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The Provender Journal January-February, 2007 Organic Conversations It was a pretty low-key gathering. The first day a mere 15 attendees, the second day just under 30. The backgrounds were as diverse as if you had chosen individuals walking down the street. It was the National Organic Action Plan, sponsored by the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture (NCSA) and Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA). The day and a half meeting was held prior to the Oregon Tilth Annual Conference in mid-November. Liana Hoodes from the NCSA and Michael Sligh from RAFI-USA are traveling the country holding Organic Dialogues with regional industry members. The meeting in Salem was the second such workshop. The meeting began on a Wednesday afternoon with a brief overview of the ideas behind these discussions–the dilution of organic, redefining the term, the counter-productivity of “us “ and “them”, international common concerns and the credibility of organic at the international level. We discussed the success of organic—in the marketplace as well as the federal program. The plus side included consumer confidence and awareness, receptivity by land-grant universities lending an air of legitimacy to organic research and production, healthier ecosystems as more farmers move to more sustainable farming practices, enhanced food literacy of consumers. The perception of farmers has been raised so that now they have nearly a rock star status. There is a renewed interest in farming by the next (and younger) generation and there is more interest in conversion to organic from conventional farming practices. At the federal level, there is now consistency from state to state as to what constitutes organic and it is now standardized. With this consistency comes easier international trade and the National Organic Program (NOP) received a big piece of the appropriations pie. The incentive programs and cost-share are receiving support and there is even a national compost tea committee. All the activity around organic has diversified the customer base in the marketplace and there is now legitimacy in the halls of justice regarding ethical concerns beyond the law. It was encouraging to hear all the positive aspects that organic has generated over the past 10 years. We moved on to the shortcomings. There were groans and eye rolling as this area was breached. It’s easy to see what doesn’t work, particularly if you’re on the inside of the industry. The controversies that have arisen and picked up by the media have eroded consumer confidence. The standards are changing, are full of bureaucracy and have resulted in watered down standards—the lowest common denominator. The philosophy and ethics have been brushed aside, as bigger players become more involved. There is no water testing so although a farmer may be using organic practices, a farm’s irrigation water has no such standards imposed. There is selective enforcement of standards that seem to be based on how much money a farm or company has. Certifiers are inconsistent and the more exceptions there are, the more the rule is undermined. And the more lawsuits there are the more legislation is created to restrict those lawsuits. It went on. For every success cited in the organic program, there was at least one shortcoming if not more. The frustration was tangible. We ended the day with our enthusiasm equally matched by our frustrations with an entire day ahead to address the Farm Bill and creative solutions. We returned Thursday morning renewed and prepared for the hard work. We went through a draft NCSA Organic Committee 2007 Farm Bill for Organic line item by line item with recommended changes suggested and noted. We discussed ways to strengthen organic voices and which voices need to be heard. These include farmerto- farmer exchanges (farmers discussing their concerns, farmers markets, consumers, the alternative healthcare community, and growers leagues. Integrating policy into farmer conferences was seen as a priority (there was nothing scheduled for the Tilth conference) and community organization is essential. The organic marketplace has changed dramatically in the past 10 years and is changing still. There are transportation challenges, increasing even more so these days with the perceived oil shortage; processing facilities are disappearing (freezers and canneries); and there is consumption growth versus marketing or merchandising growth, There are now certified kitchens for value-added product processing. Some solutions we looked to were the co-op model, the micro credit model, CSAs and CSPs (community supported processors) and that a secure regional product supply may answer many concerns. So how to develop a stronger organic program? Promote organic and beyond and institutionalize the values of organic. We all can strengthen the organic vision and revitalize local economies like dairies. We can promote the safety and nutritional benefits of organic. We can also remove the elitism of organic, that it is not a club to belong to and have less political controversy around organic. We can promote healthcare and wise land-use planning to encourage organic farming and limit population growth into disappearing useful farmland. We must also reduce the amount of misinformation. The Provender Alliance 31st Annual Educational Conference will be held October 4 and 5, 2007 at the Red Lion at the Quay in Vancouver, Washington. The hotel is situated right on the Columbia River. There is an extensive riverside park less than a block away and another city park just a few blocks to the north. The hotel has been recently remodeled and promises to serve our needs quite well. The format for the 2007 conference will mirror the same schedule as the 2006 conference, with the opening keynote on Thursday morning and the conference ending on Friday night after the dance party. We hope to offer a special event on Wednesday, October 3 as an extra enticement to arrive early and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow conference attendees. Please contact us if you would like to help sponsor such an event. Conference information will be mailed in early August. Once again, you will be responsible for your own lodging reservations. We will have a large block of rooms available. We are in the preliminary planning stages of the conference and welcome your ideas for speakers, presenters, and workshop topics you’d like to see addressed. Please contact the office or one of the Provender representatives listed on page 25 of this Journal with your suggestions. 2007 Non-GMO Sourcebook Available —from The Non-GMO Report, www.non-gmoreport.com The 2007 Non-GMO Sourcebook, the world’s only “farm to fork” directory of suppliers of non-genetically modified products, features more than 600 suppliers of non-GMO products and services is now available. As genetically modified crops increase worldwide, food producers are concerned about the availability of non-GMO supplies to meet consumer demands. The Non-GMO Sourcebook responds to this need, providing the only global directory of suppliers of non-GMO seeds, grains, ingredients, food products, and related products and services. In its sixth year of publication, The Non-GMO Sourcebook has tripled in size growing from 200 listings in 2001 to more than 600 this year. The 2007 Non-GMO Sourcebook features comprehensive listings of suppliers and related products and services: • Non-GMO corn/maize, soy, and canola grains and processed ingredients The Non-GMO Sourcebook is published annually by Writing Solutions, Inc., publisher of The Non-GMO Report monthly newsletter. Subscribers to The Non-GMO Report newsletter receive The 2007 Non-GMO Sourcebook as a free bonus. Individuals can order The 2007 Non-GMO Sourcebook for US$24.95 by phone: 641.472.1491 or 800.854.0586 (US and Canada), or online: www.non-gmoreport.com. —from Sustainable Northwest, www.sustainablenorthwest.org Sustainable Northwest is currently accepting nominations for the 2007 Cecil D. Andrus Leadership Awards for Sustainability and Conservation. The annual Andrus Leadership Awards recognize two examples of successful sustainable entrepreneurship – one urban, one rural – from across the American West. Nominees should exemplify sustainable entrepreneurship – with a demonstrated commitment to conservation of the environment, service to the community, adaptability and innovation, and to leading others on a similar sustainable path. Please take a moment to nominate someone you feel deserves recognition with an Andrus Leadership Award. Individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, or collaborative, community-based efforts are eligible for Andrus Leadership Award recognition. Self-nominations are accepted (especially when accompanied by a second nomination for another’s efforts). Please note: the nomination deadline is February 10, 2007. Early responses are appreciated. Sustainable Northwest will announce this year’s Andrus Leadership Award winners at the 2007 Sustainable Northwest Auction and Awards Gala to be held on March 16, 2007. For more information about the Andrus Leadership Awards, including a full description of our selection process, and how to attend the Sustainable Northwest Gala, visit www.sustainablenorthwest.org. Feel free to contact us with any questions, and please pass this information along as you see fit. Farming & The Environment Conference —from Farming & the Environment, www.farmingandtheenvironment.org Farming & the Environment, a Washington State non-profit corporation that is working to keep farming profitable and ecosystems healthy, held a conference in December in Everett and will be holding another in January at the Okanogan Grange in Okanogan. These educational conferences are focused on local agricultural producers and will provide information on cooperative and business development, access to capital, access to markets, transportation and distribution, value-added food processing, food safety, and land stewardship. The conferences “Establishing Greater Market Access and Value for Stewardship Farmers” are supported by USDA/ CSREES. Workshop sessions include A New Agriculture for the 21st Century with Kent Mullinix, PhD, Director, Institute for Rural Innovation and Stewardship; Working On Your Business or In Your Business?, a business planning and development perspective with Diane Gasaway, Executive Director, Northwest Cooperative Development Center, Linda Nuenzig, Owner, Ninety Farms and Certified Trainer, NX Level Business Planning and Roland Chaiton, V.P./Loan Officer, Community Capital Development; Creating New Markets: Direct Marketing Strategies for Success with Jennifer Hall, Executive Director, Chef’s Collaborative, Abbi Little, Owner, Abbi’s Northwest and Jeff Voltz, Executive Director, Farming & the Environment; Creating More Value From Your Raw Product with Bruce Dunlop, Owner, Lopez Island Farm, Andrea Pipitone, Owner, Pipitone Farms and Diane Moody, Director, Community Seafood Initiative; Okanogan Producers Marketing Association: A Case Study with Okanogan Producers Marketing Association members; Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative: A Case Study with Chris Fullerton, General Manager, Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative. The conference in Okanogan was originally scheduled for November but was postponed due to weather. Check the web site for updated dates and location. For additional information, please visit www.farmingandtheenvironment.org. —from Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA), www.panna.org There’s a new food guide available that shows pesticide residue on food. Environmental Working Group (EWG) issued its new Food Guide for assessing average pesticide residues on the produce we buy. P e a c h e s , apples, and sweet bell peppers contained the highest residues, while onions and avocados had the lowest of those m e a s u r e d . EWG analyzed tests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which had collected over 43,000 samples in 2000-2004. The report notes that washing produce does not eliminate all pesticide residue, and that peeling eliminates important nutrients. EWG advises to choose organic produce for the best protection from pesticides. Get the Food Guide from Environmental Working Group, www.foodnews.org. —from Organically Grown Company, www.organicgrown.com Organically Grown Company (OGC) was named “Outstanding Visionary of the Year” during the Oregon Tilth Fall Conference “Feeding the Future.” Eugene-based OGC is the largest organic produce wholesaler in the Pacific Northwest. The award recognized OGC’s program to become a more earth-friendly company, and its work to encourage the organic-foods industry to collaborate on major issues, from global warming to social equity. OGC is a “company who, for almost three decades, has consistently pioneered innovative practices based on their core company values: health, sustainability, partnerships and integrity,” said Dr. Joe Snyder, President of the Oregon Tilth Board of Directors. Since 2004, OGC has taken the following actions: • Meeting 100% of its electrical load with clean wind power; • Converted its truck fleet to B20 (a mix of 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel), and initiated tests of B99 (99% biodiesel) in three of its trucks. Between 2004 and October 2006, OGC displaced 27,547 gallons of regular diesel with pure biodiesel. Biodiesel creates 46% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel; • Hosted a “Sustainability Summit” in March 2005 to focus the West Coast’s organic produce trade on pulling more sustainable transportation, packaging and labor options into the market (in collaboration with Resource Innovations, www.resourceinnovations.org); • Sponsored the formation of the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Program at the University of Oregon to work with organic food producers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers to build the capacity of the food trade to transition to sustainable business models; • Drafted a “Declaration of Sustainability for the Organic Produce Industry”, which it is circulating for industry input and endorsement; • Hired a part-time Sustainability Coordinator; • Formed a Sustainability Steering Committee at OGC to develop the company’s longterm sustainability goals and short-term projects that work toward achieving them: (1) carbon neutrality (reducing carbon emissions, and buying carbon sequestration credits for the carbon the company emits), 2) eliminating solid waste by ensuring that everything they use – from produce boxes to office supplies — is reusable, recyclable, and/or compostable, and 3) supporting farm sustainability (various initiatives, including helping farmers reduce/eliminate plastics, protect seed diversity, and get top prices for their products so they can pay their workers well); • Joined the Oregon Natural Step Network and trained 109 staff in its sustainability principles; • Buying bananas exclusively from Organics Unlimited’s “Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers” (“GROW”) program. In the first quarter of 2006, GROW donated over $61,000 to educational programs in communities in southern Mexico from which Organics Unlimited draws its labor. In 2006 OGC doubled the size of its Eugene and Portland warehouses to accommodate surging demand; year-to-year sales climbed 35% during the first eight months of 2006, and the company added 24 new staff. Per its sustainability program, the facilities feature state-of-the-art energyefficiency measures, for which the company received support from the Energy Trust of Oregon and the State of Oregon’s Business Energy Tax Credit program. In 2006, others joined Oregon Tilth in honoring OGC’s outstanding commitment to sustainability, including: • Fred Meyer — “Vendor of the Year 2005” for its performance as a “proactive provider and promoter of organically grown produce.” • Provender Alliance — “The Yellow Eco- Brick Award” “for attention to the footprint left behind, creating a path toward a sustainable tomorrow, and taking the deliberate steps to get there.” • City of Eugene — “2006 City of Eugene Community Sustainability Recognition” • Business Recycling Award Group’s “BRAG Award” for preventing waste, buying recycled and recycling in OGC’s Eugene facility • Food for Lane County and Oregon Food Bank — Awards for outstanding food donations. OGC and its industry partners are staying proactive. Among many other projects, OGC has invited Resource Innovations at the University of Oregon to present two workshops on sustainable solutions to packaging and energy issues on March 15, 2007. “We affect culture through agriculture and I am proud to work at a company that takes its commitment and responsibility to its employees, business partners, and planet seriously,” said David Lively, OGC Marketing Director. “We constantly reinvent and challenge ourselves to react to an everchanging world that needs the innovations and resources that healthy business can contribute.” —from Lost Valley Educational Center, www.lostvalley.org Lost Valley Educational Center will be offering a summer Ecovillage and Permaculture Certificate Program from June 18 through August 10, 2007. In addition to a full permaculture design certificate course, this dynamic residential program provides a holistic introduction to social permaculture, ecovillage design and implementation. Most Universities offer students upper division credit, through program participation. Subjects include: Organic Agriculture, Natural Building, Appropriate Technology and Renewable Energy, Eco forestry, Site Analysis & Design, Social Permaculture, and Community Living. Instructors and Presenters include: David Holmgren, Ecologist,; Diana Leafe Christian, Author; Rick Valley, International permaculture instructor; Tree Bressen, Group facilitator; Mark Lakeman, Founder of City Repair; Toby Hemenway, Author Gaia’s Garden; Rob Bolman, Founder of Maitreya Ecovillage; Melanie Rios, Urban Farmer; Marc Tobin, Masters in Community and Regional Planning; Jude Hobbs, Associate with Agro-Ecology, landscape designer, small farm consultant; Joshua Smith, Ecological landscape designer, eco-forester, author of Botanical Treasures of the West and Marisha Auerbach, Certified herbalist, ethnobotanist, permaculture & edible landscape designer. Instructors vary course to course. All classes are held at Lost Valley Educational Center, an intentional community, nonprofit educational center, and nature sanctuary dedicated to learning, living, and teaching sustainable, ecologically-based culture located outside Eugene, Oregon. For more information and details please visit www.lostvalley.org/epcp. —from Vegetarians of Washington, www.vegofwa.org The Sixth Annual Vegfest, produced by Vegetarians of Washington, will be held on March 24 and 25, 2007 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. Vegfest is the largest vegetarian food festival in the country and will feature food sampling from over 175 companies, talks on health and nutrition by doctors and dieticians, cooking demos by chefs and cookbook authors, the largest vegetarian bookstore in the world and a special kids section. Vegetarians of Washington is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and a proud member of Provender Alliance. For more information about Vegfest please visit www.vegofwa.org or call 206.706.2635. —from Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS) posted the latest statistics on U.S. organic acreage at www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Organic/. The statistics, which ERS collected, show acreage by crop and state for 2004 and 2005. According to ERS, there were at least 8,445 certified organic farms in the United States in 2005, up from 8,035 certified organic farms in 2003. The 2005 operations represented slightly more than 4 million acres under organic management, up from 3 million acres in 2004 and nearly 2.2 million acres in 2003. For the first time, all 50 U.S. states had some certified organic farmland. ERS data for 2005 showed 1,722,565 acres in organic cropland (about 0.51 percent of all U.S. cropland) and an additional 2,281,408 acres in pasture and rangeland (about 0.5 percent of all U.S. pasture). Organic cropland in 2005 was up from 1,451,601 acres in 2003, while organic pasture grew substantially from the 745,273 acres recorded for 2003. Livestock numbers in 2005 were up substantially from 2003, reflecting the growing demand for organic milk and meat in the United States. According to the statistics, nearly one percent of dairy cows and 0.6 percent of layer hens in the United States in 2005 were managed using certified organic practices. 27th Annual Eco-Farm Conference The Ecological Farming Association is holding its 27th Annual Ecological Farming Conference in Pacific Grove, California at the Asilomar Conference Grounds January 24 through 27, 2007. The theme for the conference is Farm Power! Growing it Organically. Workshops are too numerous to list but include topics for seasoned farmers, new farmers, marketers and handlers, educators and agricultural activists. There will be an all-day bus tour on Wednesday the 24th featuring four organic farms in the coastal zone of Monterey County. Other pre-conference events include a one and a half day meeting on the National Organic Action Plan (the only meeting to be held in California) and a day-long session dedicated to CSA farmers. There will also be a school garden tour and a 2-dayEco-Energy Farm Tour with workshop sessions specifically designed to address energy alternatives. Plenary session presenters include Richard Heinberg, author of The Party’s Over, and UC Berkeley Agroecology professor Miguel Altieri on Wednesday evening, Samuel Fromartz, author of Organic, Inc., followed by a panel of experts on Thursday, and the closing plenary will be scientist Chuck Benbrook and Dr. Alan Greene, board member of The Organic Center in Danville, California. There will be numerous mixers and opportunities to network, a gala awards banquet, an organic wine tasting, and a dance. For more information, visit www.eco-farm.org. Demand for Organic May Increase Costs —from ATTRA–National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Weekly Harvest Newsletter, November 1, 2006, http://ncat.attra.org The Organic Food Program in Washington is proposing to raise organic certification fees, according to an Associated Press article in The Columbian. Rising demand for organic food is prompting more growers to seek organic certification, and certifiers say they are understaffed to complete the paperwork and inspections required for more certifications. While some small growers in particular are unhappy with the idea cost increases, many growers are turning to organic certification to meet market demand, so the workload for certifiers is likely to remain heavy. —by Jule Taylor, Horizon Organic, www.horizonorganic.com After more than a year of planning and remodeling, our Idaho dairy has launched a stateof- the art organic calf raising operation. Building on the success of our Maryland farm, where we’ve raised our calves for years, Horizon Organic has invested heavily in our Idaho farm to create the best possible environment for raising a dairy herd from birth. In addition to purchasing hundreds of calf hutches and converting 100 acres of native rangeland to pasture, Horizon Organic brought in three additional full-time staff members to tend the calves, which now number about 70. We will expand our staff as the calf raising operation grows, with the goal of raising 100% of our calves on-site within about a year. “We made a conscious decision to ramp up slowly, so we can do it right,” explains Jule Taylor, Vice President of Dairy Operations. Although USDA regulations don’t currently require organic farms to raise their cows from birth, Horizon Organic believes that raising our own calves is ultimately best for the herd, for our company and for our consumers. “Raising the calves gives you more control over the health and genetic integrity of the herd,” says Jule. “It requires a lot of investment up front, because it’s two years before a calf is ready to give milk. But it’s well worth it, because ultimately, our dairy will be healthier and more productive.” Like human babies, very young calves are particularly vulnerable to disease. When they’re ready, the calves move to larger group hutches to socialize with their peers in the herd. At around six months of age, calves are ready to spend much of their time on pasture during the growing season. “The whole team is just so excited to have calves on the farm,” says Jule. “It’s the best way to really secure the future health of our herd, and therefore the quality and integrity of our milk. It’s very satisfying.” For more information about Horizon Organic and its programs, please visit www.horizonorganic.com. —from Sustainable Table, www.sustainabletable.org What happened to Moopheus after being kidnapped in Meatrix 2? What really goes on in meat processing facilities? And what can you do? Answers to these questions, plus plenty of Meatrix action and excitement, can be found online at www.moremeatrix.com. Produced by Sustainable Table and Free Range Studios for Participant Productions, The Meatrix 2.5 has been launched to educate consumers about problems at processing facilities and to help promote the social action campaign surrounding the Fast Food Nation movie that was released by Participant Productions and Fox Searchlight in mid-November. Developed by Participant Productions and found at www.participate.net/fastfoodnation, the first action in the campaign is to encourage consumers to eat more sustainable animal products by visiting the Eat Well Guide— www.eatwellguide.org—our on-line directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs. Four more actions have been added since the movie launched. Discover for yourself why The Meatrix has revolutionized online advocacy by watching it today at www.moremeatrix.com! Please help us spread the word – things you can do include: • Visit www.themeatrix.com for banner and web graphics to put up on your web site or blog. Link back to us! • Click on the “Send to a Friend” button and email your friends. You can click on “Send mail using your own address book” to automatically upload the message into your e-mail system so you can send it to everyone you know! —from Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com The United States District Court in the District of Maine has dismissed a legal action filed by Mr. Arthur Harvey in which he alleged that the Secretary of Agriculture failed to meet the requirements of the Order of the District Court. Sustainable Table Launches Revamped Web Site —from Sustainable Table, www.sustainabletable.org Sustainable Table, a leading resource designed to celebrate the sustainable food movement, has unveiled a major re-launch of its web site, www.sustainabletable.org, offering enhanced navigation of the site, making it easy to get involved and keep up-to-date with the latest sustainability news, resources, educational tools and award-winning advocacy films. New to the web site is an updated and expanded ‘Issues’ section, highlighting easy-tounderstand information about industrial and sustainable agriculture, a new ‘Get Involved’ section, making it simple for everyone to find out how to make their lives and communities more sustainable, and a growing focus on personal stories. Through the blog, forum, features and new ‘Stories’ section, the updated Sustainable Table site will focus on the people behind the sustainable movement, as well as the consumers involved in it. Sustainable Table now offers The Meatrix and The Meatrix II: Revolting, the site’s award-winning Flash animation films about the dangers of industrialized meat and dairy production, in a new digital format, downloadable to handheld media players, video phones and free of charge on its web site. For more information, visit www.themeatrix.com. The Eat Well Guide, Sustainable Table’s free online directory of farms, stores, restaurants, and other outlets that offer sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and egg products in the United States and Canada, has also been relaunched. In addition to providing consumers an easy-to-use tool to search by zip or postal code, product, growing method or region to find the nearest wholesome food, the Eat Well Guide, www.eatwellguide.org, now offers more than 7,500 entries , consumer reviews of outlets in the Guide and an expanded “My Notebook” functions where registered users can save their favorite listings and keep notes to refer to in the future. Sustainable Table is a leading resource designed to celebrate the sustainable food movement, educate consumers on industrial farming and food-related issues, and build community through sustainable food. For more information, visit www.sustainabletable.org.
Provender Alliance
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