Podcasts about national organic program

En este episodio de Caminatas de las granjas, estoy hablando con Francisco Farias, dueño de Farias Farm en Burlington, WA. Aprendemos sobre su granja diversificada que él maneja con su familia y el porque y como ellos mantienen todo certificado orgánico. Más tarde en el episodio, platicamos en más detalle con Alejandra Contreras de Oregon Tilth una de las certificadoras del programa nacional orgánico en el estado de WA. In this episode we'll hear from Francisco Farias about his diversified certified organic farm, Farias Farm, located in Skagit County and owned and operated by Francisco Farias and his wife Lorena Reza Serrano. We'll learn about how and why they maintain their farm certified Organic. Later in the episode, we talk in more detail with Alejandra Contreras of Oregon Tilth, one of the certifiers of the National Organic Program in the state of WA. Este episodio fue apoyado por el Programa para la transición a la agricultura orgánica (TOPP) del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA). TOPP es un programa de la Iniciativa de Transición Orgánica del USDA y es administrado por el Servicio de Comercialización Agrícola del USDA (AMS) Programa Orgánico Nacional (NOP).This episode was supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

#198: Real Organic Project champion Eliot Coleman returns to the stage at Churchtown Dairy to speak about the need to focus our conversations and energy around organic practices, instead of popularizing the reliance on outside inputs. He contends that even commercial-scale growers have all they need on-farm to feed their soil and crops, utilizing green manures, compost, and rotation strategies.  Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic Program, setting the very standards that are being ignored by corporate interests today. He lives and farms in Harborside, Maine with his wife, gardening and cookbook author Barbara Damrosch, while he transitions Four Season Farm to his daughter Clara Coleman.https://www.fourseasonfarm.com/To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://realorganicproject.org/eliot-coleman-churchtown-2024-we-must-do-it-againThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Retail beef prices are at record levels, but are cattlemen benefitting? More bird flu found in California dairies.  More stringent National Organic Program regulations for livestock and poultry forces Marin's public certifier to extinguish its program, we'll check in on California's date harvest, and more. 

In the 1990s, the success of the US organic movement seemed undeniable. Demand for healthy, chemical-free produce skyrocketed amidst public health concerns and a growing environmental consciousness. As a consequence, many small organic farmers could make a real living selling healthy produce and restoring farmland in the process. In the decades since, however, the story has gotten much more complicated.Corporate co-optation, lax government oversight, and splinters within the movement itself have created a new set of challenges for organic farmers and activists - challenges our guest today is helping lead the fight to overcome.Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer, and Co-Director and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project, an organization dedicated to reigniting and reconnecting the organic movement. In this episode, he takes us through the history of the organic movement, where it is today, the differences and similarities between organic and “regenerative”, and where the movement can go from here.In this episode, we cover:- The history of organic, tracing its roots from indigenous practices to modern day agriculture.- The original definition of organic and the fight to maintain those core principles through the Real Organic Project.- The longtime debate over certification and institutionalization.- The organic boom, the entrance of Big Food into the marketplace, and the challenge of enforcement.- “Regenerative,” and the risk of cooptation of any new label.- The difference between building brands and building movements, and an insight into what that movement can look like.- And much more...Learn more about Dave and the Real Organic Podcast at the Real Organic Project.More about Dave:Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer who runs Long Wind Farm in Vermont. They grow the best tasting organic tomatoes in the country in the fertile soil underneath a glass greenhouse. He is the Co-Director and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project, dedicated to reigniting and reconnecting the organic movement. He leads the Real Organic Podcast, providing a platform for many organic farmers, eaters, scientists, authors, educators, activists, and chefs. He was a co-founder of Vermont Organic Farmers in 1985, and was among those first certified by the USDA's National Organic Program in 2003. He served on the Policy Committee of the Organic Farmers Association for 6 years. He also served on the USDA Hydroponic Organic Taskforce. He has worked for years as an advocate for reform of the National Organic Program. He has met with Secretary Vilsack seeking reform of the organic program. His latest project is the creation of the Tomato Masterclass, a training for farmers working to create a stronger economic base for their market gardens. In his spare time he practices tai chi to stay sane and healthy.Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller of You Should Have a Podcast, who also wrote our theme song.

Show Notes Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer who runs Long Wind Farm in Vermont. They grow the best tasting organic tomatoes in the country in the fertile soil underneath a glass greenhouse. He is the Co-Director and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project, dedicated to reigniting and reconnecting the organic movement. He leads the Real Organic Podcast, providing a platform for many organic farmers, eaters, scientists, authors, educators, activists, and chefs. He was a co-founder of Vermont Organic Farmers in 1985, and was among those first certified by the USDA's National Organic Program in 2003. His latest project is the creation of the Tomato Masterclass, a training for farmers working to create a stronger economic base for their market gardens. In his spare time he practises tai chi to stay sane and healthy. Real Organic Project: https://realorganicproject.org/  PLEASE make sure to subscribe to the podcast, download our episodes, and rate them! Your support means the world to us. Thank you! Sponsors Bootstrap Farmer https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/  Ooooby https://www.ooooby.com/ (mention the podcast for 75% off onboarding fee) New Society Publishing https://newsociety.com/ (use code smallfarm25 for 25% off all books) [2:53] Intro [4:19] Organic has always been an insurgency [7:14] History of organic [8:26] Ivy league kids growing their own food in the 60s [10:26] Dave's farming story [13:59] You couldn't find organic at the grocery store in the 90s [15:03] Early adopters of organic and its importance [16:32] Fraudulent organic grain in the US [18:10] The moment it stopped being a "movement" [19:00] Patrick Holden, Lady Eve Balfour, and Albert Howard [20:34] Corporate forces co-opting the cultural movement [23:37] The rapid loss of meaning with "regenerative" [27:56] Rachel Carson's Silent Spring [34:43] History of ag in Asia - F.H. King's Farmers Of 40 Centuries [36:44] Hydroponic becomes organic and the start of the Real Organic Project [42:00] CAFO's in organic [44:30] Zephyr Teachout's Break 'Em Up [45:43] Monopolies were being broken up before Robert Bork changed things in the 1980s [48:56] 70% of organic berries in the US are Driscoll's berries [53:23] How can small organic farmers compete with the prices of big organic? [54:47] Majority of our food production moving to central America [58:26] Thoreau and ML King's activism [1:02:48] There has always been bad farming even before chemical agriculture [1:04:59] Why big companies love "regenerative" [1:07:12] Monsanto's "climate smart" agriculture [1:08:04 Is "No-Till" being co-opted too? [1:12:04] Pepsi claims regenerative?! [1:13:25] Hope for the future [1:18:33] The world's best manipulators have all the money, and they're working tirelessly to mislead you [1:19:09] Seth Godin on the internet [1:20:20] It was hard for the pioneers in the past, and it won't be easy in the future either [1:25:30] Europe's field to fork initiative [1:42:50] The Real Organic Project [1:45:19] What book have you read more than once? [1:46:56] What advice did you only appreciate later in life? [1:49:05] What's the best difficult decision and best mistake you've ever made? Links/Resources Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com/  Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass/  Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.ac-page.com/newsletter-subscription  Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog  Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books Growers & Co: https://growers.co/ Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/ The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/ Follow Us Website: http://themarketgardener.com  Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners  Guest Social Media Links Real Organic Project: https://realorganicproject.org/  JM: https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier  Chris: https://www.instagram.com/chris_m_moran 

#160: Organic farmer and Real Organic Project champion Eliot Coleman returns to discuss the role corporations, trade associations, and government policy has had on limiting the amount of real organic food found in the marketplace today. In the second half of the interview, the conversation focuses on growing on-farm fertility and stifling pest pressure by building up organic matter and biodiversity.Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic Program, setting the very standards that are being ignored by corporate interests today. He lives and farms in Harborside, Maine with his wife, gardening and cookbook author Barbara Damrosch, while he transitions Four Season Farm to his daughter Clara Coleman. https://www.fourseasonfarm.com/To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://realorganicproject.org/eliot-coleman-they-rob-world-understanding-of-real-organic-practices-episode-one-hundred-sixtyThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/The Real Organic Project Certification deadline for 2024 is 04/15/2024. Please visit RealOrganicProject.com/Apply to guarantee a 2024 visit and inspection!

Join the Beyond Labels Family and access the entire 55-minute episode here: https://beyondlabels.supportingcast.fm/Today is an action packed episode as we dive deeper into the potential corruption and possible fraud in the organic label.  We are joined by Mark Kastel, founder and executive director of OrganicEye, which is an organic industry watchdog.OrganicEye has requested an investigation of the National Organic Program, alleging malfeasance because of corporate influence peddling in the form of financial payments to organic certifiers.  OrganicEye also filed a formal legal complaint against the nation's largest certifier, CCOF, citing ”hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of contributions, advertising purchases, conference sponsorships, and other payments over and above certification fees.Mark gives us a rundown of the current status of the organic label and OrganicEye's efforts to restore its integrity.  He also explains how there are TWO organic labels in your grocery store and how to not get duped.https://organiceye.org/Follow on InstagramFollow on TwitterSubscribe on RumbleSubscribe on YouTubeFind Joel Here: www.polyfacefarms.comFind Sina Here: www.drsinamccullough.comDisclaimer:  The information provided by Joel Salatin and Sina McCullough, PhD is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.  The information provided in the podcasts, videos, and show descriptions is for educational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or psychological condition.  The information provided is not meant to prevent, treat, mitigate or cure such conditions.  The information provided is not medical advice nor is it designed to replace advice, information, or prescriptions you receive from your healthcare provider.  Consult your health care provider before making any changes to your diet, medication, or lifestyle.  Proceed at your own risk.Joel Salatin and Sina McCullough, Ph.D. specifically disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, that may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of their YouTube channel, Podcast, websites, books, Facebook pages, or any of the content during consulting sessions or speaking engagements.  Proceed at your own risk.  These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Organic food purchasers buy organic and pay the extra for a reason. New regulations being proposed by some members of congress would make it much easier for corporate food businesses to use that premium label to sell product that doesn't actually meet the real benchmarks of organic. Tom Chapman, CEO of the Organic Trade Association, and others have introduced the new Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards to counteract these efforts to dilute the organic label.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

Organic food purchasers buy organic and pay the extra for a reason. New regulations being proposed by some members of congress would make it much easier for corporate food businesses to use that premium label to sell product that doesn't actually meet the real benchmarks of organic. Tom Chapman, CEO of the Organic Trade Association, and others have introduced the new Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards to counteract these efforts to dilute the organic label.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

En este episodio entrevisté por segunda ocasión a Cesar Cartagena, Senior Bilingual Content Coordinator en OMRI, quien nos habló sobre como OMRI cumple con los lineamientos del National Organic Program de Estados Unidos y de la Ley de Productos Orgánicos de México, para así garantizar la aplicabilidad de su certificación. Durante la entrevista César nos comenta como OMRI evalúa los insumos para uso en producción orgánica, de forma tal que se garantice el cumplimiento de los lineamientos indicados. Así mismo, también nos platica sobre como en OMRI se mantienen actualizados ante los cambios constantes que sufren dichos lineamientos. https://podcastagricultura.com/episodio-375/ Web de Somos Agricultura: https://somosagricultura.com/ Canal de Somos Agricultura: https://www.youtube.com/@somosagricultura --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/podcastagricultura/message

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), is joined by Bruce Summers, administrator for the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). In this role, Summers works on policy issues and oversight of a variety of programs, including grading of commodities, the USDA Market News Service and the National Organic Program. Prior to being named the administrator, Summer served in the AMS' Fruit & Vegetable Program. “It's been a really rewarding career and, you know, working with people in the produce industry, they're kind of special. They're kind of unique. It's something about that perishable product that has to move very quickly to get to the market. And it just makes it different and exciting and dynamic.” - Bruce SummersTopics covered include: An introduction to Summers, and a discussion on his background and current role with the AMS.An exploration of the benefits the AMS provides for producers. A discussion of the protective properties and benefits the PACA trust provides for producers.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you'll hear from Alan Schreiber in Washington, Jason Smith in British Columbia, Brody Shropp in Michigan, Elise Oliver in California, Mario Ramirez in Mexico, Jody McPherson in North Carolina and Matt Macrie in New Jersey. This was recorded on July 5, 2023.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Martin Guerena has a conversation with Bob Scowcroft, former Executive Director of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF).  Bob recounts his involvement in the organic movement, from working as an organizer with Friends of the Earth on pesticide reduction to organizing organic farmers in California and taking part in the development of the National Organic Program.   Related ATTRA Resources: ·        Organic Farming·        Episode 138. Organic Pioneer: Tom Willey·        A Conversation with Amigo BobOther Resources:·        California Certified Organic Farmers·        Organic Farming Research FoundationContact Martin Guerena at marting@ncat.org Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Martin Guerena has a conversation with Bob Scowcroft, former Executive Director of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF).  Bob recounts his involvement in the organic movement, from working as an organizer with Friends of the Earth on pesticide reduction to organizing organic farmers in California and taking part in the development of the National Organic Program.   Related ATTRA Resources: ·        Organic Farming·        Episode 138. Organic Pioneer: Tom Willey·        A Conversation with Amigo BobOther Resources:·        California Certified Organic Farmers·        Organic Farming Research FoundationContact Martin Guerena at marting@ncat.org Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast. You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

In the world of food, the word organic remains vague, and the rules a bit loose. Now the Agriculture Department has proposed new rules to tighten up the production and handling of food sold as organic. To hear some details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke to Dr. Jennifer Tucker, the Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the world of food, the word organic remains vague, and the rules a bit loose. Now the Agriculture Department has proposed new rules to tighten up the production and handling of food sold as organic. To hear some details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke to Dr. Jennifer Tucker, the Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alexis Baden-Mayer is a lawyer who has worked since 2005 as the Political Director of the Organic Consumers Association (www.organicconsumers.org), a network of more than 1 million activists committed to creating a healthy, just, democratic and regenerative food system. Alexis is a key organizer of some of OCA's most popular campaigns, including the "Monsanto Makes Us Sick" campaign to ban Roundup. Alexis isn't afraid to put her body on the line to call attention to the crisis in our food system. In 2014, the US Health Freedom Congress awarded Alexis a Health Freedom Award for direct actions she's taken that resulted in her arrest, including shutting down the National Organic Standards Board meeting to protest the weakening of organic standards and entering the White House grounds to deliver a petition to First Lady Michelle Obama in support of GMO labels, one of Barack Obama's unfulfilled campaign pledges. Ever since USDA started the National Organic Program more than 20 years ago, I have been hoping I was wrong about the real purpose of the program, i.e. to gradually make the term "organic" meaningless and to get people averse to eating inferior foods and toxins to consume them anyway. Today the issue is even more critical, as our food supply and consumer products are not just knowingly produced with so many government-approved poisons, but now we also find nanotech and genetic weapon technology is added into the mix. This is the type of bioweapon also being injected into the bodies of billions of unsuspecting people worldwide in the guise of "public health." Top OCA attorney Alexis Baden-Mayer has been working for a long time to protect the integrity of organic foods and organic consumer products. I felt it would be great to get an update from her on the organic movement and where we go next.

#111: Organic farmer Eliot Coleman joins Dave to discuss why the idea that chemicals are needed to grow food has only ever served chemical companies, and how industrial regenerative agriculture is doubling down on that claim today, through their anti-organic and anti-tillage campaigns. Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic Program, setting the very standards that are being ignored by corporate interests today.To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/eliot-coleman-why-chemical-companies-trash-talk-organic-episode-one-hundred-elevenThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist Jeff Schahczenski discusses the climate benefits of certified organic production systems with Dr. Amber Sciligo, Director of Science Programs at The Organic Center.  With training in systems-based research, Dr. Sciligo has worked closely with researchers, industry, farmers, and policymakers to identify organic research needs, and she has collaborated on a diverse range of research programs.Some of those research topics include mitigating climate change, increasing the feasibility of integrating livestock into produce cropping systems, increasing the accessibility of equitable agricultural technology for organic farmers, reducing tensions between National Organic Program standards and third-party food safety requirements, and tackling challenges associated with inadvertent pesticide contamination across the organic supply chain.Related ATTRA Resources:·        Agriculture, Climate Disruption, and Carbon Sequestration·        Growing Hope: Practical Tools for Our Changing Climate:  Conference keynote address by Dr. Rattan Lal·        Reducing Tillage Intensity in Organic Production SystemsOther Resources:·        The Organic CenterContact Jeff Schahczenski at jeffs@ncat.org.  Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.  You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT.ORG.  

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist Jeff Schahczenski discusses the climate benefits of certified organic production systems with Dr. Amber Sciligo, Director of Science Programs at The Organic Center.  With training in systems-based research, Dr. Sciligo has worked closely with researchers, industry, farmers, and policymakers to identify organic research needs, and she has collaborated on a diverse range of research programs.Some of those research topics include mitigating climate change, increasing the feasibility of integrating livestock into produce cropping systems, increasing the accessibility of equitable agricultural technology for organic farmers, reducing tensions between National Organic Program standards and third-party food safety requirements, and tackling challenges associated with inadvertent pesticide contamination across the organic supply chain.Related ATTRA Resources:·        Agriculture, Climate Disruption, and Carbon Sequestration·        Growing Hope: Practical Tools for Our Changing Climate:  Conference keynote address by Dr. Rattan Lal·        Reducing Tillage Intensity in Organic Production SystemsOther Resources:·        The Organic CenterContact Jeff Schahczenski at jeffs@ncat.org.  Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.  You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT.ORG.  

The Organic Trade Association applauded the USDA and the National Organic Program for the new “Strengthening Organic Enforcement Rule.” The new regulation will do a lot to detect organic fraud and protect the integrity of organic agriculture throughout the supply chain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently updated its organic food regulations to tighten guidelines around organic products. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about the update, which comes after a number of allegations claiming farmers have tried to sell non-organic or conventional food products with the lucrative white and green USDA “organic” label. Even though the USDA has stringent rules for what is considered organic, there are varying rules in different countries that are prone to fraud and forgery. The new guidelines require the USDA's National Organic Program certification for all imported organic food, increase the certifications of more businesses in the supply chain and boost authority for inspections, record-keeping, traceability and fraud prevention practices. The team is pleased to hear about a long-awaited update, but wonders whether organic produce is worth the price.Also in this episode, Sydney talks about a new survey from the Cleveland Clinic that sheds light on some of the major challenges for maintaining a heart-healthy diet, with the cost of healthy food as the biggest barrier. According to the survey, 46 percent of Americans believe the cost of healthy food is the biggest barrier to eating healthy. Participants surveyed also cited a lack of time to prepare healthy meals (23 percent) and unfamiliarity with healthy ways of cooking (20 percent). Access to healthy food was also an issue, especially for minority communities. The survey also confirmed that there is still confusion amongst participants over what is considered healthy, with ten percent of Americans having chosen a fast-food diet as the most heart-healthy diet. The team is glad this survey revealed these answers, but posits that all levels of government should be doing more to give all Americans access to affordable, healthy food. Read the full article here:Here's Why the USDA Updated its Organic Food RegulationsSurvey Finds Cost of Healthy Food a Major Barrier for Heart HealthFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Soil is alive and we want a lot of life in the soil. According to Deborah Neher, Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont, healthy soils have three components. These are a range of different pore sizes to help with structure as well as balance water and air; balanced pH and nutrients; and organic matter to hold moisture and nutrients as well as provider microbes. Soil structure is created by mineral particles, bacteria, fungi, and plant roots. What determines a good quality soil depends on the ecosystem – a forest has different needs than active farmland. Bacteria and fungi are the life forms most associated with soil health. Some tests show the number of fungi and bacteria and their ratio to one another. However, they are not showing what is in the soil and there is still limited research on what these fungi and bacteria are doing. Often bacteria are associated with negative health factors. But there are many good bacteria that promote plant growth by producing nutrients or making nutrients more available. Others provide biological control. And others convert nitrogen in concert with legumes. Fungi can also be good and bad. Their structure is like linking pipes so they connect plants. This can help cope with drought conditions by pulling water from faraway sources. Deborah also touches on how to properly compost to kill off pathogens and weed seeds. Through research, she found that the process is more complicated than knowing the nitrogen to carbon ratio – the type of carbon matters! Her lab tried the same nitrogen to carbon compost “recipe” in three different production methods: windrow, aerobic static piles (ASP), vermicomposting. Each final product had completely different fungal and bacterial communities. Listen in to learn what kind of carbon is best for disease suppression. References: 28: Understanding Soil Health (podcast) 72: Soil Microbes and Nutrient Availability (podcast) Changes in Bacterial and Fungal Communities across Compost Recipes, Preparation Methods, and Composting Times Managing Nitrogen in the Vineyard and the Winery Efficiently Neher Lab Neher Lab Publications Perspectives article that covers history and approach to soil health with research agenda to soil health: Resilient soils for resilient farms: An integrative approach to assess, promote and value soil health for small- and medium-size farms. SIP Certified Soil Builders Module 3d: Compost for Soil Function and Disease Suppression, 9 December 2021. Invited Webinar Presentation (podcast) Soil community composition and ecosystem processes: Comparing agricultural ecosystems with natural ecosystems Sustainable Ag Expo November 14-16, 2022 | Use code PODCAST for $50 off The Compost Handbook The soil symphony. Interview by Leah Kelleher, 8 August 2020 (podcast) Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org. Transcript Craig Macmillan  0:00  I'm your host, Greg McMillan and our guest today is Dr. Deborah Neher. She's a professor in the Department of Plant soil science, the University of Vermont. And today we're going to talk about soil health. Welcome to the podcast.   Deborah Neher  0:10  Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.   Craig Macmillan  0:13  Before we get rolling, I understand you grew up on a farm, you have some background in agriculture.   Deborah Neher  0:16  I do. I grew up as a fourth generation family farm in Northwest Kansas, where we grew wheat and sorghum and had some livestock. And as far as my educational background, I have formal education in environmental science, as well as plant ecology. And I did my PhD at UC Davis in plant pathology. Since then, I've kind of merged to the ecology and the agriculture and I consider myself a soil ecologist. So my area is biology, but I work in soil.   Craig Macmillan  0:44  That's awesome. Because there's a lot of life in the soil. And we're about talking about everybody's interested in healthy soils. We have government programs now about topic. We have conferences, we have articles, we have books, but this is one of my favorite questions. When I talk to people about this topic I started with, what is your definition of a healthy soil?   Deborah Neher  1:03  That's a great question. And I know there's a number of definitions that are out there. But as a biologist, I want to first emphasize that soil is alive, and that we want a lot of life in the soil. A healthy soil would be one that's porous, that we have a number of, you know, range of different pore sizes, which give the soil structure and this also helps balance air in the water and soil. We need a chemically balanced soil, one that's valid for pH as well as nutrients in the soil. And then we need the biological part. And that's usually relates to organic matter, living plants. And plant roots are an important piece of that, too. Organic matter is kind of unique on the surface of organic matter, it's got these negative charges, and that attracts nutrients that have positive charges, like magnets, you know, opposites attract, yeah. But in addition to that nutrient holding capacity, it also brings in the microbes, and that's really a source of the microbes into the soil. Plant roots are also a source and support of the microbes in soil. So healthy soil, it's porous, it's chemically balanced, and it contains organic matter.   Craig Macmillan  2:10  The actual parameters for that are probably going to vary depending on the ecosystem, right? So what are the challenges for us? But how do I know like, how do I what do I manage? What do I look for? And obviously, I think, from what I can see, for different crops, I think the ranges are still kind of being figured out. I think what most people would like as well, I've got a five on this variable, do I need a 10? Or am I okay? And it doesn't seem to be that simple.   Deborah Neher  2:33  It is not that simple. It's really unique site by site, you know, one number can't really be applied to everything. When you get a number, you have to think well, what's good for what? And so a number for a good agriculture system might be a different number or a bad number, say, for a forest system, or for a functional wetland. So we have to really think about what is the the type of ecosystem? And what kind of land management practices are we interested in? That really depends and also what types of soil we're on, you know, what is good on a sandy soil might be different than if it's in a clay soil, heavy clay soil, for example.   Craig Macmillan  3:12  Exactly. And so today, I want to focus on the microbiome aspect of this. And we do you have a number of different types, classes, find ones even of organisms, bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, silicates, nematota, there's probably others that I'm forgetting. But today, I want to focus on the bacteria and the fungi, because those are two things that you can send to you send a sample to a lab, and you will get some measures of those. And it's like, okay, cool, but what are they doing? Right, so what role do different kinds of bacteria play in the functioning of a healthy soil?   Deborah Neher  3:44  A great question. And I'll just start with, I think we have to be really careful not to over generalize and say all bacteria are alike, or all fungi are alike. Because there are such a broad diversity. There's 1000s of 1000s of species, and different species do different things. And I also like to think of microbiome kind of like an orchestra, you need all the different players and working together. You don't just want specialists and soloist, you need the whole ensemble, right? If we go back to bacteria, there's a lot of different bacteria there are people often think about pathogens, that's the first thing on the mind is the bad guys. But there's a lot of beneficial bacteria, as well. There are bacteria that we call them plant growth, promoting bacteria, they're producing chemicals in the soil that are stimulating plant growth, the plant might perceive them as kind of like a plant hormone, perhaps or it could be converting a nutrient that makes it more available to the plant. There are some bacteria involved in biological control. For example, there's a bacillus subtilis that's a known as a biological control. And they can do that by just through their own natural defenses. You know, they're going to antagonize or compete with other microbes. There are also bacteria that are involved in nitrogen fixation, that are associated with legumes in the nodules of the legume, they create like a little factory in there, where they're converting nitrogen gas from the atmosphere, and converting that into ammonium, which is a form that the plant can take out. And one thing we have to be careful in bacteria is not to think they're all alike, as I mentioned, and even, we go well, then let's get down to family or maybe get down to genus, but you even have to be careful. Not every species within a genus is the same. For example, there's one called Pseudomonas and there's one species of Pseudomonas Pseudomonas syringae. That's a pathogen. There's another species of Pseudomonas Pseudomonas fluorescence, that's a well known biological control. Now, fungi, fungi have equally different, you know, variety of lifestyles or things they do. There's also fungal pathogens, there's those that are decomposers mycorrhizae. That's a popular topic these days, that's a type of fungus. The cool thing about them is they're like a big plumbing system, they have this body structure that's like long pipes. They're called hyphae. And they can connect between different plants and go long distances. So they can be helpful to help plants say cope with drought, for example, because they can pull water from a great distance and pull that into a central use. I also mentioned the that an important attribute of healthy soils, I think, is aggregate structure. And these aggregates are really a composite of not only the mineral particles of soil, but it links in the bacteria that produce sugars on their outside their sticky, helping those hold together. And the fungal hyphae, which act like threads that weave these together and then plant roots to they're really working in concert with that soil to help provide this structure. Aggregate stability is I think, an excellent indicator that we can measure of soil health.   Craig Macmillan  7:04  Is that's related to bulk density?   Deborah Neher  7:06  Ah, good question. Indirectly, aggregateability can be related to bulk density. Usually, if you have more aggregates, you actually have lower bulk density. Okay, because an aggregate is going to have open spaces, it's going to have a balance of air and water. So bulk density would be just thinking about the solid particles per unit volume. So if you fluffed those up with more spaces and voids, within that aggregate, you'll have less bulk density.   Craig Macmillan  7:36  Is there is there a way that I can can measure or investigate aggregates?   Deborah Neher  7:41  Yeah, that's a good question. As far as aggregate stability, there are some really fancy advanced methods that organizations like NRCS, the Natural Resource Conservation Service do and if you're a soil scientist you get into there's also some really simple things that you could do. The simplest one I ever saw was taking an egg carton and in the base of those putting clumps of soil and then adding a little bit of water into each of those and see how much that disintegrates once you add water. If it just all crumbles and become small particles, you do not have very good structure. It should stay fairly intact when you're dripping that water on there.   Craig Macmillan  8:22  Interesting interesting. I'm just thinking about clay so we have a lot of a lot of vineyards are in clay, clay, gravelly clay, loams, etc on the Coast California and and other places. And how hard it is the water to go in to those clay soils. So I'm thinking about like dropping putting water on a chunk of clay and and just seeing it kind of get slimy.   Deborah Neher  8:44  Yeah, clays are tough clays are really tough.   Craig Macmillan  8:47  Are there ways to at least get a sense of how much life there is in this the soil? I mean, I know that that like, oh, that's got to have this or that. But other kind of metrics that are ways of investigating or anything that I can do. So for instance, I've been looking at some lab reports recently where they give us a total bacteria to active bacteria ratio, and they give us some ranges, then they actually will give us some actual identifications of particular nematodes that are found total funded active. Okay. So I've been trying to figure out kind of how to interpret that. But then I'm also curious, so how do you cope with that kind of thing? Is this a gene sequencing thing? Or is it a mass based thing or you pour the reagent on and it turns blue?   Deborah Neher  9:29  Great question. And I've worked with some of the methods, those measures that you're talking about are really, I think, defined as total and active bacteria, total and active fungi, right?  Those methods, at least when I've used them involve a stain, kind of a fluorescent stain that you put on. And then you're actually making those into onto microscope slides and using the microscope so you have to spend time behind the microscope and you're counting, you know the number of cells or the number of hyphae that are crossing, you have a grid there, a grid pattern, and you're counting it. And that allows you to be quantitative. It's a laborious method, I would say it is the gold standard, if you want to actually get an estimate of total microbial biomass and activity, however, it's very tedious and very laborious. Another approach that people have used is one that's called PLFA phospho lipid fatty acids. That one is an easier method to get an estimate of biomass and activity. These are giving you some estimates. But this is where I say we have to be careful about overgeneralizing because this tells us nothing about who is there or what they're doing. We just knows there's a lot of them. And that's step one. Sometimes we hear a generalization about what about the ratio of fungi to bacteria, for example, and it's been touted that we want to strive for a higher ratio of fungi to bacteria. I'll tell you this concept really comes it from literature and science that was done in the 1980s. Really, the focus was on the effect of cultivation and tilling the soil. That's what it's really representing. Because when we go and cultivate and till soil, in fact, that's probably the most destructive thing we can do to the soil biology, you're just like ripping their house in their habitat into shreds. You're wrecking that pore structure. But anyway, so in cultivation, when we have highly tilled soils, that tends to favor bacteria. I mean, if you think about it, lots of threads, you know, for the hyphae. If you're slicing through there with knives, you're breaking those up. So that's deleterious to fungi. It's also deleterious to earthworms and also deleterious to other micro arthropods and larger organisms. So with cultivation, it's known that those tend to be fairly bacterially dominated soils. And so the thinking is, then if you go with a reduced till, or no till you're going to have more fungi. And so you'll start to see that ratio increase that, you know, tells us something about cultivation. I guess being trained as a plant pathologist, my first thing is we need to know at least who is there? Are we talking about pathogens? Or are we talking about beneficials? If all of those and most of them are pathogens, we don't want them? That's not necessarily a good thing, if all those fungi are pathogens, like ferrocerium or verticillium, or yeah, so we need to know who they are. That's the tip of the iceberg, right?   Craig Macmillan  12:38  You're working on related work, you actually do go down to the species level, when you do figure that out to describe the community in whatever system it is you're looking at. How do you actually do that?   Deborah Neher  12:47  Traditionally, we we use agar plates, and we try to culture these organisms. And it took very specialized media, some organisms grow faster than others. So we put things on there biocides to try to inhibit the ones we didn't want and allow the ones we did want, we call that a selective or a semi selective media. But then we learned only about 10% of microbes can live on a petri dish. So we were just looking at a subset of these organisms that did well. And consequently, we are missing a lot. But that's where the molecular techniques have come in, and helped us discover all those organisms that are not able to be cultured on a petri dish. There are techniques where you can take a soil and you can extract the DNA out of that. And then we use a series of steps, we call it amplicon sequencing, we put out what's called a primer on there, and it's going to copy a specific region of that DNA. And it's usually a region that's highly variable between species. And then once we extract that DNA, we can go through a process called a PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction just makes lots of copies. And then we can look at the sequence and there's databases that have sequences, and that helps us match to who is there, you know, the technology keeps improving, the longer the pieces we have, the better resolution we're gonna have. If they're short pieces, we may only get to family or genus longer pieces, that technology keeps improving. So we'll get more species.   Craig Macmillan  14:27  Do you think this kind of technology is going to find its way into the commercial realm? Or is this a strictly an academic thing at the moment?   Deborah Neher  14:34  Oh, I think definitely. And the price keeps coming down. So it's getting cheaper and cheaper to do. What I mentioned is who is there? What technology we still have to develop is what are they doing? That's a different kind of technique, and that's still at the academic level, and uses some different methods where we actually have to look at the genes and link them into a function. Are they fixing nitrogen? Are they producing say an oxidative enzyme. Antibiotic? What are they doing that part's academic. As far as who is there? I think this is where we have to understand their ecology, we need to know who and a little bit what they're reflecting, or is knowing that say, a lot of E. coli is there, that might be telling us do we have a contamination problem, you know, for example, if we know that's it, then we can prepare like a probe, a little tag that says, I want that organism and we can actually go fishing for it, pull it out and quantify it and say, this is how much we have. And then we could develop a model and say, once you're above a certain threshold, this could be risky. But we have to link it to say, a land management practice, or some known contaminant or something about land management, so we can help interpret what that means.   Craig Macmillan  15:52  So it sounds like to me, at the practitioner level, or at the industry level, we have some broad categories of things that we can find out. But there's a lot behind the curtain, we are guessing a lot. And so what's your advice, if I'm in that kind of situation where I have some information, but I don't have the kind of maybe I would like from a science standpoint, it's gonna be very important, obviously. But you've said different microbes do different things, what's kind of my best bet in terms of how I should proceed, or their techniques or things changes maybe, or the things that I might look for. So for instance, you talked about pathogens, I should be taking the top, I should be taking the top of the plant the plant part and evaluating it in relation to the soil health. So I might, for instance, have a high, I don't know, total active fungi, but maybe they are deleterious. And so I should be looking at the plant, seeing how the plants reacting that just simply what I'm getting out of the analysis, because it's kind of like what you want kind of what the grower wants, this is my take what a grower wants to say, okay, I'm gonna take a sample of soil, and what set it off? And then I'm gonna get a report back, and they're gonna tell me, yes or no, do this. Right. That's kind of where we're at at the moment. And so do you have any advice for how I can work with that? I guess I'm looking for some help on like, okay, gonna report back what I do next thing is just kind of kind of fishing for something here.   Deborah Neher  17:14  I think the first step is you always want to be scouting your plants. Do you see some kind of symptom? How well is it growing? Is are those leaves yellowing? Do I see lesions? Above ground? Is there something below ground? I mean, I think that's step one. So am I expecting there to be a problem? Those are some factors that we'll look at, is it a disease or not? Or is it an insect? You know, it could be that kind of thing. So we need to see, are there lesions are there root nodules? Are there something that doesn't look very healthy? That's step one. And I was gonna say for sure, if that's the case, then I would send a sample could be soil, or it could be part of the plant that has the symptoms into say, maybe a plant diagnostic clinic, but a lot of land grant universities have these available to growers that would help you identify a disease. There is interest in just general microbial activity, because everybody's trying to increase the activity and the diversity, etc. Commercially, there's limited types of tests available. The ones that are available are going to do like you said, the active and total bacteria or fungi, there are some estimates of respiration, which is another measure of activity, right. And there's another method that's fairly new. It's a per manganite method. It's a different chemistry method, a different way of looking, I can get your reference for the, you know, at the end, this per manganite method is is really linked in with management practices, and has been shown to really link nicely with that rather than just respiration. The problem with respiration is that you don't know who is respiring is it fungi, bacteria, it could be the plant roots itself, too. So it's really difficult to interpret. That's the really hard thing is it's so general, you don't know where it's coming from. On the beneficials and looking at the overall community. There are not very many commercial labs available yet. This is something I really would like to see. And I keep pushing it. One of the challenges is trying to get enough people that are trained to actually run these tests. Yeah, yeah. Like I've worked with some nematode communities, and I don't look at just pathogens but beneficials and there just aren't enough people in the world trained to do that. However, I keep if we can narrow down a particular like a dozen or a couple dozen organisms that are really like sentinel species are really tell us something important. Then we could develop molecular probes to those that specifically pull those out and help us interpret it. But that is still really at the research phase. Those are some of the things I'm going to do. But I need more people like myself so that we can accomplish this faster and maybe in my lifetime.   Craig Macmillan  20:12  Yeah, that's, that's a whole nother show the state of science and encouraging scientists of the future. You know, you don't even think of like little Jenny at age 10. Hey say, Jenny, what do you want to be? I want to be an ecologist, you know, it's not very normal and get that all the time. But we need more kids like that. Right? Right. Because nematodes are incredibly fascinating. They are just mind blowingly fascinating. Before we before we talked about that, or if we have time to talk about that. I wanted to get to compost recipes. You've done some interesting work where you studied different compost recipes, including what the manipulations of the windrose were, and then what the impact was on soil and fungal communities coming out of that. What kinds of things did you learn?   Deborah Neher  20:56  Sure, let me just tell you how I got started on compost. Yeah, so there was a year, a couple years here, I'm in Vermont. So there were a couple of years here that we had some major epidemics called early blight, or late blight, and these affect solanaceous, crops, potatoes, tomatoes, it was just bad year bad weather for this particular epidemic. So the farmer said, What do I do with my disease plants? Well, the extension agent said, throw them in the landfill. And I'm like, you know, the idea is you want to have keep the organic matter and the nutrients on your farm, we're not throw them in the landfill. So I said why if you compost these properly, you should be able to kill those pathogens and those weed seeds. So I set up a demonstration project. And we demonstrated that, okay, it works. Now the catch is you've got to really do a particular type of composting, it's got to be really monitored, it's what we call a thermophilic composting. It's got to reach high temperatures, and it says high temperatures that really helped kill the pathogens and weed seeds. Okay, that part is pretty well defined guidelines for that are, you know, outlined by the National Organic Program. And those work, the thing that it doesn't do is tell you what comes after the composting, they tell you the guidelines how to reach the thermophilic. But you don't want to stop there. Because if you let that cure and mature, you're going to have a lot of recolonization by beneficial microbes, and micro arthropods that are going to help you manage diseases. But you got to let it you got to be patient and allow this recolonization it happens naturally. These rules that are guidelines that are developed by say National Organic Program tell you use a carbon to nitrogen ratio of say 25 to 40 to one, so that many units of carbon two per unit of nitrogen, but they don't tell you what kind of carbon and carbons come in different flavors. There's carbons that are like carbohydrates that are like sugars, starches, they're really easy to decompose. And there are those that are like lignans and cellulose that are more difficult to decompose. We took some recipes where we could keep carbon to nitrogen ratios constant, but just changed the type of carbon, we follow the recipe. But what we found is you get completely different outcomes, that the type of carbon will completely change the micro, the bacterial and the fungal communities. So they're very unique. So as I say, recipe matters. You really need to think about what are you putting, hay, are you putting softwood you know, wood chips you puting some hardwood bark? What is it? As far as disease suppression they found out, you know, including some wood chips in that the bark and they're generally support a product that has more disease suppressive qualities.   Craig Macmillan  23:56  Okay. Is there a reference or a compendium or a book, for instance, that might have some more need to have information about these techniques. So people can try different things.   Deborah Neher  24:10  I have a peer reviewed scientific articles that outlines the actual research. But I've also just summarized a very large comprehensive chapter on disease suppression and using compost for disease suppression that just came out in a new book called The A Composting Handbook that was published in December 2021. And that is now available for purchase. I think it's about 1000 page book. So it's very comprehensive. So I've got a chapter that's almost 40 pages long in there, but it includes tables of which kinds of pathogens can be managed with compost, which kind of diseases you know, that's that's one of the features that I think will be useful to people that want to use composting.   Craig Macmillan  24:55  And I'll put a link to that in the in the show notes.   Deborah Neher  24:58  Great.I have one other thing I wanted to do. mentioned that I tried it, because you mentioned about the process and what's going on in the windrows. So we tried another thing, there's different means of achieving this thermophilic pile, you can have a windrow, where you can be turning it or you might keep it if you're trying to save land space, you have aerobic static piles. ASP is another method, just forcing oxygen into that. And then so those are two methods. And then there's a type of vermi-composting, working with earthworms that can also be used. Now, the thing with earthworms if you get too hot, it'll kill the earthworm when we're trying to do compost that can be meet qualifications for certified organic, it has to be shown and demonstrated that you've reached the temperatures. Long story short is we came up with the same recipe and tried curing it three different ways through the windrow the ASP or the vermi-compost. Start the same recipe, different curing process, completely different fungal and bacterial communities. So when people say, oh, just throw stuff together, I'm like, No, you really need to think about designing that compost. It leads me to think that eventually we need some designer compost, some that are made unique for different applications. And there's also a need to have a little bit more standardization and labeling of these products. So a consumer knows what they're getting. If you're gonna pay more, you want to know you're getting something better. Yes. You know, than if you're going low bid.   Craig Macmillan  26:37  Yeah, exactly. And in the in the vineyard world, I've been very pleased to see the composters, at least in our in a separate press California, you know, being able to demonstrate their techniques and give you the analysis and allow you to compare products pick like well, what I'm looking for here is I'm looking for nitrogen in some form. Okay, here's an analysis of nitrogen, because I'm less interested in and I'm more interested in carbon in some form, what kind of books organic carbon, so we fortunately, we're getting some of that, you know, so we're getting there. But obviously, there's way more work to do, like you said, designer products for particular situations, particular paths. And it's exciting. I think we got a long way to go. But we're doing really well. And I think people just generally interested in compost has a really good thing. And they're interested in, in learning more, I think is there. I think a long time ago was a hay compost is good. Like that was it. You know, compost is good. And then as time has gone on, we've got more experience, we've learned, hey, I need to be a little bit more sophisticated than that. So we're kind of out of time. But is there one thing regard to soil health that you'd suggest to our listeners, if you want to prove the health of their sauce?   Deborah Neher  27:43  Well, I think to me two biggies for really improving soil health is you want to keep plants in the system, and especially perennial plants, and that applies very much to vineyards. That's, that's good and also to reduce the tillage. So if we can keep the ideas, keeping plant roots in there all the time, and reducing the tillage that's going to really favor a more robust, active, resilient soil community and thus better soil health.   Craig Macmillan  28:13  That is good advice. I think there's a lot more to talk about, which I would love to do. We'll see if we can do that in the future of there's so much going on here. Where can people find out more about you?   Deborah Neher  28:23  Well, I will provide some links, you know, that will be available to you at the podcast site, some links there. I also have a personal web page that I make available, my various references as well. If you just search by name on Google, you'll find me everywhere.   Craig Macmillan  28:40  Yes, I noticed that. And yeah, I've got we will have a link to the lab, the near lab webpage as well, some other things and then a ton of links to various articles, podcasts, chapters. You've done a great job of getting out there. I really appreciate that a lot of folks do work kind of in a closet. And you very much had been doing some extension work and getting the findings out there.   Deborah Neher  29:01  My father would always ask me, well, what good is this for me? So it always kept me thinking I owe everything I learned in do I need to come back around and think about the application.   Craig Macmillan  29:13  I want to thank our guest, Dr. Deborah Neher, Professor of Plant and Soil Science at the University of Vermont.   Transcribed by https://otter.ai

#083: Real Organic Project co-founder Dave Chapman is joined by renowned author and market gardener Eliot Colemanm, and Stone Barns Farm Manager Jack Algiere, at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Tarrytown, NY. The three address an audience of chefs, doctors, nutritionists, and other organic food enthusiasts. Dave Chapman owns and operates Long Wind Farm in East Thetford, VT, which concentrates on soil-grown glasshouse tomatoes that are produced year round, a true feat in Vermont's cold climate. Dave is a longtime organic farmer, who along with fellow Vermont tomato farmer Dave Miskell noticed the suspicious appearance of  hydroponic tomatoes from other countries being sold with the USDA organic sticker a handful of years ago. Their research led to a web of injustices and untruths affecting real organic farmers throughout the organic industry, including berry growers, dairy producers,  grain farmers and more. The Real Organic Project was founded in 2017 and has evolved into an add-on food label. It is 100% farmer-led organization.Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic Program, setting the very standards that are being ignored by corporate interests today. Jack Algiere is the Director of Agroecology at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a farming enterprise that welcomes the public to enjoy the nature trails, farming operation, and food grown on site at its restaurants, including the famed Blue Hill. Relying on decades of farming experience, Jack works closely with chefs in the kitchen to grow a variety of crops for their dishes. He also oversees projects that communicate the importance of land stewardship and nature-based farming to visitors. To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/dave-chapman-eliot-coleman-jackj-algiere-stone-barns-episode-eighty-threeThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsIf you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/

In 2017 a small group of Vermont organic farmers met to decide the next steps after years of failed attempts to reform the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP).  The very foundations of organic were threatened as industry joined and then overwhelmed the NOP. Deciding that it couldn't go on, the farmers began the Real Organic Project. This quickly became a national movement that attracted many of the pioneers of the American organic movement.  Dave will describe the failures that drove the farmers to this action and what progress has been made. Currently, there are over 850 farms across the country certified by the Real Organic Project, which is recognized internationally as the authentic voice of the organic movement in the US. Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer. He runs Long Wind Farm in East Thetford, Vermont. He is a co-founder of the Vermont Organic Farmers and was among those initially certified by the USDA's National Organic Program. He is co-founder, co-director, and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project. He serves on the Policy Committee of the Organic Farmers Association. He has worked for years as an advocate for reform of the USDA. He has helped to organize 17 rallies across the country to protect organic. Now he works to bring together the organic movement and regain the lost integrity of the organic brand. He has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR's Morning Edition, The New Yorker, BBC World, and many other media outlets. Dave has interviewed many farmers, authors, chefs, activists, politicians, journalists, scientists, and eaters for the Real Organic Podcast. Excerpts of these interviews have appeared in the Real Organic Symposia. Chapman spoke with UVM on February 18th, 2022. Read more about Dave: https://www.realorganicproject.org/board-members/executive-board/executive-board-dave-chapman/ The Real Organic Project: https://www.realorganicproject.org/ The Real Organic Podcast: https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-podcast/ The Real Organic Symposium: https://www.realorganicsymposium.org/ Learn more about the Gund Institute: www.uvm.edu/gund Explore Gund events: www.uvm.edu/gund/events

A Minnesota farmer is accused of making $46 million by passing off chemically treated corn and soybeans as organically grown. James Clayton Wolf was charged July 7 in federal court with felony wire fraud. Prosecutors say Wolf falsely labeled crops grown on his rural Cottonwood County farm as organic and that he defrauded grain buyers and undermined the nation's organic labeling system. Organic crops are grown from non-GMO seeds and without chemicals or fertilizers. They generate higher prices on the market than non-organic crops. Organic crop certification is controlled by the federal National Organic Program, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grand jury's indictment says Wolf's organic farming certification was revoked in 2020. However, according to the document, Wolf continued selling non-GMO grain falsely labeled as organic through an “associate,” the Star Tribune reported. Wolf's attorney is Paul Engh. “Mr. Wolf is a 65-year-old career farmer who has never been in trouble,” said Engh. “He's led a good life and now seeks his vindication.” Wolf is scheduled to appear before a magistrate on July 22. Wire fraud is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger's office said the indictment is the result of collaboration between the FBI and the inspector general's office for the USDA. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

In this episode, Kenneth sits down with Mark Inman of Sustainable Harvest to talk about coffee certifications. They discuss each of the recognized certifications, explaining what they mean and the standards the farmers have to follow to gain each of them. Understanding all of this will help you to choose a coffee that fits in with your values and the way you want to live your life.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Organic coffee is about more than chemical free farming. It is designed to support the environment. ROC certification encourages a more advanced level of organic farming. For small farms, it is cost prohibitive to go through the certification process. If you see certifications that are different from those discussed in the show, the chances are they are misleading or even fake. Rainforest Alliance is focused on farm safety and the preservation of biological species. Fairtrade certification creates a minimum floor price to ensure small farmers can make a profit. Coffee is severely underpriced. Fairtrade America is different from Fair Trade USA. Carbon neutral certification is still being developed. Direct trade is not as good as it sounds. Mark explains why.   BEST MOMENTS ‘USDA organic is an offshoot of just the organic certification. ´ ‘There are a handful of chemicals that are systemic that go into the root system and attack the oils of the coffee.' ‘Coffee continues to be a crazy good foodie bargain.'   EPISODE RESOURCES USDA's National Organic Program standards : (https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program) Rainforest Alliance standards: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/ Bird Friendly Standards: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly Fair Trade International (Fair Trade  America) - https://www.fairtrade.net/standard Fair Trade USA - https://www.fairtradecertified.org/business/standards   GUEST RESOURCES Website: https://www.sustainableharvest.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustharv/ on Instagram for Sustainable Harvest Mark Inman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norcalglobetrotter/ on Instagram for Mark Inman   VALUABLE RESOURCES Award-winning single-origin specialty coffee: https://umblecoffee.com/ You're disciplined and high achieving. You never settle. Shouldn't the fuel that helps you reach your goals be held to those same standards? Instead of a crash-inducing cup of jo, you need coffee with optimal antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. A coffee so good that you can drink it black. At Umble Coffee, we only roast specialty-grade arabica coffee from around the world with cupping scores 84 and above. Don't sabotage yourself in pursuing your goals - drink coffee that tastes better and is better for you. No crash, great taste, and better long-term health benefits. That's Umble Coffee.    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/umblecoffee/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/umblecoffee/ Twitter:  https://mobile.twitter.com/umblecoffee   ABOUT THE HOST As a coffee lover, physician, chemical engineer, serial entrepreneur, competitive runner, writer, and family man, Kenneth knows what it's like to push yourself to achieve goals very few accomplish. He's one of the best specialty coffee roasters in the United States as he's a multi-year US Coffee Roasters' Competition Finalist. He created Umble Coffee Co with the belief that, if sourced and roasted right, coffee can taste phenomenal and be good for you. “Life's too short to drink bad coffee.”   Podcast Description Coffee 101 is an educational show on all things coffee. The host, Kenneth Thomas, starts with the most basic questions about coffee and builds your knowledge from there. If you love coffee, are curious about coffee, or you're a business just looking for a resource to train your team, Coffee 101 is without question the show for you! Season 1 is all about coffee's journey from seed to shelf.BUY COFFEE!: https://umblecoffee.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#065:  Bernward Geier, the former longtime director of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), fills us in on organic's progress outside of the US, where exciting wins are gaining momentum. The first of a two-part interview, this episode covers good news from Europe, along with many thoughts about US farmers' struggles with the USDA's limiting hold on the National Organic Program.Bernward Geier  is the former director of IFOAM (The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), a role which he held for 18 years.  He is the current director of COLABORA - Let's Work Together,  a nonprofit focused on bridging the overlap in sustainability movements between agricultural and ecological organizations. Bernward serves as a board member for Vandana Shiva's organization Navdanya, and is also a celebrated author, filmmaker, and speaker. To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/berward-geier-where-organic-is-winning-europe-sixty-fiveThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Consensus. Dialog. Patience. They're all part of the intricate process of rule-making. Listen as Todd-versations chats with Dr. Jennifer Tucker, Deputy Administrator of the Agriculture Marketing Service, National Organic Program. She explains why rule-making at the Federal level can take so much time. Simply put, it impacts people's lives.  We cover the Zoomathon, April 19-28, the Origin of Livestock Rule, the Organic Transition Initiative, and the NOP learning and training options found at the Organic Integrity Learning Center. Exciting news, funding has increased for the department. Who said we couldn't add a few zeros to their budget?

#058: Legendary organic farmer Eliot Coleman inspired Chef Dan Barber to focus on serving regional ingredients that could shape the food culture and ecological practices of his community for the better. This interview at NY's Stone Barns Center for Food + Agriculture culminates with some lengthy  banter about whether organic is enough, or needs to be replaced by regenerative growing practices.Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic Program, setting the very standards that are being ignored by corporate interests today.Dan Barber is the author of the Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food, the founder of Row 7 Seed Company, and the ecologically-minded chef behind the truly farm to table menu at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.  He is a multiple James Beard Award winner, including: Best Chef New York City. Dan serves on the Real Organic Project Advisory Board.To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/eliot-coleman-dan-barber-organic-vs-regenerative-episode-fifty-eightThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Also: State regulators said no to an increase in service charges at Rutland Regional Medical Center; USDA closes loophole in National Organic Program; Head of Vermont's largest prison has been suspended; Green Mountain Transit says some temporary service cuts will likely become permanent.

In this episode of the Direct Farm Podcast we're excited to welcome, Abby Lundrigan, Certification and Farmer Liason at Real Organic Project. The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement created to distinguish soil-grown and pasture-raised products under USDA organic. In response to the lack of enforcement of some vital USDA Organic standards to protect soil health and animal welfare, organic farmers rallied together to fight to protect the integrity of the organic label. Show Notes:https://www.realorganicproject.org/https://www.barn2door.com/resources

#051: Organic farmer and Maine congresswoman Chellie Pingree shares her insights as  the Chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture about what she calls "a dereliction of duty" by the USDA in its regulation of the National Organic Program. She also discusses the cancellation of organic dairy farming contracts by Horizon/ Danone, the inaction of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on a number of issues, the powerful lobbies that work to influence our food systems' regulations, and a handful of important solutions to problems plaguing small family farmers, such as the need for regional processing plants and improved infrastructure.Chellie Pingree moved to Maine and became an organic farmer after reading Helen and Scott Nearing's book "The Good Life." In 1992 she was elected to the Maine State Senate and has served in the US House of Representatives since 2008. She currently sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, and Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. She also sits on the House Agriculture Committee.   To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/congresswoman-chellie-pingree-us-agriculture-failures-opportunities-episode-fifty-oneThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsThe Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

How can farmers adapt to climate changes? How can regenerative farmers have livelihoods that nourish themselves and their communities? How can we break free of the commodity mindset and rethink the US food system? Bob Quinn's remarkable memoir of his decades living and working on a Montana farm offers unique insights into all of these pressing questions, with creativity, intelligence, and a healthy dash of humor. Quinn is a farmer and sustainable business leader. He founded a regional mill for organic and heritage grains, an organic snack company, a biofuel business, Montana's first wind farm, and Kamut International. Kamut, an ancient grain Quinn revived from a pint jar of seed found in a neighbor's basement, is now grown on 100,000 acres of certified organic cropland and made into over 3,500 products worldwide. In Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food (Island Press, 2019), co-written with Liz Carlisle, he shares the stories of these innovative projects. Through his narrative, Quinn offers readers an insightful ground-level look at the history of the organic food movement, as well as hope for the future. Bob Quinn, PhD is a leading green businessman, with successful ventures in both organic agriculture and renewable energy. Raised on a 2,400 acre wheat and cattle ranch in Montana, Quinn earned a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry at UC Davis before coming home to farm in 1978. He served on the first National Organic Standards Board, which spurred the creation of the USDA's National Organic Program, and has been recognized with the Montana Organic Association Lifetime of Service Award, The Organic Trade Association Organic Leadership Award, and Rodale Institute's Organic Pioneer Award. Bob remains active in research, and has co-authored pioneering studies on the nutritional benefits of ancient grain. Susan Grelock Yusem, PhD is an independent researcher trained in depth psychology, with an emphasis on community, liberation, and eco-psychologies. Her work centers around interconnection and encompasses regenerative food systems, the arts and conservation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

How can farmers adapt to climate changes? How can regenerative farmers have livelihoods that nourish themselves and their communities? How can we break free of the commodity mindset and rethink the US food system? Bob Quinn's remarkable memoir of his decades living and working on a Montana farm offers unique insights into all of these pressing questions, with creativity, intelligence, and a healthy dash of humor. Quinn is a farmer and sustainable business leader. He founded a regional mill for organic and heritage grains, an organic snack company, a biofuel business, Montana's first wind farm, and Kamut International. Kamut, an ancient grain Quinn revived from a pint jar of seed found in a neighbor's basement, is now grown on 100,000 acres of certified organic cropland and made into over 3,500 products worldwide. In Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food (Island Press, 2019), co-written with Liz Carlisle, he shares the stories of these innovative projects. Through his narrative, Quinn offers readers an insightful ground-level look at the history of the organic food movement, as well as hope for the future. Bob Quinn, PhD is a leading green businessman, with successful ventures in both organic agriculture and renewable energy. Raised on a 2,400 acre wheat and cattle ranch in Montana, Quinn earned a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry at UC Davis before coming home to farm in 1978. He served on the first National Organic Standards Board, which spurred the creation of the USDA's National Organic Program, and has been recognized with the Montana Organic Association Lifetime of Service Award, The Organic Trade Association Organic Leadership Award, and Rodale Institute's Organic Pioneer Award. Bob remains active in research, and has co-authored pioneering studies on the nutritional benefits of ancient grain. Susan Grelock Yusem, PhD is an independent researcher trained in depth psychology, with an emphasis on community, liberation, and eco-psychologies. Her work centers around interconnection and encompasses regenerative food systems, the arts and conservation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How can farmers adapt to climate changes? How can regenerative farmers have livelihoods that nourish themselves and their communities? How can we break free of the commodity mindset and rethink the US food system? Bob Quinn's remarkable memoir of his decades living and working on a Montana farm offers unique insights into all of these pressing questions, with creativity, intelligence, and a healthy dash of humor. Quinn is a farmer and sustainable business leader. He founded a regional mill for organic and heritage grains, an organic snack company, a biofuel business, Montana's first wind farm, and Kamut International. Kamut, an ancient grain Quinn revived from a pint jar of seed found in a neighbor's basement, is now grown on 100,000 acres of certified organic cropland and made into over 3,500 products worldwide. In Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food (Island Press, 2019), co-written with Liz Carlisle, he shares the stories of these innovative projects. Through his narrative, Quinn offers readers an insightful ground-level look at the history of the organic food movement, as well as hope for the future. Bob Quinn, PhD is a leading green businessman, with successful ventures in both organic agriculture and renewable energy. Raised on a 2,400 acre wheat and cattle ranch in Montana, Quinn earned a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry at UC Davis before coming home to farm in 1978. He served on the first National Organic Standards Board, which spurred the creation of the USDA's National Organic Program, and has been recognized with the Montana Organic Association Lifetime of Service Award, The Organic Trade Association Organic Leadership Award, and Rodale Institute's Organic Pioneer Award. Bob remains active in research, and has co-authored pioneering studies on the nutritional benefits of ancient grain. Susan Grelock Yusem, PhD is an independent researcher trained in depth psychology, with an emphasis on community, liberation, and eco-psychologies. Her work centers around interconnection and encompasses regenerative food systems, the arts and conservation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

How can farmers adapt to climate changes? How can regenerative farmers have livelihoods that nourish themselves and their communities? How can we break free of the commodity mindset and rethink the US food system? Bob Quinn's remarkable memoir of his decades living and working on a Montana farm offers unique insights into all of these pressing questions, with creativity, intelligence, and a healthy dash of humor. Quinn is a farmer and sustainable business leader. He founded a regional mill for organic and heritage grains, an organic snack company, a biofuel business, Montana's first wind farm, and Kamut International. Kamut, an ancient grain Quinn revived from a pint jar of seed found in a neighbor's basement, is now grown on 100,000 acres of certified organic cropland and made into over 3,500 products worldwide. In Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food (Island Press, 2019), co-written with Liz Carlisle, he shares the stories of these innovative projects. Through his narrative, Quinn offers readers an insightful ground-level look at the history of the organic food movement, as well as hope for the future. Bob Quinn, PhD is a leading green businessman, with successful ventures in both organic agriculture and renewable energy. Raised on a 2,400 acre wheat and cattle ranch in Montana, Quinn earned a Ph.D. in plant biochemistry at UC Davis before coming home to farm in 1978. He served on the first National Organic Standards Board, which spurred the creation of the USDA's National Organic Program, and has been recognized with the Montana Organic Association Lifetime of Service Award, The Organic Trade Association Organic Leadership Award, and Rodale Institute's Organic Pioneer Award. Bob remains active in research, and has co-authored pioneering studies on the nutritional benefits of ancient grain. Susan Grelock Yusem, PhD is an independent researcher trained in depth psychology, with an emphasis on community, liberation, and eco-psychologies. Her work centers around interconnection and encompasses regenerative food systems, the arts and conservation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science

#022: Arran Stephens is the chair and co-founder of Nature's Path, one of the few big brands who were present at the onset of the modern  organic movement and remain true to the spirit and letter of the organic law. Having served on many industry boards, including the Organic Trade Association and the Non-GMO Project, Arran's long-held view is that we need  to stay wary of profit-motivated players and foster the growth of more activism-centered businesses.  Arran Stephens has been involved in the organic movement since the late 1960s and founded Nature's Path with his wife Ratana in 1985. They are now North America's biggest certified organic breakfast foods company. He served on the board of Organic Merchants in the early 70s, was on the board of the OTA during the creation of the USDA's National Organic Program, was a founding board member of the Non-GMO Project (which he later parted ways with), and has also served on the board of the Rodale Institute. He is outspoken about his role as an activist and the importance of that behavior to his family's business and the organic movement.  To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/arran-stephens-fighting-lobbysits-who-dilute-organic-episode-twenty-twoThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

#019:  A brief interview with Enid Wonnacott about the drafting of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990.  Enid shares how farmers learning from one another and always striving to improve the program were meant to be at the forefront of the standards.Enid Wonnacott, (the late) longtime Executive Director of NOFA Vermont was a champion of the organic, local food movement, helping to form the National Organic Program and sparking plenty of opportunities for both learning and sales for organic farmers in Vermont. In addition to her many accomplishments within the organic movement, she is remembered for bringing singing, dancing, food, and joy to decades of gatherings. We interviewed her in August of 2018 at the NOFA Summer Conference at UMass Amherst.  To watch a video version of this podcast please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/enid-wonnacott-when-the-organic-floor-became-a-ceiling-episode-nineteen/The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce. It also identifies pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs as compared to products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be. But the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing small farms that follow the law. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but are still paying a premium price. The lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

Organics Unpacked Episode #15: Interview with Logan Petrey Linkenhoger, Organics Ranch Manager at Grimmway Farms National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) member Logan Petrey Linkenhoger joins Organics Unpacked to explain the board's work and impact on the National Organic Program. As the Organics Ranch Manager at Grimmway Farms, Logan also discusses the growing market share of organic vegetables, as well as future challenges in organic farming. Learn more about Avé Organics: www.aveorganics.com Learn more about the Grimmway Farms: www.grimmway.com Connect with our guest on LinkedIn #organicfarming

Do you know what the National Organic Program (NOP) does? Spend some time with Dr. Tucker and learn why you are invaluable to the NOP's success.

#008: Farming icon Eliot Coleman talks about deep organic, deep science, and the history of organic farming's struggle to stave off the chemical farming industry.Eliot Coleman is an author, market gardener, and educator. His work on the USDA study in the late 1970's, "Report and Recommendations on Organic Farming" helped lead to the formation of the National Organic Program, setting the very standards that are being ignored by corporate interests today. To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/eliot-coleman-real-organic-vs-chemical-farming-episode-eightThe Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:https://www.realorganicproject.org/farmsWe believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Fans!https://www.realorganicproject.org/1000-real-fans/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/

It’s bought, it’s sold, it’s debated. But what is organic food? This week on Meat and Three, we travel into the world of organics. In the land we now refer to as the “United States,” indigenous communities have been growing their food “organically” for centuries. But “organic food” in the U.S. is now tied to a slew of technical regulations required for certification. The United States Department of Agriculture defines organic food as food produced without the use of antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. This is why organic food can be more costly than food produced with polluting chemicals.When the organic food movement went mainstream in the United States in the 1970s, it wasn’t just about compiling a list of regulations. Its roots dug deep into efforts to protect human health and the environment. Our stories this week explore the meaning of “organic.” We start off with an organic food 101. Then we report on how corporations in the United States have influenced the movement and we hear from the Gorzynski family about why they penned themselves as ornery instead of organic. In our final segment, we bring you a story on how the ties between white supremacy and organic food challenged a farmer’s market to its core.Further Reading and Listening:Hear more from Wythe Marschall and Melissa Metrick on Fields. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode!  (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS).To learn more about corporate consolidation in the organic sector, check out Amanda Starbuck’s recent report for Food and Water Watch.Find the Gorzynski Ornery Farm at the Union Square Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. And read more about the farm, and John’s work at NOFA and the Farm Bureau, here.You can learn more about Abby Ang’s organization No Space for Hate on their website and Twitter. Alison Hope Alkon’s book Black, White, and Green: Farmers Markets, Race, and the Green Economy can be found at your local bookstore. To read more of her work, check out her other publications here.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast. 

A federal court in Missouri approved a $39.5 million Roundup settlement and awarded a cy pres payment while a federal court in Wyoming dismissed a suit challenging RFID tags and the Tenth Circuit vacated the small refinery RFS exemptions issued by the prior administration.  Then, a report from EPA’s Inspector General found decreased EPA enforcement due to lack of funding and a Michigan dairy farm was penalized for NPDS violations. Also, Mexico extended the compliance deadline for U.S. producers under the country’s recently enacted Organic Products Law while USDA announced payments to socially disadvantaged farmers Under and reopened the comment period for the Origin of Livestock Rule under the National Organic Program.   Hosted by Audry Thompson, Research Assistant Material from the Agricultural Law Weekly Review—May 21, 2021  Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law https://aglaw.psu.edu/  Follow us on Twitter @AgShaleLaw  Like us on Facebook Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law This material is based upon work supported by the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Music is “Caazapá (Aire Popular Paraguayo)” by Edson Lopes is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

Dear friends, I'm super excited to have Mark Squire as my guest on today's episode. Mark is a co-owner and manager of Good Earth Natural Foods. His career began in the 1960s after reading J.I. Rodale and Sir Albert Howard, which instilled in him a deep conviction of the need to move agriculture away from pesticide dependence toward natural system approaches. This led him to Good Earth Natural Foods, where he has worked relentlessly for the past 51 years.Throughout his reputable career, Mark's mission has always centered on improving the foundation of our diet by developing a deep knowledge of GMO-laden products and discovering ways of optimizing organic farming practices. During his time at Good Earth, Mark created a beautiful community with health at the very heart of the company's identity. He fondly remembers how new staff would join the company and transform their health within a short time. Especially touching for him were those staff members who came in with serious health problems, and after learning the links between a good diet and overall health, finally freed themselves of problems that made life difficult for so long. One of Mark's good friends, Bob Quinn, wrote a book called "Grain by Grain" that I highly recommend to those interested in the relationship between food and health. One of Bob's startling revelations in the book is his claim that the last 50 years of American history could be summed up in 3 remarkably similar graphs of 3 ostensibly different things. One shows a steady rise in the percentage of the US population with diagnosed diabetes from less than 1% in 1958 to nearly 10 % today. Another shows a very similar trend line in the average carbon dioxide concentration at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii - this is the famous Kelling Curve, which first sounded the alarm on climate change. The third graph shows the number of Americans relying on food stamps, which rose from just over 10 million in 1972 to more than 45 million today. He claims that the correlation in these trends is no accident - they are all symptomatic of a system of producing and consuming goods, particularly food that has gone badly awry".Unless we begin to change the food system, these trends will continue to rise, with disastrous consequences for our health, our livelihoods, and our planet. Mark spent a lot of time in Washington D.C. as part of an industry-wide effort to lobby Congress on the Farm Bill. Through that process, he saw major wins for organic like increased funding for research and increased funding for the National Organic Program. It feels like there’s a growing recognition that supporting organic is an investment in healthy communities.Please enjoy the episode. I'd be happy to receive your feedback on what you liked about it and what I could do better in the future.With love, Crina

Episode Title: Organic Certifications with Harriet Behar Show notes: Getting organically certified is one of the first and most important steps to transitioning to organic farming, but how does one actually go about it? Harriet Behar has worked in organic systems for over thirty years and is an expert on the regulations, processes, and requirements for getting organically certified. Join us and host Dr. Erin Silva as we discuss this crucial process in part one of our four part series on transitioning to organic farming. Tune in to learn more about: What goes into creating an Organic System Plan How knowing the requirements ahead of time can save time when transitioning to organic farming How to avoid comingling of organic and non-organic crops and seeds in parallel organic and conventional operations What happens during an organic inspection How crop rotations differ in conventional and organic systems If you would like to find transcripts for this episode or sign up for our newsletter, please visit our website: http://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/ Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you would like to reach out to Harriet, you can find her here: harriet.organic@gmail.com If you would like to reach out to Erin, you can find her here: Twitter: @Emsilva624 emsilva@wisc.edu Resources CEU Quiz Link: https://www.agronomy.org/education/classroom/classes/776 Managing through the Organic Transition in Grain Crop Production Webinar Series: https://www.agronomy.org/education/classroom/classes/658 OGRAIN: https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/ OGRAIN Resources: https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/resources/ OGRAIN Winter Conference: https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/ OGRAIN YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbIqPECXj3WfeUEjYGAgdYg OGRAIN Field Days: https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/prior-ograin-events/ Moses Organic Certifier list: https://mosesorganic.org/organic-certification/ Moses Fact Sheets: https://mosesorganic.org/publications/organic-fact-sheets/ Moses Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program: https://mosesorganic.org/projects/mentor-program/ Moses Organic Field Days: https://mosesorganic.org/events/organic-field-days/ Practical Farmers of Iowa: https://practicalfarmers.org/ Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Days: https://practicalfarmers.org/events/field-days/ Land Stewardship Project: https://landstewardshipproject.org/ Land Connection: https://thelandconnection.org/ Land Connection Field Days: https://thelandconnection.org/workshops-2/ Michael Fields Agricultural Institute: https://michaelfields.org/ National Organic Program website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/about-ams/programs-offices/national-organic-program NCR SARE: https://www.northcentralsare.org/ This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2018-38640-28416 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC18-166. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Field, Lab, Earth is copyrighted to the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Have you ever wonderer who protects the integrity of the certified organic label? Join us in our chat with NOP Deputy Administrator, Dr. Jenny Tucker. We talk about organic standards, organic label integrity, NOP's actions against fraud, barriers and challenges organic producers face, NOP's support for the organic program, and resources for consumer protection. Fresh Take is your weekly dose of all things related to organic and sustainable living. Join Florida Organic Growers staff and guest experts as we discuss everything you need to know about sustainable living, organic agriculture, and how to make the best lifestyle choices that benefit you and the environment. So, if you’re an eco-warrior, a dedicated farmer, or just someone looking to make more conscious decisions, tune in every Monday to get your Fresh Take. Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc. (FOG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 1987 as a grassroots organization, formed by those who believe in organic, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture. Our vision is to create a more sustainable and just food system that benefits both consumers and the environment. Quality Certification Services (QCS) has been an industry leader in providing organic, food safety, and ethical certifications since 1989. As an accredited certifying agency, QCS has been meeting the demands of a growing food industry for more than 30 years. QCS is proud to offer organic and food safety certification for crop production, livestock, retail, restaurants, processing and handling, and importer and exporter operations of all sizes. As the largest US-based certification agency on the eastern seaboard, QCS and our staff of highly qualified and dedicated food and agricultural scientists, educators, and regulators, is capable of meeting all certification needs with expertise.Support the show (https://foginfo.org/donate/)

Have you ever wonderer who protects the integrity of the certified organic label? Join us in our chat with NOP Deputy Administrator, Dr. Jenny Tucker. We talk about organic standards, organic label integrity, NOP's actions against fraud, barriers and challenges organic producers face, NOP's support for the organic program, and resources for consumer protection. Fresh Take is your weekly dose of all things related to organic and sustainable living. Join Florida Organic Growers staff and guest experts as we discuss everything you need to know about sustainable living, organic agriculture, and how to make the best lifestyle choices that benefit you and the environment. So, if you’re an eco-warrior, a dedicated farmer, or just someone looking to make more conscious decisions, tune in every Monday to get your Fresh Take. Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc. (FOG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit established in 1987 as a grassroots organization, formed by those who believe in organic, sustainable, and regenerative agriculture. Our vision is to create a more sustainable and just food system that benefits both consumers and the environment. Quality Certification Services (QCS) has been an industry leader in providing organic, food safety, and ethical certifications since 1989. As an accredited certifying agency, QCS has been meeting the demands of a growing food industry for more than 30 years. QCS is proud to offer organic and food safety certification for crop production, livestock, retail, restaurants, processing and handling, and importer and exporter operations of all sizes. As the largest US-based certification agency on the eastern seaboard, QCS and our staff of highly qualified and dedicated food and agricultural scientists, educators, and regulators, is capable of meeting all certification needs with expertise.Support the show (https://foginfo.org/donate/)

About Jo Ann Jo Ann is the Executive Director of the Wild Farm Alliance. She is the author of many publications on the intersection between biodiversity conservation and agriculture, including beneficial birds, the conservation mandates within the National Organic Program regulations, and the co-management of food safety and conservation. Before joining WFA in 2001, she […] The post Episode 26: Jo Ann Baumgartner Farming With The Wild appeared first on Rewilding.

Dave Chapman runs Long Wind Farm in Vermont and is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Real Organic Project. After unveiling how our current organic standards may be misleading consumers and falling short of what "organic" should mean, he now actively fights for integrity and transparency in the National Organic Program. On this podcast episode, Dave shares the shocking reality of how products from CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and hydroponics can be certified organic by the USDA; why hydroponics should not be considered organic; how he's dealing with the challenges of going against big money and corporate influence; and more.   Episode notes: www.greendreamer.com/142 Support the show: www.greendreamer.com/support Instagram: www.instagram.com/greendreamerpodcast

How does the USDA's National Organic Program use its definition of words to determine whether organic food remains free of synthetic ingredients? Most of us don't even think about this issue, and instead just assume if a food in the store is labeled as "organic," that's really what it is and we don't have to worry about it containing synthetic or toxic ingredients. Recently I saw a great article on the subject by OCA attorney and political director Alexis Baden-Mayer on this important subject. Organic Consumers Association ("OCA") is particularly focused on promoting "regenerative agriculture." This is a form of food production that creates rich, living soil ecosystems and healthy environments, instead of the destructive health effects and pollution that typically come from the use of conventional, toxic chemical-based agriculture. USDA is one of the biggest promoters of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and even GMO seeds and crops on the planet. I have met great and very sincere people working in the USDA organic program. But it is important to realize that at the top levels, USDA officials are not running the organic program because they want to replace chemical agriculture with something safer and better at producing healthy food. It is far more likely that their motive is to get all those who want to eat organic food trusting USDA organic certification, and then to quietly undermine their definition of organic step by step until it is essentially the same as food grown with chemicals. Organizations like OCA are watchdogs committed to not letting that happen. This Sunday, meet OCA attorney Alexis Baden-Mayer, and learn the good things that are happening with the National Organic Program, her view on whether eating "organic" under their current definitions is still a good idea, and the work that still needs to be done to keep organic certification meaningful.

Dave Chapman got his start at Long Wind Farm in 1984 with a team of oxen, a diverse array of vegetables, and a roadside stand in East Thetford, Vermont. Today, he only grows tomatoes – and lots of them! With 2.5 acres of greenhouses, Dave and his crew produce certified organic, soil-grown tomatoes all year ‘round. Dave digs in to the nuts and bolts of producing tomatoes in protected culture. He shares the details of his high-tech greenhouse system, Long Wind Farm’s fertility management strategies, and how Dave learned to get out of the way of his farm’s success while managing business and personal goals that were often in conflict with each other. Dave also shares his views on the current state of the National Organic Program, organic hydroponics, and the organic livestock rules, and talks about the action being taken to try to change the situation. Perennial support for the Farmer to Farmer Podcast is generously provided by Vermont Compost Company and BCS America. Pictures, show links, and more at farmertofarmerpodcast.com/episodes/longwind.

190: Grace Gershuny on The Organic Revolution. Recollecting early food system activism. Grace is widely known as an author, educator and organic consultant. In the 1990's she served on the staff of the USDA's National Organic Program, where she helped write the regulations. She learned much of what she knows through her longtime involvement with the grassroots organic movement, where she organized conferences and educational events and developed an early organic certification program for the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). She currently teaches in the Green Mountain College online Masters in Sustainable Food Systems program and serves on the Board of the Institute for Social Ecology. She has a Masters in Extension Education from the University of Vermont, with a self-designed concentration in Ecological Agriculture. Doing business as GAIA Service she works as an independent organic inspector.  She also does consulting for private and non-profit clients on all aspects of organic certification, developing related standards and certification systems, and training programs.  A reformed market gardener, Grace still grows her own veggies and chicken in Barnet, Vermont. In this podcast: Greg is impressed when he gets a chance to talk with Grace who tells about being part of the early organic food movement and her part in writing the first standards for organic food regulation. Her story is important for anyone who is interested in being active in writing food policy for our legislators. Go to www.urbanfarm.org/grace for more information, photos and links on this podcast and to hear our other great guests.

The giants of industrial agriculture saw the light and became organic. To determine how organic they became, the government audited its National Organic Program. This audit leads us to ask…

Mark Kastel, co-founder of the Cornucopia Institute, talks to me this week about the future of organic standards. This organization is dedicated to protecting organic standards, small-scale organic family farms, the wisdom of sustainable and organic agriculture and the quality and integrity of the food we all eat. Transcript Click here to view the full transcript for #35 The Future of Organic Standards with Mark Kastel. The Institute regularly engages in campaigns and lobbying efforts to protect or enact laws that favor small-scale farming and organic standards. Today we are going to talk about the future of organic standards and how seriously our food supply is in jeopardy. About Mark Kastel Mark Kastel is the co-founder of The Cornucopia Institute, a populist farm policy research group based in Wisconsin. He acts as its Senior Farm Policy Analyst and directs its Organic Integrity Project. For almost 20 years prior to Cornucopia’s launch he was president of M. A. Kastel and Associates, Inc. His professional practice included political consulting, lobbying on behalf of family farm groups, and business development work benefiting family-scale farmers. Mark played a key role, through his research and policy work, in bringing great media scrutiny to the horrors happening to cows and on dairy farms using rBGH, a synthetic hormone used to increase cow’s milk production on dairy farms beginning in the 80’s. Mark continues to be closely involved in monitoring the seriously flawed management of the National Organic Program at the USDA. Find Mark Kastel www.Cornucopia.org www.FoodSafetyNews.com  If you’re enjoying the Live to 110 podcast, please leave Wendy a review in iTunes. Thanks!   Are toxic metals causing your fatigue and health issues? Find out by taking Wendy’s Heavy Metals Quiz at