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market-farming - Re: the big 'O' question

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Subject: Market Farming

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "jay gee" <jgj23 AT mindspring.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: the big 'O' question
  • Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 15:13:29 +0000


>At our farmers market you are not allowed to use the words PESTICIDE or
>HERBICIDE or FUNGICIDE as in "Pesticide free", etc. I can understand how
>limiting 'organic' is a good thing in many ways, many years ago I purchased
>40 lbs of organic peaches for canning just to find that the farmer was only
>using the term but not the practise. However, limiting the use of 'pestide'
>I find is quite confusing, why can't one say that they don't use pesticides
<snip>

The only reason to limit the use of the words PESTICIDE, HERBICIDE
or FUNGICIDE is to protect "merchantability" of crops sold by farmers
using pesticides, herbicides or fungicides to produce their crops.

If your market was originally set up by big farmers, they may have
controlled the ground rules. Survey your fellow farmers at market
to find out how many are still using those products. When a majority
of member farmers are following more organic procedures and can
out vote the others, have an election to change the terms of your
market rules.

Stating that your crops are "chemicals free" is a patent falsehood
as crops, like people are made up of chemical compounds, but
being "P," "H" or "F" free has to be a selling advantage and good
for your business.

Jay Gee
not a farmer -- but interested in farming







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