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market-farming - RE: Why We Need Standards and Market Rules MAKING WORK FOR OURSELVES

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Subject: Market Farming

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Lucy Goodman-Owsley <goodows AT excite.com>
  • To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Why We Need Standards and Market Rules MAKING WORK FOR OURSELVES
  • Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 03:07:51 -0800 (PST)



>
> The devil take mandatory "O" certification - those that insist on
> having OC are welcome to having to deal with USDA butting their
> nose into this issue and the 3rd party "certifiers" implementing
> NOP standards. I will have none of it, myself.
>
> Bart was not saying that all growers, organic or otherwise, are
> incapable using manure and compost safely in food production
> destined for sale to the public, but that _some_ of them _may_ be
> lax, irresponsible or even incompetent.
>
> If I follow chickes with vegetables I will make very sure that the
> food I produce is safe for _me_ to eat; it will then, of course,
> be perfectly safe for others to eat also as my own standards are
> probably much higher than would even be required by NOP.
>
>Following chickens with veggies is an unsafe practice unless you let that
land lie fallow for at least 3 months (which is stupid if you are going to
make money on the area). I realize that free ranged chickens probably have
far fewer pathogens in their manure but still...

A much better practise is to follow vegetables with chickens and than plant
a cover crop or plant a poasture area for the birds as a part of a crop
rotation

Anyone who runs their chickens before their vegetables is not using
standards higher than the NOP. No, instead they are making up their own
rules as to what is organic. Which is one of Bart's points. If you don't pay
the money, keep the paper trail and get the inspection how can anyone be
sure you are really organic?

Remember this certification is not for us growers but for the consumer. They
want to know what they are buying and with the current system of using 44+
different organic regulations the consumer has become confused. A confused
consumer tends not to buy.



Lucy Goodman-Owsley
Boulder Belt CSA
New Paris, OH
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
Organic Farming and Gardening Forum:
http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb135705
Want Social Change? Join a CSA!





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