FW: NHC Copper Risk Assessment Comments (Docket ID Number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0558)

Organic info for Michigan=

Week of June 12-16

Info Includes>>>>>

*** How to Support Your Local = Farmer

*** Livestock inputs make importing manure a concern, even for = composting

***Organic = farmers are safe under NOP rules but need to know what they’re getting and = how to manage it.=

*** Cultivating your cultivation techniques
Keeping your weeds in check = means keeping your tools honed, your eye on the fields and some new tricks = up your sleeve.

***Organic Power Struggle: = Are factory farms flattening family = farms?

***Are you seeking volunteers to work on your farm = and gain hands-on experience and glean from your wisdom and = methods?=A0 =

*** MIFFS offers a =BD = position

*** U.S. News and Best = Health=A0=A0 The Green Invasion

***NATION'S LARGEST DAIRIES TRYING TO AVOID = MONSANTO'S BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE

*** Ants take = the bait for less toxic solution

***Vegetable Pest Status Report June 15, 2006

*** NATION'S LARGEST DAIRIES TRYING TO AVOID = MONSANTO'S BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE

***BIODYNAMIC = PREPARATION 500 APPLICATION LEARNING AND PRACTICE OPPORTUNITY-June = 20

***Building = Biological and Organic Soils Session, Aug 9-Wed at Brad Morgan’s = Composting- 9:30-4:30 email [log in to unmask] for = info

How to Support Your Local Farmer = =A0NEW YORK TIMES

By GEORGE = SAPERSTEIN

Published: June 9, = 2006

Pomfret

TOWARD the end of the “I Love = Lucy” television series, which ran from 1951 to 1957, the Ricardo family moved = from New York City to “the country” = — Westport, to be = exact — and Lucy started raising chickens. From then on, all of = America saw Connecticut as “the = country.”

Oddly enough, that moment marked the = beginning of the mass exodus of upwardly mobile New Yorkers to the suburbs of the = metropolitan region — and the beginning of the end of animal agriculture in = this state.

When I moved to Woodstock in 1978 as a large-animal veterinarian, I marveled at the beauty and = fertility of Connecticut. But it was immediately obvious that what had happened to farms in = Fairfield = County during the previous 20 = years was sure to creep diagonally to the northeastern part of the state. =

Of the approximately 1,000 dairy farms in the = state in the late 1970’s, 169 remain. But while skyrocketing land values = are an acute problem for farmers, the biggest threat to animal agriculture in = Connecticut = is not development, it’s the loss of businesses like slaughterhouses, = feed stores, milk processors, veterinarians, tractor dealers and = refrigeration technicians that support agriculture. Recently, the owner of Franklin = Mushroom Farm in North Franklin announced plans to move the company to Reading, Pa., largely because such businesses are disappearing. =

So who’s to blame? Aggressive real = estate agents? Greedy developers? Consumers who want strawberries in January? = While we can try to place blame, it’s not productive. The system is what it = is, and farmers have struggled to adapt to it.

There’s an old saying in New England: “Farmers live poor and die rich.” = Given the poor profitability of Northeast farming these days, land is no longer = the family legacy — farmers sell to finance their retirement, the = children who inherit sell because there’s no money in farming. We all lose = out in the end.

Making farming in New = England profitable is the only way to make agriculture sustainable. And = consumers who care about the quality of food, the way animals are raised and the = conservation of farmland have the power to bring farming back to life in this state. = Proof of that comes from the recent introduction and success of the = Farmer’s Cow, a higher-priced milk brand produced by a Connecticut farmers’ = cooperative, in the face of falling national milk prices.

With a grant from the United States = Department of Agriculture, my university is collaborating with the University of Connecticut and other = New England state colleges to create branded = livestock products produced by local farmers for local consumption. The goal is to = give consumers the opportunity to support local agriculture directly with = their food dollars while enjoying the best fruits of our farmers’ labors. =

The master brand is called Azuluna, and we = are using production methods more typical of 1950 than 2006, getting the animals = back outside grazing instead of cutting the feed and bringing it to them in = the barn and letting calves raised for veal nurse from cows on pasture rather = than confining them and feeding them milk replacer. These kinds of animal = husbandry procedures from our grandparents’ era create the highest-quality, best-tasting products on the market.

The animals in this program spend their lives = with access to fresh air and sunshine while consuming a balanced diet. We are = now test-marketing Azuluna pork from pigs rooting in fields, lamb fattened = outdoors on the farm of their birth with grain and mother’s milk and = blue-shelled eggs from chickens that are truly free-range, not simply cage-free, = which usually means kept on the floor of the barn instead of in cages. =

As these tests prove successful, we are = recruiting New England farmers to adopt similar practices = and earn premium prices for their products. We’ll then encourage these high-quality producers to form a private cooperative and negotiate = equitable prices with distributors, helping make agriculture in our region = financially sustainable.

State and local governments and Connecticut residents can support = farmers in a number of ways. Even in tight budget years, legislators must provide = enough money for our vocational agriculture education system, which we depend = upon for the next generation of farm owners and employees, and parents should be = proud to send their children to these excellent schools. =

Local planning and zoning boards should = recruit and accommodate businesses that directly support agriculture. For example, = if a landowner requests a zoning change from agricultural to commercial for a = parcel to build a farm supply store, the proposal should be viewed as = supportive of farmers, not as a ploy to sell out to Wal-Mart. State grants, tax = incentives and other forms of assistance could be created to attract and retain = more of those businesses.

If we want locally produced meats, we need = local slaughterhouses and meat cutters, and the state should offer tax breaks, initial financing and training to people interested in creating these = kinds of small businesses and pursuing these jobs.

Unfortunately, there’s a sense among = the agriculture community that it’s too late to save our farms and = that soon all our meat and dairy products will be trucked in from out of state. = But I’m here to say that it’s not too late — we just need a little = more optimism and some good old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity. =

George Saperstein is the = chairman of the Department of Environmental and Population Health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine = at Tufts = University.

The New Farm, Rodale Press June 12, = 2006

Livestock inputs make importing manure a concern, even for = composting
Organic farmers are safe under = NOP rules but need to know what they’re getting and how to manage = it.

By Maggie Fry-Manross

[log in to unmask]">

Cadmium = lurks in rock phosphates; varies by source

If toxic manure isn’t scary enough, consider the possibility of hazardous waste in fertilizer.

According to Joseph R. Heckman, specialist in soil fertility with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, commercial fertilizers can contain heavy = metals and other hazardous materials. While fertilizers are regulated for nutrient content, the quality of their contents is not = controlled.

Heckman publishes a newsletter called The Soil Profile. In volume 16, Heckman outlines = problems with rock phosphate and other fertilizers. Heckman reports that = the greatest concern is with phosphate = fertilizers.

“Rock phosphate, the starting material from which most phosphate = fertilizers are manufactured, contains varying amounts of cadmium, ranging = from trace to greater than 100 ppm,” Heckman’s article states. “Rock phosphates from Florida contain 9-17 ppm cadmium and North Carolina rock phosphate contains about = 47 ppm cadmium. Because there is a limited supply of low cadmium rock = phosphates and a high cost for removing the cadmium during manufacture, there usually remains a significant presence of cadmium in phosphate fertilizers.”

Heckman also reports significant levels of lead and arsenic in commercial fertilizers. These substances have been found in both organic and chemical products. A complete copy of the article can be found = at:
www.rcre.rutgers.edu/
pubs/soilprofile/.

--MF-M

Tracking = cadmium, evaluating risk

Cadmium, a known carcinogen with no health benefits to either plants or = animals, is becoming more prevalent in agricultural soil and crops, = according to a 2003 European Commission study.

Bioremediation of cadmium using alpine pennycress is enhanced when the pH is = lowered from a normal reading of 7.0 to 4.7 using sulfur. For more details = see:
www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2005/06/
050619192657.htm

Dr. Rufus Chaney (Agricultural Research Service, USDA Beltsville) says = he has found no evidence that manure will increase human food chain = bioavailable cadmium. He explains manure is much higher in zinc (Zn) than = cadmium (Cd), so the competition between Zn and Cd limits Cd flow into = plants, and into livestock tissues. For details on the complex links = between soil Cd and crops see:
www.ars.usda.gov/
research/publications/
publications.htm?SEQ
_NO_115=3D153759.

--Greg = Bowman

Antibiotic resistance genes reduced
by composting, but it takes time

The extensive use of antibiotics in some livestock systems results in pharmaceutical residues in manure, as well as dozens of strains of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) that develop within the animals = fed. What happens to these genes in the environment is the focus of a = study by Dr. Amy Pruden, assistant professor of civil engineering at = Colorado = State University.

Dr. Pruden is continuing to analyze research done in 2005 comparing = the fate of ARGs from straw-pack manure that was either placed in a static (unturned) pile or composted. Both processes resulted in = significant reductions of ARGs to nearly the point of non-detection. =

Significant for composting, the results showed a spike upward in the number of microbes carrying the drug-resistant genes several days into = composting that correlates with heating of the pile. Pruden said that = following the full composting cycle is critical for ARG reduction. She hopes to complete her analysis this summer.

--GB

OMRI = proposes dual limits for cadmium, arsenic, lead

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) has posted a proposal to establish limits on the amount of arsenic, cadmium, and lead that = OMRI listed products may contain. The proposal is open for public = comments through July 16. OMRI proposes to set two levels of these three = heavy metals in fertilizer and soil amendment products, including manure = and compost: a “caution” level where use would be closely monitored for possible degradation of the soil, and a higher “danger” level, above which the product would not be = listed by OMRI.

To view the extensive research OMRI commissioned on this question and = to comment, visit: www.omri.org/heavy-metals.html.

Arsenic, tetracycline, = copper... What might be lurking in your = compost?

June 8, 2006: The ideal sustainable livestock farm is a closed system made up of crops grown to feed the livestock and humans who live there, and manure that is returned to = the soil to ensure fertility. As with everything else in life, however, the = ideal is rarely attained.

Vegetable farmers need manure to feed their crops. Dairy and meat producers = usually have more manure than they can use. It would seem the perfect = arrangement for vegetable growers to haul away the manure from a nearby farm (in some = cases, your neighbors are happy to deliver it) to apply it to fields. But = modern agricultural inputs—especially those used in confined, intensive settings—means that growers, especially those who are certified organic, need to ask a few questions before accepting that generous = offer.

Recent studies have shown that manure can contain residues of antibiotics and = other medications routinely given to livestock, as well as pesticides and = heavy metals such as copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium and lead. Appropriate composting may take care of some of these substances, but some it will = not.

Manure = allowable

Organic certification standards allow raw manure to be spread on fields at = least 90 days before harvesting crops where the edible portion does not touch = the soil (i.e. sweet corn) and 120 days where the edible portion does touch the = soil (lettuce, carrots, onions, etc.). All other animal manure must be = composted, and standards require that manure be shaped into a windrow, turned a = minimum of five times in 15 days and achieve a recorded temperature between = 133=B0F and 170=B0F in order to be considered finished compost. Anything else is = termed “raw manure,” regardless of how long it has been piled up = behind the barn.

Organic standards prohibit the use of sewage sludge, sometimes called = biosolids, because of the possibility of heavy metal contamination. Municipal = yardwaste, such as grass clippings and leaves, fall under the same category as manure—not prohibited, but demanding scrutiny as to possible contamination from pesticides, herbicides and synthetic = fertilizers.

	"Residues = of antibiotics and other drugs, such as Ivermectin, a popular worming medication, have been found in animal manures, and traces of these = drugs can be found in plants grown in soil where residue-laden manure was applied."

Antibiotics, such as tetracycline, are routinely fed to swine, poultry and dairy = cattle. Residues of antibiotics and other drugs, such as Ivermectin, a popular worming medication, have been found in animal manures, and traces of = these drugs can be found in plants grown in soil where residue-laden manure = was applied. In a study published in the Journal of Environmental Quality in October, 2005, Kumar = et.al. found that antibiotic residues were detected in green onions, corn and = cabbages grown with the addition of manure containing antibiotic residues. In = another article in the same publication, Chandler et.al. found that antibiotic residues in manure still retained their bacteria-killing properties and could be contributing to the formation = of new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These manures were not = composted.

Other substances that can contaminate manure are metals such as copper and = zinc, which are part of the recommended minerals added to livestock feed, = and cadmium and lead, which can enter the chain through crops grown in contaminated soil or air pollution in industrial areas (see sidebar). = In a paper published in The = Scientific World in 2002, researchers Allan Barker and Gretchen Bryson found that = composting can significantly reduce pesticide residues and can bind heavy metals = and reduce their uptake by plants.

One substance of particular concern is arsenic. Recent news stories = reported that arsenic was found in several commercial brands of chicken and samples = from ten fast food restaurants. The study was conducted by Dr. David = Wallinga, Director of Food and Health for the Institute for Agriculture and = Trade Policy (www.iatp.org), a Minnesota-based, nonprofit advocacy group promoting sustainability and = family farms.

Arsenic is included in Roxarsone, a medication sometimes fed to broilers = raised in confinement to protect against outbreaks from coccidia. The fact that = arsenic is detectable in the meat of chickens begs the question: How much is = ending up in the manure, and where is it going = then?

Arsenic: = common additive, complex agricultural = contaminant

Brian Baker, research director of the Organic Materials Review Institute (www.omri.org), = located in Eugene, Oregon, is trying to answer that question. “We're looking at ways to = reduce the accumulation of heavy metals, and arsenic is of particular = concern,” Baker said. “Arsenic toxicity is problematic in a number of = ways. The arsenic substitutes for phosphates causing a deficiency in plants. = Beans, peas and other nitrogen fixing plants are very susceptible to this = phosphate deficiency.”

Arsenic was one of the first-generation herbicides and was used as a pesticide = in apple orchards. Soil scientists noticed that orchards with high = arsenic content in the soil couldn’t grow clover (another nitrogen = fixer) as an under crop.

“Organic farmers don’t want arsenic in the soil,” Baker pointed = out. “It will accumulate in crop tissue and can pose a human health = hazard. Everything goes somewhere. We've been looking at [arsenic] levels in = the 30-40s ppm range. We’re not sure yet what the levels should be, = but it definitely should be a concern.”

	"If a = grower has to choose between manure that may contain antibiotic residue and = manure that may contain arsenic, Baker recommends staying away from the = arsenic. Antibiotics break down quickly and the composting process should = take care of them. Not so with arsenic."

If a grower has to choose between manure that may contain antibiotic = residue and manure that may contain arsenic, Baker recommends staying away from = the arsenic. Antibiotics break down quickly, and the composting process = should take care of them. Not so with arsenic. “Heavy metals are more = of a concern,” Baker said. “Organic growers are better off with dairy or layer manure.”

So perhaps organic growers should avoid importing manure altogether and = stick to buying compost and fertilizers? That isn’t a fool-proof solution either. Prepared fertilizers are expensive, and Baker recommends = staying away from commercial compost unless growers can be absolutely sure what is = in it. According to Baker, during the debate on whether to allow sewage = sludge in organic farming, the question of manure from factory farms was raised. = Unlike the European Union, The U.S. has no definition of Concentrated Animal = Feeding Operation (CAFO) or “factory farms” and does not prohibit = this manure from being used by certified-organic = growers.

Many scientists and sustainable farming activists are of the opinion that = manure from factory farms contains as many heavy metals as sewage sludge and = should be prohibited in organic agriculture. The EPA limits the amount of = heavy metals in sewage sludge, but manure from factory farms is unregulated. “There are operations that will take sludge, CAFO manure and = urban green waste and make it into commercial compost,” Baker = said.

Always know = your source and their ingredients

The best insurance with imported manure is to know your source. An organic = grower for almost 20 years, Darrell Frey of Three Sisters Farm in northwestern Pennsylvania has imported many = tons of manure to his farm. He had a long-standing agreement with a race-horse = stable where he parked his dump truck at the stables and the owners filled it = up for him every week.

The manure was then driven back to the farm and composted. Some of it was = formed into windrows to be used in the vegetable gardens outside and some was = loaded into bins in the bioshelter, or solar greenhouse, to be used in the = indoor planting beds and in potting soil. The composting process also = provides bottom heat for starting seedlings on top of the compost chambers, and = fans can be used to circulate heat through the indoor growing = beds.

Like many vegetable growers, Frey doesn’t have the time or space for = farm animals. The bioshelter is home to a flock of laying hens that are fed organic feed from which they produce enough manure in a year to fill = one of the compost chambers. To meet the rest of his compost needs, Frey must = either import manure or use approved fertilizers. Fertilizer can be = expensive, but manure has its drawbacks, too. “My biggest problem with imported = manure was weeds,” Frey said. “Every year we seemed to find new varieties.”

	"As = with most aspects of sustainable farming, education is your best bet. Talk to neighbors about what they are feeding their animals and the possible = effects it could have."

Frey is currently getting his manure from a nearby farmer who owns horses and = other livestock. Before making the agreement, Frey went to the farm and = checked out the agricultural practices to ensure that he wouldn’t be = bringing anything onto the farm that he didn’t = want.

According to Baker, this is a good idea. “No matter what nutrient source = you use, it's not going to be perfectly clean,” Baker said. “Feed = sources need to be monitored as well. Choose manure from feed sources that are relatively uncontaminated.” Baker also recommends layering = suspect poultry or dairy manure with high-carbon organic matter during = composting. This should take care of antibiotics and pesticide = residues.

Where, what = and how

The most important considerations when importing manure are = these:

Where = is it coming from?
What = did the animals eat?
How = will it ultimately impact my crops?

A grower’s best bet is horse manure, because antibiotics are = usually not a concern, followed by dairy and layer manure. Baker recommends = staying away from manure from factory farms, particularly hog and broiler = operations which may rely heavily on drugs. Another consideration is that manure from = confined hogs often contains high levels of = copper.

As with most aspects of sustainable farming, education is your best bet. Talk = to neighbors about what they are feeding their animals and the possible = effects it could have. Chances are they will be just as concerned about what = is going into the soil as you are—especially if they are buying your = potatoes and chard. [log in to unmask]">

Maggie = Fry-Manross is a free-lance writer and homesteader who lives in northwestern = Pennsylvania. Her family raises poultry, goats, hogs and way too many = cats.

[log in to unmask]">

Vicki Morrone

Organic Vegetable and Crop = Outreach Specialist

Michigan State University

C.S. Mott Sustainable Food = Systems

303 Natural Resources = Bldg.

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-353-3542

517-282-3557 = (cell)

517-353-3834 = (fax)

[log in to unmask]" align=3Dleft hspace=3D12 = v:shapes=3D"_x0000_s1026">

[log in to unmask]" align=3Dbottom>

ONE FARM TO = ANOTHER
Cultivating your cultivation techniques
Keeping = your weeds in check means keeping your tools honed, your eye on the fields and = some new tricks up your sleeve.

By Jeff Moyer, The Rodale Institute=AE Farm Manager
Posted June 8, = 2006

[log in to unmask]">

By now most of you, like us here at the = Institute farm, have your crops pretty well planted, first-cutting hay is = almost done, and it’s time to get back to the dreaded task of = managing weeds.

Our corn is up, and everything is lookin’ good. But for how long? We’ve used both a rotary hoe and a tine weeder on our crops = for “blind cultivation,” and that seems to have done a = decent job. There are some small weeds poking through that are already too large = for the hoe or weeder to get. That’s where the cultivator comes = in.

You really need to be out there checking your crops and monitoring the = weed pressure on a daily basis. Things change quickly this time of year. = A quick look over the fence at my garden at home clearly points that out. It = seems like I went from no weeds one day to a real mess a few days later. Fortunately that’s at home, not here at the = Institute.

Generally speaking, if you wait until you see weeds, the first flush has = already “beaten you to the punch.” Rotary hoes and tine weeders = work on weeds that are in the white root stage. This is when you can lightly = dig around in the soil with a pen knife and see those white hair like = seedlings of weeds but before they are well rooted with green = tops.

We are just beginning our cultivation of row crops as this article is = being written, so it is far too early to tell you how it is all going to = turn out. But there are some basic things to keep in mind as you begin = your weed management strategy. First is to realize that cultivating weeds is = more art than science. You can’t just set up the equipment and go from = field to field or crop to crop. Fine tuning the equipment is very = important. Keep in mind that any weeds that escape each pass have a better and = better chance to be there at the end of the = season.

As the season progresses, spend some time assessing the successes and = failures of your strategy, your timing and your equipment setup. Make some = notes for next year—write-‘em down or you’ll forget. This = way, each year you’ll improve upon the success rate as you gain = experience.

Don’t expect perfection but work toward it. You’re bound to make = mistakes. You’ll miss some weeds, tear out some crop, work in soil = that’s too wet or too dry or maybe invent a mistake I haven’t even = thought of yet. That’s all part of the process of learning. The goal = should be to strive toward perfect weed control but to be realistic in what = we can do.

Replace worn parts. Yes, those shovels that are worn down to the shank, = those spoons on the old rotary hoe, or the discs that are only 8 inches = around instead of 12 inches. You can’t expect worn-out tools to do a = proper job. That’s not to say that older equipment won’t work, = just that you need to replace those worn parts of the tool that work in = the soil. Sweeps need to be the right width to cover the surface area or = work to the proper depth. This will be money well spent. I had a fellow = tell me that rotary hoes don’t work on his farm, and when we took a = look at what he was using it was shot. All the spoons were worn down to = posts. There was no way this tool could properly remove weeds. Once the hoe = was rebuilt, he said he didn’t know it could work so = well.

And last but not least, don’t be afraid to innovate. Change your = tools. Try different sweeps, switch to a curved knife, or try a spider = wheel where a disc once was used. The folks I know who are the best cultivators = are the ones who are always trying to improve the equipment and time things = just a little bit better. If the new changes aren’t working, go back = to what did or try another improvement. Check on what other folks are doing = but keep in mind what works for them may not be the best tool for you. = You may have different soil, different crops, different weeds or even just different likes. The thing is to be creative and open to trying = something new. But don’t throw out what works in the = process.

.From One Farm to Another

Jeff=

[log in to unmask]">

Organic Power Struggle: Are factory farms flattening family = farms?

by Amy Bell

Organic agriculture was first introduced in California more than 30 years ago = as farmers sought out methods to produce food in more ecologically friendly ways. = For many quiet years following the birth of organic agriculture, farmers and = consumers alike associated the word "organic" with tiny independent = farms. Typically family-owned and operated, organic farms would distribute = their products to small specialty stores. These small operations never = imagined that by the 1990s, organic would become a household = name.

Times They Are = A-Changin'

The organic landscape has undergone a significant transformation = over the past few years, forever changing the public's perception of the = label organic. As an increasing number of large corporations crank out mass = amounts of organic products, the word organic is becoming less and less = synonymous with the words "small" or "homegrown." =

Organic products, particularly dairy and bagged salads, can now = be found sprinkled throughout aisles in most major grocery store chains. In = her book titled, "Agrarian Dreams: The Paradox of Organic Farming in = California" (Berkeley: UC Press, 2004), Julie Guthman calls this new trend the "Wal-Martization" of organic = products.

The Earthbound = Factor

Some attribute major changes in the industry to enormous organic = operations like Organic Valley and Earthbound Farm. = Organic = Valley, founded in 1988, is = comprised of 741 farms across the country and sells over $150 million worth of = organic milk, cheese, butter and other products each year. Then there's Earthbound = Farm, famous for pioneering the prewashed bagged greens concept. Earthbound is now = the leading organic company in the ready-to-eat bagged produce race--a = business that grosses over $2.8 billion each year in the combined organic and = nonorganic markets.

Bob Stowcroft, executive director of the Organic Farming = Research Foundation, told the Associated Press (AP) that Earthbound "changed = the organic game." He said, "You used to only be able to get fresh organic products in small stores supplied by an independent farmer. = Earthbound ships trainloads and planeloads."

Surprisingly enough, Earthbound initially started off as a = small, family-run operation. Fresh out of college, Myra and Drew Goodman moved from New York = City to Carmel Valley, Calif. in 1986. The financially strained couple was searching for an affordable = place to live when they came across an interesting opportunity--they were = offered a chance to restore a 2 =BD acre farm in exchange for free rent and = whatever produce they grew.

There were many days when Myra and Drew came in from work too exhausted to cook. That's when the couple started bagging lettuce for a fast, healthy dinner. They soon realized = that the bagged produce could potentially be a great product for consumers. They = started selling their bagged greens to specialty food stores, and shortly = thereafter had to contract outside organic farmers to meet the incredible demand = for their products.

Although most well-known grocery stores were hesitant to take on organic products in the 1990s, Costco took a chance with Myra and Drew's organic bagged = greens. Shortly after Costco started selling Earthbound's bagged salads in 1993, = other large chains began to sign them on as well.

Myra = told the AP, "Until that time, we were really just a large boutique = farm." Earthbound now grows more than 100 different types of fruits and vegetables on = 26,000 acres of farms throughout the West. They contract growers from = Washington State to Arizona and deliver their products to stores throughout the nation. In 2005, Earthbound's income skyrocketed to $365 million--an incredible jump from = their $13 million earnings in 1995.

Drew said, "We built our business little by little to meet = a demand and didn't realize it was a big business until it had already = happened. Growing organic has paid off."

Playing the Blame = Game

Despite the tremendous attention Earthbound has attracted to = organic products, some critics blame the company, along with other large organic operations, for crushing the business of small organic farms. Many = smaller family-run organic farms simply cannot keep up with the incredible = production pace of these huge, multifarm organizations. Liz Bourret, a buyer with = an organic produce distributor called Veritable Vegetable, told the AP that smaller organic growers aren't necessarily being pushed out of the = business. However, because they are being forced to adapt to the environment, = these growers are moving away from the increasingly popular organic products, = such as lettuce, and focusing more on specialty organic = crops.

In her book, which serves as a comprehensive study of California organic farming,

Guthman says that organic agriculture has transformed from a small-scale family-run market to "industrial" agriculture. = Guthman says that the organic industry is definitely facing major changes as a = result of large corporations buying out smaller organic farms. She explains = that this issue is much more than "big versus small or good guys versus bad = guys. I call it a trilemma because it's about what growers need, what consumers = need and what workers need."

Guthman also points out that much of the organic industry's = growth has "come from within." She says, "There's a widespread misconception that big corporate interests took over the organic industry." Guthman says that on the contrary, large operations like Earthbound Farm recruited producers from outside the organic industry to = grow for them because "they wanted more professionalism than what the visionaries of the 1970s were able to = provide."

Big versus Small? =

Although many organic industry players don't believe this is a = game of big guys versus little guys, a recent rumble in the industry seems to = prove otherwise. In this heated controversy, the Organic Trade Association = (OTA) and the Cornucopia Institute, an agricultural policy research group that = supports independent family scale farmers, duked it out over the release of a = Cornucopia report. In the report, Cornucopia rates organic dairy brands determined = by each operation's level of ethical organic practices. =

Based on a survey the group sent out to organic dairy farmers, Cornucopia says their report "is a by-product of a five-year = controversy that has been smoldering within the organic industry." The group = accuses the OTA of conducting "backroom dealings" that have decreased = federal regulations of organic dairy farms, giving large corporations in the = industry an upper hand. Cornucopia also claims that some of the nation's biggest = organic dairies are violating federal organic regulations, alleging that some of = these large-scale operations are housing their livestock in indoor lots = without access to pasture.

Helen Keyes, a Cornucopia board member, says that the USDA has = done nothing to "clamp down on these factory farms" despite = countless requests from organic farmers and consumers. In response to Cornucopia's accusations, the USDA released the following statement: "Cornucopia's initial = allegations were found to be without substance in light of the National Organic Program = pasture regulations as they are currently written." =

Urging the Cornucopia Institute not to publish the report, the = OTA said that such a rating system could "sow the seed of distrust in = organic farming," causing a permanent rift in the organic farming industry. = The OTA also says that Cornucopia took a "non-scientific approach" = to the report by attempting to threaten dairy operations. The OTA is referring = to a statement that appeared in the cover letter of Cornucopia's survey, = which was distributed to organic dairy farmers throughout the country. In the = letter Cornucopia wrote that any farm that did not participate in the survey risked = "having its credibility tainted." The OTA released a statement saying, "This type of threat is counter to = good research practice, and renders the results invalid. Furthermore, such = tactics do not serve the interests of customers, the organic community or = farmers themselves."

Cornucopia fired back by accusing the OTA of pursuing a = "campaign of intimidation" against them. Despite the OTA's pleas, Cornucopia released their report, titled "Maintaining the Integrity of Organic Milk," in March 2006. = Following the release, Mark Kastel, Cornucopia's senior farm policy analyst and the primary writer of the report, said, "Our report and the accompanying dairy brands scorecard will = empower consumers and wholesale buyers who want to invest their food dollars to = protect hard-working family farmers who are in danger of being washed off the = land by a tidal wave of organic milk from these factory = mega-farms."

In the report Cornucopia issued a substandard rating to nearly 20 percent of the organic dairy = name brands that can now be found in grocery stores. Some large organic operations = are already fighting back in response to Corncucopia's controversial report. The = country's largest milk bottler, Dean Foods, which oversees Horizon Organic = products, is allegedly pulling together its employees and farmers to rally against Cornucopia.

Although this controversy certainly appears to be a conflict = between small independently owned farms and giant corporate organic operations, = the Cornucopia Institute claims that it's an issue of ethics. Kastel told FoodNavigator-USA.com, = "This is not a debate of small farmers versus big farmers. It's ethical = farmers versus farmers that are willing to compensate the ethics of organic farming." Regardless of whether or not this is a case of family = versus factory farms, there is no doubt that the organic industry is currently = caught up in a turbulent sea of conflict and = change

Amy Bell is a = freelance writer in DeWitt, Mich. Visit her Web site at www.writepunch.com or e-mail her at [log in to unmask]. =

Are you seeking volunteers = to work on your farm and gain hands-on experience and glean from your wisdom and = methods?=A0

Here is a web site that offers organic farmers a place to list such an = opportunity, FREE. This is a project of the = Ecological Farming Foundation

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF)-USA is part of a world-wide effort to link volunteers with organic farmers, = promote an educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of = ecological farming practices.=A0

http://www.wwoofusa.org./host= .html=A0 is the site to become a host farm. The only cost is $5.00 to list your farm’s description in the directory.

MIFFS offers a =BD = position

Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) an East-Lansing based nonprofit = organization, needs to fill a half-time administrative assistant position. A = position announcement is attached. If you know of someone with the = necessary skills and an interest in sustainable food and farming systems, please encourage him/her to apply.

See MIFFS web site http://www.MIFFS.org for more info and details

U.S. News = and Best Health

The Green Invasion

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/060612/12organic.htm

By Betsy Querna

6/12/06

Grocery = shoppers across America have been witnessing a subtle but revolutionary change on store shelves. Organic products are popping up in the cereal aisle, amid rows of canned = goods, and beside bottles of salad dressing. Though organic food has been = around for decades, it used to be found mainly in specialty stores like Whole Foods = or confined to a tiny corner in the produce = section.

Today, most = grocery stores stock big organic brands like Earthbound Farm. Wal-Mart plans to = double its organic offerings this summer in some stores, and grocers like = SuperValu and Safeway recently unveiled organic house brands. Major food companies = have grabbed up organic brands. General Mills, for example, owns the organic = brands Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen. Some food producers are even rolling out = organic versions of existing products. You can now fill your cart with Ragu = organic pasta sauce, Snyder's organic pretzels, Orville Redenbacher's organic = butter popcorn, and later this summer, organic Kraft macaroni and cheese. = "With Wal-Mart in the game and Safeway and just about everyone else, organic = is at a tipping point," says Samuel Fromartz, author of the new book = Organic, Inc. "It's really = gone mainstream."

Getting specific. With so many more choices, consumers may = wonder what they're really getting when they buy this newfangled organic food. = Though the organic label is often perceived as synonymous with healthful, = virtuous, or just plain better, organic has a specific definition, set in 2000 by the = U.S. Department of Agriculture after years of varying standards muddled its = meaning. In a nutshell, organic produce cannot be grown with pesticides or most synthetic fertilizers, while animals must not be injected with = antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic farms undergo a rigorous certification process = and are inspected for compliance by an independent agent.

To earn the = "100 percent organic" label under the USDA system, a food must contain = only organically produced ingredients. Next in line is "organic," = in which at least 95 percent of the ingredients must be organic. The other 5 = percent must be an approved ingredient. Those are mostly preservatives, = thickeners, or other things such as baking soda and spices. Here and with "100 = percent organic" foods, consumers may also spot the USDA seal. Products = that have at least 70 percent organic ingredients can sport the term "made = with organic ingredients." Any less and the food gets no boasting rights = beyond noting the organic elements in the list of ingredients. (In some cases, = you will see a certifying agent seal. More details are at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.)

Got that? It's = a mouthful, so to speak, and consumers often think that the organic label = means so much more. "It's confusing because the organic certification is = a process certification, not a product certification," says = Mike Hamm, professor of sustainable = agriculture at Michigan = State University. "It says nothing about the quality of the product, its freshness, = or its nutritional value."

What consumers = should do, experts say, is carefully consider each organic purchase. There may be = no reason to buy an organic version of a favorite food when its = conventional counterpart is little or no different and most likely cheaper. On = average, organic food costs 30 to 50 percent more than conventional food. Heinz's Classico pasta sauce usually sells for about $3; the organic version is = a dollar more. Many expect the new players, especially Wal-Mart, to prompt = a marketwide price drop. The retailing behemoth has said its organic = products will cost only 10 percent more than its nonorganic products. What's = more, shoppers need to keep in mind that the jury is still out on whether = organic food is more nutritious or safer. For years, scientists have been = fiercely debating the health benefits of organic food, and studies so far have = been small and equivocal.

While organic = fruits and vegetables do usually have fewer pesticides than their conventional = cousins, there is no consensus on how harmful those pesticides are to humans. = Joseph Rosen, a professor of food science at Rutgers University who has been studying pesticides for more than 40 years, contends that = the amount of pesticides on produce is too small to hurt and that the liver efficiently flushes them out. Other experts dispute that notion, and = some shoppers don't want to take the risk.

Choosy buyers. Pesticides may be more of a concern for = children because their small bodies are less able to metabolize pesticides--and = they ingest more food per pound of body weight than adults, according to a = 1993 National Academy of Sciences report. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician at Mount = Sinai School of Medicine who chaired the report committee, advises parents to = go organic on the fruits and vegetables their kids consume a lot. =

To reduce = potential exposure to pesticides without breaking the bank, consumers should = become choosy fruit buyers. A 2003 Environmental Working Group study that = looked at USDA pesticide data from more than 100,000 pieces of produce found that = those with the most pesticides include strawberries, peaches, nectarines, bell peppers, and spinach. Because of the way they are grown or their = heartiness, conventional broccoli, asparagus, mangos, and bananas are less likely to = have pesticides.

Recently, = several small studies have shown that organic fruits and vegetables might also have = higher amounts of protective antioxidants. The thinking: Without pesticides, = the plant must rely on its own defenses to shoo away bugs; one way it does this is = to make more antioxidants. Still, it's only a hypothesis. "I wouldn't = tell my mom or neighbor to go buy organic because it has more = antioxidants," says Kathleen Merrigan, director of the agriculture, food, and environment = program at Tufts University and an author of the = USDA organic standards rule. "I would tell them to buy it because it has = fewer pesticides."

In the dairy = case, organic milk gained popularity in the early 1990s when many big dairies = began using the controversial recombinant bovine growth hormone to help = increase a cow's milk production. Some groups say it can increase the risk of = certain cancers or contribute to the early onset of puberty in girls, though the = Food and Drug Administration found no human health issues--nor did a Canadian = panel that examined the hormone in the late 1990s. =

Space to roam. While health concerns motivate many buyers, = others prefer organic milk for more humanitarian reasons. Many organic milk = producers are small farmers, and their cows are often given more space to roam = than cows at large dairies. In fact, major organic dairy producers such as Horizon = have come under much criticism for their pasture size. On an Idaho farm that's taken the brunt, = the cows "are very comfortable," says Kelly Shea, a Horizon vice = president. "They have a nice life." Shea adds that the company is now = converting more land to organic there so the cows can have more room and increase = their grass consumption. The USDA is currently seeking comments on a rule that = would nail down the amount of pasture required for these cows.

On = conventional farms, animals are routinely given hormones and antibiotics, which could be = passed on to your dinner plate. Though there is no scientific consensus about = whether these substances cause health problems, shoppers who want to avoid them = can look for other phrases on meat packages. "You are not necessarily = going to see the organic label," says Keecha Harris, a national nutrition consultant for the Head Start program. "You are going to see how = the animal is raised." Beef that is marked "pasture-raised," = for example, means the cow grazed on grass, and "free-range" = denotes chickens that aren't confined to small cages. Or the package of pork = chops might state that no growth hormones or antibiotics were used or that the = pig was fed an all-vegetable diet. Some stores, such as Whole Foods, set = their own guidelines for the meat they buy, and thus the packages may not be = labeled. The best way to figure it out: Ask the butcher.

These days, = the biggest organic explosion is in the middle of the store, where the cereals, = frozen foods, and processed packaged goods are sold. Experts urge shoppers to = remember that the organic label means one thing and one thing only. So the corn = in Orville Redenbacher's organic microwave popcorn comes from an organic = farm; Heinz's organic ketchup uses organic tomato concentrate and organic = sugar. Shoppers still need to flip over those jars and packages and scrutinize = the nutrition facts, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian with = Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Organic food and regular = food should be viewed with the same skepticism when it comes to calories and fat. =

Take Whole = Foods organic chocolate truffles made with organic cocoa beans, organic vegetable oil, = and organic cane sugar. With just three candies packing more than half of = the daily allowance of fat, they're not exactly a health food. But, "they = taste pretty good," says Fromartz.

In = the end, nearly everyone--even the most ardent organic fans--recommends that a = consumer's first goal be a nutritionally balanced diet. Then the organic decision comes = into play. "What people should be doing is getting more fruits and = vegetables regardless of whether they're conventional or organic," says = Harris. "A cheese puff is a cheese puff is a cheese = puff."

Vicki Morrone

Organic Vegetable and Crop = Outreach Specialist

Michigan State University

C.S. Mott Sustainable Food = Systems

303 Natural Resources = Bldg.

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-353-3542

517-282-3557 = (cell)

517-353-3834 = (fax)

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