Organic Matters - Netpublicationnp.netpublicator.com/np/n20729723/OM_winter2012.pdf · 2012-02-08 · Pennsylvania Certified Organic Quarterly Newsletter Winter 2012 NODPA Field Days

Pennsylvania Certified Organic Quarterly NewsletterWinter 2012

NODPA Field Dayspage 10

Organic MattersOrganic MattersOrganic Matters

Organic Agriculture Researchat Penn Statepage 7

Fie lds, Fa r m s & Fa mil ies

15 Y

ears of Cultivating Organic

columns1 Organically Speaking

2 Certification Update

3 Standards & Policy Update

6 Legislative Update

13 President’s Message

19 Conservation Corner

23 Dear Aggy

25 Organic News Briefs

26 PCO Staff at Large

27 New Faces

28 PCO in the News

29 Inspection Insights

31 Employment Opportunities

33 Organic Marketplace

34 Calendar

37 PCO Order Form

Organic MattersWinter 2012

features7 Organic Agriculture Research at

Penn StateA closer look at feed and forage pro-duction systems, cover crop cocktailsand reduced tillage

10 Inspiration and Education atNODPA Field DaysGas exploration, solar power, biological monitoring

18 All Things Organic — BioFach AmericaPCO takes part in organic marketing and research discussions

21 Fall 2011 NOSB MeetingAnimal welfare, materials update, sunset substances and more

stories4 In Memoriam

Effie Zuck and Lucinda Hart-Gonzales

15 PCO Celebrates 15 Years of CultivatingOrganic Fields, Farms and Families

30 South Korea Hosts 17th Organic World Congress

OFFICERS

VICE PRESIDENT/INTERIM PRESIDENTDebra DeisSeedway

TREASURERTom MurphyLycoming County Cooperative Extension

SECRETARYKathy SoderUSDA — AgricultureResearch Service

MANAGING BOARDCHAIR Charlie WhitePenn State CooperativeExtension

ADVISORY BOARD

Elizabeth AmosPhilipsburg, PA

Phil ColesGiorgio Foods, Giorgi Mushroom Company

Paul HartzB & H Organic Produce

Julie HurstBlue Rooster Farm

Patty LoveraFood and Water Watch

Tony MarzolinoMarz Farm

Ken RiceOrganic Unlimited

Forrest StrickerSpring Creek Farms

Melanie WertzOrganic Inspector

Dave WilsonKing’s Agriseeds, Inc.

STAFF

Leslie ZuckExecutive Director

Mabell RivasCertification ProgramDirector

Kyla SmithPolicy Director

Robert YangQuality Systems Manager

Sabine CareyMaterials Specialist

Johanna MirendaMaterials Specialist /Inspections Coordinator

Penny SandovalCertification Specialist

Marissa PyleCertification Specialist

Adam SeitzCertification Specialist

Heather HuntCertification Specialist

Heather DonaldAssistant Certification Specialist

Stephanie BaileyCertification Staff Assistant

Sandie ElderOffice Manager

Leanne LenzManaging Assistant

Kathryn TokarzAdministrative Assistant

Joshua BrockTechnology Coordinator

April FixPublic Relations Coordinator

Mail: 106 School Street, Suite 201Spring Mills, PA 16875

Phone: 814-422-0251

Fax: 814-422-0255

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.paorganic.org

OUR MISSION: To Assure the Integrity of Organic Agri-cultural Products through education, inspection and certi-fication of growers, processors and handlers. PCOprovides services to operations based in the Pennsylvaniaregion, which includes: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey,New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia,West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Cover photo: Sabine Carey, Freerangingphotography.com

been raised since then. It is unfortunatethat we’ve seen the need to finally raisethose fees in a year when livestock feedcosts have gone through the roof due toextreme weather conditions.

We had the option to gradually phasein the increase over several years, but wor-ried producers might object to a higher feeevery year. Would that have been prefer-able? You tell us. Tell me. Or tell a boardmember. We really do want to know whatyou think.

We remind you to take advantage ofthe certification fee reimbursement pro-gram offered through your state depart-ment of agriculture. You could receive adirect rebate of up to 75% of your fee fora maximum of $750, per category. Forexample, if you have a livestock operationthat also grows crops, you could be eligi-ble for up to $1,500. This is a marketingincentive, not a subsidy. Submit your cer-tificate and 1-page application form, get acheck in the mail. It’s simple.

As always, we at PCO strive to do ourbest, every single day, to provide the high-est quality certification services, at thelowest possible cost. We rely in part, onyou, our members, to assess our services.So please, tell us if we’re meeting thatgoal, and tell us if we’re not.

Organically Speaking

Fairs, festivals, conferences, exhibi-tions… there is certainly no shortage offood and agriculture events attractingfarmers, gardeners and the curious publiccome summer in our region. What wehaven’t had (and are about to) is anorganic food and agriculture fair. Wel-come to Pennsylvania’s Organic FarmFest! It’s a celebration; it’s education; it’sfood, fun and down home inspiration.

This amazing event was dreamed up byorganic people across Pennsylvania andbeyond as a way to bring organic farmersand consumers together for a full day ofinteractivity. And camping, too! (Tentsprovided.) On Saturday, August 4, 2012,we expect to see all of you at the GrangeFair Grounds, Centre Hall, PA, with yourfamily, friends, neighbors, customers andcamper in tow. There will be cake!

Exercise your right to voteDuring this Presidential Primary Elec-

tion campaign season, you’ll be glad tolearn that you can vote for candidates whohave no super-pacs, slogans or negativeTV ads. In casting your vote for your veryown PCO Advisory and Managing Boardmembers, you will be connecting to yourcertifying organization in a very specialway. Because PCO is a non-profit organi-zation, you, the members, have represen-tation through the board election process.Look for your ballot in your mailbox orinbox in early February.

Board members help set PCO policiesand approve our budget, including certifi-cation fees. PCO has managed to holdfees steady, with no increases, rightthrough the economic recession by keep-ing operating costs to a minimum andputting off large expenditures for neces-sary improvements.

During the past 2 years of implement-ing the new Pasture Rule, PCO has

absorbed all costs of education, trainingand certification without passing thosecosts on to producers. The time has cometo bring certification fees in line withexpenses.

We hope we can offset the fee increasea bit by reducing some inspection coststhis year and next, now that producers,inspectors and certification staff are morefamiliar with the pasture regulations. Thatis a goal, not a promise. We promise totry.

The inspection administrative fee hasincreased slightly, as has the dairy fee,large-scale poultry fee, and small proces-sors fee. The dairy and large-scale poultryfees were set many years ago and had not

Happy Birthday PCO!Premier organic farm fest to honor PCO anniversary

Leslie Zuck, Executive Director

www.paorganic.org Organic Matters • Fall 2011 1

Taiwan. Exports to the European Unionstill require you to fill out our separate EUInternational Addendum because the EUregulations are so different from otherinternational requirements.

• Poultry questionnaire. We haveredesigned the Poultry OSP questionnaireto make it easier to report informationabout poultry living conditions such aspoultry outdoor access and house densi-ties.

As you are updating your organic sys-tem plan and filling out the new forms, besure to refer to these three documents:

• PCO’s Standards Manual (whichincludes the NOP Rule). The most cur-rent Standards Manual can be found onour website www.paorganic.org. Printedversions are available upon request.

• PCO’s International StandardsManual. This manual was updated in lateDecember 2011 and it is also available onour website or, upon request, in a paperversion.

• PCO’s Materials List: The materialslist contains information on 2,300 materi-als. This new version includes two newaddenda — one list of no-rinse sanitizersused in dairy operations, and one list ofno-rinse sanitizers used in processing.

Another important enhancement tothe PCO Materials List is that an easy-to-use table displaying a full description ofall material usage restrictions is nowincluded in the introduction.

Please feel free to call the PCO office todiscuss any questions or concerns as youare preparing your 2012 application. OurCertification Team (Adam Seitz, HeatherDonald, Heather Hunt, JohannaMirenda, Kyla Smith, Mabell Rivas,Marissa Pyle, Sabine Carey, andStephanie Bailey) is happy to assist youwith your paperwork, inspections, andmaterial inquiries.

www.paorganic.org2 Organic Matters • Winter 2012

Certification Update

Year 2011 will go down in history asthe year that we focused on “cows on pas-ture.” Pennsylvania Certified Organicmembers demonstrated that they werevery able to meet the challenge. PCO per-formed more than 700 inspections in2011, of which 266 were ruminant live-stock inspections. We are pleased toannounce that 99.7% of our livestockoperations successfully complied with therequirements of this new rule. In fact,many of our members went beyond mini-mum compliance:

• Most of our members went beyondthe required length of the grazing season.In most of our regions the average was180 days.

• More than 60% of our membersachieved a proportion of dry matter intakefrom pasture averaging between 30–60%.

Below is a chart along with generalnews and statistics to tell more of the storyabout what PCO accomplished in 2011.

We received 63 new applications in2011. We issued 47 new certifications this

year, 14 of which were issued during thelast trimester.

We expect 2012 to be a year focusedon implementation of new rule changessuch us pesticide residue testing andpotentially more unannounced inspec-tions.

Here are some things to notice whenyou receive your 2012 package:

• New electronic format. We havemade substantial improvements to theformat of our Organic System Plans. Theolder version of our electronic form wasnot always easy to use, however our newMicrosoft Word format has all fillablefields. The entire Organic System Plancan now be filled out electronically withease. You can use the tab key to movefrom field to field as you key your infor-mation directly into the electronic form.If you have not yet requested an electronicpackage of forms and would like to do so,please contact the PCO office.

• Exports to Canada, Japan, and Tai-wan. To reduce the number of formsneeded by some members who do inter-national business, we have incorporatedinto the main Organic System Plan theforms for exports to Canada, Japan, and

Mabell Rivas, Certification Program Director

PCO 9-Year-Growth Chart This chart shows the number of certificates issued.

We Made It, Folks… The Pasture Rule Challenge Has Been Met!

§204.503 only if the inspector is able toconduct a full inspection of the operationas required by this section. Lastly, PCO isresponsible for paying fees associated withnon-random inspections. The operator isresponsible for paying fees associated withrandom unannounced inspections.

Standards & Policy Update

Kyla Smith, Policy Director

Molasses in Custom Feed MixesPCO allows custom feed grinding to

be a part of a certified client’s organic sys-tem plan, without the requirement thatthe custom feed grinder needs to holdtheir own certification. It has come to ourattention within the past year, that somecustom feed grinders provide certifiedorganic molasses to be added to customfeed, as a dust suppressant.

In order to ensure the organic integrityof the custom feed that is being processedon our certified client’s operation, a com-plete audit trail of the molasses providedby the custom feed grinders must also beprovided to the PCO certified client to bekept with their records and to be verifiedby the inspection during the annual on-site inspection. These records mustinclude, the organic certificate of themolasses as well as the original purchaseinvoice (invoice from molasses supplier tocustom grinder). Without the originalinvoice, a complete audit cannot be per-formed, which violates the organic regula-tions. Please be sure to have these recordsavailable at your next inspection.

Responding to Reported Drift Contamination

PCO created a policy on how we willrespond to instances of reported drift con-tamination. The policy states that PCOwill conduct an on-site inspection, atPCO’s expense, immediately after thedrift is reported. PCO will then evaluatethe inspection report results to determinewhether or not the land is eligible toremain in organic certification andwhether any changes in the operator’sorganic system plan should take place inorder to prevent future drift occurrence.

Unannounced InspectionsPCO revised its policy regarding unan-

nounced inspections, to be more inline

with the National Organic StandardsBoard’s Unannounced Inspections Rec-ommendation. Keep in mind that thedenial of access to facilities or records willbe considered inspection refusal and mayresult in suspension or revocation of certi-fication. Also, an unannounced inspectionmay fulfill the requirement for the annualon-site inspection required by section

PCO Addresses Molasses in Custom Feed, Drift Contamination, Unannounced Inspections and More

MATERIALS UPDATE Sodium (Chilean) Nitrate — Pending Status Change

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted in April of 2011 to remove the

annotation to the listing of Chilean nitrate, thereby completely prohibiting its use in

organic crop production. The Board’s decision was based on environmental and

human health concerns related to Chilean nitrate, as well as incompatibility with

international standards regarding this material. The prohibition of Chilean nitrate is

estimated to occur on October 21, 2012; the exact date will depend on the National

Organic Program’s (NOP) posting in the Federal Register. PCO will notify produc-

ers immediately once the exact effective date is officially announced. If you are cur-

rently using Chilean nitrate as part of your fertility program, be prepared to explore

alternative nitrogen sources.

Liquid Fertilizer Approvals

PCO no longer reviews liquid fertilizers with a nitrogen analysis greater than 3.

Instead, manufacturers are encouraged to obtain product approval through the

Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). If you have existing inventory of the fol-

lowing liquid fertilizers previously approved through PCO, contact your Certifica-

tion Specialist for details about using your remaining supply: Fertrell Liquid #1 4-1-1,

Fertrell 4-2-4, Fertrell Omega Gro 5-1-1, Lancaster Ag Products Fish 5-1-1.

Status Change Policy

There are some instances where the status of a material that has been reviewed by

PCO changes from allowed to prohibited. In situations, where the reason that the

material was prohibited is due to a formulation change, then use must be discon-

tinued immediately.

If the reason that the material was prohibited is not due to a formulation change,

but rather a labeling change or policy change, the client may use up their remaining

supply, so long as the Materials Resource Team (MRT) determines that use-up

would not affect organic integrity. The timeframe of use-up must not exceed six

months and will be tracked through the client’s Organic System Plan and inspection.

continued on page 5



I t’s not a stretch to say that if not forEffie Zuck, there would be no PCO.In our version of “It’s a Wonderful

Life,” had Effie not given birth and nur-tured to adulthood two of PCO’s long-time employees, Leslie Zuck and PennySandoval, organic certification in Pennsyl-vania would be very different today. Herother daughter, Joni Arrington, worked asPCO’s first administrative assistant, andgranddaughter Lia Sandoval served asPCO’s intern last summer. Husband Jimand son, Jim Jr., helped with many eventsand her grandkids became experts at stick-ing stamps on PCO postcards before theylearned to read.

In addition to donating her children,Effie contributed to PCO and organicagriculture in many ways. She was there atthe start, helping organize PCO events,lending vehicles, babysitting, making foodwhile PCO staff stuffed envelopes at herkitchen table and taking care of lambswhile Farmer Leslie worked at the PCOoffice or traveled to meetings in exoticlocations, like Bird-in-Hand, PA.

And then there were the flowers. EveryPCO exhibit was not complete without anarrangement from Effie’s garden. In thoseearly days, the PCO office filled with vasesof garden flowers whenever we had officialvisitors — especially during annual audits(every little bit helps!)

In mid-January Leslie and Pennywould get “the call” from their Mom totrudge out through the snow and cut forsythia branches to bring indoors andforce into bloom. Why? So the lively yel-low flowers could brighten our PCOexhibit at the PASA conference. Shewould deliver them to our booth in bigvases with bright ribbons so we wouldhave something “natural” to remind usthat spring was just around the corner.That’s how important nature was to her.She wanted it with her always.

As a Master Gardener, a certificationshe achieved in her 70’s, Effie helpedbeautify many public spaces and in sodoing, attempted to convert every gar-dener to think and grow organically. Notonly was Effie a master gardener, she was a master marketer — in no time shecould convince you that organic garden-ing is the only way to go, without youeven realizing it!

Effie passed away on December 5,2011, leaving her family, friends, PCOand all those beautiful gardens to fend forthemselves. She is greatly missed, but herlegacy lives on in all the gardens sheplanted, the great work she did and themany people she inspired. A local plantnursery where Effie worked until herdeath published this tribute to her:

“Effie was always full of energy,

warmth, enthusiasm and creativity, con-tributing in every way possible to improvethe nursery and beautify the world aroundher. She was cheerful and had a smile toshare with everyone. We are all blessed tohave known her, and will think of herwhen the forsythias burst, lavender scentsthe air, hydrangeas bloom and evergreensare covered with snow.”

Effie Zuck (1934–2011)Organic Gardener Extraordinaire and PCO “Mom”

Left to right:

Effie and Jim tiethe knot, 1955.

Effie with futurePCO ExecutiveDirector LeslieZuck, 1959.

Effie and daughterPenny Sandoval,PCO CertificationSpecialist, worktogether at PASAconferenceexhibit.

Effie spent every spare moment in a gar-den, anyone’s garden! Here she is pictured with broom corn, wearing her signature red boots, at Common Ground Farm’s PASAPotato Digging Party in September 2011.

In Memoriam

In Memoriam

I first met Lucinda and her husbandStephen Cleghorn at a PCO AnnualMeeting. They were new to organic

farming and wanted to make sure theywere doing it exactly right. In otherwords, they had LOTS of questions, buthad also done their homework and had anexpert’s knowledge of the organic rule. Iwas relating this to other PCO staff mem-bers during a break and, when asked topoint out Lucinda, I said something like,“She’s sitting in the front row and smilesreally big when she talks to you.”

Lucinda and Stephen built ParadiseGardens, the first certified organic farm inJefferson County, PA, and the firstlicensed goat dairy and creamery inNorthwestern PA. They also worked tire-lessly to educate the public on the changesdeep shale drilling brought to their com-munity, and the affects on the environ-ment and quality of life.

Lucinda succumbed tolung cancer on November 14,2011, just 5 months afterbeing diagnosed. In a tributearticle, Stephen writes:

“This was a woman cutstraight out of that same joyGod is reported to haveexpressed upon consideringthe Creation and proclaiming,“It is good.” Looking throughher pictures I see this —always, always that huge smileof hers.

“Before she became ill,Lucinda was writing a bookabout her love for our farm. Thechemotherapy foreclosed any possibilityof her ever finishing it. If I finish it forher, it must be titled ‘Lucinda’s Book ofJoy.’ Try as she might, as much as her sci-entific mind knew about the ravages sureto come with shale gas drilling, as much asshe understood the broad dangers posedto our food system and our environment

by oil- and natural gas-based fertilizersand genetically modified seeds, Lucindawas just so tickled that she had become anorganic farmer that she wrote almostexclusively in the key of joy.”

An article about Lucinda’s environ-mental work is posted at: www.truth-out.org/after-battling-fracking-and-cancer-lucinda-lost-and-found/1326391924

Lucinda Hart-Gonzales (1950–2011)Certified Organic Farmer with that Great Big Smile

• Cost Share Program — with a resound-ing voice commenters communicated,“Cost Share is important!” With anincrease in the regulatory burden andcosts to improve efforts to ensure organicintegrity, along with 2012 being a FarmBill year, many commenters voiced theirconcern with the potential of fundingbeing cut to this program.

• Gentically Engineered (GE) Crop Con-tamination — some stated that thereshould be an effort to consider damagesfor GE crop contamination for organicfarmers.

To read the National Organic Pro-gram’s December Newsletter, which con-tains a more detailed summary of theUSDA Listening Session go to www.ams.usda.gov/nop or for a hard copy call thePCO office at 814-422-0251.

USDA Listening SessionIn September, the USDA held a listen-

ing session hosted by the USDA OrganicWorking Group as a forum to receivepublic feedback in its activities and prior-ities regarding organic agriculture andmarkets. The following are some of thetopics that were discussed:

• Organic Research Needs — several com-menters expressed the need for theNational Organic Program (NOP) tocoordinate research as it relates to organicagriculture. Such science-based informa-tion and data would support the advance-ment of organic farming and assist theNational Organic Standards Board with

the review of substances listed on andpetitioned to the National List. As a resultthe USDA funded many organic researchprojects this year, including one focusedon finding alternatives to antibiotic treat-ment of fire blight in organic tree fruitproduction.

• Other USDA Programs — commentersnoted that additional efforts to forwardcollaboration with other agencies, such asForeign Agricultural Markets, NaturalResources Conservation Service, NationalAgricultural Statistics Service and Eco-nomic Research Service, are needed sothat consistent information is beingrelayed to the public from each of theseagencies.

PCO addresses molasses in custom feed…

Lucinda Hart-Gonzales (March 31, 1950 –November 14, 2011), writer, dreamer, fighter, farmer and ball of energy.

Leslie Zuck, Executive Director

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Legislative Update

Just Label It!In October, the “Just Label It — We

Have a Right to Know” campaign sub-mitted a petition on behalf of millions ofconsumers to the Food and Drug Admin-istration (FDA) calling for the mandatorylabeling of genetically engineered (GE)foods.

The Federal Food, Drug and CosmeticAct requires the FDA to clarify that a foodlabel is misleading if it omits significant“material” information, preventing con-sumer deception. However, in 1992 theFDA defined “material” as anything thatcould be sensed by taste, smell, or othersenses. It was determined at that time thatGE foods were “substantially equivalent”to conventionally produced foods so therewas no material difference and thereforelabeling was not required.

“We are asking the FDA to change adecades old and out-of-touch policy,” saidAndrew Kimbrell, Executive Director ofthe Center for Food Safety and leadauthor of the petition. “Today’s con-sumers are more informed than ever, andthey have a right to know about the foodsthey are purchasing and consuming. Wewant the FDA to require labeling on foodsintentionally produced using genetic engi-neering.”

Center for Food Safety, along with sev-eral other consumer groups and corpora-tions including Stonyfield Farm, aresupporting this call to action. ConsumersUnion published a poll showing that 95percent of consumers believe that GEfoods should be labeled. In addition,many other countries already requirelabeling of GE foods including: the Euro-pean Union, Australia, New Zealand,Japan, Korea, Brazil and China.

If you’d like to join the campaign, goto justlabelit.org.

2012 Farm Bill UpdateThe House and Senate Agriculture

Committees submitted a proposal to theJoint Select Committee on Deficit Reduc-tion, commonly referred to as the SuperCommittee, that would have served as the2012 Farm Bill and cut $23 billion fromagricultural programs. The Super com-mittee announced on November 21 thatit had failed to reach an agreement onhow to find $1.2 trillion in savings overthe next ten years. This will now allow the2012 Farm Bill, which authorizes fundingfor key organic programs, to be writtenthrough the more normal (and public)legislative process.

The details of the package that waspresented by the House and Senate Agri-culture Committees to the Super Com-mittee have not been made available tothe public. However, the Organic TradeAssociation and the National OrganicCoalition have indicated that some infor-mation was obtained through theirsources on the Hill.

It has been suggested that in this pro-posal most organic programs did quitewell, receiving equal or higher fundingcompared to the 2008 Farm Bill. Unfor-


Campaigns You Can Feel Good About2012 Farm Bill funding for key organic programs and mandatory GE food labeling

For more info on contacting your official’s visit:

NationalOrganicCoalition.org/takeaction.html

or call:

The Capitol Switchboard and ask tobe directly connected to your Repre-sentative’s or Senator’s office: 202-224-3121. (You don't need to know theirnames — they will ask your zipcode, andthey will connect you.)

tunately, the cost share program that iscritical to many farmers and handlers washit hard with the recommendation toreplace the program’s mandatory fundingwith discretionary funding that must beappropriated each year, as well as includ-ing a new five-year participation limit.

It is unclear if this package will be thestarting point for the Farm Bill discussionas it begins again in 2012. If so, those whobenefit from the cost share program andwould like to see this program continuewithout the harsh changes mentionedabove, should let your voices be heard bycontacting your elected officials.

For more information about the Food and Water Watch's Fair Farm Bill campaign, visit:http://foodandwaterwatch.org/food/fair-farm.

Quality, and Profitability in Organic Feedand Forage Production Systems” project,also referred to as RAMP due to its fund-ing source (USDA Risk Avoidance andMitigation Program), were concernedwith balancing multiple managementobjectives, specifically controlling weedswithout reducing soil and water quality,and preserving beneficial insect popula-tions. In the effort to maintain yieldswithout the use of herbicides, a typicalorganic farm may heavily rely on a tactic(tillage) that has a negative influence onthe interconnected, ecologically-basedweb of systems that act as natural insur-ance for the organic farm. What theRAMP folks want to know is, can thesenegative impacts be offset by rotating soildepleting activities (intensive tillage) withsoil building activities (utilization of covercrops and perennial crops and reducedtillage). Results so far indicate that reduc-ing tillage in organic systems can lead toincreases in perennial weeds and reduced

Stephanie Bailey, Certification Staff Assistant

Though the mention of PennState rarely evokes images oftractors and fields of grain formost people, the true roots of

the institution are agricultural. Walk intothe lobby of the current agricultural sci-ences and industries building on campus,and you will see a framed picture of one ofthe teams of draft horses that were used onthe first college farms. The school wasfounded in 1855 as a publicly supportedagriculture school with the specific goal ofapplying scientific principles to farming.Like most land grant institutions, theiragricultural research programs haveembraced and supported an input-inten-sive approach to farming over the past halfcentury. However, the global trendtoward more sustainable agriculturalresearch is increasingly represented atPenn State.

This shift toward sustainability keepsPenn State’s research pertinent in currentscientific literature. But if you’ve not beenkeeping up with university research andExtension, you may be pleasantly sur-prised by what they’re up to these days…and how much of it could be useful foryou. There is an expanding team of exten-sion agents, researchers, and students whorecognize the role of small to mediumsized farms and organic production in sus-taining agricultural land and livelihoods,and they are committed to implementinglocally relevant and practical research withuseful results. What began with one proj-ect on roughly 10 acres devoted to balanc-ing pest control and soil quality in organictransition, has now grown into severalprojects focused on organic production,with nearly 50 acres soon to be under cer-tified organic production. That’s 50 acres,lots of people, and loads of federally

funded dollars all devoted to answeringsome of the bigger questions in organicproduction. Thankfully, there is a diversenetwork of resources out there for organicfarmers; from innovative farmers whocommit to sharing their knowledge, tograssroots organizations, like PCO, PASAand Rodale, to institutions like PennState. They each have their strengths andlimitations, and perhaps the most progresscould be made through cooperative effortsalong with a willingness to utilize whateach has to offer.

One example of this cooperativeapproach is the formation of advisoryboards for research projects. Individualorganic farmers, representatives fromPCO, PASA and Rodale, and PSU exten-sion educators all came together to advisea team of researchers developing a crop-ping system designed to offset the adverseimpacts of tillage on soil quality in theproduction of organic livestock feed andforages in rotation. Researchers on the“Weed Management, Environmental

A Cooperative Approach to Organic AgricultureResearch at Penn StateResearchers take a closer look at feed and forage production systems,cover crop cocktails, and reduced tillage

Feature Story

Soybeans planted into a rolled rye cover crop mulch

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crop yields, but that integrating perennialforage crops into rotations can providewindows for soil building while alsoreducing weed pressure in the subsequentcrop (see soybean photos above).

Most organic farmers are well aware ofthe diverse benefits of cover crops includ-ing the potential to improve soil fertility,suppress weeds, reduce groundwater con-tamination, improve soil structure andreduce soil erosion, to name a few. Cover

crops are now also being recognized fortheir potential in creating a pathway forno-till planting in organic systems.Another group of researchers at PennState are looking specifically at overcom-ing constraints associated with organicno-till corn and soybean production. TheROSE (Reduced-tillage Organic SystemsExperiment) project, also advised by adiverse team of farmers and organizations,has taken on the challenge of puttingcover crops to work in a 3 year corn-soy-

bean-wheat rotation that aimsto reduce the number oftillage and cultivation eventsfrom approximately 24 toapproximately 8 in a 3-yearperiod. That not only helps toconserve soil and water qual-ity, but also reduces labor andfuel requirements. The twomain constraints the projectaddresses are crop establish-ment and insect pests in cornand soybean that are no-tillplanted in rolled-crimpedcover crops. Over the past 10years there has been tremen-dous progress in this area andmuch of the mechanical con-straints associated with termi-nating cover crops and cropestablishment have been over-come. However, weeds andinsect pests continue to be aproblem. The system they are

Meagan Schipanski and Jason Kaye checking out a covercrop demonstration plot.

Soybeans following alfalfa (left) exhibited less weed pressure than soybeans following corn (right).

working with uses hairy vetch as wintercover crop that is rolled in the spring. Thenitrogen-fixing vetch serves as a mulch tosuppress weed growth in the corn, but thefresh vegetation also attracts early-seasoninsect pests such as slugs and cutworms.Matt Ryan, Research Coordinator for theROSE project, explains that they plant onthree different dates to see if the pests likeblack cutworm, true armyworm and cornmaggot can be avoided. Because yields candecrease with late planting, they are alsotesting the performance of differentorganic corn varieties, including someshorter season varieties that yielded simi-larly to longer season varieties in prelimi-nary experiments. As for the weeds, theyare testing the effectiveness of what isknown as an expressive weed managementtactic or false seedbedding, where theystimulate pre-planting weed germinationfollowed by shallow tillage to eliminateweed seedlings prior to cover crop seed-ing. Researchers are also testing the use ofhigh residue cultivation after corn andsoybean are established.

One of the most interesting aspects ofthe ROSE project, besides the fact thatthe results contribute toward the advance-ment of cover crop-based organic rota-tional no-till cropping, is that it is beingrepeated at experiment stations inDelaware and Maryland and parts of theproject are being tested on organic farmsin the mid-Atlantic region. Each separate

Feature Story

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Organic Agriculture Research at Penn State

at: http://extension.psu.edu/susag/news.These websites have links to research andextension activities and publications. Youcan check in often to find out about webi-nar series and farmer-to-farmer networkevents. You can also be on the lookout formore information about the upcomingcover crop research as well as anotherproject looking at the development oforganic wheat and specialty crops in thenortheast region. There’s more, too. Thislist is not exhaustive. There is organicresearch taking place in the horticulturedepartment as well. PCO will be sure tokeep you updated as research and happen-ings that may be of interest you becomeavailable. In the meantime, be sure to takea closer look at what is going on at PennState for organic producers and rememberthat responsible agricultural research is atwo way street, so PCO is working hard tofacilitate producer feedback to Penn Stateresearch activities. After all, serving you isthe foundation that the land grant institu-tion was built upon.

location and setting provides an opportu-nity for greater confidence in the resultsand allows for exploration of variationacross sites. The ROSE folks will be ableto communicate to a wide audience aboutthe impacts of these methods. The abilityto test out new methods in several loca-tions demonstrates one of the advantagesto institutional research. Individual farm-ers are often the most innovative, but theirmethods may not always translate ontofarms in different settings. Land grantresearch therefore takes some of the risk ofinnovation without the threat of personalloss to farmers.

Another project slated to begin nextspring will take some of the guess-workout of the popular cover crop cocktailapproach. Studies show that organic farm-ers are eager to utilize cover crops toincrease biodiversity on their farms, butfinding the right mix can be time con-suming and full of costly wrong turns.Jason Kaye, Associate Professor of soil

biogeochemistry, is leading a team of pro-fessors, extension associates and a diverseadvisory board made up of farmers andgrassroots organizations on “Finding theright mix: Multifunctional cover cropcocktails for organic systems.” The groupwill be integrating a variety of mixturesinto an organic corn-soybean-wheat rota-tion in order to determine the benefitsand costs of using cover crop mixtures inthese systems. How do diversity and spe-cific cover crop mixtures impact nutrientsupply to the following crop? What arethe effects on nutrient retention and weedsuppression? Can farmers utilize mixturesemphasizing one beneficial function with-out reducing other functions? What mix-tures hold up with regard to short growingseason limitations? This project looks toanswer all of these questions and more.

So how can you learn more about PennState organic research? Visit the websitethey host specifically for research in organ-ics at: http://agsci.psu.edu/organic and/ortheir site for sustainable agriculture news

Feature Story



Thinking Outside the Box: Inspiration and Education at NODPA Field Days

Gas exploration, solar power, biological monitoring highlight event

a political statement of what a communitycan become.

Siobhan Griffin hosted 45 NODPAparticipants at an informative and interac-tive field day on her Raindance Farm inSchenevus, NY, during which she high-lighted practical solutions to reducingenergy usage on the farm. Sunlight isbecoming Siobhan’s primary energysource for powering not only the energy-intense electrical demands of her dairy butfor providing nutrient-rich feed duringthe growing season. Siobhan relies onperennial pasture as a substantial part ofthe daily nutritional needs of her cattle,and solar panels as a source of low-costenergy to power the farm.

Griffin took advantage of a REAPgrant for her 13.44 Kw system, which hasso far reduced her energy bill by one-third, and she anticipates as much as a100% reduction in energy costs when thefarm is fully converted to solar. Griffin’ssystem had a total cost of $80k, which isaround $6 per watt. NYCERTA paid$1.50 per watt and the REAP grant shereceived paid $20k for a system that has alifetime of at least 20 years, but a lifetimeof 40 or more years is not unheard of withthese systems. After the grants and assis-


Lee Rinehart, Education and Outreach Director

Farmer-oriented meetings areusually inspiring, especially for apragmatic person who is inter-ested in solutions to real-world

problems such as we find in agriculture.The Northeast Organic Dairy Producer’sAlliance (NODPA) 2011 Fall Farm FieldDays was no exception. Discussion, prac-tical advice and a very informative pasturewalk were featured during the September29–30, 2011, event at a quiet camp-ground near Cooperstown, New York.

Among the 100 attendees and partici-pants were organic dairy farmers (whichcomprised about 70% of those in atten-dance), organic advocacy groups, organicmilk processors, organic seed and materi-als vendors, service providers, and organiccertifiers. The wealth of knowledge andexperience in the room made for a con-versation that was approached from justabout all perspectives that impact organicfarmers on the ground.

George Konovalov, Eastern DivisionSales Manager for Organic Valley; PeterMiller, East Region Pool Coordinator forOrganic Valley; and Kelly Shea, VicePresident of Industry Relations for Hori-zon Organic; gave a very informative

round table on private label milk. Also included in the sessions were talks

on natural gas effects on organic farmingby James Northrup, an oil and gas indus-try expert; Paul Allen, a Pennsylvaniaorganic dairy farmer; and Lisa Engelbert,NOFA–NY organic certifier. Engelbertshared how organic certifiers are dealingwith gas exploration and drilling issues oncertified farms. In addition, specific guid-ance was offered for those farmers whomay be affected by gas activities on theircertified land. The bottom line, accordingto Englebert, is for farmers to be proactiveshould activity occur. Proper documenta-tion of activities, maps, buffer strips, fenc-ing for livestock, and periodic water testsare all things a farmer can do to documenthow they are maintaining organicintegrity during industrial activity.

Francis Thicke led participantsthrough an inspirational and informativewalk through his dairy operation duringhis keynote address on Thursday evening.Using his farm as a backdrop, he clearlydelivered a wonderful example of how aninnovative and visionary farmer can makea significant impact on the community. Itwas clear that through his talk, Thicke wasencouraging farmers to see their productsas more than mere milk and cheese, but as

Feature Story

Participants were treated to a wonderful pigroast buffet.

Solar panels adorn the roof of Siobhan Griffin’s Raindance farm

continued next page

Troy Bishopp demonstrates a hands-on approach to assessing pasture health.

by randomly throwing a common dartwith a red flag into the pasture. Troymade sure to point out that when select-ing sites to monitor, choose a pasture thathas an accumulation of forage, such as theone we were in that was grazed severalweeks prior and had very good regrowth.

Once the dart is thrown, it’s importantto get down and have a good look atwhat’s happening. This is a very impor-tant concept: the phrase “what’s happen-ing” suggests a complex relationship ofvarious organisms within and on the soil,all working together within specific eco-logic and climatic constraints, which ofcourse are constantly changing. Part thegrass with your hands… what did the darthit? A grass plant? A clover plant? Bare soilor litter? Perhaps a weed? If a plant, was itmature? A seedling? Record these observa-tions. Look also at the soil. Is there evi-dence of earthworm activity? What insectsdo you see?

Perhaps you can ball up a handful ofsoil to get a feel for its structure and tex-ture. Look for the presence of humus, thatwonderful by-product of microorganismactivity that enhances soil tilth and water-holding capacity. Again, record these find-ings. Then, make several more throws ofthe dart and record the findings. 10 to 20observations (dart throws) will yield valu-able information for comparison to thenext year’s evaluation.

tance form REAP and NYCERTA, Grif-fin paid $12k for a system that has an esti-mated $2500 in electrical value per year.The best thing is that solar produces atpeak energy demand, and no taxes orenergy transmission costs are incurred forthe energy she uses. Farmers interested ingoing solar should look at state and federalincentives, as Griffin did, to reduce theoverall cost and shorten the investmentpayback period for this very sustainabletechnology.

Green, growing solar collectorsThe dual-purpose dairy-beef cattle that

graze at Raindance Farm benefit from a 3-4 week rotation depending on the season.Griffin focuses on perennial ryegrass pas-ture as it’s more resilient than annualcropping, especially on her southern NewYork soils. So instead of plowing andplanting sorghum for summer grazing, shereseeded with BG34 perennial ryegrassand Alyce red clover, and slowed downher rotation with baleage during periodsof low pasture productivity. Griffin pointsout that it can take 9–10 years to get pro-ductive pasture in New York whereas shehad a productive perennial pasture in just3 years on her farm in Vermont. Relyingon perennial pasture on marginal soils,and baleage when needed to reduce pres-sure on the pasture, has helped her buildsoil health, reduce tillage, and lower hercrop establishment costs as well as keepingher cattle productive through the summerslump.

Field Session: How important is biological monitoring?

Pasture monitoring is an often over-looked forage management practice butwhen employed gives vital information onhow a farmer’s management is impactingthe forage base. Observing biological andsoil data on a yearly basis provides usefulfeedback on how certain grazing practices,weed control measures, and soil buildingregimes are actually impacting the forageresource. Troy Bishopp, farmer andregional grassland specialist with MadisonCounty Soil and Water Conservation Dis-trict, skillfully and theatrically demon-strated an easy-to-use biologicalmonitoring method on Raindance Farm.

For a monitoring system to provideuseful feedback on management it should(1) record useful information and (2) besimple enough to accomplish quickly sothe farmer can get back to work milkingcows or making hay. Troy’s systemaccomplishes these goals. His system ofbiological monitoring looks at the wholepasture system from the perspective of thesoil and the plants and animals that livethere.

“Look down,” Troy suggests to fieldday participants. “Get on your hands andknees and discover what’s on the soil sur-face and interpret what is happeningbased on what you see.”

During the field demonstration, par-ticipants began with a hands-on activity

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Farmer Siobhan Griffin discusses theimportance of perennial pasture.


continued next page


NODPA Field Days


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After getting a bug’s eye view of thepasture, field day participants looked atthe “big picture” of pasture managementthrough Bishopp’s Socratic style of pas-ture education. When moss was found inthe field, his query of why this happenedand how do we deal with it elicited manyanswers from various perspectives, evi-dence that pasture management is never aprescription, but rather a managementsystem based on the expectations andgoals of the individual farmer. There are,however, certain fundamental practicesand tools that farmers can use to increasepasture productivity and diversity.

For example, in the moss question, itcame to light through discussion thatmoss, a shallow-rooted plant, finds a nichein areas of soil compaction, which can bea potential problem. To deal with thisproblem, participants suggested the use ofa pasture aerator or hoof action from live-stock to break up compaction and allowrainfall to pool and percolate into the soil.Rainwater can then get caught by plantlitter and flow into worm holes or intobroken crusts formed by animal hooves.

Another observed problem area is theubiquitous hay feeder. Because of highanimal traffic, hay feeder areas result insoil compaction and dense manuring thatthwarts grazing, but often these areasexhibit more plant diversity. Weeds cantake over these areas because grass seedsget plowed in by hoof action. A solutionwould be to allow chickens in these areasto spread hay, pick manure, and makemulch, allowing new grass seedlings toemerge, naturally renovating these prob-lem areas.

Weeds within the pasture are problem-atic for most farmers. But, asks Bishopp,are they actually harmful? Are they reduc-ing forage yield or are they just ugly?There’s no right answer here because if afarmer’s goal is a pretty pasture, then theyhave management tools to make it so. Butit’s important to look at the role of weedsin a pasture ecosystem to see how farmerscan turn them into a benefit. Field dayparticipants noticed that milkweed was

present, and whereas some saw wildlifehabitat, others saw a non-palatable weed.Again…the invitation to look down.When the forage was parted at the base ofthe milkweed plant it was observed thatgrass and clovers grew right up to themilkweed stem, and the milkweed was notproviding a canopy to shade out thesevital forage plants.

Milkweed, says Bishopp, grows inhighly fertile soils, has deep roots, andpulls minerals and nutrients from the sub-soil. When these plants are impacted withdense animal numbers, they are steppedon and placed on the ground so organismscan work on them and return nutrients tosoil. Thus, in this case, milkweed could bean added benefit to the pasture ecosystemin addition to supplying habitat for birdsand butterflies.

Inspire your Livestock!So, how do we “inspire” livestock to

eat the whole pasture and to use all theplant diversity in a field? How do we makebetter use of manured ground that,because of grazing selectivity, often hasmore forage diversity and density thangrazed portions of the field? We can usethe tools we have to make them consumeand use it. And the best tool livestockfarmers have is animal density. Manyfarmers increase animal density with theuse of polytape, electric wire, or, out west,herding. The point is to use these tools tomake animals impact what the farmer

NODPA is the largest grass roots organi-zation of organic dairy producers and hasremained true to its original goal of advo-cating on behalf of producers, regardlessof who they sold their milk to, for a sus-tainable pay price, plus protecting theintegrity of the USDA Organic regula-tions. NODPA is governed by organicdairy producers who meet regularly byconference call and annually in-person aseither Board members or State Represen-tatives. NODPA has a very active andcommitted Board and team of State Rep-resentatives that work together withNODPA staff to fulfill the mission of theorganization, including PCO members:John Gould, Dave Johnson, Arden Landisand Roman Stoltzfoos.

NODPA is working with a change.orgpetition to save organic dairy farm fami-lies by raising the price they are paid fortheir milk. Visit: www.signon.org/save-organic-dairy-farm to sign the petition.

For more information, contact NODPA:

NODPA, 30 Keets RoadDeerfield, MA 01342

Ph: 413-772-0444 • Fax: 866-554-9483

Email: [email protected]: www.nodpa.com

Troy Bishopp leads a Q&A on benefits and liabilities of “weeds” in pastures.

wants based on individual needs andgoals. Left to their own, cattle will con-gregate and loaf, exacerbating soil and for-age problems. But with the right tools,farmers can make livestock work towardtheir goals.


to be completed viapen and paper andmailed to PCO.One of the staffwill then enter theinfor mation intothe primary clientdatabase. Thereview and inspec-tion processes canproceed with allthe informationneeded at ourstaff’s fingertips…no more searchingthrough multiplefiling cabinets, nomore mailing large(and expensive!)

client files through the mail, it will all beavailable to PCO staff online, safely andsecurely.

Not all farmers will find it efficient orpossible to keep certification recordsdirectly on a computer but processors andhandlers have been clamoring for thisservice. Even before Joshua came onboard, PCO was looking for ways to auto-mate data entry and for ways that cus-tomers could enter records directly intoPCO’s database. New record keeping soft-ware is being custom tailored for PCOand organic certification and this will rollout later in 2012. Software of this naturecan be VERY expensive and so we aredelighted to say that the final product,intended for non-profits, is far moreaffordable. It is web based so employeesand certifiers can work from home asneeded.

Most of the services PCO uses are free,at least for non-profits. Did you fill out aneducational program survey? That wasdone with Survey Monkey. Google Docshas proven to be an excellent way to shareand edit documents (no Microsoft Office

President’s Message

Debra DeisPCO Vice President/Interim President

My cell phone alarm chimed at 5 AMthis morning, followed by the reminder“Drive to Indiana”. The following day’snote will say “meet with pickled pepperprocessor” for one hour, then drive home.Really! And it didn’t mean Indiana, Penn-sylvania! I welcome the pepper meeting,but it makes me appreciate how effectivelyPCO has embraced technology to savetrees, time and money while improvingefficiency for clients and certifiers.

Have you ever heard someone say“Computers waste as much time as theysave”? That may have been true in the pastbut it is different now. PCO’s use of‘video conferencing’ has saved me, otherboard members and employees hours ofdriving time and we can talk with eachother like we were in the same room. Wehold monthly meetings by free conferencecalls that have been working quite well.During a September call I was able to pickand weigh tomatoes from my high tunnelproject while listening in to the meeting!Until my cell phone dropped the call…

PCO is fortunate to have a very enthu-siastic IT (Information Technology)team, lead by Joshua Brock, PCO’s Tech-nology Coordinator.

An attractive, new website is up andrunning with all kinds of features andinformation for both members and con-sumers. It is easily updatable by severalmembers of the staff. For instance, as poli-cies for composting evolve, they can easilybe added to the site. To keep the websitereally dynamic, photo albums createdusing Picasa immediately link to the web-site. Current and older issues of theOrganic Matters newsletter can be foundon the site, complete with interactive flip-ping pages and searchability. Emarket-place archives are also stored on thewebsite. Farm Finder returns with

Saving Time and Saving a TreeUtilizing new tools to help PCO serve our mission and our members whilesaving a small forest in resources

improved search capability by name, geo-graphic location or product type and itcan automatically pull up a map and routeyou to the destination.

The website was constructed using freeWordpress software. Joshua and the team,comprised of Kathryn Tokarz, HeatherDonald, and April Fix, made this look soeasy I decided to use this myself for a web-site I take care of, and, well, it’s not soeasy! I appreciate PCO’s very professional,functional, new website all the more as Istruggle with my project. Prior to publish-ing, the Education and Outreach commit-tee was able to view and discuss thefeatures of the website from our individualoffices using GoToMeeting software.

Coming soon to the website will be a“document landing” and a “form finder”for certification documents. Member doc-uments can be automatically populatedfrom older forms, similar to the way Ama-zon.com orders can automatically fill inyour shipping information.

Even members who don’t use comput-ers will see the benefits of the new tech-nology through improved turnaroundtime of paperwork. Forms will still be able

Check out PCO’s new website at www.paorganic.org.

continued next page



products needed, but Internet access is).And it’s free. The newsletter is assembledwith the help of SmartSheet which tracksthe progress for the many people andprojects involved in the production ofOrganic Matters.

At our meetings, we look at the budgetand other documents projected on ascreen, rather than printed out. For PCOstaff and certifiers, PCO can save time andmoney on training with Webinars whichare a lot like going to class but instead oflooking at a teacher, you’re looking atyour computer screen. Webinars will alsobe part of educational opportunitiesoffered to clients.

Although board member Paul Hartzsaid, with a sparkle in his eye, “I’m stillfighting the 20th century,” I think I speakfor the rest of the staff and board that weare optimistic that these new tools willhelp PCO better serve our mission andour members while saving a small forest inresources.

PS: Every year Haygrove invites itshigh tunnel customers for a winter meet-ing to exchange information. This yearincluded a few organic growers, includingKelly Carney from Arkansas. Until threeyears ago Kelly was successful in the ITworld, writing software. When heswitched to farming he embraced technol-ogy in his farming, marketing and recordkeeping. This tip from Kelly is to useGoogle Calendar for record keeping. Anyemployee, from a cell phone or computer,can record planting dates, treatments andother field records to the correct day onGoogle Calendar, creating a permanent,searchable record that can’t be misplaced.

I used Google Calendar myself thisyear for simple notes, such as “seededtomato for tunnel” and when it came timeto finish my trial report for the tunnel, Iwas able to just search for “tunnel” and itquickly found all of my seeding and trans-planting dates. Pesticides, fertilizers, har-vest dates and yields could easily be addedto the program. Kelly posts the calendaron his website for customers. www.north-pulaskifarms.com/Calendar.aspx

RECIPE

Winter Salad with Apples, Fennel and Blue CheeseI try not to buy out-of-season fruit and vegetables (except avocados and oranges,

which are always out of season!) and wanted to come up with a salad for a series ofwinter pot-lucks with what I had on hand: cabbage, radicchio and apples. Now I willsay, it’s not just any cabbage. It’s very mild tasting and crisp cabbage with thin leavesand ribs. Point-head cabbage is like this, as is a kind of giant flat cabbage you can findin some Asian markets. It looks like a flat round pillow! There is a new cabbage calledTiara that looks like an iceberg lettuce and is so mild and thin-leaved that you caneven use it on sandwiches. I love making salads with these kinds of cabbage…it’smore nutritious than lettuce, and, unlike lettuce, it doesn’t need refrigeration prior topreparation, and barely wilts after the dressing is added so you can eat the leftoversrather than feeding your compost. You will recognize this as an updated Waldorfsalad. I like to use a blue cheese dressing (my version is below) with this salad butvinaigrette or ranch dressing are also good. If you use vinaigrette keep the apples ontop so they don’t absorb the dressing.

INGREDIENTSCabbage, one small head of the

mildest, thinnest leaved cabbageyou can find.

1⁄2 cup dried cranberries

Radicchio, tear up enough leaves tomake a cup.

Fennel bulb, very thinly sliced or“shaved” to make 1⁄2 cup. Thiswould be about 1⁄2 of the bulb. You could substitute celery.

2 Apples (like everybody else it seemsI’m on the Honey Crisp wagon andmy new favorite is Cameo) slicedbite-size.

1⁄2 cup chopped salted roasted nuts

DRESSING4 Tablespoons

mayonnaise

4 Tablespoons plainyogurt or sour cream

1⁄2 cup blue cheese, crumbled (I usually use gorgonzola)

Salt

Pepper

Mixed herbs, such aschives & parsley

Cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS Slice the cabbage into small bite sizeleaves and toss with a bit of salt and thecranberries. (the thicker the leaves, thefiner you should cut the cabbage.) Let itsit 10 minutes to wilt a bit.

Meanwhile mix together the mayon-naise, yogurt, blue cheese and herbsand season generously with salt andpepper. Thin with cider vinegar untilpourable.

Toss the radicchio, fennel and applewith the cabbage and then the dressing.Top with the nuts and a few extra cran-berries to serve.

President’s Message


Future Conference, Breaking Ground fora New Agriculture: Cultivating Versatil-ity and Resilience, February 1–4, 2012,in State College, promises to be an excit-ing event as always, especially with thenew PCO-sponsored Organic Series,designed specifically for organic farmersand those considering transition. Cost ofthe Organic Series workshops is includedin your PASA conference registration atno additional charge and you can chooseto attend some or all of the sessions.

Take part in the Standards & PolicyUpdate: Hot Topics on the OrganicFront with Kyla Smith, PCO’s PolicyDirector, and Patty Lovera, of Food andWater Watch. Get expert advice on tran-sitioning to organic production withPCO’s Certification Director, MabellRivas, and the PCO certification staff inThe Basics of Organic Certification: Why& How to Get Certified.


W inter is a great time forfarmers to get togetherand create excitementfor the upcoming grow-

ing season…call it a coping mechanismfor getting through a cold and snowy win-ter. Honoring organic farms and organiza-tions for the remarkable work they do allyear long, as well as an address by PennState’s Dean of Agriculture and a net-working reception will be part of Pennsyl-vania Certified Organic’s Annual Meetingon February 2, 2012, in State College,PA.

This year’s Annual Meeting celebratesPCO at “15 Years Strong: CultivatingOrganic Fields, Farms, and Families,” andincludes an Organic Reception, from2–5pm, that will serve as a gathering placefor members and anyone interested inorganic agriculture. A special highlight tothis year’s Annual Meeting is a Keynote

REGISTRATION, SPONSORSHIP AND EXHIBITOR INFORMATION FOR PCO ANNUAL MEETING

Date: Thursday, February 2, 2012

Time: Reception 2 pm; Meeting 5 pm

Location: Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA

Reception/Meeting Cost: Free and open to all, both members and non-members

Exhibitor/Sponsorship Costs: Various levels available, contact Kathryn Tokarz [email protected] or call 814-422-0251 or visit: www.paorganic.org/AnnualMeeting2012.

To register or for more information: Visit: www.paorganic.org/AnnualMeeting2012or contact the PCO office by phone, email, or fax:

[email protected], (p) 814-422-0251, (f) 814-422-0255. Preregistration byJanuary 20th preferred; walk-ins welcome.

Dinner is available following the Annual Meeting. Contact PASA at www.pasafarm-ing.org or 814-349-9856 to register for the “Thursday Evening Winter Picnic Buffet.”

For directions, information about the Penn Stater, or room reservations contact thePenn Stater at: 814-863-5000

PCO Celebrates 15 Years of Cultivating OrganicFields, Farms and FamiliesThis year’s Annual Meeting to include reception, keynote presentation by Dr. McPheron, PCO’s annual report, outstanding farmer awards, andPCO sponsored organic series workshops

Presentation by Dr. Bruce McPheron,Dean of Penn State’s College of Agricul-tural Sciences.

The Annual Meeting is a venue forPCO members and the public to congre-gate, hear PCO’s Annual Report, electboard members for the upcoming term,and celebrate outstanding farmers with avariety of awards.

Sponsorships for PCO’s Reception andAnnual Meeting are available, and busi-nesses that serve Pennsylvania’s organiccommunity are invited to register for anexhibit booth. The PCO Reception offersbusiness representatives a chance to inter-act with organic farmers and processors inan informal environment. For more infor-mation on sponsorship opportunities con-tact Kathryn Tokarz at 814-422-0251.

Organic Series featured at PASA’sFarming for the Future ConferencePASA’s 21st Annual Farming for the

Dr. Bruce McPheron, Penn State’s Dean ofAgriculture to keynote this year’s AnnualMeeting continued next page


cessful organic grazier implemented thepasture rule on his farm, and come withplenty of questions.

Don’t forget to stop by the PCO boothat the PASA conference. PCO staff will beon hand to answer questions, discuss cer-tification, transition, and more. Detailedinformation on PASA’s 21st AnnualFarming for the Future Conference, as wellas registration materials, are available fromPASA on their website www.pasafarm-ing.org/our-work/farming-for-the-future-conference or by calling 814-349-9856.We look forward to seeing you there.


Take in a workshop on IncreasingCrop Species & Genetic Diversity forHigher Yield, Fewer Pests & Less Dis-ease, led by John Tooker & Beth Guiginoof Penn State University. This session willlook into how genetic diversity withincrop species affects pest populations. Thisnew research holds promise especially fororganic small grain producers but hasmerit even within organic vegetable pro-duction rotations.

PCO’s Materials Specialist, JohannaMirenda, and Orin Moyer, of the FertrellCompany, will present Materials Used inOrganic Production & Processing.Johanna, who reviews materials for PCOmembers, and Orin, who deals withorganic inputs on a daily basis with Fer-trell, will offer insight, ideas, and answerquestions on where materials, such as fer-tilizers, natural pesticides and livestockmedications, fit into organic certification.

An Organic Marketing Panel Discus-sion led by Randy Morris of Morris Farmand Mary-Howell Martens of LakeviewOrganic Grain will answer specific ques-

tions and lead a discussion on organicmarketing for the small as well as large-scale producer.

A workshop on Organic LivestockProduction & the NOP Pasture Rulewill be led by Lee Rinehart, PCO’s Edu-cation Director, and Forrest Stricker, anorganic dairy farmer who operates SpringCreek Farms. Lee will cover the regula-tions on the pasture rule and the basics ofcalculating dry matter intake on pasture,and Forrest will provide participants witha farmer’s view of the pasture rule. Be sureto attend this session to hear how a suc-

The Organic Series speakers include: (Left to right) Beth Guigino, Mary-HowellMartens, Randy Morris, Forrest Stricker.


ing turnips a highly productive foragecrop in the fall. The best way to grazebrassica crops is to strip graze them. If youdo not strip graze brassica crops the live-stock waste the forage mainly from tram-pling. Strip grazing also takes selectivityout of the situation and provides a consis-tent diet to the livestock

Small grains such as wheat, barley,spelt, or rye may be planted for fall, win-ter, and early spring grazing. When plant-ing small grains for grazing, plant themthree weeks earlier than when they areplanted for grain production. If fall graz-ing is desired apply some nitrogen, and

increase the seedingrate. This will increasethe growth so there isenough forage for fallgrazing. Small grainsin the lush stage arehigh in crude proteinand low in fiber. Stripgrazing seems to bethe most efficientmethod of grazingsmall grains. Somefarmers are plantingsmall grains with bras-sica crops. This pro-vides a high qualityfeed.

Conservation Corner

J. B. Harrold, Grazing Specialist

NRCS Technical Centers

Clarion .............. 1-814-226-8160 x 4

Somerset ........... 1-814-445-8979 x 6

Lebanon ............. 1-717-274-2597 x 5

Bloomsburg ....... 1-570-784-4401 x 6

Extending the grazing season has manyadvantages to a producer. Livestock con-sume cheap feed, manure is spread by theanimals, and little time is invested in feed-ing the livestock. The grazing season maybe extended by adding grazing days in thefall or the spring, depending on produc-tion goals and grazing management.There are mainly two methods for extend-ing the grazing season: stockpiling, whichis saving forage for late fall, winter, and/orearly spring grazing, and utilizing annualforages such as small grains or brassicacrops for late fall, winter, and/or earlyspring grazing.

Some farmers stockpile all types ofgrasses and legumes. But research hasfound that tall fescue and birds foot trefoiltend to stockpile better than any othergrasses and legumes. Having birdsfoot tre-foil with the fescue will benefit produc-tion since the birds foot trefoil will fixnitrogen and make nitrogen available forthe tall fescue. The reason tall fescue andbirdsfoot trefoil are good for stockpiling isthat they maintain a high level of qualityeven during the winter months, whileother grasses and legumes tend to losetheir leaves after a frost.

Tall fescue is a plant species that a pro-ducer either hates or loves. Older varietiesof tall fescue contain a fungus called anendophyte. The endophyte causes palata-bility problems as well as breeding andanimal performance problems. Newendophyte-free varieties are available buteven they may have some palatabilityproblems. The palatability problems aremost visible in July and August. Palatabil-ity does not seem to be a problem in thespring and fall. To overcome this issue,producers can graze tall fescue in thespring, and start to stockpile the grass inlate July and August during the stage oflow palatability. These stockpiled forages

are then available for fall, winter, or earlyspring grazing. An organic nitrogen appli-cation in August will increase productionfor stockpiling. Tall fescue has shown toproduce over a ton of dry matter per acrein the fall compared to half a ton per acrefrom other cool season grasses.

The remainder of the forages discussedhere are annuals; they have to be plantedeach year. Although tillage or some formof no-till is needed to establish theseannuals, livestock can graze them ratherefficiently feeding themselves, instead ofconsuming stored feeds. Forage brassicacrops are annuals which grow into late fall

and early winter. Brassica crops are likeconcentrates. They are highly digestiblebut low in fiber with high crude proteinlevels (20–25%). Consider grazing bras-sica crops with grass pasture or hay forfiber. Grazing of brassica crops starts 80 to150 days after seeding depending on thetype of brassica crop. The four types offorage brassica crops are: kale, rape, swede,and turnips. Swede and turnips have rootsthat can be grazed as well as the stems andleaves. Rape and turnips have regrowth,whereas kale and swede for the most partdo not regrow. Turnips grow in Octoberlike field corn does in August, thus mak-

The extension ofthe grazing season will save farm operatorstime and money. For more informationon extending the grazing season contactyour local USDA Natural Resources Con-servation Service, (www.pa.nrcs.usda.gov)or contact your local NRCS TechnicalCenter.

Extending the Grazing SeasonSave time and money through stockpiling, utilizing annual forages, and letting livestock feed themselves

Turnips 90 days after planting.




PCO Staff attended the annualAll Things Organic-BioFachAmerica, held in conjunctionwith the Natural Products Expo,

to represent organic agriculture in Penn-sylvania and our certified members, and toshare the basics of organic certificationwith participants at the PCO booth dur-ing the trade show. Over 20,000 industrymembers, representing 80 countries,attended the show, held at the BaltimoreConvention Center from September21–24, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland.Attendees had the opportunity to visitover 1,450 exhibits during the 4-dayevent.

To keep abreast of policy and market-ing issues that affect our thriving business,PCO staff joined in several educationalsessions. In particular, a session on organicmarketing was presented by Sarah Byrdand Laura Batcha of Organic Trade Asso-ciation (OTA) and Mathew Holmes ofCanada OTA. The informative discussionhighlighted several organic market trendsthat continue to be significant for thefuture of organic products in the market-place. The trends are (1) the continuedgrowth of organics in a tough economy,(2) the issue of Genetically ModifiedOrganisms (GMOs) in crops and ingredi-ents, (3) the increasingly organized oppo-sition to organic, and (4) labels and howthey affect consumer trust. These trendsand how they impact organics are dis-cussed briefly below as is a workshop enti-tled, Food Security: A Place at the Tablefor Organic, led by Jeff Moyer of theRodale Institute and Dr. Edward Carr ofthe University of South Carolina.

Continued Growth of OrganicsOrganic sales continue to increase even

during our current economicdownturn. In the US, 93%of organic sales are food and7% are non-food items,encompassing $29 billiondollars in annual sales.Organic food holds about4% of food sales in the US,with organic dairy holding6% of sales, vegetables 11%,and meat less than 1% oftotal food sales. 2010 saw an8% growth in organic salescompared to 0.6% growth intotal food sales. Keep inmind this occurred in anespecially tough economicclimate in the US and abroad. Organicsales have typically tracked higher thanthe United States Gross Domestic Prod-uct (US GDP) growth rate and have beenhistorically correlated with GDP. But for2011, GDP growth is slumping, whereasorganic food sales are actually increasingcompared to GDP growth. This is anunprecedented trend that suggests, as hasbeen shown in consumer data, that con-sumers are concerned with food qualityissues, even in an uncertain economic cli-mate. However, price and apathy are stillthe principle barriers to purchase oforganic foods for traditional non-buyers.

Modifying the GMO DebateThe ubiquity of GMOs in food prod-

ucts continues to be a threat for organicproducers, processors, and consumers. AnOTA survey showed 8 out of 10 organicconsumers are greatly concerned aboutGMO contamination, and as such OTAhas developed a policy on GMOs. But it’snot only organic consumers who are con-cerned about the GMO issue. MathewHolmes, of Canada OTA, reported that inthe many biotech conferences he hasattended, “they do not say your lunch isall genetically engineered.” That would be

All Things Organic-BioFach AmericaPCO takes part in organic marketing and research discussions

Feature Story

Jeff Moyer spoke on organic yield and global food secu-rity at the ATO Conference.

unwise, because according to Holmes, “itcomes down to a fundamental level —consumers do not want to hear it. Atorganic conferences, food is touted asorganic, and consumers respond posi-tively.” So there remains a gut-levelresponse among most people that GMOs,and indeed many of the artificial andchemical inputs so prevalent in conven-tional agriculture, should have no place inour food system. This gut-level response,in many ways, is becoming quantified sci-entifically, as indicated by recent scientificstudies such as one reported in the May2011 issue of Reproductive Toxicology thatBt toxin, a biological pesticide, can bedetected in fetal blood.

Organizing Resistance to OrganicThe issue of food safety, a concept that

we all agree is critical to a sustainable foodsystem, is actually being used as a Trojanhorse by critics to undermine organic sta-tus, say the forum presenters. Organiza-tions like the Alliance for Food andFarming assert that the organic sectorscares people away from eating healthyfood by discussing topics such as pesticideresidues and GMOs. But surveys have

continued next page

produced and process according to a rigidstandard, whereas “natural” products arenot regulated at all.

Food Security: A Place at the Table for OrganicResearch into organic production has

long been undervalued in favor of moreconventional models, as evidenced by thehistoric lack of organic research and edu-cation at universities. However, this ischanging and much is being done, notonly by non-profit groups like the RodaleInstitute but by state universities as well.

One issue that has held sway in con-ventional circles, that often yield differ-ences between organic and conventionallyproduced food, was tackled at a veryinformative talk by two experiencedresearchers. Feeding the world throughorganic agriculture is within reach,according to Jeff Moyer and Dr. EdwardCarr. Moyer, Director of Farm Opera-tions at the Rodale Institute, and Carr,Associate Professor of Geography at the

shown that a very large proportion of thepopulation buys at least some organicproducts, and food quality is a majoraspect of the decision making process tobuy organic. It is obvious that these samepeople who buy some organic productsare also buying conventional food as well,so it cannot be the case that people arebeing “scared away” from fruits and veg-etables.

Conventional agriculture and foodorganizations will most likely continue toassert their views on organic agriculture.But what they cannot assail is the verylarge affective motivation for eatingorganic. While they continue to suggestthat pesticide residues are safe, commonsense tells people that eating pesticides ofany concentration, regardless of howmuch chemical exposure people receiveeveryday from “background exposure,” isinherently unwise.

Fostering TrustThe trust issue is very complex within

organic product marketing. Labels arepervasive, and often cause confusionthough they are designed to provide use-ful information on what one is eating orhow the food was produced. It is not sur-prising that only 33% of organic pur-chasers have complete confidence thatproducts labeled as organic are indeed“organic.” The majority of the public donot believe that organic labels representproducts produced to regulated standards.In fact, according to a Canadian OTAstudy, one-half of Canadians believe it ismore important for a food to be labeled“natural” than organic, even thoughorganic is a regulated label that has a set ofstandards by which products must be pro-duced, and the “natural” label hasabsolutely no legal meaning whatsoever.Perhaps this is a result of how we as a soci-ety interpret the word “natural.” Regard-less, this fact remains and it is imperativefor farmers, organizations, and consumergroups to educate the public on theorganic regulations and what they actuallydo… that is, ensure that a product was

Feature Story

Box 361, 119 Hamilton PlacePenn Yan, NY 14527315-531-1038

Certified Organic Feed, Seed & Livestock Products from Northeast organic farmers

for Northeast organic farmers

www.lakevieworganicgrain.com


continued next page


production. In developing countries,spoilage between the farm gate and mar-kets accounts for an average loss of 20%,often reaching as high 65–70%. In the USalone, 30% of food gets thrown away.Diversion of global cropland into biofuelproduction and animal husbandry alsoimpacts the distribution of accessible foodresources. Social barriers factor in signifi-cantly, as women are more productivethan men per hectare yet farm only one-eighth of the land that men do.

Ultimately, the developing challengeof food security must be overcome by amulti-faceted approach: waste reduction,resource conservation and food distribu-tion. The first step, Moyer and Carr agree,is to cease debate and take action.Together farmer and consumer canchange the world by voting with their dol-lars to demand organic.


University of South Carolina, spoke onorganic yields and global food securityduring the second organic research tracksession during the All Things OrganicConference. The idea that organic agricul-ture cannot produce enough to feed theworld is widespread but, according toMoyer and Carr, unfounded.

Moyer launched the session with anoverview of Rodale’s Farming SystemsTrial, the longest running side-by-sidecomparison of conventional and organicagriculture in the nation. Thirty years ofresearch have demonstrated that organicyields match conventional yields andorganic outperforms conventional indrought, all while sequestering more car-bon, using less energy, producing lessgreenhouse gas and returning moremoney per acre.

However as Moyer stated, “It’s not

about the yield — it’s about the soil.”In order to stand a chance of feeding

ourselves for not 10, 50, or 100 years butthousands of years, Moyer asserted, weneed the soil. Soil conservation is vital tomaintaining soil health, which in turn isnecessary for crop yield. Organic farmingimproves soil health by building ratherthan depleting organic matter and increas-ing water infiltration and water holdingcapacity. The current food system is bro-ken, Moyer argued, because the focus hasremained solely on yields, with distressingside effects such as groundwater pollution,diminished soil health, and immensewaste of produced foods.

Dr. Carr agreed, asserting that globalfood insecurity is not a question of pro-duction but rather a question of misusingcurrent food resources. The yield argu-ment overlooks current waste levels, landuses, food choices, and social barriers to

Thanks to PCO Certification SpecialistsHeather Hunt and Adam Seitz for their con-tributions to this article.

All Things Organic-BioFach America

Feature Story


The fall National Organic Stan-dards Board (NOSB) Meetingin Savannah, Georgia, fea-tured presentations on animal

welfare standards, infant formula nutri-ents, soap-based herbicides, sulfites inwine and ground hog management, aswell as plenty of southern hospitality.Leslie Zuck, Mabell Rivas, JohannaMirenda and Kyla Smith representedPCO at the 4-day meeting November 29to December 2, 2011.

Mabell Rivas, PCO Certification Pro-gram Director, presented comments onthe NOSB Livestock Committee’s animalwelfare recommendations, whichincluded: Animal Welfare & StockingRates Regulatory Language and Guid-ance; Animal Handling, Transit, andSlaughter Regulatory Language and Guid-ance; Species-Specific Animal WelfareScorecards and Guidance. Some of theserecommendations had been presented atthe April 2011 meeting in Seattle, Wash-ington. However, after receiving a signifi-cant amount of public comment in Seattlethe Livestock Committee withdrew all ofthe recommendations to make revisionsand presented the revised recommenda-tions for the fall meeting. Mabell statedPCO’s general support for these docu-ments, indicating that there were a fewminor details that could use additionalattention but that making minor adjust-ments shouldn’t prevent the board fromvoting and moving these documents ontothe National Organic Program. ChrisPierce, of Laurel Grove — a PCO certi-fied organic poultry operation, also gavepublic comment on this topic.

Johanna addressed recommendationspresented by the Compliance, Accredita-tion and Certification Committee regard-

ing Evaluating Material Review Organiza-tions, Unannounced Inspections andInspector Qualifications. She noted thatagain, in general, PCO supported theserecommendations except for a few minordetails. Jo concentrated on the consistencythese recommendations would help tofoster among certifiers.

Leslie’s public comment focused on acouple of materials that were petitioned tobe added to the crops section of theNational List, Propane (odorized) andAmmonium nonanoate, informing theboard of PCO’s previous experience withodorized propane prior to the NOP’s banof this material.

This meeting was the last meeting forTracy Miedema (NOSB Chair), SteveDeMuri (Handling Committee Chair),Katrina Heinze (Materials CommitteeChair) and Tina Ellor (prior Crops Com-mittee Chair and PCO certified member).

New NOSB officers were elected:Barry Flamm (Chair), Mac Stone (ViceChair) and Wendy Fulwider (Secretary).

Five new NOSB members, appointed


Feature Story

Fall 2011 NOSB MeetingBoard moves forward on animal welfare, materials petitions, sunset substances and more

Left to right: Mabell Rivas, Jeff Moyer (Rodale Institute), Tina Ellor (Phillips Mushrooms),Johanna Mirenda, and Kyla Smith.

by Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan,will begin their five-year term on January24, 2012: Harold V. Austin, IV (Handler), Carmela Beck (Producer),Tracy Favre (Environmentalist), JeanRichardson, Ph.D. (Consumer/PublicInterest) and Andrea (Zea) Sonnabend(Scientist).

The meeting culminated with a voteon the recommendations, as well as peti-tioned and sunset materials. Some high-lights are listed below:

Crops: Motions to list the following petitionedmaterials to the crops section of theNational List were rejected: Ammoniumnonanoate, Indole-3-butyric acid, Pro -pane (odorized).

Motions to list the following sunsetmaterials tothe crops section of theNational List as currently listed wereapproved: Copper sulfate, Ozone, Per-acetic acid and Calcium chloride.

continued next page


form of tartaric acid will be allowed inorganic products.

Chlorine materials — Motion tochange the annotation passed. Annotationis now consistent with the recently pub-lished NOP guidance on chlorine use.The new annotation clearly permits theuse of chlorine up to maximum labeledrates for sanitation of equipment. It alsoallows for labeled uses in direct food con-tact with products, such as fruits or veg-etables, so long as there is a potable waterrinse.

Compliance, Accreditation and Certification:

Evaluating Material Review Organiza-tions — The board approved this recom-mendation, which will facilitate consistentand uniform material review decisions,through active NOP oversight of materialreview organizations.

Inspector Qualifications — The boardapproved this recommendation, whichwould include guidance development bythe NOP on baseline qualification criteriafor organic inspectors.

Unannounced Inspections — Theboard approved this recommendation, asa way to uphold organic integrity. Thisrecommendation calls for each certifier toconduct unannounced inspections on aminimum of 5% of their certified opera-tions annually. These can include risk orcomplaint based, as well as a random sam-pling.


Livestock: Animal Welfare & Stocking Rates Reg-ulatory Language Recommendation andAnimal Handling, Transit to SlaughterRegulatory Language Recommendation— After making a few minor edits basedon public comments the NOSB approvedthe above-stated recommendations, whichwill strengthen the animal welfare regula-tions pertaining to organic livestock pro-duction. The recommendations includednew regulations on physical alterations,livestock living conditions, includingdefined stocking rates, as well as new lan-guage regarding animal handling andtransit to slaughter.

The remaining four recommendationson the agenda (Animal Welfare & Stock-ing Rates Guidance, Animal Handling,Transit, and Slaughter Guidance, Species-Specific Animal Welfare Scorecards,Species-Specific Guidance) were with-drawn and will be presented at the 2012spring meeting.

Handling: Annatto Extract Color — Motion toremove from §205.606 passed. As a resultorganic annatto extract color must be usedin products labeled as “organic.”

Docosahexaenoic (DHA) Algal Oil andArachidonic (ARA) Fungal Oil —Motion to add these materials to§205.605(a) passed with the followingannotation, “not hexane extracted; otheringredients that are agricultural must beorganic.”

Silicon Dioxide — Motion to changethe annotation passed. Silicon Dioxidewill be relisted on §205.605(b) with thefollowing annotation, “for use as adefoamer. May be used in other applica-tions when non-synthetic alternatives arenot commercially available.”

Sulfur Dioxide — Motion to changethe annotation failed. As a result, sulfurdioxide will be listed with its currentannotation and will be allowed only in“made with organic” wine.

Tartaric Acid — Motion to relist tar-taric acid on §205.605(a) passed. Motionto relist Tartaric acid on §205.605(b)failed. As a result, only the non-synthetic

Feature Story

Mabell Rivas gives public comment at Fall2011 NOSB meeting.


the likelihood of it leaching into thegroundwater. Most international stan-dards already prohibit the use of Chileannitrate, including the EU, Canada,IFOAM and CODEX Alimentarius. Cur-rently Chilean nitrate is listed as a prohib-ited non-synthetic on the National List,unless its use is restricted to no more than20% of the crops nitrogen requirement.Since the inclusion of Chilean nitrate onthe National List was up for its 5 year sun-set review in 2011, the National OrganicStandards Board (NOSB) updated it’sreview on this material.

The NOSB voted in April of 2011 tomaintain Chilean nitrate on the prohib-ited non-synthetics list, and also toremove its restricted use annotation. Thismeans that pending the posting of thischange in the Federal Register, Chileannitrate will no longer be allowed. The pro-hibition is scheduled to occur on October21 of 2012.

Dear Aggy

Dear Crop Grower,

Sounds like your new consultant ispaying attention! He is correct in recom-mending that you include micronutrientsin your soil tests before using them inyour fertility program. The regulations at§205. 601(j)(6) require that syntheticmicronutrients are only allowed to be used ifa deficiency is documented. Syntheticmicronutrients include boron, cobalt,copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum,selenium, and zinc.

Testing must be specific to eachmicronutrient and each area where themicronutrient will be applied. Applicationrates may not exceed the recommenda-tions set by the soil tests. You don’t needto have this testing done every year, as soillevels only change very gradually butinspectors look for documentation thatproves that testing was done within thelast three years. Also keep in mind thatanytime a fertilizer mix, custom or other-wise, includes any synthetic micronutri-ents, your inspector will ask to see somesort of deficiency documentation as partof your annual on-site inspection.Although soil tests are most common, tissue sample test results would also be

applicable.As far as Chilean nitrate (sodium

nitrate) goes, yes, you will need to plan onphasing it out. Although Chilean nitrate isa natural mined fertilizer, its use inorganic production has been controversialdue to its high mobility in soil, increasing

SPRI

NG MILLS

PA 1 6 8 75

Dear Aggy, I’m planning on using a new consultant for my soil fertility

program this coming year, and it’s bringing up some new ques-tions for me. My new consultant would like me to include micro-nutrients as part of my soil tests. In the past I only had the majornutrients (N nitrogen, P phosphorus, K potassium/potash) testedfor. Is this really necessary? Can’t I just add the common ones,like boron?

Also, I’ve been using just a little bit of Chilean nitrate in mypotting mix, and he said I wouldn’t be able to do that muchlonger. What is he talking about?

— Crop Grower

Got a questionfor Aggy?Mail it to PCO at:

106 School Street, Suite 201Spring Mills, PA 16875

or email it to:[email protected]

or fax it to:814-422-0255

Aggy Addresses Micronutrient Restrictions,Chilean Nitrate and Dehorning

continued next page



Dear Aggy

Dear Pesky,

Unless you’re raising naturally polledcattle, dehorning is something that themajority of dairy producers need to dealwith on a regular schedule. According tothe organic regulations at §205.238(a)(5)dehorning is a physical alteration that mustbe performed as needed to promote the ani-mal’s welfare and in a manner that mini-mizes pain and stress.

PCO’s policy is as follows:• PCO allows “disbudding” (burning the

area around horn buds with a smallelectric or propane iron) before threemonths of age.

• Gouging or cutting (such as with aBarnes-type dehorner) must be doneunder vet care with an allowed anesthe-sia (lidocaine and procaine are listed foruse at 205.603 (b)(3, 6)).

• Burning or any other procedure todehorn after 3 months must also bedone under vet care with an allowedanesthesia.

• Dehorning pastes must be approved byPCO before use; none are currentlyapproved.

Helpful Tips to Reduce Pain and Stress Relief when Performing

Physical Alternations:• Disbudding with even a burner is

stressful and should be done well beforeweaning. More and more producers areusing lidocaine injected at the base ofthe horn buds to ease pain and stressfor the calf at disbudding. Ask your vetto demonstrate proper injection tech-nique and location.

• If you’re using herbal tinctures as partof your herd health program, considerusing a pain dulling/calming tincturefor your calves. Aspirin is also allowedfor additional pain relief.

• If for whatever reason the disbuddingdid not happen before three months, anallowed anesthetic, such as lidocaine orprocaine is no longer optional, it mustbe used for pain relief.

• Dehorning is a crucial area where ani-mal welfare needs to be kept in mind,so start planning ahead now on howyou will manage this in the coming sea-son. Keep dehorning on a regularschedule, either by doing it yourself orincorporating it into vet herd checks, sothat they all get done at an early age.

Aggy,

I’ve just finished transi-tioning my dairy herd,and at my inspection theinspector noted that mypractice of using dehorn-ing paste was not okay. Ilike getting the dehorningout of the way whenthey’re young, so what amI supposed to do? Sincemy herd is now organic, Iguess there’s nothing Ican give them for pain.Honestly, dehorning is myleast favorite part of rais-ing calves.

— Pesky Horns

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Aggy Addresses Micronutrient Restrictions,Chilean Nitrate and Dehorning


genetically engineered foods as such. Foodlabels are very informative to a consciousconsumer. If we continue to show supportto initiatives such as Just Label It, we areensuring the quality of the food that wechoose to consume. To check out andsupport the Just Label It initiative visit:http://justlabelit.org

New Research Finds Organic FarmingEconomically Sustainable

In a recent study published in theAgronomy Journal, the University of Min-nesota found that an organic crop rotationwas consistently more profitable and car-ried less risk of low returns than conven-tional corn and soybean production, evenwhen organic price premiums were cut byhalf. The 18-year study compared anestablished conventional farmer and anestablished organic farmer. The economicresults showed that there wasn’t necessar-ily an increase in crop yields, but theorganic price premium that organic farm-ers received for their crops made organicfarming more profitable. “The net returnfrom a 2-yr, conventional corn-soybeanrotation averaged $342 per acre, com-pared to $267/ac for a 4-yr organic rota-tion (corn-soybean-oat/alfalfa-alfalfa), and$273/ac for its 4-yr conventional counter-part. When a full organic premium was

applied, though, the averagenet return from organic pro-duction rose to $538/ac, sig-nificantly outperforming theconventional systems both interms of profitability andrisk.” Purchasing chemicalherbicides for a 2-year con-ventional rotation was ahigher cost than controllingweeds mechanically inorganic farming. Anotherstudy is planned to compareeconomics of organic andconventional production in awhole-farm system. To readthe full study, please visit:www.agronomy.org

The Organic Farming ResearchFoundation (OFRF) recentlypublished a report based ontheir collection and review of

American Scientific research on organicfarming. The report highlights the posi-tive effects organic farming has on eco-nomic stability and growth. Even thoughthe American economy has been strug-gling, the organic farming sector contin-ues to grow as illustrated by the increase inorganic food and beverage sales from $1billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010.Sales for organic fruits and vegetablesincreased as well; 11.8% increase from2009 to 2010. Research findings from theRodale Institute resound the report; theirorganically managed fields were threetimes more profitable than conventionallymanaged fields. The growth of the organiccommunity is also creating jobs; 96 per-cent of organic operations either main-tained their employees or increasedemployment during 2011. To view thefull study, please visit: http://ofrf.org

Are Pesticides Stunting Growth?Pesticides not only have negative

effects on our environment, but on ourchildren as well, according to a recentstudy in Environmental Health Perspec-tives. The 4-year study, completed on 350elementary school aged boys,explains a link betweenorganochlorine pesticides, aclass of older chemicals usedmostly to kill insects, anddevelopmental problems.The results showed that boyswith higher levels oforganochlorine in theirblood levels were more likelyto have grown less, thus sug-gested a correlation betweenchildhood pesticide exposureand adult body mass andheight. Other pesticides,including organophosphates,have also been linked toADHD and common types

of childhood cancer. The popular weedkiller, Roundup, was linked to birthdefects, hormone disruption and infertil-ity. The best way to avoid pesticideresidue on your foods is to purchaseorganic. To read more about the effects ofpesticides: http://ehp03. niehs.nih.gov

Consumers Win the Right to Know About their Food

The State of Ohio recently agreed toabandon their efforts to create regulationslimiting labeling on organic dairy prod-ucts. They had attempted to prohibitstatements on labels that informed con-sumers that organic dairy products areproduced without antibiotics, pesticidesor synthetic hormones. The OrganicTrade Association (OTA) sued the Stateof Ohio, on behalf of consumers right toknow. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appealssided with the consumers’ right to know,and the State of Ohio has since recognizedthat the First Amendment allows produc-ers to proudly state that their organicproducts are produced in accordance withthe USDA organic standards. As part ofthe OTA’s continual fight for labelingtransparency, they kicked off the Label It:We Have a Right to Know initiative, sup-ported by over 400 businesses and organ-izations, and purposed with labeling of

Organic Farming, a Healthy Choice for People and the Economy

News Briefs


PRIVATE AND PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASS RINEHART

During the three-day event, conferencegoers toured farms in Central Pennsylva-nia, attended intensive learning clinicsand workshops on topics ranging fromfarming techniques, marketing, publicspeaking and community organizing tofunding opportunities and more, and net-worked with participants and presentersalike.

Heather Donald and Heather Huntjoined several educational workshopsincluding: The Value of Adding Value,Adventures in Livestock Production, andPermaculture: Create, Empower &Design. Heather Donald also participatedin a Collaborative Marketing Tour ofMorrisons Cove in Blair County and vis-ited a dairy focusing on cheese produc-tion, a family run greenhouse and aCommunity Supported Agriculture farm.

The conference concluded with thereading of farm-life inspired poetry and apanel discussion with representatives fromthe four collaborating organizations thatplanned the conference: PA, VT and SCWAgNs and the Women & Food Net-work from Iowa. Attendees left the con-ference motivated to make changes intheir local food systems and to buildbridges across states and regions with thewomen they met to promote and supportsustainable agriculture.


PCO Staff at Large

PCO is often invited to participatewith various groups in informationalmeetings around the state. Indeed readersget a glimpse of PCO staff in action in thisStaff at Large section of Organic Mattersfour times a year. We are especially excitedabout the work we have been doing withNatural Resource and Conservation Serv-ice (NRCS)this year, attending NRCSstaff meetings as invited guests to discussorganic agriculture and certification.NRCS in Pennsylvania is making a defi-nite commitment to understandingorganic farming and positioning them-selves to provide support to this sector ofthe ag industry in Pennsylvania.

NRCS advises and supports many con-servation districts around the state. Onesuch group is SW Project Grass, an organ-ization of Southwestern Pennsylvaniaconservation districts, that assists farmersin utilizing and protecting land by pro-moting improved pasture and rotationalgrazing systems for better forage produc-tion, quality, and utilization. PCO’sDirector of Education and Outreach LeeRinehart was an invited presenter at theSW Project Grass meeting held in Somer-set on September 15. During the course ofthe talk Lee provided an overview oforganic livestock and land certification,with particular attention to the pasturerule. “The Pasture Rule challenges pro-ducers to maximize forage production and

time-on-grass,” notes Rinehart, “andorganizations like Project Grass are wellpositioned, with their expert knowledgeof forage and grazing systems, to providekey support to organic graziers in helpingthem achieve this goal.”

Those interested in the activities of SWProject Grass are encouraged to contactJB Harrold at 814-445-8979.

PCO Presents Organic CertificationWorkshop at PA WAgN’s Women in

Sustainable Ag ConferencePennsylvania Certified Organic’s

Heather Donald and Heather Hunt pre-sented a workshop on the basics of organiccertification, labeling of organic productsand how producers can get started withthe certification process at the 2011Women In Sustainable Agriculture Con-ference, hosted by the PA Women inAgriculture Network (WAgN). The con-ference, held in early November at thePenn Stater Conference Center wasplanned in cooperation with the Depart-ment of Agriculture & Rural Sociology atPenn State University, the South CarolinaWAgN, Vermont WAgN and theWomen & Food Network from Iowawith the focus of bringing womentogether to share their knowledge, skills,experience and stories.

Tristan Rinehart, son of PCODirector of Education and Out-reach Lee Rinehart, completedUS Marine Corps basic trainingon board Parris Island MarineRecruit Depot on November 23.Tristan is pictured with hisproud father, who serves in theUS Navy Reserve. After a 10-day leave at home with his fam-ily, Tristan is continuing histraining at the Marine CorpsSchool of Infantry, then will be off to Pensacola, Florida for his occupational trainingin aviation operations.

Tristan, 2011 graduate of Dallas High School in Luzerne County, was active in Dal-las High School baseball, Future Business Leaders of America, and was a member ofthe National Honor Society.

Forrest Strickers’ cows grazing at SpringCreek Farms.

PCO Reaches out to Conservation at Project Grass Meeting

New Faces

Stephanie BaileyCertification Staff AssistantPCO’s fall intern, Stephanie, joined the staff this winter as the new Certification Staff Assistant. Orig-inally from Florida, Stephanie was introduced to food production in her grandfather’s garden. Shecompleted a degree in biology and learned to contra dance at Appalachian State University in Boone,NC, and armed with a robust supply of collard greens and cornbread, has continued to make her waynorth since. Working on farms all over the country and in New Zealand has fed her passion for grow-ing things and being an active participant in the shaping of our food system and culture. Prior to join-ing PCO, she worked on a Penn State research project developing sustainable cropping systems fornortheast dairy farmers. Stephanie enjoys watching ruminants graze, chickens peck, dogs run and catshunt. She hopes to view all of this from her back porch one day.

Heather DonaldAssistant Certification SpecialistOn February 1st, Heather will move into the position of Assistant Certification Specialist after hav-ing served the Certification Team as the Certification Staff Assistant for the past 4 years. She will con-tinue to support the Certification Team in their work, as well as be the primary contact for all newapplicants. Heather currently lives in Mifflinburg (Union County) on a sheep farm with her dog, catand two horses. She enjoys helping with the sheep, growing a vegetable garden in the summer andtrail riding in her spare time. Heather is looking forward to working more closely with PCO clientsand furthering PCO’s mission.

Robert YangQuality Systems ManagerThis is Robert’s second tenure with PCO. After serving as Assistant Certification Director, and thenCertification Director at PCO, Robert left for Korea in the summer of 2010 to assist in developingan organic management program for a large-scale Korean organic farming project in Brazil. Robertreturns to PCO as Quality Systems Manager, and will be mainly responsible for developing and man-aging PCO’s quality system, along with accreditation management. Robert is excited to be workingat PCO again, and looks forward to actively fulfilling PCO’s mission of providing quality certifica-tion services to all of its members. Robert not only has years of experience in organic inspection andcertification program development, he is an ASQ (American Society for Quality)-certified QualityImprovement Associate.

PCO Welcomes New Members who joined between September 15 through December 31, 2011.

NEW SUPPORTINGMEMBERS

Bill Achor York Ag Products, Inc. York, PA

Raymond BalcerzakElma, NY

Joshua BennicoffBennicoff FarmsNew Tripoli, PA

Julie BowmanLesaffre Feed AdditivesLititz, PA

Samuel & Sadie FisherMyerstown, PA

Joseph GrussTSR Specialty FoodsGreensburg, PA

Philip HurshLititz, PA

Haralabos KakavitsasGratia Spice CompanyMorristown, NJ

Paul LaRiviereGMP Nutraceuticals, Inc.Phoenixville, PA

Paul Lauer David F. Lauer Farm Springville, PA

Brian Madigan Philadelphia, PA

C. Edgar Sheaffer Clark Vet Consultants Annville, PA

Deb Shoval Fertile Grounds Noxen, PA

Enos Wengerd Dawn Hill Farm Lodi, NY

Cheryl Woods Dilltown, PA

Simeon D. Yoder Swampcrest Jerseys Berlin, PA

NEW CERTIFIED MEMBERS

Gideon D. Beiler Lancaster, PA

James Chalmers Galeton, PA

Donald Chamberlain Rocky Trail Farms Mansfield, PA

Norman EshMontgomery, PA

Christ P. KingKing Farm New Holland, PA

Harlan H. MartinPenn Yan, NY

Mike PannebakerPannebaker Farm Mansfield, PA

New Old Faces



Former PCO Board member, TinaEllor, has been appointed to the Board ofDirectors for the premier organic materi-als review organization in the US. Ellor isa mycologist and the Technical Directorat PCO-certified Phillips MushroomFarm. She is also a member and formercrops committee chair of the NationalOrganic Standards Board (NOSB). View announcement at: www.omri.org/news/101391.

Johanna Mirenda in OMRI fall newsletter

Johanna Mirenda, PCO Materials Spe-cialist and Inspections Coordinator, com-mented on livestock material reviews inthe fall issue of OMRI Materials Reviewnewsletter. Johanna highlights the impor-tance of consistency in materials listsbetween independent certifiers andOMRI. In the past, varying practices withregard to allowed materials has resulted incertifier shopping and the lack of onecomprehensive list can lead to delays andadded costs for certified producers. Delayscan be frustrating, particularly for thoseproducers with sick animals, which is onereason that some producers resist certifica-tion. Brad Heins of the University ofMinnesota states, “A comprehensive listwill be an ongoing need in the future andis integral to the industry moving for-ward,” and many in the industry agree.To view OMRI newsletters visit: www.omri.org/newsletter

Teatulia makes use of lumberfrom beetle infested western forests

PCO-Certified Teatulia, a Denver-based organic tea company, is expandingtheir commitment to sustainability. A Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle infestation hasdevastated western forests since 1996, leaving Colorado with an altered forestecology and its timber industry with a surplus of wood that many view as undesir-able. Teatulia’s response? They are utilizing the wood in their new display cases.Teatulia co-founder and CEO, Linda Appel Lipsius remarked, “The degradation ofour forests not only has a monumental effect on nature, but also the timber indus-try. We want to support local businesses by putting this beautiful timber to use.”The decision follows suit with previous commitments to recycled and compostablepackaging materials and their pledge to support local economies, education andsustainability initiatives in northern Bangladesh, the region where their teas comefrom. You can view the full press release here: http://newhope360 .com

PCO in the News

Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle infets western forests.

Tina Ellor Appointed to OMRI Board of Directors

PCO Executive Director Leslie Zuck, second from left,attended an Organic Trade Association board worksession in January, hosted by Annie’s Homegrown, inBerkeley, California.

HAVE YOU SEEN PCO PRODUCERS FEATURED IN

THE MEDIA?If so, please send your contribu-tions for PCO in the News toPublic Relations Coordinator,April Fix, at the following emailaddress: [email protected] call the office at 814-422-0251 to let us know. Be sure totell us where and when the PCOproducers were featured so weinclude them in the next issue.Thanks!

The basic training courses will run con-currently April 2–6. Each basic courseincludes 4 days of instruction including afield trip to a certified organic operation,plus a half-day for testing.

PCO will also cosponsor and IOIAAdvanced Organic Inspector Training.The Advanced Training will precede thebasic training courses on March 31–April1, and will focus on pesticide residue test-ing and unannounced inspections. AllIOIA trainings will be held at the PennStater Conference Center Hotel. Applica-tion forms and more details are availableat www.ioia.net.

PCO inspectors will also meet thisspring for the Annual PCO InspectorsMeeting, held on March 30 at the PCOoffice. At this event, PCO Staff reviewreview important regulatory and policyissues that inspectors must understandand apply during the upcoming inspec-tion season. It is also an opportunity forinspectors to meet PCO Staff and fellowinspectors.

This year hasbeen incredibly pro-ductive for the PCOinspections program.From the earlyspring pasture ruleinspections to thelate season proces-

sors and handlers, our inspectors workeddiligently all year. PCO inspectors per-formed 700 inspections during the 2011inspection season, which is almost 75more inspections than the previous year.There were many new applicants toinspect, along with new fields and animalsbeing added to existing organic opera-tions. We appreciate the work of ourinspectors and the cooperation of our cer-tified members that helped make this yearsuch a success!

As operators plan for the 2012 season,

be sure to discuss with your certificationspecialist if you foresee amendments toyour organic system plan that wouldrequire an additional inspection, likeadding fields or pasture, boarding live-stock off-farm, constructing a new barn orgreenhouse, or adding a new certifiedproduct to your certification. Advancednotice helps PCO provide even more effi-cient inspection services to your opera-tion. Information regarding your assignedinspector will accompany the InitialReview Report that is mailed to you fol-lowing the review of your updatedOrganic System Plan. Any inspectionscheduling questions or concerns may bedirected to Johanna Mirenda, InspectionsCoordinator at 608-665-3354 [email protected].

Inspector Training ProgramsPCO and the International Organic

Inspectors Association (IOIA) willcosponsor Basic Crop Inspection Trainingand Basic Livestock Inspection Training.

Inspection Insights

Johanna Mirenda, Materials Specialist / Inspections

Coordinator

Productive Year for PCO Inspections Program



South Korea Hosts 17th Organic World Congress

Leslie and formerPCO CertificationDirector Robert Yangvisit a Temple inKorea. Robert hassince returned to PCOas Quality SystemsManager.

Leslie meets up with Bob Anderson of the Organic Trade Associ-ation and Ruihong Guo of USDA at the Organic World Congressin Korea. Bob and Ruihong participated in meetings with theKorean Ag Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries(MIFAFF) about facilitating organic trade between US and Korea.

Leslie tries herhand at winnow-ing rice at theIFOAM OrganicWorld Congress.

Heritage varietiesof rice grow indemonstrationplots at theOrganic WorldCongress.

Organic rice is grown in Korea with thehelp of snails to control pests.

Leslie, third from left, experiencing Korean barbecue with members of the Japan and Korea Organic Inspectors Associations. Also attending isMargaret Scoles, second from left, Executive Director of InternationalOrganic Inspectors Association.

Leslie receives instruction on pounding rice to make a traditional Korean rice cake known as Injulmi (pro-nounced een-jul-mee).

Internships are available for 2012Applicants should have organizational, communication,

writing and computer skills, as well as strong abilities in ateam environment. Responsibilities include handling corre-spondence, phone, and email communication, providinginformation to prospective and current clients, assistingwith office management duties, participating in the prepara-tion of events and exhibit booths and supporting the certifi-cation team with filing, mailings, and processing paperwork.This is a three-month paid part-time or full-time position atour Spring Mills, PA office.

How to apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to:Kathryn Tokarz, Administrative AssistantPennsylvania Certified [email protected]

Interested in Volunteering?PCO relies on its outstanding volunteers to help with

organic outreach and education. The volunteers haveassisted by participating in one of PCO’s committees:Finance, Standards, Certification, Education and Outreach,or; helping in the office; staffing an exhibit; and much more.Support Pennsylvania Certified Organic by volunteering tocontribute to our organization’s mission; email [email protected] or call 814-422-0251 for more information.

Come join the PCO Team!Want to work with people committed to assuring the integrity of organic food production? For a full description of duties andqualifications, visit www.paorganic.org/job_openings.htm.

Employment Opportunities



Organic Marketplace

CropsROUND ORGANIC STRAW BALES, HIGHMOISTURE CORN, DRY FEED HAY, ANDBALEAGE — PCO Certified Organic. Con-tact John Painter: 814-367-5238. TiogaCounty, PA.

ORGANIC HAY ROUND BALES — PCOCertified Organic hay. Round bales, storedinside. $40/bale or $135/ton, great qual-ity, tested, assist with loading. SW PA.www.pleasantvalleyorganicfarm.com, Contact Lynn at 740-424-0446 [email protected]. Washington County, PA.

DRY HAY, BALEAGE AND BEDDING HAY— PCO Certified Organic. 4x4 netwrapped round bales. Priced based on feedvalue. Delivery available from Liberty, PA.Contact Dave Johnson at 570-324-2285.Tioga County, PA.

HUMIFIED COMPOST — $130/ton avail-able in totes or bulk. Dan Landis at Landis-dale Farms. Delivery Available.717-304-9386 or [email protected]. Lebanon County, PA

Equipment20 TON GRAIN TANK WITH AUGER —Like New. $3000. Terry (540) 270-8355

OpportunitiesJOURNEYMAN FARM HELPERS — 2 fulltime experienced helpers sought by highlysuccessful, diversified certified organicfruit and vegetable farm. With over 30years of growing organic produce,Kretschmann Farm has been very success-ful supplying Pittsburgh area consumerswith their produce needs, now via a 1000+member CSA. We’d like to continue tobuild a stable professional crew with thehelp of highly motivated and hard workingindividuals committed to farming and sus-tainability. Tasks and responsibilities rangefrom the mundane — like driving producefor delivery, simple machine maintenance,and hoeing weeds in the carrots, to thecomplexities of pruning fruit trees and tim-

ing irrigation water, to sublime tasks likearranging crop rotations on fields of vary-ing shapes, slopes, soils, exposure, and fer-tility. Pittsburgh area. 2–3 yr. experiencedesired. Salary/benefits commensurate w/experience/commitment. Seewww.kretschmannfarm.com for introduc-tion and application. References a must.

TURNKEY CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARMWITH WELL-ESTABLISHED MARKETS —LAWRENCE COUNTY, PLAIN GROVE, PARetiring certified organic farmer offering aseventy-five acre certified organic farm inWestern Pennsylvania, Plain Grove Town-ship Lawrence County. Turnkey operationis available for beef or dairy. The dairybarn is modern with 36 comfort stalls tail-to-tail. Full line of equipment for grain andforage operation with modern grain bins allwith aeration floors.

Twenty head of high quality angusbrood cows with calves at side. An addi-tional high quality eight to ten heifers ofbreeding age available. These animals areproficient on forage utilization since I havebeen a grass fed beef producer since 1980.

Remodeled three-bedroom ranch withgreat room. Full-size kitchen with new cab-inets, countertops, refrigerator, range,dishwasher and floor. New bathroom.Laundry room with washer and dryer hookups on the main floor. New thermopanewindows and new oil furnace. Detachedtwo-car garage with asphalt driveway.Details available upon request.60 x 100 barnFarm has established rotational grazingpaddocksTwo machine shedsWooden graineryThree 24-foot diameter bins with 8,000bushel capacity each, all with aerationfloorsFull line of equipment (some a little olderbut all in excellent working order, housedin machine shed everyday)Four tractorsFull line of hay equipment all in excellentcondition (hay bine new last year)Please inquire to:Phone: 724-530-7220; Cell phone: 724-730-6488

To AdvertiseIf you would like to have a classifiedad placed in the quarterly OrganicMatters newsletter, please forwardyour information to:

Kathryn Tokarz,Administrative [email protected]

Ad Content: Please provide yourname, phone, email, and county as itapplies. If you are offering organicproducts, please include your organiccertifier.

Cost: $6 for the first 30 words, $0.25per word over 30. PCO membersreceive one free 30-word ad perissue.

All advertising is subject to PCO’sapproval. PCO reserves the right toreject or cancel any advertising forany reason at any time. PCO neitherinvestigates nor endorses the prod-ucts or claims made by advertisers.Buyers should request verification oforganic certification by a USDA-accredited certification agent.

WantedTO RENT ORGANIC FARM AND PAS-TURE LAND — Will take very good care ofyour piece of ground and build carbon withlivestock grazing. Call Roman Stoltzfoos:717-278-1070.

REGIONAL ORGANIC HARD WINTERWHEAT — We are working with a localbakery and would like to try out somemore locally grown baking wheat. Contact:[email protected] or call 724-352-9500

ORGANIC RAW MILK — ACF Organics,LLC, d/b/a/ Amish Country Farms locatedin Totowa, NJ is looking to procure certi-fied organic raw milk from farmers inPennsylvania. Ken Tensen: 800-990-3447ext. 202.

HOSTING COWS/SPRINGING HEIFERS— Looking for up to 30 organic hostingcows or springing heifers for February orMarch 2012. Paul Zook: 717-656-2469.


Come and learn from the experts aboutimproving soil health and harnessing thepower of diversity to improve soil function.Sessions on equine pasture management,managing weeds and multi-species graz-ing, and improving your bottom line withbetter record keeping. Early bird registra-tion by February 17th. Pre-registrationrequired. www.headwaterspa.org. 814-503-8653. [email protected]

March 30Annual PCO Inspector's MeetingPCO Office Spring Mills, PAAt this event, PCO staff review importantregulatory and policy issues that inspec-tors must understand and apply during theupcoming inspection season. For moreinformation, contact the PCO office at(814) 422-0251.

March 31–April 6Crop, Livestock, Advanced InternationalOrganic Inspectors Association TrainingsPenn Stater Conference CenterState College, PAIOIA and Pennsylvania Certified Organic(PCO) will cosponsor Basic Crop Inspec-tion Training and Livestock InspectionTraining running concurrently April 2–6.Each basic course includes 4 days ofinstruction including a field trip to a certi-fied organic operation, plus 1/2 day fortesting. Advanced Organic Inspector Train-ing will precede the training on March 31-April 1. For application forms and moredetails visit: www.ioia.net.

AprilApril 24PCO Adopt-a-HighwayCentre Hall, PAJoin PCO staff and volunteers to clean upand care for the 2-mile section of highwayon Route 144 East (between Old Fort andRoute 322)! At PCO, we are committed toserving our community and our participa-tion in the Adopt-A-Highway program isjust one way we like to show it! If there isinclement weather, it will be rescheduled.For more information or to volunteer,please contact the PCO office at (814)422-0251. We would love you to join us!


Calendar

FebruaryFebruary 1–4PASA’s 21st Annual Farming for the FutureConferenceBreaking Ground for a New Agriculture:Cultivating Versatility and ResiliencePenn Stater Conference Center State College, PAThe conference in 2012 will include:100+ workshops with the addition of asixth workshop time slot this year10+ in-depth, full-day tracks on a variety ofsubjectsPCO-sponsored organic series designedfor organic farmers and those consideringtransition.http://pasafarming.org/our-work/farm-ing-for-the-future-conference

February 2PCO’s Annual Meeting: PCO Celebrates 15Years of Cultivating Organic Fields, Farmsand FamiliesPenn Stater Conference CenterState College, PAThis year’s annual meeting will include anOrganic Reception, from 2-5pm, a KeynotePresentation by Dr. Bruce McPheron, Deanof Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sci-ences, along with the Annual Report, BoardMember Election, and Outstanding FarmerAwards. Sponsorships for PCO’s Receptionand Annual Meeting are available, andbusinesses that serve Pennsylvania’sorganic community are invited to registerfor an exhibit booth. For more informationor to register: contact the PCO office byphone, email, or fax:[email protected], (p) 814-422-0251,(f) 814-422-0255

February 8, 15, & 29Introduction to Soils by Penn State ExtensionBerks County Agricultural CenterLeesport, PA Join Penn State Extension Specialists forin-depth information on how soil texture,biology and nutrient availability affectgrowth and productivity of your crops andan overview of options you can use onyour farm to increase soil health and plantproductivity. Free soil test—if you registerby 1/20/12. To register: 877- 489-1398 [email protected].

February 17The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Associa-

tion’s (OEFFA) 33rd annual conference,Sowing the Seeds of Our Food SovereigntyGranville, OhioThe event will feature keynote speakersWoody Tasch and Andrew Kimbrell, 70+workshops, local and organic meals, kids’conference, childcare, a trade show, andmore. There are also two full day pre-con-ference events on Friday, February 17:“Slow Money for Ohio? Financing the LocalFood System” featuring Woody Tasch, and“No Till, No drill, No problem: IntegratingNo-Till Methods into Organic ProductionSystems” featuring Jeff Moyer. To register,or for more information, visit:www.oeffa.org or call (614) 421-2022.

February 29, March 14Winter Wednesday Webinar Lunch Series:Vegetable Disease Management — Whatyou need to know for 2012 & WinterWednesday Lunch Series: New Insect PestsPresented by the Penn State ExtensionVegetable and Small Fruit Production Pro-gram and designed to provide convenientaccess to timely updates in vegetable andsmall fruit production for extension educa-tors, producers, and industry representa-tives in Pennsylvania and surroundingstates. To register go to: http://exten-sion.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit. The cost is$15 for attending all 4 webinars.

MarchMarch 13Beginning or Transitioning to Organic Vegetable ProductionVillage Acres FarmMifflintown, PAJoin PCO, Village Acres farmers, Commu-nity Partnerships RC&D, National ResourceConservation Service, Penn State Entomol-ogist Mary Barbercheck, for a full day ofworkshops, networking, farmer to farmersharing, and an optional farm tour. Topicsto be discussed include: TransitioningRequirements, Working with a MarketingCooperative, Biological Soil Quality andSustainability, Conservation Financial andTechnical Assistance, and Natural Pollina-tor Habitats. To Register: Call 717-248-4901 Ext. 303 (voice) or email us [email protected] .

March 2215th Annual Northwest Pennsylvania Grazing ConferenceClarion, PA



ORGANIC MILKOrganic Dairy Processing plant is looking forcertified organic and transitioning producers in Bedford and Somerset counties and sur-rounding areas of South-Central Pennsylvaniaand Western Maryland interested in a local anddedicated market for their milk.

Contact Dutchland Marketing Group(717) 435-7383 or [email protected]

2013 PCO CalendarPhoto ContestHere is your chance to showcase your organic farm, operation orproducts to the whole PCO membership, and beyond. We’re look-ing for photos of what organic means to you during all seasons ofthe year. The top 14 photos will be chosen by the staff for both covers and the feature photos for each month. Runners up will behighlighted in the calendar grid.

Submit your high resolution photos to: [email protected]. Ifyou have any questions call the office at 814-422-0251 and ask forKathryn Tokarz.

Fie lds, Fa r m s & Fa mil ies

15 Y

ears of Cultivating Organic

106 School Street, Suite 201Spring Mills, PA 16875

Non-Profit Org

US POSTAGE PAID

CENTRE HALL, PA

PERMIT NO. 33

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