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market-farming - Marian Burro's NY Times article

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  • From: "Del Williams" <delannw AT dlogue.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Marian Burro's NY Times article
  • Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 14:14:28 -0500


I don't get the opening paragraph... how did the organic industry triumph
over bureaucracy?

It just created a massive bureaucracy that, in effect, will put small
growers out of business. The very same small growers who kept that "organic
movement" going.

The message in this article is that the new guidelines legitimize organic
food.

It's the other way around, isn't it? Organic food was already legitimized.
The value of the 'brand' was co-opted by those who wish to simply profit
from it. Well, I can't argue with that. It isn't the first time that has
happened in the free market...so to speak.

I guess this is a matter of going along to get along and deal with the
paperwork or flip off the bureaucracy and say, I'll just call it locally
grown ... and try to legitimize your own product with your local customers.

Somehow I don't think it's going to be that easy. I think that some small
farms are going to be made into examples. I can just hear it. Certify and
call it organic or quit misleading the public because as an uncertified
grower you are doing just that. That's an accusation of fraud.

Not really much different than those certified growers who told me to quit
calling my produce organic because that was illegal. Wasn't in my state.
But now it is. Now some of those very same growers will have to face the
possibility that they can not call their own certified farms organic
operations because they are so small - relative to the corporate entities
that have gone somewhat organic - and the labor issues/costs associated with
certification and record keeping.

Del Williams
Farmer in the Del
Clifton IL 60927
delannw AT dlogue.net






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