Julie Rawson Talks Being a TOPP Mentor

How has your experience with mentoring under the TOPP program been?

“It’s been fun. I like Anna, and we hit it off well from the start. She was very desirous of information and made use of the relationship. She was always prepared whenever we had a meeting with a list of questions. She seemed to like to get advice, take advice, and use it. So, I enjoyed her as a person, but I enjoyed that she was making the most out of the opportunity.”

What kind of support or resources do you feel mentees need the most during the transition to organic production? 

“She was interested in learning how to deal with the challenges of other farmers that she competed with and how to get involved in the Farmers Market, which she originally had some barriers to. I also advised her on how not to be so anxious or overwhelmed, how to take it easy, and to be confident in herself as a grower.”

Julie, on the most rewarding aspect of the TOPP program:

“I think the building of a new relationship with somebody I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I feel like we’re friends now.”

What would you advise a producer considering moving toward organic but skeptical about it?

“Well, I have been organic since 1970 when I was 17 years old, and there is nothing okay about using chemicals. It’s not good for the soil, it’s not good for the wildlife, it’s not good for our bodies, and it’s not good for the water.

…the entry point for organic products is no chemicals. For me, it goes beyond that because you have to be cognizant of your management of resources, your ability to build soil as quickly and successfully as possible, working with diverse systems, and learning from nature. Organic farming is the first step toward becoming sustainable, regenerative, biological, biodynamic, and permaculture.”

“I always say you’re becoming a junior partner with nature, not thinking you dominate the system. You’re learning from nature and trying to fit into the natural system.”

What was your first entry into organic certification?

“When NOFA started certifying in 1986, Jack—my husband—was on the certification committee, and we worked with organizations around the country to get the standards together longer before the National Organic Program (NOP) came [about].”

Anna Kelchlin Talks Being a TOPP Mentee

What qualities made Julie effective in supporting your transition to organic farming?

“She’s an educator, passionate about what she does, and a good guidance counselor. I feel like she’s a born mentor; maybe it’s her age or just who she is. She has a steering quality, like, ‘Okay, let’s pick our next meeting date.’ She took the reins in a way that felt like, ‘Oh yeah, she cares about our relationship and me as a farmer.’ She kept me on track, which was helpful for a busy farmer and someone just starting. I would 100% recommend her as a mentor for someone else, too.”

Can you describe a specific instance where your mentor’s advice significantly helped your organic transition process?

“I wasn’t as familiar with Julie’s use of microbial beneficial sprays like John Kempf’s products. She gave me some mixtures she uses as a foliar feed throughout the year—almost like a compost tea—and I used them throughout the growing season and saw significant impacts on my crop’s health. For example, my peppers and eggplant are crops that were helped by Kempf’s products.”

“This winter, I went through cancer, and she would talk with me about going through that. I am done. I went through the chemo, and I am cancer-free now, so it’s pretty amazing.”

“My neighbor is a very conventional farmer who’s been farming in this area for many years, and they control the farmer’s market I wanted to enter. Early in the Spring, I was figuring out where I would sell because this was my first growing season. Initially, I tried to get in by asking the market manager, and he said no, so the only way to get in was by asking the farmers themselves. I remember Julie telling me, ‘You’re organic. You have to stand up for what you believe in. There is room for an organic grower in that market because there isn’t one.’ So, I took her advice and asked my neighbors, and they said yes, which was pretty awesome.”

“To see how she spread fertilizer and that she doesn’t use a broadfork was surprising. When I was planting, I was like, ‘Wow, this soil is compacted, but everything is still growing healthy.’”

“Be open, receptive, curious, and willing to be vulnerable with the mentor. Also, understand that it could be more than just getting certified organic. Don’t limit yourself to anything because the mentor is a seasoned farmer who’s been in their shoes and wants to help.”