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market-farming - Organic vs. ???

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Alex McGregor <waldenfarm AT sprintmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Organic vs. ???
  • Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 10:33:07 -0400


Farmers,

Here's a post of mine to sanet for those of you who don't subscribe-
Just another blatant attempt at getting my points of view across to as
many people as possible. (Might I remind you that every keyboard has a
"Delete" key?)

Sal,

Excellent point. Most of the existing certifying orgs. were organized
and are governed by farmers. The "conflict of interest" language in the

USDA regs. says we can't be involved in our organizations IF (and I
emphasize "if") those organizations want to be certified as organic
certification agencies.

So here's an alternative- keep your organization and let USDA find
someone to certify. Then redefine the purpose of the organization as a
proponent of small scale/low-input/sustainable/locally marketing/
appropriate scaled (or any other term) family farms. That's what it's
all about anyway- not organic vs. chemicals. So, don't give up the
ship,
refit it!

These can then sponsor programs to educate farmers about growing
techniques, record keeping, soil fertility.., to educate consumers about

buying fresh and locally and sponsor farmers markets. And cooperative
endeavors such as approved chicken processing and other value added
facilities.

I am a proponent of letting USDA have the "O" word- it will be
meaningless a few years after they get control of certification
anyway. I built a reputation for high quality, fresh, good tasting
produce before many people in this area knew what "organically
grown" meant. When asked, I said, "I grew it here, picked it
this morning and oh yeah, don't use any chemicals". Most people
understand about local and fresh and buying from a farmer.

It's about reconnecting people to their food and food producers, not a
label. With farmer to consumer contact you get real (and real time)
feedback for the producer, more money for the grower and an appreciation

for our craft and challenges by the people who buy from us.
And rather than promoting the word "organic," we can promote our own
farms or the concept of buying direct. If we don't have an organization

we can spend our time and resources to get our farm name in front of
the public and connect it with words like fresh, local, no chemical use,

environmentally friendly... This is the same way corporations use
advertising to establish images for their products- it works!

Through our organizations we can set up info booths at markets or do
something like The Food Alliance (www.thefoodalliance.org/) to educate
and assure people of the quality. The possibilities are limitless!

If we are about local food production, we need to think in those terms.
I say let USDA cover the ag corps and national brands and we'll
continue to stand apart by producing what they can't- local, truly
fresh, high quality food; and we'll excel in what we do. The market is
there, we just have to reach it. The discriminating buyers will be able
to tell the difference. And it all boils down to starting back where we

came from- to the days when no one knew what "organic" meant and we
answered a lot of questions and handed out printed info.

Now, an analogy, if you'll permit: It's like kids on a playground. Some

invent a game and start having fun. A group of bullies sees this and
takes the ball away. The "inventors" have choices- they can fight, cry
and complain, petition the higher powers or invent another game and
continue having fun. I say it's about having fun, not ownership of the
ball.

I'm sure we've all been through the phases of anger, crying and
complaining and appealing to USDA for relief. I think it's time we
moved on to the next phase and combine our energy and resources
towards a positive support of appropriately scaled, people owned
agriculture.

That's enough preaching for one day, especially since it isn't even
Sunday (or Wed. night for all us in the Bible Belt). I'll leave you
with words of wisdom from Will Rogers:

"If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'."

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm

sal wrote:
another way the USDA is going to destroy organic growing. The USDA has
gone beyond customary interpretations of conflict of interest rules and
is requiring that certified growers and handlers not participate in the
governance of their organization.





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