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market-farming - [Market-farming] watching USDA organics

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Hook Family" <guldann AT ix.netcom.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] watching USDA organics
  • Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 13:00:14 -0500

Sals wrote:
> much email that I don't want to read myself but in this case I am feel
> the law effects market farmers and sustainable ag. I think we should
> keep an eye on the USDA organic law after all they are keeping an eye
> on us.

I agree with Sals 100%. We have to know what is going on. Market farming
is all about well, marketing or finding and keeping customers, people have
to want a product. The organics movement did a beautiful job getting
customers, so good in fact, we have found the big boys want in. Every
organic customer "knows" that organics have less bad stuff in them and so
they see the label and they buy it and for the most part this is true. But
just as I and I suppose many of us feared the big boys especially the
conventional only out to make a premium organic buck (not the good guys) are
now finding some of the rules restrictive from their conventional past, I
mean duh :).
Anyway it seems we are reading about more requests for "bad stuff" to be
allowed in organic food, fresh or processed. Prior to this post I read in
my Dec/Jan issue of NOFA Massachusetts News the following:

It seems the new organic certifying agency (a spin off of the old NOFA one)
"flunked" a poultry farm because the birds did not have access to the out of
doors. Keep in mind they are following the new USDA rules when inspecting
this farm. The Feds OVERTURNED the denial. As of press time the
Massachusetts agency was deciding how to fight it. So what is the next
organic rules to be overturned and still allow a questionable product to be
organic. Isn't is good that the new rule is better for the consumer :).

So anyway we as local farmers need to know this stuff because one eventually
it makes its way into mainstream press and your customers are going to ask
about it you should simply be able to discuss it knowledgably and two it
helps to give fuel to your local food being worth their while to purchase.
Beth







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