

For the nutrient cycling to occur at the optimum level for plant growth we need to ensure that the soil is balanced in three ways:

  • Chemically – nutrients
  • Biologically – microbiological
  • Physically – structure

We  have been helping growers use compost for 20+ years. We can help organic growers:

  • Set up their own compost site
  • Develop programs using compost to ensure crops receive the nutrients they require

Organic Crop Programs

At Sustainable Farming Systems, we produce organic production programs from small to some of the largest organic growers in the country.

SFS provides free tailored organic agronomic programs to suit your situation. We typically visit on site and we work closely with our large distribution network to ensure your products arrive when they are needed.

Examples of some of our programs where crops are thriving.

Examples Of OFS Organic Programs

Would You Like Some Assistance?

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