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  • From: rjweeks70 AT comcast.net
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: The Use of Chemical Fertilizers
  • Date: Wed, 05 May 2004 17:30:35 +0000

I have to ask about the phrase "it's fairly well known" in your statement.
Who knows this? How do they know it? If as you say, it's impossible to tell
whether or not there are chemical - and not just pesticide - residues in
organic food, how do you then know that those chemicals have been actually
used?

In my own opinion, I have a pretty good idea when fresh veggies that are
labelled "organic" are actually such. You can tell just by looking at them!
Does the lettuce have an occasional bug hole in the leaves? Do the zucchini
or cucumbers have external scars from some insect predation? Do the tomatoes
actually smell ripe?

Admittedly, this is about as scientific as "it's fairly well known". But I
can't stand that kind of generalization. Are large organic farms actually
organic or not?

As far as I understand from conversation with my local inspector for CCOF
(California Certified Organic Farmers), the large farms and vineyards in our
CCOF chapter have to maintain the same documentation as I do, operating on a
few acres. The paperwork is admittedly a huge pain in the ass for me.

Roger Weeks

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


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




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