Market Farming

["RDH" <rdhopkins AT americanpasturage.com>]

Jay Gee and Others,

I spent many months more than a year ago discussing this whole issue with
growers and sustainable groups and looking at the needs of the growers and
customers to determine the simplest way to provide a brand for growers.  I'm
no genius, but the Homestead project was the result of many hours of
deliberation and discussing these very same issues long before the panic and
anger started.  I also had no support from others financial or otherwise in
getting the Homestead Foods project started.  I had lots of verbal support
which is usually the case.  An organization forms and two or three people
make it successful.

Where we have vendors subscribed to Homestead Foods program, it is working.

There goals for the project are:

1) To prevent encroachment of industrial food businesses into local growers
markets by certifying that each grower is a valid family farm

2) To somehow provide an easily recognizable logo (orange star) for both
customer and grower along with internet presence for ease of locating
growers.

3) Provide an easy way for non-connected family farms to get a listing on a
consolidated web site

4) Show consumers that family farmers do care and want to provide quality
food for the general public

5) Put a sign on every farm gate in the country that has something to sell
directly to the public



I'm sure there are more reasons I put time and money into this project, but
my coffee hasn't kicked in yet.

The idea of keeping it simple has been a great aid to me over the years in
many things and that is what led to the simplicity of the Homestead Foods
project.  Is the project trademarked?  Not yet.  I don't have the cash to do
that on my own.  Can it be trademarked?  Most likely.  I didn't just throw
this thing together overnight.  There was some research done into the names
and the logo.  There is a Homestead Foods company, but they did not own the
URL and that is only a portion of the designation.  The name is derived from
a common translation of many languages that pertains to family farm.  The
term "homestead" is almost universal in its meaning.

I'm not trying to convince you to participate.  What I am suggesting is that
the way this thread is going, the approach is headed for a monstrous project
and probably as little support as the USDA's program in the end.  The
consumers don't need a pile of certificates to convince them that you are
growing healthy food.  Most people can sense pretty quick the difference
between a BS Artist and a sincere person.  We can't force feed the world, we
can only feed the ones who care about the environment, their health, and the
well being of society.  Let the consumers determine if your methods meet
their needs.

Regards,

Rick Hopkins
President
American Pasturage, Inc.
P.O. Box 190
Marionville, MO  65705
(417) 258-2394
http://www.americanpasturage.com/
For other information concerning grass fed beef see http://www.eatwild.com
and http://www.westonaprice.org
For the American Homestead Foods Certification Program go to
http://www.homesteadfoods.com
Also check out the new Graziers Forum at: http://bbs.americanpasturage.com

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-----Original Message-----
From: jay gee [mailto:jgj23 AT mindspring.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 9:22 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: [market-farming] RE: new terminology


Rick Williams wrote:
>>>>
 Jay Gee wrote:
 > What is needed is a well funded effort.  You don't have the
 > time that was available to the original terms "organic" and
 > "certified organic" to acquire a good reputation.

 > What needs to be organized is a marketing/advertising/PR
 > SWAT cooperative.  At least if you want a term that is a
 > success.

 Wouldn't cooperatives be too much like corporations in that they want
 proprietary control. A GPL is nearly the antithesis of such control and is
 more like public domain but still maintaining integrity and standards.
<<<<

Comparing open source software to food
production is like comparing cars to trees.

The whole purpose of having a new designation
is so that it can be controlled and kept out of the
hands of agrigiants, politicians and bureaucrats
who took the term organic away from the people
who had come to terms for its use.

The term will be meaningless unless it has substantial
publicity and farmer promotion behind it.  The term
must also have meaning in that it is not just a name.
Whoever assembles the team also has to assemble
and get agreement on what standards the growers
agree to follow, how to get certification or verification
and so forth.  A national marketing cooperative is
the best way to do this.  Once established, it lifts the
burden from the farmers for day to day operations.

Farms are admitted to the cooperative if they agree
to the terms of membership and pay annual dues.
One farm, one vote.  Getting a farm certified is an
additional expense.  The cooperative screens all
certifiers and sets maximum certification fees.

Membership or allowed use of the term is suspended
when a member farm fails to pass annual or pop
inspections.

The term is trademarked, not copyrighted, so the
mark can be controlled as long as the cooperative
continues to do business.


Jay Gee
not a farmer -- but interested in farming




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