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market-farming - RE: [Market-farming] Interesting reading on a cold and snowy day

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  • From: "Rick Williams" <mrfarm AT frontiernet.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Interesting reading on a cold and snowy day
  • Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2002 21:42:36 -0600

Clarence and Lisa Walker wrote:
> Yesterday I received a copy of this month's Fruit Grower News
> with a front page article proclaiming "Naturally Grown new option
> to organic program". The article describes yet another
> certification program and their website
> http://www.naturallygrown.org/ carries numerous trademark and
> copyright references.

Do they in effect have a trademark on the naturally grown generic term? So
if we wanted to say here at Misty Ridge Farm that we have naturally grown
food, we would in some way be violating a trademark?

Even if they don't have this now, is it possible for someone else to do it?
If so, how much would that cost?

Wouldn't it be impossible to trademark something such as "locally grown"?

> There is a sliding scale of up to $100.00
> to be so certified and monitored. Does this now mean that for the
> rest of use who have long used Naturally Grown or some
> combination thereof in describing our product mix should now be
> expected to pay for and suffer the monitoring of yet another
> "program"? Frankly, as a small farmer/private citizen I am weary
> of those seeking to control or profit from our rights to use long
> held totally generic terms.

The amount they are charging seems completely unrealistic!! How could you
run a program much less send anyone out to the farm for inspection for their
rate? Either they must have outside money coming in or they are not thinking
this through very well.

They claim that they will have one on-farm inspection per year and that they
will spot check a huge amount of the produce with lab testing for chemicals
if I understand them correctly. None of this is possible with their tiny
charge to the farm.

So I am suspicious as to who this is and who, if anyone, is backing them.
You note that it does NOT seem to be a democratic group. And they also do
not explain who they are on their web site. I would be surprised if they are
able to get far with this.

It is too bad that it is not a grass roots organization and democratically
run. Which tells me that there just is not the needed groundswell from
farmers to cause something like this to work very well.

Sincerely,

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

www.mistyridgefarm.com





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