A number of cost studies for organically grown products are available through the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis. The studies were coordinated by UC Davis Extension economist Karen Klonsky, and prepared and written by researcher Laura Tourte in collaboration with organic growers and industry representatives, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors, and other researchers and specialists. These publications are also available in selected University of California Cooperative Extension offices. Organic vegetable farms on the Central Coast region of California are generally intensive operations. That is, two and sometimes three crops may be harvested off the same acreage each year.
Many approaches exist for growing and marketing organic vegetables.
This publication describes the range of soil management practices, pest management, crop rotations, cover crops, and harvest and packing methods currently used by organic growers on the Central Coast of California. Marketing options and state and federal regulations governing organic commodities are also discussed. A general sequence of operations, equipment requirements, resource use, costs, yield and return ranges are presented for 13 vegetable crops and two cover crops. Barley and vetch are the two cover crops detailed.