Jeff Moyer, Farm Director Rodale Institute, with more than 30 years experience in organic production

This tool allows you to create a side-by-side comparison of conventional and organic management on your own farm, using our numbers as a default or your own numbers--current or projected.

 All you have to do is select the crop(s) you'd like to compare and the acreage. We fill in the rest with historical data derived from USDA and projections from our own research here at Rodale Institute.

The Crop Conversion Calculator will then show you a line-by-line comparison of the two systems so you can see just how they would stack up on your farm.

Don't think those numbers are right? No problem. Once you get that report, you can change just about anything in it to more closely represent your own experience or projected situation. Raise crop yields. Lower seed cost. Change the prices, the cost of labor and overhead. Work out all the details before you plant an acre!

In addition, we provided you with numbers for the transition period (a minimum of three years, as required by federal standards). In this period, you must manage your crops organically but you are not able to sell them as organic until the land is fully certified. Default values for each crop are provided per year, on a per-acre basis.

For details on each of the line-item values, click on the line item to open the information box. When you are done with your crop selection and making changes to each crop report, at the bottom of the screen you will find a revenue report containing numbers for all the crops selected. 

Finally, because Rodale Institute firmly believes that agriculture plays a major role in mitigating global climate change, we provide you with the pounds of CO2 saved--and the equivalent number of cars that you could be taking off the roads--if you decide to manage your farm organically.