Pete Ritchie could sell what he currently produces twice over. The 140-acre Whitmuir Farm, at Lamancha, West Linton, in the Borders has offered organic beef, pork, turkey, soft fruit, vegetables and eggs for more than three years.
The personal touch is rewarding for him. He collects 100% of the worth of the produce by selling direct and his customers enjoy a hands-on experience to the extent that children delight in choosing their eggs for their parents.
But he says organics come at a price and explains why they continue to demand a premium: "We got funding under the Organic Aid Scheme during the conversion period, which is really to compensate you for loss of production and investment in fencing if you go back into stock production.
"There is a lot of additional management involved. It sounds strange because you might think well we are using fewer chemicals' but it does mean we probably have to work harder to manage the land and the stock. You also have to keep more detailed records because people want to know what you have done.
"There is a management requirement for organic farming and I think the way the scheme works with the maintenance payments there is almost as much extra management on a small farm as on a large farm."
He said ongoing support for organics helps farmers and consumers: "We could sell everything we produce twice over. The percentage of the final price that ends up in a farmers pocket has gone down and down. For a lot of people it is actually 20% or 30% but if we are selling direct and getting 100% back that makes a big difference."
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