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Diane,
We just had our Two Chickens and a Cold Frame workshop yesterday (20
people came!!!!!) and my friend Sally talked on compost - the ability of
compost to deal with toxins - I don't know where they go, but she
specifically mentioned oil, & Cesium (can't remember if there was a number
after it, or if there was, what it was), so possibly by using organic
methods, such toxins would disappear. Improving the soil organically is not
the same as letting the earth just sit there, it seems. All the more reason....
Jill
At 10:04 AM 3/28/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Can you tell me what certification means and if it differs depending on the
state the
>produce in grown in? It is my understanding that, for example, Oregon and
California have
>different meanings but I am not positive on this. Also, if part of the
definition includes
>no use of pesticides for, say, 4 years then what does that mean because
isn't it possible
>that the soil is chock full of pesticides from previous years? I am living
very close to
>what used to be orchards.....for some reason someone tested the soil near a
local childcare
>center and it was found to have high levels of pesticides in it even though
the soil hasn't
>been used for orchards for at least 10 years. So they had to pile
something like 6 inches
>of soil and sawdust etc. in the play area. I still don't know what they
are doing to the
>grassy area of that childcare center. Anyway, does the soil have to be
tested at specific
>depths to detect past pesticide use?
>
>Also, my father grew up on a farm & he has always used organic methods in
his own very
>large backyard garden. He uses specific types of manure, etc. to raise his
bountiful
>crops. He claims that pesticides are not necessary for healthy crops. He
does live in
>Minnesota so I can only guess that not as many bugs live there as in Texas?
However, large
>farms in MN and neighboring states do use mega amounts of pesticides --
there is a strong
>correlation among the natives in large farming communities of cancer. My
father's father
>died of lung cancer himself. I believe it is related to harvesting methods
and pesticide
>use. It makes intuitive sense that healthy plants don't need pesticides?
>
>Red Corral Ranch wrote:
>
>> I am an organic grower in Texas and agree with the contention that
certification is one
>> of the few appropriate government interventions in the field of
agriculture (no pun).
>> Even if you know your local farmer and discuss his practices in as much
detail as an
>> intelligent lay person can, there are practices that may fit into a too-broad
>> definition of "organic" which doesn't actually fit into a goal of ecological
>> sustainability that is the root goal of most consumers (and producers) of
organic
>> food. If you or your local farmer believes that substituting blood meal
(or soy meal
>> or cottonseed meal) for ammonium nitrate or pyrethrum for Sevin is
sustainable, you
>> have been misled. It's understandable. Purveyors of agricultural
amendments, anxious
>> to have a slice of the growing organic pie aggressively promote such
substitutions
>> without putting them into the context of their appropriate use.
Government standards
>> and rigorous enforcement ensures that everyone concerned is on the same
page. If
>> you're a grower or consumer interested in a great, common sense example
of good
>> organic practices, pick up a copy of the New Organic Grower by Elliot
Coleman. It's a
>> terrific read. It helped change me from a disillusioned healthier worker
into a happy,
>> successful farmer.
>>
>> Scott Harris
>>
>> Diane Olson wrote:
>>
>> > Do you or does anyone here know how to tell what organic food laws are
in effect in
>> > which places? For example, Fresh Fields charges a premium for organic
meats and
>> > produce but I have no idea what they mean by organic? Diane
>> >
>> > Stan King wrote:
>> >
>> > > >> If we stay sustainable - in terms of small and local, then that
will pose no
>> > > >> problem at all. Presently I am organic, but am not certified.
People know
>> > > >> that. They don't need a label. They don't need government
regulation.
>> > > >> They know me, they know where I live.
>> > >
>> > > >This is indeed the best solution, in my view. I buy vegetables from a
>> > > >community-supported farm that is also not "certified" organic, but I
know the
>> > > >farmers and I know how they grow.
>> > >
>> > > I have to disagree here. While not a proponent of legislation to solve
>> > > our problems per se, I think organic food laws have improved the quality
>> > > of the food available to us. I will use the California Organic food
>> > > law as an example:
>> > >
>> > > http://www.rain.org/~sals/code.html
>> > >
>> > > We have a standard in California that food buyers are now demanding.
>> > > The number of farms that are trying to attain California organic
>> > > certification is increasing. At our local farmers market the number
>> > > of organic or organic in process is approaching 50%. The prices are
>> > > also on par with non-organic. I do agree that knowing the farmer and
>> > > his/her farming practices is important as well. I typically buy from
>> > > the same farmers and try to talk to them about their farms. However
>> > > as more supermarkets are carrying organic, talking to the
>> > > farmers is not possible. Therefore an agreed upon standard defining
>> > > organic is necessary. I do agree that there are those who for
>> > > economic interests want to weaken the definition of organic. We have
>> > > the same problem with clean air laws. I'm sure no one would suggest
>> > > we abolish those. We need to convince our legislatures to keep these
>> > > standards (and improve) whether they apply to the air we breathe,
>> > > the water we dring or the food we eat.
>> > >
>> > > Regards,
>> > >
>> > > Stan
>> > >
>
>
>
>
Wi zone 4-5