2010 hi and lo lights in organics

From an organic farming perspective, what were the big high and low points of 2010? Perhaps surprisingly, its possible to find plenty of highs.

First up, some strong organic brands did especially well. Both big players, Good Herdsman and Glenisk did so. The latter saw significant growth in domestic and export markets. In general, the organic dairy sector saw significant expansion in retail terms, with even ALDI and LIDI now brimming with affordable organic milk and yoghurt.

(Image: Highbank farm's stall at the Kilkenny Christmas Market just gone)

Smaller organic companies also did well. For example, Beal cheese (Kerry) and Dee's Burgers (Cork) both used the platform of the Dragon's Den to grow their business.

And grow their businesses they have. Both companies use social media, especially twitter and facebook, to great effect. Facebook ads are far more targeted than any other adverts: users of facebook list an incredible amount of personal information about themselves, and adverts can be targeted towards this information with striking accuracy.

Beyond ads however, both have used other aspects of facebook to draw potential customers over to their business including running competitions and regular updates.

Earlier this month Highbank farm (Kilkenny) was in the news. This long standing organic company, run by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts, won the top prize in a new Food Innovation awards scheme sponsored by Bord Bia in association with the South-East County and City Enterprise Boards.

Highbank Farm won significant development supports as part of their prize: �15,000 for consumer research and �10,000 for design, branding and packaging, as well as supports from the Enterprise Boards.

Omega Beef Direct (Tipperary) also won an innovation award at the same competition, for their organic Galloway steak burger.

Mossfield cheese's (Offaly) winning of the National Organic Awards was an undoubted highlight too. This year, the Awards made the TV news on RTE at 6 and 9PM, increasing the profile of both the competition and the winner significantly.

Mossfield's mature gouda-style cheese, now available in a vac pac, was the real standout product from the awards. Darren Grant of the Organic Supermarket (another successful company for 2010) had a real ah-ha! moment when he tasted this cheese, and he has tasted many products over the last three years of business.

He reminded me of the Food critic Anton Ego in the kids movie Ratatouille, when he tasted the dish that transported him back in time to a perfect dish of his childhood.

It wasn't all winning either though. The loss of Trevor Sargent as junior minister with responsibility for organic farming earlier on in the year was a major negative for the organic sector. His knowledge and workrate were second to none. While Ciaran Cuffe has done a good job in carrying on the work, his time is spread out over three ministries.

That said, avoiding budget cuts for either the Grant Aid or the overall organic farming budget was a major achievement in what is year three of a major recession .This makes it the third year of no cuts, which is remarkable.

Another loss was market value � down about 10% for Irish sales. While this is in line with other areas, it is nonetheless difficult for farmers and food businesses.

While there have been positive signs of increasing market share for organic meat, there is a major change coming downstream in 2011. The rules with regard to processing organic meat are changing: producer specific abattoirs/butchers will now be subject to inspections from organic certification bodies.

It is also the case that butchers or large scale processors will not be allowed use producer-specific abattoirs: they will only be allowed use certified organic abattoirs.

This represents a significant change for those organic farmers who up until now used local butchers. Primarily, this concerned those who direct sell. To ensure organic standards are maintained, organic animals were killed first thing in the morning.

Now this relationship is set to change. Will it be for better or for worse? Both sides of the argument will be presented over the next two postings here.

In the meantime, have a prosperous, peaceful and pleasant new year!

THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS (ORGANIC WEEK)

A busy National Organic Week has left the organic sector buzzing. Plenty of well attended events, some new research, promising policy developments and upcoming opportunities have all emerged.

Early on in the week, the Picnic in the Park in Portumna (pictured, left (c) Oliver Moore) was a very positive event indeed. This was certainly an event that attracted many people who were simply out and about in the greater Galway North Tipperary and West Offaly region for the day.

And that's what was so interesting about the day; its straightforwardness. It came across as a cross between an agricultural show and a foodie eat in, with nothing especially alternative about the crowd in attendance.

Slow Food the ICSA and IOFGA were the main organisers, while many local food businesses chipped in.

All the traders were certified organic who attended, and all sold out of their food exceptionally early. The location was stunning, while the activities ranged from informative and inspiring forest walks with Andrew St.Ledger of the Woodland League to detailed discussions on the process of converting to organic with Pat Barry, Mary Lynch and a genuinely interested crowd.

In many ways, attending an event like this, one full of positivity and great food, is as useful an introduction to organic farming and food as a farm walk or a course.

The National Organic Awards were also positive, as awards often are. However it was interesting to be in a room full of businesses and agency workers who seemed quite positive about the future.

Minister of State Ciaran Cuffe's speech pointed to a renewed Green public procurement initiative, which would be incorporating organic produce.

The market's message was mixed: According to Cuffe:

�The Irish organic market is estimated to be worth about �95 million this year compared to �66 million in 2006. Admittedly the figure is down from last year, but the decrease is more in value than in volume and the trend is more or less the same as we see in the conventional sector�.

�Despite this some sectors have bucked the trend. For example, Organic Yoghurt has shown a 24% growth in volume and diary is an area that is largely supplied by domestic production.�

Bord Bia's own research, released to coincide with National Organic Week, found that 33 per cent of Irish grocery shoppers purchased an organic product in the past week, up 2% on the 2008 figure.

It also found the volume of sales steady, and that 30 per cent of these consumers are purchasing more organic food than they were last year. Sixty-two per cent were buying the same amount of organic food.

Another possible policy development is the establishment of an organic horticulture advisor. Flagged at the Teagasc National Organic Conference in Birr last Thursday, if this does come to pass it would indeed be a positive and much needed development: there is significant interest in and need for dedicated organic horticulture advisory services.

However, in a possible sign of the wavering economic times, there was much talk of the fact that efforts were being made to make this happen rather than its certainty.

Good news for cattle and sheep farmers emerged from John Purcell of the Good Herdsman, who also spoke at the Teagasc event. He revealed some areas where he felt there would be a need for animals to service organic markets: �the industry needs an extra 6000 organic cattle to make a strong presence on the European Market� he claimed.

Purcell also pointed out that by introducing a branded organic product abroad - the organic steakhouse range - Good Herdsman was able to secure a premium and avoid a commodity race to the bottom, thus avoiding competition with South American Beef.

Winter finishing off green forage offers lamb producers some opportunities too, according to Purcell. He pointed out that if 4-5000 winter lambs were finished, processors would find European markets for them.

All in all, plenty of positivity emanated from Organic week . Here's hoping it is built upon.

Fire walking through it all: organic farming's cool wet grass

Sometimes it must seem as if organic farming is blessed. It is almost as if organic farming is fire walking, thinking all the time of cool wet grass while bounding across the burning agri-food embers.

All around, casualties nurse their smoldering, singed, smoky feet. And yet, in its own small but significant way, organic continues to thrive.

Economists, commentators and other apparent experts have euligised the new fashion for frugality in food: the consumer now only wants cheap cheap cheap, and the consumer is getting it.

In this new world, organic supposedly doesn't stand a chance. How and why would anyone spend, wait for it, more than they have to, on something so basic as food? Its like taxing yourself on top of all the imposed cuts and taxes.

The same commentators then morn for farmers' falling income, as though cheap food and falling farmer incomes are not connected.

All the while, organic farming calmly and collectively presents itself as a viable and sustainable alternative.

Despite its image as expensive, organic continues to defy expectations. Despite all the presumptions, predictions and hype, organic sales figures are still growing in Ireland.

The most recent TNS figures for organic food sales put the figure at E124 million. Organic broke the 100 million mark in July 2008, and has been on the rise ever since. 73% have purchased an organic product in the last month.

Indeed the growth rate is actually hastening. Perhaps the consumer is sharpening her focus on value: the balance between price and quality.

It seems as if a new breed of quality organic products are emerging. There once was a place for uber convenience, for what now seems to be gimmicky value added products, or for ever smaller portions designed for ever more convenience again.

The new breed is an altogether leaner, cleaner, greener, machine. Consider the winners at this year's Bord Bia national organic awards.

Happy Heart organic rapeseed oil from Drumeen farm is grown, pressed and bottled on the Colchesters' farm in Kilkenny. It tastes great and is good value too, clocking in at under E6 for a half litre.

St Tola's organic goats cheese 1 kg log, which wins awards across many competitions at home and abroad, is now an export product.

The non-homogenised Moon Shine 2 litre organic milk, overall winner from the Kelly's in Westmeath, is another great taste great value product.

All three were category winners, decent sized portions, and all are produced on a farm.

Looking at the winners and highly commended's from these awards, its clear that simple, good quality foods are emerging as the foodie's choice.

This years organic award winners were meats, bread, milk, oil, cheese, porridge and yogurt: Simple honest foods.

The Good Herdsman's organic steakhouse beef, a highly commended product in the awards, proves that organic is able to compete with any retail product. The Good Herdsman recently achieved a E500,000 contract on the continent with their Organic Steakhouse, which is produced, processed and packaged in Ireland.

That the driving forces of the company, John Purcell and Josef Finkle can speak fluently in French and German no doubt helped with achieving contracts at this year's Biofach organic trade show in Germany.

Fellow judge Darren Grant from the Organic Supermarket in Blackrock, Dublin was very impressed by the fact that this new organic product has an extra 10 days shelflife.

St Tola's, Drumeen and Moonshine products, all farm produced, surely suggest to farmers that there are realistic options out there, both in organic and in on farm processing.

And for those very farmers, the dates and locations for the new Teagasc Organic Farming Courses have been announced.

These FETAC accredited courses start the week of the 20th October, and run for 25 hours in total one day per week for five weeks. The cost is �200 per participant.

Accredited courses are now compulsory to qualify for the new organic farming scheme, which reopens on the 1st January 2010.

And while the grass is greener on the organic side, in flaming world of farming, it's cooler and wetter too.

(photo by chaosinjune )

Good Herdsman secure contracts for Irish organic beef in Germany

Good Herdsmen, Ireland�s largest dedicated organic meat processor, recently secured sales of � milion Euro at the BioFach organic trade fair in Germany.

Three of the four new companies new customers are mainly in the Eurozone, thereby accessing vital new, non-sterling markets.

Dennree, a German wholesaler who supply 1500 natural food shops are the major coup for the Cahir based company.

The retail market in Germany differs from that of Ireland or the UK: natural food stores, which are more like wholefood delis than Irish health food shops, are quite prominent. Global supermarket chains are less dominant than in Ireland. Dennree also supply Austria and northern Italy.

In Denmark, Calu, who supply the niche sections of mainstream supermarkets will be taking Irish meat products from Good Herdsman.

Both Denmark and Germany have very strong organic sectors (Denmark was named organic country of the year at Biofach this year) and neither are suffering from the recession to the same extent as Ireland.

In Holland, an organic supermarket chain called Ecoplaza, while in France, an internet company called Vitafris are the new customers.

A combination of an innovative new style of packaging and premium cuts from a country with a clean green image seems to have been the winner for Good Herdsman at BioFach.

�We had more competitors taking pictures than customers� according to Josef Finke of the Good Herdsman. �The packaging and presentation went down very well.�

Good Herdsman have developed a new style of packaging which allows for their own retail packs to be made in Ireland and exported. This too is better for the Irish economy: previously Good Herdsman's meat was exported to be cut and packaged on the Continent.

With production, slaughter, processing and packaging done in Ireland, more mark up revenue is retained in Ireland.

Initially matured for 21 days, the new skin or film packaging Good Herdsman have developed allows for further maturing of the meat in the pack. �The meat is on a tray and has a film put around it in a way which prevents any air from getting in between� Finke tells me. �This allows for an extra 21 days of shelf life�.

The tray for the packaging is compostable, while the film is biodegradable: �a retail product on the continental market needs this level now�. They are also looking into making the tray biodegradable in the near future.

Stylistically, as well as visible meat, the packaging has a very striking black and white image of Ireland, which allows it to stand out from the multi coloured crowd. This packaging also allows for fixed weights to be sold, which internet sellers in particular are attracted to.

The new range is called Organic Steakhouse. �This we feel has the right associations. Steakhouses are known for good quality steaks at an affordable price. Also the word 'steakhouse' can be read and easily understood in many languages.�

According to Finke, along with Ireland's clean green image, and of course the economic situation, Irish cattle breeds proved to be of interest to these new customers:

�Breed actually came second after price� he tells me. �They loved the fact that the traditional breeds, Herefords and Angus, are used as mothers, with the Continental bull on top�.

Four beef and two lamb cuts have been introduced into these new markets. In lamb noisettes and leg steaks, while in beef striplion, sirlion, ribeye, and minute steak are being supplied.

I spoke to a farmer recently who visited a farm shop near Munich during BioFach. He found that, despite food in general being cheaper in Germany than Ireland, conventional Charolais beef from the farm was achieving 50E per kilo at the farm shop.

I put it to Josef Finke that the price the German consumer is willing to pay for quality organic beef should benefit Irish farmers:

�We managed to get the prices in Germany, France and Denmark that we need. This means that we do not have to put as much pressure on the other end: we want to try maintain the farmer's price. This strategy may or may not work, but so far looking good.�