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Green-seeds.com:
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ORGANIC PRODUCTION AND MARKETING NEWSLETTER |
Federal Organic Standards On The Way
 After
the U.S. Department of Agriculture received a record 300,000 comments
on its proposed national organic standards (including the application
of biotechnology, irradiation and biosolids) in late 1997, the USDA
reconsidered its proposal. The Clinton administration may release
a second proposal in February. Organic farming groups like the Organic
Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, California and large organic
growers like Natural Selection Foods LLC, a 6,000 organic farm near
San Juan Batista, California support national standards but other
groups have some misgivings. Bill Dusing, president of the seven-state
Northeast Organic Farming Association in Northford Connecticut suggested
that growers sending food to the next town may not need the same rules
as growers sending food to China.
Kathleen
Merrigan, administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service,USDA,
echoed Dusingís reservations but added that national standards would
remove new market constraints and standardize rules that would allow
easier access into the European Union. Katherine DiMatteo, Organic
Trade Association also commented that ninety percent of the first
proposal contradicted many existing state standards but that this
second proposal should be more in accord with established state standards.
Otherwise,
USDA, look for more mail. The Packer, 1/24/2000
ABC News on Organic Food
The
ABC News show, 20/20 ran a segment on February 4 that focused on organic
produce. 20/20 questioned the growing public perception that organic
produce is healthier and better for the environment than other types
of produce. Dennis Avery, a former USDA researcher and a leading critic
of organic produce, said that consumers should be more worried about
potential bacterial contamination related to manure fertilizer than
pesticide residues. Katherine Di Matteo, Organic Trade Association,
said that organic farming is more healthful for the environment but
Avery disputed this, saying that organic farmers waste land and resources
because they lose so much of their crop to weeds and insects.
ABC
News also commissioned a telephone survey August 4-8, 1999 among a
random national sample of 1,041 adults. The survey had a three point
error margin. Forty-five percent of the public thought organic foods
were more nutritious than those not grown organically, 42% said the
same and 3% said worse. In terms of environmental impact, 57% said
organic foods were better for the environment, 27% the same as conventionally
grown food and 5%, worse. Seventy-percent think organic foods are
more healthful because they are less likely to be contaminated with
residues that could cause illness. According to this survey, nearly
half the population eats organically produced food at least occasionally,
primarily for health reasons (37%) than for environmental ones (13%).
Read the survey at
"Family Farm.com"
Steve
and Mary Bryan, cherry growers from Montana, have launched a web site
for the family farm to supply growers with access to supplies, market
information and farming events. The site, which will open officially
in March or April, will include an online catalog or farming tools
and implements, news, features, market information and tips to save
money. On May 1, the site plans to give away a tractor so check it
out at The Packer, 1/24/2000
New Marketing Alliance
The
New Organics Co., an organic foods manufacturer, and Albertís Organics,
a major fresh organic buying agents and whole and value-added shipper,
formed an alliance to expand the organic market through cross-promotional
opportunities. New Organics carries 39 items in 12 grocery categories,
sells to more than 3,000 retail outlets and publishes an email and
hard copy consumer newsletter. The Packer, 1/17/2000
Organic Guidelines
The
Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) has released the third edition
of its Generic Materials List and Brand name Products. This list contains
information about more thatn 500 substances, including restrictions,
qualifications and recommendations from the US. National Organic Standards
Board. The lists are available by calling (541) 343-7600.
Organic Produce
Price Wars 
"Organic
Produce Price Wars" was the topic of a workshop at the 20th
Annual Ecological Farming Conference in Pacific Grove, California
recently. A panel of organic growers and shippers suggested that organic
growers and shippers should avoid selling organic produce at below
profit levels, even when production gluts occur. Reasonable market
prices could be maintained by retail market consolidation, long range
planning, developing less-expensive farming methods and forming partnerships.
Larger grower are putting more and more supply into the market place
and even though the market for organic produce is increasing, oversupply
can be a major problem, especially with cheaper labor costs in Mexico.
Another
interesting suggestion was that organic produce be marketed as value-added
per se on the basis that organic produce is grown without synthetic
pesticides and "genetic manipulation". But consumers must first be
educated about this value-added aspect before they will accept it.
The Packer 1/31/2000.
Brazilian Organic Products
The
Insitituo Biodinamico, ( a Brazilian institute accredited by the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), certifies the
following concerns in Brazil. The Agropalma Group had 19,000 hectares
(47, 000 acres) of oil palms in production, some of which is devoted
to production of organic palm oil for domestic consumption and export
to European countries. Web site at Email at fale@agropalma.com.br.
Univalem
S. A. Acucar e Alcool produces sugar cane on 20,000 hectares (49,000
acres) and is an open shareholder industry where producers and investors
participate together in making production decisions. Univalem has
5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) of organic cane in the organic certification
process. Production practices integrate cattle, cereals and sugar
cane and include green manuring, composting with cane bagassus (cane
refuse) and bovine manure, crop rotation with soy beans and corn and
incorporating native trees at marginal swamp and river bank areas.
Email
at Univalem@infocenter.com.br.
Montecitrus
Trading SA in Sao Paulo state produces organic fresh citrus fruit
and approximately 4000 metric tons of frozen and and 24000 metric
tons of not from concentrate orange juice. Email at mcitrus@barretos.com.br.
Organic Food
Business News
The
Organic Food Business News, published monthly in Altamonte Springs,
Fl, contains information about organic food business, marketing, certification,
USDA news, publications, letters and editorials and other related
news. Subscription rates for 12 issues are $99.00 from Organic Food
Business News, Hotline Printing and Publishing, P.O. Box 161132, Altamonte
Sp ring, Fl 32716-1132. Phone (407) 628-1377.
North Florida Research and Education
Center Organic Web Site
The
above web site contains information about UF publications relevant
to organic farming and other web resources.
What is the Organic Farming Listserve?
The Organic Farming Listserve is a way for Florida organic farmers
and others interested in organic farming to communicate with each
other, share information and send/receive announcements of general
interest. Essentially it is an email list in which all messages to
the listserve address are sent to everyone who has indicated they
wish to be added to the list. Anyone can add/delete themselves to
the list and any member of the list can post messages to the list
for everyone else to read.
Hopefully, this listserve
can improve statewide communication about organic farming questions,
problems and resources. Give it a try!
How
do I subscribe?
To
subscribe to the listserve, you must have an email account and access
to electronic mail.
1) Log in to your email account and invoke mail.
2) To subscribe to the Organic Farming Listserve mailing list, send
an email message to: mailserv@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
3) Type the following message as the message text: sub organic
4) Send the mail message.
5) You will receive an email confirmation of your subscription to
the list like this:
The address: jjfn@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
has been added to the organic mailing list by Jim Ferguson
6) To send a message to the listserve, the address is organic @gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
7) To remove your email address name from the organic listserve, send
the following command:
"unsub organic" to mailserv@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
Florida
Organic
Certifying Agencies
Organic Certifying Agents
The
Florida Department of Agriculture licenses agencies ($500.00/year)
to act as Organic Certifying Agents after review by the Organic Food
Advisory Council. This list is maintained by the Bureau of Compliance
Monitoring (Contact Van Madden; (850)487-3863; As of 11/8/99 only
two agencies were licensed, down from six in previous years.
The
first step in becoming a certified organic grower is to contact one
of the below listed agencies for information about certifying fees
and certification standards, which usually are sold as a manual. While
there may be some difference among the standards of different organic
certifying agencies, these standards are generally the same. National
Organic standards have been under discussion since the passage of
the Organic Farming and Food Bill in 1990, but no definite date has
been set for the completion of this process. If youíre certified by
one of the below agencies, you will probably also maintain certification
when the national standards are approved. (List update 2/15/00)
Florida Organic and Consumers, Inc.
POB 12311
Gainesville, Fl 32604
(352)377-6345
fogoffice@aol.com
(FOG) has already certified approximately 115 growers in Florida and
several in Mexico and Costa Rico.
Organic Crop Improvement Association
1011 Y Street, Suite B
Lincoln NE 68508-1172
Phone: 402-477-2323
Fax: 402-477-4325
Oregon Tilth
1860 Hawthorne Avenue NE
Suite 200
Salem, OR 97303
Phone: 503-378-0690
Fax: 503-378-0809
Quality Assurance Interational
12526 High Bluff Drive
San Diego CA 92130
Phone: 858-792-3531
Fax: 858-792-8665
Organic Grove Care Services
Arapaho Citrus Management, a full service, commercial citrus grove
management business, headquarters in Ft. Pierce, working throughout
southern Florida.
Phone: 800-288-8447
Email: pdspyke@arapahocitrus.com
Additional listing can be added by contacting me at JJFN@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
Organic Consulting
Agricultural Resource Management
Mike Ziegler
Agricultural Resource Management, Inc.
P. O. Box 993
Vero Beach, Florida 32961-0993
Phone: 561-569-1598
Fax: 561-569-3207
E-mail: zieglersarm@netscape.net
Established
in 1975 and operating in Florida, Agricultural Resources Management
offers consulting services in sustainable agriculture, organic crop
production and processing, and integrated pest management; provides
services for transitional and certified farms.
Additional listing can be added by contacting me at JJFN@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
Organic Materials
United Agricultural Services
8721 Casper Avenue
Hudson, FL 34667
Phone: 727-861-7710
Toll Free: 800-476-6674
Fax: 727-861-7103
Email: info@uas-cropmaster.com
Manufacturers and suppliers of Organic fertilizers, Liquid Fish Emulsion
products, Liquid humates, Sugar based organic chelated Micronutrients,
Liquid and soluble seaweed products, Beneficial bacteria and soil
fungi
Additional listing can be added by contacting me at JJFN@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
Listing
of Florida Organic Growers/Crops
I
would like to add a listing of Florida Organic Growers and availability
of crops. However, listings of organic growers are not readily available
from organic certifying agencies for proprietary and other reasons.
Let me know if you're interested.
Mark Your Calendar
March
8-15, 2000. Independent Organic Inspectors Association Meeting, Annual
Meeting, Florida Organic Growers and Consumers - Future Farmers of
America (FFA) Leadership Training Center near Haines City.
April
1, 2000. Small Farm Conference and Trade Show - Volusia County Fair
Grounds, Deland, Fl - Free and open to the public. Discussions and
demonstrations on beekeeping, organic certification, cut foliage and
flowers, plant tissue culture labs, fruit crops for small farms, small
scale timber lots, electric and solar fencing, rabbit production and
marketing, tropical fish farming, livestock marketing, pasture management,
trade show and association meetings. Contact: David Griffis, Phone:
904-822-5778, Email: dtg@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
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Green - Seeds Co., Ltd.
81/10B Ho Van Hue Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ward 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 (8) 847 6901 - Fax: +84 (8) 844 1392 - Email: info@green-seeds.com
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