All this discussion may appear to be a triage but I think it could be very therapeutic too!  I hope that we can join our underlying beliefs and come together to build and help Michigan Organic food grow and feed our neighbors, not the world (as is not sustainable or realistic). So I would like to offer this quote from Pat W of a previous email and hope that we can take these thoughts and let them feed our good intentions and goals. I also hope that you will allow me to help build these opportunities and exchanges so that our Farmers Markets can have enough organic food for sale, our CSAs can offer baskets of local and organic food and our farmers can get to re know one another and reach out to new farmers in the true sense of sustainable living for Michigan.

 

AS Pat Whetham Said: “We gain nothing by bickering with each other over this. We have a lot to gain by working together as we used to. All that energy that once went into arguing about changes in organic standards could go into creating an additional "system" that promotes local organic and maybe also  local ecological for farms that choose not to be part of the NOP.”

 

Thanks too ALL who contribute in the various ways, silent ways, vocal ways and most of all helpful ways. This is what community is all about

 

Very Sincerely,

Vicki Morrone

 

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/