permaculture

[Steve Hart <stevenlawrencehart@gmail.com>]

LL et al

The solution is simple. Set up an independent entity. Do not stay a member
of the governments structures and corruptions. Create a new one. A totally
independent entity with stronger standards. Not weaker ones. BioGro New
Zealand is a good example of exactly this.

Steve Hart

On 28 September 2017 at 12:04, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Have you seen this news about an assault on the USDA organic program by
> hydroponics and confined livestock special interests?
> <>
>
> The Final Meeting
>
> As we approach the November meeting of the NOSB in Jacksonville, we are
> engaged in the great organic debate of our time. Can the National Organic
> Program (NOP) serve the organic community? Can the NOP protect and preserve
> strong standards that reflect the beliefs of real organic? Can the National
> Organic Program reclaim integrity?
>
> The NOP is beset by news reports of its failures and compromises. It
> appears that we can’t trust that the milk, meat and eggs that we buy as
> certified organic. Much of this food is actually produced on confined
> animal operations with no pasture at all. We can’t trust that the
> "certified organic" grain that these animals are fed isn’t actually
> conventional GMO grain. And we can't trust that the vegetable and berries
> that we buy are actually grown in the soil. This is a massive disservice to
> the honest organic farmers who have embraced the practices known as organic
> for the last 75 years. This is also a failure of the USDA program to
> protect the millions of trusting eaters who choose to spend their hard
> earned money on “certified organic” food.
> One of the largest “organic” egg operations in the United States keeps 1.6
> million hens.
> This November the NOSB (National Organic Standards Board) will finally vote
> (AGAIN) on a proposal to prohibit hydroponics from certification. In the
> meantime, hydroponic vegetables and berries continue to pose as soil grown
> organic produce. There are no standards for hydroponic production, and
> there is no labeling.  Go to any supermarket in NYC at the height of the
> local outdoor tomato season, and you will only find hydroponic beefsteak
> tomatoes, mostly from Mexico, in the organic section. There will be no sign
> warning the customers that this Fauxganic food was grown without soil.
>
> And so we are in a final battle for the soul of the organic label. The real
> organic movement is still strong. Most certified organic farmers are real
> organic. But we can no longer say that most "certified organic" products
> are real organic.  Miles McEvoy has said that three-quarters of the
> "certified organic" eggs will be decertified if the animal welfare reform
> standards are ever implemented! Miles wants those reforms to be enacted as
> much as the rest of us. But that won’t happen, because the Trump USDA and
> the Senate don’t want it to happen. The two most powerful Senators on the
> Senate Ag committee, Roberts and Stabenow, are strongly opposed to the
> animal welfare reform standards. That is because the two biggest Fauxganic
> egg producers in the country are their constituents.
> Theo Crisantes testifies to the Senate Ag Committee for the Hydro
> Coalition, calling for the deformation of the NOSB.
>
>
> And as I wrote in my last letter, (Hydro Declares War On Organic
> <http://www.keepthesoilinorganic.org/> ) the hydroponic lobby recently
> made
> common cause with the CAFO (Contained Animal Feeding Operations) producers
> in their Senate testimony. The Coalition called for the "reformation" of
> the NOSB with 5 additional seats dedicated to representing industrial Ag
> interests. As if the industrial interests weren’t already well
> represented!  Welcome
> to Walganic. They also say it is time for the NOP to stop paying attention
> to “outlier issues” like animal welfare. In this time of Trump, taking over
> the NOSB seems quite possible. Roberts hopes to make these changes as part
> of the next Farm Bill.
>
> Perhaps the only way we can stop this destruction of something precious is
> to stand together and speak with one voice. We must say YES to fertile soil
> as the foundation of all organic farming. We must say YES that animals
> deserve access to sun and soil.
>
> We must say NO to hydroponics and CAFOS. We must say NO to fraud from some
> of the biggest producers in the world. Who gives them a pass? How is it
> that a single reporter from the Washington Post can clearly document so
> much fraud on such a massive scale while the NOP cannot? Why does it take
> endless task forces and studies to act, when a single reporter has shown
> how easy it is to find the truth?
> Driscoll's sells over 1000 acres of Fauxganic berries like these.
>
> I especially want to address this letter to the many members of the
> California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and the Organic Trade
> Association (OTA). I wrote a private letter to the board of OTA last year,
> but my letter was never shared with the board by their leadership. So I
> will try a more public approach. If you know a member of one of these
> organizations, please forward this to them.
>
> When I sent out my last public letter, I got a tremendous amount of
> positive feedback, including strong support from board members of each
> organization. They agreed with all I said but insisted that I got one thing
> wrong. They said that both CCOF and OTA were neutral on the hydroponic
> issue.
> Phil LaRocca, President of CCOF.
>
> It is important to understand that this is simply not true. At the last
> NOSB meeting, Phil LaRocca, identifying himself as the President of CCOF,
> said, “I’m speaking here in favor of organic hydroponics with two caveats.
> One, we should create standards that are strict with 100% organic inputs,
> and two, that we should label it.”  This is not a neutral stance, and it
> was not presented as a personal opinion. His comments were further
> supported by the testimony of CCOF Policy Director Kelly Damewood. I
> consider Phil a friend, but we disagree mightily on this.
> Speaking for OTA, Nate Lewis responded to a question from NOSB member Steve
> Ela:
>
> MEMBER ELA: "Where would you draw the line between hydroponics and
> containers?"
>
> MR. LEWIS: "I've done a lot of thinking on that. It's challenging but where
> I would draw the line is on what's the matrix in which the biology lives.
> Is the biology that is ultimately cycling the nutrients and bringing things
> to, making them available to plants in suspension, in solution, or is it
> living in a solid matrix? And if it's living in a solid matrix, like it is
> in a container production, you know, 2010 recommendation was that that
> should be allowed, and we continue to think that that should be allowed."
>
>
> OTA Senior Crop And Livestock Specialist Nate Lewis testifying to the NOSB.
>
>
> Nate is ignoring the heart of the 2010 recommendation, which says,
> "Observing the framework of organic farming based on its foundation of
> sound management of soil biology and ecology, it becomes clear that
> *systems
> of crop production that eliminate soil from the system, such as hydroponics
> or aeroponics, can not be considered as examples of acceptable organic
> farming practices."*
>
> OTA's position is that if the hydroponic feeding takes place when the roots
> are in a solid medium like coconut husks, it isn’t hydroponic anymore.
> Magic! This statement is in accord with all OTA public comments for the
> last year. They repeatedly insist that they support the 2010 NOSB
> recommendation banning hydroponics. Then they insist that the growing
> practices of their two biggest hydroponic members, Driscoll’s and Wholesum
> Harvest, are NOT hydroponic because they grow in coconut husks instead of
> in water.
>
> All of the hydroponic tomatoes, berries, cucumbers, and peppers in
> conventional hydroponics are grown in containers with the roots in coconut
> husks or rockwool. Rockwool is like fiberglass insulation. Many
> conventional hydro producers now prefer growing in coconut husks (called
> coco coir) because coir is so recalcitrant that it breaks down VERY slowly.
> That is why they have mountains of the stuff on Sri Lanka. It is very
> resistant to fungal breakdown, much like cedar shavings. It makes a
> marvelous substrate for hydroponic production for this reason. The same
> material can be used in hydro production for years due to its antifungal
> qualities. It has been rapidly overtaking rockwool around the world as the
> preferred hydroponic substrate. Conventional growers like it because it
> doesn’t break down (and thus *doesn’t contribute anything to the nutrition
> of the plant*). It looks like soil, but it ain’t soil.
>
> The OTA position is purposely misleading because the leadership understands
> all this very well. The OTA stance is that this is much too complicated for
> us to understand so quickly (only 7 years of study since the last
> recommendation). Thus they conclude it requires years MORE study. And
> hopefully another task force!
>
> It IS difficult to understand when so much misinformation is being put out.
> These positions are calculated to postpone a decision on hydroponics
> forever. After all, who wants to stand up in the NOSB meeting and vote that
> fertile soil is not the foundation of organic farming? OTA is seeking to
> confuse this issue in an effort to support two of their members. But at
> what cost to the rest of their members!
>
> How does it serve the OTA membership to destroy the integrity of the
> organic brand? *The damage being done to the National Organic Program by
> their defense of hydroponics is incalculable.* OTA is serving the rest of
> their members very poorly by fighting to defend two big members.
> .
>
> Hydroponic tomatoes grown at Wholesum Harvest.
>
> I bring these points up at such length because OTA and CCOF are the big
> dogs in the room. If the Organic Trade Association ACTUALLY supported the
> 2010 NOSB recommendation, they would embrace the latest Crops Subcommittee
> proposal. It allows container growing, but insists that most of the
> fertility for the plant must still be supplied by the soil in that
> container. It is in complete alignment with the language and intent of the
> 2010 Recommendation. It clarifies the one significant point that the 2010
> recommendation left unclear. *And if OTA did support the proposal, it would
> pass easily.*
>
> But they won’t….
>
> So I ask all the members of OTA and CCOF to really consider if the
> leadership speaks for you. Because the leadership is leading you off a
> cliff. The erosion of real standards is going to destroy the National
> Organic Program. The organic community is not going to accept hydroponics,
> and they are not going to accept CAFOs. And if the organic standards DO
> accept Hydros and CAFOs, then the organic community is going to leave the
> National Organic Program. *What happens to the organic label without the
> organic movement?*
> Thetford, Vermont Rally in the Valley in 2016, listening to Senator
> Patrick Leahy and NOFA VT Director Enid Wonnacott.
>
> The only reason that the organic label is continuing to grow so quickly in
> sales is because people haven’t yet learned what is going on.
>
> But they will….
>
> Going forward, there is no more neutrality. Being neutral at this point
> means allowing Hydros and CAFOs. They are now the status quo. They are
> the New Organic. A vote to delay in Jacksonville is a vote for Hydro. It is
> that simple. Many of us have spent our lives supporting the organic
> movement. We are now making every effort to save it, before we are forced
> to leave it.
>
> It doesn’t matter if I speak up on this or not. The truth is going to come
> out. I have been accused by one CCOF leader of shooting organic in the
> foot. By telling the truth. Surely we want to tell the truth. But we need
> everybody.
> Farmer Pete Johnson talking about what the future of organic means to his
> daughter.
>
> There is a series of Keep The Soil Rallies coming in the next 7 weeks. We
> have commitments for 17 Rallies so far, from California to Maine, and from
> Canada to Costa Rica. Perhaps there will be more, perhaps less, but there
> will be many people coming together to express their support for real
> organic. Some will be big. Many will be small. A few will be tiny, maybe
> only ten people. It doesn’t matter. *What matters is showing up.*
>
>
> I will send out a schedule soon. If you are willing to organize a Rally,
> however small, please contact me. Call some friends make a few signs, and
> march around the block. Talk about the issues. If you want to attend a
> Rally organized by others, go to Keepthesoilinorganic.org for an ongoing
> schedule. Please remember that we are a small grassroots group, with little
> funding and no staff. We don’t even have a name, let alone dues! We are
> doing a lot with very little. We see the Rallies as our last chance to send
> a signal to the NOSB. They need to pass the compromise proposal, that will
> be so fiercely attacked by the Hydro lobby. They need to stop delaying and
> take a stand.
>
> *No vote is a vote for Hydro.*
> If you can’t make it to an earlier Rally, come to the final Rally at
> Jacksonville on Tuesday, October 31. *Join organic pioneers Eliot Coleman,
> Fred Kirschenmann, Jim Riddle, Lisa Stokke, Tom Beddard, Anais Beddard,
> David Zuckerman, Jim Gerritsen, Will Allen and many other farmers and
> eaters.* The Rally will be outside during the lunch break. And sign up ASAP
> to testify to the NOSB, so you can tell them what you think.
>
> https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/oct-2017-national-organic-sta
> ndards-board-nosb-meeting-registration-in-person
>
> If you can’t come in person, sign up for the virtual testimony.
>
> https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/oct-2017-national-organic-sta
> ndards-board-nosb-meeting-registration-webinar
>
> You can sign up for either testifying in person or testifying online. But
> in either case, you can also submit a written comment.
>
> https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=AMS_FRDOC_0001-1600
>  Once there, click the blue "comment now!" button in the top right corner.
>
> *This is very important.* We need to speak up before the organic program is
> lost. This will be our last chance.
>
> *Please forward this letter to as many friends as possible.*
> <>
>
> And something new, enhanced USDA Organic:
>
> <>
> Comments:
>
> "This is a radical and expected way forward in order to enhance food and
> farming systems.
>
> I only hope that the certification cost is accessible to small farmers"
>
>
> "Rodale is a very professional and trustworthy organization with a true
> passion for real farming as opposed to the USDA in all aspects. Corporate
> agribusiness will not be able to do an end run around Rodale and what it
> means to be organic, sustainable, local, and regenerative. I applaud them."
> <>
>
> *Introducing the Regenerative Organic Certification*
>
> Rodale Institute has pioneered regenerative organic agriculture since our
> founder, J.I. Rodale, wrote "Healthy Soil=Healthy Food=Healthy People" on a
> chalkboard back in 1942. His son, Robert Rodale, coined the term
> 'regenerative organic agriculture' to distinguish a kind of farming that
> goes beyond simply 'sustainable.' To us, that always meant agriculture
> improving the resources it uses, rather than destroying or depleting them.
> It is a holistic systems approach to farming that encourages continual
> innovation for environmental, social, and economic well-being.
>
> Today, we're proud to announce the new Regenerative Organic Certification,
> a cooperative effort among a coalition of farmers, ranchers, nonprofits,
> scientists, and brands, led by Rodale Institute, to establish a new,
> high-bar standard for regenerative organic agriculture. Owned by this
> coalition, the standard will be administered by NSF International and is
> open to many certification partners. The standard encompasses guidelines
> for soil health and land management, animal welfare, and farmer and worker
> fairness. Regenerative Organic Certification builds upon the near 100-year
> legacy of organic movement visionaries like J.I. Rodale and Dr. Rudolf
> Steiner, and provides stepwise guidance for farming and ranching
> operations, transportation, slaughter, and processing facilities that
> produce food, cosmetics, and fiber.
>
> The goals of Regenerative Organic Certification are to increase soil
> organic matter over time, improve animal welfare, provide economic
> stability and fairness for farmers, ranchers, and workers, and create
> resilient regional ecosystems and communities.
>
> The environmental outcomes of a systemic shift to regenerative organic
> agricultural practices could be profound. *In 2014, research by Rodale
> Institute estimated that if current crop acreage and pastureland shifted to
> regenerative organic practices, 100% of annual global CO2 emissions could
> be sequestered in the soil. *
>
> Regenerative Organic Certification does not aim to supplant current organic
> standards. Instead, this certification aims to support these standards
> while at the same time facilitate widespread adoption of holistic,
> regenerative practices throughout agriculture. It builds upon the standards
> set forth by USDA Organic and similar programs internationally,
> particularly in the areas of animal welfare and farmer and worker fairness.
> If you are interested in reviewing and commenting on the new Regenerative
> Organic Certification requirements, *please click here to review
> <http://standards.nsf.org/apps/group_public/document.php?document_id=39305
> >*
> and
> contact Jessica Evans, Director of Standards Development at NSF
> <jevans@nsf.org>. After the public comment period is complete, brands,
> farmers, and ranchers are encouraged to embrace these practices,
> incorporate them into their supply chains, and create a market for
> Regenerative Organic Certified products.
>
> *Want to learn more? *Join Rodale Institute and Patagonia at Dr. Bronner's
> booth (2419) event at Expo East this Friday, September 15 at 4:30 PM to
> share this exciting news. Thank you for your participation in this vital
> process.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *Jeff Moyer*
> Rodale Institute
>  Click here to review & comment on the full Regenerative Organic
> Certification requirements
> <http://standards.nsf.org/apps/group_public/document.php?document_id=39305
> >
> *Regenerative Organic Certificate Goals:*
>
>    - Increase soil organic matter over time, and sequester carbon in the
>    soil
>    - Improve animal welfare
>    - Provide economic stability and fairness for farmers, ranchers, and
>    workers
>    - Create resilient regional ecosystems and communities
>
> *Three Pillars:*
> *Soil Health**
>
> - No/low Tillage
> - Cover Crops
> - Crop Rotations
> - Rotational Grazing
> - No Synthetic Inputs
> - No GMOs or Gene Editing
> - Promotes Biodiversity
> - Builds Soil Organic Matter
> - No Soilless Systems
>
> ** Leverages USDA Organic, Biodynamic, etc.*
> Social Fairness*
>
> - Living Wages
> - No Child Labor
> - No Forced Labor
> - Maximum Working Hours
> - Fair Pricing for Buyers/Farmers
> - Long-Term Commitments
>
> ** Leverages AJP, Fair Trade, FFL, SPP, etc.*
> *Animal Welfare**
>
> - Five Freedoms
> - Grass-Fed / Pasture-Raised
> - No CAFOs
> - Suitable Shelter
> - Minimize Transport Distances
>
> ** Leverages GAP 4+, AWA, Cert. Humane, etc.*
>
> *Click here for a one-pager on the new certification
> <https://rodaleinstitute.org/assets/ROC-One-Pager-9.12.17.pdf>*
>
> <https://rodaleinstitute.org/assets/ROC-One-Pager-9.12.17.pdf>
>  Click here to review & comment on the full Regenerative Organic
> Certification requirements
> <http://standards.nsf.org/apps/group_public/document.php?document_id=39305
> >
> * Abridged list of contributors to the creation of Regenerative Organic
> Certification: *
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 27, 2017 at 5:52 PM, <rachel.kulberg@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hello Aquaponic and Hydroponic Organic Coalition members:
> >
> > The NOSB Crops Subcommittee has recommended that the full NOSB vote to
> ban
> > ALL aquaponic production and curtail hydroponic production from organic
> > eligibility at the Fall 2017 Meeting
> > <https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/2017-national-organic-
> standards-board-nosb-meeting>
> >
> > Page 63 of this document begings the NOSB's discussion
> > <https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/
> NOSBFall2017ProposalsDDTOC.pdf>.
> >
> >
> > Here are the two quotes from the document:
> >
> >    - "The Crops Subcommittee is opposed to allowing *aquaponic*
> >    production systems to be certified organic at this time. If
> aquaculture
> >    standards are issued in the future, and concerns about food safety are
> >    resolved, aquaponics could be reconsidered."
> >
> >    - "Motion that any container production system that does not meet the
> >    standard of a limit of 20% of the plants’ nitrogen requirement being
> >    supplied by liquid feeding, and a limit of 50% of the plants’ nitrogen
> >    requirement being added to the container after the crop has been
> planted is
> >    defined as *hydroponic* and should not be allowed to be certified
> >    organic. For perennials, the nitrogen feeding limit is calculated on
> an
> >    annual basis. Transplants, ornamentals, herbs, sprouts, fodder, and
> aquatic
> >    plants are exempted from these requirements."
> >
> > WE NEED TO SPEAK UP
> >
> >    - Go to this link - NOSB Organic Comments
> >    <https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=AMS-NOP-17-0024-0001> - and
> >    write a message telling the NOSB that you believe our growing methods
> >    should remain organic. You can write your own message or click this
> >    link to copy and paste a generic message
> >    <http://www.aquaponicsassociation.org/organic_comment_fall_2017>.
> >
> >    - Sign up to give a three-minute testimony at the October 24 and 26
> >    webinars
> >    <https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/oct-2017-national-
> organic-standards-board-nosb-meeting-registration-webinar>.
> >
> >
> >    - Sign up to attend the Fall Meeting in person and provide in-person
> >    three-minute testimony.
> >    <https://www.ams.usda.gov/event/oct-2017-national-
> organic-standards-board-nosb-meeting-registration-in-person>
> >
> >    - Contact your federal congressional representatives and tell them you
> >    want the NOSB to retain the organic eligibility of sustainable growing
> >    methods like aquaponics, hydroponics, and aeroponics. Click here for
> >    language to use.
> >    <http://www.aquaponicsassociation.org/organic_comment_fall_2017>
> Click
> >    here to enter your zip code and find your representatives.
> >    <https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/>
> >
> >
> > We will prepare a full response to the NOSB document to comment on behalf
> > of the Aquaponic and Hydroponic Organic Coalition.
> >
> > Importantly,
> > Our friends at Bright Agrotech are looking for folks that will be
> > directly affected if the NOSB revokes or restricts aquaponic and
> hydroponic
> > organic eligibility. They'd like to shine a light on  individual stories
> of
> > people being affected by such a decision.
> >
> > They have a very big email list and platform so this could be a good
> > opportunity for you to affect this debate.
> >
> > If you will be affected if the nosb revokes or restricts aquaponic or
> > hydroponic eligibility, please let me or juan know and we'll work with
> you
> > to share your story.
> >
> > Juan: juan@brightagrotech.com
> >
> > -Brian Filipowich
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Lawrence F. London, Jr.
> lfljvenaura@gmail.com
> https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Lawrence F. London, Jr.
> lfljvenaura@gmail.com
> https://sites.google.com/site/avantgeared
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>



-- 
Kia ora Ehoa

[image: Picture]
*Steve Hart*
*Ecology Architect*
*Designer, Teacher, Builder of Ecologically Sustainable Resilient
Environments, through Urban Design, Architecture, Landscape Architecture
and Systems Ecology.​*
Skype: tipenemanawa
Phone: +64 220 75 62 11

Permaculture Global Design:
www.permacultureglobaldesign.org

The Permaculture International College
www.permaculturecollege.eu
https://permaculturecollege.academia.edu/SteveHart

GAPPS The Global Alliance for Permaculture Partnerships and Solutions.
www.permaculturepartnerships.com