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Future of Agriculture 107: Organic Agriculture at Scale with John McKeon of Tanimura and Antle
John McKeon is the Senior Manager of Organic Compliance, Commission, and Consolidation at Tanimura and Antle. Founded in 1982, Tanimura and Antle is a farm company that grows and sells both conventional and organic produce. John has almost two decades of experience working in the agricultural industry with skills in operations, management, quality assurance, and compliance.
Today, John joins me to share how he and his company are working to fulfill the world’s surging preference for organic produce. He shares the difference between managing a conventional farm and an organic farm, as well as what it’s like to have both. He also describes the business benefits of growing organic produce as well as the challenges many farmers face when transitioning to organic farming.
“There's a lot more going into organic farming than just the health claim.” - John McKeon
This Week on The Future of Agriculture Podcast:
- What is Tanimura and Antle and how it started?
- How many acres are organic and how many are conventional?
- What is the Organic Standard and what makes a food "organic."
- The hurdle growers face when transitioning to organic production.
- Financial benefits of growing organic crops.
- The logistical advantages of having both organic and conventional crops.
- Are organic crops difficult to scale?
- Various regulations regarding organic farming.
John McKeon’s Words of Wisdom:
- Changes to the organic regulations typically mean a change to the law as it's written in general.
- Organics take a little bit of a different mindset and toolset when it comes to scaling.
- You want to pay attention to the details when you're growing both organic and conventional crops.
Connect with John McKeon:
- Tanimura and Antle
- Email: johnmckeon@TAproduce.com
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Marrone is very proud to support The Future Of Agriculture blog series on sustainability in agriculture with Tim Hammerich.
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