Hard facts, including detailed budgets, are now available from UCCooperative Extension for farmers thinking about making the transition to organic rice or almond production. This information, shared by California organic growers, is at the core of two recent in-depth examinations of the economics of organic production, according to UC Davis researcher Laura Tourte, who managed the project. "One of our goals is to dispel some of the myths and lend more credibility to organic practices," Tourte says. The 20-page studies of rice and almond production include crop overviews, budgets and methods of production based the experiences of California organic growers. Narratives included with each study contain information on cover crops, production practices, pest management and regulations for organically grown commodities. "We hope to involve organic growers with the university's research priorities, and the information we've put together in these studies will show us where more organic agricultural research is necessary," says Tourte. The studies are supported by the UC Davis-based UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. An organic wine grape study is under way and will be available in the fall.