Market Farming

["Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>]

>  Organic Consumers Association spokesman Ronnie Cummins said the
> Department of Agriculture standards are a step in the right direction,
> but his organization’s Web site still says the standards “represent the
> lowest common denominator of what traditionally has been certified as
> organic.”

One wonders if the current program is the lowest common denominator of the
traditional certification, what is it that they took out?

And the odd thing is that there have been such bitter complaints of the
record keeping. Was that really enhanced that much?

In talking to some certifiers here, it appears that some of the complaints
that were made about the extreme details needed in selling the products
(such at a farmers market) are not even required.

What I do know, is that compared to some of the early rules from some
certifiers, the new rules for animal parasite control are very stringent. In
fact, so much so, that one wonders if some folks will be able to make it if
they are in dairy or sheep as young stock are exceptionally difficult to
keep healthy with high levels of worm load.


Sincerely,

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

www.mistyridgefarm.com