CCOF ~ 30Th Anniversary
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the newsletter o f California Certified Organic Farmers Volume XIX, Number 4 Creating a Living Standard for Healthy Food Winter 2002–2003 CCOF’s Anniversary! th page 24 30 ORGANIC LIVESTOCK page 2 $3.50 BROCCOLI: CROWN JEWEL EVALUATING COMPOST ORGANIC RAW MILK LAWN CARE CHEMICALS page 8 page 16 page 38 page 49 FIRST WORD HE UIET RUTH Farmers that have been exposed to 2,4,5,- ble. Once the true costs of toxic chemical T Q T T and 2,4-D have two- to eightfold agriculture are determined and placed on ABOUT CONVENTIONAL increases in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma products, then organic agriculture will over farmers who have not been exposed dominate in the marketplace. Before a true AGRICULTURE to those two chemicals. Herbicides such as accounting system is adopted, our own chlorophenoxy have been government must regain By Brian Leahy CCOF President linked to increased rates of a value system that puts immune cancers in migrant Toxic chemicals are human life, the environ- SPENT THIS PAST and seasonal farm workers, ment, and culture above FOURTH OF JULY at a as well as county extension attacking our bodies and the desires of the agro- friend’s family farm agents. Childhood cancers chemical interest group I have also been shown to be that has dominated in Kentucky. My friend’s our families’ bodies, our soil father confided in me that he believes the linked with the toxic chem- USDA and the land high cancer rate in his family is a result of ical tools that family farms and the life within and grant colleges for the the tools he used to produce his crops. The have come to rely on. past 60 years. toxic chemicals that made it easier for him Advances in the under- upon the soil, Common sense and to farm and freed up his time so that he standing of the human hard science tells us that body have shown us that it is insane to continue could concentrate on his off-farm job have and our culture itself. created a lingering doubt in the back of his these toxic tools not only the use of toxic chemistry mind about decisions he made. This doubt cause cancer, they also dis- as the base for the pro- is not uncommon in the farm community. rupt the human body in fundamentals duction of food. The only things standing I recently gave a talk before several growers ways. Because many of these toxic com- in the in the way of USDA openly coming from the Central Valley of California. pounds do not break down easily in the out and stating that it is time to wean agri- When I talked harshly about the toxic environment, they end up in our bodies culture off toxic chemistry and back to an chemical approach to agricultural, I was where they act to disrupt female reproduc- organic, biological approach is the fear of chastised for attacking agriculture. Toxic tive cycles, alter sexual behavior, reduce change and the agro-chemistry special chemicals are a tool that the majority of sperm counts, cause birth defects, inter- interest group. When the U.S. Surgeon agriculturalist have come to rely on, but fere with immunity systems, impair devel- General came out against smoking, over they are not part of our culture, they are not opment and the ability to learn, and they half of American men smoked, and half agriculture. If anything, toxic chemicals are continue to cause their disruptions for of them quit the day the Surgeon General attacking our bodies and our family’s bod- generations. delivered his message. Smoking has not ies, our soil and the life within and upon Given the known toxic effects of these been viewed with the same social accep- the soil, and our culture itself. The same toxic tools, why are they still tolerated? tance it enjoyed before the government farmers that chastised me for speaking Partly, because economists have yet to came out with a policy against it. Currently harshly of toxic chemicals later confided in develop and implement an accounting sys- within the federal government, we have a me around the lunch table that they, too, tem that takes into account harmful effects situation where some departments of the had high cancer rates in their families, and to the environment, human health, or government are working to remove know one farmer admitted that his mother, who future generations. An accounting system toxins from use while other departments has cancer, will no longer allow him to that fails to put a monetary value on harm are fighting to continue their use. It is like spray chemicals around their farm house. caused to the environment, human health, a family with a drug-addicted child; one or future generations is as broken as the parent wants to get help for the child while Studies show that farmers have higher accounting system that lead to ENRON’s the other parent is addicted to the same cancer rates than the general public. collapse, or the bust of the dot-com bub- drug and afraid to admit any problem exists. Before we have a Secretary of Agri- OUR PURPOSE culture with the courage to come out and CCOF’s purpose is to promote and support organic agriculture in California and state that USDA is going to lead agricul- elsewhere through: ture back to a healthy approach, it will take • A premier organic certification program for growers, processors, handlers, and retailers. a great deal of grassroots organizing to cre- • Programs to increase awareness of and demand for certified organic product and to ate a political base strong enough to cause expand public support for organic agriculture. real change within our own government. • Advocacy for governmental policies that protect and encourage organic agriculture. Continues next page, column 1 Returning agriculture back to an organic, TABLE OF CONTENTS biological system is the beginning point of FEATURE ARTICLE, Coming Back to Organic Meat. 2 developing a sustainable agricultural system. ANNUAL MEETING 2003 . 7 Developing such a system that is ecologically FOCUS ON FOOD, Broccoli~The Crown Jewel of Human and Soil Nutrition . 8 sound, socially responsible, and economi- COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY, Community Power . 12 cally viable should be the goal of any sane ASK AMIGO, Evaluating the Quality of Compost You Buy or Make . 16 government. In the absence of this approach CERTIFICATION CORNER, New to Thee in 2003 . 18 at the federal level, CCOF has made return- CLOPYRALID UPDATE, EPA Eliminates Public Comment on Dow Herbicide . 20 ing agriculture to a healthy, organic system CELEBRATING CCOF’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY . 23 of producing food its main mission. At its Putting Principle and Commitment Ahead of Dollars and Convenience . 24 recent retreat, the CCOF Board of Directors 30 Years in Pictures . 34 committed CCOF to engaging in an activist Brief History of the Processor~Handler Chapter . 36 mode to bring about change that will create Organic Raw Milk ~ Mother Nature Was Brilliant. 38 a truly sustainable agricultural system. It is Homage to the CCOF Spirit . 40 the same mission that brought diverse indi- Become a CCOF Supporting Member. 43 viduals together 30 years ago at Morro Bay The California Organic Products Act of 2003. 44 to form CCOF. The Original Certification Standards, 1974. 46 HANDLER HIGHLIGHTS, Quaternary Ammonium Compounds . 48 HOME & GARDEN, Are Lawn Care Chemicals Dangerous? . 49 SMALL FARMS, Diversity in Agriculture. 50 NEWS BRIEFS, Glassy-winged Sharpshooter and Other News . 52 THE GE REPORT, News from the Genetic Engineering Front . 56 WISDOM FROM THE NEXT GENERATION OF ORGANIC FARMERS. 58 GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, 2002 Farm Bill. 59 BOARD NOTES. 61 BUSINESS RESOURCES. 62 Submissions to the Newsletter of CCOF ADDITIONS TO THE OMRI BRAND NAME PRODUCTS LIST . 65 Letters to the editor are gladly accepted, provided letters are succinct and remain on topic. Letters CCOF CERTIFIED OPERATIONS . 67 must include complete contact information, CLASSIFIEDS. 68 including daytime telephone number, and must CALENDAR . 69 be signed. Letters are subject to editing and will not be returned. Submitting a letter to the editor ECO-AUDIT does not guarantee printing. Environmental Benefits of Using Recycled Paper For information about submitting articles to The Newsletter of CCOF, or to discuss article ideas, The Newsletter of CCOF is printed on New Leaf Reincarnation 24# writing paper, 100% please contact Keith Proctor toll free at 1-888- recycled, made with 100% post-consumer waste, and bleached without the use of chlorine 423-2263, ext. 12, or e-mail to [email protected] or chlorine compounds, resulting in measurable environmental benefits.1 New Leaf Paper Classified Line Advertisement Policy & Rate has provided CCOF with the following report of the annual environmental savings: 12 Trees 1,220 Gallons of water Classified line ads cost $10 per line. Seven words equal one line. There is a three-line minimum. 1,109 Pounds of solid waste 3 Cubic yards of landfill space Payment for line ads is required in advance. 1,591 Kilowatt hours of electricity (2.0 months of electric use in an average U.S. home) Line ads are free for CCOF Certified clients. 2,016 Pounds of greenhouse gases (1,632 miles equivalent driving the average American car) Classified line ads will be posted on our website 9 Pounds of HAPs, VOCs, and AOX combined for three months at no additional cost 1Environmental benefits are calculated based on research done by the Environmental Defense Fund and the other (www.ccof.org/classifieds.html). members of the Paper Task Force who studied the environmental impacts of the paper industry. Contact the EDF To place a classified advertisement, contact for a copy of their report and the latest updates on their data.