News for the Michigan
Organic Listserv Sept 18-Oct 1
- CSA Conference, Nov 10-13 in Tustin,
Michigan at Kettunen Center
- OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) Seeks Your
Advice
- Organic Seed and Transplant sources
- Scholarships available for farmers and extension
educators to attend The 2006 CSA conference
- Seeking a certifying agency for your organic or
transitioning farm?
- WHO CARES WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM?
- Build the Organic Consumers Political Candidate Survey!
- FDA Statement on Foodborne E. coli O157:H7 Outbreak in
Spinach
- Some good resources with practices to help assure YOUR
farm food is at minimal risk of microbial food safety hazards.
10.
Some e-newsletters that may be of interest….
11.
Heads Up on the Aphid Front
12.
Try local, organic food in Mixed Greens event
13.
Two dairies to end use of artificial hormones
Hope to compete with organic milk
14.
Environmental leader leaves board
1. CSA (community supported ag) Conference
in Tustin Michigan,
Nov 10-13
Join us at the Kettunen Center (just south of Cadillac, Michigan)
to learn more about CSA – with speakers and workshops for the
prospective, new or experienced CSA farmer. Speakers include CSA pioneers
Steven McFadden and Scott Chaskey. Sponsored by CSA-MI (with help from the
sponsors listed below). Information at
231-889-3216.
We will build on the highly acclaimed 2004 conference with
an event that is even better! http://csafarms.org/csafarms4056869.asp
is the web site you can go to obtain information and registration information
about the 2006 CSA conference. Or, you can write or call; CSA-MI 3480 Potter Rd Bear
Lake, MI 49614
231-889-3216
Registration and program is now available
for the CSA conference
Here is a little more detail about the
scheduled workshops.
CSA Conference Workshop Descriptions
|
Workshops
Saturday
9 – 10:30 -- Breakout Session #1
1. Let's Talk Seeds for the CSA
• David and Barb Perkins, Vermont
Valley CSA
2. Biodynamics Day to Day
• Anne Elder and Paul Bantle, The Community Farm of Ann Arbor
3. To be Determined
4. When Things Go Wrong: CSA in an Imperfect World
• Let's Talk
5. Beyond the garden wall: CSA and social activism
• Oxfam America
• MACSAC (HMO)
2-3:30 -- Breakout Session #2:
1. The Spirit of Our Land, The Spirit of Our Times – A CSA Council Circle.
• Steven McFadden
2. Let’s Talk* Seeds for the CSA
3. Animals and the CSA (tentative)
4. Let’s talk* Distribution Strategies
• Theresa Williams
5. What is Bugging my Plants Now! Let’s talk*
• Jon Watts, Meadowlark Farm
5. Will Eat for Change (tentative)
•
4-5:30 -- Breakout Session #3:
1. Farm Safety 101: Yoga for Yeoman and Yeowoman
• Steven McFadden
2. Keep those Veggies Coming - succession planting strategies
• TBD
3. Let’s talk* volunteers
• Traci Cruz
4. Who's watching the hen house? CSA and agricultural policy
• Oxfam America
5. Land Trusts
- Ellie Kastanopolous
- Scott Chaskey
Sunday
7:00 Sunrise
Service
9:00 – 10:30 – Breakout Session #4
1. Metaphors, music, and meaning: CSA and the arts
• Scott Chaskey
• Laura B. DeLind
2. Greenhouse Structures and Management for the CSA Farm
• John Biernbaum, MSU
3. Kicking the grid: CSA and renewable energy
• Jim Sluyter, Five Springs Farm
4. Doing the books – business planning for the farm and CSA
• Wendy Wieland
5. Mixing it up: Mixing CSA with other Markets
•Richard Andres, Tantre Farm
*Let’s Talk
One of the suggestions from our last conference was to offer more
‘discussion’ type workshops. We are excited to offer several topics
in a Let’s Talk format.
Where you see Let’s Talk
you can expect someone with knowledge and/or experience to start it off and
moderate the discussion. But this person will not be there to give a long
presentation. The point is to have a give and take, a discussion based on the
experiences of the whole group. Come with your ideas and an interest in
sharing…or just sit in and learn from the rest of the group.
Biodynamics Day to Day
Follow these farmers through their day as they explain what biodynamic means
to them, how it works on their farm and how some of these techniques just
might help you on your farm. Biodynamics at its practical roots.
Anne Elder and Paul Bantle, The Community Farm of Ann Arbor
Beyond the garden wall: CSA and social
activism
CSA is more than a source of sustainably-raised food. Equally important, it
is a model -- with food and farming at its center -- for increasing the
social responsibility and civic engagement of its members. CSA can be a force
for social change. How do CSAs and CSA members use their collective talents
and resources to promote a more just society, locally and extra-locally? This
session considers some ways in which CSA is becoming involved in issues that
transcend the garden (e.g., health care, fair trade, co-housing) and help to
ensure real social security.
The Spirit of Our Land, The Spirit of Our
Times – A CSA Council
Circle. The Council Circle tradition is the oldest
form of democracy in North America, with
roots reaching thousands of years into the past. In the traditional manner,
adapted to our needs a members of CSAs, we will take seats as equals in the
circle. We will pass the Talking Stick to share the authority and hear the
heart and mind of every person who chooses to speak -- adding layer after layer
to our understanding of our times, our land, and our work.
Let's Talk: Distribution of Farm Shares
Would it work better for your farm to deliver shares right to your members'
doors, or have members come out to the farm to harvest their own shares, or would
something in-between be the right fit for your farm? Do all members receive
identical boxes or can members customize their weekly shares? These and other
distribution questions and options will be discussed. Bring your experiences
and ideas to share to this session and hear what has worked for others.
What’s bugging my plants now?
Get ready for a real down-to-earth discussion about bugs, common diseases and
critters that we deal with everyday. Bring your own stories, questions &
answers on how you manage pests on your farm.
Farm Safety 101: Yoga for Yeoman and
Yeowoman. A yeoman is a diligent farmer who cultivates the land,
working constantly with his or her body and the forces of nature and
machines. The farmer’s body must be properly cared for over the years
– for it is the most valuable piece of farm equipment, and it
eventually absorbs a lot of wear and tear. In this experiential workshop, we
will talk about basic body safety for farmers, then learn and practice gentle
stretches to keep our bodies strong, limber, and uninjured while we attend to
chores.
Who's watching the hen house? CSA and
agricultural policy
Agricultural policy is not just for large-scale farmers and processors. CSAs
and their members -- as producers, consumers, and citizens -- are affected by
state legislation (e.g., Michigan's
SB 777 (which removes local authority over the use - or non-use - of gmos),
national commodity decisions (e.g., cheap corn and obesity), and
international trade agreements (e.g., COOL - country of origin labeling,
NAFTA). This session will discuss some of the impacts that current (and
proposed) agricultural policy has (and could have) on our bodies, daily
lives, environment, and democratic political process -- and what we can do
about them.
Metaphors, music, and meaning: CSA and the
arts
In today's world of sound bites, fast food, and multi-tasking, we forget (and
are starved for) what art and aesthetics add to our lives. CSA farmers and
members are dedicated to a more humanely-scaled and naturally-paced way of
growing and eating. This needs to include opportunities for creative
expression and time to reflect on the beauty and meaning that exist within
ourselves and our shared environments. This session will consider the value
of stories, song, poetry, dance, ritual, and the visual arts for building and
enriching the CSA community.
Scott Chaskey
Laura B. DeLind
Greenhouse structures and management for
the CSA Farm
A greenhouse can be one of a CSA farmer’s best friends. Is yours?
Greenhouse management includes selecting a structure and equipment that can
provide the right mix of light, temperature and gasses with minimal
electricity and fuel. It also includes a root medium with appropriate
fertility and efficient irrigation and fertilization methods. With 20 years
experience teaching about greenhouse structures and management, John
Biernbaum can help you and your greenhouse be best friends and your CSA farm
be more productive and profitable.
Kicking the grid: CSA and renewable energy
Over the last decade, the consequences of maintaining a way of life dependent
on cheap, abundant oil supplies have become brutally clear --
environmentally, economically, and politically. There are alternatives. What
are they; how can they be managed; and how will their use enable greater
energy self-reliance? This session will examine several ways CSA can use
renewable energy on (and off) the farm, focusing on electricity from solar
(photovoltaic) cells and wind. Some attention will be given to the ‘off
grid’ lifestyle and energy efficiency.
|
Wal-Mart Declares War on Organic Farmers
Partners with Agribusiness for Corporate
Takeover
CORNUCOPIA, WISCONSIN: A report released today
by The Cornucopia Institute, the nation's most aggressive organic farming
watchdog, accuses Wal-Mart of cheapening the value of the organic label by
sourcing products from industrial-scale factory farms and Third World
countries, such as China.
Wal-Mart announced earlier this year that they would
greatly increase the number of organic products they offered and price them at
a target of 10% above the cost for conventional food.
"We have received scores of press inquiries over
the past few months asking us if Wal-Mart's organic expansion was 'good news or
bad news' for the industry," stated Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy
Analyst for the Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. "My
stock answer has been: If Wal-Mart lends their logistical prowess to
organic food both farmers and consumers will be big winners by virtue of a more
competitive marketplace. However, if Wal-Mart applies their standard business
model, and in essence Wal-Marts organics, then everyone will lose."
The Institute's white paper, Wal-Mart Rolls Out <http://www.cornucopia.org/WalMart_White_Paper.pdf>
Organic Products-Market Expansion or Market Delusion?, makes the argument that
Wal-Mart is indeed poised to drive down the price of organic food in the
marketplace by inventing a "new" organic-food from corporate
agribusiness, factory farms, and cheap imports of questionable quality.
"Organic family farmers in this country could see their livelihoods
disintegrate the same way so many industrial workers saw their
family-supporting wages evaporate as Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers put
the screws to manufacturers-forcing a production shift to China and other low-wage
countries," Kastel added.
Wal-Mart, already the nation's largest organic milk
retailer, partnering with the giant milk processor Dean Foods (Horizon
Organic), recently introduced their own private-label organic milk packaged by
Aurora Organic Dairy. Aurora, based in Boulder, Colorado,
has faced a maelstrom of organic industry criticism and negative press for
operating a number of industrial-scale dairies with thousands of cows confined
in feedlot-like conditions. They are also the subject of two current USDA
investigations into their organic management practices.
"If there was any previous doubt as to their
intentions, partnering with Dean/Horizon and Aurora should leave no question in anyone's
mind as to how Wal-Mart is approaching its organic initiative," proclaimed
Steve Sprinkel long-time industry observer and columnist for the nation's leading
sustainable agricultural journal, Acres USA. Large percentages of milk
from Horizon and Aurora
come from factory farms, milking as many as 10,000 cows, allegedly without the
required access to pasture. The two companies have also been accused of
bringing non-organic cows onto their farms. "Because of the intense
media scrutiny there is no doubt that Wal-Mart entered into these relationships
in blatant disregard to the ethical expectations of the consumers who have
helped build organics into a lucrative $16 billion industry," Sprinkel
added.
This April, The Cornucopia Institute released a rating
of the nation's approximately 70 organic namebrand and private-label organic
dairy products (www.cornucopia.org).
Although almost 90% received a very high rating, Horizon and Aurora refused to participate in the study
and received the Institute's lowest score. And in a subsequent poll of
their over 800,000 members, the Organic Consumers Association moved to boycott
Horizon and Aurora
dairy products. "It's hard to believe that at this time Wal-Mart
would embrace these products," said OCA director Ronnie Cummins.
In addition to the report's documentation of the
Wal-Mart/factory-farm connection, the study also highlighted the company's
decision to lower the per unit cost basis on organic products by collaborating
with its long-time trading partner China.
"Even if it were not for many serious concerns
about the propriety of the certification process in China-and the fact that the
USDA has provided little if any regulatory oversight there-food shipped around
the world, burning fossil fuels and undercutting our domestic farmers, does not
meet the consumer's traditional definition of what is truly organic,"
Kastel stated.
While Wal-Mart sources Chinese organic products, the
industry's largest organic and natural foods retailer, Whole Foods Market,
announced plans this summer to greatly expand their offerings of locally grown
produce in deference to organic consumer sentiments.
"Between Whole Foods and hundreds of the nation's
cooperatively owned natural foods groceries, we are certainly set up for a
clash of the titans," said Cummins. "Will consumers choose
cheap industrial food, be it from factory farms or questionable Third World imports, or will they continue to support
ethical processors and family farmers?"
Wal-Mart also depends on Natural Selection Foods,
Earthbound Farms, a giant industrial enterprise farming tens of thousands of
acres in California, Arizona,
Mexico and Chile as their prime vendor for
organic vegetables.
"I don't think (consumers) have any idea just how
industrialized it's becoming (mainstream organics)," said journalism
professor and author Michael Pollan in a recent interview with the St. Paul
Pioneer Press. Pollan's book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" has been a
national bestseller. "There are some real downsides to organic farming
scaling up to this extent," Pollan added during the interview. He
and others worry that the expansion of "Big Organic" will lower food
quality, weaken standards and hurt small family farms.
This month The Cornucopia Institute sent a letter to
Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott suggesting that Wal-Mart's approach to organics would
likely undermine the corporation's campaigns to attract upscale shoppers to
their stores and to help cleanse the reputation of world's largest retailer in
terms of the widespread criticism that it has endured due to its labor and
environmental practices.
"We are afraid that you are grossly
miscalculating your move into organics and underestimating the knowledge and
commitment of the organic consumer. Those buying organic food are comfortable
paying the historic premiums because they think that part of their purchase
dollar supports a different kind of environmental, animal husbandry, and
economic justice ethic," the letter from Cornucopia read in part.
The letter also cited an example of Wal-Mart selling
mislabeled conventional yogurt as organic. In addition, the Institute's
report red-flagged the retailer selling organic baby formula made with both
questionable synthetic ingredients and processing materials. The report
also suggests that Wal-Mart might lack the qualifications or commitment to
oversee what promises to be one of the nation's largest organic manufacturing,
distribution, and retail networks.
"Wal-Mart's move into organics is worrisome to
investors who realize that the credibility of organic label, and the
sustainability of organic farming, is of greater significance to their returns
than the mere branding of the term 'organic,'" said Daniel Stranahan,
Investment Committee Chair of the Toledo-based The Needmor Fund. "If
we undermine the legitimacy of organic label then we also undermine the investor
and consumer confidence that have brought historic premiums to organic
products."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Cornucopia Institute's White Paper,
Wal-Mart Rolls Out Organic Products. Market Expansion or Market
Delusion?, along with a photo gallery containing images of some of the organic
items now being offered for sale at Wal-Mart stores, and the letter sent by The
Cornucopia Institute to Wal-Mart's CEO, can be found on the organization's Web
page at www.cornucopia.org
<http://www.cornucopia.org/>
.
_________________________________
Janet Chrzan
Anthropology Department
University of Pennsylvania
"But
I know now that there is not a chance in hell of America becoming humane and
reasonable. Because power corrupts us, and absolute power corrupts us
absolutely. Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By
saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking
the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle
East? Their morale, like so many lifeless bodies, is already shot
to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for
Christmas." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
2. OMRI (Organic Materials Review
Institute) Seeks Your Advice
OMRI seeks comments on new draft
Policy and Standards Manuals
The Organic Materials Review
Institute (OMRI) is in the process of updating its policies and standards. With
consideration of public input received in a previous public comment period,
OMRI has drafted new manuals detailing its standards and policies for review
and listing of inputs for use in organic production, processing, and handling.
To review these draft documents and
offer your comments, please visit the OMRI website at: http://omri.org/draft-ISO-manuals.html.
The comment period will close at the
end of the day on Tuesday, October 24, 2006.
Thank you,
Dave DeCou
OMRI Executive Director
3. Organic Seed and Transplant sources
OMRI produced a searchable catalog of
sources to purchase organic seed and transplants
http://seeds.omri.org/
Here is a web site of a list of organic seed sources from Pennsylvania
organic http://www.paorganic.org/pdf/2006_ORG_SEED_SUPPLIERS.pdf
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)
http://safs.msu.edu/
http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu/
