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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] USDA vs Naturally Grown

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  • From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] USDA vs Naturally Grown
  • Date: Tue, 7 Mar 2006 23:03:11 -0500

Hi. I was Certified Naturally Grown for two years. I have great admiration for the founders and what they have done. It has a beautiful logo and can serve the purpose for those who want to say “I know how I do things and I think I do things well or organically” or whatever, without really knowing what the standards are.

 

That said, I am getting certified organic this year. Yes, I know that “organic” no longer is the buzz word, that “sustainable, local, and fresh” are the good marketing tools.

 

Why? Several reasons.

Probably the clincher is that I am really anal about my integrity. We are building a farm stand, so how do I differentiate myself from all the non-organic growers? I can’t really say “No spray” because I do spray bT, and may spray milk, etc. And I may spray on a compost tea. What do folks think if they see me out there with my backpack sprayer and there is my big sign saying “No Spray”? “No synthetic pesticides” is too complex a message.

 

Second reason: There was only one other CNG farm within 40 miles, and they used RoundUp but thought they were organic and had CNG. Almost anytime I am around market gardeners and CNG comes up, someone has a story of someone who they knew, or a vendor next to them, with similar interpretations of organic and who were CNG. So, I think where there is a good core of really committed farmers who have been organic for a while and kept up with things and will police, CNG may work well. Where participation is sparse (and where there are few certified organic growers who really know the rules), there is no education or enforcement. Even if you are really committed to organic agriculture, it is very hard to keep current with what is allowed and what isn’t without the assistance of a certifying agency. Lots of things that used to be OK are no longer approved – rotenone, many formulations of bT, etc. I would say it is close to impossible.

 

Third reason: I find marketing really time-consuming, and may sell to stores. To get the organic premium (if there is one), I need to be certified.

 

With all that said, the deeper I get into the certification process (and it is not really that hard), the less I think of CNG as an alternative to certified organic. It may have merit as “sustainable” – a great, undefined buzzword.

 

I really don’t think a person can follow all the rules unless they are certified – who is going to subscribe on their own to OMRI to get the latest updates? Yes, different certifying agencies allow different things – I am not here to argue the merits or lack thereof of the USDA program. I really wish we were back in the old system where the certifying agencies could also advise and educate. The question was about CNG, and that is what I have tried to answer.

 

Beth Spaugh
Rehoboth Homestead
Peru NY
http://rhomestead.com





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