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The Provender Journal May-June 2008 Provender and Policy Governance Provender and Policy Governance —by Vicki Reich, Provender Alliance Board President On a wintry weekend in late March, the Board converged on Breitenbush Hot Springs for a weekend-long retreat. The purpose of our meeting was to consider a change in the way we govern Provender Alliance. We were contemplating a move to Policy Governance (PG), a model developed by John Carver to try and help boards be better stewards of the groups they represent. The model intrigued us because it might get us out of micro-managing the administration side of things and free us up to lead Provender into the future. We spent the weekend envisioning how the system would work for us and seeing if we felt comfortable with what would end up being a giant change in the way the board currently functions. Before I tell you what we did while sequestered in a small, but sunlit, building in the middle of the woods for two days, I will attempt to explain PG in a way that is understandable and not too boring (because once you understand it, it’s pretty thrilling stuff). The basis of PG is (surprise) policies. There are four types of policies that a board develops and then uses to (another surprise) govern. All matters that come up for board consideration are weighed against the established policies and the board uses a reasonable interpretation of the policies to make decisions. There are policies for how the board will behave (Governance Process), how they will interact with the staff (Board-Management Delegation), the boundaries in which the staff can accomplish the goals of the organization (Executive Limitations), and most importantly what the ultimate goals of the organization are (Ends). The work of the board then becomes developing Ends policies by talking with our members and visioning the future. We also monitor the work the management performs towards achieving our Ends for compliance with the current policies, and revising policies if they no longer reflect the Board’s needs. That’s the really short version of how PG works. It’s a lot more involved than that, but the outcome of using this model is that the Board gets its nose out of the day-today running of Provender and spends its time shaping the future of the organization. Another plus to the model is the Executive Limitations Policies are written in a way that tells the Executive Director, a.k.a. Susan, all the things we don’t want to happen and then leaves it up to her how she will accomplish the Ends. This gives her much more room to be creative and takes away the fear that the board will second-guess all of her decisions. As long as she can show that what she’s chosen to do is in keeping with the Policies she’ll get no argument from us. Ultimately, what a change to PG means to you (and let’s admit it, that’s what it’s all about) is Provender becomes an organization that not only listens to what its members want but does something about it. I don’t know how many of you have been involved with boards but I can tell you that it’s very frustrating to sit in board meetings and rehash what the staff has already done while all the strategic planning for the organization gets kicked to the end of the agenda. With PG this doesn’t happen. The Board does board work and lets the staff do staff work. We get to dream about the big picture and not worry over one line of the budget. We get time to talk to our members and to learn more about what influences are affecting our industry since we will be freed from the time consuming tasks of redoing the work Susan has already done. It’s a pretty exciting idea. So what did we do all weekend in our little hut in the forest? We started out by voicing our concerns and the perceived benefits of PG. We then used about a billion brain cells and many, many hours to create a set of policies for Provender. We even started working on our Ends Policy (the hardest and most brain draining of the bunch). At the end of it all we asked ourselves if our concerns had been addressed and if we thought the benefits of PG were worth the effort of implementing it. The answers were a resounding yes. We had just spent an entire weekend working really hard to make a lot more work for ourselves but we feel the effort will pay big dividends to Provender. We now begin the long, and hopefully never-ending, journey of using PG to improve Provender. As we learn how to function as a board that uses PG, you’ll start hearing a lot more from us. Not only will we be keeping you informed of our progress but also we’ll be seeking out your input. We want Provender to serve your needs. We all feel like it’s a momentous time to be on the Board and that perhaps Provender grew up a bit in one snowy weekend. If you’d like more information about PG and how it will change the way the Board works for Provender, or if you’d like to get involved, please contact me at 208.263.6643 or by e-mail at vcrweaving@yahoo.com or any of the other Board members. We’d be happy to talk to you about it. 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 Educational Conference and we promise to make it another interesting, 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. We are very pleased to announce at this time that Provender will be sponsoring a Polish Your Rising Stars training concurrently with the regular conference. The Rising Stars training will begin on Thursday and run through Saturday afternoon. Attendance will be limited so plan accordingly. Workshop scheduling for the conferenceis nearly complete and we have a really stimulating line-up. Confirmed workshop presenters include Tim Blakely from Frontier Natural Products Co-op, Jane Drinkwalter of Vitamer Labs, Phil Howard from Michigan State University and Dr. Tori Hudson, founder of Vitanica. Workshop topics will include:
This is just a taste of what will be offered at the conference. 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. —from Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS), April 24, 2008, www.panna.org The company behind Agent Orange, PCBs, genetically engineered crops and recombinant bovine growth hormone has become the subject of some long-overdue attention. “Monsanto’s Harvest of Fear,” an exposé in Vanity Fair magazine, traces the company’s “ruthless legal battles against small farmers and it’s decades-long history of toxic contamination.” Meanwhile, “The World According to Monsanto,” a 109- minute video broadcast on French television (available as an 11-part series on YouTube), “analyzes the inner-workings, history and scandalous secrets of one of the world’s most powerful corporations.” Co-op and Nonprofit Collaborate for a Better Community —by Lucy Vinis, Earth Share of Oregon, www.earthshare-oregon.org “Our history feels very dependable, honest, functional, and professional in a casual way,” says Corvallis Environmental Center’s (CEC) Director, Tracy Noel, of her organization’s connection to First Alternative Co-op in Corvallis, Oregon. The Center is a 2008 beneficiary of three of the Coop’s community giving programs. Through “Beans for Bags,” customers are rewarded for using their own bags with lima bean tokens that they deposit in jars designated for four community organizations. The Co-op then contributes a nickel per bean. “Our impetus was to save paper bags,’ says Coop Marketing Manager, Donna Kaiser. “We used to give the customer five cents, but then we realized it would have more impact to give a donation to a local environmental group.” Shoppers also can choose to give a larger donation by designating one of a select group of community organizations to receive two percent of their shopping total as part of the “Carts for Corvallis” program. Participating nonprofits can receive up to $1000, which Noel appreciates as a significant contribution to her small organization’s budget. “We want to encourage people to eat locally and to eat organically,” says Kaiser. “And we support efforts that will in turn support local farmers, vendors and organizations that will benefit the community.” This mission takes root literally in the Co-op’s collaboration with CEC to manage the Community Gardens in Corvallis. The City provides land and water; CEC acts as the fiscal agent, and the Co-op maintains the registrations through their customer service department. “It’s absolutely a win for CEC,” says Noel. Augmenting the collaborations with groups like CEC, the Co-op also offers staff the option of supporting conservation projects through payroll contributions to Earth Share of Oregon. This statewide federation supports the work of 67 environmental organizations, including CEC, through charitable giving campaigns at over 100 businesses and public agencies in Oregon. In 2006, Earth Share recognized First Alternative staff for their generosity. They had increased their gift by 60% over the previous year, totaling almost $3000. “The Earth Share campaign gives us a great opportunity to enhance our relationship with the staff at the Co-op,” says Noel. Lucy Vinis is the campaign manager in Corvallis for Earth Share of Oregon, which raises funds for groups like CEC through annual workplace giving campaigns. —by Twilight Greenaway Editor’s note: A lengthier version of this article originally appeared on Culinate.com. Used with permission. In the summer of 2007, shoppers at some food co-ops in the upper Midwest encountered a new label on their produce: “Local Fair Trade.” Seasonal staples such as cucumbers, squash, and broccoli were the first to don the label, a large, hard-to-miss sticker symbolizing the union of two approaches to sustainable food: eating food grown locally, and purchasing food traded fairly. We’ve gotten used to a variety of labels on our food. There’s “organic,” which used to connote ideas like “pure” and “natural” but these days technically means food certified as organic by the USDA (if domestically produced) or by the food’s country of origin. “Local” usually means food grown or produced within a few hundred miles of its selling location. And “fair trade” is seen most commonly on popular imports such as coffee and chocolate; the label means that the food’s growers or producers were paid a decent wage. So what does “local fair trade” mean? According to the Minneapolis-based Local Fair Trade Network, the label is an attempt to answer a question: “How can the principles of fair trade, which have effectively moved many farmers and workers in the developing world out of poverty and towards self-sufficiency, work here in the U.S., where our farmworkers are having some of the same problems?” At the heart of the local or “domestic fair trade” label is the idea of fair and equitable relationships. The label can be applied to food grown in the U.S. under a set of guidelines, including a living wage and an emphasis on fair and healthy living conditions. Although some organic farms in the U.S. opt to pay their workers a living wage, as well as provide vacation days and access to health care, many do none of those things. Small-scale organic farmers, who often live hand-to-mouth themselves, rarely have the budget to do so. And most large, industrial-sized organic farms rely on hundreds if not thousands of underpaid migrant workers, in much the same way that conventional farms and food processors do. Across the country, three to five million people labor every year on farms and in factories, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and processing fresh produce and other agricultural products. Their lives are anything but easy. According to the National Agricultural Workers Survey, 61 percent of farmworkers live in poverty. In recent years, their median income has not kept up with inflation: for individual farmworkers, the median annual income is now $7,500, while for farmworker households, the median annual income is less than $10,000. (The overall U.S. median household income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is more than $48,000.) It is also estimated that between 72 and 78 percent of farmworker households have no health insurance. Today’s domestic fair-trade movement dates back as far as 1999, when Rural Advancement Foundation International- USA (RAFI-USA) and several other partners, argued for an inclusion of labor issues in the federal organic standards. In 2005, the Agricultural Justice Project, along with the international fair-trade organization Equal Exchange and several domestic farmer cooperatives, held the first meeting of the Domestic Fair Trade Working Group (now renamed the Domestic Fair Trade Association). By 2006, it became clear that the best place to pilot a domestic fair-trade label was the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. By early 2007, four small farms in the upper Midwest had been chosen to participate in the Domestic Fair Trade Working Group’s pilot project, along with two food co-ops in the Minneapolis area. All the farms involved were closely audited, including their business practices and employee policies. And they pledged to, among other things, “1) Respect workers’ freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, 2) Provide adequate health and safety protections, including access to adequate medical care, information on potential hazards, and using the least toxic methods available, and 3) Pay a living wage.” Rather than changing how these pilot farms operated, the Local Fair Trade Network wanted to simply start by illustrating the importance of sound labor policies. Including farmworkers in the decision-making process has been key from the start. In the spring of 2007, with the help of a Minnesota-based farmworker-advocacy organization called Centro Campesino, the Local Fair Trade Network and the Agricultural Justice Project hosted a national farmworkers’ conference. The conference helped ensure that organizations like Centro Campesino would be involved in the process of auditing each farm’s practices. Farmworkers are also a crucial piece in the growth of the movement, which is seen by some labor activists as an organizing tool when it comes to changing the larger agricultural landscape. So far, the results of the pilot year have been promising. When the Local Fair Trade Network surveyed customers in both food co-ops, only five percent of the respondents said they would not pay more for food that they knew would directly benefit farmers and workers. Whether that translates to an actual increase in dollars spent is another question. The organic-foods industry in the U.S. has more than quadrupled since 1997. Domestic organic food accounted for $17 billion in sales in 2006, up from $13.8 billion in 2005, representing a 22 percent growth rate. Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, consumers spent approximately $2.2 billion on international fair-trade products in 2006, a 42 percent increase over the previous year. Some see domestic fair trade as the next logical step in the move toward a sustainable food system. Domestic Fair Trade on-line Local Fair Trade Network Agricultural Justice Project Domestic Fair Trade Association Equal Exchange Rural Advancement Foundation International- USA Twilight Greenaway is a Berkeley-based freelance writer who is excited about growing fava beans this spring. Washington State Investigates Drift —from Pesticide Action Network Updates Service (PANUPS), April 17, 2008, www.panna.org Two years after Pesticide Action Network and the Washington state group Farm Worker Pesticide Project (FWPP) published “Poisons on the Wind,” a study that used PAN’s Drift Catchers to show how insecticides drift from apple orchards to nearby homes, the Yakima Herald-Republic reports that Washington is now conducting its own air monitoring “at secret locations near orchards in the Yakima Valley.” Pesticides applied to apple and pear orchards with airblast sprayers pulled behind tractors are especially prone to spray drift. Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), the main insecticide used to kill cutworms and leafrollers, has been linked to “developmental problems in babies and toddlers” and has been shown to have “adverse effects on prenatal and children’s health.” The FWPP air monitoring project showed levels of chlorpyrifos in the air that have the potential to cause adverse effects in children. Washington State Department of Health is heading up the $538,000 study, working with University of Washington scientists and the Tree Fruit Research Commission. FWPP’s Carol Dansereau is concerned that growers, knowing they are being monitored, may alter their spraying habits during the study. Growers fear new regulations could jeopardize the state’s $6 billion fruit-tree industry, but the industry’s use of chemicals has dropped 50% since the 1990s and the state has appropriated $550,000 to help farms adopt Integrated Pest Management practices. Umpqua Ice Cream Going rBGH-Free —from Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Campaign for Safe Food, www.oregonpsr.org Rick North, Oregon Campaign director received confirmation from Doug Feldkamp that Umpqua Ice Cream, based in Roseburg, Oregon, will go officially rBGH-free April 1. No foolin’! Umpqua Dairy has been a family owned business, located in Roseburg, since 1931. It operates as the largest independent dairy company in southern Oregon and their ice cream is sold in many grocery stores throughout Oregon, Washington and northern California. Umpqua has been rBGH-free for their fluid milk for a few years, but still had accepted rBGH milk and powder for their ice cream. Oregon PSR had been urging them to go completely rBGH-free for years, and for the past six months had launched a grass roots post card campaign resulting in hundreds of consumers signing post cards asking Umpqua to do this. For everyone who signed and sent a postcard, we appreciate your efforts! We are very thankful to Umpqua for going rBGH-free! Congratulations to everyone at the company for this important decision. It’s always nice to thank companies for doing the right thing, and we encourage you to do so. Please take a minute to contact them at 541.672.2638 or send an e’mail to info@umpquadairy.com. Washington State Passes Food Program Bill —from Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network, www.wsffn.org The state legislature passed the Local Farms - Healthy Kids bill (SSB 6483) and appropriated $1.5 million to implement its programs. The bill is one of the most comprehensive local foods program in the nation. The Bill expands children’s access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables by 1) easing purchasing restrictions that currently make it difficult for schools and institutions to buy from local farms, 2) establishing a “Farm To School” program within the Washington State Department of Agriculture that will provide assistance in connecting schools with their local farmers, 3) enacting a Washington Grown Fruits and Vegetables Program to fund fresh food snack programs in schools with high numbers of low-income students, and 4) creates a farm to foodbank pilot program to support foodbanks purchasing fresh produce directly from local farmers. The law also provides additional funds for the Farmer Market Nutrition Programs, which enables low-income families to purchase produce at local farmer markets. The budget includes $1,490,000 for the Local Farms Healthy Kids bill, including $200K for the Farmer Market Nutrition Programs. An incredibly broad and diverse coalition helped promote the legislation including members of the farming community, faith/business/ teachers/parents, and children’s/health/poverty community. New Extension Web Site Launched —from ATTRA–National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, Weekly Harvest Newsletter, February 27, 2008, http://ncat.attra.org An educational partnership of 74 landgrant universities in the United States has launched eXtension, an interactive learning web site delivering research knowledge to the public. Content on the site is organized around resource areas including Community, Family, Farm, and Pest Management. The current farm resources offered relate to Beef Cattle, Dairy, Cotton, Horses, and Livestock and Poultry Environment. Additional resources are being added. eXtension is also offering on-line learning opportunities such as a free webinar on Value Added Products that was held in late March. Visit eXtension at www.extension.org. CCOF Achieves Half Million Acres —from California Certified Organic Farmers, www.ccof.org California Certified Organic Farmers, CCOF, one of North America’s oldest and largest organic certifiers, surpassed a half million organic acres in its certification program in March. CCOF has experienced 129% growth in certified organic acreage over the last two years, along with a phenomenal 141,317-acre increase in 2007, representing a 40.7% single-year acreage growth. CCOF’s 501,066 organic acres is split roughly evenly between livestock and produce operations. In 2007, CCOF completed more than 2,300 on-site inspections of land and facilities to ensure their compliance with the standards of the National Organic Program. The organization also expanded its geographic reach. CCOF certifies acreage in 29 different states as well as five foreign countries. Contaminants in Your Drinking Water —from National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides Daily News Blog, www.beyondpesticides.org Not everything that goes down the drain can be removed by water treatment plants, which leaves some alarming contaminants in America’s drinking water. A five-month investigation by the Associated Press (AP) finds trace quantities of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water of 41 million Americans. Scientists fear that ingestion of these tiny amounts of drugs may pose health risks to the public, wildlife and aquatic organisms. According to the AP article, Drugs in Water Hurt Fish and Wildlife, “More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in surface waters throughout the world.” Several species from algae to fish to vultures have serious reproductive problems as a result from these contaminants. Problems include lower sperm counts, damaged sperm, feminization of males, create androgynous characteristics, increased hormone levels, kidney failure, and inhibited growth. Philadelphia has the highest number of pharmaceuticals, 56, found in its drinking water. Washington, DC has six different drugs in its drinking water, one of which is triclocarban, an antibacterial compound widely used as an additive to a range of household and personal care products, and has been linked to numerous health and environmental effects. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that triclocarban is the fifth most frequent contaminant among 96 pharmaceuticals, personal care products and organic wastewater contaminants evaluated and the levels of triclocarban in water resources nationwide are much higher than previously thought. A recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study finds earthworms in agricultural fields contain chemicals from household products, indicating that such substances are entering the food chain. Chemicals introduced to the environment via land application of biosolids and as manure. Additionally, researchers at Virginia Tech have found that triclosan reacts with chlorine in tap water to form significant quantities of chloroform, classified by EPA as a probable human carcinogen. —from Lost Valley Educational Center, www.lostvalley.org Lost Valley Educational Center, located on 87 beautiful forested and meadowed acres 18 miles east of Eugene, Oregon, is offering Ecovillage and Permaculture Institute upcoming courses in sustainable living. New this year is Eco-Homes: An Introduction to Ecological Building and Appropriate Technology that runs August 11 through 29, 2008. Have you ever wondered how to create a home that is energy efficient, environmentally friendly and designed for both human comfort and integration into the natural surroundings? This three-week intensive offers a broad overview of the elements of home building and design with a focus on Permaculture principles. Participants will have direct involvement in hands-on practice sessions and ongoing building projects in various stages of construction. Find out more about appropriate technologies you could be using in your home today. The Center is also offering an Ecovillage and Permaculture Certification Program. The four-week course is June 16 through August 8 and the eight-week course from September 29 through October 24. Immerse yourself in ecovillage living while learning about sustainable agriculture, natural building, agro-forestry, creek restoration, bee keeping, mushroom cultivation, appropriate technology, non-violent communication, ecovillage design and implementation, earth-based crafts, and much more. Instructors are Rick Valley, Jude Hobbs, Marc Tobin, and many exciting guests. Students may be able to receive college credit at their home institutions for EPI courses. To learn more and to register visit www.lostvalley.org/EPI or call 541.937.3351 x112 . You may also e-mail epcp@lostvalley.org. OTA Executive Director Transition —from Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com Executive Director Caren Wilcox informed the Board of OTA that she would be leaving OTA at the end of OTA’s fiscal year on June 30, 2008. The Board accepted Ms Wilcox’s resignation with regret and appreciation for her two years leading OTA toward new levels of excellence. Wilcox expanded OTA’s presence in the public arena and created new financial planning systems that can help OTA accomplish both short and long-term goals, as well as strengthening staff capabilities in several areas. At the Board’s direction, Wilcox focused on enhancing domestic production of organic agricultural products. She oversaw the creation of the web site, HowToGoOrganic(tm).com, and aimed OTA’s efforts in the Farm Bill toward provisions that would promote organic research, conversion, support for current organic farmers and processors and the basic data bases that could contribute to a healthy organic marketplace and organic crop insurance availability. She also paid special attention to building support for the industry’s regulator, the National Organic Program office. Internally, Wilcox worked to expand OTA’s operating capacity including work in Canada where organic farmers and processors are approaching its new federal rule with great anticipation. Wilcox also created a new project based system of accounts that augments the strategic plans of OTA staff and the Board and allows them to see what resources are necessary and available to carry out the objectives of the association and the Board. The Board of Directors is pleased to report that OTA COO, David Gagnon, will step into the role of Interim Executive Director after June 30 and until a new Executive Director is hired. It is expected to take up to six months to complete the hiring process for the new Executive Director.
Provender Alliance
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