Market Farming

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

Lets not forget that the organic sector may have a majority in consumers
than in growers.  Those 200,000 petitions were unlikely to be all producer
signatures in majority.  Especially the ones on GMO crops.  I know some
organic growers that will argue that transgenics don't violate organic
practices any more than hybrids.  Organic is a method, not a variety is
their argument.

I did campaign for amendments to the livestock sections as far back as Karen
Wilcox (under secretary for Glickman).  Where is she now?  Who knows, she
disappeared overnight.  But she was favorable to small farms and organic
growers, but Glickman was not.  He favored industry.

I agree with Del's later post on focusing on the common ground instead of
continually fighting over our differences, but I will not idly sit by and be
accused of not battling for what I believed in.  The two main points of the
NOP rules that keep me from seeking certification is the use of grain in
ruminants, required list of pharmaceuticals in the form of vaccination
protocol, confinement definitions, and use of parasite medications.  More
info:  http://www.americanpasturage.com/heartland003.htm

Rick H.

-----Original Message-----
From: sunnfarm AT netscape.net [mailto:sunnfarm AT netscape.net]
Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 7:42 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: [market-farming] RE: Organic cost pre and post NOP


You organic folks asked for these regulations and when they were not tough
enough you petitioned for tougher regs. Now some folks are complaining the
regs are too tough. Well you got what you asked for. There is nothing the US
government does better than invent regulations, but every new regulation
chips away at our freedoms.

I dont think any member of this list need be certified, you gray haired
folks might remember something called the golden rule. Rule 1 was; "honesty
is the best policy", if you tell me you grew it organically then I have no
reason to not believe you. Unless your a creep of course.

For some of you who bitch and moan about the corperatizing of the term
organic, where were you when this whole certification process began?, why
did you sit back and allow your most precious asset, your "organic", be
taken away. Wasn't there 200000 last minute petitions calling for the
banning of GMO's from organics? well why wasn't there 200000 petitions
keeping the term organics in the hands of small farmers?...Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.


>It seems to reach far, far beyond testing your soil and produce for
>contaminants. This is typical of government programs, like the census which
>goes far beyond just counting people, to invading everybody's privacy. What
>does all that have to do with proving you're organic and not using the
>wrong synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc?


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