Dennis and Diane Lutteke became organic farmers in the late ’70s and early ’80s. They slowly phased out their commercial fertilizers and pesticides for natural ones, and, in time, became full-fledged organic farmers.

&uot;I didn’t like the idea of putting all those chemicals on and in the soil,&uot; Dennis explained. &uot;You can’t let children out to play on the field. You have to watch so the dog doesn’t either. It just bothered me.&uot;

Raising dairy cattle, corn, alfalfa and soybeans, the Luttekes have made a full transition, and they say the results have been good.

The organic foods industry is more popular than ever. Dennis says it is hard to keep up with all the work, and that the market for organic products if far from saturated.

&uot;Last year Organic Valley increased sales by 27 percent,&uot; he explained, referring to the dairy company who buys the Luttekes’ milk. &uot;They added 100 more farmers and still can’t find enough.&uot;

Trying to fuel the growth of the organic industry, the state of Minnesota is developing a partnership between state and federal agencies to help organic farmers get started or grow.

Officials hope the partnership will increase productivity and profitability through programs that teach farmers about the fiscal and environmental benefits of organic crops.

The partnership aims to accelerate the organic-growing trend in Minnesota, which ranks sixth in the nation. From 1997 to 2001, acreage increased by 62 percent to more than 103,000. The state also ranks first in acreage for several organic crops, including corn, soybeans and rye. Minnesota has 421 certified organic farms.

But industry experts say Minnesota won’t stay at the forefront without putting more resources into organic farming.

&uot;The average farmer has very little assistance in getting started in organics,&uot; said Ron Desens, an organic farmer from Litchfield and a member of the state’s Organic Advisory Task Force, which advises Hugoson. &uot;You really have to learn (organic farming) from other farmers.&uot;

With that in mind, Desens said the task force suggested that state and federal officials get more involved so Minnesota’s organic industry continues its growth spurt.

The partnership includes the state Agriculture Department, the University of Minnesota and its Extension Service, and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency.

Bill Hunt, state conservationist with the USDA, said that the task force opened his eyes to how the federal government could help.

&uot;We found out that in many instances we were not providing the types, and quantity, of technical and financial assistance as we should to these producers,&uot; he said.

Specifically, Hunt said that agriculture officials haven’t adequately educated farmers to the conservation aspect of organic farming, which includes rotating crops and avoiding artificial pesticides.

&uot;This is the right thing to do to protect our resources,&uot; he said.

The Luttekes switched to organic farming in 1982, and when they became a certified organic farm in 1995, they said they didn’t have much help from anyone but neighbors and older farmers.

Dennis said he isn’t sure he’d go to the agencies for help before asking veteran farmers for advice.

&uot;The organic farmers I know have been more than happy to help me out,&uot; he said.

Diane added that for some, starting out without knowing anyone is difficult. She said she thought programs may give some guidance to those doing that.

Meg Monyhan, an Agricultural Diversification Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, said she hopes the program can help to give more resources to the farmer who is just starting out.

&uot;We’ve heard for a number of years that sometimes organic farmers are frustrated that information abut it is not easy to get,&uot; she said.

&uot;Programs like this can connect farmers with information on organic markets, techniques, federal rules. They can also give access to research based information on yield, profitability, and food safety.&uot;

&uot;It’s really trying to serve them with a good quality and quantity of services,&uot; she said.

The numbers – Estimated amount of certified organic farms by county: 6Freeborn County,8Faribault County, 8Mower County, 7 Waseca County and 7Steele County. From MDA (MN dept of AG)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.