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  • From: "RDH" <rdhopkins AT americanpasturage.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: new terminology
  • Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 22:18:36 -0500


Rick W.

It does seem that the most obvious points get missed on this list
occasionally. The Homestead Foods project is only to connect consumers and
growers with an easily identified logo, not to replace or redefine the term
organic. The only certification is that they are a family owned farm. A
family can be one person. I am not attempting to introduce a new term for
organic, but to offer a way for consumers to easily locate growers. I will
list organic as well as conventional, but will not list one as organic that
will not provide a copy of their certification after 21 October 2002.

Homestead Foods has no bearing on quality, quantity, or production method.
The growers make their choices and the consumer makes theirs. I just offer
a service to bring them together for the first time.

Rick H.

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Williams [mailto:mrfarm AT frontiernet.net]
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 10:03 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: [market-farming] RE: new terminology


RDH wrote:
> 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.

Based on what a number of folks have said and your experience, it does
appear to be unlikely that there will be a sudden groundswell for a new
term. Even if it actually did happen, it would be something that would very
gradually catch on and have to get to a certain point to reach critical
mass, just like when J.I. Rodale coined the word organic.

Without a certification program you have very little to offer the consumer.
And if you don't have to sell your food into the commodity markets, and are
selling it direct, then no label or certification seems to be needed anyway
so it seems like a moot point. I do not know of anyone who has rejected our
produce because we are not certified. They may just go to a certified
organic producer though and just bypass us. We have had people ask about our
beef, but it did not affect their decision.

> 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.

From our experience, there are those who even resell commercially grown
produce and the customer has no way of knowing. One farmer I know sells
sweet corn and he is honest about his practices. But he pointed out that he
knows others who will only sell during the sweet corn window and the corn is
all produced with conventional practices but sold as organic (if anyone
asks) to the public at roadside stands, farmers markets, etc.

Sincerely,

Rick Williams
Misty Ridge Farm
Dairy heifers and dairy beef graziers
Viroqua, WI

www.mistyridgefarm.com


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