Steve McKaskle, who has farmed since 1973 and made the switch to organic in 1992, explained to FoodNavigator-USA at SOHO Expo in Florida earlier this month that he knows from experience how difficult transitioning to organic can be -- especially during the three interim years when farmers must follow organic standards, which often result in lower yields than conventional, but can’t charge the higher premium organic demands until they are fully certified by the USDA.
“Transitional farms are still inspected, still have to do the paperwork on every farm acre” as if they were certified organic, which means the output in many ways meets consumers’ expectations of organic, he said.
As such, he added, they should be compensated at a level more in line with their efforts -- even if not at the same point as when fully certified.
That is why when the McKaskle Family Farm recently acquired its own rice mill, it decided to become transition certified and to help other farmers in Texas, Arkansas and Missouri switch to organic by offering them twice as much as conventional rice farmers during the transition period.
The farm then sells these certified transitional grains under its new Hard Bargain brand to customers at a “conscious” price point that allows more consumers who might not otherwise be able to afford organic food to access products grown and made at the same high standards, he said.
Currently, the brand includes white rice, brown rice and yellow popcorn, according to McKaskle, who adds retailers are eager to get their hands on the products.
For example, Lucky’s Market, which was started by the same entrepreneurs who launched Sprouts Farmers Market, recently placed such large orders for Hard Bargain products that UNFI agreed to distribute to them even though they have only half of the required distribution points, McKaskle said.
Building a long-term brand
McKaskle is confident that he will be able to meet demand for Hard Bargain grains well beyond the three year transition period of the original crop lands.
He explained he is constantly working with conventional farms to help them switch to organic, and therefore expects a steady rotation of supply. But, on the off chance that he can’t secure enough certified transition supply, he said he will dedicate some of his fully certified organic crops to fill the need, even if it means taking a tighter margin.
“Once this starts, I am not going to stop it,” he said.
In fact, he hopes to expand it by adding more stock-keeping-units, such as red and black beans, he said. When that happens, he adds, “a consumer can go buy a complete meal of rice and beans that is organic, but at half the cost.”
Reflecting on this and the overall proposition certified transitional organic offers consumers and farmers, McKaskle concluded, “I think it is awesome.”