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The Provender Journal March-April, 2008 2008 Conference Returns to Hood River 2008 Conference Returns to Hood River Plan now to attend the annual conference in October. We return to Hood River in the heart of the beautiful Columbia Gorge. The conference will be held Thursday and Friday, October 2 and 3. This year we will present the 32nd Annual Provender Alliance E d u c a t i o n a l Conference and we promise to make it another i n t e r e s t i n g , stimulating and fun event. Frances Moore Lappé is one of our confirmed keynote speakers and she is not to be missed. Our conference theme is Sharing Our Values, Achieving Our Vision. Workshop scheduling is already in full swing and we have a really stimulating line-up shaping up. Confirmed workshop presenters include Tim Blakely from Frontier Natural Products Coop, Jane Drinkwalter of Vitamer Labs and Dr. Tori Hudson, founder of Vitanica. Contact us if you have any suggestions or recommendations for speakers or topics. You can reach the office by phone at 888.352.7431 or 503.859.3600 or by e-mail at info@provender.org. You may also want to contact one of your representatives, listed on page 26 of this Journal. Be sure to check the Provender web site, www.provender.org, periodically for details as they develop. Don’t miss it. Promoting Coffee and Pesticide Reform —by Lucy Vinis, Earth Share of Oregon, www.earthshare-oregon.org If you attend just about any nonprofit environmental event in Eugene, chances are you’ll be greeted with the aroma of coffee. This irresistible lure comes to you thanks to Royal Blue Organics/Café Mam, which donates its organic, fair trade coffee to a wide variety of nonprofit events. “It’s not only our belief in groups we want to support,” explains one of the company’s co-owners, Brad Lerch. “It’s a way to get our product out to people. We have a strong environmental and social justice commitment and a message that we want to get out to people who will be receptive to it.” More significant than its in-kind donations is the company’s cash support. RBO/Café Mam gives two percent of annual sales to support pesticide reform, a commitment that stems from the personal passions of founder dahinda meda, Lerch’s uncle. “That’s the drive behind our concern about pesticide reform,” says Lerch. “My uncle, cousin and I wanted to help change what was done in the past. Being an organic product is a natural tie-in to pesticide reform.” Of all the pesticide-reform groups supported by Café Mam, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) is the largest beneficiary. NCAP Executive Director, Norma Grier, says the annual cash gift is valuable for many reasons, but two stand out. “It’s been consistent over so many years, and the size of the gift has grown as their business has grown. But more than that, it’s unrestricted money,” she says. “We can use it where it makes the biggest difference to the organization.” “The array of support from the natural foods community for NCAP’s work is stunning. The far the reach of the philanthropic commitment of these businesses is truly amazing. They give to a level that hurts.” Lucy Vinis is the campaign manager in Eugene for Earth Share of Oregon, which raises funds for groups like NCAP through annual workplace giving campaigns. —from Organically Grown Company, www.organicgrown.com It is with truly heavy hearts that we write you with the news that one of our brothers-inarms, Chris Thompson, passed away on December 24th, a victim of congenital heart disease. Chris was an amazing person and a great co-worker. He joined our staff in 2001 and worked as a warehouser and driver before promotion to AM Ops Supervisor at our Eugene facility. Chris set an example for all of us with his work ethic and upbeat attitude and in 2002 was chosen by our staff as Employee of the Year. Asked for a quote upon acceptance of the award, he offered: “OGC produce rules!” Chris leaves behind many friends and a family as dear to us as he was, including his wife Brooke and sons River and Leif. A Celebration of Chris’s Life was held at Cosmic Pizza in Eugene on Friday, January 4th from 4-7 PM. The Celebration included an opportunity to share memories, thoughts and feelings. Written notes and other items were shared as well, on a memory table. All cards, flowers and gifts should be forwarded to OGC’s Eugene facility at 1800-B Prairie Road, 97402. Many were provided to the family at the Celebration. Additionally, The Christopher Thompson Memorial Fund has been established at Wells Fargo bank. Any branch will accept donations; Anthony Seran is OGC’s contact with the bank and may be reached at 541.689.5320 or aseran@organicgrown.com. We hope you can remember all the good, wild and wooly things that made Chris who he was, and appreciate any and all support you can offer his family in the time of their loss. Important Changes to Provender Board of Directors Elections —from Kelly Miles, Nominating Committee Chairperson Greetings Provender Faithful, The Provender Board of Directors and the 2008 Nominating Committee Chair have decided to change the nominations and election process for the Provender board in 2008, moving from a slate system to a more democratic open election with individual candidates. In recent years, Provender utilized a Slate system for our Board elections: the Nominating Committee (Nom Com) would solicit and evaluate candidates for the Board, nominate a slate of candidates to the board for approval, and then, once approved, the slate would be placed on the ballot for an ‘all or none’ vote by the Membership. The slate system was adopted to strengthen the Board during a period when Board accountability and participation had been faltering. The benefits and challenges of this system have been discussed over the past 2 years and it has been decided that the Provender Board and our nominations process is now strong enough to revert back to an open election process where the Membership will vote on specific candidates for each of the Board openings. This year, there will be 3 openings on the Provender Board. In accordance with our by-laws, the Nom Com will nominate 5 candidates for the election ballot. Members will vote for their 3 top candidates and the 3 top vote-getters will be elected to the Board of Directors. The Nom Com has already created a list of candidates to recruit and evaluate for the Board. However, all Provender Members are open for consideration by the Nom Com. If you are interested in running for the Provender Board, please contact Nom Com Chair, Kelly Miles, by Monday, March 31st. The 2008 Nom Com is dedicated to recruiting and nominating the best group of candidates for your consideration. Our 2008 Nom Com will be:
Look for the 2008 candidate statements in the July/August issue of the Provender Journal. The 2008 Nom Com thanks you for your thoughtful consideration of this year’s Board candidates. They are the future of this organization. Thank you, Kelly Miles WVSFA Elects New Board President —from Willamette Valley Sustainable Foods Alliance, www.wvsfalliance.org On January 17th, 2008, the WVSFA held their inaugural elections. Felicia Colden was elected as the first president of the organization. WVSFA includes a wide array of members ranging from Springfield Creamery and King Estate Winery to Laughing Stock Farm and Cottage Grove Farmhouse Bakery. Colden says that the alliance “works towards fostering a network to assist in regional sourcing of ingredients, raw materials and distribution in an effort to develop a regional brand around natural foods produced in Lane County similar to Napa Valley wines.” Other members of the newly elected officers include Justus Grose of Café Mam as Vice President, Kathee Lavine of Holy Cow as Treasurer and Molly Morris of McKenzie Mist Water as Secretary. Colden is active in several aspects of the natural products industry in Oregon serving on the steering committee of Provender Alliance and is the representative for Mountain Rose Herbs at the Oregon Organic Coalition. Members include growers, brokers, distributors, wholesalers, producers, processors, manufacturers, retailers and restaurants. Membership is restricted to businesses with operations or offices in Lane County, Oregon. For additional information on the Willamette Valley Sustainable Foods Alliance, visit www.wvsfalliance.org. Kraft to Offer rBST-Free Cheese —from National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, www.sustainableagriculture.net Kraft Foods Inc. plans to offer cheese free of a controversial growth hormone, a strategic move that pressures competitors to follow. They will start selling a line of cheese made with milk from cows free of rBST by June. Kraft aims to capitalize on consumer worries about food safety with a specialty product that will fetch a higher price than its mass-market cheeses. Other companies already have responded to those concerns. Dean Foods Co. offers a line of rBSTfree products, while Kroger Co. bans the artificial hormone from its namebrand milk. Starbucks last year became the highest-profile company to act, instituting a ban in its 6,793 company- operated cafes. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., spun off from McDonald’s Corp. in 2006, also announced last year it was banning rBST. —from GM Watch Monthly Review, Number 52, www.gmwatch.org Just 10 corporations control nearly half of the world seed market. Monsanto recently became the world’s biggest seed company, trailed closely by DuPont. In the mid 1970’s there were around 7,000 seed companies and not one of them had even 0.5% of the world market. Nowadays just 10 corporations control 49% of the world seed market. Tilth Producers Establishes Disaster Relief Fund —from Tilth Producers, www.tilthproducers.org Tilth Producers of Washington has announced the establishment of the Tilth Producers Disaster Relief Fund (TPDRF) to provide financial assistance to Washington organic and sustainable farmers working to build a healthy equitable local food system. The fund was established following the winter 2007 flooding in Southwest Washington and will provide support to sustainable farmers who have been devastated by storms and/or flooding and have suffered financial hardship as a result. Priority for relief funding is given to current and or recent Tilth Producers members. The Fund’s priorities will change from year to year, depending on current issues and available funding. Monetary support has been provided to TPDRF by concerned businesses, organizations and individuals. The TPDRF Committee will distribute funds through an application process. The first round of applications was to be submitted by February 23rd and the first round of distributions were to be allocated by February 28th. All other applications are due by March 15th, and a second round of assistance will be distributed by March 31st. If not funded initially, applications will be kept in a pool as long as they meet basic criteria. If future funding rounds for relief are announced, all applicants will be notified. Future allocations depend on the availability of funds donated to TPDRF. Donations for flood relief continue to be accepted via check to the address below, or electronically at: www.networkforgood.org (search for Tilth Producers of Washington). Early applications are encouraged. Please download the fund guidelines and application at: www.tilthproducers.org/2007- flooding.htm. Completed applications and any supporting documents can be faxed, mailed or emailed to the Committee. Electronic applications are preferred, but not required. Please send to: Tilth Producers of Washington —from ATTRA–National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Weekly Harvest Newsletter, February 13, 2008, http://ncat.attra.org The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced organizational and structural changes for the National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP is reorganizing into three branches: Standards Development & Review; Accreditation, Auditing & Training; and Compliance & Enforcement. Also underway is the creation of an “electronic reading room,” where all NOP records that can be made publicly available will be accessible electronically, including a new Q&A site to provide answers to questions posed to NOP. —from Center for Food Safety, www.centerforfoodsafety.org The Center for Food Safety (CFS) condemned the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) irresponsible determination in mid-January that milk and meat from cloned animals are safe for sale to the public. In addition, the FDA is requiring no tracking system for clones or labeling of products produced from clones or their offspring. CFS joins dozens of other food industry, consumer, and animal welfare groups, as well as federal lawmakers in calling for swift action on the part of Congress to pass the 2007 Farm Bill containing provisions delaying FDA’s release of clones into the food supply. The Farm Bill currently contains an amendment requiring a rigorous and careful review of the human health and economic impacts of allowing cloned food into America’s food supply. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill by a vote of 79 to 14. In its risk assessment of cloned food, the FDA claims to have evaluated extensive peer reviewed safety studies to support its conclusion. A recent report issued by CFS, Not Ready for Prime Time, shows the assessment only references three peer-reviewed food safety studies, all of which focus on the narrow issue of milk from cloned cows. What is even more disturbing is that these studies were partially funded by the same biotech firms that produce clones for profit. For more information and developments on this issue, visit the Center for Food Safety web site, www.centerforfoofsafety.org. —from American Farmland Trust, www.farmland.org The population of the Pacific Northwest is expected to grow by a factor of five over the next Century, concentrating near cities and massively increasing the environmental footprint— but cities alone will not be able to address the regional environmental problems accompanying this growth. American Farmland Trust’s Northwest office is engaging farmers and forest businesses to explore one of the strongest tools on the horizon for environmental mitigation, Ecosystem Services Markets. Upcoming “listening sessions” with the agriculture industry will delve into the economics and practices of paying rural landowners for providing environmental benefits that offset damages to our water, land and air caused by growth. —from ATTRA–National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Weekly Harvest Newsletter, February 6, 2008, http://ncat.attra.org A survey of 22,000 U.S. food shoppers by Information Resources, Inc (IRI) shows that about half of these consumers consider eco-friendly or fair trade aspects of products before making a purchase, reports Food Quality News.com. Furthermore, one-fifth of the respondents were “sustainability driven”, requiring two organic, green, or ethical aspects before purchasing a product. Forty percent of the respondents claimed to look for organic products when shopping. USDA Gives Breaks to Farmers for GM Seeds —from Beyond Pesticides, www.beyondpesticides.org The USDA has struck an arrangement with Monsanto that gives farmers in four states a break on federal crop insurance premiums if they plant a majority of Monsanto-brand seed corn this spring. Farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota need to plant 75- 80% of their crops with Monsanto’s GM seeds to receive the “premium rate discount”. The arrangement has raised some eyebrows, particularly among organic farm groups that argue the government agency should not be promoting corn that promotes herbicide use. The deal with Monsanto was approved September 12, 2007 under a provision called the Biotech Yield Endorsement (BYE) program, which is part of the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. No other companies have taken advantage of the program. The insurance premium benefit to farmers will be about $2 per acre. Crop insurance prices have skyrocketed as corn prices have reached near-record highs in recent months. Corn trades at about $4 a bushel, double the price of about two years ago. Those prices have continued to stay high because of increased demand from the ethanol industry, which uses the grain to make fuel, as well as increased corn exports and demands from cattle-feeding businesses. Crop insurance rates can be as high as $50 an acre. Several years ago premiums were about $15 to $20 an acre. The pilot program with Monsanto covers the country’s four most productive corn states. The deal with the Agriculture Department was finalized in January. The corn grown is generally used as cattle feed and as raw material for ethanol plants. Monsanto won the BYE designation by providing three years’ worth of research that convinced the USDA’s Federal Crop Insurance Corporation board that its corn variety produces higher yields under difficult conditions, such as weeds and corn borer. Most of the corn acreage in the four states involved is insured, according to USDA figures. Of the 11 million acres planted in corn in 2006 in Illinois, about 9 million acres, or 79 percent, had federal crop insurance. In Indiana, 68 percent of corn acres were insured, in Iowa, 87 percent and in Minnesota, 89 percent. 2008 Non-GMO Sourcebook Available —from The Organic and Non-GMO Report, www.non-gmoreport.com The world’s only global directory of non-GMO seeds, grains, ingredients, and foods is now available. The 2008 Non-GMO Sourcebook, the world’s only “farm to fork” directory of suppliers of non-genetically modified products, features more than 700 suppliers of non-GMO products and services. 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 seventh year of publication, The Non-GMO Sourcebook has tripled in size growing from 200 listings in 2001 to more than 700 this year. The 2008 Non-GMO Sourcebook features comprehensive listings of suppliers and related products and services:
The Non-GMO Sourcebook is published annually by Writing Solutions, Inc., publisher of The Organic & Non-GMO Report monthly newsletter. Subscribers to The Organic & Non-GMO Report newsletter receive The 2007 Non-GMO Sourcebook as a free bonus. Individuals can order The 2008 Non-GMO Sourcebook for $27.95 by phone: 641.472.1491 or 800.854.0586 (US and Canada), or online: www.non-gmoreport.com. OTA Names Director of Marketing —from Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com OTA’s Executive Director Caren Wilcox announced the appointment of OTA’s new Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Laura Batcha, formerly of Tom’s of Maine, will join OTA in late January in this newly created position. Batcha has been a member of the natural and organic business community for over 15 years. She brings a range of experience including owning and operating an organic herbal products business, as well as seven years at Tom’s of Maine, Inc. in leadership positions in product development, marketing, business development and her most recent role as Director of Grassroots Strategy and Development.
Provender Alliance
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