Winter 2019 Organic Matters

Quarterly Newsletter • Winter 2019

2

PCO Annual Meeting

4

Profitability with ValueAdded Grains

6

New Certified Grass-Fed Standards

8

Latest Cover Crop Research

I

t’s the start of the year and a natural time to plan for everything we wish to accomplish in the coming year. However, the winter season brings with it a certain stillness and quiet that reminds us of the importance to also pause, listen and reflect on all that was accomplished in 2018. This rumination time will allow PCO to incorporate our successes and learnings into our priority focus areas for 2019 with renewed vigor as we come into spring.

Our priority focus areas for 2019 continue to be customer service, financial stability and a high-performing board. During our reflection, we listened to the valued voices of our membership from the recently completed member survey and incorporated your ideas on how PCO can better serve your needs. After all, that’s our mission! Of course, we welcome your input anytime throughout the year. Please call, email or Diana Underwood, PCO Interim Co-Executive Director; Kristy Borelli, PCO Board Member; and stop by and see us to let us know what we Kyla Smith, PCO Interim Co-Executive Director at the 2018 PCO Annual Meeting in Bellefonte, PA. Photo: Sabine Carey, FreeRanging Photography. can do differently to help you.

As part of our attention toward customer service, we’re digdiscussions on important topics, including pesticide and GMO ging deep into our processes to not only make them more efficontamination, dairy industry issues, labor shortages and clicient but to also weave our core values in our day to day mate change. A hardy thanks to all those that were able to interactions. Additionally, this year we intend to elevate PCO’s attend this year!

Vision, Mission and Core Values. So don’t be surprised as you Will we see you at the PASA conference? Stop by the PCO start to see them more prominently displayed. booth to share what you are learning and visit with PCO staff.

We’ll continue to monitor our financial stability to ensure We’ll both be attending the conference and would love to conour stable financial base is maintained even as we grow our nect with you. membership. PCO saw around a 15% growth in organically As always, we are grateful to every PCO member, past and certified operations from 2017 to 2018. present, for your commitment to PCO. You are the reason we are here and we look forward to ongoing success together.

The PCO board is hard at work furthering their excellence through the strategic plan as a unified board. Thanks for your participation in the board election process. Selecting PCO’s board leadership is integral to our success. This is such a dedicated group of people. It’s an honor to work them.

PCO out and about At PCO’s Annual Meeting on November 28th in Bellefonte, PA, we were able to share some of the previously mentioned strategic plan successes from 2018. More importantly we had a fantastic time connecting with members and engaging in lively

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

Diana Underwood Interim Co-Executive Director Director of Operations 704-718-0058 Diana@paorganic.org

Kyla Smith Interim Co-Executive Director Certification Director 215-840-9640 Kyla@paorganic.org

www.paorganic.org

Organic Matters Winter 2019

FFEEAT URREESS AT U OFFICERS

president Luke Howard, Homestead Farms, Inc. vice president Michael Ranck, Charvin Organic Farms secretary Tina Ellor, Phillips Mushroom Farms treasurer Dave Hartman, Penn State Extension managing board chair Bob Eberly

ADVISORY BOARD

Preston Boop, Briar Patch Organic Kristy Borelli, Penn State University Ross Duffield, The Rodale Institute Beth Gugino, Penn State Extension Ron Hoover, Penn State Extension Ted LeBow, Kitchen Table Consultants Joe Miller, Trickling Springs Creamery Ponniah Selvakumar, GAPS EcoSys Andrew Smyre, Anchor Ingredients/ Precizion Ag LLC Marketing and Consulting Mike Spangler, Global Natural LLC

STAFF

leadership team director of operations & interim co-executive director Diana Underwood certification director & interim co-executive director Kyla Smith administrative team accounting manager Elizabeth Leah staff accountant Shawnee Matis administrative assistant Lia Lopez human resources manager Sandy Vandeven

2 | PCO Annual Meeting: A Discussion on Vast Growth 2018 membership meeting highlights growth, next steps for the organization and the organic industry 4 | Value-Added Grains Profitable, Sustainable Enterprises for Organic Growers

certification team certification program manager Marissa Pyle operations manager Reva Baylets senior certification specialist Heather Donald certification specialist Justine Cook certification specialist Stephen Hobaugh certification specialist Cathy Jackson certification specialist Chelsea Johnson certification specialist Emily Newman certification specialist Colleen Scott certification specialist Craig Shroyer certification specialist Eastlyn Wright program assistant Lauren Lewis program assistant Aleisha Schreffler program assistant Kristin Shade

8 | Cover Crops for Sustainable and Organic Farmers Northeast Cover Crop Council shares latest research

STORIES 6 | Organic Plus Trust Launches New Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program in 2019 New grass-fed standards aim for increased consumer confidence and expanded market opportunites

inspections team inspections manager Liz Amos inspection program coordinator Ashley Madea materials team

14 | Fall 2018 National Organic Standards Board Meeting The Organic Trade Association’s Meeting Report

materials program manager Jennifer Berkebile materials specialist Sabine Carey materials/outreach specialist April Kocis quality team quality systems & it manager Angela Morgan it specialist Garrick McCullough

C O LU M N S

106 School Street, Suite 201

fax: 814.422.0255

Spring Mills, PA 16875

email: pco@paorganic.org

814.422.0251

web: paorganic.org

facebook.com/PAorganic OUR MISSION: To ensure the integrity of organic products

and serve our farming community.

www.paorganic.org

1 0 President’s Message

20 New Members

1 1 Dear Aggy

22 Organic Marketplace

1 2 Transitions

24 Calendar

1 6 Organic Updates Certification Legislative Materials New Faces

On the cover: Cattle by Sabine Carey, FreeRanging Photography.

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

1

PCO members Debra Brubaker Smith, Mary Barbercheck, and ??namenamename?? collaborate on a discussion worksheet during the 2018 PCO Annual Meeting in Bellefonte, PA. Photo: Sabine Carey, FreeRanging Photography.

left the position in September.

“We’re really grateful, all of PCO, and I’m sure our membership is grateful, for Ms. Zuck’s vision, leadership and tireless service on behalf of PCO,” Howard stated. “During the transition, the board has the utmost confidence in our staff and leadership at PCO to continue the professional and exemplary service that we provide to all of our members.”

He then went on to praise the performance of Kyla Smith, PCO’s Director of Certification, and Diana Underwood, PCO’s Director of Operations, who are serving as interim Co-Executive Directors while the board searches for Zuck’s successor. Smith and Underwood, both of whom have been with PCO for many years, are collaborating to maintain PCO’s vision that all communities are enriched through organic food and farming while moving the organization forward.

And in a time of organic industry growth, with new challenges that have developed in the industry (ranging from the organic integrity of imports to financial struggles in the dairy industry), strong and responsive leadership is critical. It was noted during the business meeting that PCO has maintained its position as the fifth largest certifier in the nation, with approximately 1,600 certified organic clients, and grew its PCO 100% Grassfed certification by 173% between 2016 and 2017.

This growth rests with the members who choose PCO’s certification services and rely on PCO to offer excellent customer service, while honoring its commitment to ensuring organic integrity in the marketplace.

PCO Annual Meeting: A Discussion on Vast Growth

The 2018 membership meeting highlights growth, next steps for the organization and the organic industry

By Justine Cook, Certification Specialist PCO held its annual membership meeting in Bellefonte, PA on Wednesday, November 28, 2018. The meeting allowed members to engage with PCO staff and board; provided an update on PCO’s work and current standing; and featured a listening session with Johanna Mirenda, Organic Trade Association (OTA) Farm Policy Director. For the first time in the organization’s history, the annual meeting was streamed, which provided non-local members an opportunity to participate.

And the meeting was participatory; after presenting a summary of the growth and financial position of PCO, attendees were invited to share their thoughts and experiences with Mirenda, as part of the listening session. As the organic industry grows, and organic organizations like OTA and PCO grow, it is clear that farmers are at the center of that growth and their voices are essential for keeping the industry grounded in the principles of organic agriculture, including sustainability, diversity and balance.

Leadership in a time of transition The meeting was called to order by Luke Howard, who is in his second year serving as board president and owns and operates Homestead Farms, Inc. of Millington, MD. Howard started by acknowledging the contribution and work of Leslie Zuck, PCO’s founder and long-time Executive Director, who

2

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

Tackling the big topics Organic integrity, and its impact on trust in the organic label, was an important topic broached during the second half of the meeting, which featured Johanna Mirenda, OTA Farm Policy Director. Mirenda, whose previous positions include Policy Director at PCO and Technical Director for the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), joined OTA in the latter half of 2018. She opened the listening session with an overview of OTA’s work and the role of farmers in shaping that work.

OTA was founded in 1985 as a membership-based business association for organic agricultural products in North America; with a mission to protect and promote organic. They fulfill that mission through legislative and regulatory advocacy; international trade and market development; communications and public relations; market analysis; and scientific research.

An example of the recent communications work that was pro-

www.paorganic.org

vided during the listening session was an article from National Geographic titled “We Don’t Have Enough Organic Farms, Why Not?”; OTA worked with the article’s author for several weeks, recommending organic farms to feature and contributing market research data. When confronted with misinformation in the media, OTA uses their communications team to counter with corrections or rebuttals. The key factor being that consumers are presented factual, current information about the work of organic farmers and the requirements of organic certification.

Consumer and producer trust in the label, trust in both the rigorous nature of certification requirements and equal enforcement/compliance with those requirements, forms the foundation of the organic industry. One attendee, during the question and answer portion, noted that as an organic producer of local grain, he was skeptical of grain imports based on the price points they are able to achieve and wants assurance that everyone is operating on a level playing field. And the policy priorities OTA has set appear to reflect the importance of bolstering that trust in the label – making sure the legislative framework in which the organic industry operates adapts and flows with the industry’s needs. From advocating for sufficient funding for the National Organic Program (NOP) to establishing a Global Organic Supply Chain Integrity taskforce to aid with fraud prevention, OTA is present on issues that impact trust. It was noted that PCO representatives participate on several OTA task forces that are tackling these types of big topics, keeping our members in the conversation.

Elevating the voices of farmers A significant part of Mirenda’s role at OTA, and the reason for the listening session format, is to engage with the organic farming community on policy issues. Mirenda encouraged attendees of the annual meeting to explore opportunities for participation on OTA’s Member Communities, which are made up of working groups and task forces that connect members to each other and inform OTA on issues that impact their businesses – such as international trade or enforcement. The Farmers Advisory Council was particularly highlighted as a communication channel for small and medium-sized farms to collaborate with OTA on policy strategies.

The Farmers Advisory Council is made up of farmers who serve as representatives of organic farming organizations, such as PCO or Organic Valley, and individual OTA farmer members. PCO representatives include three board members who own and operate farms: Luke Howard, Preston Boop and Andrew Smyre. Mirenda reviewed the current priority issues that this member community is working on with attendees and acknowledged that each issue affects farms in a different way.

“What we have in this room is an invaluable resource, and that’s the minds of farmers,” Mirenda stressed. “And that’s what I want to bring back to the Organic Trade Association. My responsibility as Farm Policy Director is to elevate the voices of small to medium-sized farmers. So, I want to hear from you.”

The four priority issues that the Farmers Advisory Council are focusing on, and PCO Annual Meeting attendees were asked to explore in discussion groups, are pesticide and GMO contamination, dairy industry issues, labor shortage and cli-

www.paorganic.org

mate change. These areas were chosen as part of their work plan due to their timeliness and overarching impact on the organic industry. Mirenda noted that these topics were raised at multiple meetings during the development of the work plan, and, due to the complex nature of each one, it was clear that further discussion was needed. The goal of the current work plan is to delve into underlying causes in each topic area and,

by September 2019, have a list of actions that can be taken to address those causes.

Over a fifteen-minute period, annual meeting attendees used a discussion worksheet to organize their thoughts on one of the four topic areas. The worksheet asked the group to identify three specific challenges that they face in respect to the given topic area and to then think of some causes of those chal-

Johanna Mirenda, Organic Trade Association Farm Policy Director, and former PCO Policy Director, leads a listening session on organic hot topics at the 2018 PCO Annual Meeting. Photo: Sabine Carey, FreeRanging Photography.

lenges, resources needed to overcome the root cause and policies or actions that OTA can support to address the challenge.

And while some groups looked at the same issue, it was not surprising that the diversity of needs and perspectives led to different conversations. Some items discussed include the H2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Visa Program, noted as a complicated process that is barrier to meeting labor needs on some produce farms, and strengthening the seeds and planting stock practice standard under the organic regulations, broached as part of a broader conversation around GMO contamination.

Opportunities for engagement The organic industry has grown from a niche, local market to a multibillion-dollar global industry. And each year, its growth continues to outpace the overall food market. It is critical that farmers, especially those operating small and medium-sized farms, have a strong voice in how that growth is regulated and how challenges stemming from that growth are addressed.

For farmers interested in advocacy and steering policy initiatives, Mirenda brought up ways to engage through the OTA. In an effort to open the door wider for small and mediumcontinued on page 19

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

3

Value-Added Grains Profitable, Sustainable Enterprises for Organic Growers

By Elizabeth Dyck, Organic Growers’ Research and Information-Sharing Network (OGRIN) Strong consumer demand for locally or regionally grown grains is creating a rare “twofer” for organic farmers in the Northeast: an opportunity to grow crops that not only have high profit potential but that provide multiple ecological benefits to the farming system.

Locally grown grains and grain products fetch high retail prices: for example, specialty wheat berries or rolled oats are sold for $2-$6 per pound or more. And the crops that form the core of this new local grain market—the small grains wheat, oats, barley, and rye—are exactly those crops that organic farmers have long been urged to grow as cover crops. These crops are vital because they 1) protect and improve soil quality through dense ground cover, nutrient-nabbing fibrous root systems, and production of large amounts of organic matter (straw), 2) act as “breaks” in the rotation to reduce pest incidence, and 3) provide excellent niches for intercrops of nitrogen-fixing legumes. With the local grains movement, organic farmers, from vegetable producers to dairy farmers, whether small- or larger-scale, can now grow crops that are critical for agroecosystem function for profit.

What adds value to grains?

In order to fully benefit from the local grains movement, growers should add as many “layers” of value as are practical for their systems. The baseline layer, of course, is that the grain is locally grown or at least grown within the Northeastern region.

Another value-adding layer is organic production. There is a continually unmet market for certified organic, locally grown grain, which commands high price premiums — for example, in some cases $5 or more per bushel of wheat in comparison to conventionally locally grown.

Another layer of value — in this case both higher monetary value and creation of a niche market — can be added by growing specialty grains. Specialty grains range from those prized for unusual appearance (e.g., purple hulless barley) to those with multiple attributes, e.g., the “ancient” wheats einkorn, emmer, and spelt which have distinctive tastes and proven

4

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

nutritional and health benefits (in the case of emmer, e.g., a low glycemic index). Heritage grains (which refer to varieties predating the Green Revolution’s breeding focus on shortstemmed plants suited to industrial production) can also be of high interest to consumers. Because specialty grains can have lower yields than standard modern varieties (in the case of many heritage wheat varieties, a 25% yield reduction or more), yield potential along with price premium should be considered when selecting crops for the grain enterprise.

Finally, a major dollop of value can be added by processing grains. Primary grain processing includes dehulling (necessary for most hulled grains to be used for human food), rolling or flaking, milling, malting, puffing, etc. Secondary processing can then occur; e.g., flour can be used in bread, cracker, or pasta production and in distilling. While some farmers may prefer to concentrate on production, the processing option, which can more than quadruple the grain’s value, is worthwhile exploring. Recent developments in affordable, small-scale grain-processing equipment (see below) may make processing attractive to more growers.

High-value grains and related crops that can be grown in the Northeast While other regions of the country, such as the Northern Plains, may be more conducive to higher yielding or, in some cases, higher quality grain crops, farmer and researcher experimentation over the last ten years has shown that a variety of grain and related crops grow well in the Northeast.

As shown in the table, there are spring- and fall-planted varieties of wheat, spelt, emmer, and barley that can be grown in our region. Many of the einkorn varieties that have been tested under Northeast growing conditions are facultative, i.e., the same variety can be planted in spring or fall. As a rule of thumb, fall-planted (winter) grains tend to have higher yields but be lower in protein than spring-planted grains. Farmers in Pennsylvania and New York have gravitated toward winter grains, which also include rye, because of the higher yields and less difficulty with weed management. Nevertheless, springplanted grain, wheat especially, is in high demand for its superior quality. Moreover, grain growers and processors with direct sales to consumers have noted that oats, which in our region can only be planted in the spring, is a “bridge” product

www.paorganic.org

HIGH-VALUE GRAIN AND RELATED CROPS FOR THE NORTHEAST CROP

PLANTING SEASON

Wheat, modern and heritage Spelt Einkorn Emmer Oats, hulled and hulless Barley, hulled and hulless Rye Corn, OP and heirloom Buckwheat Flax

spring, fall spring, fall spring, fall spring, fall spring spring, fall fall early summer early-mid summer spring

for many consumers: They are familiar with oat meal and how to cook it and therefore buy that product first, have success with it, and then go on to try other grain products.

Other high-value crops for our region include corn, buckwheat, and flax. Corn lacks the soil-improving qualities of the small grains, but open-pollinated and heirloom varieties are in high demand for use as corn meals and polenta and in distilling. Buckwheat, known as a pseudo cereal because it can be used as food in the same way as true cereals, rivals the small grains in the soil improvement and pest management benefits it confers to the cropping system. Buckwheat is in demand as flour and, with further experimentation in dehulling technology (see below), could be marketed as groats (dehulled seed), for which there is considerable, but as yet unmet, demand.

Flax, an oilseed crop with well-documented nutritional and health benefits, is spring-planted.

Critical management, equipment, and infrastructure needed The markets for value-added grains demand high quality, and profitability requires good yields. While there is a series of management practices that must be followed for successful production (see the resources section below), for those that have never grown grains or have not grown them for the

human food market, there are a couple of key points to bear in mind.

First, for value-added grains crops, timeliness of field operations is essential. For example, spring grains need to be planted as early as the ground can be safely worked, since increasing temperatures inhibit tillering (production of multiple shoots from a single seed) and thus badly affect yield. Similarly, in our climate, spring and winter grains need to be harvested as soon as possible after kernels harden. This is because exposure to humid conditions (rain events, even repeated nightly dew) causes ripe grain to lose quality rapidly.

Second, certain equipment and infrastructure is essential. A combine is needed even for small-scale production. For those new to grains, a good option is to buy a used combine. (Small used combines in working condition can be found in our region for $500–$2000.) Growers also need to have means for drying and safely storing the grain. As mentioned above, because ripe grain in our region cannot be allowed to dry down in the field without loss of quality, grain moisture content at harvest is often too high for safe storage. For larger-scale operations, grain dryers or grain bins fitted with heaters may be purchased. Cheaper options for smaller-scale production are screw-in aerators that can be placed into small totes or containers of grain. Gravity wagons or other containers can also be fitted with fans to aerate and dry the grain. Safe grain storage involves protection from moisture, bird droppings, rodents, and insect pests. Grain bins with slotted floors and fans are essential for larger-scale production. Successful smaller-scale growers use rodent-proof (often metal lined) storage areas where grain is stored in bags or small totes.

Small-scale processing equipment A major stumbling block to developing grain-processing capacity in our region has been the lack of scale-appropriate, affordable equipment. Commercial dehullers, for example, cost between $20,000–$60,000 or more. Over the past five years, OGRIN has been working with farmers and machinists in the region to source, and develop as needed, suitable processing equipment. A recently awarded NE SARE grant has accelerated continued on page 19 this process.

Oat crimper modified to roll oats by Daniel and Joseph Mast, Lamar and Henry Stauffer, Joseph Lapp, Peter Martin, and Elizabeth Dyck.

Right: A screw-in aerator drying grain in a tote bag. The aerator, which consists of a long tube topped by a fan, costs around $275–$300.

Facing page: Pennsylvania grown winter emmer, ‘Chocolate’ variety.

www.paorganic.org

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

5

between the new standards and the PCO 100% Grassfed standard: • Dry Matter Intake from pasture/days on pasture increases from 30%/120 to 60%/150 • Grain carriers in vitamins and minerals are prohibited • Participation in an animal welfare verified program is required

Organic Plus Trust Launches New Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program in 2019 New grass-fed standards aim for increased consumer confidence and expanded market opportunites

By Liz Amos, Inspection Program Manager

During the 2019 certification cycle PCO will be offering a new Grass-Fed certification through the Organic Plus Trust Inc. (OPT). PCO has been working for the past two years with Organic Valley, Maple Hill Creamery and NOFA-NY on the development of harmonized grassfed standards with the hope that consistency across certifiers will promote consumer confidence in grass-fed products, providing additional market opportunities for PCO’s grass-fed clients. e project started from the existing 100% Grass-Fed Programs administered by PCO and NOFA-NY. e result of collaboration with additional stakeholders including farmers, grazing specialists, handlers and marketers is the following two standards that were finalized at the end of October 2018: • Standards for Dairy Animal Production and Dairy Product Handling Operations

6

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

• Standards for Meat Animal Production and Product Handling Operations Both standards are part of the Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program© of the Organic Plus Trust Inc. (OPT). e Organic Plus Trust’s charter dedicates it to improvement in human, farm animal, and environmental health by enlarging upon existing federal organic production and handling standards and verification tools to encompass new requirements and consumer preferences.1 ere are three significant differences

2019 will be a transition year for the Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program©. During 2019, those supplying ingredients (milk/meat) to processors certified under that program will be allowed to continue certification with existing grass-fed certification programs. ey will be expected to transition to the program’s standards by 2020.

All accredited organic certifiers will be able to offer certification to the new program and PCO looks forward to working collaboratively to ensure the consistent application of policies and procedures.

An information packet containing the Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program© standards, policy manual and PCO’s application materials was distributed to clients currently certified to PCO’s 100% Grassfed Program at the end of January. Operators certified in other scopes who are interested in receiving a copy of the standards and policy manual should contact the office.

PCO is excited to be at the forefront of developments in organic grass-fed agriculture and glad to have the opportunity to expand our certification portfolio to meet the needs of our clients.

1

Organic Plus Trust Inc. — First Look for ACA’s Standards Development and Pilot Accreditation Program 2018–2019

Above and top left: Grass-fed cows at Maple Hill Creamery farms. Photos: Maple Hill Creamery

www.paorganic.org

www.paorganic.org

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

7

Cover Crops for Sustainable and Organic Farmers Northeast Cover Crop Council shares latest research

By Emily Newman, PCO Certification Specialist and Staff Inspector Emily Newman, had the educational opportunity to attend the Northeast Cover Crop Council (NECCC) Conference in State College, Pennsylvania on November 15th.

NECC’s mission “is to support the successful implementation of cover crops to maximize economic, environmental, and social benefits.” They “facilitate regional collaboration between farmers, researchers, and the general public to foster the exchange of information, inspiration, and outcome-based research.”

What does this mean for PCO farmers?

NECCC plans to create a decision making tool as a way to consolidate cover crop information by state to help farmers with their cover crop selections. This tool is to be released in 2019 and will be accessible via web for farmers when determining when, how and where to plant specific cover crops.

NECCC’s website (northeastcovercrops.com) also lists all collaborative research projects that are currently happening at universities and government agencies from around the Northeast. This research supports and assists sustainable farming practices for you and your operation.

PCO’s attendance at this educational conference allows for us to disseminate the information collected to our farmers.

Read on to learn more about what Penn State University research is happening across the state that supports more sustainable farming practices within the certified organic community.

Benefits of Cover Crops Cover crop plantings have multiple purposes, such as preventing soil erosion, increasing nitrogen availability, increasing organic matter and suppressing weeds. By planting cover crops, your operation is implementing a best management practice while also meeting the requirements of the National Organic Program’s crop rotation standard. As an organic producer, as outlined in 7 CFR 205.205, you “must implement a crop rotation including but not limited to sod, cover crops, green manure crops and catch crops that provide the following functions […] (a) maintain or improve soil organic matter

8

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

content; (b) provide for pest management in annual and perennial crops; (c) manage deficient or excess plant nutrients; and (d) provide erosion control.

CHOOSING YOUR COVER CROP 1. Identify the top three desired cover crop services for a specific field or farm.

2. Identify the cover crop planting date and termination date, which will define the cover crop growth window available in your rotation.

3. Pick a core set of cover crops that excel at providing the desired services (two or three species) and that are adapted to the growth window available.

4. If possible, select species with complementary growth periods, growth forms, and nutrient acquisition strategies.

5. Identify the drawbacks from these cover crops, or "missing services" that they don't provide. If any have severe drawbacks, drop that species from the mix.

6. Make a list of cover crops that could account for the drawbacks or provide the missing services. Choose one or two that fit with your planting window and, ideally, are complementary with the core cover crop species identified above.

7. Determine the appropriate seeding mix and planting method, being sure to keep extremely competitive species at a low seeding rate.

8. Get planting!

9. Watch the cover crop growth and be sure to terminate at the right time. Pay special attention to cereal grasses that are about to become lignified or plants going to seed that could become weedy.

10. Observe the results and make adjustments in the species mix and seeding rates to achieve even biomass representation from all the species.

Penn State Fact Sheet “Making the Most of Mixtures: Considerations for Winter Cover Crops” describes steps that farmers can take to build cover crop mixtures to suit your needs: Season Variabilities With increasing seasonal variabilities, timing of planting a cover crop is key. If you live in an area where seasons are shorter and winter has already struck as you are harvesting field crops, such as corn, you may consider interseeding your corn crop to increase the likelihood of cover crop establishment and increased biomass. A Penn State Extension Fact Sheet called “Cover Crop Interseeder: Improving the Success in Corn,” discusses the trials and tribulations of interseeding and best practices for establishment. The authors suggest that successful establishment of interseeded crops into a corn crop can occur when corn populations are up to 32k seeds per acre, but others have reported success with plant populations between 22k and 26k, although by reducing seeds planted per acre, you are reducing potential yield. The cover crop should be interseeded between when the corn is at V5 and V7 stages. Others have

www.paorganic.org

tried interseeeding in earlier stages, such as between V3-V5 in Canada, to increase cover crop biomass for the fall, but Penn State claims that this may cause the cover crop to create competition with the corn, therefor reduce yield. To select a species that suits your farm best, select a cool season crop that is shade tolerant such as ryegrass or clover. Penn State suggests the following seeding rates: 15 to 20 pounds per acre of a single species annual ryegrass, 8 to 10 pounds per acre of a single species clover or a mix of 5 to 8 pounds per acre of clover with 10 to 15 pounds per acre of annual ryegrass. With this information, your operation is well on your way to establishing a cover crop, even with the wildest seasonal variabilities.

Grazing Cover Crops The possibilities for taking advantage of an established cover crop are endless. If your fields are fenced and suitable for grazing, your operation may have the opportunity to move cattle to these fields to graze the cover crop. While compaction of your fields may cause you concern, the Penn State Fact Sheet on “Grazing Crop Residues and Cover Crops,” says it is no cause for alarm. A study done in Georgia on grazing cover crops showed that grazing did not affect bulk density and soil aggregate stability. Studies quoted on this fact sheet show that with careful monitoring, soil quality conditions will not be affected by grazing of livestock on cover crops.

Nutritional requirements vary for your cattle. Factsheet “Cover Crops for Livestock Grazing” states that you may consider what class of animal you have. Extension Educator, David Hartman, states that in the Pampas region of Argentina, farmers are utilizing cover crops as a way to put on “cheap weight gain” for growing beef cattle. He refers to this as “double-cropping the land with cattle.” Not a livestock operation? Consider custom grazing for your organic livestock neighbors.

No-Till Organic Systems Along with cover cropping, no-till systems have significant

benefit to soil management. No-till systems, according to Penn State Extension article entitled “Integrating Grazing in No-Till Systems on a Grain Farm,” better control soil erosion, increase surface soil organic matter, create better surface soil aggregation, have greater infiltration rate, have more beneficial microbes and earthworms and have less water evaporation loss. As an organic farmer, 7 CFR 205.203 states that “the producer [of an organic operation] must select and implement tillage and cultivation practices that maintain or improve the physical, chemical and biological conditions of soil and minimize soil erosion.” By adopting a practice, such as no-till, an organic farmer would be meeting the requirements of the organic regulations.

The Reduced-Tillage Organic System Experiments (ROSE) Project is looking at better ways to serve organic farmers through their research. No-till is not as easily adopted on organic operations due to herbicides to burn down crops being prohibited. One research article called “Cover Crop-Based, Organic Rotational No-Till Corn and Soybean Production Systems in the Mid-Atlantic United States” discusses viable options for adoption. To terminate crops in an organic no-till system, the research experiment relied on mechanical termination of cover crops, such as a roller-crimper and the utilization of no-till planting equipment. The research concludes that a no-till organic system can provide value to improving soil health and protecting water quality although major constraints remain such as suppressing weeds and keeping yields high. As the project continues, research will focus on developing cultivation machinery that better suits a no-till organic system. Stay tuned as Penn State searches for better ways to serve our farmers and the environment.

This is just a taste of the amazing research conducted and resources provided from Penn State and the Northeast Cover Crop Council. Has this article sparked your interest in adopting new practices? Contact your local extension office!

Corn interseeded with clover at an organic operation in Somerset County, PA, November 2017. Photo: Emily Newman

www.paorganic.org

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

9

President’s Message

Happy New Year to 2019

By Luke R. Howard, PCO Advisory Board President

We had our PCO Annual Meeting in November this year. And we were fortunate to have it in Bellefonte, PA at the Match Factory Place. It is a refurbished factory located downtown and is a wonderful venue that provided a comfortable setting for our dinner and meeting. It is always great to meet new and existing members of PCO and the annual meeting was a great opportunity for that. The room was full of members and staff.

We also had the option for online attendance. This was a great opportunity for several people since they could not attend in person. I believe this “new technology” was successful and provided a good option.

As usual at the annual meeting we

heard from staff about the progress of PCO. Our staff works very hard at keeping our organization heading in the correct direction and 2018 was no exception. We continue to see growth and improvement. Certified clients and revenue continue to increase and we continue to find improvements to do our work more efficiently. As we look to 2019 our members can feel confident that their organization is working effectively and efficiently.

At the annual meeting we also had the pleasure of hearing from Johanna Miranda. Johanna is the Farm Policy Director for the Organic Trade Association. She is also a past PCO employee so it was exciting to have some staff reconnect with her while we still work in the same industry.

She was very interested to interact with the farmers in the room to hear

about ways to make the organic world a better place. I expect we will be hearing about Johanna’s work more in the future.

It is a new year and with it conference season and farm meetings begin. I really enjoy the opportunity to learn new things and remember old things as I attend our local farm meetings and conferences. It is always a good time to reset myself and look forward to the New Year. It also gives me the chance to slow down and visit with friends. This year the PASA conference will be in Lancaster. How exciting to have a new venue. I am especially excited this year to attend the conference since it is only 2 hours away from home. I am sure there will be many opportunities to learn about new things in farming as well as remember some old things forgotten. And of course meet some new friends and visit with some old friends too. I hope to see you in Lancaster in February.

Certainly for many in the organic farming world 2018 will be remembered as a very challenging year.

With the difficulties of the diary industry and the extreme wet weather it has made for trying times on the farm. Let us hope and pray that the future will provide better things for all of us in organic farming.

As we look forward to 2019 I wish all of you success, happiness and pleasant farming.

Luke R Howard PCO President 410.708.3105

2020 PCO Calendar Photo Contest!

PCO would like to showcase your organic farm, and photography skills in our 2020 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. 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, 2019 to: Pennsylvania Certified Organic 2018 Calendar Coordinator 106 School Street, Suite 201 • Spring Mills, PA 16875 calendar@paorganic.org • www.paorganic.org

10

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

www.paorganic.org

5

PA

S

SPR

I

NG M

IL L

Dear Aggy Readers’ Letters

1 6 87

Boron in Livestock feed/Minerals Dear Aggy, I’ve been doing some research, and I feel my cows would benefit from some additional boron in their diet. Our soils in the Northeast tend to consistently be low in Boron. How come I don’t see any mineral mixes that contain Boron on the PCO allowed list?

— B. Boron

Dear B. Boron, Boron is not considered a recognized animal feed ingredient by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Boron is only needed in animals at extremely tiny doses, and livestock should be able to receive the needed levels of boron naturally through their typical diets. It is considered to be a

www.paorganic.org

slightly toxic contaminant that should not be in feed at levels over 150 ppm in complete feeds. Generally, boron is already naturally occurring in other mineral mix ingredients. If boron is intentionally added as an ingredient to animal feed, it is considered adulterated.

If you have concerns about low boron levels in your livestock diet, consider balancing the micronutrients in the soil

where the feed is grown. Boron is a restricted micronutrient, along with cobalt, copper, selenium, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc, and these micronutrients can be used as crop inputs with a documented deficiency, per 205.601(j)(6). Alfalfa especially responds well to appropriate boron levels in the soil.

— Aggy

Got a question for Aggy?

• Email to: pco@paorganic.org • Fax to: 814-422-0255

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

11

Transitions Crop Inspections: Insider tips on documents, inputs, storage and audits to help you prepare for your on-farm inspection

By Chelsea Johnson, Certification Specialist

In order to be granted organic certification for crops, your certification agency must verify that you are managing an organic system to grow crops according to the National Organic Program standards. An inspector will come to your farm to verify that your product can be tracked from the field to the consumer, ensuring that the product has been kept separate from non-organic products and has not been contaminated by materials prohibited for use in organic production. Thorough recordkeeping on your part is an essential part of this process.

At every new and annual inspection, the Organic System Plan, Materials Used Form, and Field & Pasture Records are verified. In addition, the inspector will ask for several supporting documents.

The inspector’s role is to verify accuracy of the information you have submitted and collect additional information as needed. The inspector is a neutral thirdparty who cannot make recommendations, issue adverse actions, or grant certification. The inspector will provide a written report to PCO, and then PCO will take action as needed, such as asking for additional information or granting certification.

The inspector will likely do the inspection in two parts. One part will be

12

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

reviewing your records and going over all other relevant paperwork. The second part will be visually inspecting fields, storage areas, equipment, inputs, seed tags, and asking additional questions about things he or she sees. Before the inspection is over, your inspector will do an exit interview with you. The purpose of this interview is to give a summary of the inspection and to highlight any issues found during inspection.

After your initial inspection and after you are granted certification, you must be inspected annually (once per calendar year) in order to maintain your certification. Your initial inspection should occur while the crop is still in the field.

Annual inspections should take place when the ground is visible and not snow-covered.

Land is eligible for organic certification if it has been in transition for 36 months prior to the harvest of the organic crop. This can be land that you have managed, or land managed by someone else who is willing to sign a prior land use statement. You can contact your certification specialist if you are not sure which materials would be prohibited during the transition period.

If you are adding a new field, you must have a signed prior land use statement, a map of the field, and a lease agreement for rented land.

Preparing for your inspection You should read your initial review report prior to your inspection. This is a letter that describes information you should have ready for the inspector and

other items that the inspector will verify.

If you are already certified, review your certification report from the previous year. The certification report will have conditions and reminders of things that will be checked at your next inspection.

You should also check to see if the products listed on your organic certificate addendum are accurate.

On the day of inspection, ensure that you can devote the time and attention needed to complete the inspection. Provide a space where you and the inspector can comfortably review records, such as a table. Furthermore, make sure that all of your records are organized and in one place so that the inspection goes as smoothly as possible.

Documents to have available at inspection As a best practice, you should be keeping records of anything that happens on your organic farm. Some of the most common documents you should have include: • Farm map — the inspector should have a copy, but you should also have a farm map with any recent changes made to it • Field activity records — these are often kept in a notebook and document all activity done in the fields, such as planting, harvesting, and input application • Seed tags and invoices • Seed search documentation — if you have checked with at least 3 sources and were not able to find seed in the quantity or quality that you need, write the places you checked with as documentation that you did a seed search • Untreated/non-GMO documentation — in the case that you purchased nonorganic seed, you must have documentation that it was untreated and non-GMO • Equipment cleanout records — any equipment that is used on both organic and non-organic land should be cleaned in between uses, and this cleaning should be documented with the date and method of cleaning used • Input documentation — as a good practice, you should also keep invoices and labels for any inputs used so that

www.paorganic.org

they can be verified by the inspector • Sales records — you should be able to show how much organic product was sold, used on farm, or given away • Soil management activities — includes crop rotation plans, manure application rates, and erosion prevention activities Inputs Any input you use must be approved

by PCO prior to use. This includes things like fertilizers, soil amendments, and pest or weed control products. You can find out if a product has been approved by contacting your certification specialist or checking in PCO’s Approved Materials List and Add/Drop Lists.

One issue commonly seen at inspection is a lack of documentation for use of soil amendments that contain micronutrient restrictions. Soil amendments that contain synthetic micronutrients require a documented deficiency. Documented deficiency can be shown with a soil or tissue test. The best way to know if a product contains a restriction is to ask your certification specialist.

Lime is another common input that must be verified as from a mined origin, has undergone no chemical processing, and contains no synthetic additives. You must either request this documentation when you buy it, or verify that it has been approved by PCO. Manure is often used and may come from on-farm or off-farm. If it comes from off-farm, it does not need to be an organic farm, but the manure should not contain any additives unless they have been approved by PCO. The inspector will also verify that you are following the raw manure restriction which states that for crops intended for human consumption, the manure must be incorporated into the soil not less 90 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil or not less than 120 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion has direct contact with the soil.

Adjoining Land Use and Buffers Many farmers wonder what kind of buffers they need, if any at all. If you have an agreement with your neighbor to not spray any prohibited materials

within a certain distance of your field, a written agreement may suffice. Alternatively, you can have a buffer in between your field and the neighbor’s field.

Buffers can be a fallow land, a section of crops that is sold or used as non-organic, or a natural tree line. While PCO does not require any particular size of buffer, it should be sufficient to reduce the risk of contamination from pesticides or other prohibited materials. You should take things into consideration such as: whether there is a tree line to help prevent drift, whether your field is downslope of a source of contamination, and the type of farming that your neighbor does. With these kinds of things in mind, you can decide what a good buffer size would be. The inspector will visually inspect your buffers. Additionally, if your field is near a road, you should take steps to reduce the risk of spraying near your field. This could be an agreement with the county or putting up “do not spray” signs. The same goes for areas around power lines or other utilities on your farm which may be maintained by the power company. continued on page 19

A Full-Service Certification Agency Now offering Transitioning Farmer membership!

814-422-0251 • paorganic.org continued on page 4 www.paorganic.org

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

13

Fall 2018 National Organic Standards Board Meeting The Organic Trade Association’s Meeting Report

PCO Materials Program Manager, Jen Berkebile, gives public comment on marine materials for crop use, paper pots, sodium citrate for use in blood meal, and sodium chlorite for the generation of chlorine dioxide gas.

On October 24–26, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) held its biannual public meeting in St. Paul, MN. The primary purpose of NOSB meetings is to pro-vide an opportunity for organic stakeholders to give input on proposed NOSB recommendations and discussion items. The meetings also allow NOSB to receive updates from USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) on issues pertaining to organic agriculture. The full agenda for the meeting as well as all meeting materials are available on the Organic Trade Association’s fall 2018 NOSB meeting website. The fall 2018 NOSB Resources Booklet contains background information on each topic and a summary OTA’s position. Full text of OTA’s comments are included on the website. Live coverage of the meeting is provided on OTA’s Twitter feed. Below is a full report on the NOSB discussions on each agenda item, the meeting outcomes and next steps, and a full list of upcoming work agenda items.

Reprinted with permission by Organic Trade AssociatIon, ota.com By the Numbers Over the course of three days, NOSB voted on 14 proposals, considered 7 discussion documents, completed reviews of over 40 sunset materials, and passed 2 resolutions. NOSB received over 590 written comments prior to the meeting, and listened to nearly 14 hours of oral testimony received from approximately 47 commenters during two webinars and 92 commenters during the in-person meeting. The public comment period was open for only 22 days.

Meeting Highlights The National Organic Standards Board meetings continue to be a demo-

14

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

cratic arena for organic standards development and continuous improvement.

The fall 2018 meeting was no exception, with great emphasis placed on strengthening enforcement and oversight of the organic standards, increasing the use of organic seed and planting stock, and resolving the regulatory issue around the compliant use of planting pots in organic farming systems. The meeting was productive, the dialogue between NOSB members was thoughtful and they were very engaged with the public, asking many insightful questions during the public comment period. The meeting resulted in numerous outcomes as detailed below. The Organic Trade Asso-

ciation is highlighting four critical outcomes that are particularly important to the ongoing work of our organization and the organic sector:

n Origin of Livestock: In response to a direct request made by the Organic Trade Association’s Executive Director Laura Batcha in public comment, NOSB unanimously passed a resolution urging the Secretary of Agriculture to directly issue a final rule for Origin of Livestock. NOSB made the move after noting that the continued state of varying interpretations and practices around the origin of livestock standards creates market instability for organic producers. In 2015, USDA’s National Organic Program offered a proposed rule amending the origin of livestock standards based on six recommendations from NOSB between 1994 and 2006. This responded to findings from a July 2013 USDA Office of Inspector General audit report on organic milk operations showing that certifying agents were interpreting origin of livestock requirements differently.

However, the proposed rule was removed from the federal government’s Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions in early 2017. Once again, stakeholders are pointing out that strong federal oversight is essential for creating a fair and level playing field for all certified organic operations. We commend NOSB for taking action on this critical matter, and are proactively working to help make this happen. n Organic Seed Usage: After two years of NOSB deliberations and public comment, NOSB passed a recommendation to revise the organic regulations to require continuous improvement of organic seed usage by organic farmers. Organic farmers are currently required to use organic seed when it is commercially available. However, the organic standards do not require farmers to take proactive steps to source or develop organic seed and/or demonstrate continuous improvement of organic seed usage over time. This is the first proposed regulatory change to the organic seed requirements since the implementa-

www.paorganic.org

tion of the organic standards. The Organic Trade Association thanks its Organic Seed Task Force for its perseverance and continued support on this issue; we believe our comments and collaborative efforts with other organizations and stakeholders led the charge on this issue.

n Developing criteria for risk-based accreditation oversight of certification agencies and increased training and oversight of inspectors and review personnel: NOSB unanimously passed two recommendations that are part of a collection of proposals to NOP that aim to help strengthen the oversight and enforcement of organic imports and the organic standards in general. The Organic Trade Association commends the on-going work of NOSB and NOP to address the critical topic of organic fraud prevention. Competent and consistent application of the organic regulations by certifying agents is critical to the success of the organic sector as is NOP’s responsibility to ensure adequate oversight of each certifying agent. Both are principal factors to protecting organic integrity.

n Paper Pots: Paper pots for transplanting are not explicitly listed on the National List of Allowed Inputs and therefore their usage as a production aid in organic farming can be confusing because paper mulch is allowed and may be incorporated into the soil.

Regardless, the National Organic Program clarified that rulemaking is needed to explicitly allow the use of paper pots. The public comment periods during both the webinars and the in-person meeting were saturated with commenters voicing support of paper transplant pots. All commenters were also in support of extending the NOP’s phase-out period to avoid disruptions in current practice while the petition process proceeds. NOSB unanimously passed a resolution that NOP allow the continued use of paper pots while the review and potential rulemaking proceed. The Organic Trade Association voiced support for this extension through our written and oral com-

www.paorganic.org

ments because it would have a negligible impact on organic integrity.

Going forward, we are encouraging NOSB to take a broad approach for reviewing paper-based planting aids to be inclusive of generic paper-based production aids used as planting or seeding aids. This broadened approach will make efficient use of NOSB’s efforts to review the existing variety of paper-based planting aids that share these key common characteristics.

USDA National Organic Program Report Highlights Dr. Jenny Tucker opened the meeting by proving a report on behalf of the National Organic Program. The full presentation is available here: ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/ NOSBUpdateTuckerFall2018.pdf.

Dr. Tucker highlighted NOP’s priorities for 2019 and the specific goals intended to achieve each goals (see table below). Dr. Tucker also announced the upcoming launch of the Organic Integrity Learning Center, an online training platform to support the professional development and continuing education of organic professionals working to protect organic integrity.

National Organic Program Priorities and Goals for 2019 1. Strong organic control systems • Publish the strengthening organic enforcement proposed rule • Populate and launch Learning Management System for organic certifiers and inspectors • Conduct face-to-face training sessions with certifiers • Develop a risk-based certifier oversight model • Maintain and negotiate organic equivalency with other governments, emphasizing oversight and enforcement 2. Farm to market traceability • Contract with customs and border protection (CBP) to program organic message sets into CBP automated commercial enforcement (ACE) • Institutionalize business processes for fumigation data analysis, investigations, and industry notifications

• Develop concept of operations and architecture for a global organic oversight and traceability system • Complete Memorandum of Agreement for access to CBP-ACE across all Harmonized Trade Codes 3. Robust enforcement • Launch new Compliance and Enforcement Database System • Resolve 90% of appeals within 180 days • In FY 2019, resolve 80% of compliant cases opened in FY 2017 and earlier. By end of FY 19, be trending towards resolving 75% new complaints within 180 days.

• Complete 2018 Dairy Compliance Project and Initiate 2019 Dairy Compliance Project 4. Support the standards • Institutionalize streamlining actions to reduce National List rulemaking timeframe • Recruit highly qualified individuals for NOSB vacancies and for key NOP staff positions • Host two NOSB meetings in FY 2019 • Host public engagement events and engage the community for feedback and input AT-A-GLANCE MEETING OUTCOMES

n PROPOSALS: NOSB considered 14 proposals at this meeting. Of the proposals, 8 PASSED, 3 FAILED, and 3 were TABLED. • PASSED (referred to USDA for approval and rulemaking) – 2018 Research Priorities — proposal is adopted – Excluded Methods Determinations — only embryo rescue section of proposal is adopted – Developing Criteria for RiskBased Accreditation Oversight — proposal is adopted – Training and Oversight of Inspector and Certification Reviewer Personnel — proposal is adopted – Tamarind Seed Gum — proposal to allow is adopted continued on page 21

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

15

Organic Updates

Certification Update Marissa Pyle, Certification Program Manager I’m always surprised when it’s time again to write my article for the winter issue of Organic Matters. This is my third year writing for the winter issue as Certification Program Manager, and it always feels like I just finished reminding everyone our annual update paperwork is coming out and recapping the previous year. So, without further ado, here’s your annual reminder of some upcoming items you’ll want to be aware of, as well as some highlights of our past year here at PCO. In the past year we’ve completed over 1600 inspections in all scopes of certification, including crops, wild crops, livestock (dairy, beef, poultry, and swine), and processing/handling. Our goal is always to have our inspections completed between March and October, but we do occasionally have to inspect a good number of operations in November and December. As soon as the reports are returned, our certification specialists get busy reviewing and writing reports of findings. Although we would love to have all of the year’s certification reports completed by year’s end as well, in general we finish closer to the beginning of February. If you receive a report and need some assistance in understanding what is being requested of you, please feel free to call the office to speak to your certification specialist who can help explain what is required.

Because we finish reports from the previous year in February, there is some overlap with the previous and upcoming year’s annual update. We start prepping to send out your annual update in December here in the office. Although the intent is for your annual update paperwork to contain the most up to date information from the previous year (including any changes made at inspection), sometimes it is not feasible to get that information entered before your annual update paperwork is printed/created. However, be assured that your information from the previous year is entered when the certification report from that year is completed and we are working from the most updated information when we review your returned 2019 annual update.

This year you may speak to a new certification specialist, Eastlyn Wright, who joined the team in mid-December. You can read more about her in the New Faces section. She replaces Tess Weigand, who has departed PCO to pursue fly fish guiding and independent organic inspecting. So, you may still see Tess in the future as your organic inspector!

Our team has worked very hard to keep up with the ever increasing expansion of PCO and the number of clients we serve. We strive to keep customer service a top priority, which includes being available for questions via phone or email, or other things like making PCO paperwork easier and simpler.

We are always endeavoring to provide you with the best possible service while upholding the integrity of the organic regula-

16

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

tions. And as always, with the annual update process, please feel free to reach out to PCO if you have questions, would like to complete your update over the phone, or have any reason that you would need a priority inspection. !

Legislative Update Kyla Smith, Interim Co-Executive Director & Certification Director

2018 Farm Bill Delivers Big Wins for Organic Industry After a long year of hard work by organic stakeholders, Congress passed a Farm Bill in the final weeks of 2018 and President Trump signed it into law.

The 2018 Farm Bill saw many victories for organic programs. Perhaps the biggest win is the historic milestone in establishing permanent funding for organic research. The bill also makes significant progress to improve the oversight of global organic trade and protect organic integrity world-wide, which has been an area of concern in the past couple of years.

2018 Farm Bill Organic Industry Highlights: • The Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program received mandatory baseline funding for the program, increasing from its current $20 million per year to $50 per year by 2023. This is the largest funding increase for OREI in over a decade.

• The organic certification cost-share program will continue to be funded. This program helps to relieve some of the costs associated with annual certification fees.

• The National Organic Program Received increased funding.

Additionally, the bill provides $5 million in one-time mandatory funding for technology upgrades.

• The House and Senate Bills both provide for increased enforcement provisions, including The Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act. • The Organic Data Initiative, USDA’s organic data collection program, received full funding.

Materials Update Jennifer Berkebile, Materials Program Manager The PCO Materials Team started the year with the publication of our 2019 Approved Materials List. This list was included with your annual update paperwork, and it is avail-

www.paorganic.org

Organic Updates able in both paper and electronic versions. If you received a paper copy but would like an electronic version, or vice-versa, please contact the PCO office, 814-422-0251.

If you would like to use a material but you don’t see it on the list for this use, you can add it to your Materials Used Form.

For a quicker review, call the PCO office and ask for a materials specialist. Make sure you have the name of the product and the name of the manufacturer.

Be sure to update your Materials Used Form completely.

Please remove any materials from your list that you no longer use, and note any materials that have had a change in name or manufacturer.

Paper Pots Update In our 2018 spring issue of Organic Matters, I noted that the National Organic Program (NOP) had determined that paper chain transplanting pots were prohibited for use in organic crop production. Recently, however, the NOP has extended the allowance of the use of Paper Chain Transplanting Pots as a crop input, effective immediately.

Any PCO certified operator previously approved to use Paper Chain Transplanting Pots can continue to use this material indefinitely unless otherwise notified by PCO. Any clients who would like to begin using Paper Chain Transplanting Pots should notify their certification specialist before beginning use. Please remember to list this product on your Materials Used Form.

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Crop Materials • Corn Starter by Balanced Biological Solutions is prohibited as a fertilizer/soil amendment. Organic Corn Starter by Balanced Biological Solutions is allowed as a fertilizer/soil amendment, with the following restriction: • Micronutrients. Soil deficiency must be documented by testing (includes boron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc). Must not to be used as a defoliant, herbicide, or desiccant. §205.601(j)(6) • Sila Prime S by Forage Research, Inc., is prohibited as a forage treatment.

• Star K 7% by Star Dairy Resources is prohibited as a fertilizer/soil amendment.

Livestock Materials • Busy Block by Absorbent Products Ltd. is prohibited as a feed additive/supplement.

• Penny Pasture Pak K by Penny Nutrition is prohibited as a feed additive/supplement.

• TDN Rockets by Vets Plus, Inc., is prohibited as a medical treatment.

• Vet’s Choice by CedarCide Industries, Inc., is prohibited as an external parasiticide/pesticide.

Full versions of the documents referenced in Organic Updates are available electronically on the NOP website (www.ams.usda.gov/ about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program) or in hard copy by contacting the PCO office.

Material Review Status Changes Please note the following status changes for materials reviewed by PCO for use by certified operations. n ALLOWED — Contact PCO with any questions about the use or restrictions for these products.

Crop Materials • Greenhouse Media by Keystone Bio Ag, LLC, is allowed as growing media.

• Organic Potting Mix / Greenhouse Media by Advancing Eco-Agriculture is allowed as growing media.

• Paper Chain Pots by Paper Pot Co. is allowed as a crop production aid.

• Paper Chain Pots by Small Farm Works is allowed as a crop production aid.

Livestock Materials • MRX 90/10 by Restora-Life Minerals, Inc., is allowed as a feed additive/supplement.

• Niashure Niacin by Balchem Corp. is allowed as a feed additive/supplement. n PROHIBITED — Operators must immediately discontinue use of these products unless otherwise indicated.

www.paorganic.org

New Faces PCO Welcomes New Staff Lauren Lewis, Program Assistant Lauren joined PCO as a Program Assistant in December 2018. She has a B.S. in Biology from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and an M.S. in Biology from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. Lauren currently resides in State College with her husband and three pets, including her favorite cat, Huey Lewis. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and running with her dog, volunteering at Centre County PAWS, and reading library books.

Eastlyn Wright, Certification Specialist Eastlyn joined PCO as a Certification Specialist in December 2018. Eastlyn is a Nebraska native and University of Nebraska – Lincoln alumna. Prior to PCO, Eastlyn had been employed as an organic certification specialist, an educator at a botanical garden, and an AmeriCorps member for a non-profit community gardening organization. She is passionate about agriculture, education, her friends & family, and of course kitties.

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

17

Essential Products for Healthy Farming!

Now meeting the needs of all growers with innovative products for fruit and vegetables, row crops, vineyards, greenhouses and pastures.

Nutritional and Performance Solutions for Soil and Crops Plant-Sure™ Regenerex™ Cal-Sentials™ Phyto-Guard™

Box 361, 119 Hamilton Place Penn Yan, NY 14527 315-531-1038

Desert Dyna-Min™

and a full line of free choice minerals For Healthier & More Productive Livestock

Neema-Tox™ & Vermi-Tox™

Water additive for all livestock

Nutritional and Digestive Support

www.agri-dynamic

18

Aqua-Nox ™

Certified Organic Feed, Seed & Livestock Products from Northeast organic farmers for Northeast organic farmers ❖ www.lakevieworganicgrain.com

1.877.393.4484

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

www.paorganic.org

Value-Added Grains continued from page 5

An example of this work is the development of an oat roller. Raw rolled oats (as opposed to commercial rolled oats that are steam and heat processed to increase shelf-life) can be easily produced from cleaned hulless or dehulled oats if an oat roller is available. Amish machinists in our region have developed oat crimping machines that make oats more digestible to horses. After consultation with an advisory group of farmers and machinists working with OGRIN, rolls that were lightly knurled (indented with a pattern of lines) were substituted for the crimping rolls on one of the Amish machines, resulting in production of perfectly rolled oats. The machine has since been motorized, mounted, and fitted with appropriate shields and now can be purchased for around $1000. Comparable imported oat

Transitions — Crop Inspections continued from page 13

Storage The inspector will check whether there is any potential commingling or contamination of product. This is especially important on farms with parallel production, which means growing the same crop as both organic and nonorganic. An example of commingling is storing organic hay next to non-organic hay; there is a potential that these two products become mixed. Take steps to reduce the risk of commingling such as physically separating organic and nonorganic products, as well as putting up signs. Contamination occurs when a prohibited substance comes into contact with organic product, so keep this in mind while for storage as well.

Audits During every annual inspection two audits will be conducted. These are an in/out (or mass balance) audit and a trace-back audit. It is important to keep good records so that the audit can be done successfully. The intent of the in/out or mass balance audit is to demonstrate that sufficient organic ingredients or products were purchased, produced, or managed to equate to the reported quantity of final product durwww.paorganic.org

rollers start at around $4,000. Members of the advisory group have also invented abrasion dehullers for use with the ancient wheats, small-scale hammer mills for flour production, and have other grain-processing equipment in development.

Given the strong, steady, and unmet demand by consumers for locally produced grain products, the diverse array of high-value grains and related crops that we can grow sustainably, and a rapidly expanding processing capacity, there is an excellent opportunity for more farmers to develop profitable, valueadded grain enterprises.

Resources: For more information on value-added grain production, processing, and marketing and to participate in the NE SARE project, Farmer-generated training and equipment solutions for producing and processing valueadded grains, visit www.ogrin.org or contact Elizabeth Dyck (edyck@ogrin.org).

ing the audited time period. This audit is done for a particular window of time, such as a year or several months.

The trace-back audit is intended to demonstrate that an organic product can be traced back to its origin in the operation. The organic product should be able to be traced during each step of production. A product sold or used is selected and the inspector will attempt to follow the audit trail by linking elements on the operation’s records and documents (such as lot number, invoice numbers, etc.) to verify that the product can be reconciled with the products produced and received on the operation.

Final Thoughts Be prepared for your crop inspection by gathering all of your records and finding a way to organize them. It may also be helpful to develop a system of keeping daily records. You may use folders, a notebook, or calendars, for example.

Have an idea of what your inspector will ask for based on the type of activity you are doing on your farm. Review both your initial review report and your certification report from the previous year to help you know what you should have available. As always, if you have any questions, contact your certification specialist for clarification.

Other resources: Lancaster Farming: Its want ads are an excellent source for used combines and other grain equipment.

Jack Lazor, 2013, The organic grain grower: Small-scale, holistic grain production for the home and market producer, Chelsea Green Publishing.

Penn State, Value-Added small grains, https://plantscience.psu.edu/ research/projects/grains/heritage-grains.

Elizabeth Dyck, founder and coordinator of the Organic Growers’ Research and InformationSharing Network (OGRIN), has been growing organically for over 50 years. After completing a PhD in Plant Science through the sustainable agriculture program at the University of Maine, Orono, she has conducted participatory research with farmers and gardeners in Kenya and the midwestern and northeastern U.S. For the last 10 years she has been focused on helping northeastern farmers integrate small grains and leguminous cover crops into their cropping systems. For more information on OGRIN’s work, visit www.ogrin.org.

PCO Annual Meeting continued from page 3

sized farmers, OTA offers a Farmstead Membership; this discounted membership is reserved for farms with a specific income threshold who are members of a Farmers Advisory Council organization, such as PCO. OTA membership provides direct access to OTA resources and full voting rights. In addition, PCO-member farmers can contact OTA about their Farmers Advisory Council “Fly-In” events. During Fly-Ins, organic farmers convene in Washington, D.C. to advocate on behalf of themselves and fellow farmers. OTA arranges meetings with governmental agencies, such as NOP or FDA, and congressional representatives.

And, as noted by an attendee during the discussions, concerns raised by farmers, and solutions proposed by farmers, can steer the priorities set for the National Organic Standards Board and National Organic Program. Through PCO, members are encouraged to vote in board elections and consider serving on the board. It was made clear at the meeting that there are several avenues, from the local level to the national level, for small farmers to make an impact on big policy issues.

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

19

New Members PCO Welcomes 4th Quarter New Members!

NEWLY CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Bullock Farm Waterford, VT

Eldon & Shawnna Shively

Kore D. Yoder

Romulous, NY

Belleville, PA

Eli L. Smoker

KSS Sales

Myerstown, PA

Kennett Square, PA

English Farms

Lamar B. Sensenig

Seagrove, NC

Dundee, NY

Greenbriar Produce

Levi D. Byler

Spring Run, PA

Fort Plain, NY

Harvey Reiff

Lucky Discovery Enterprises, LLC

Shippensburg, PA

Denton, MD

Henry Stoltzfus

Maple Grove Farm

Grottoes, VA

Woodward, PA

Rome, NY

Christ S. King

Hidden Creek Farm

Mark R. Stoltzfus

Cape Vincent, NY

Paradise, PA

Mill Hall, PA

Ronks, PA

Cleason W. Weaver

Hill Top Farm

Marsha Snyder

Anderson Farm

Ewing, KY

Loysville, PA

Ramseur, NC

Stanley, NY

Andy W. Miller

David L. Faus

Jacob S. Yoder

McNaughton Farms

Fillmore, NY

Manheim, PA

Kennedy, NY

Duncannon, PA

Aycoth Farm

David S. Stoltzfus

Joe Miller

Melvin Mast

Monroe, NC

Honey Brook, PA

Reynoldsville, PA

Apple Creek, OH

Barry Sones

De Monchy Natural Products, Inc.

John G. Allgyer

Merriwinds Hilltop

Muncy, PA

Breinigsville, PA

Mill Hall, PA

Clearville, PA

Belmont Meats LLC

Doug Bogart

John S. Petersheim

Meyers Grain LLC

Paradise, PA

Danville, PA

Manheim, PA

St. Thomas, PA

Brad Dalton

Dressler's

Joseph N. Zeiset

Nathan's Farm

Wakeman, OH

Middleburg, PA

Rushville, NY

Mifflintown, PA

Bryan Miller

East Mountain Herb Farm

Josiah M. Martin

New Day Enterprises, PBC

Glenville, PA

Mill Hall, PA

Bethel, PA

Bealeton, VA

Amos S. Byler Palatine Bridge, NY

Amos S. Fisher, Jr.

20

Cedar Stone Farm

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

www.paorganic.org

Jacob S. Yoder Kennedy, NY

New Members

NEW BUSINESS MEMBERS

Levi F. Lapp Kirkwood, PA

Applied Bio-Minerals, Inc. Hummelstown, PA

PCO Welcomes 4th Quarter New Members!

Maple Grove Farm Rome, NY

Bio-Organic Catalyst, Inc. Cosa Mesa, CA

Maple Ledge Organics Central Bridge, NY

Homstead Nutrition New Holland, PA

Nathan Hershberger Paul S. Stoltzfus

Spile Bridge Road

Mill Hall, PA

Heuvelton, NY

Pequea Valley Farm

Totally Cool Ice Cream

Ronks, PA

Owings Mills, MD

Morrisville, NY

Pond View Farm Heuvelton, NY

Rolling Sunrise Farm Perrigo's Farm

Twin M Farms LLC

Gouverneur, NY

Greencastle, PA

Pleasant View Organic Dairy Windber, PA

Pennsylvania Furnace, PA

USA Gypsum Denver, PA

Manheim, PA

Spile Bridge Road Welch Hill Farm

HydroFlow PA LLC

SUSTAINER

Heuvelton, NY

Ed Stepler

Turin, NY

Welch Hill Farm

Monroeville, NJ

Turin, NY

Pond View Farm Heuvelton, NY

Rainbow Valley Farm Glen Rock, PA

NEWLY GRASSFED CERTIFIED Andy W. Miller Fillmore, NY

John Harrison Millville, NJ

TRANSITION Spring Run Auditng Services, LLC John Zimmerman

Selingsgrove, PA

Waterloo, NY

Randy Bailey

Benuel E. Beiler

Selinsgrove, PA

Joseph Strausberger

Christiana, PA

Kunkletown, PA

ADVOCATE

Rolling Sunrise Farm

David L. Smoker

Mike Wood

Emelie Swackhamer

Manheim, PA

Myerstown, PA

Denton, MD

Macungie, PA

Rylanes Farms, LLC

Hidden Creek Farm

Steven Glick

Ron Enders

Killbuck, OH

Cape Vincent, NY

Dornsife, PA

Caneadea, NY

Fall 2018 NOSB Meeting continued from page 15

– Sodium Citrate — proposal to allow is adopted – Natamycin — proposal to prohibit is adopted – Strengthening the Organic Seed Guidance & Usage — only the regulatory section of proposal is adopted • FAILED – Petition to add Sodium Chlorite for the generation of chlorine dioxide gas to the National List – Petition to add Japones Pepper to the National List – Petition to add Ethiopian Pepper to the National List • TABLED (referred back to subcommittee for additional work) – Petition to add Allyl Isothiocyanate to the National List – Petition to add Silver dihydrogen citrate to the National List – Genetic Integrity Transparency

www.paorganic.org

of Seed Grown on Organic Land (Seed Purity)

n SUNSET REVIEWS: NOSB discussed and voted on over 40 National List inputs. Public comments were generally in favor of relisting the majority. See the complete list of items reviewed in the chart at the end of this report. NOSB recommended relisting of all materials except for sucrose octanoate esters for both crops and livestock production (referred to NOP for approval and rulemaking)

n DISCUSSION DOCUMENTS: One of the discussion documents focused on Marine Materials in Organic Crop Production. The other six discussion documents were for individual petitioned materials: Oxalic Acid, Pullulan, Collagen Gel, Ammonium citrate and Ammonium glycinate, Calcium acetate and Paper Pots. n RESOLUTIONS: • Origin of Livestock: In response to

a request made by the Organic Trade Association in public comments, NOSB unanimously passed a resolution urging the Secretary of Agriculture to directly issue a final rule for Origin of Livestock that incorporates public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule.

• Paper Pots: NOSB unanimously passed a resolution that NOP allow the continued use of paper pots while the review and potential rulemaking proceed.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SPRING 2019 NOSB MEETING: The next NOSB meeting will take place April 24–26, 2019, at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel in Seattle, WA. Notable work agenda topics will include Import oversight, Liquid fish production annotation, Sanitizers, Genetic Integrity of Seed, petitioned materials (e.g.

Pullulan, Paper Pots, and others), and discussions on 2021 sunset materials.

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

21

Organic Marketplace

CROPS

pound. Contact Merlin Martin at 717789-2450. Perry County.

Organic hay for sale. 3x3x8 square bales. Contact Josiah Kauffman for pricing and delivery: 570.250.0859.

Bradford County.

100% grass-fed certified beef fed and finished. Finished on certified organic forages. Please contact Ron Gargasz 724-730-6488. Lawrence County.

Organic Hay, soybeans (raw or roasted), and oats for sale. Please contact Alvin Renno at 122 Renno Drive, Tyrone, PA 16686. Delivery available.

Locust fence posts available. Blair County.

15 organic cows and springing heifers for sale. Overstocked. Asking $1500 each. Contact Jack at 570-727-2322.

Wayne County.

Please contact Ron Gargasz (landline) 724-530-7220, (cell) 724-730-6488, or email at rgargaszfarms@gmail.com.

Lawrence County.

SERVICES

LAND FOR SALE/ RENT

PCO- certified organic baleage. Individually wrapped. 4x4 mixed hay. 1st cutting. $45 a bale. 1st cutting dry hay $25-30/bale. Jim Hepp. 570-746-1651.

Bradford County.

LIVESTOCK Organic pastured beef. Available at .90 cents a pound; live weight. Organic potatoes available at 50–70 cents a

22

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

Ag plastic recycling — I can use black and white bunker covers, bale wrap, plastic twine, clear stretch film, greenhouse covers, flats, and pots. Call 717658-9660. Franklin County, PA.

EQUIPMENT

13 Foot S-tine harrow like-new condition. Excellent for seed prep. $3,000.00.

642 Ford Combine “Claas” 14-foot grain head, 4 row corn head. 2,000 hours- excellent condition.

Organic Grazing Dairy for sale in Massachusetts — milk contract with local creamery included. Profitable on-farm retail shop, healthy cows and soils, buildings and equipment in excellent condition. Details at www.sidehillfarm.net/listing

1710 John Deer 11 shank chisel plow, excellent condition.

www.paorganic.org

www.paorganic.org

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

23

Calendar

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 6–9 PASA’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference Lancaster County Convention Center Lancaster, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-4890

FEBRUARY 9 PASA’s Annual Meeting & Regional Breakouts Lancaster County Convention Center Lancaster, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-4890

MARCH 30 Compost Like a Pro Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400

APRIL APRIL 10 Rodale Webinar: Integrating Crops and Livestock rodaleinstitute.org/events/integrating-crops-and-livestock

APRIL 13

FEBRUARY 18

Tomato Grafting Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400

PCO Office Closed President’s Day

APRIL 17

FEBRUARY 23 Film Series: Evolution of Organic Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400

Film Series: The Food Cure Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400

APRIL 19 PCO Office Closed Good Friday

MARCH

APRIL 19

PCO Annual Updates Due Paorganic.org 814-422-0251

Earth Day at the Farm Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400

MARCH 16

APRIL 24–26

Organic Gardening 101 Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Seattle, Washington Ams.usda.gov

MARCH 1

MARCH 22 PCO Annual Inspector Meeting LOCATION TBD Paorganic.org 814-422-0251

STAY CONNECTED, VISIT:

paorganic.org

24

ORGANIC MATTERS • WINTER 2019

www.paorganic.org

Non-Profit Org US POSTAGE PAID CENTRE HALL, PA PERMIT NO. 33

106 School Street, Suite 201 Spring Mills, PA 16875