tagged w/ organic farms
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FoodCycle is a group dedicated to creating lasting collaborations between small organic farms and public schools. Its self-supported riders will cycle from Maine to California this year, stopping at farms and schools along the way, documenting the emerging farm-to-school movement.FoodCycle is a group dedicated to creating lasting collaborations between small... more
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“The crops that we grow are the basis of our civilization,” Todd Leake said. “If anything belongs in the public domain it is the crops we grow for food.”
President Barack Obama's administration has been investigating monopoly concentration in the seed business for over two years. But when the President spoke on the steps of the Seed Savers Exchange, an independent seed company, he didn't mention tht inquiry once. Nor did he talk about business concentration in other areas of agriculture, despite hearings held by his Department of Justice all over rural America.
Last week President Obama held a town hall meeting on the grounds of Iowa’s Seed Savers Exchange, an organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds.
The stop was part of a larger strategy to appeal to rural voters as the campaign season begins. The president spoke about job creation and the gridlock on Capitol Hill, both issues of concern, to be sure.
But what would have really resonated with rural America is a re-commitment to working toward fairness in our farm fields.
The President should know that growing economic opportunities in rural America will take confronting the concentrated market power (and thus political and legislative power) in several agricultural industries. It will take fulfilling a campaign promise to fight for family farmers and ranchers by ensuring fair and transparent markets.
The President couldn’t have picked a better spot to make this point. His venue, Seed Savers, is home to a trove of genetically diverse seed. It is the perfect counterpoint to the alarming extent to which ownership of this vital resource is privatized and concentrated. The top three firms, for example, account for more than 75 percent of U.S. corn seed sales.
Monsanto is the largest seed company in the world, receiving royalties from nearly every acre of corn, soybeans, and cotton planted in the U.S.; it also has a hand in much of the vegetable and sugar beet seed supply. Indeed, this level of control over our plant genetic resources and the narrowing of diversity makes the mission of groups like Seed Savers Exchange so much more important.
Out of Hand
Monsanto has a lock on the soy and corn seed market.
Confronting the business concentration in the seed business is paramount for the success of farmers, especially new farmers and businesses seeking to cultivate a niche in agriculture. But just as seeds as an organism are complex, so is untangling the roots of seed concentration.
And this gets us back to President Obama’s missed opportunity at Seed Savers Exchange.
President Obama’s administration initially signaled a willingness to tackle the problem of monopoly in the seed business. His Justice and Agriculture departments held workshops last year on all aspects of agricultural competition.
These hearings were unprecedented. Farmers, ranchers, farm advocacy organizations, small businesses, and consumers were encouraged that the agencies were investigating consolidation in the seed, livestock, dairy, poultry, and food retail industries.
“We’ve waited a long time for justice in the heartland,” said Missouri state senator and farmer Wes Shoemyer at the first Justice/Agriculture workshop in Ankeney, Iowa, which focused in part on problems in the seed industry.
But the hope was short-lived. There is no indication that either agency is furthering these investigations or taking meaningful action on outcomes of the investigations. The agencies don’t even seem inclined to publish a report in response to the thousands of public comments personally delivered at the 2010 workshops.
And then the President appears at Seed Savers Exchange to talk about the rural economy and doesn’t mention seeds or any of the other issues brought up in his own administration’s workshops.
It would behoove the President to look at the comments received at these workshops before he talks about the rural economy. Tucked within the thousands of comments the agencies received are both evidence of the problems with too much concentration in the seed business and reasonable solutions.
snip
“So how do we fix the industry?” Nelson asked. “I say we disallow any monopolies and the anticompetitive activities that come with them...I think we have to re-examine the safety and wisdom of granting long-term patents on living things.”
Indeed, even the assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Antitrust Division, Christine Varney, who has since left Justice, highlighted the problem of patents in her opening remarks: “You know, patents have in the past been used to maintain or extend monopolies, and that's illegal, and you can be sure, Secretary, that we are going to be looking very closely at any attempt to maintain or extend a monopoly through an abuse of patent laws.”
Such abuse of patent law has come in a variety of forms. Nelson said he’s witnessed the misuse of confidential GMO seed contracts, aggressively enforced through patent rights.
Indiana farmer David Runyon took to the microphone to recount his experience of being wrongfully pursued by Monsanto for alleged patent infringement. It turned out his conventional varieties of soybeans were contaminated by GMO material. He laid out the need to transfer liability to the patent holder in such events so that farmers aren’t pitted against each other.
“In my case whom do I sue but my neighboring farmers?” Runyon asked. “Because they are taking the liability when they sign that contract. And that's wrong. That's why it should go back to [the] patent holder.”
Woven within many comments was a plea for USDA to protect genetic diversity in seeds and breeds, and to keep germplasm public and accessible to our public land grant universities.
“The crops that we grow are the basis of our civilization,” Todd Leake said. “If anything belongs in the public domain it is the crops we grow for food.”
Fred Kirschenmann operates an organic farm in North Dakota and also serves as a distinguished fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. He told the Obama administration officials, “We have lost about three-fourths of our crop seed stock -- that is the varieties of seeds that farmers have had available -- and about 30 percent of our livestock breeds, and as we move into a more uncertain future with more uncertain climates…we're going to need more diversity, not less, that are going to be locally adapted to these local conditions.”
Kirschenmann and others also pointed out that the future of our food supply relies on bringing young people into agriculture, which means ensuring they have a fair fighting chance at a profit.
“I believe our government has an obligation written in law not to pick winners and losers but to act as a referee and ensure the laws and regulations dealing with anticompetitive practices are enforced,” Nelson said.
These farmers’ messages were loud and clear, but they appear to have fallen on deaf ears. There has been no action (or even a peep) out of the Department of Justice. And President Obama didn’t mention his administration’s two-year investigation into the seed business when he spoke at the front door of an independent seed company.
More at the link“The crops that we grow are the basis of our civilization,” Todd Leake... more
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In response to recent reports about the growing number of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus infections occurring from mosquito bites, some municipalities in the North East have began conducting aerial and ground insecticide spraying on neighborhoods and farms. But not everyone is pleased with this, including several Mass. organic farmers whose properties could be destroyed by the endeavor.
A recent Taunton Daily Gazette article highlights the concerns of several families in the area that tend organic farms. They say that, not only will the spraying harm the integrity of their crops, it will have devastating, long-lasting effects on the natural environment in general.
Contrary to popular belief, there are natural ways to help keep mosquitos at bay, including maintaining a healthy population of dragonflies which are known to eat mosquitos and their larvae. And insecticide spraying not only kills mosquitos, but it likely kills every other insect as well, including dragonflies.
Residents are also concerned about how the spraying affects honeybee populations. Honeybees have been in decline throughout the U.S., probably due to excessive pesticide exposure. According to locals, every time their area is sprayed, many of these honeybees die. And since honeybees are necessary for crop pollination, an important part of agriculture is destroyed.
Ironically, area residents say that mosquitos are down this year, and they do not understand why officials are in a panic over the situation.
Opponents to the spraying are urging officials to think about the damage spraying causes in the long term and consider other alternatives. They say that the damage caused by aerial spraying far outweighs any purported benefits.
Read More: http://morichesdaily.com/2010/08/mass-residents-fight-aerial-insecticide-spraying/In response to recent reports about the growing number of Eastern equine encephalitis... more
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YPNation contributor Taylor Wiles looks at how the younger generation is impacting the farming industry:
"Small farms have been on the out for decades as younger generations leave town for urban lifestyles with more financial promise. But as we have seen recently in Michael Pollan’s books (The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food) as well as the work of so many others, the tragic consequences of agribusiness have spurred a reactionary movement, which is now in full swing. The demand for sustainably produced and organic food is going up, and as a result of this increasing awareness, young people are moving back to the farm. And they’re changing how it’s done."
Read more: http://www.ypnation.net/farming-takes-new-tacksYPNation contributor Taylor Wiles looks at how the younger generation is impacting the... more
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Community supported agriculture is sprouting in Morocco.
excerpt: SHOUL, Morocco — On a 50-acre farmstead outside the country’s capital, the scene did little to evoke agriculture on the cutting edge: Two lanky men in mud boots labored across a loamy field.
Slowly and by hand, they dropped seeds into rows of furrowed dirt. Behind them, a third man guided a horse-drawn harrow that looked as old as farming itself, covering each kernel with a layer of coffee-brown earth.
more at: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/morocco/100213/moroccos-organic-farming-growingCommunity supported agriculture is sprouting in Morocco.
excerpt: SHOUL, Morocco... more
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"The paradox is there's this view that organic is elitist, it's expensive, it's a lifestyle choice for people who can afford it. As far as I'm concerned it's not elitist to believe, everyone should have the right to high-quality, nutritious food from sustainable farming systems. What's elitist is that a handful of corporations have got a vice-like grip on the farming systems and food."
Agro-chemical agriculture is heavily subsidised by the taxpayer through the government, organic farming isn't.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributes between $10 billion and $30 billion in cash subsidies to farmers and owners of farmland each year. The particular amount depends on market prices for crops, the level of disaster payments, and other factors. More than 90 percent of agriculture subsidies go to farmers of five crops—wheat, corn, soybeans, rice, and cotton.2 More than 800,000 farmers and landowners receive subsidies, but the payments are heavily tilted toward the largest producers."
"In the US, most organic farmers and those transitioning to organic farming get no subsidies at all, or very few, while huge chemical-intensive corporate farms (10 percent of US farms) get the lion’s share (80 percent) of the nation’s $20 billion in crop subsidies every year. In France, an organic farmer receives, on average, 20 to 40 percent fewer subsidies than a conventional farmer. In 2003, the EU support for Organic Agriculture was 635 million euros, whereas the total Common Agricultural Policy budget amounted to 50 billion. This means that Organic Agriculture received 1.3 percent of the agricultural support, yet, at the time it represented 3.9 percent of the total EU agricultural area."
No doubt that Organic food is expensive, a few more points:
"Myth:
Consumers are paying too much for organic food.
Reality Not so:
Crop rotations, organic animal feed and welfare standards, the use of good
husbandry instead of agri-chemicals, and the preservation of natural habitats all result in organic food costing more to produce. Non-organic food appears to be cheaper but in fact consumers pay for it three times over – first over the counter, second via taxation (to fund agricultural subsidies) and third to remedy the environmental pollution (or disasters like BSE) caused by intensive farming practices."
So here is the actual conclusion: Organic food is cheaper than conventional.
Reality doesn't make it look like that, it's just a good elaborated illusion.
We buy our food that is genetically engineered; It is stuffed with pesticides, herbicides, chemical additives, hormones and we pay for it with our taxes, that's one reason why it's so cheap.
Other hidden costs in conventional food not included in the price are the negative environmental impacts, the clean up costs for polluting our water and soil, more and more billions from our tax money are taken away and the corporations are "obviously" not accountable.
We are spending the same amount of money if not more for this franken-food, we are destroying our Nature and health.
Here is one of my favorite quotes:
‘We need to learn the lessons
of the real cost of production. We need to
ask ourselves not just why organic prices are
so high, but why conventional prices are so low’
A. Wilson, Waitrose2
It says it all.
We must change those policies, the small local organic farmers will go out of business and the future of our self sufficiency will be lost with it. We can decide who and what to support with our money and our voice.
We can stop their domination, their control, their monopoly, WE CAN!
Join the Organic Revolution:
http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/"The paradox is there's this view that organic is elitist, it's... more
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"At the recent Eco Farm conference I was surprised to find the dominating corporate influence among the home-growers and anarchist farmers."
Eliot Coleman speaks representing a counter-corporate model that would promote small local farms and self sufficiency.
Excerpt:
"Gary Hirshberg, in contrast, sells his certified organic yogurt in Wal-Mart. In fact, he's a big supporter of Wal-Mart. He's a big supporter of big business, and has perfected a rap on how BIG is going to change the world. Hirshberg's speech was successful in that he's basically a politician.
He wooed the audience with his charm, his humor, and constant affirmation about all of his heroes -- the small farmers out there. He aligned himself with the entire movement around organic by using the classic stats that prove healthy food is better for everyone.
He talked a lot about "our children" and "poor people" and "carbon footprint." It all sounded legit until you realize this guy's company is owned by the same corporation who owns Dannon and Evian (how can he be "for" the health of the environment when he's in bed with bottled water?) He kept talking about his friend Tom Vilsack and how they were just in the oval office talking to Obama about healthcare. He came across as a real leader, and agent of legitimate legal change. There were frequent smatterings of applause after he pressed each progressive talk-button.
But wait a minute. We had just spent the last three days talking about how to get more people farming, more farms in urban areas, healthy food to low-income communities, and how to decrease the negative impact of large scale agriculture (as Wes Jackson put it: The biggest enemy of the environment.) Now there's a bigwig on the podium telling us it's not farming, but buying that's going to save the world. Now, I'm not saying we have to choose one or the other -- big or small -- but what's the model we're striving for? What kind of society do we see ourselves becoming in the future? Big businesses and their CE-Whatevers bloating the economy? Or a culture of self sufficiency, ownership, and access?"
http://www.alternet.org/food/145482/sneak_peak:_i've_seen_a_glimpse_of_the_future_of_food_and_farming?page=3
This is the story of the big corporation that puts small communities out of business.
Stonyfield Farm sells his organic yogurt in Walmart.
Selling your soul to the devil.
This is not an inspiring model for the Organic Movement that wants to reach self sufficiency, independence. This only feeds the power that controls us.
Join the Organic Movement:
http://current.com/groups/organicgreen/"At the recent Eco Farm conference I was surprised to find the dominating... more
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A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found toxic bisphenol A leaching into food from nearly all canned goods, even those labeled as being "BPA-free" and "organic." The magazine tested items such as canned corn, chili, tomato sauce and corned beef, and found BPA levels varied widely, but some BPA was found in nearly all of them.A new test conducted for Consumer Reports magazine found toxic bisphenol A leaching... more
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(Marquette, Michigan) - While Upper Peninsula residents endured an arctic blast, two Northern Michigan University students started the New Year learning about Fair Trade during the peak of the coffee growing season in Nicaragua.
Since their return on January 12, Lisa McCarthy and Sarah Swanson have begun a series of presentations at U.P. churches to encourage Americans to buy Fair Trade coffee that ensures poor Nicaraguan farmers don't lose money in the labor-intensive industry of coffee production.
In part 1 of a three-part video series, the students look at the role of faith communities, Nicaragua coffee farmers, and coffee cooperatives in Fair Trade movement; Northern Michigan University students talk about work that goes into growing coffee including wet mills, dry mills and the process of quality/taste testing called "cupping."
From staring into the mouth of the Masaya Volcano to traveling narrow mountain roads to stay with coffee-farming families to picking beans and participating in all phases of coffee production, the trip was a myth-shattering experience.
The students are the latest of hundreds of faith community representatives traveling to Central American over the last decade with Lutheran World Relief (LWR) to get a quick course on Fair Trade while erasing misconceptions about Nicaragua's hard-working low-income farmers who take pride in their coffee.(Marquette, Michigan) - While Upper Peninsula residents endured an arctic blast, two... more
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In 27-year-old Chris Becker's cramped New York City apartment building, neighbors rarely greeted one another beyond a head nod or a grunt.
Mr. Becker, a chef, spent 2 ½ hours commuting every day and worked up to 80 hours a week in a restaurant where chicken with sage, sangiovese, schiacciata and carrots went for $90.
Now he's given it all up to harvest vegetables in the hot Texas sun – without pay.
Mr. Becker and his wife, Amanda Becker, 28, are spending the summer on an organic farm near Waco run by World Hunger Relief, a nonprofit that provides free dormlike housing and food to young volunteers in exchange for their labor.
And it's not just the Beckers. Twenty-somethings across the country are fleeing the cities and suburbs to volunteer on organic farms.
World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms-USA, one of the best-known organizations matching volunteers with organic farms, quintupled its membership between 2003 and 2007. Last year, it had 2,643 volunteers, including 59 from Texas.
Now, not only does Mr. Becker know all of his neighbors, he shares hand-harvested meals with them nearly every day. He showers with rainwater collected from his roof. He can milk a goat. And he knows that "pushing the poop down the chute" means knocking down the build-up in the latrines when they get too full.
"Part of understanding food and how to cook it is understanding where it comes from," Mr. Becker said, explaining why he left New York.
Some volunteers work for a week, others a year or more. But all in all, this new generation of farmers is frustrated with mainstream consumer culture, disturbed by the corporatization of farming and aching for a break from stressful, fast-paced lives.
Plus, the fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes are really that good.
"It's definitely a trend. It's kind of like the cool thing to do," farm manager David Cole, 27, said about the influx of young volunteers over the past few years. "Most of the people that seem to be really going after it are people that have no farm experience at all."
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Sounds like a good experience for a young person to give them some perspective on life as well as getting back to nature.
In 27-year-old Chris Becker's cramped New York City apartment building,... more
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