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Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "Kathy Somers" <SomersFarm AT kingcon.com>
- To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
- Subject: compost
- Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 18:35:42 -0500
Hi
I was just talking with a fellow gardener who is looking to be
Vermont Certified Organic this year. We have discussed at length the rules
on manure etc: We hay thier land for them and apply uncomposted manure
from non organic cows. As far as food consumption goes, all manure has to
be composted. She read to me in the organic rule book how it is really
hard to enforce proper composting. What some call properly composted
really isn't.
I just don't get how so many people at least in Vermont get
to call themselves organic, but not really be organic, using compost not
properly made. How will these certifiers know if the compost is being
turned properly and on time. And then to say in the book of all things
that they will have a really tough time making sure the standard is
followed. Seems to me like an omission of "Nobody's really doing it
anyway, so why bother"
I guess I shouldn't be saying anything. I am not organic
certified, I use promix and aged, but not composted manure in my gardens. I do
not use non organic herbicides or pesticides on my veggies. It
just gets me to see organic prices sky high knowing the public is really
trusting that the produce is truely organic when in fact it may not be.
The only source of chemicals we have in our manure is from purchased
grain. For me that is too much, but again it is not feasable to feed 70
cows with organic grain. It is of very poor quality etc: We are in
the minority for sure when it comes to manure that is not laden with
antibiotics, wormers, pesticides, herbicides etc: etc: etc:
How is this rule in other states? How closely are you
who are organic monitored when it comes to proper composting of manure
etc: Is this a Vermont only Problem. I am not insinuating that you
folks who are organic are not doing things properly. It just really
bothered me to read in the book that this composting thing can not be enforced
or followed.
Kathy in Vermont
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compost,
Kathy Somers, 03/17/2001
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
- Re: compost, Jill Taylor Bussiere, 03/18/2001
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