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Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond
By Michele Gauger
Do you know how the US Postal Ser-
vice has the motto We Deliver for You
through any type of weather? Maybe
PASA should consider adopting that as
our conference motto. The number 13
was starting to feel a little unlucky, as
this year a late evening snow/ice storm
threatened to derail our scheduled pro-
gram. Brian Snyder, executive director of
PASA commented, This is the one we
made happen against all odds.In usual style PASA members rallied
and made the trip to snowy State Col-
lege for the 13th annual conference Feb-
ruary 57. The PASA conference had a
record number of over 1400 attendees
from 28 states and 3 provinces. The new
pre-conference Thursday format attract-
ed about 400 participants, and the usual
Friday and Saturday workshops were a
hit. Many of us left tired but inspired
for the next growing season.
By Kim Miller
As usual the PASAconference blew meaway this year. So muchto learn and so little timeto do it. I have yet tomeet a PASA memberthat does not have aninteresting story andsomething to share. Butthe man who made thegreatest impression onme this year was PercySchmeiser. I am sad-
dened that only 400 ofus were privileged tohear Percy speak onThursday evening. He is the most uncom-mon common man that I have met inyears.
I met Percy prior to his speaking andchatted with him at length during thesocial hour. We talked about the thingsthat farmers talk about, our farms, ourfamilies, the weather, and the state offarming today. You dont have to spendmuch time talking to Percy to realize thathe is a lifelong farmer. He is quiet,straightforward and not out to impressanyone, just an honorable farmer and agentleman. I secretly wondered if hewould be able to excite any interest in thePASA crowd.
And then he shared his story. He beganby stating simply This is what happenedto me. So he talked about his farm andthe raising of rapeseed for the productionof Canola oil. And he talked about savingseed and trying to develop seeds that
would do well on his farm and in his local-
An Uncommon Man2004
Farming for the FutureConference Recap
Continued on page 6
Continued on page 4
Number 47 March/April 2004
Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania
Association
for Sustainable
Agriculture
PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems
Got Milk?Got Freedom
of Speech?PASA Farmers in Tioga County Win
Case vs.Ann Veneman & the National
Dairy Promotion Board (see article
page 3).
PRESIDENTS CORNER
Percy Schmeiser begins his story, Heres what happened to me.
ity. He established his emotional connec-tion to this work by he and his wife devot-ing fifty years to this annual practice. It isclear that he is proud of the work that heand his family accomplished in develop-ing better seed varieties; ones with appli-cation to his geographic area and climate.Through hard work and proper steward-ship of resources, Percy and his wifereached the time in their lives where theymight contemplate a well-planned retire-ment. And then along came Monsanto.
It is public knowledge that Monsantodevelops Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) as a way to increase the marketfor its products. By splicing new geneticmaterial into rapeseed they have been ableto create a plant that is in most ways justlike rapeseed. The most obvious differencebetween this new plant and rapeseed is itstolerance to being sprayed with the Mon-santo herbicide, Roundup. Research has
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March/April 2004
Passages STAFF & OFFICE
Staff Editor: Michele Gauger
Layout: C Factor
Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,PASA office, [email protected]
Pennsylvania Association
for Sustainable Agriculture
114 West Main StreetP.O. Box 419
Millheim PA 16854Phone: (814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840
Website:www.pasafarming.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Kim Miller,Westmoreland County
Vice President: Kim Tait, Centre County
Secretary: Lyn Garling,Centre County
Treasurer: Chris Fullerton, Huntingdon County
Mary Barbercheck, Centre County
David Bingaman,Dauphin County
George DeVault,Lehigh County
Mena Hautau,Berks County
John Hopkins,Columbia County
John Jamison,Westmoreland County
Dave Johnson,Tioga County
Don Kretschmann,Beaver County
Brian Moyer, Berks County
Anthony Rodale, Berks County
Kim Seeley, Bradford County
PASA STAFF
Headquarters
Brian SnyderExecutive Director
Lauren SmithDirector of Development& Membership Programs
Heather HouseDirector of Educational Outreach
Michele GaugerMembership & Research Assistant
Brandi MarksOffice Coordinator/Bookkeeper
Regional Office
David EsonDirector of Southwest Programs
Phone:[email protected]
PASAs Mission is
Promoting profitable farms which produce healthy
food for all people while respecting the natural envi-
ronment.
PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania
landscape. We are seasoned farmers who know that
sustainability is not only a concept, but a way of life.
We are new farmers looking for the fulfillment of land
stewardship. We are students and other consumers,
anxious to understand our food systems and the
choices that must be made.We are families and chil-
dren,who hold the future of farming in our hands.This
is an organization that is growing in its voice on behalf
of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond.Our mission is
achieved,one voice,one farm, one strengthened com-
munity at a time.
PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider,and Employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to:
USDA Office of Civil Rights Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Passages March/April 2004 Contributors
CONTRIBUTORS:George DeVault,David Eson, Michele Gauger, Heather House, Lancaster Farming, KimMiller, Brian Moyer, Eric Nordell, Sarah Rider, Amy Souza, Lauren Smith and Brian Snyder PHOTOGRA-
PHERS: Barrie Audio Video, Inc.,Dave Lefever, Pat Little, Heather House, Brian Snyder.
PASA in the NewsHave you seen articles about PASA in your local news-
papers or other media? PASA is active across the state,
and wed love to know what coverage we are getting
in your area. Please clip any articles you see on PASAand mail them to our Millheim headquarters to the
attention of Office Coordinator Brandi Marks.
Do you have a greatarticle idea for Passages?
Want to share a farming practice with members? Wed
love to hear from you. Please contact the newsletter
staff at newsletter@ pasafarming.org.
Deadline for May/June Issue: April 12,2004.
Passages is printed with soy inks on recycled,chlorine-free paper
8
10
2
1 Presidents Corner
2004 Farming for the FutureConference Recap
3 Directors Corner
9 Success for the Silent Auction
12 Farm-Based Education
16 PASA Update
18 Regional Marketing
19 Volunteer Listing
20 Membership Resources
21 Editors Corner: The Grapevine
22 Calendar
Classifieds Ads & Opportunities
7
9
12
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Renee Troutman gave an overview on raising
honey bees that gave beginners the confi-
dence they need to get started. Troutmans
was one of over a hundred presentations
that varied in nature from nuts and bolts to
broad and philosophical,appealing to both
the beginner and expert alike.
Anuradha Mittal Anuradha Mittal, a native of India
interim Executive Director of Food Firsoffered an optimistic vision and reasonfor a continued struggle versus industrialized agriculture throughout the worldSo how does Mittal remain optimistic when Farmers around the world arunder social, economic, and politicaabuse from modern industrial agriculture? Her answer is By looking at all oyou. I find inspiration to keep fighting
in each one of us. I see that we have notquit and we are not hopeless. she said.
This [PASA conference] has been anincredible experience and I have learnedso much she said. Mittal noted thachange is taking place slowly in thisnew face of agriculture. She furtheadded, Food is a personal and politicaissue as we all need food to survive. Foodsovereignty is a basic human right. It itime to fight against hopelessness versularge industrialized agriculture. It is timeto create a new future.
Sustainable AgLeadership Award
This years award went to Mike andTerra Brownback of Spiral Path Farm(Business Member Profile, Passages#46in Loysville, PA. Brian Snyder, ExecutivDirector of PASA and Leslie Zuck, Executive Director of Pennsylvania CertifiedOrganic offered introductory praises fothe couple who have been key in theestablishment of both organizations
Percy SchmeiserThe success of Thursdays pre-confer-
ence set the tone for the evening winterpicnic where attendees had the oppor-tunity to hear the story of PercySchmeiser. Schmeiser detailed his cur-
rent legal struggle with Monsanto,which is now in the hands of the Cana-dian Supreme Court. You can read moreabout Schmeisers story on the cover.Contributions were collected after thepicnic with Percy and we were able toraise close to $3,000 for his defensefund. Thanks for the generosity! If youwere not in attendance but would like tomake a contribution, you can do so byvisiting www. percyschmeiser.com.
Paul HawkenIm not wearing a suit so dont mis-
take me for a businessman. Those werethe opening words spoken by Paul
Hawken in his keynote address Friday.The noted author and business-minded
environmentalist brought a message ofsupport and acknowledgement of the
important work of PASA and other
organizations across the world focusing
on environmental sustainability.Hawken began by describing his
childhood in the San Jacquin Valley of
California including details of his grand-
fathers farm. This farm formed a part-nership with Safeway, which ultimately
WorkshopsPassageshas detailed the whos who
listing of presenters that came to this
years conference in previous issues. And
they certainly did not disappoint. One
complaint we dont mind getting is that
the superb line-up of quality workshops
we offer makes choosing among them
difficult. If you missed a workshop, you
can order directly from Cocalico Cas-
settes by calling 717-336-4179.
Conferenc
eRecap
Paul Hawken delivered an inspirational
keynote that reminded us The fate of the
world lies in the hands of ordinary people
thank God for that.
Anuradha Mittal spending some time greet-
ing conference attendees during her book
signing.
would result in his grandfathers bank-ruptcy. Today Hawken has become anadvocate of a new ecological economy.Business has the power to destroy orrestore, it goes both ways, he said. Butin my experience the bigger a corpora-
tion gets the less likely they are to servehumankind. Hawken added that cor-porations force uniformity and lack ofdiversity. However it is diversity that iskey to healthy economies.
The fate of the world lies in thehands of ordinary people thank Godfor that. People have the right to deter-mine their own destiny and the only waythe sustainability movement is going tosucceed is on the local level. We cantachieve sustainability from our currenteconomic model that is hurting our
rural economies, he said.
4
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Mike and Terra operate a 118-acre pro-duce operation with a 300-memberCSA. Many who know the Brownbacksdescribe them as inspiring and dedicatedpeople. Mikes acceptance speech wasfilled with tears and gratitude for therecognition.
The Brownbacks lost their son Arias
in 2001 and have started the Arias M.Brownback Memorial Scholarship Fund.Each year this fund allows those new andbeginning farmers who may not finan-cially be capable of attending the PASAconference a chance to do so. This yearsscholarship helped 15 participants.
Past award recipients have included:Robert Rodale (1993), Paul Keene(1994), Herbert Cole (1995), CassPeterson & Ward Sinclair (1995), Pre-ston Boop (1996), Linda & Don Weaver(1998), Anne & Eric Nordell (1999),
Lucy & Roman Stoltzfoos (200), Steve& Cheri Groff (2001), Moie & Jim-Crawford (2002), Tim Bowser (2003).
Sustainable AgBusiness Award
This new award was created to recog-nize businesses that have been leaders increating links between producers andconsumers, while offering services in thearea of sustainable agriculture. The firstaward winner was Judy Wicks, founder
of the White Dog Caf in Philadelphia.PASA board member Lyn Garling andTim Bowser, Executive Director ofFoodRoutes Network presented theaward to Judy, One day Judy learnedhow conventional pork was raised,marched into the kitchen of the caf andtold the chef not to serve any more pork
until a local source was found saidBowser. Wicks has been in business for20 years, buys from local producers andthe caf now buys 100% of its electricityfrom wind-generated sources. Wicks has
also established the White Dog CafFoundation that supports various organ-izations in the pursuit of sustainableagriculture. Wicks, surprised by theaward acknowledged her kitchen staffand foundation employees that were in
attendance.I
Reflections on a Conferencethat Almost Wasnt
By Brian SnyderI suppose everyone who has been to a
PASAFarming for the Futureconferencewould have their own favorite memoriesto share. The evaluations every yearmake us aware of the things that variouspeople appreciate. For some people itsthe opening and closing keynoteaddresses. Perhaps for most its the many
workshops to choose from even toomany by some measures. Others willcomment that its the meals that keepthem coming back year after year.
My own favorite item on the confer-ence agenda is the presentation ofawards. This year, in addition to thefamiliar Sustainable Ag Leadership Award, we added a new permanentaward category for Sustainable Ag Busi-ness Leadership. We were delighted togive the ag leadership award this year toMike and Terra Brownback of SpiralPath Farm, while the inaugural businessleadership award went to Judy Wicks ofthe White Dog Caf in Philadelphia.
Mike and Terra Brownback were presented the 2004 Sustainable Ag Leadership Award. Leslie
Zuck, director of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, presented the award saying, Mike and Terra
have been mentors for many, many people.(pictured above: Mike,Terra Brownback, Leslie Zuck
and Cheryl Cook, Deputy Secretary for the Pa Dept.of Agriculture.
Continued on page 6
5
Judy Wicks,founder of the White Dog Caf,accepted the first ever Sustainable Business Award.Its
this type of courage and resoluteness that has made Wicks, her business,and the foundation shes
established synonymous with conscious eating. (pictured below: Brian Snyder, Lyn Garling, Judy
Wicks,Cheryl Cook and Tim Bowser).
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conference center itself is just abig hollow box without all thePASA people there, and shewouldnt enjoy it as much.
For me, this was the match-ing bookend to the remarks of
Bob Steele, dean of the PennState College of Ag Sciences, atthe opening session. Noting thatthe entire University was shutdown due to the terrible icestorm, Dean Steele exclaimed,But I knew this crowd wouldstill come!
Yes, they did come. Despitethe realization of our weathernightmares, which occurred atthe worst possible time, we fig-ure that only a hundred or so
out of a potential crowd of fif-teen hundred loyal PASAmembers stayed away over thethree-day period of the confer-ence. I have to pause to reflect every timeI think about how so many people actu-ally risked their lives to be with us.
The simple reality is, we have redis-covered the spirit of being together asthe source of our vision, strength anddetermination to go out there andchange the world for the better. And itsespecially gratifying to hear from many
Conferenc
eRecap
With both awards, we were able tomaintain the surprise right up to theend. And as per the usual at our confer-ences, the recipients wondered aloudhow it was they were deemed worthy.
There is always such a strong sense of thegroup when we get together, I suppose it would seem odd for anyone who hap-pens to get singled out for recognition.This is why I love this part of the event,because we are vividly reminded eachyear of the all for one and one for allnature of our community by the sincerehumility of our members who happen toreceive awards.
You see, whatever the favorite partofthe conference, many people will saythat somehow it is the experience of the
wholegroup being together that has suchan impact on those who attend. Peoplesometimes search for words to describeit, calling it the feel of the group, theexcitement of being together with like-minded people, or the regeneration ofspirit that results from their participa-tion.
At the close of this years conference,my eight-year-old daughter asked ratherinnocently, Daddy, can we come backhere before next years conference? Ihad to patiently explain to her that the
Thankyouforawonderful conference.Itwasperhaps themost enlighteningthatIhave everattended. Thepeople(members)ofPASAarewonderful and IdontthinkI evermetastranger. Iattendedbecauseofthe APPPAmeetingandtheprogramsthattheyoffered.
Imust saythat yourstate mustofferwonderfuopportunitiesitseemedthat whenI leftonSundaymorningtoreturntomyhomestateofIndianI exited I-80EastinsteadofI-80 West. ThebeautyofyourstateoffI-80was sowonderfulandI wasenjoyingthefarms and thescenessomuchI was iNewJerseybeforeI realizedthemistakeI hadmadintaking I-80east.
Twoandahalfhourslater!!!Thetripwasjustaswonderfulasyourconfer-
ence.Pleasekeepme on yourmailinglistforfutureconferences.Sincerely,
JAMES WHELANThorntown,Indiana
folks each year who encounter that spirit for the first time. Above is a letter wereceived from one such soul, whoencountered even more unexpecteddiversions than the rest of us (used withpermission.) His words are a testamento the success of what I will alwaysremember as the conference that almostwasnt. I
Continued from page 5
Left: Kids enjoyed making sweet music with the harp, while older kids (left) practice
keeping a steady beat. Kids who participated in the youth program also enjoyed
learning to contra dance, decorating gift bags, swimming, scavenger hunts and
more!
Below: Even the seasons worst wintry mix couldnt keep PASA conference registrant
away! By the time we got started on Friday, following a one hour delay in schedule
the 1,200 person capacity room was nearly full! In sum, over 1,400 participants
passed through the conference doors, making this year the largest PASA conference
ever! Addressing the audience during the Friday morning session is Dan Desmond
Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.
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Conference Food DonorsThe ingredients for the meals served during
the conference are gathered from supportive
farmers, processors,and distributors.
Applegate Farms Blue Grass Beef Cow-a-Hen Farm
Dancing Creek Farm Eberly Poultry Farms Elk Creek
Fish Hatchery Forks Farm Four Seasons Produce
Frankferd Farms Foods Green Haven Farm Green
Hills Farm Hares Valley Growers Help From Above
Farm Honest Tea Jamison Farms Journeys End Farm
Jubilee Organic Farm Keswick Creamery Kettle
Foods King Farm Kretschmann Farm Lady Moon
Farms LeRaysville Cheese Factory Lost Hollow Honey
Mad Mex Restaurant McGeary Organics Milky Way
Farms Natural Dairy Products New Morning Farm
Old School Snacks Over the Moon Farm Paradise
Organics Penn Cheese Corp
Penn State Bakery Penn Stater
Conference Center Phillips
Mushroom Farms Pure EarthOrganic Farm Seven Stars
Farm Snyders of Hanover Spi-
ral Path Farm Spring Bank
Acres Spring Creek Natural
Foods Sunny Ridge Farm Tait
Farm Community Harvest Tait
Farm Foods Townline Farm
Poultry Reserve Tuscarora
Organic Growers Cooperative
Wil-Ar Farm Wil-Den Family
Farms Willful Cedar Farm
Windy Knolls Farm
Above: In a survey issued to all participants at
the conference, folks overwhelming cited the
food as the one thing they absolutely would
not change about the conference.PASA is given
the opportunity to use sustainably produced
foods contributed by PASA farmers and other
friends with the help of Chef Stout.
Below: Patron of Sustainability conference
sponsor Lady Moon Farms exhibit featured
photos of both their Florida and Pennsylvania
operations.
2004 Conference SponsorsAmerican Farmland Trust American Pastured Poultry Producers Assn.
Animal Welfare Institute BCS America Center for Rural Pennsylvania
Centre County Community Foundation Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Dairyland Sales and Service Delaware Valley College Duquesne
University, Environmental Research Center East Coast Organics Eberly
Poultry Farms Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania Ernst Conserva-
tion Seed EverPower Global Corporation Fertrell Company
FoodRoutes Network Goodville Mutual Insurance Goodwill Industries
of Pittsburgh Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank IPM Labora-tories, Inc Lady Moon Farms Lakeview Organic Grain Lancaster Ag
Products Le Raysville Cheese Factory Moyers Chicks,Inc. Natural Dairy
Products Corp. Natures Best Organic Feed NC+ Organics Organic
Unlimited Organic Valley Family of Farms Pa Department of Agriculture
Pa Department of Environmental Protection Penn State University,
College of Ag Sciences PennFuture Pennsylvania Certified Organic
Pennsylvania College of Technology Plains Animal Hospital Poultry
Man Professional Recyclers of PA Rodale Institute Sierra Club, Penn-
sylvania Chapter Slippery Rock University Spiral Path Farm Tait Farm
Foods Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative Waterkeeper Alliance
White Dog Cafe Foundation Wilson College Wiscoy Pet Food Co.
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Conferenc
eRecap
8
Claudia Albertin &GlennVernon
Mary Barbercheck
Nancy & Bob Bernhardt
Michele Briggs
Gene Chenoweth
Moie & Jim Crawford
Melanie & George DeVault
Helen & Bill Elkins
Wendy & David Eson
Therese Fafard &Nathan Heilman
Chris Fullerton
Lyn Garling
Janet Goloub &Martin Boksenbaum
Mena Hautau &Steve DeBroux
Trent & Rachel Hendricks
Bernie & Ingrid Hoffnar
Todd & John Hopkins
Heather House
Vicki & Donald House
Jacki & Vernon Hunsberger
Jason Ingle
Sukey & John Jamison
Becky & Don Kretschmann
David Lembeck
Ann & Hugh Lofting
Becky & Steve Marks
Beth & Ken Marshall
Dianne & Kim Miller
Paula Goetting &Jim Minesky
Carolyn Mugar
Martha Noble
Anne & Eric Nordell
Glenn & Jeanne Owens
Florence & Anthony Rodale
Carolyn Sachs
Susan & Don Sauter
Nancy Shorsher
Lauren & Ian Smith
Loanne Snavely &Gary Gyekis
Paula & Brian Snyder
Kim Tait
Amy Trauger
Michael Wahler
Anonymous
Anonymous
BUSINESS FRIENDS
Amsterdam ProduceEnterprises, Inc.
Heifer International,Mid-Atlantic Office
Northern Tier SustainableMeats Coop
Red Hill Farm CSA
Friends of the Conference 2004 These Friends of the Conference have acknowl-
edged their support for us in assembling a top quali-
ty event with affordable fees, by contributing $100
each. In a very real sense, they are paying the true
cost of maintaining this valuable tradition, and we
thank them.
Fifty organizations, farms and businesses sponsored the 13th annual Farming
for the Future Conference, and many of them exhibited as well taking
advantage of reaching out to the eager audience. Pictured (here) are display
representing three of our proud Conference Sponsors Fertrell, Organi
Unlimited and Pennsylvania Certified Organic.
Looking for a good book? Conference attendees had the chance to peruse a
variety of vendors in the marketplace.
During breaks and between workshops, Matt Steinman (pictured here) and
Peter Johnson hosted an on-going demonstration of their biodiesel machine
which produces 55 gallon batches of the renewable fuel.
Left: PASA Treasurer Chris Fullerton, seen here holding an antique butte
churn from the Silent Auction, informed members that over half of the funds
used to support PASAs mission are considered restricted, designated fo
specific funder-related projects. To gain flexibility in work PASA can do, PASA
must increase the flow of unrestricted funds, which come from individua
donations and unique fundraisers like the Silent Auction.
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Jean Bentz
Nancy & BobBernhardt
Angela Brubaker
Roy Brubaker
Sabine & Tom Carey
Gene Chenoweth
Eileen G. Clark
Cottage RoseInteriors
Cow ParadeHarrisburg
Chef Mike Ditchfield
Dairyland Salesand Service
Demeters Garden
Jean Downing
East End Food Coop
Fertrell Company
Ilene & PhilFreedman
Brian Futhey
Ben Gatski
HarpingFor HarmonyFoundation
Heifer International
Carl Hursh
Hugh Lofting Timber Framing, Inc.
Jamison Farm
Jerry Jackson FinePewter
Lidias Pittsburgh
Maysies FarmConservation Center
McGinnis Sisters
Special Food Stores
Kim Miller
New TrendsPublishing, Inc.
Patti Olenick
PA Departmentof EnvironmentalProtection
Parkers NewAmerican Bistro &Glendennis B&B
Penn StaterConference CenterHotel
Rachel Rider
Sue Ripley
Sams Club
Schorn ConstructionCompany,Inc.
Louise Schorn Smith
Nancy Shorsher
Slow Food
Pittsburgh
Lauren & Ian Smith
Soil Secrets,Inc.
Steam Valley
Mountain Fiber
Farm
Jack Vanderwende
Wegmans Food
Markets, Inc
Janna Weil
Mary Whittam
Whizbang Books
Wil-Den Family
Farms
Chris Wise
Suzanne Wittman
Alma Wynne
By Sarah RiderPASAs second annual Silent Auction
at the Farming for the FutureConferencewas a huge success. Many thanks go out
to our generous donors and avid bidders.We are proud to report that the auctionraised over $8500 in revenue, with over70% of the items going at or above fairmarket value.
The auction had a unique array ofitems, including original art and crafts, weekend getaways, creative food pack-ages, gift certificates, books, farm andgarden equipment, and even a live cow!The other cow that was on display wasfrom Cows on Parade (see photo below) to learn more about this unique char-ity event visit www.cowparade.net. Forthe second year in a row Maysies FarmConservation Center donated a CSAsubscription and Schorn ConstructionCompany donated a PASA LifetimeMembership. Hugh Lofting TimberFraming, Inc. also donated a timberframe corncrib, which was constructedon-site during Thursdays pre-confer-ence.
There was an overwhelming responseby PASA members who were willing to
contribute items and it was heartwarm-ing to watch as the items poured in on
Thursday prior to the conference.
Thanks to Ian Smith, gallery overseer,
the very best of PASA members artistic
talents, creativity, and generosity were all
laid out in a beautiful display.
We are already thinking ahead for
next year and anticipating some new and
exciting items. If you have a great auc-
tion item idea, contact Lauren Smith at
PASA headquarters at 814-349-9856. I
Success for the Silent Auction
A Big Thanks to the Silent Auction 2004 Donors
Tickets to Cow Parade 2004 (cowparade.net) in Harrisburg
were just one of 62 unique items sold in the Silent Auction,
which raised over $8,000 for PASA!
One of the best things about the PASA conference is network-
ing with new contacts and catching up with old friends! We
heard a thousand thank yous for moving breakfast and the
Sustainable Social Hour to Deans Hall.Folks had a little more
elbow room in which to mingle and a chance to admire the
timber framed corncrib built during the pre-conference. The
corncrib was the premiere item in this years Silent Auction,
and was donated by Hugh Lofting Timber Frame, Inc. in West
Grove,PA.
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Imagine now if we went to court andthe judge ruled that I should have main
tained my fence so that my neighbor
cattle could not come onto my property
and that since I didnt his cattle were
welcome to eat their fill. Further that
should harvest the rest of my crops and
give them to my neighbor to compen-sate him for abducting his cattle. I
should pay him for the disease brough
onto my farm because, though I may notwant it, I took it, stole it in fact from his
cattle. This is the Monsanto argument
though what I call a disease in my exam-
ple, they call intellectual property in
reality.
Is it clear now?
A genetically modified organism
not the same as the unmodified organ
ism. It has new genetics. We have seenover and over the problems created when
a species is imported into a new envi-
ronment. We are very careful to try and
limit that kind of thing today. And ye
we casually allow the introduction of
species with new genetics simply because
some company can make a buck on it.
In fact we might want to conside
laws that require a company like Mon-
santo to post a financial guarantee bondthat would be used to compensate those
whose farms are contaminated wit
adulterated rapeseed. If rapeseed grown
on a farm, conventional or organic
becomes contaminated with Monsanto
product then that farmer would have a
claim against Monsanto. It could also be
used to compensate the local govern-
ment whose job it is to remove thegenetically altered plant (now a supe
weed according to Percy) from the road
and power line rights of way. These
bonds should be required until the
owner of the patented plant demon
strates conclusively that there are nounplanned adverse consequences from
the use of their plant.
We can also boycott the products o
companies that sell and promoteGMOs. And we can spread the word
that a genetically altered plant or anima
is a new life form. Corporatism and it
attending arrogance will be the death o
us all. Unless all of us, like Percy
Schmeiser, stand up to the Corporatist
and just say No. I
PresidentsCorner
not been done to see in what other waysthis new plant might differ from rape-seed and so the governments of bothCanada and the U.S. have allowed theplanting of this new plant under theassumption that if it looks like rapeseedit must be rapeseed and, therefore, can-not be prohibited. They have made sim-ilar assumptions with soybeans, cornand potatoes allowing new genetic forms
of these plants as well. Many other coun-tries are not so sure, most notably Indiaand many European countries. They willnot buy GMO seeds or food containingGMOs. Monsanto finds this behavioroutrageous and unfounded.
What is, in fact, outrageous is whatMonsanto has done to Percy and otherfarmers in both the U.S. and Canada.GMO adulterated rapeseed does cross-pollinate with conventional rapeseed.Monsanto discovered that Percys rape-seed had become contaminated with
their licensed GMO material anddemanded a licensing fee of more than$100,000. This contamination ruinedthe fifty years of Percys breeding work.Further the widespread contaminationof conventional rapeseed farms in Cana-da crushed the price for canola oil on theworld market as many countries refusedto buy GMO tainted products. Percynever planted a single seed of GMOadulterated rapeseed on his farm, doesntwant it on his farm, and yet, he was suedfor failing to pay for the required Mon-santo license.
In a non-jury trial in front of a lonejudge he lost his case as the judge decid-ed that intellectual property rights takeprecedence over the property rights offarmers. A three judge appellate courtupheld the first ruling. And so it went tothe Canadian Supreme Court on appeal.Percy now awaits the result of this hear-ing. As do we all. Should the SupremeCourt find in Monsantos favor then anyof us who farm can ultimately expect to
have our crops contaminated by Mon-santos or other companies GMOs andhave those companies demand licensingfees from us. Surly this is a plot straightfrom the Twilight Zone. I wish it were.Uncommonly, Percy has stood up to theCorporatists. He has spent nearly$400,000 defending his family and therights of farmers everywhere from thepredatory practices of corporatism. He
understands that the greatest legacy weleave our children isnt the money in thebank. He is a man that lives by principle.
Absurd as it is, the assertion thatintellectual property rights have prece-dence over the rights of landowners isnot the scariest part of this mess. It is theassertion by agricultural Corporatiststhat a plant that has been geneticallymodified is the same as the unmodifiedplant that I find most scary. If it has dif-ferent genetic material, I would argue, itis a different plant. Ironically, Monsanto
has a patent on this plant preciselybecause it is a new plant; yet they want itto be viewed by the world as being exact-ly like conventional rapeseed, exceptwhen they want to be paid a license feefor its use. Some might see this as beingdisingenuous. Evidently they are justignorant of the ways of the new Ameri-can commerce. Let me raise the veil ofignorance with the following example ofthe logic of the new commerce.
In my neighborhood farmers donthave a very high opinion of a farmer who does not keep his fence in goodrepair. If a farmers cows get out and domodest damage on another farm once oreven twice, then that is probably accept-able. More than that and there might besome price to pay. Now if my neighborscows came to my place and eat most ofmy crops and track disease onto myplace so that I cant continue to raise myown cattle, then that is a very seriousproblem. My neighbor can expect to seeme in court.
PASA-tively Speaking:An Uncommon Man
Continued from page 1
10
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11/24
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Far
m-BasedEd
ucation
Its About Reading the AnimalsBy Sarah Rider
Even with good planning andgood thoughts, it all goes wrong.The handling of animals isextremely variable. Those werethe words of Dr. Jennifer Lanier,director of the Humane Society ofthe United States and a prominentresearcher in animal behavior andlivestock handling. Dr. Lanier,who has studied with Dr. TempleGrandin, the revolutionary figurein animal handling systemsdesign, presented a PASA work-
shop on the topic of animal han-dling. Ask any livestock producerand the most stressful part of their joblikely would be handling animals forhauling or medical reasons, anythingthat would change the animals routineand be unnatural for the animal. Theseare the days when peaceful existence asfarmer and livestock disintegrates.
The idea of no-stress handling is notnew and PASA hoped this workshop would offer ideas on how to create apotentially harmonious handling sys-
tem. This system would then change themost stressful part of raising animalsinto a respectful and pleasant experience.
Dr. Grandins research has influencedsignificant changes in industrial pre-slaughter handling of animals. The meatindustry has also taken note of the linkbetween pre-slaughter stress and meatquality. Hormones released when ani-mals are stressed produce tough, drymeat. A Colorado State University studyon a national beef-quality audit foundthat bruises on cattle cost the beef indus-try an average of $1/animal. Thatamounts to an industry loss of $22 mil-lion/year.
A relatively small group of partici-pants in the workshop was experiencedwith animal handling and each had theirown livestock handling nightmare storyto tell. There were students, extensionagents, farmers and animal researchers,everyone looking for a new approach toanimal handling. In doing hands-onhandling exercises with Penn States well-
that afternoon, which was more
difficult than it seemed when theanimals were so closeto where wewanted them!
Most importantly, when problems arise, before the pushing andshoving starts, stop and re-evaluate the situation. Cattle have twopoints of balance, one at theshoulder and one at the hip. Bydirecting pressure at these areas iis possible to use the cattles natu-ral reactionary movements tomake them move forward or back
ward. Once the animals reach thepoint of being stressed out, they
are much harder to handle and generallymore dangerous. As we were fruitlesslyworking the animals one participant discovered the benefit of stopping pressurebefore the situation got out of controlShe found that when the animals balkedat going into the holding tub, if shereleased the pressure and gave them aminute, they walked right in. If she followed her natural inclination to continuously push them when they stop, they
would turn around and bolt.We also learned how to determine an
animals biological proclivity towardskittishness. Subtle information basedon body characteristics could help tailora handling approach for a herd. DrLanier detailed Dr. Grandins studies oassociations between hair whorls on ananimals forehead and temperamentGenerally, the higher (above the top ofthe eye) the whorls on the forehead, themore skittish an animal. No whorls onthe face generally indicate the moshigh-strung animals. Bone structure isanother phenotypic indicator of temperament. The smaller the frame andbone structure the higher likelihood of ahot temperament.
I was once told the fastest way tomove animals is slowly, and have foundthat advice to be very sound. The hardest part to change about animal handlingis the way we move. There is someinstinctual reservoir that humans drawfrom when dealing with animals. You se
If animals are stressed, they are much harder to handle.
trained beef herd, the group learned firsthand inherent difficulties of dealing withlivestock.
We were given the assignment tomove a group of steers from one holdingpen, down an aisle, into another holdingtub, through a curved chute, weigh themon a scale and finally move themthrough a squeeze chute. Several produc-ers, including myself said under theirbreath that this would be no big deal as
Penn State has a handling set-up of which any farmer would be envious.Even after our lessons that day, with thebest equipment and a group of experi-enced folks, we still struggled with thechore. We tried for almost an hour tomove the herd and only got about 80%where we wanted them.
Dr. Lanier was quick to take advan-tage of the teachable moment to remindus, Its not about your facilities or whatyou are wearing, its about reading theanimals. It takes practice, lots of it, totruly empathize with animals, assesstheir temperament, read their stress lev-els in a situation and to change ourhuman behavior to accommodate theirnatural tendencies.
Dr. Lanier continued, The onlything you can plan on is using everymodicum of your patience, self-controland empathy. And most importantly,when in doubt, take a break. This was amajor principle we heard throughout theday and finally had to put into practice
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8/9/2019 Mar-Apr 2004 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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the animal you want and they look likethey are going to the right place, they just need a little push. If we dont readthe animals and adjust our plan accord-ingly, we tend to fall back on brute force,which almost always is stressful for theanimal.
Human Behavior Changesto Make Handling Animals Stress Free
Train animals to be handled. Famil-iarize cattle to objects on the farmand spend time walking out amongstcattle to tame them down.
Watch body movements moveslowly with no jerky motion.
Beware of your size facing a cowyou are larger than, flapping yourarms, wearing a big hat or blowingshirt makes you look even bigger.
Work quietly with as few people aspossible.
Leave the dog and kids at home,both are seemingly predacious withquick, unpredictable movements andhigh-pitched voices.
Discontinue use of electric cattleprods. Use plastic paddles or stickswith flags or plastic streamers attached
to drive cattle. Animals can see these
clearly.
Other Stress Factors
Something new or out of place (to
animals).
Shadows, contrasting colors and
glare. Overcrowding cows are hierarchi-
cal and crowding causes challenges to
the dominance structure, while soli-
tude is rarely welcome.
Fear of falling animals avoid
uneven or slippery surfaces, mud,
water, anywhere the underlying sur-
face is unpredictable.
Remedies
Tape cardboard over space to give the
appearance of more solid sides. Use lights to illuminate dark corners.
Work at a time of day to minimize
shadows.
Dry up mud holes.
Partition off corners, so holding areas
are rounded and animals are less like-
ly to get stuck. I
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While resignation is the more conven-tional response to injustice as far as mostfarmers go, such has never been the case forthe Cochrans, especially Brenda. I alwaysfelt we should try to do something, sheexplains.
Her eyes light up as she further describeswhat, to her, is the self-evident truth aboutmodern farming. Commercialism in farm-ing today is a cataclysmic event for familyfarmers, and we are in danger of repeatingthe mistakes of collectivization in the oldSoviet system of agriculture. Brenda assertsthat central planning just doesnt work, asit always seems the planners themselves endup reaping the biggest profits.
Over the years, a series of organizationalaffiliations have been instrumental in sup-porting the Cochrans quest for agricultural
justice. Most prominent in years gone byhad been the American Raw Milk Produc-ers Association (ARMPA), which was partof the National Family Farm Coalition(NFFC). This was followed by strongstands on behalf of farmers taken by variousbranches of the Catholic Church. Andfinally, help came from the Center for Indi-vidual Freedom and Institute for Justice inpursuing the recent checkoff case.
When asked why they ended up going tocourt to fight what seemed like a futile
uphill battle, Joe apologetically explainedthat we grew tired of efforts to organizeindividual farmers into a force for change.The time had come, it seemed, for powerfulindividual action on behalf of a communitythat by its nature resists collective action.
Still, over a simple Lenten meal of tunasalad sandwiches and fresh milk from thebarn, there was little feeling of triumph
shared across the Cochran dinner table thatday. Fact is, they expressed an enduringsense of anxiety that a win such as theirsmight be too little to turn the tide of com-mercialism, and too late to save their ownfarming ambitions.
Theres very little hope out there,Brenda explains. If it werent for the grow-ing sustainability movement in farming,wed have nothing to hang on to. Joe addswistfully, If farmers could just count on afair price, say $16/cwt, we could keep ittogether. With this, the conversation
turned to thoughts of a smaller operation,with direct contact to customers who knowwhat theyre getting and are willing to pay.
Joe and Brenda Cochran are proud ofwhat they have achieved. They farm almost900 acres of mostly rented ground. Theymaintain a closed herd of handsome ani-mals, not buying a single cow since 1981.They have kept their cows mostly outdoorson good pasture, and have never used syn-thetic growth hormones to boost produc-tion beyond what God had intended. They
are successfully raising a small busload onoticeably intelligent children without burdening the public school system. And nowthey have won a constitutional victory tha will save perhaps countless farms in dutime, even if not their own. Beyond thesefeats, what would anyone ever need to applythe term heroes in full force?
The trip back down the now familiar
road to more modern times might havebeen quicker that day, but for the unexpected encounter with a large, liquid manurewagon that had just dumped its load, perhaps from one of the confined livestockoperations in the vicinity. There it wasalong the road and plain to see. The stinking brown substance had been applied tostill-frozen fields of late winter snow, righalong the banks of a meandering stream in all other respects, a nice looking place fonative trout to thrive.
The forecast of unseasonably warm
weather meant that much of the load wouldsoon run downstream as part of thesnowmelt, along with the hopes and dreamof untold thousands of traditional dairyfarmers who had been taunted for their failure to change. I wondered if Joe and Brenda Cochran would be among them, alongwith our societys remaining connection tothe things that really matter. I
Editors Note: An edited version of thiarticle and photo appeared in LancasterFarming.
14
Tioga Farmers Win AppealContinued from page 3
8/9/2019 Mar-Apr 2004 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
15/24
Claudia Albertin& Glenn VernonLoganton, PA
Nitya Akeroyd & Jeff ZehrBoyertown,PA
Mary BarbercheckPort Matilda,PA
Judy & Henrik BergerFamilyHuntingdon, PA
Katherine Bigler &John KrambAdams, PA
Linda & Tim BlakelyEglon,WV
Wanda & Preston BoopMifflinburg,PA
Timothy BowserMillheim,PA
Terra & MichaelBrownback FamilyLoysville,PA
Jane & Dick BurlingameRussell, PA
Virginia & Mike ByersSpring Mills,PA
Gene ChenowethMifflinburg,PA
Moie & Jim CrawfordHustontown,PA
Barbara CrosbyPortageville,NY
Jonda CrosbyHelena,MT
Andrew CrowleyGlendale,OH
Bill Deitrick FamilyNew Columbia,PA
Dan DesmondLancaster,PA
Melanie & GeorgeDeVaultEmmaus, PA
David DietzYork,PA
Elizabeth Dropp &
Wesley RamseyYoungsville, PA
Dale & Jack DuffNatrona Heights,PA
Chris FullertonHustontown,PA
Nancy GabrielIthaca, NY
Lamonte Garber FamilyHopewell,NJ
Lyn GarlingRebersburg,PA
Janet Goloub &Martin BoksenbaumTreichlers, PA
The Hass FamilyBear Creek,PA
Mena Hautau &Steve DeBrouxBarto, PA
John HeinzUpper Black Eddy,PA
Debra Heller &Brian FutheyWoodward,PA
Bobbie Hineline &Tom Ljungman FamilyGreensburg,PA
Susan & Joel Hubler
Slatington, PA
John IkerdColumbia,MO
Cindy & John IrwinPequea,PA
Wes JacksonSalina,KS
Rose Marie KendallHookstown,PA
Becky & DonKretschmannRochester,PA
David LembeckState College,PA
Becky & Steve MarksBloomsburg,PA
Martha & Allen MatthewsFamilyBurlington,VT
Dave MattocksBainbridge,PA
Tracy & Jeff MattocksMiddletown,PA
Sue & Tom MaurerAnnville,PA
Margery McIver &Leo HorriganBaltimore,MD
Dianne & Kim MillerFamilyNew Alexandria,PA
Ted W. MitchellLevittown,PA
Babs MummaMechanicsburg,PA
Philip Jan & Daniel NagelOttsville,PA
Anne & Eric NordellTrout Run,PA
Joan & Drew NormanWhite Hall, MD
Claire & Rusty OrnerBrookville,PA
Cass PetersonFlanders,NJ
Dan ReinholdMill Hall,PA
Rita ResickPittsburgh, PA
Susan Richards & RobertAmsterdamMechanicsburg,PA
Ardath RodaleKutztown,PA
Florence & AnthonyRodaleKutztown,PA
Carolyn SachsState College,PA
Gail & Marcus ShefferWellsville,PA
Sondra & Ben SimmonsHershey,PA
Hammer & Roy SletsonMadisonburg,PA
Lauren & Ian SmithSpring Mills,PA
Melissa & Andrew SmithCollegeville,PA
Paula & Brian SnyderCentre Hall,PA
Barbara SongerClarion,PA
John A. StellmackState College,PA
Debbie Swettenham &Linda HumphreysSarver,PA
Phyllis & Mark TerwilligerHonesdale,PA
Joan S. & Dennis W.ThomsonUniversity Park,PA
Ruth TonachelTowanda, PA
Nan & Chris UhlState College,PA
Jodi & Evan VerbanicPittsburgh, PA
Karen & Jan Vollmecke,Jeff BeyeaCoatesville,PA
Althea & WilliamWagmanFort Littleton,PA
Beth WhitemanBoalsburg,PA
Founders Fund A Lifelong Commitment to SustainabilityAll of us at PASA are proud of the growing roster of lifetime members. Contributions for lifetime membership will be managed with care as part of the PASAFounders Fund, sustaining both ongoing membership as well as the long-term future of PASA. There are few things a member could do to symbolize their
lifelong commitment to sustainability than to place such confidence in the value and viability of PASA itself. It is our pleasure to list all new lifetime mem-bers in each issue ofPassages, and to print the entire list (on an annual basis.) Following is the complete list of PASA Lifetime Members as of March 10, 2004.
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16/24
our staff on a part-time basis to helpgenerate the Fall and Winter newslettersand also to help with the membershipcampaign. This arrangement worked ouso well that Michele has now comeaboard full-time, splitting time between
the Membership department, where shewill continue to coordinate the newsletter among other duties, and the Educational Outreach department, where shewill assist Heather House, primarily withthe Farm-Based Research program weare doing in cooperation with Penn StateUniversity. I
Results of the PASA Board ofDirectors elections held during
the conference in February
George DeVault
Lehigh CountyChris Fullerton
Huntingdon County
Lyn GarlingCentre County
John JamisonWestmoreland County
Kim MillerWestmoreland County
We thought we should bring ourmembership up to date on staff changes,
as we are striving to maintain qualityprograms and services that they havecome to expect. Please note the follow-ing:
G In 2003, Kate Gatski continued tocoordinate our busy schedule of Farm-Based Education field days. This was atransition year for her as she joined hernew husband Ben Gatski on the familyfarm near Bloomsburg. As Kate will notbe working with our FBE program in2004, we thank her for hard work anddedication to PASA over the years, and wish all the best for Kate and Ben intheir life together.
G We are very pleased to announcethat Heather House, who joined PASAas the Farm-to-School Coordinator lastspring, and so ably coordinated the pro-gram for this years annual conference aswell, has been promoted to the position
of Director of Educational Outreach.This new department will encompass
our programs for Farm-Based Educa-tion, Farm-Based Research, Farm-to-School and, of course, the Farming forthe Futureconference each year. Heatherhas shown tremendous enthusiasm inmoving PASA ahead in these importantprogram areas.
G Ruth Sullivan, who joined PASAas our Director of Southeast Programs inthe fall of 2002, announced in Novem-ber 2003 that she and her husband Bobhad purchased a farm on the Blue HillPeninsula of Maine. Ruth and Bobmoved to their new place on January2nd, and we wish them all the best intheir new endeavors. The position ofDirector of Southeast Programs willremain open until an extended fundingstrategy can be developed, at which timewe will make a further announcement.
G Last fall, Michele Gauger joined
PASA
Update
Changes at PASA
At the 2004 PASA Farming for the
Future Conference there was an opportu-
nity for attendees to participate in
Regional Breakout Sessions. These brief
meetings were a chance to do some
brainstorming and goal-setting for PASA
programs in each region. The four break-
out sessions this year covered the (1)
Western, (2) Southeastern, (3) Southcen-
tral, (4) Northcentral/Eastern regions ofPennsylvania (see adjoining map). These
regions will likely evolve in years to come
to suit members needs and market reali-
ties. We are hopeful this opportunity to
come together will allow the PASA mem-
bers in each region to better organize
their efforts throughout the year.
Those who were unable to attend the
conference, but would like to be involvedwithin their respective regions, should
contact PASAs regional contacts for infor
mation on upcoming events.
Heres Your Chance to be Involved in Your Region
REGIONAL CONTACTS
Western
David Eson, 412-997-2343
Southeastern
Brian Moyer, 610-944-9349
Mena Hautau, 610-378-1327
Southcentral
Rob Amsterdam, 717-691-3531
Chris Fullerton, 814-448-2173
Northcentral/Eastern
Leah Tewksbury, 570-437-2620
12
3 4
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8/9/2019 Mar-Apr 2004 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
17/24
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Address
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Record the product you want, quantity,and color and size choices if appropriate.
Subtotal Products: add $4.00 shipping Total Due:and handling
PASA Merchandise
You Want To Do What?! Farming!Real farmers, real advice, and realfacts about the joys and chal-
lenges of sustainable agriculture.
Five farms share why they do
what they do, and the rewardsthey receive along the way
including a greater connection totheir community from practicing
sustainable farming methods.
This 15-minute video was pre-
miered at the 13th annual PASAConference to rave reviews. Pick up a copy on VHS or DVD format.A great pie
to show to a wide variety of audiences from community groups to ne
wannabe farmers to consumer groups. VHS or DV
Either format $15.
Conference T-Shirt On Sale Now!Commemorative 13th annual addition.Attractive 2-color design on 100% c
ton. Available in a variety of colors orange, yellow,green, or natural color
organic cotton. Sizes S,M, L, XL,XXL.To order, request size,and first and secocolor choice. Buy two and sav
$9.50 for one, $17.00 for tw
PASA Caps Protection From the Sun!Comfortable cotton caps available in a variety of designs and colors.
IThe popular brushed twill caps embroidered with the PASA logo, or the bo
PASA Farming for the Future phrase. Available in blue, green, charcoal
natural. Adjustable back strap fits most. $20.
ICool, bright and lightweight caps are available screenprinted in black wthe PASA Logo, or the bold PASA Farming for the Future phrase. Availab
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8/9/2019 Mar-Apr 2004 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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RegionalMa
rketing
By Amy SouzaThe idea of seasonal eating left main-
stream American consciousness decadesago. And as the global marketplace hasbecome more of a reality, consumershave grown less concerned about wherefood comes from and more focused onhaving whatever we want whenever we want it. Theres a movement afoot to
change that. Grassroots activists in near-ly every developed nation around the world are trying to reconnect peoplewith their food using a fairly simple con-cept: Buy local.
There are so many reasons to buylocal, says Christine Robinson, ofFoodRoutes Network in Millheim,Pennsylvania. We get so many benefitsfrom responsible, sustainable agricul-ture. And its one of the most effective ways consumers can contribute to pre-
serving their community and the envi-ronment. Sustainable farming practicesrepresent the intersection of agricultureand environmentalism, Robinson adds.These farmers are responsible stewardsof the land and water, conserving andprotecting their vitality for future gener-ations while meeting our current foodneeds.
The nonprofit FoodRoutes Networkhelps organizations across the countrypromote local food systems. Their most
grocery stores every Sunday and seewhats on sale. Food, in that sense, habecome a commodity like any other.
Consumer EducationThe state of Pennsylvania agriculture
is somewhat confusing. On one handits the commonwealths leading industry, with $1 billion of goods exported in2000 including agriculture, food andwood products. Pennsylvania also leadthe country in mushroom production with 425 million pounds grown hereach year, and is a leading egg producer American Farmland Trust also reportthat Pennsylvania leads the nation innumber of farms and acres of farmlandprotected under easements.
Anecdotally, however, farmers in th
southwestern part of the state tell a dif-ferent story. Many know farmers whohave gone out of business. Some lamenthe reworking of farmland into homesubdivisions. And most see the need topromote small farms as paramount, lesthey go the way of mom-and-pop shopin the face of competition from big-boxstores.
Pennsylvania is already a leader indirect farm sales to consumers, BrianSnyder, Executive Director of PASApoints out. Theres a tremendous tradition in this state of marketing fresh foodlocally. Lancaster County, of course, isthe hotbed. But its not just the Amishand the Mennonite communities thagrasp the issue, he adds. Middle-clasand upper-middle-class consumers arebeginning to understand the importanceof buying fresh food.
In Pittsburgh, Snyder admits, Itprobably a slightly harder sell. What welack is consumer education, primarilythe value of eating seasonally. Still
there are over 30 farmers markets in thegreater Pittsburgh area, and the East EndFood Co-op has been pushing local andorganic food products for 25 yearsToday the co-op has 5,000 active members and 40 percent of its yearly salecome from nonmembers. When WholeFoods Market opened here last year, iwas the largest store opening in company history to date. (That has since beensurpassed by an opening in Ann Arbor.David Eson calls the Whole Foods suc
recent project is a Buy Fresh, BuyLocal campaign, currently being imple-mented by 10 groups from Oregon toMaine. Around the country, advertisingof Come to our farmers market com-petes with Buy a Big Mac, Robinsonexplains. High-quality materials areexpensive, so we focus on doing thingsgroups wouldnt be able to afford on
their own.So just why should consumers care
about buying local produce? DavidEson, PASAs director of southwest pro-grams, says it boils down to three things.Environmentally, it cuts down on CO2emissions. Youre not dealing with trucksdriving 2,000 miles from California toship lettuce. Socially, rural economiesare suffering. In an area like Pittsburgh, where youve got people moving awayfrom both cities and suburbs, local farms
support the interconnection betweenurban and rural areas. Economically, were saying, especially to consumers who are buying perishables, keep yourlocal food dollar close. A small business-man, the farmer, will buy more localproducts with the money they make.
Eson admits thats a pretty heavymessage and potentially a hard sell.American consumers have been spoiledon cheap and abundant food, Eson says.People get the circular from the major
Buy Fresh, Buy LocalIf youre serious about promoting regional growth,put local produce on your table
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DSC01559.tif
In the Works
Western Regional MeetingsDuring the PASA conference approx-
imately 40 members from the Western
region of the state (a geographic area
totaling 19 counties) met and discussed
THE BOARD AND STAFF WISHTO THANK THESE RECENT VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers are essential to running a conference of this size! Our volunteers helped
at the registration desk, sold merchandise at the PASA booth, set up audio-visual
for speakers, organized the Silent Auction, coordinated the youth and teen pro-
gram, and lent general support throughout the conference. Pictured above are
Todd Hopkins (left) and Bette Toth.
future activities for the region. Thegroup decided that PASA staff willorganize two meetings per year for thewhole group (one at the conference andone in the region). Beyond the meetingsfor the whole group, one meeting per
year will be held in the northern sectionof the region (PASA members livingnorth of State Route 422) and one meet-ing will be held in the southern sectionof the region (PASA members livingsouth of State Route 422). Stay tunedfor more information in upcomingissues ofPassages. Western Counties (19Counties) Erie, Crawford, Warren,Mercer, Venango, Forest, Clarion, Jeffer-son, Lawrence, Beaver, Butler, Arm-strong, Indiana, Washington, Allegheny, Westmoreland, Greene, Fayette andSomerset.
McGinnis SistersSpecial Food Stores
In late January PASA hosted a meet-ing between McGinnis Sisters and areafarmers. The McGinnis Sisters manage-ment team discussed their purchasing
cess a huge test balloon, proving that
people are willing to drive to East Liber-
ty to buy what they perceive to be high-
quality food. Eson believes the time is
now ripe to launch a Buy Local cam-
paign in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Even if you find food production pol-itics hard to swallow, its hard to argue
with freshness. The best way to get peo-
ple to buy local is to get them to taste the
difference, says Robinson of
FoodRoutes Network. I
Reprinted with permission by author.
Full article appeared in the 11/20/03
edition ofPulp.
Bob AmbroseGeorgia Berner
Charlie Boyer
Sarah Bowen
Angie Brubaker
Mike Byers
Bill Callahan
Pat Callahan
Noreen Campbell
Nicole Carman
Gene Chenoweth
Eileen Clark
Sara Colson
Barbara Corson
Moie Crawford
Jack Duff
Liz Elmore
Rita Wise Favinger
Bill Fuller
Ron Gargasz
Karen Grubb
Sue Haney
Paul Hepperly
Todd Hopkins
Julie Hurst
Peter KilpatrickDave King
BeckyKretschmann
Kristen Markley
Julie Mason
Sue Maurer
Tom Maurer
Dennis Mawhinney
Andrew McMullen
Dianne Miller
Maggie Moore
Gil Morrison
Gayle Morrow
Holley Moyer
Suzy Meyer
Patti Olenick
Ryan Peterson
Virginia Phillips
Kurt Plummer
Maria Pop
Craig Richards
Sarah Rider
Michael Risser
Jason Ritchey
Phyllis RubinPenny Sandoval
Paul Sarver
Ann Seeley
Shon Seeley
Roy Sletson
Ian Smith
Ronald Stanley
Kyla Stewart
Tom Streble
Genelle Sweetser
Karen Taphorn
Martin Thomas
Bette Toth
Amy Trauger
Randy Treichler
George Vahoviak
Eric Van
Bob Vernon
Joani Walsh
Janna Weil
Karin Welzel
Melanie Wertz
Will Wise
Alma Wynne
needs for the upcoming year. If you are
interested in receiving the meeting notes
or contact information, please call David
Eson at (412) 997-2343 or david@pasa-
farming.org.
SurveyThanks to all the PASA members for
returning their farmer and Buy Fresh
Buy Local surveys. PASA staff will be
tallying survey results by the end of Feb-
ruary. Survey results will be used for the
local foods directory and our Buy Fresh
Buy Local label design.
Buy Fresh Buy LocalPASA is in the process of developing
a local food directory for the Buy Fresh
Buy Local campaign launch in June.The guide will be similar to PASAs pre-
vious southwest directory, the South-
western Pennsylvania Consumer Guide
to Farm Fresh Products. The guide will
list farmers markets, on-farm markets,
businesses and farms in the region who
offer fresh, local products.
SOUTHWEST REGION
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http://agmap.psu.edu/AgMap provides an online directory for Pennsylvanias agricultura
industry. It serves consumers looking for locally-grown Pennsylvania
foods, and allow farmers to search for agencies and businesses serv
ing the agricultural community.Developed by Penn State University
College of Ag Sciences, this site also hosts job announcements and
classified ads for enrolled businesses.
www.foodroutes.org
The FoodRoutes web site is a fantastic resource for those seekininformation on our food system. It offers communications tools, tech
nical support, networking and information resources to organization
and groups nationwide that are working to rebuild local,community
based food systems. FoodRoutes network is dedicated to reintroduc
ing Americans to their food the seeds it grows from, the farmer
who produce it, and the routes that carry it from the fields to thei
tables. Their website is well worth a visit, and also has a Find Good
Foodmap, in a searchable database powered by LocalHarvest.org.
www.localharvest.orgThe LocalHarvest.org web site allows farmer members to create an
extensive custom entry including photos of the farm.It allows visitors
to sign up for customized updates that are sent whenever a new list-
ing is added or an existing listing is modified within a particular area.
They also have a new calendar section and online store. LocalHarvest
includes PASA as an option in their registration process our farmer
members should check PASA in the Associated Organizations page
when registering.That way, people who want to find PASA members
in their area will get a complete list.
www.newfarm.orgGo to the Farm Locator section of www.newfarm.org to check out this
well-developed farmer database that helps consumers, brokers, and
restaurateurs locate farms and farm services they are looking for.
Recent improvements have been added to generate more refined
searches.The Farm Locator is just one element of Newfarm.org, which
is also the on-line portal to research conducted through The Rodale
Institute.This Institute is a nonprofit educational and research organ-
ization committed to sharing information globally about successful
agricultural solutions to health and environmental problems.
Mem
bershipRe
sources
By Lauren SmithMore and more consumers are becoming
aware of issues involving our food supply,
and are seeking safe, locally-grown food for
their families. We at the PASA office field
many calls each week from these folks hoping
to be connected with producers in their area
that are raising food using sustainable meth-
ods.
The membership department is always
happy to review our databases and offer somepersonal suggestions. Towards this end, it is
very helpful when our farmer members have
competed the member survey that accompa-
nied the annual membership materials. Also,
PASA is in the development stages of offering
a PASA farmer member directory within our
website www.pasafarming.org. This directory
will include farmers who offer direct market-
ing. Interested PASA farmers should contact
the PASA membership department at mem-
[email protected] for more informa-
tion on how to be included on the PASA
website.
Another effective method of linking con-
sumers with local and sustainable farms is to
promote other searchable databases on the
Internet, which help consumers locate every-
thing from pastured eggs close to their town,
to a beef farmer selling directly to his com-
munity, to a variety of farmers who can pro-
vide a reliable source of locally grown and
often organic vegetables. These websites can
also be used to locate local farmers markets
CSAs, restaurants, and food co-ops.
PASA encourages our farmer member
interested in new markets to get their opera
tions included in these searchable databases
Some allow members to create and update
their own listings, and write a description o
their operation listing available commodities
Even if a farm or other food-related business
is already on the Internet, they can still ben
efit from a listing on these websites. Being
part of these directories will substantially
increase a farms chances that potential cus
tomers will locate them on the Internet. I
Fresh Off the Internet Sites to Connect Producers
and Consumers
Websites such as FoodRoutes provide services for producers and consumers alike.
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SURVEY SHOWS CONSUMERS
WANT LOCALLY GROWN FOOD
A survey conducted by the Leopold Cen-
ter for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State
University, revealed consumers were enthu-
siastic about locally grown food and sup-
portive of the farmers that grow it. More
than 75 percent of respondents chose the
product labeled grown locally by family
farmersas their first choice for produce and
meat products. For more on the study, visitwww.ag.iastate.edu/centers/leopold/.
NEW MARKET LOCATION
IN SOUTHWEST PA
The Hempfield Market will be relocated
to the Lynch Field Athletic & Aerobic Center.
In cooperation with the City of Greensburg,
a pavilion and market site has been donated
to the FarmersMarket Association of Central
Westmoreland County. The new site can
accommodate several sheltered vendor sites
with ample room for tailgate vendor setups. Those interested in becoming vendors or
who would like additional information
should visit the site on localharvest.org or
contact manager Paul Sarver of Sarvers Hill
Farm at 724-834-2334.
SEED SAVERS
Kayri Havens, Director of Conservation
for the Chicago Botanic Garden,and ecolog-
ical enthusiasts including boy scouts, sci-
ence students and retirees are fanning out
across the prairie, collecting seeds of 1,500Midwest plants to preserve for the future.
Seeds are harvested, prepped, catalogued,
frozen and flown to West Sussex, England.
Why England? The Botanic Garden has part-
nered with Britains Millenium Seed Bank in a
global project that aims to preserve and cat-
alog the seeds for research for 10% of the
worlds flora or 24,000 species by the year
2010. Havens says,This project is about our
legacy and preserving plants that are an
important part of our history and culture.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY
FOOD PROJECTS
The Community Food Projects (CFP)
Competitive Grants Program provides major
funding for community-based food and
agriculture projects in the U.S. This year
there will be approximately $4.6 million
available with preference given to projects
that develop linkages between two or more
sectors of the food system, support the
development of entrepreneurial projects,involve public and for-profit as well as non-
profit entities, and promote multi-system,
interagency approaches with multi-stake-
holder collaborations that build the long-
term capacity of communities to address
their food and agricultural problems. Pro-
posals are due April 14, 2004 and more infor-
mation is available at www.reeusda.
gov/1700/funding/ourfund.htm.
AGRITOURISM PROJECT
Professor Susan Ryan and the Earth Sci-ence Department of California University of
Pennsylvania, in conjunction with The Cen-
ter for Rural Pennsylvania, is researching
agritourism in the state of Pennsylvania.
Agritourism is considered a combination of
two of the leading industries in Pennsylva-
nia: agriculture and tourism. The final prod-
uct of this research will make policy
recommendations to understand, develop
and sustain the agritourism industry for the
advancement of Pennsylvania and its rural
areas.
Current work is focusing on developing a
database of agritourism providers. Surveys
will be mailed to these identified providers
as well as individuals who live and work in
rural Pennsylvania. If you require further
information, please contact Susan Ryan at
724-938-4531 or via e-mail at [email protected].
OAKHURST DAIRY UPDATE
Update from Passages #45 & 46
In December Oakhurst Dairy of Portland
Maine settled with Monsanto and agreed to
change their milk label. The familiar statement of Our Farmers Pledge: No Artificia
Growth Hormones Used will remain, bu
will now include a disclaimer FDA states:No
significant difference in milk from cows
treated with artificial growth hormones.
This settlement ends a legal battle tha
began last summer, while the dairy promot
ed their milk as rGBH-free, a growth hor
mone manufactured by Monsanto. The
settlement could lead the other two majo
dairies in Maine Hood and Garelick Farm
to follow suit.Both dairieslabels proclaim
their milk as hormone-free. Since Maine
three major dairies require farmers to
pledge not to use hormones, farmers who
do use them have to ship their milk to out
of-state dairies.
WATER EDUCATION
GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE
The League of Women Voters of Pennsyl
vania Citizen Education Fund announces
grants available for Water Resources Educa
tion Projects, applications due April 2, 2004Partnerships of local or regional organiza
tions such as watershed associations, civic
groups, etc. can submit grant application
for educational projects up to $5,000 tha
raise awareness about protecting the com
munitys drinking water sources and/or pre
venting nonpoint source pollution in the
watershed. Applications available by emai
at [email protected],call 1-800-692-7281 ext
10, or download from www.drinkingwisewa
ter.org
EditorsCorner
The Grapevineby Michele Gauger
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ClassifiedAds
Calendar
EDUCATOR/APPRENTICE WANTED
Phillies Bridge Farm near New Paltz, NY seeks
Educator/Apprentice. Indepth training in bio-
dynamic, organic and CSA farming.Appren-
tice: 100% farming,late FebNovember,
stipend, on-farm housing. Educator/Appren-
tice:60% farming, 40% education (school vis-
its,day camp, low income family visits),late
April-October,$250/week, assistance with find-
ing off-farm housing. Call 845-256-9108.
AVAILABLE Certified organic dairy has
eggs available from pastured-raised hens.
Farm fresh produce in season, including heir-
loom tomatoes, Candy onions and red pota-
toes.On farm sales.Green Valley Organics,279
Maple Shade Road, Christiana, PA 17509 or call
717-529-2898.
FARM APPRENTICE WANTED 12-month
position on a model sustainable farm in Wash-
ington County, Pennsylvania.The farm is locat-
ed 20 miles west of Pittsburgh and consists of
a 150-acres. Apprentices responsibilities will
include tasks related to production of fruit and
vegetables for the Greater Pittsburgh Commu-
nity Food Bank,and working closely with its
volunteers. $1,000 per month plus onsite
apartment. Position begins ASAP. Send cover
letter and resume to Evan Verbanic,Farm Man-
ager, Food Farm, Inc.,1357 Valley View Road,
Bulger,PA 15019 or [email protected].
SEEKING FARM BUSINESS MANAGER
Established family vegetable farm and pro-
duce business in southern Huntingdon Co.
seeks energetic,detail-oriented business man-
ager. Full-time,year-round position w/ salary &
benefits. Experience in small business,book-
keeping, inventory management is desired.
Nice rental housing available nearby.This is a
friendly, exciting place to work, where a moti-
vated person can take big responsibilities and
make a difference.Send resume via e-mail
([email protected]) or write New Morning
Farm, HCR 71 Box 168B, Hustontown,PA 17229
or call 814-448-3904.
VOLUNTEERS WANTED Sustaining
Greene County is beginning the development
of a model farm near Waynesburg.They are
looking for volunteers to help repair a barn,
shed, and home.Below is a description of skills
that they need.Contact Kevin Paul at sustain-
[email protected] or at (724) 852-5278. We are looking for people with
experience in carpentry, plumbing, electrical,
fund raising or barn renovation skills. Also we
would welcome volunteers to provide manual
labor and cash donations.
ORGANIC LAYER HOUSES WANTED
interested in areas north of Harrisburg, south
of Route 192. For more information call Kream-
er Feed,1-800-767-4537 ask for Keith Fleet-
wood or Dale Smeltz.
LOOKING FOR ORGANIC FARMER
Approximately 50 tillable acres available in
Schuylkill County for rent or joint venture.
Land has been chemical-free for 5+ years. Con
tact Joe Michalik at 570-385-4633 or e-mail at
ORCHARD PRODUCTION/RETAIL SALES
help wanted full-time on Chester Co. diver-
sified fruit farm.Long-term opportunity. Must
have basic horticultural skills and strong inter-
est in selling retail at farmers markets. Mini-
mum pay $12/hr,higher possible based on
experience.Call 610-486-6235 or NorthStarOr-
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS! Alternative
homesteaders looking for kindred spirit(s) to
rent mobile home, share organic garden space
in rural Airville, PA.Opportunity for market
garden or CSA. Commuting distance to York &
Lancaster,PA and Bel Air, MD. Beautiful hiking
trails & Susquehanna River nearby.Call Amy
Donohue at 717-862-1737. Mailing address is
637 E. Posey Rd. Airville, PA 17302.
AprilAPR 25 | Homeopathy for All Creatures Great
& Small, Philadelphia, PA A seminar with
holistic veterinarian C. Edgar Sheaffer, VMD,
columnist for AcresUSA., in the Philadelphia
Areas Main Line section.Dr. Sheaffer,who has a
veterinary practice in Lebanon County, PA,will
discuss programs that have been safe,easy to
administer and effective for various species ofcompanion animals. For information contact Cit-
izens Alliance for Progressive Health Awareness
(CAPHA): 610-640-2788 or visit www.capha.org.
APR 30MAY 1 | Organic Beekeeping Work-
shop, Chestnut Ridge,NY. A workshop for active
beekeepers as well as for beginners including a
hands-on session. Contact The Pfeiffer Center by
phone 845-352-5020 ext.20, email: info@pfeiffer-
center.org. or the website: pfeiffercent