Pennsylvania Certified Organic Quarterly Newsletter Winter 2014
Winter Membership Meetings, page 3 New Findings from Cover Crop Research, page 5 100% Grassfed Certification, page 13
Organic Matters WInter 2014
columns
features
story
5 New Findings from Cover Crop Research Farmers and Penn State Researchers work together to provide practical cover crop information for the organic community.
3 Winter Membership Meetings PCO Annual Meeting and Winter Standards Meeting
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15 Produce Perspectives 18 President’s Message 19 Recipe Corner 20 Dear Aggy 21 PCO in the News 23 Organic Updates Certification Update Legislative Update Standards & Policy Update Materials Update Inspection Insights
10 Life is Change, Growth is Optional Holistic Management at the Kress Simpson Farm; Notes from the 2013 Annual NODPA Field Days 13 Grassroots Marketing is Here! PCO Responds to Demand for Grassfed Beef and Dairy with 100% Grassfed Certification
28 Organic News Briefs 29 Organic Marketplace 30 PCO New Members 31 PCO Order Form
Seth Goldman, “TeaEO” of Honest Tea, will talk about the organic company’s interesting road to success, at PCO’s Annual Meeting, February 6. See page 3 for meeting details. Photo: Honest Tea
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Cover: White percheron draft horses at Common Ground Farm in Spring Mills, PA. Photo: Leslie Zuck
OFFICERS
ADVISORY BOARD
STAFF
PRESIDENT
Andrew Batdorf Hollow Brook Dairy
Leslie Zuck Executive Director
Julie Hurst Blue Rooster Farm
ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM
Phil Coles Cornell University VICE PRESIDENT
Debra Deis Seedway, LLC TREASURER
David Johnson Provident Farms Bryan Luce Reliance Capital Partners
Mail: 106 School Street, Suite 201 Spring Mills, PA 16875
Tony Marzolino Marz Farm
Phone: 814-422-0251
SECRETARY
Brian Magaro Independent Organic Inspector
Kathy Soder USDA–Agriculture Research Service
Cadie Pruss Ewe Win Farm
MANAGING BOARD CHAIR
Ken Rice Organic Unlimited
Fax: 814-422-0255 Email: pco@paorganic.org Web: www.paorganic.org OUR MISSION: To Assure the Integrity of Organic Agricultural Products through education, inspection and certification of growers, processors and handlers. PCO provides services to operations based in the Pennsylvania region, which includes: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Organically Speaking
James Trankle Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Food & Agribusiness
Charlie White Penn State University
Diana Underwood Director of Operations Sandie Elder Office Manager Lia Sandoval Administrative Assistant
EDUCATION & OUTREACH TEAM
Lee Rinehart Director of Education and Outreach April Fix Public Relations Coordinator INSPECTIONS TEAM
Liz Amos Staff Inspector Amanda Birk Staff Inspector POLICY TEAM
CERTIFICATION TEAM
Kyla Smith Certification Program Director Heather Donald Assistant Certification Specialist Matthew Kelterborn Certification Specialist Marissa Pyle Compliance Manager/ Certification Specialist Adam Seitz Certification Specialist Penny Zuck Certification Specialist
Johanna Mirenda Policy Director Sabine Carey Materials Specialist QUALITY TEAM
Robert Yang Quality Systems Manager Joshua Brock Technology Coordinator
Organically Speaking
The Results Are In PCO Member Survey Reflects Organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses Leslie Zuck, Executive Director
It’s the end of the year and everyone’s talking about the highlights of 2013. If you’ve been following along with Organic Matters you know what we’ve been up to at PCO and if not, many of the articles in this issue will update you on our progress. I will tell you that the highlight of my year at PCO was launching our 3-year strategic planning process. Yawn, you say… ? No, really, it was super interesting and included our first member survey in, well, a long time and a very productive staff and board retreat where we rolled up our sleeves and took a good look at our organization’s strengths and weaknesses. We’re still working on it and will report to you in an upcoming issue once we’ve completed our 3-year strategic plan and annual action plan.
Before I forget, don’t miss a great opportunity to talk to us, ask questions and share your ideas at our upcoming PCO Annual Membership Meeting on February 6, 2013, at the Penn Stater Conference Center. One of my very favorite people will be our keynote speaker: Seth Goldman, TeaEO of Honest Tea. Details about the meeting are on page 2. Survey Results — Great Response! Our survey, a part of our strategic planning process, was conducted by an independent organization and was sent to members, staff, board and partner organizations. We had an overwhelming participation rate and are so grateful for your feedback, comments and ideas for PCO’s future. The first great result: We sent surveys to more than 800 people and received 274 responses. Truly a very good response rate
of about 35%. The best thing? PCO received remarkably high ratings for customer satisfaction from members and partners. That doesn’t mean everyone loves us or that there’s no room for improvement by all means. We’re very pleased with the results but know better than to let it go to our heads! The best, best thing — Staff were rated by all stakeholder groups as being very knowledgeable, professional and helpful! There is absolutely no substitute for experienced, dedicated staff and that is clearly the key to the success of our organization. Testimonial from the survey: “Anytime I have had questions, staff have been very polite and knowledgeable.” Longevity is one of our strengths. Three employees have been with PCO for more than 10 years and the average is 4 continued on page 2
L to R. Front Row: Matthew Kelterborn, Certification Specialist; Lee Rinehart, Director of Education & Outreach; Amanda Birk, Staff Inspector; Adam Seitz, Certification Specialist; Penny Zuck, Certification Specialist; Johanna Mirenda, Policy Director; Debra Deis, PCO Board Vice President; Sabine Carey, Materials Specialist; Marissa Pyle, Compliance Manager/Certification Specialist; Julie Hurst, PCO Board Member; Sandie Elder, Office Manager. Back Row: Robert Yang, Quality Systems Manager; Leslie Zuck, Executive Director; Joshua Brock, Technology Coordinator; Tony Marzolino, PCO Board Treasurer; Andrew Batdorf, PCO Board Member; Liz Amos, Staff Inspector; Lia Sandoval, Administrative Assistant; Kyla Smith, Certification Program Director; Diana Underwood, Director of Operations; Heather Donald, Assistant Certification Specialist; Brian Magaro, PCO Board Member; Ken Rice, PCO Board Member.
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Organically Speaking continued from page 1
years. Even so, we do hear remarks that you don’t get the same person every time you contact us. That is often the result of our growth and the need to hire additional staff. PCO has been fortunate to be able to add 5 new positions over the past 4 years, increasing our number of employees from 15 in 2010 to 20 in 2013. Our staff vacancy rate has steadily improved from 8% in 2010 to 1% in 2013. That is pretty amazing. Two more best things — Inspector knowledge and certification staff commu-
Everyone works together to plan, organize and complete the assigned task during our staff and board retreat. It is not as easy as it looks — we did “lose our marbles” a few times before we got them safely home.
“Anytime I have had questions, staff have been very polite and knowledgeable.” nication were rated very high. Our inspector staff is highly experienced and stable. We continue to hear them described as extremely capable, very professional and well liked by our membership. And the next best thing — 73% of members told us they were either “highly likely” or “likely” to recommend PCO to a friend. Smile. 1% were “very unlikely” to do so. Frown. (The remaining 23% were neutral) Our goal is to increase that first group to 100% and the second group to 0% for sure. Last sorta good thing — 79% of members are satisfied, very satisfied or neutral regarding our fees. 21% are dissatisfied or
Poultry 17%
• Greater ease in finding information • Fewer changes of staff who serve them We are already in the process of addressing these concerns and our strategic plan will help us stay on track and measure our progress. Hope to see you all at our upcoming Annual Meeting or Standards meeting. Thanks for all you do to put healthy organic food on our tables!
Dairy/Beef
200 150
Processor/Handler Poultry 50 0
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Crops
100
Dairy/Beef 40%
Organic Matters
• Less paperwork
250
Crops 26%
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• Faster processes, shorter inspections
Trends in Certification Types 300
Processor/ Handler 17%
• Lower costs
Board and staff members strategize about the next activity at our strategic planning retreat.
Categories of Certification As of October 8, 2013
very dissatisfied regarding fees. So, that’s the good news on what we’re doing well. Now, for the nitty gritty — What ideas did you have for improving PCO? Members said they would like PCO to do a better job in the following areas:
Winter 2014
2010
2011
2012
2013 * * as of 10/8/13
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Winter Membership Meetings
“TeaEO” of Honest Tea to address PCO Annual Meeting February 6, 2014 Don’t miss Seth Goldman’s keynote address, outstanding farmer awards, an informative standards update, delicious food, and great company! Lee Rinehart, Director of Education and Outreach
Pennsylvania Certified Organic’s 2014 Annual Meeting will feature a Keynote Presentation by Seth Goldman, cofounder, President and “TeaEO” of Honest Tea, a PCO-certified organic beverage company. Seth will discuss trends in organic marketing and share some insights from his innovative and entrepreneurial history. Seth and co-founder Barry Nalebuff recently published a business book in comic format, Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently — And Succeeding. The book shares personal insights and lessons about scaling a mission-driven business in a profit-driven world. Mission in a Bottle will be available for purchase, with author proceeds donated to the Rodale Institute. Join fellow PCO members at the Annual Meeting on Thursday, February 6, 2014, held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s 23rd Annual Farming for the Future Conference. The PCO Annual Meeting includes a Standards Update from 1–3pm, an Organic Reception from 2–4:30pm, and a Business Meeting from 4:30–6:15pm. The annual meeting serves as a gathering place for members and anyone interested in organic certification. Meet the PCO staff, board members, and volunteers while enjoying light refreshments. The Annual Meeting, as always, is a venue for both PCO members and the public to congregate, learn more about organic agriculture, elect PCO board members for the upcoming term, and celebrate outstanding farmers and volunteers with a variety of awards. Sponsorships for PCO’s Reception and Annual Meeting are available, and businesses that serve Pennsylvania’s organic community are invited to register for an
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Seth Goldman
exhibit booth. The PCO Reception offers business representatives a chance to interact with organic farmers and processors in an informal environment. For more information on sponsorship opportunities contact Lee Rinehart, lee@ paorganic.org or call 814-422-0251. Guests, friends and potential members are welcome to attend at no charge.
Hot Topics for Winter Standards Meeting Livestock living conditions, residue testing, 100% grassfed, ginseng and more! Would you like to hear crucial details on changes to organic standards and guidance on how to maintain compliance and manage changes in the policy arena? Come to the Pennsylvania Certified Organic Standards Meeting and learn about new developments in organic regulations and PCO policy, including NOP updates such as new guidance and instruction documents, changes to the national list, and new international trade arrangements. PCO members and prospective members are invited to the February 13, 2014, meeting to be held from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, including a lunch from noon to 1:00 pm, at the Bird-in-Hand Village Inn, Bird-in-Hand, PA.
Livestock Living Conditions This year’s meeting will offer participants the opportunity to learn about, and discuss, livestock living conditions, notably outdoor access areas and spacing requirements. Every organic livestock producer should want to be at this meeting. The PCO Standards Committee will use feedback from the PCO membership to guide the development of policies to implement the livestock living conditions requirements of the National Organic Program (NOP) Regulations. 100% Grassfed certification Also on the docket are residue testing and unannounced inspections, where we continued on page 4
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Membership Meetings continued from page 3
will take a look back at how the implementation of these new requirements went in our first year. Learn about the new PCO 100% Grassfed certification, developed in response to member and industry demand for third-party verified meat and milk products. The new standards were developed through research of existing private certification programs, consultations with members and industry professionals, and information from the scientific community. The new program establishes an optional additional certification for organic ruminant livestock operations certified by PCO. Lastly, participants will get a chance to learn about and comment on PCO’s Ginseng Verification, a new program currently in progress. Sponsorships for the Winter Standards meeting are available, and businesses that serve Pennsylvania’s organic community are invited to register for an exhibit booth. Business representatives will interact with
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organic farmers and processors in an informal environment. For more information on sponsorship opportunities contact Lee Rinehart at lee@paorganic .org or call 814-422-0251. The Winter Standards Meeting promises to be useful and informative, and is a must for organic producers looking for detailed information on changes to the NOP regulations. Participants should contact Lia Sandoval at lia@paorganic.org or call 814-422-0251 to register for the meeting by January 30, 2013. PCO Annual Meeting Thursday, February 6, 2014, 1–6:15 pm Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA Cost: Free and open to all, whether PCO member or not To register: Contact the PCO office by phone at 814-422-0251, email lia@paorganic.org, or register online at paorganic.org/annualmeeting2014 Dinner is available at the PASA Conference “Thursday Evening Winter Picnic Buffet” after the PCO Annual Meeting. Cost for PASA’s Winter Picnic is $35 per adult and $17 per youth. If interested in attending the dinner,
contact PASA at pasafarming.org or 814-3499856 to register.
PASA Conference February 5–8 Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA Cost: Registration fees vary for pre-conference tracks, 1-day conference registration and 2-day conference registration. Visit the website below for more detailed registration information. To register: Visit PASA’s Farming for the Future Conference website: pasafarming.org/ourwork/farming-for-the-future-conference or call 814-349-9856. For directions, information about the Penn Stater, or room reservations contact the Penn Stater at: 814-863-5000
Standards Meeting Thursday, February 13, 2014, 10am–3pm Bird-in-Hand Village Inn Bird-in-Hand, PA Cost: Free and open to all, whether PCO member or not To register: Contact the PCO office by phone at 814-422-0251, email lia@paorganic.org, or register online at paorganic.org/standardsmeeting2014
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Feature Story
New Findings from Cover Crop Research Farmers and Penn State Researchers work together to provide practical cover crop information for the organic community. Matthew Kelterborn, Certification Specialist
For far too long, organic farming research conducted at land-grant universities has been either non-existent or very limited in scope. As the organic industry has grown, more funding has been directed towards organic research, and now Penn State Extension is sharing important and useful information to the organic community. Two field days organized by Penn State Extension in September provided an excellent learning opportunity for participants to develop their knowledge of cover cropping and methods for applying it to their own organic farming operation. The first field day, on September 7th, focused on cover crop research and organic weed control, and drew a crowd to PCO certified Bucky Ziegler’s farm. The field day was sponsored by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative and Penn State Extension. The research trial at Bucky’s farm is part of a larger experiment being conducted statewide, which includes the Penn State Russel E. Larson Agronomy Research Farm and the PCO certified farms of Dan Deturk and Wade Esbenshade. For more information on the field day that occurred at Dan Deturk’s farm on April 19th, refer to the Summer 2013 issue of Organic Matters. PASA and Penn State Extension partnered up to hold a second field day, on September 11, at the Penn State Research Farm with a focus on the ecosystem services that cover crops can provide. Additionally, the Penn State researchers shared information on the reduced tillage organic systems experiment, giving participants something to think about as they consider ways to mitigate the weed management vs. soil quality trade-off. www.paorganic.org
The second half of the field day at Bucky Ziegler’s farm included a discussion on weed management techniques and equipment.
From the organic farm… “Individual species of cover crops tend to do one or two things well, but in organic systems, we need cover crops to achieve a multitude of benefits. Can a cover crop mixture provide a better balance?” This was the research question that Charlie White described to the participants at the beginning of the field day at Bucky Ziegler’s farm. The Penn State researchers and farmer collaborators wanted to know which cover crop mixtures could help achieve a better balance of typical cover crop benefits. These include: supplying nutrients to the following crop; nutrient retention; weed suppression; insect pest regulation; increasing organic matter quantity and quality; erosion control; yield; and short-term profitability. With this in mind, participants were led through the farm to develop their own opinions on what they observed in the field. When Penn State was considering which farms would be good choices for conducting on-farm research trials, they wanted to find locations that already had well-established organic systems in place
for at least 10 years. Bucky Ziegler has been farming organically since 1992, which meant that his farm would provide a great opportunity to see how different cover crop mixtures could improve various factors on an organic farm that is already equipped with high soil quality and organic matter content. Rye is probably the most commonly used cover crop on organic farms in the mid-Atlantic region due to its winter hardiness and ability to provide a good cover for fields over the winter months. Despite this, there are many other services that other cover crops or mixtures of cover crops can provide. In choosing which cover crops to include in the experiment the researchers wanted to look at different functional groups. Some grasses, like winter rye, are winter hardy while others, such as oats, winterkill. The legumes have different morphologies worth exploring: winter peas are a vining plant, while red clover is more low growing and branching. With the brassicas, canola is winterhardy in the mid-Atlantic, while radishes and turnips are killed at temperatures continued on page 6
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Cover Crop Research continued from page 5
below 25 degrees, depending on the variety. With these considerations in mind, Penn State worked with Bucky to determine which cover crop mixtures should be planted on his farm. Bucky admitted that his favorite cover crop is hairy vetch, but since he is growing small grains, he was worried about the possibility of grain contamination since vetch seed is the same size as wheat and barley kernels, making it very costly to clean the seed. As a result, he replaced it with Austrian Winter Peas. The three cover crop treatments on Bucky’s farm were planted on August 2, 2012. A red clover monoculture was planted at 12 lbs/acre; in another plot, austrian winter peas + crimson clover + triticale were planted at 39, 17, and 42 lbs/acre respectively; and the 4-species mixture of austrian winter pea + canola + red clover + rye were planted at 39, 6, 6, and 25 lbs/acre respectively. Winter barley was the previous crop in the field, so a
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Several of the plots at the Penn State research farm used different seeding rates of cover crop mixtures in order to find out which provided the best weed control.
moldboard plow was used to incorporate the barley residue and then the field was disked 3 times. Soil finishing operations were conducted in tandem with cover crop planting in a single pass using a Perfecta harrow, followed by a John Deere 8300 drill, followed by a cultipacker.
Cover crop seed in the mixture treatments was pre-mixed and placed into the large drill box and planted to a 1-inch depth. In the red clover monoculture treatment, seed was placed in the small drill box and drop tubes dribbled seed on the soil surface ahead of the cultipacker.
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In the 3-species mixture, triticale was chosen over rye because they wanted to avoid planting a grass that would grow too tall too fast. Additionally, crimson clover is not typically used as far North as Bucky’s location, but since there has been a trend of milder winters over the past several years, they thought it might have better survivability. Crimson clover also offers additional benefits by flowering early and providing habitat for native pollinators. With an August 2nd planting date, this meant that some species were not planted during their optimum-planting window. For example, the austrian winter peas winterkilled because they put on too much vegetative growth during the warmer days of August. It was planted with red clover though, which requires a long time for establishment. This poses a particular challenge in creating cover crop mixtures. “When you start working with all these different species that have different optimum management styles, it can get challenging to strike a balance,” acknowledged Charlie. Also, all three farms in the research project experienced a dominance
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of canola in the mixtures in which it was included. This can most likely be attributed to the high organic matter and fertile soils that these organic farms have developed over the years. Going forward, adjustments to the seeding rate of each species or planting date could help to better balance the mixture. Some of the data that is collected as part of the research project is related to the amount of nitrate allowed to leach into the subsoil in each of the cover crop mixtures. This information was collected by placing resin bags with positively charged plastic beads into the soil. Since nitrate is negatively charged, it becomes trapped in the bag when it percolates through. Their preliminary results have shown that the highest amount of nitrate leaching was observed under a frostseeded red clover monoculture where weed growth was suppressed by mowing. The second highest amount of nitrate leaching was observed under a cover crop mixture where the austrian winter peas had winterkilled. The third highest amount of nitrate leaching was observed under a red clover monoculture. It
appeared that the soil nitrogen uptake by non-legume cover crops and weeds reduced nitrate leaching into the subsoil. This data is very important for organic farmers as they determine the usefulness of planting legumes vs. non-legumes or mixtures vs. monocultures. Organic farmers want the nitrogen fixed by their legume crops to be made available for the following cash crop-not leaching into the subsoil. Also, environmental quality is negatively impacted by nitrate leaching into the watershed. As more data from this research project is collected and reviewed, it will be valuable for organic farmers as they make decisions on which cover crops or mixtures to use and the financial and environmental trade-offs from each. …To the Penn State Research Farm… The organic farming community is now directly benefiting from the research conducted on the forty acres that have been put into organic research trials on the Penn State research farm. The second field day gave participants the opportunity continued on page 8
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Cover Crop Research continued from page 7
to walk the research plots and see firsthand the two organic cropping systems on the farm. The first is part of the cover crop cocktail research done in collaboration with PCO-certified farmers, and includes a different set of cover crop mixtures that they are testing. This system uses tillage and cultivation practices typically used by organic farmers. The second is the Reduced Tillage Organic Systems Experiment (ROSE), which is exploring integrated pest management strategies for managing weeds and insect pests in an organic rotational no-till system for corn, soybean, and wheat. This system is not completely no-till, but includes far fewer tillage events than what is typically used on the organic farm. Part of the rotation includes rolling/crimping a hairy vetch + triticale cover crop in the spring, no-tilling corn into the cover crop mat, and using a high-residue cultivator to keep weeds from growing.
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A sampling of the different species of native pollinators typical to Pennsylvania. Many of these live solitary lives as compared to honeybees, which live communally.
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Participants were led through demonstrations, discussions, and hands-on activities in order to show the various ecosystem services that each cover crop mixture provided. In addition to the ROSE plot, there was a cereal rye monoculture, red clover monoculture, and a canola + austrian winter pea + red clover + rye mixture. All of these mixtures were preceded by wheat and were followed by corn silage the next year. At the end of the day, everyone came together with their observations and ranked each mixture for its relative ecosystem services. Figure #1 shows how each mixture fared in the rankings. The rye monoculture scored high for nitrogen retention and weed suppression, which can be attributed to its quick and prolific growth, but the following corn silage yield was the lowest of all the systems at 13.5 T/ac. The red clover monoculture provided a different set of services than rye because it is a leguminous crop. The nitrogen supply was the highest of all the systems and the corn silage yield was 21 T/ac. The mixtures provided a more bal-
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anced set of services as compared to the monocultures because each species in the mix brings a different benefit. In the fourspecies mixture, the nitrogen retention and weed suppression were as good as the rye, and the corn silage yield, at 19 T/ac, was almost as good as the red clover. Additionally, because the canola is allowed to flower in the spring, there was a period for pollinator resources and beneficial insects. The ROSE system was highly ranked by all of the participants at the field day due to its well-balanced set of ecosystem
Clair Keene, Penn State researcher, gave attendees a description of their observations thus far in the organic rotational no-till project.
services that it provides. In addition to the benefits that the other mixtures supply, such as nitrogen retention and nitrogen supply, this system gave better erosion control and weed suppression due to the thick mat of cover crop residue on the soil surface. Also, the researchers found that the number of beneficial insects such as ground beetles and spiders was much higher than any of the other systems. The corn silage yield, at 19.5 T/ac, did not seem to be negatively impacted by the high-residue, low-tillage environment. ‌The Organic Community is benefitting. These two field days provided a great opportunity for learning, as well as networking with other members of the organic community. Penn State Extension will continue to share their findings with the public through publications and field days. As they continue to collect data and disseminate their findings, organic farmers will have more tools in their toolbox to strengthen their organic systems and utilize cover crops in the most efficient and beneficial manner.
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Feature Story
Life is Change, Growth is Optional Holistic Management at the Kress Simpson Farm; Notes from the 2013 Annual NODPA Field Days key considerations in forage assessment: height, density, and volume per unit of area. If you know these forage values and the weight of your cows you have all the information you need to determine how much pasture the cattle will need for a given amount of time. If you are good with numbers or, like me, use a calculator, you can easily do these calculations in the field, move the polywire, and get the cattle grazing fresh forage quickly.
Lee Rinehart, Director of Education and Outreach
“The three most important goals for a farmer are quality of life, farm productivity, and a secure future resource base.” So says Kress Simpson, a PCO-certified organic dairy farmer and the host for the Northeast Dairy Producer’s Alliance 2013 Annual Field Day, held September 26 and 27 in Mansfield, PA. So began the Thursday morning field day on the Simpson farm, where the conversational tone was set for the 30 plus attendees that walked the fields with Kress and the dairy herd owner Mike Geiser. Kress and business partner Mike Geiser graze about 60 crossbred cows on 180 grazable acres in Pennsylvania’s northern tier. This clayey, stony, and hilly ground has yielded to persistent, and adaptive management to support a foragebased dairy with minimal grain. A wellplanned grazing rotation coupled with periodic pasture seeding and persistent monitoring is the reason for this farm’s productivity. The key here, as both Kress and Mike will tell you, is looking at the land, rather the whole farm, holistically. Everything’s connected. This seasonal dairy produces milk from March to December, where the grazing season roughly corresponds to the cow’s lactation curve. Since the main feedstuff on this farm is forage, Kress and Mike put particular attention to grazing management. “We strive for a 34–35 day pasture recovery period as a goal, and shoot for 10 inches of forage to turn cattle onto for each rotation,” notes Kress. Sometimes the rotation is faster or slower, depending on the time of year, but for these farmers it’s a pretty good starting point. Achieving a stock density goal of 60 cows on an acre for a 12 hour period is reasonable on the primarily orchardgrass/ timothy/ red clover pastures.
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Kress Simpson
“It doesn’t always work that way,” notes Mike. “There’s nothing like getting up in the morning and the cows are over there, and I think, ok I guess we’re going there today.” He just adjusts the rotation and off they go. Their system is a model for “adaptability,” where a plan is developed given the information at hand, and adjusted throughout the grazing season for weather, forage growth, or even selfassertive cows that think they are smarter than the farmer. Walking the Field, or Daily Forage Assessment on the Hoof Jim Weaver, the Tioga County planner, gave perhaps the most interesting forage assessment demonstration ever seen on a field day, as he bent down with his head on the ground, deep within the grassy sward, and peered backward between his legs, asserting that this is a good way to get a handle on forage density. (It works… I’ve tried it!) Regardless, Jim was demonstrating one of the three
For example, if the height of the grass sward is, on average, about 6 inches (assuming 250 pounds of forage per acre inch), then the density is 6 times 250 or 1500 pounds per acre. Say your cows require 18 pounds of forage for a 12-hour grazing period (assuming sixty 1200 pound cows with their forage demand calculated as 3 percent of their body weight per day), then the 60 cow herd needs 1080 pounds of forage for 12 hours. 1080 pounds of forage demand divided by the forage available (1500 pounds) equals .72 or three-quarters of one acre for a twelve-hour grazing period. Easy? Well, the more you do it the easier it gets!
Trust in Biology and Manage for What you Want So what DO you want? Diverse pastures? Huge milk yields? Uniformity in grass height? A weedless pasture? There’s no right answers here, because whatever your choice, you’ll probably not get there unless you manage for it. Ann Adams, Interim CEO for Holistic Management International based out of Albuquerque, NM and a speaker at the NODPA Field Days, defined the essential elements of Holistic Management as stating what you manage and what you want, aiming for healthy soil, considering all your tools (including human creativity), testing your decisions, and monitoring results.
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Consider weeds, for instance. Queen Ann’s Lace was a typical inhabitant of Kress’s fields, much like many farms I’ve been on this year. When looked at holistically, weeds can be seen as much more than a nuisance. The conversation in Kress’s field was insightful as participants began to, perhaps not overtly, consider weed ecology in a holistic light. Troy Bishopp, known regionally as the Grass Whisperer, suggested perhaps the Queen Ann’s Lace was doing something in the pasture, like mineral mining, contributing to soil fertility, sequestering carbon, and providing wildlife habitat. Roman Stoltzfoos, a PCO-certified farmer, noted that even if cows don’t eat them they’re probably doing some good in the pasture. This is holistic thinking and begins the goaloriented planning process that focuses on what you want. Maybe the answer is you don’t want the weeds there. “Make a decision,” suggests Bishopp, “mow a strip and see what happens.” See how the land responds and then, write it down, noting the date, weather conditions, grazing history, etc. This can help you place these weeds in context with management and assist in future decision making. Writing stuff down is an essential part of holistic planning. Information is crucial for sound decision-making, and a grazing
Jim Weaver doing quick and easy forage assessment.
chart can serve as a foundation for recordkeeping, planning and capturing the grazing rotation, precipitation, forage growth, weaning or calving, and even planning for and making that much needed vacation actually happen! The Beauty of Simplicity Lifestyle is an important goal for Kress Simpson. Milking and cow movements
should not get in the way of soccer games, time with the family, and vacations. Cow flows should be fluid and schedules should be predictable but adaptable. Simplicity is the concept that guides Simpson farm management. Central to establishing farm simplicity (in addition to the grazing plan) is the New Zealand-style parlor. “The cows had continued on page 12
Left: Troy Bishopp on the ecological benefits of weeds. Right: Ann Adams of Holistic Management International.
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NODPA Field Day continued from page 11
to learn this system, for sure,” notes Kress. “And they adapted, and milking is very quick.” 60–85 cows are in and out of the parlor in 45 minutes, which gets them back on pasture. The $35,000–$45,000 bill for the parlor was a worthwhile expense for increasing the quality of life for both cows and people. “On this farm there’s really no fan noise, no tractor noise, no pump noise, no manure spreading… it’s very quiet and the cows do all the work, and they like it!” Retrain your Brain Nature functions in wholes and so it is with people. It’s about relationships and establishing a win-win situation. People need to create happiness and meaning; we need to connect, to be active, to take notice, to keep learning, and to give. We need common ground and a view of the big picture. The condition we all confront
The New Zealand style parlor, simple, clean, and easy.
is change, but growth, notes Adams, is optional. We can utilize this change to focus toward what we want by planning and being adaptive. Since adaptation to
change (a fundamental characteristic of nature) builds resilience, and a lack of diversity and change is not good in nature, why do we think it’s good for people?
PCO’s partnership with the Gluten Fee Certification Organization (GFCO) provides you with a streamlined inspection process that… • Simplifies the inspection process — PCO and GFCO will coordinate the scheduling of a simultaneous inspection for both gluten-free and organic certifications. • Saves time —one inspector conducts a combined inspection of both gluten-free and organic products. • Saves money —the amount of inspection fees and travel expenses incurred is reduced by having a combined inspection. Contact PCO about becoming certified gluten-free under the dual-inspection process. 814-422-0251 • pco@paorganic.org
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Feature Story
Grassroots Marketing is Here! PCO Responds to Demand for Grassfed Beef and Dairy with 100% Grassfed Certification Lee Rinehart, Director of Education and Outreach
Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) has established a 100% Grassfed certification in response to member and industry demand for third-party verified grassfed meat and milk products. The new standards were developed through research of existing private certification programs, consultations with members and industry professionals, and information from the scientific community. The new program establishes an optional additional certification for organic ruminant livestock operations certified by PCO. Grassfed products have recently seen a surge in demand, as evidenced by Organic Valley’s commitment to its new Grassmilk© label, a product sourced from 100% organic grassfed cows. Grassfed milk has been associated with higher levels of omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acid, the “good fats” that many see as providing a necessary balance for good health. PCO’s 100% Grassfed certification establishes a product label that, through thirdparty verification, establishes the integrity of products certified to the standard, notably that products sourced from PCO 100% Grassfed certified cows were fed only grass and other forages. Tim Joseph, owner of PCO-certified Maple Hill Creamery in Stuyvesant, NY, understands organic trade as well as anyone, and has been instrumental in increasing access to good food, including organic and grassfed products, for food businesses, farmers, and his community. Having an in-depth understanding of consumer demand and the business of organic dairy trade, Tim sees education as key in establishing grassfed as a profitable enterprise for farmers as well as a healthy product for consumers. “Let’s validate products that are real,”
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says Tim, “and certify them. Single-producer products will adopt a certification quickly, and food companies are actively looking for standards that verify their products.” In a climate of relative uncertainty, food labels such as Certified Organic and 100% Grassfed communicate to consumers that the products they buy are
authentic. Third-party verified and certified products have outpaced non-certified products in the market, and, Tim continues, “the 100% Grassfed label is an important distinction and consumers should get what they are asking for.” Producers are requesting education and information on grassfed production as well, especially when it comes to the production practices necessary to ensure animal health and productivity during the transition to a grass-only system. Like organic production, grass-based livestock production relies on biodiversity and ecological complexity to maintain production with the use of less costly inputs, especially feedstuffs and health management. Cattle producers recognize that grazing and pasture access can lower production costs, reduce animal stress, and boost the animal’s immune system. But success in a 100% grassfed system requires high-qualcontinued on page 14
TRANSITIONING TO 100% GRASSFED Goals and asset inventory: what it is you expect to do and get out of grazing cows? How does it relate to your overall farm and family goals? Identify problems to overcome and opportunities you can take advantage of. List your on-farm assets such as labor, land, livestock, forages, water, lanes, fences, buildings, and machinery. Breeds and animal types: important traits in grass-based dairy production are grazing behavior, frame size, and milk fat and protein yields which are heritable. Select bulls and cows that have these heritable traits. Transition existing cows slowly and cull and replace non-performers. Cow nutrition should be closely observed while transitioning to grass-only feeding to ensure the cows maintain body condition, breed back on time, and continue to produce milk sustainably. Pasture recovery and diversity: recovery time of pastures after grazing is the foundation of 100% grassfed production. Base your grazing management on appropriate recovery time for the season and encourage pasture diversity through such practices as frost seeding, cover crops, and annual grasses. Grazing season extension: graze cover crops in the spring and hay aftermath in the winter to increase time grazing. Use summer annuals, brassicas in the fall, or stockpile pasture for grazing into December. Adapted from Dairy Production on Pasture: An Introduction to Grass-Based and Seasonal Dairying, 2009 NCAT
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Grass Roots Marketing continued from page 13
ity pasture and livestock that are adapted to a high-forage diet that provides the energy and protein needed to produce milk. Producers who have effectively made a transition to 100% grass note that grazing management, notably maintaining adequate pasture recovery, pasture diversity in time and space, and maintaining dense pastures are important to successful transitions. PCO is dedicated to providing the educational support needed to assist producers certifying to the 100% Grassfed standard. For the final text of the Grassfed Certification standards, please see the Standards & Policy Update on pg. 24. How to apply for PCO 100% Grassfed Certification PCO is currently accepting applications for the 100% Grassfed program from PCO-certified organic operations, or from operations applying for certification by PCO under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Certified producers can claim products are certified under the PCO 100% Grassfed Certification Program, and may use the PCO 100% Grassfed Certification seal on certified product labeling and marketing materials. Currently certified operators who are interested in 100% Grassfed certification should contact their Certification Specialist at (814) 422-0251, and new applicants should contact Heather Donald at (814) 422-0251 or heather@paorganic.org.
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Produce Perspectives
The Living Soil Insights into soil biota, the good work they do for our soil, and how we can help them do more! Tianna DuPont, Penn State Extension
“The earth’s soil is a dynamic living interface providing habitat to millions of species. To sustain the productivity of our lands it is essential to learn how these below-ground species provide vital ecosystem services.” The soil is alive. In just one teaspoon of agricultural soil there can be 100 million to 1 billion bacteria, six to nine feet of fungal strands put end to end, several thousand flagellates and amoeba, one to several hundred ciliates, hundreds of nematodes, up to 100 tiny soil insects and five or more earthworms. These organisms are essential for healthy growth of your plants. For example, tiny insects in the soil rip and shred leaves and other organic material breaking it down into smaller pieces that are then consumed by bacteria and fungi. These bacteria and fungi excrete sticky substances that hold the soil together into aggregates and provide food for an entire web of organisms in the soil. When these bacteria and fungi are consumed by other soil organisms they excrete ammonia, an important source of nitrogen for plants. Let’s look closely at just a few of the important jobs the soil life does for us. Energy flows from the sun, through plants and feeds a vast array of interconnected life in the soil.
Ground and Tiger Beetles. Photo: Mary Barbercheck, PSU Entomological Notes
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The work living soil does for your farm. Image: natuurlijkemoestuin
Did you know that soil microbes can increase plant uptake of nitrogen up to 50%? [1-3] Small roundworms called nematodes, protozoa, ciliates and other tiny critters in the soil are grazing on bacteria and fungi. Just like cows they do not “digest” 100% of what they eat. Like cow manure and urine, what they excrete is high in nitrogen. This nitrogen-rich waste is in the form of ammonia, easily available for plants to use. Seed predators work to keep your weed seed bank in check. In two recent studies 70–99% of weed seeds did not emerge and could not be found in the seed bank the next season [4, 5]. Researchers found instead that up to half of the weed seed plants shed was consumed by voracious small insects like ground beetles. Harpalus pensylvanicus. Consumes weed seeds of green bristle grass; lambsquarters; redroot amaranth; redroot pig-
weed; giant foxtail; velvetleaf; cucumber beetles; aphids; black cutworm; codling moth; European corn borer armyworm. Bacteria may be tiny, but they are
extremely abundant. 100 million to a billion bacteria per teaspoon of soil is as much mass as two cows per acre! Most bacteria are decomposers. They help break down the crop residue we put in the soil. Other bacteria are mutualists or plant pathogens. An important group of bacteria you might not have heard of are actinomycetes. Take a look at your compost. Do you see the thin white strands? Those are actinomycetes breaking down hard to decompose materials like wood chips. Now take a sniff. The “earthy” smell is produced by actinomycetes. Another important group of bacteria are the rhizobia that live in the roots of legumes. They produce 40% of the world’s nitrogen! continued on page 16
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The Living Soil continued from previous page
Soil tilth. We all want to have soil with
that wonderful crumbly texture that denotes well-structured soil. Soil with many crumbles (the scientists call them aggregates) does a better job of allowing water and roots to infiltrate, provides a home for soil organisms and is easier to work. Soil organisms help form soil aggregates. Soil fungi physically entwine soil particles and bacteria produce sticky substances that hold the soil together. Next time there is a heavy rain that your soil drinks up, thank the soil microbes for helping create aggregates. Keeping plants healthy. We tend to
worry a lot about the plant insect pests and diseases that plague our crops. But keep in mind there are far more good guys than bad guys in the soil. The good guys are competing with the plant pests for food and eating them, keeping their populations in check. For example in one field researchers found more than 8,000 predatory spiders and beetles in a year [6]. In
Soil on the right is from a perennial grass field with 3–7 times more roots than the annual field left, providing soil organisms with food and helping form soil aggregates. Photo: Steve Culman.
many cases (one review says 75% of the time) these good guys are reducing pest pressure on our crop plants [7]. Soil organisms do many jobs for us on
the farm. They are also helping to store carbon, degrade pollutants, store, and release nutrients. Larger organisms like earthworms even “till” the soil.
Box 361, 119 Hamilton Place Penn Yan, NY 14527 315-531-1038 Certified Organic Feed, Seed & Livestock Products from Northeast organic farmers for Northeast organic farmers www.lakevieworganicgrain.com
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How do we increase the soil biota that help us? Feed the soil. Adding organic matter to soil is essential for all of these soil organisms. Cover crops, leaves, compost — and other organic materials that we add to soil — are the food for these organisms. The type of organic material we add to soil influences which type of organisms will have the largest numbers. For example, adding material very high in carbon will encourage fungi that excrete enzymes such as chitinase, which can break down tough-to-digest material. Manage for diversity. The diversity of
plants across the landscape and over time on our farms promotes a variety of microbial habitats and soil organisms. Up to a point, the function, or work soil biota do for us, increases with more complex and diverse biological communities. Many types of diversity should be considered, such as diversity of land uses (buffers, forest, row crops, grazing land), plant types (perennial, annual, woody, grassy, broadleaf, legume, etc.), root structures (tap, fibrous, etc.), and soil pore sizes.
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Diversity is desirable over time as well as across the landscape. Diverse landscape features provide refuges for beneficial arthropods. Diversity over time can be achieved with crop rotations that put a different food source into the soil each year, encouraging a wide variety of organisms and preventing the build-up of a single pest species. Keep the ground covered. Ground cover at or near the surface moderates soil temperature and moisture; provides food and habitat for fungi, bacteria, and arthropods; and prevents the destruction of microbial habitat by erosion. Minimize the length of time each year that soil is bare by maintaining a cover of living plants, or plant residue at the surface. Living plants are especially important as cover because they create the rhizosphere — that area within one or two millimeters of living roots where soil biological activity is concentrated. Microbes around roots take advantage of plant exudates and sloughed-off root cells. Maintaining a rhizosphere environment is one of the important benefits of using cover crops.
In addition to preserving microbial habitat, cover crops help build and maintain a diverse population of arthropods by preserving their habitat for an extended portion of the growing season. Manage disturbances. Some soil perturbations are a normal part of soil processes, or are a necessary part of agriculture and other land uses. However, some disturbances significantly impact soil biology and can be minimized to reduce their negative effects. These disturbances include compaction, erosion, soil displacement, tillage, catastrophic fires, certain insecticide-treated seeds, and excessive pesticide usage. You can reduce disturbance by reducing the number of tillage/cultivation operations in a season or throughout your rotation or by reducing the intensity of the tillage by using less aggressive equipment. One way to do this is by including a perennial crop for a few years in your long-term rotation. This “rest” period gives time for the soil life to do its work and increase its numbers. Grow perennials. Perennials can procontinued on page 19
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President’s Message
Farmers Grow Good, Safe Food Voice your concerns when laws affect how you farm Phil Coles, PCO Advisory Board President
I grew my first garden when I was 4 years old with a pack of flower seeds my mother gave me. I have been growing all sorts of things ever since. That first garden was in the shadow of the blast furnaces of National Tube, at the time the largest pipe mill on the planet, a world away from any sort of agriculture. Yet I saw myself as a farmer. I saw agriculture as being about producing wholesome, safe food and wanted to be a part of it. What brought on this bit of nostalgia was reading proposed manure regulations. As someone who was always interested in agriculture, I never imagined how separated much of the country has become from the food supply, nor with the passage of Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010, the level to which the government has inserted itself into how we run our farms and businesses. More recently I have found agriculture to be more and
more about filling out forms and complying with regulations. I acquired a bit of humorous, anecdotal evidence of this separation from the food supply at a fish rodeo. A little girl had caught some trout. I asked her if she was going to eat those fish, to which she answered, “No Way!” I asked, “ Don’t you like fish?” She replied, “Yes I do, but you can’t eat fish that swim, you can only eat fish that come from the grocery store.” Evidence that was not so humorous was proposals from various food distributors to ban land application of manure. Thankfully, the ban no longer seems to be on the table, but there are plenty of proposed “to do” lists for farmers using manure. Despite the new found sanity in the regulations, there is still potential for unintended consequences. Anything that makes it more difficult to use manure creates incentives to use inorganic fertilizer. Also, directives create increased compliance costs; smaller concerns have more difficulty fulfilling such formalities. On small farms everyone is a generalist. Only
larger firms can afford to employ specialists to deal with regulatory compliance. In fact, regulations can be used by larger concerns as a cudgel to bludgeon smaller competitors; all in the name of food safety. Anyone questioning the reams of regulations are challenged on their commitment to food safety. I believe farmers see agriculture as being about producing wholesome, safe foods, especially those affiliated with PCO. Farming is what we do. We know our businesses better than anyone and how to ensure the integrity of the food supply better than anyone. There are more regulations that influence us than just those from NOP. We must be aware of them and anything with the potential to impact our farms, and take action. This is why I have commented on proposed rules and encourage you to do so also. We must make sure regulation contributes to food safety, not to burdening farmers unnecessarily. Make sure you voice your opinion!
Advertise in Organic Matters Organic Matters is the quarterly newsletter of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, a non-profit organization serving growers, processors and handlers of organic products. Issues contain articles on the latest news and research in the organic industry, often highlighting our certified members. Approximately 1,000 copies of each publication are distributed directly to members and those requesting information about organic agriculture, and made available to the public at conferences, exhibits and educational programs in the Mid-Atlantic region.
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RECIPE CORNER Debra Deis, PCO Advisory Board Vice President
The Living Soil continued from page 17
Dutch Baby Pancake two variations Dutch Baby pancakes are simple soufflé like omelets baked in the oven – you’ll need a pan (like cast iron) that can go from the stovetop to the oven. You won’t need an electric mixer, leavening or separating of eggs. Usually a Dutch Baby has apples that are sautéed in the pan prior to baking. Make this even better by adding cheese to the batter or by replacing the apples and using spinach, broccoli or asparagus. I use a small six inch pan and 1 egg for one serving but you can quadruple for a large skillet. If using a larger skillet drop the oven heat to 375˚ after the first 10 minutes baking. Apple and Cheese Dutch Baby Preheat oven to 425˚. In a 6” cast iron pan, sauté (for about 5 minutes) 1 large sliced apple in 1 T butter until lightly browned, then add a bit more butter, a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon (and I like salt and pepper) and lower the heat until it caramelizes to a light brown, another minute. For something over the top you can sauté the apples with bacon in bacon fat. Meanwhile, place ¼ cup of white flour in a bowl. Break an egg into the flour and stir with a fork or slotted spoon until smooth. Add ¼ cup milk and a touch of salt and pepper and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg. Add ¼ cup of ¼” squares of cheese: cheddar or gruyere are good. Pour over apples and immediately bake until puffy and set in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. I find it comes out of the pan easily to serve immediately. Asparagus, Broccoli or Spinach Dutch Baby Just cook the vegetable until nearly done and drain. You don’t need much just to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a tablespoon of butter to your skillet and warm the precooked vegetable in the butter until heated thoroughly. Top with the same batter as above (although a greater variety of cheese will work and use nutmeg instead of cinnamon) and bake as above.
duce more than twice the below ground biomass as annual plants. In a recent study in Kansas we found that prairie grasses produced 3–7 times more root biomass than annuals and roots extended 1 m deeper. These massive root systems provide food for belowground organisms. 1. Griffiths, B.S., Microbial feeding nematodes and protozoa in soil. Their effects on microbial activity and nitrogen mineralization in decomposition hot spots and the rhizosphere. Plant and Soil, 1994. 164(1): p. 25-33. 2. De Ruiter, P.C., et al., Calculation of nitrogen mineralization in soil food webs. Plant and Soil, 1993. 157(2): p. 263-273. 3. Laakso, J., H. Setälä, and A. Palojärvi, Influence of decomposer food web structure and nitrogen availability on plant growth. Plant and Soil, 2000. 225(1-2): p. 153-165. 4. Cardina, J. and H.M. Norquay, Seed production and seedbank dynamics in subthreshold velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) populations. Weed Science, 1997. 45: p. 85-90. 5. Westerm an, P.R., et al., Annual losses of weed seeds due to predation in organic cereal fields. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2003. 40: p. 824-836. 6. Thorbek, P. and T. Bilde, Reduced numbers of generalist arthropod predators after crop management. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2004. 41(3): p. 526-538. 7. Symondson, W.O.C., K.D. Sunderland, and M.H. Greenstone, Can generalist predators be effective biocontrol agents? Annual Review of Entomology, 2002. 47: p. 561594.
New Faces
A hearty thanks to James Tsou- Wong, Heidi Stover, Reva Baylets, PCO’s Fall Data Entry Interns, for assisting with the start up of our new database, NewOrg!
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Dear Aggy
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Guidance on Raising Dairy Calves for Certified Beef Dear Aggy, We run a dairy farm, but I raise a couple of our calves every year as beef for our family. There are more and more folks interested in buying my beef, so I’d like to have these steers added to my certificate. I guess my cull cows would also be considered organic beef, right? — Benuel Beef Dear Benuel, Although organic beef and dairy requirements are mostly the same, there are two major differences that you will need to pay attention to. First, make sure that you have a good parasite control system in place. Yearlings commonly suffer from internal parasites, and yearling heifers (for dairy, not beef) may be treated with synthetic parasiticides (Ivermectin, fenbendazole, moxidectin) if other management practices fail. Beef animals however, are prohibited from ever being treated with synthetic parasiticides, even those listed above that are restricted for use in dairy young stock. Second, make sure you have your records in order. Although dairy cows can start off conventional and transition to organic status, organic beef must be managed organically from the dam’s last third of gestation; which means they must be born to an organic dam. If you are thinking of possibly selling your cull cows as organic, make sure you have your health care records in order showing whether or not she ever received synthetic parasiticides, as well as information on whether she was born to an organic dam or transitioned from a conventional herd. Your inspector may want to verify these things by reviewing your record-keeping.
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Also keep in mind that organic livestock would need to be processed at a certified organic slaughter facility in order to maintain its organic status. PCO currently certifies the following Custom Meat Processors:
synthetic parasiticides to slaughter stock.
Rising Spring Meats Spring Mills, Centre County phone: 814-422-8810
As disinfectants, sanitizer, and medical treatments as applicable
N.S. Troutman & Sons Middleburg, Snyder County phone: 570-374-4949 Kistler Butcher Shop Loysville, Perry County phone: 717-789-4367 Stoney Point Inc. Littlestown, Adams County phone: 717-359-7591 §205.236 Origin of livestock. (a) Livestock products that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be from livestock under continuous organic management from the last third of gestation or hatching. §205.238 Livestock health care practice standard.(c) The producer of an organic livestock operation must not: (5) Administer
§205.603 Synthetic substances allowed for use in organic livestock production. In accordance with restrictions specified in this section the following synthetic substances may be used in organic livestock production:
(18) Parasiticides—Prohibited in slaughter stock, allowed in emergency treatment for dairy and breeder stock when organic system plan-approved preventive management does not prevent infestation. Milk or milk products from a treated animal cannot be labeled as provided for in subpart D of this part for 90 days following treatment. In breeder stock, treatment cannot occur during the last third of gestation if the progeny will be sold as organic and must not be used during the lactation period for breeding stock. (i) Fenbendazole (CAS #43210-67-9)— only for use by or on the lawful written order of a licensed veterinarian. (ii) Ivermectin (CAS #70288-86-7). (iii) Moxidectin (CAS #113507-06-5)— for control of internal parasites only.
Got a question for Aggy? • Mail to PCO: 106 School Street, Suite 201 Spring Mills, PA 16875 • Email to: pco@paorganic.org • Fax to: 814-422-0255
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PCO in the News
Maple Hill Creamery Recognized at Natural Products EXPO East PCO certified Maple Hill Creamery, won the “Best of East Press Award” with their Orange Crème Drinkable Yogurt at the 28th Annual Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore, MD. Expo East had over 22,000 attendees, 1,200 exhibitors, including 400 first-time exhibitors. Natural Products Expo East is the largest, natural, organic, and healthy products trade show on the East Coast. To read more about it and see the other awards go to: app.info.newhope360.com Grabbing Life by the Horns Remington King of PCO-certified Latimore Valley Farm is not just a normal teenager. King has made quite a name for himself, primarily with his 50-head herd of Texas Longhorn cattle. He has won numerous awards and recognitions, started the Longhorn show at the York Fair in southeastern Pennsylvania as his senior project, and holds the pride of being a 4th generation farmer. He was involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA) in high school and this past fall had the opportunity to compete in the
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National FFA Convention in Louisville, KY. Now just a freshman on a full scholarship at Ohio State University, King is studying engineering and hopes to specialize in farm equipment. He plans to one day take over the family’s 500-acre organic farm. Latimore Valley Farm has grown since they started in 2000. They raise a little bit of everything, including apples, vegetables, soybeans, grain, and of course, Longhorn cattle. While King hopes to make the most out of his college career, getting back to the farm is his highest priority. To read the whole article, go to: lancasterfarming.com Inside the Review Process with PCO Policy Director Johanna Mirenda Sales of organic livestock products such as meat, eggs and dairy are growing rapidly, but the certification process remains relatively time consuming and complex compared to the process for other organic products. Recent developments and guidance from the National Organic Program (NOP) are helping to make organic livestock certification smoother and more
consistent, but it has been suggested that OMRI could list more livestock products in order to simplify the process for certifiers and transitioning farmers. Peggy Miars, Executive Director/CEO of OMRI, interviewed PCO Policy Director, Johanna Mirenda, on her thoughts about the issues affecting input products for organic livestock production and how these issues are evolving over time. As Policy Director at PCO, Mirenda spends every day deciding which individual livestock inputs are allowed for organic production. Because so many feed ingredients, health care products, and other products for organic livestock have not been verified ahead of time by OMRI or another organization, certifiers like Mirenda review these products on their own for each organic operation. As a result, PCO has assembled one of the largest internal databases of compliant livestock inputs, with Mirenda continuously investigating the minutia of each ingredient to make sure it abides by the organic rules. For the full story, please visit: rodaleinstitute.org.
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Organic Updates Certification Update Pesticide Residue Testing, Unannounced Inspections Strengthen USDA Seal Kyla Smith, Certification Program Director
New Program Implementation As 2013 began, PCO was faced with implementing two new programs as both pesticide residue testing and unannounced inspections took effect at the beginning of the year. The new regulations require that all certifying agents conduct residue testing and unannounced inspections (not necessarily on the same operation) at a minimum of 5 percent of their certified operations. As a result PCO collected samples and conducted unannounced inspections on 28 operations this year. Of the 28 samples collected, we received the following tests results:
Annual Updates By now you should have been notified about how you would like to complete your annual update paperwork for the 2014 certification cycle. We offer a variety of options for completing these forms ranging from updating your organic system plan over the phone, online or good ole’ paper. If you have not been notified or if you have been notified but have yet to respond to PCO about how you would like to complete your annual update forms, please contact your certification specialist at the PCO office as soon as possible. If we have not heard back from you by the due date on the letter that was sent to you at the beginning of December, the default option is to send your annual update paperwork to you in paper form. If you received paper and wish to complete your update in a different manner, or would like to schedule a phone appointment, please contact your certification specialist at the PCO office. We look forward to the coming year and continuing to meet your organic certification needs!
No Residue Detected.................................................................. 22 Pesticide Residue Below 0.01 ppm Detected ................................ 5 Pesticide Residue Above 0.01 ppm Detected ................................ 1
Operators are being informed of their test results and assessments/investigations are pending to determine if further noncompliance action is required. The compounds we have detected include oxadixyl (seed treatment), o-phenolphenyl (fungicide) and endosulfan sulfate, I and II (insecticide). We are committed to working with operators on their corrective action plan in situations where residues are detected that require a change be made to their organic system plan. Additionally, unannounced inspection reports are being reviewed by our certification staff and any results will be conveyed to operators accordingly. Overall it appears that these programs were well received by our randomly selected operators that were subject to an unannounced inspection and/or a residue test sample collection. Both of these programs have been implemented at the direction of the National Organic Program as tools to enhance organic integrity. Thank you to our participating operations for your efforts in welcoming inspectors to carry out the programs this year in spite of the inconvenient arrival times including hay making, animal chores or even the midday meal. We look forward to improving these programs in the years to come to make them manageable to the operators participating in a given year, while fulfilling our regulatory obligations and achieving one of the goals of these programs: strengthening the USDA organic seal in the marketplace. To that end, if you would like to share your experience or offer any suggestions on ways in which to improve these programs, we’d love to hear from you. You may provide feedback by calling your certification specialist, sending us a note or by visiting our website at paorganic.org/contact and filling out the Comments & Suggestions section.
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Legislative Update Equivalency with Japan; Farm Bill Conference Committee Johanna Mirenda, Policy Director
Japan-US Equivalency Beginning January 1, 2014, all certified organic products that are produced in the U.S. and Japan, or which have final processing, packaging, or labeling in the U.S. or Japan, may be sold as organic in either country. There are no critical variances (i.e. additional verification points) that need to be verified prior to export, which is a unique feature from other U.S. equivalency arrangements. Plant or plant-based products (including fungi) are included under the arrangement. The trade of other organic products (e.g. dairy, meat, honey, alcohol) that are not covered by the Japan organic standards may still enter the Japanese organic market as clarified by the arrangement. To access a complete description of the Japan-US Equivalency Agreement, please visit the NOP website (ams.usda.gov) or contact PCO for hard copies. Farm Bill The 2008 Farm Bill extension expired on September 30th. Farm Bill Conference Committee meetings began in late October with their first public meeting. The goal of the Conference Committee is to negotiate the differences between the House and Senate’s versions of Farm Bills, and arrive at a final conference report for a new five-year Farm Bill. Organic priorities that are being negotiated include the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiatives (OREI), Organic Production and Market Data Initiatives (ODI), and National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. continued on page 24
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Organic Updates continued from page 23
Standards & Policy Update NOP Standards and PCO Policy Updates Become Effective Johanna Mirenda, Policy Director
Changes to National List (Processing) Become Effective Effective November 3, 2013, the listings for the following materials have changed in response to final rules issued by the NOP on May 28, 2013 and October 3, 2013. The listing for Silicon Dioxide at §205.605(b) has been revised to add an annotation that restricts the use of silicon dioxide only when organic rice hulls do not fulfill an essential function in a system of organic handling. Silicon dioxide continues to be allowed in applications where organic rice hulls do not provide the functionality needed (e.g. as a defoamer). Operators have until November 3, 2014 to come into compliance. The new listing for silicon dioxide reads: §205.605(b) Silicon dioxide — Permitted as a defoamer. Allowed for other uses when organic rice hulls are not commercially available. The listing for Annatto Extract Color has been removed from §205.606, meaning that annatto extract color used in “100% organic” or “organic” products must be certified organic. Operators have until November 3, 2014 to come into compliance. The listing for Tartaric Acid — made from malic acid has been removed from §205.605(b), meaning that this ingredient is prohibited for use in “100% organic” or “organic” products. Note that tartaric acid made from grape wine is still allowed per §205.605(a). New Sunset Process Substances on the National List are subject to a review by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) every five years to confirm that the substance continues to meet the criteria laid out by the Organic Foods Production Act. This re-review process is called the “sunset process,” wherein the NOSB reviews new information concerning the substances and solicits public comment. On September 16, 2013, the NOP published a new procedure for sunset review, intended to increase transparency and public engagement in the process. Major changes to the process include 1) Public comments may be submitted across two NOSB meetings, instead of just one, and 2) Changes to or additions of annotations to substances already on the National List cannot be proposed during the sunset process and must be separately petitioned. To view the full text of the new sunset process, please visit the NOP website (ams.usda.gov) or contact PCO for hard copies. Fall 2013 NOSB Meeting Cancelled Due to lack of funding during the government shutdown in October, the fall business meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) was cancelled. The NOSB will not re-
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schedule this meeting. The NOSB will meet as scheduled for the spring 2014 business meeting in April in San Antonio, Texas. The spring meeting will cover the agenda items from the cancelled meeting. New or revised subcommittee recommendations will be made available for public comment. To access full text of any NOP publication or to receive email updates directly from the NOP by subscribing to be an Organic Insider, please visit the NOP website (ams.usda. gov) or contact PCO for hard copies.
Changes to PCO Policies Become Effective Existing certified operators have until December 31, 2013 to comply with revised PCO policies on Dehorning and Disbudding of Livestock, Castration of Livestock, and Production of Maple Products. The full text of these policies was included in the 2013 summer edition of Organic Matters. Compliance will be assessed during the 2014 annual update process. PCO 100% Grassfed Standards Finalized PCO has completed the development of the PCO 100% Grassfed Certification Program. PCO made every effort to assure the quality and integrity of the productions standard for this program. The standards were developed by the PCO Standards Committee through research of existing private certification programs, consultations with industry professionals, and information from scientific publications. Members also had an opportunity to provide comments and feedback prior to finalizing the standard. The full text of the standards is provided below. Contact PCO to inquire about applying for PCO 100% Grassfed certification or for a copy of the Program Manual. Response to comments: PCO thanks our members who provided feedback during the membership comment period for the draft version of these standards. The PCO Standards Committee assessed all comments in light of the intent and enforceability of the program standards. Some commenters wanted an exception to feed grain to young stock. The committee did not feel that this sort of exception was compatible with a “100% Grassfed” standard. Some commenters inquired about the allowance of sprouted grain in 100% Grassfed livestock diet. The committee addressed this inquiry in a policy statement included below. Final text of standards: Part 1 — Terms Defined Boot stage. Growth stage when a grass inflorescence is enclosed by the sheath of the uppermost leaf. In small grains, this stage of growth is identified on the Feekes Growth Sale as Stage 10. Forage. Vegetative material in a fresh, dried, or ensiled state (pasture, hay, or silage), which is fed to livestock. V10 stage. Growth stage of corn development when the stalk is in rapid growth phase accumulating dry matter and nutrients. The tassel has begun growing rapidly as the stalk continues to elongate.
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Organic Updates Vegetative state (pre-grain/pre-boot). Stage of growth prior to boot stage or grain development. Part 2 — Livestock Production 2.1 General. Livestock intended for “PCO 100% Grassfed” certification of dairy or meat products must be PCO-certified organic. 2.2 Origin of Livestock 2.2.1 Livestock products that are to be sold, labeled, or represented as “PCO 100% Grassfed” must be from livestock produced under the requirements of this standard throughout the animal’s lifespan, except that dairy livestock must be managed according to the provisions of this standard for a transition period of 90 days prior to representing the animal or dairy products derived from the animal as “PCO 100% Grassfed” certified. a. Once an entire distinct herd has been converted to grassfed production, all animals shall remain under grassfed management, except that a herd or part of a herd may undergo the transition period again in extenuating circumstances as determined on a case-by-case basis by PCO. b. All management practices must be documented. 2.2.2 Up to 3 years from implementation date of this standard, livestock for replacement or expansion purposes may be purchased from organic herds or flocks and must comply with the requirements of Part 2.2.1 of this standard. After 3 years from implementation date of this standard, all purchased livestock must come from equivalent (as determined by PCO) grassfed certified herds, except that PCO will re-evaluate this provision prior to this deadline to assess the availability of grassfed certified animals and may issue an extension of Part 2.2.2 of this standard. 2.3 Livestock Feed 2.3.1 100% dry matter intake must be derived from pasture or forage, except that
meat or milk product. 2.3.2 Agricultural products, including pasture and forage, must be certified organic and meet the requirements of 7 CFR §205.237. 2.3.3 Livestock may be fed forage that consists of grass (annual and perennial), forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse, cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain/preboot) state, hay, haylage, baleage, silage, crop residue without grain, or other roughage, provided that a. Crops normally harvested for grain (including but not limited to corn, soybean, rice, wheat and oats) are foraged or harvested in the vegetative state (pre-grain/preboot). Forage may include seeds naturally attached to crops not normally harvested for grain. b. Grain crops have not matured to boot stage or later. c. Corn has not matured past the V10 stage or into tassel stage. d. Forage is not fed in concentrated (i.e. pelletized) form. 2.3.4 Livestock may be fed trace vitamins and minerals in accordance with 7 CFR §205.603(d). Organic grain or grain by-products used as carriers within a vitamin or mineral supplement are allowed, provided that a. The supplement is fed at labeled rates or does not exceed a rate within the normal range of consumption as prescribed by the manufacturer, a veterinarian, or qualified nutritionist. b. The supplement is not used with the intent of utilizing it as a grain supplement. 2.3.5 Livestock must not be fed the following feedstuffs: a. Grain and grain by-products b. Corn kernels or corn kernel by-products c. Cake or meal feedstuffs d. Concentrates
a. Livestock may be fed milk prior to weaning.
e. Food processing by-products or waste
b. Dairy livestock may be fed the following non-forage feedstuffs:
f. Small grain or corn allowed to mature past the vegetative (pre-grain/pre-boot) state
i. Molasses ii. [Reserved] c. PCO will review other non-forage feedstuffs for dairy on an as needed basis according to the following criteria: i. Feedstuff must not be a prohibited in Part 2.3.5 of this standard. ii. Feedstuff must not be starch-based.
2.4 Livestock Health Care 2.4.1 Livestock must be managed in accordance with 7CFR §205.238. 2.4.2 Operator must not withhold grain or other nutritional supplementation from a sick animal in an effort to preserve its “PCO 100% Grassfed” status. All appropriate feedstuffs must be used to restore an animal to health when feedstuffs that are allowed under this standard fail. If grain supplementation is
iii. Feedstuff must not change the nutrient profile of the
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Organic Updates
Standards & Policy Update continued from page 25
provided to an animal, the operator must, a. Document the supplementation and notify PCO. b. Clearly identify the animal as not part of the grassfed certified herd. c. Not sell, label, or represent the animal or products from the animal as “PCO 100% Grassfed.” 2.5. Pasture Management 2.5.1 Pastures that contain grain or corn crops shall be managed to not intentionally allow grain or corn crops to mature past the vegetative (pre-grain/pre-boot) state. 2.5.2 Livestock must be grazed to meet or exceed the requirements of 7 CFR §205.237(c). 2.6 Split Production. Livestock certified as “PCO 100%Grassfed” may be managed alongside organic livestock that are not certified as “PCO 100% Grassfed” provided that the operator establishes management practices and identification methods to prevent misrepresentation of certified and non-certified “PCO 100% Grassfed” livestock.
with the roots attached do not meet PCO requirement for allowable forage (part 2.3.3). The root portion of germinated sprout is made up of pericarp and endosperm that contribute a significant starch content to the plant and was produced by a plant that matured past the boot stage. Sprouts without the root portion would be an allowable form of forage. Policy on Revising the PCO 100% Grassfed Standards: PCO seeks to maintain a 100% Grassfed certification program of high quality and integrity. To ensure that the certification standard is current and accurate within an ever-changing environment, PCO will evaluate the 100% Grassfed certification program standard every 3 years. PCO will accept comments from certified operators and members regarding ways to improve this standard. These comments will be taken into consideration during the periodic evaluation process.
Materials Update Material Review Status Changes Johanna Mirenda, Policy Director
Please note the following status changes for materials reviewed by PCO for use by certified operators. ALLOWED
Part 3 — Handling
Contact PCO with any questions about the use or restrictions for these products.
3.1 Livestock products must be handled in accordance with 7 CFR §205.270.
• Boron 10% (Cameron Chemicals) allowed as fertilizer/soil amendment.
3.2 Operator must establish practices that prevent commingling of certified and non-certified “PCO 100% Grassfed” livestock products and to prevent contact of “PCO 100% Grassfed” livestock products with substances prohibited by this standard. Part 4 — Labeling 4.1 Multi-ingredient products labeled as “PCO 100% Grassfed” must not contain any ruminant livestock products that are not certified to this standard. All other ingredients must comply with NOP regulations for product composition (7 CFR §205.301) as applicable. 4.2 The term “PCO 100% Grassfed” may only be used to represent products that are produced and handled in accordance with this standard. 4.3 The “PCO 100% Grassfed” seal may only be used to represent products that are produced and handled in accordance with this standard. Policy on Feeding Sprouted Grain to 100% Grassfed Livestock: Whole sprouted grains are not allowed for use as feed in PCO-Certified 100% Grassfed livestock production. Sprouts
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• Super Plus 3-0-7 (Fertrell) allowed as fertilizer/soil amendment. (R) Dehydrated manure (Notes: this product was previously called Super Plus 3-2-7) PROHIBITED Operators must immediately discontinue use of these products unless otherwise indicated.
• Cal Mag D.L. (Agro-K Corp.) prohibited as fertilizer/soil amendment. • Cell Tech Soybean Inoculant (EMD Crop BioSciences) prohibited as crop production aid. Clients may use up existing supply until March 31, 2014. • Dynamite Premium Plant Food Organic Based All Purpose 10-2-8 (Black Gold EnviroSafe) prohibited as fertilizer/soil amendment. Clients may use up existing supply until April 30, 2014. (Note: there is an OMRI-listed version of this product that is allowed) • Original JNP Liniment (Nardos) prohibited as livestock medical treatment. Clients may use up existing supply until April 30, 2014. • Revive Teat Dip (IBA, Inc.) prohibited as livestock medical
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Organic Updates treatment. Clients may use up existing supply until May 31, 2014. Materials Review Service PCO has begun to offer contractual agreements to NOPaccredited certification agencies for accepting PCO’s material review decisions and requesting ingredient information. This new service by PCO is unique among certifiers and was developed with a goal of promoting consistent decisions across certifiers and eliminating the redundancy of many certifiers having to perform their own research and reviews of the same product. PCO’s program utilizes our material reviews performed for PCO members to provide research and information services to the greater organic community while providing an additional revenue stream for PCO. A few select certifiers participated in a pilot program of this service during the past few months, and the feedback has been very positive. Under the PCO Material Review Service, participating certifiers are permitted to accept PCO’s review decision for materials that are listed on the current PCO Approved Materials List. This allows certifiers to accept PCO’s review decision without performing their own technical review of the material. Participating certifiers also have the option to request ingredient information for some materials. Attention Manufacturers! Manufacturers that would like to advertise products as approved for use in organic production are encouraged to regis-
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ter products with the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) (omri.org, 1-541-343-7600). Suppliers of livestock and processing products can use the PCO Discount Code APP410346 to receive both a free OMRI Application Kit and a 15% discount off their first product application fee. (Crop materials are not eligible for this program.)
Inspection Insights Brian Magaro: Farmer’s Favorite Inspector Amanda Birk, Staff Inspector
Anyone who has ever gotten the answering machine of PCO Inspector Brian Magaro has heard, “I will call you back as soon as humanly possible. In the meantime… take a deep breath… and have a great day.” It is perhaps this attitude that has helped him win the Farmer’s Favorite Inspector Award year after year. What is Brian’s secret to making an organic inspection of value for the certified client? The simple answer is that Brian is a sincere person who truly loves farming. When asked, Brian unhesitatingly states that being a farmer is “one of the most important life styles on the planet, and being part of an industry that helps bring the grower and the consumer closer together is very rewarding.” Brian’s approach to inspecting is solidly based in developing “camaraderie” with the client/farmer, and he aims to make every inspection a personalized experience. He states that organic certification is not “big brother telling us how to Brian Magaro receives a PCO farm,” or how to do award for his excellent inspection our jobs, but is performance. instead “an opportunity to be part of something important, an opportunity for evaluation, improvement and ultimately a healthier world.” Brian states, “I see my position as an inspector as being a consumer advocate. It is my responsibility that the consumer is receiving exactly what they are paying for, and this I take very seriously. If a producer is not adhering to standards or does not understand the regulations, they will be instructed as to what they are doing wrong, and what the regulations governing this mean. Understanding strengthens organic integrity and builds strong bonds between the producer and their product, of which they can be proud.” When Brian isn’t inspecting organic farms and processors, he operates his own auction business, and has volunteered as a benefit auctioneer at numerous fundraising events. He was also, of course, recently elected as a PCO Board member. He aims to produce the majority of his food from his own greenhouse, and also enjoys woodworking and fly-fishing in his spare time.
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Organic News Briefs
Organic milk production is less harmful to the land Examining the land use impacts of producing organic versus conventional dairy, researchers in Sweden have found that organic dairy is more environmentally friendly. The study, published recently in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, examined several environmental health markers, including plant species’ richness and regeneration times of ecosystems to determine land use impacts of dairy rearing on farms with differing management styles. They found that while organic milk production may take more land, the land in use is healthier and production is more sustainable than conventional milk production. Many of the negative impacts associated with conventional production were due to soymeal concentrate feed production, because soy production is often linked to deforestation in countries where it is commonly grown, such as Argentina and Brazil. Organic milk production, on the other hand, primarily relies on pasture grazing, which is less environmentally
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intensive than feed-based diets. Additionally, when organic livestock diets are supplemented with feed, all products must be certified organic. www.link.springer.com/ Excerpt from The Organic Scoop High energy efficiency on organic farms Describing the differences in energy consumption between organic and conventional farms, a study by Professor Dalgaard of Aarhus University concludes that conversion to organic from conventional farming typically results in lower total fossil energy use. Although the research also found reduced production per area of agricultural land in organic systems, these reductions were outweighed by the decrease in energy use, meaning that even when yield is taken into account, organic production is less energy intensive than conventional production. The energy efficiency of organic farming was summed up by the author, who stated that “the energy efficiencies… are typically higher in
organic compared to conventional farming examples.” The study goes on to point out that not only do organic farms use less energy than their conventional counterparts, they also emit less greenhouse gasses. Excerpt from The Organic Scoop Organic carrots have similar yields, and potential for higher nutrients A study by Dr. Bender and Dr. Ingver at the Jõgeva Plant Breeding Institute looked at how agricultural management affects yield and nutrient content of carrots. The study compared marketable yield, vitamin C content, and total sugar content of organic and conventional carrots over three growing seasons in Estonia. Findings showed there were no significant differences in the yields of the organically grown versus the conventionally grown carrots. While there were no nutritional differences between organic and conventional carrots for two of the three years, continued on page 33
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Organic Marketplace
For Sale CROPS Organic Hay, Straw, Corn, Barley, Wheat for sale. Totes quantity for sprouting grains available. Hay prices based on forage tests, Dairy to dry cow grades, call for list. Delivery available. Provident Farms @ 570-772-6095. Tioga County. PCO Certified organic balage. Individually wrapped. 4x4 mixed hay, 1st and 2nd cutting. $40 dollars a bale. Contact Jim Hepp: 570-746-1651. Bradford County. For sale: PCO certified — 1st cutting alf/grass balage 3x3x6. John S. Dietz, mrdnine@juno.com, 717-424-1228 evenings or mornings. York County. For Sale, PCO Certified Straw, Dry shelled corn. Contact Dan DeTurk at 610-972-2864, Berks County. Certified organic hay and forages — 1st cutting 4 x4 oatlage and grass balage forages — $50 bale, dry round bales, Call for 2nd availability and pricing. Contact Dan at 518-329-5555 or DROTHVOSS@HOTMAIL.COM. H. Rothvoss and Sons Farm. Columbia County, NY. PCO Certified Organic Hay — Small square bales. Call for price. Contact James: 570-439-7196. Potter County. Humified Compost — Available in totes or bulk. Dan Landis at Landisdale Farms. Delivery Available. 717-304-9386 or LandisdaleFarm@gmail.com. Lebanon County.
Tamworth Hogs, breeding age boars and gilts. Organically fed but not certified. Provident Farms @ 570-772-6095. Tioga County.
Wanted Wanted — Transitional rye, spelt, millet, hard red spring wheat, yellow dent corn. Bin run or cleaned. Prefer Western PA. RandyMetz.Jr@gmail.com Wanted — NON GMO Corn. Paying premium. Must pass test. Does not need to be certified. Lebanon, PA. rockymeadowfarm@evenlink.com. 717-228-2727. Lebanon County. Wanted — Organic Raw Milk. ACF Organics, LLC, d/b/a/ Amish Country Farms located in Totowa, NJ is looking to procure certified organic raw milk from farmers in Pennsylvania. Ken Tensen: 800990-3447 ext. 202. To Advertise: If you would like to have an ad placed in the weekly E-Marketplace, please forward your information to: newsletter@ paorganic.org. Please include your name, phone, email, and county as it applies. If you are offering organic products, please include your organic certifier. All advertising is subject to PCO’s approval. PCO reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertising for any reason at any time. PCO neither investigates nor endorses the products or claims made by advertisers. Buyers should request verification of organic certification by a USDA-accredited certification agent.
EQUIPMENT 8 row Elmer specialty cultivator. 6 row Elmer specialty cultivator. 8 row Hiniker 6000 series cultivator with lots of extra options and parts. LP gas flame cultivator. 3 bottom Harrell swing/switch plow. 419-680-5238 or 419-992-4769. Seneca County, OH. Batch freezers to make 5 gallons of ice cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt! Asking 3,800 (worth 10,000) for the older and 7,000 (worth 15,000) for the new. 610 649 3983. Montgomery County.
LIVESTOCK Organic feeder pigs for sale, Duroc/Yorkshire crosses. Certified by PCO. 610-488-6471 or 610-488-7673. John Hartranft. Berks County. Opportunities PCO Certified Organic Packaging Building and Small Farm for Sale. High tunnel, starter greenhouse, 30x60 bank barn, outbuildings, 3 Br brick farmhouse. Motivated sellers. NEW LOWER PRICE- 338,000. 717-468-2624. Wrightsville, York County. PCO Certified Organic 2 spring freshening heifers (1 March, 1 May). 7 shortbred (exposed to bull since Nov 1). 14 yearlings. Samuel Stoltzfus. 814-749-0137. Indiana County.
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PCO Welcomes 4th Quarter New Members! Ernest Fazenbaker Independence, WV
NEW BUSINESS MEMBERS
Allison MacDonald Free Bird Farm Leesburg, VA
Amy Bradsher OMRI Eugene, OR Nickki Stello Stello Foods, Inc. Punxsutawney, PA
Linda Smith Smith’s Farm LLC Red Lion, PA
Zee Medical Service Company /Ozone On Demand Reading, PA
NEW CERTIFIED MEMBERS
NEW SUPPORTING MEMBERS Louie Swarey Belleville, PA Richard Pia Gourmet’s Delight Mushroom Company Avondale, PA Allen Matthews Matthews Family Farm Valencia, PA
Wilbur Hartranft Selinsgrove, PA Ted Hutter Middlesex, NY Chris Schmucker Whickey Hill Family Farm Waterloo, NY
Eli S. Fisher Elm Tree Organics Mount Joy, PA
Jonathan Zeiset Zeiset Ag Millersburg, PA
Rutter’s Dairy Inc. York, PA
Jonathan J. Byler Country Lane Farm Volant, PA
Wenger’s Feed Mill Rheems, PA Ron & Wendy Hight Antwerp, NY Alvie Fourness Wooleylot Farm Coudersport, PA Elmer Ringler Blandon, PA Andrew Young Kodru Dairy Antwerp, NY
Mike S. Esh Rebersburg, PA
Universal Synergenetics, Inc dba T.H.E.M. Marlton, NJ
Steven J Beiler Allenwood, PA
Earth’s Enrichments Baltimore, MD
Come join the PCO Team!
Joe Kelly Seaside Enterprises Inc. Parksley, VA Richard Smith Reflection Family Farm Somerset, PA Thomas G. Young Young Contracting Gouverneur, NY Timothy & Marie Fox Penn Yan, NY John S. Zook Orangeville, PA
Employment Opportunities
Want to work with people committed to assuring the integrity of organic food production? For a full description of duties and qualifications, visit www.paorganic.org/jobs. Staff Accountant Pennsylvania Certified Organic announces a job opening for a Staff Accountant. The ideal candidate will have education and/or experience in bookkeeping functions, including, but not limited to: accounts payable/receivable, managing payroll, generating financial reports with analysis, reconciling multiple bank accounts, etc. We are looking for a well-organized and self-motivated person to join our professional team in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania. This is a full-time, exempt position. Salary Range: $40,000 to $45,000, depending on experience. Benefits: health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance; Simple IRA, generous holiday, vacation and paid time off. Interested in volunteering? PCO relies on its outstanding volunteers to help with organic outreach and education. Volunteers have assisted by participating in one of PCO’s committees: Finance, Standards, staffing an exhibit, FarmFest; and much more. Support Pennsylvania Certified Organic by volunteering to contribute to our organization’s mission; email: pco@paorganic.org or call 814-4220251 for more information. How to apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to (electronic submissions preferred): Lia Sandoval, lia@paorganic.org
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Calendar
January
February
JANUARY 1 New Year’s Day PCO Office Closed
FEBRUARY 5–8 PASA’s 23rd Farming for the Future Conference: Letting Nature Lead Penn Stater Conference Center State College, PA Join the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture for the premier sustainable agriculture conference on the East Coast! An event not to be missed, this conference brings together thousands of farmers, local food activists, backyard gardeners, sustainable ag industry partners and experts from the field. For more information, visit: pasafarming.org/events/conference or call 814-349-9856.
JANUARY 7–9 Keystone Farm Show York Fairgrounds York, PA The Keystone Farm Show is the fastest growing farm show on the East Coast. This show targets full-time farmers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Visit PCO’s Director of Education and Outreach, Lee Rinehart, at the PCO booth! For more information, visit: keystonefarmshow.com or call 800-2185586. JANUARY 15 Profitability Study Circle Shady Maple East Earl, PA Explore tools to help make decisions to increase profitability. Come discuss successes and challenges to labor, budgets and efficiencies to increase farm profits. Farmer Tim Bock will share his experience with tracking profits and the key things he learned after two years of tracking costs. Penn State Extension’s Matt Hahn will introduce us to two tools for kitchen table dairy profit assessments. Registration for the first thirty farmers is free including lunch. Additional guests can pay $15 at the door. For more information contact Tianna DuPont, Penn State Extension at (610) 746-1970 or tdupont@ psu.edu or Mena Hautau (610) 378-1327 or mmh10@psu.edu JANUARY 17–18 Future Harvest CASA’s 15th Annual Farming for Profit and Stewardship Conference UMUC Marriott Inn & Conference Center College Park, MD Tracks include: Beginning Farmers, Scaling Up, Grass-Based Systems, Local Food Communities, Fruit and Vegetable Production, and The Business of Farming. Keynote address by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head. For more information, visit: futureharvestcasa.org/events or call 410549-7878
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FEBRUARY 6 PCO Annual Meeting Penn Stater Conference Center State College, PA The PCO Annual Meeting is a time for members, sponsors, volunteers, and staff to gather and reflect on this past year’s successes, recognize outstanding supporters and volunteers, and elect new board members. The PCO Annual Meeting is a free event, but registration is requested by January 25 to assist us with planning. For more information, or to register, visit: www.paorganic.org/annualmeeting or contact Lia Sandoval at 814-422-0251 or lia@paorganic.org. FEBRUARY 11 Organic Field Crop Forum Shady Maple East Earl, PA This forum will be a combination of farmer presentation and round table discussion. Topics will include: dealing with problem perennial weeds, new varieties, and rotations. Registration for the first thirty farmers is free including lunch. Additional guests can pay $15 at the door. For more information contact Tianna DuPont, Penn State Extension at (610) 746-1970 or tdupont@psu .edu or Mena Hautau (610) 378-1327 or mmh10@psu.edu FEBRUARY 13 PCO Standards Meeting Bird in Hand Village Inn Bird in Hand, PA
Pennsylvania Certified Organic invites members and the public to the Winter Standards Meeting for presentations and discussion on proposed organic policies. Policies to be discussed include: livestock living conditions, residue testing, unannounced inspections, PCO’s new 10% Grassfed certification, and PCO’s Ginseng Verification. Please contact Lia Sandoval at 814-422-0251 or email at lia@paorganic.org, or visit our website at paorganic.org/standardsmeeting to register for this free event. Lunch is included. FEBRUARY 14–16 OEFFA’s 35th Annual Conference: Affirming Our Roots, Breaking New Ground Granville, Ohio Ohio’s largest sustainable sustainable agriculture conference will feature keynote speakers, approximately 100 workshops, local and organic meals, a kids’ conference, childcare, a trade show, and Saturday evening entertainment. For more information, please visit: oeffa.org/conference2014 or call 614-421-2022 FEBRUARY 17 President’s Day PCO Office Closed FEBRUARY 28 PCO Inspector’s Meeting PCO Office Spring Mills, PA
March MARCH 6–7 CSA Expert Exchange: An Online Conference pasafarming.org/events MARCH 19 Organic Dairy and Forage Study Circle Shady Maple East Earl, PA Topic details TBD. Registration for the first thirty farmers is free including lunch. Additional guests can pay $15 at the door. For more information contact Tianna DuPont, Penn State Extension at (610) 746-1970 or tdupont@psu.edu or Mena Hautau (610) 3781327 or mmh10@psu.edu
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News Briefs continued from page 28
there were higher vitamin C levels and higher sugars in organic carrots during 2012 and 2010, respectively. This study shows that environmental interactions with management system have the potential to increase crop nutrition during certain years for organically managed produce without compromising yields. Excerpt from The Organic Scoop Organic farming is better for birds A new study out of France examines the benefits that organic agriculture has on bird populations. Although many papers have cited examples of the benefits that organic farming plays on bird species, this is the first study that synthesizes available research to determine the relationship between farming practices and bird population health. The researchers focused on birds in Europe and North America to test whether organic agriculture is more favorable to farmland birds compared to conventional agriculture, and found that organic farming techniques benefit birds on a large scale. “We found that organic agriculture had a global positive effect on bird abundance compared to conventional agriculture,” according to the authors of the study. Ten out of the 36 species examined showed a significantly higher abundance on organic farms than on conventional farms. The study cites “bird-friendly” practices used by organic techniques — such as diverse crop rotations, reduced use of pesticides, and the creation of more heterogeneous landscapes — as being responsible for these findings. www.link.springer.com Excerpt from The Organic Scoop
2015 PCO Calendar Photo Contest!
PCO would like to showcase your organic farm, and photography skills, in our 2015 calendar.
We are looking for pictures of your family and farm workers on your organic farm or handling operation, at work or at rest, throughout the seasons. New this year, we’ll display all submitted photos at FarmFest for in person voting and prizes. We will accept high-resolution photos via submission on our website, by email, or on a CD. Please submit your entries for the photo contest by July 15 to: Pennsylvania Certified Organic 2015 Calendar Coordinator 106 School Street, Suite 201 • Spring Mills, PA 16875 calendar@paorganic.org • www.paorganic.org
www.paorganic.org
The Organic Scoop is a publication of The Organic Center, Inc. The Organic Center’s mission is to convene credible, evidence-based science on the health and environmental benefits of food and farming, and to communicate the finding to the public. For more information on The Organic Center, Inc. visit: www.organiccenter.org, email info@organic-center.org or call 802-275-3897.
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Non-Profit Org US POSTAGE PAID CENTRE HALL, PA PERMIT NO. 33
106 School Street, Suite 201 Spring Mills, PA 16875
August 1–2, 2014 Grange Fairgrounds Centre Hall, PA • Live Music • Exhibit Hall • Homegrown Market • Organic Classrooms • Children’s Activities
Sponsors & Vendors Wanted! Commit by March 1st to take full advantage of benefits. To find out more, contact the FarmFest Team at farmfest@paorganic.org or visit farmfest.paorganic.org 814-422-0251