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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] The Use of Chemical Fertilizers
  • Date: Wed, 05 May 2004 08:33:47 -0600


The federal organic program has been severely criticized by many state
certified organic producers who are hardly trying to "skirt the edges of
organic". As for starting somewhere, it appears to be a giant step backwards
from the goal of assuring chemical-free food, with loopholes for industrial
agribusiness but burdensome and unnecessary paperwork for the smaller
growers. It's fairly well known that the federal standards DO allow the
corporate producers to "skirt the edges of organic". And of course nobody
can assure their produce has no traces of pesticides etc., because the
standards don't actually test the end products, they only concern the
intentional inputs. As for Pat's methods, we need to look beyond arbitrary
do's and don'ts and recognize the added value of growing locally for local
consumption, esp home grown.

paul tradingpost AT gilanet.com

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 5/5/2004 at 9:14 AM Sean Albiston wrote:

>Pat and fellow chemical users,
>
>I would digress and suggest that you search out a more sustainable
>alternative than chemicals for your seedlings, especially since you do seem
>to care about what you produce. I am glad that the federally imposed
>standard preclude folks who want to skirt the edges of 'organic'. The
>federal rules have enough flexibility in them to ease any farms transition,
>big and small. Yes, the rules aren't perfect, but everything needs a
>start.
>I'm a third year micro-farmer, first year NOP and have had zero problems
>with the standards. I agree fully with the idea of genuine local food, but
>the federal standards were also obviously needed to keep some farmers out,
>especially those who are willing to use chemicals at any level of the cycle
>for the sake of convenience. .
>
>Coleman's ideologies about beyond organic can be seen as being on the
>better side of organic; what you suggest, at least on the inputs level, is
>on the lesser. Would Mr. Coleman use miracle grow on his seedlings??
>
>
>sean albiston
>www.bluerooforganics.com
>
>






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