These, of course, are small because market gardening conventional or organic is usually done on a smaller scale. These have become popular among U.S. gardeners and, more importantly, with those concerned with Third World development, where such systems are especially relevant. Focus on these systems has, unfortunately, distorted the picture of organics as a whole. Traditionally, organic farms truly have been smaller than conventional operations. This has been due in part to labor requirements.
Organic systems are generally more labor intensive.
This difference can be much greater where horticultural crops are involved, and farm size may be limited accordingly. However, technological innovations in organic horticultural production are helping to narrow the gap. Organic systems are also more information intensive, requiring additional management time in planning, pest scouting, and related activities. For this reason, organic management can be better done if a farm is not too large. Essentially, the notion that organic systems are only possible on very small farms is a false one.