Market Farming

[WSM311 AT aol.com]

<<Fascinating discussion. I'm glad so many people have opinions on this.
Some background. I'm not entirely happy with "authentic" either but it
was the best I could do after thinking about this for ten years. I did
not want an invented word like "bio-pure" or similiar.  >>

I have had a CSA farm for 13 years this season. I struggled with organic 
certification.....was it important? I decided NO. 

It's easier with a CSA...either the shareholders trust you or they don't. It 
made no sense to me to pay NOFA to tell me I am OK. 

Then, some political stuff happened here in VT. A farm used a previously 
acceptable fertilizer that was then taken off the list. Instead of just 
informing the farm they made a mistake, the NOFA leadership got it plastered 
all through the news and wrecked the farm financially. These folks *thought* 
they were doing the right thing. It's not like they blatantly shoveled 
chemicals on their farm!

I think some in the organic community are drowning in political correctness 
and getting tied up in legalities. I was an organic farmer before NOFA VT 
even existed. Common sense and care for the land and its bounty got replaced 
with paperwork. I don't know what the solution is.....but I joined MOFGA, 
instead ;-) So far, they seem more farmy and less PC. I am now interested in 
the idea of Authentic Food.

Mostly, I care about the land that I live on and the food produced here. I 
love the garden, woods and my underground house. Now my daughter is building 
her own home on this land. I want the land to be healthy and beautiful just 
like I hope the folks living here will always be ;-)

You can see pics of this place, my daughter's building, etc. on our web 
page....


Wendy   (wsm311 AT aol.com)
Peace and Carrots Farm
Vermont  
http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcarrots/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VermontHomesteaders/join