Transitioning to an organic farm? Let Thompsons Ltd. help

Jan 10, 2018

Rob Wallbridge is Thompsons’ organic specialist

Transitioning from a conventional farm to an organic operation can be a slow process, but Thompsons Ltd. can help a farmer every step of the way.

“A field has to be managed without any prohibited inputs for at least 36 months before an organic crop can be harvested from that field,” Rob Wallbridge, Thompsons’ organic specialist, told Farms.com. “If a farmer sprayed a herbicide in June 2017, it would be July of 2020 before an organic crop could be harvested.”

During that transition period, Thompsons provides farmers with the tools necessary to manage their land based on organic standards, says Wallbridge.

“We would work with farmers to develop a crop rotation that meets the fertility needs of the farm,” he said. “We would help them with weed control, we can supply organic soil amendments, perform soil testing and help them build a plan that uses organically approved materials.”

Help with the transition to organic production is only one of many organic services Thompsons offers.

Once producers harvest organic crops, Thompsons can help growers find a market for their organic corn, soybeans or wheat.

Thompsons has 13 locations in Ontario, some of which act as receiving hubs for organic crops.

The Mitchell, Ont. location receives organic corn, the Hensall and Port Albert locations receive soybeans, the Granton branch receives wheat and the Kent Bridge location receives black and white beans.

Wallbridge and other members of the Thompsons team will be at the Guelph Organic Conference in January.

Producers are also invited to Thompsons’ Field Crop Growers Meeting on Jan. 27 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.

The meeting is free to attend and will include grain market information and soil management strategies. Lunch will also be provided.

Anyone interested in attending must register by Jan. 15 by emailing Rob Wallbridge or calling him at 613-724-9287.

Top photo: Rob Wallbridge
Photo: Thompsons

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.