Tri-State Organic IP Video Program Session V
Introduction to Organic Markets and Certification
November 15, 2007
Audience Questions
With Answers Provided Afterwards
Questions for Harriet Behar:
In your experience what have farmers used in place of treated fence
posts when adding new livestock enclosures?
The regulation states treated fenceposts (those treated with synthetic
substances not on the approved list, and there are no treatments
currently present) cannot have contact with organic land or livestock.
This only applies to the farmer once they have applied for organic
certification, old fenceposts can remain in place and do not need any
sort of buffer. I have seen untreated cedar, black locust, white oak or
redwood used for new fences on certified organic farms. I have also
seen producers put plywood over a treated post used inside a loafing
shed, this keeps the livestock from rubbing up against the treated
post. For fenceposts that have access to the weather, where there
could be leaching, I see certification agencies allowing the use of an
electric wire that will keep the animals back from the posts 12 inches
or so, since they cannot graze right up to the post. However, the
certifiers only usually allow this for corner posts, where the extra
strength might be needed, not for a full fence. Metal fenceposts are
fine. For raised beds in greenhouses or outdoors, I have seen many
farmers successfully use the recycled plastic decking sides with a cedar
upright used as a support. Many producers put up new fences using
treated posts during their transition years, and then get these
grandfathered in at their first inspection. This follows the letter, but
not the spirit of the law. The farmer can discuss their specific situation
with their certification agency, since some are more strict on a buffer
area adjoining newly installed treated posts than others. (H. Behar)
Can you grow your own organic seed?
vegetables.
Example…heirloom
Yes! The mandate to use organic seed when available was actually put
in place to encourage farmers to grow their own seed and develop a
more sustainable system with less reliance on purchased inputs
including seed. Since you can use nonorganic seed when the organic
variety was not available (as long as it doesn't have any nonapproved
synthetic treatments), farmers are allowed to use their own seed even
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from their own nonorganic buffer zones or from their own conventional
land. The law would not mandate the farmer to sell their nonorganic
buffer oats as conventional and then go out and buy organic oat seed.
The only time when buffer zone nonorganic seed could be an issue,
would be with cross pollination with a GMO, such as soybean or open
pollinated corn. GMO alfalfa is another story too, but most farmers
here in the Midwest do not combine their own alfalfa seed. If the
farmer had their own organic oats in addition to their nonorganic
buffer zone, the certifier might tell them that there was organic oats of
the type he wanted to use, and tell him to plant back some of his own
organic oats rather than the buffer zone or conventional oats.
For hybrid corn seed, since many of the larger seed suppliers do not
have organic seed, like Pioneer, and do not intend to grow any
organically at least for now.....the farmers just say, they can't find
what they want as organic. However the rule doesn't say a specific
variety cannot be found, but an equivalent variety.....so many
certifiers are asking farmers to trial out organic varieties along with
the nonorganic seed they purchase, to see if there are any equivalent
organic varieties out there. So a farmer may buy 60 bags of untreated
nonGMO Pioneer corn seed and 6 bags of 2 varieties of Blue River
organic corn, and then document whether the organic seed did as well
or not.....If it did as well as the Pioneer, then the next year, they will
need to buy the organic seed. This is the same for heirloom type
vegetable seeds, there is no mandate that growers grow their own, but
they are certainly encouraged. (H. Behar)
Could you apply any kind of plant matter to the certified area was
interesting...even GMO corn stalks? Perhaps leaves from apple trees
sprayed with conventional pesticides? What about plant residue from
plants treated with systemic or contact insecticides/herbicides with
long residuals...would they have to be composted? and if so how is the
consumer assured that there is no active residue in the residue?
I'll have to look to see if corn gluten meal is an option especially if
derived
from GMO corn...
This allowance for possibly "contaminated" crops as mulches or
compost ingredients IS curious, but is not specifically prohibited.
Some certifiers are more strict than others, stating there is a risk of
contamination, or that the GMO cornstalks might kill earthworms or
other soil life, and therefore not allow them. Grass clippings from
heavily fertilized and herbicide treated lawns are usually not allowed,
but municipal leaves are used regularly, which could include those
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from fruit trees that had been treated with who knows what.....The
herbicide clopyralid has a residual which kills plants in the solanacae
family like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, but again this is more of a
warning to the growers than a prohibition for use when the mulch crop
or compost ingredient was sourced from a farm that had used this
product.
Organic is as system of production, not a guarantee of pure food. The
grower is being rewarded for their environmental stewardship, not for
a guarantee that there are no residues of chemicals on their food. The
penguins in Antarctica have pcbs in their fat, it rains atrazine in the
spring here in Wisconsin (thanks to the heavy use just west of us in
Iowa), and I am sure there are many other background contaminants
that cannot be avoided when producing organic food. Organic farmers
do not contribute to this chemical use when they grow their crops, and
therefore it makes sense that there is less present on the organically
produced food than on the nonorganic. This is the only statement that
we can give to consumers, although many view organic as completely
free of any prohibited substance.
Corn gluten meal cannot be used as a soil amendment is it is derived
from GMO corn. (H. Behar)
Question for Cathy Greene:
Indiana operations dropped significantly from 73 to 43 operations
during 2005 to 2000 while other states listed in the Midwest increased.
Are there other states with similar declines and why do you feel
Indiana has had such a reduction of operations?
The 2000-2005 period included the transition from a patchwork of
state and private organic standards to uniform national rules. After
USDA's rules were implemented in 2002, some certifiers and growers
decided not to pursue accreditation (certifiers) or certification
(growers).
The certified organic acreage data show small-scale mixed vegetable
acreage declining during this period, which could account for the large
decline in the number of growers, but relatively stable overall certified
organic acreage. Also, the number of certifiers in Indiana declined
during this period, and some growers may have decided not to pursue
certification with another certifier. Indiana organic acreage for grains,
beans and hay has actually gone up somewhat during this period.
This state level data is available at www.ers.usda.gov/data/organic
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Indiana's state organic program contact is Indiana Melissa Zabel Acton
(Indiana State Dept. of Agriculture, ph. 317-232-8773,
macton@isda.in.gov ). She may have additional insights about
organic agriculture in Indiana.
The biggest certifier in Indiana is Indiana Certified Organic (ICO),
http://www.indianacertifiedorganic.com/contactus.htm
Cissy Bowman at ICO may also have insights about the organic trends
in Indiana (317-539-4317, icollcceo@earthlink.net ) (C. Greene)
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