Sustainable Food and Farming Systems

Passages
Sustainable Food and Farming Systems
Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania
Association
for Sustainable
Agriculture
Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond
Number 88
January/February 2011
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Passages STAFF & OFFICE
Editor: Michele Gauger
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Kim Seeley, Bradford County
Vice President: Rita Resick, Somerset County
Secretary: Mary Barbercheck, Centre County
Treasurer: Louise Schorn Smith, Chester County
Jerry Brunetti, Northampton County
Melanie Dietrich Cochran, Cumberland County
Jennifer Halpin, Cumberland County
John Hopkins, Columbia County
John Jamison, Westmoreland County
Don Kretschmann, Beaver County
Christopher Lent, Luzerne County
Jeff Mattocks, Dauphin County
Susan Miller, Chester County
Jamie Moore, Allegheny County
Brian Moyer, Berks County
At-Large Board Members
David Bingaman, Dauphin County
Stephanie Ritchie, Maryland
PASA STAFF
PASA Headquarters
Phone: 814-349-9856
Brian Snyder
Executive Director
[email protected]
Lauren Smith
Director of Development
[email protected]
Carrie Gillespie
Development Associate
[email protected]
Jean Najjar
Auction Associate
[email protected]
Kristin Hoy
Conference Manager/
BFBL Centre County Chapter Coordinator
[email protected]
Michele Gauger
Director of Membership
[email protected]
Ted Palada
Member Communications Assistant
[email protected]
Rebecca Robertson
Farm Based Education Coordinator
[email protected]
January/February 2011
3
PASA Plans Alfred Walker Institute
4
Conference Review
6
Director’s Corner
7
PASA Board Perspective
8
Conference Photos
13 Fundraising Update
14 Regional Marketing
16 Community Outreach
17 Food Alliance
18 PASA News
19 Membership Update
20 Miller’s Orchard
22 Farmer Profile: Green Meadow Farm
24 Understanding Federal Poultry
Exemptions
27 The Grapevine
28 Classified Ads/Employment
30 Calendar
31 Membership Form
32 2011 Farming for the Future
Conference Sponsors
Lisa Diefenbach
Human Resources Manager
[email protected]
Cover photos (clockwise from top left)
Leslie Zuck of PA Certified Organic &
Common Ground Organic Farm puts on
her farmer hat to teach a packed house
how to trellis vegetables.
PASA Founder Tim Bowser gets some
laughs for his introduction of returning
keynoter Wes Jackson of The Land
Institute.
Engines revved up for the Tractor Safety
& Maintenance pre-conference track held
at Penn State’s Ag Arena.
Future Farmers felt farm friends for fun!
PASA member Phylleri Ball leads the
creative crew.
Attendees of the Soil Management &
Assessment pre-conference track get a
closer look at the building block
of a healthy farm.
Amy Taylor
Office & Conference Development Assistant
[email protected]
Susan Beal, DVM
Ag Science Advisor
[email protected]
Dan Zettle
Bookkeeping Associate
[email protected]
Matt Soccio
Information Technology Consultant
[email protected]
Community Outreach
Hannah Smith
Community Outreach Coordinator
[email protected]
Contributing Writers & Photographers
Lisa Diefenbach, Sarah Graham, Zach Hawkins, Kristin Hoy,
Michelle Isham, Alissa Matthews, Brian Moyer, Kim Seeley, Lauren Smith, Leah Smith, Brian Snyder.
Conference Photo Credit: Pat Little
Note to our Readers — If you are moving, please contact
PASA to update your mailing address. Several of our publications are sent via bulk mail service, which is not forwarded via
the USPS. Contact [email protected] or call 814-3499856 to make an update.
Southeast Regional Office
Phone: 610-458-5700
Do you have a great article idea for Passages? — Want to
share a farming practice with members? We’d love to hear
from you. Please contact the newsletter staff at newsletter@
pasafarming.org.
Marilyn Anthony
Southeast Regional Director
[email protected]
Reproduction of Newsletter Material — please contact the
PASA office before reprinting or distributing materials contained in this newsletter.
Denise Sheehan
Member Services Associate
[email protected]
Deadline for March/April 2011 Issue:
March 11, 2011
Western Regional Office
Phone: 412-365-2985
Advertising Sales: Ted Palada
PASA office, [email protected]
Leah Smith
Member Services Manager
[email protected]
Layout: C Factor
Alissa Matthews
Program Assistant for Marketing
[email protected]
Passages is printed on recycled paper
2
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
P.O. Box 419
Millheim PA 16854-0419
Phone: (814) 349-9856 • Fax: (814) 349-9840
www.pasafarming.org
PASA’s Mission is…
Promoting profitable farms which produce healthy food for
all people while respecting the natural environment.
PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania landscape. We are seasoned farmers who know that sustainability is
not only a concept, but a way of life. We are new farmers looking for the fulfillment of land stewardship. We are students and
other consumers, anxious to understand our food systems and
the choices that must be made. We are families and children,
who hold the future of farming in our hands. This is an organization that is growing in its voice on behalf of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond. Our mission is achieved, one voice, one
farm, one strengthened community at a time.
Find Us on Facebook — Friend Us on Our New Facebook Page!
PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider and Employer. Some grant funding
comes from the USDA and complaints of discrimination should be sent to: USDA
Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC 20250-9410.
PASA Plans Alfred Walker Institute
Promoting Farmer-to-Farmer
Learning and Independent Research
The list was comprised of some of the top
leaders in Pennsylvania’s sustainable agriculture community: Mike Brownback (Spiral
Path Farm), Jerry Brunetti (Agri-Dynamics), Bob Eberly (Eberly Poultry), Tina Ellor
(Phillips Mushroom Farms), Edie and David
Griffiths (Seven Stars Farm), Ned MacArthur
(Natural Dairy Products Corporation), Dave Mattocks (Fertrell Company), Reuben Stoltzfus (Lancaster Ag Products),
Roman Stoltzfoos (Spring Wood Farm) and Emily Brown
Rosen (USDA National Organics Program).
The committee prepared a plan for programming that aims
to address the practical needs of farmers through on-farm
research and education, policy development and youth programming, with a special focus on farmer-to-farmer learning.
“Farmers in general — whether conventional, sustainable
or organic — all need to sit in a room and share their ideas and
see what other people are doing,” said Wenger. “This is a way
for farmers themselves to direct farming, and make farming
what it ought to be.”
The Walker Institute is named in honor of Wenger’s late
husband, a highly respected chemist who worked for DuPont
and would work on technical reports for Pennsylvania Certified Organic and the Organic Materials Review Institute over
his lunch hour. He was always focused on bringing farmers the
expertise they could ill-afford to gain elsewhere. The Institute
in his honor will be built around the needs of farmers, highlighting exemplary work being done in sustainable agriculture.
It will also focus on providing tools and inspiration to the next
generation of farmers.
Ms. Wenger had a special reason for wanting to support a
project like this. “I almost couldn’t finish [college] because I
was running out of money,” said Wenger. She explained how
the university chaplain found her a room in the house of a professor and his wife. After three months, Wenger approached
them to ask the price of rent. Instead of requesting payment,
they asked her to provide help for someone else in the future.
Wenger said, “When I told my husband this story when we
got married, he said, “Absolutely. That’s what we’ll do.” n
D
uring the recent conference PASA announced plans for
the Alfred Walker Institute for Agrarian Innovation
and Leadership. The Institute will function under the auspices
of PASA and initially encompass our existing educational programs, which currently include on-farm field days, intensive
learning programs and one of the largest annual conferences
focused on sustainable agriculture in the United States. Over
time, we plan a significant expansion of such services to our
members and others.
“It’s not our intention to ‘reinvent the wheel’ with the
Institute by attempting to operate independently of other educational and research institutions in Pennsylvania, but to partner with them to provide an outlet for the good work they are
doing as well — something we have been noted for all through
the two decades since the founding of the organization,” said
PASA Executive Director Brian Snyder. He added, “Through
these critical programs, and the endowment we will put
together, PASA’s core programs will never be in doubt in the
years ahead.”
The idea for the Institute began when husband-and-wife
PASA members Connie Wenger and Al Walker noticed a lack
of “farmer driven” educational initiatives operating independent of government, universities and industry.
“We had a lot of knowledge to make decisions that other
people didn’t,” said Wenger, “and we saw so many farmers
desperately in need of education, so that when somebody
drives down their driveway with the next panacea or cure-all
they can make some assessment of it.”
After Walker’s untimely death in December 2008 from
cancer, Wenger approached Mr. Snyder with the idea to create an endowment fund to support the ongoing education of
farmers. Snyder and Director of Development Lauren Smith
convened a planning committee, working from a list of names
Walker gave his wife before his death.
3
Conference Review
PASA-bilities
Leadership Award Series
Every year we hear from numerous conference participants, both old and
new, in written evaluations and letters received following the conference that
people want to hear more from some of the true experts sitting with them in
the audience. The Farming for the Future Conference is one of the few events
held anywhere each year that is literally packed with sustainable leaders from
throughout Pennsylvania and, indeed, all across the country.
So, in celebrating the 20th anniversary of this amazing event, we brought a
new innovation to our conference this year that will take advantage of some of
the seasoned “star power” we enjoy among our members and close friends. In
the closing plenary session on Saturday we featured not one, but two speakers
who shared the platform as this year’s winners of our Sustainable Ag Leadership
Award as well as the Sustainable Ag Business Leader Award! These awards
honor those individuals and businesses that are the most notable sustainable
ag leaders and promoters in Pennsylvania and beyond.
According to executive director Brian Snyder, “The PASA community is filled
with leaders in sustainable agriculture. We’ve been giving these awards all
along, but this year, we’re bringing them into the spotlight.”
Sustainable Ag
Leadership Award
This year’s Sustainable Ag Leadership
Award winners, Mary-Howell and Klaas
Martens of Lakeview Organic Grain
based in Penn Yan, New York, planted
their first organic crop in 1992 (the year
of PASA’s first conference), a single field
of wheat. Today they farm nearly 1,400
acres of organic corn, soybeans, spelt,
wheat, barley, oats, triticale, red kidney
beans and hay in addition to operating a
successful seed and feed business.
“We do what we love to do,” said
Mary-Howell Martens, who noted the
importance of building lasting relationships in their work. Writing in PASA’s
newsletter Passages in 2008, the Martens
describe an early encounter with sustainable farming when talking with a group
of organic farmers near Pittsburgh: “the
concept really caught our imagination
because creating balanced cooperative
partnerships between farms and buyers,
based on mutual respect, made so much
sense, long before the term ‘locavore’
became popular.”
In their award acceptance speech, the
Martens shared their philosophies regarding sustainability, as they highlighted
their dedication to treating others (peo-
ple, soil, animals, communities) the way
they would want to be treated.
Mary-Howell commented, “Most
people invest vast amounts of time and
effort worrying about things they cannot
control. The lure of this is understandable, because then when bad things happen, they will never be your fault or
responsibility! But, it is far more valuable
to invest your time, effort, and passion
into where you truly can have an impact
— the people and needs nearby. If everyone was committed to making the world
a more secure, happier, and fairer place
for just 10 people at any given time —
and that includes providing good food
for them, can you imagine how much
better the world would be?”
To learn more about the Martens and
Lakeview Organic Grain, visit lakevieworganicgrain.com
Sustainable Ag
Business Leader Award
Ned MacArthur, with his well-known
brand Natural by Nature based in West
Grove, PA, is this year’s winner of the
Sustainable Ag Business Leader Award. “I
just have always been farming,” said
MacArthur, who grew up on a farm,
chasing his neighbors’ tractors until he
was old enough to drive one himself, and
milking dairy cows through high school.
In 1994, MacArthur founded Natural
Dairy Products Corporation with his
father and four organic dairy farmers in
Lancaster County, PA, and established a
system to produce grass-fed organic milk
independent of the conventional, volume-based milk industry.
“It’s the biggest honor I’ve ever gotten,” said MacArthur of the award. “I
think that the whole idea of getting this
award is a reflection on the people who
help me run the company, and my family. And the farmers — the farmers and I
have stuck together through thick and
thin.”
continued next page
Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens of Lakeview Organic Grain in Penn Yan, New York were recipients of
PASA’s Sustainable Ag Leadership Award.
4
Conference Review
“I come to PASA each year and am
recharged with the wisdom shared —
there is certainly more to learn in a lifetime than we have time for,” commented
MacArthur in his acceptance speech. “I
am truly honored by this recognition.”
To understand Ned’s philosophy, you
need to only look to Natural by Nature’s
mission statement, “To promote and support organic farming and the sustainable
use of our natural resources. To produce
foods that benefit consumers and farmers
alike. To use the principles of grass based
dairy production as a means to improve the
quality of our products, maximize the
health of our cows and protect our watersheds. To make a living for our families,
based on these strongly held principles.”
To learn more about Natural by
Nature, visit natural-by-nature.com. n
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS INCLUDE:
Sustainable Ag Leadership Award Winners
Ned MacArthur of Natural by Nature was recipient of the Sustainable Ag Business Leader Award.
These awards honor those individuals and businesses that are the most notable sustainable ag
leaders and promoters in Pennsylvania and
beyond.
Preston Boop
Moie & Jim Crawford
Cass Peterson & Ward Sinclair
Tim Bowser
Ron Gargasz
Robert Rodale
Terra & Mike Brownback
Sheri & Steve Groff
Joel Salatin
Hope & Roy Brubaker
Paul Keene
Lucy & Roman Stoltzfoos
Jerry Brunetti
Kim Miller
Kim Tait
Herbert Cole
Anne & Eric Nordell
Linda & Don Weaver
Past Sustainable Ag Business Award Winners
big Burrito Restaurant Group
The Fertrell Company
Lady Moon Farms
East End Food Cooperative
Kimberton Whole Foods
White Dog Café
Scholarships Support Many to Attend the Conference
The Arias M. Brownback Scholarship Fund
and dream. Through the generosity of our members and
conference attendees, the Brownback Scholarship Fund
continues to grow. This year, the scholarship fund
awarded full or partial conference fees to 67 individuals
(up from 56 last year).
Arias M. Brownback was raised on his family’s farm in
western Perry County and from an early age expressed an
interest in farming. He
attended his first PASA conference at the age of 18. Seeing fellow farmers dedicated to
sustainable practices was a great
inspiration to Arias. In his
honor, PASA established the
Arias M. Brownback Memorial
Scholarship Fund. Formed in
2001, this memorial fund is
intended to aid young and/or
developing farmers in reaching their full potential by helping them attend the Farming for the Future conference.
The scholarship expresses PASA’s commitment to providing educational opportunities for those wishing to learn
sustainable agriculture techniques and methods regardless
of financial circumstances. PASA would like to thank all
who have contributed to the fund, furthering this vision
Additional Conference Funding
The conference welcomed 120 individual farmers who
received funding support from the Southeast PA Agriculture Industry Partnership, an initiative of the Chester
County Workforce Investment Board and the Chester
County Economic Development Council (CCEDC), with
grant funds received from the Pennsylvania Department of
Labor and Industry. PASA would like to thank the
CCEDC for providing funds targeted towards Southeast
Pennsylvania farmers.
Each year we learn of more agencies and individuals
offering their own financial support to attendees, are here
are a few we wanted to acknowledge this year — the Penn
State School of Education supported 5 students; PASA’s
WorkShare program benefited 32 individuals; FRESHFARM Markets offered a $500 scholarship; and the Historic Lewes Farmers Market in Delaware offered five $500
scholarships.
Arias M. Brownback Scholarship recipient Julie Wahlenmayer shares
what the conference means to her at dinner on Friday night. The
scholarship fund assisted over 67 individuals.
5
Director’s Corner
The Change
of a Lifetime
By Brian Snyder,
Executive Director
A
nother political season has passed,
and once again “change” is a key
word on the lips of the victors. If you’re
like me, you may still be shaking your
head, trying to understand just how
quickly and intensively that term came to
mean completely different things within
such a short span of time. But then we’re
pretty used to it by now.
The recent passing of the fiftieth
anniversary of President Kennedy’s
famous inaugural speech (“Ask not what
your country can do for you…”)
reminded me that, with this as one of my
earliest childhood memories, folks in my
generation have not really experienced a
time in our lives when you might say
“things were stable.”
Kennedy’s first speech as president
was soon followed by another, promising
to get us to the moon within a decade,
then came problems with Cuba, culminating in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and
just a year later we grieved as a nation to
hear of the murder of our still-new president. From there the political scene has
been plagued by change, brought on by
world events, domestic scandals, cultural
evolution and nothing short of a revolution in the way such news is delivered to
us on a daily basis.
Throughout this time we have also
witnessed continuous and unprecedented
changes in American agriculture and the
way food typically arrives at our dinner
tables. I recently had cause to think about
this sphere of change as well, especially
with the passing just before Christmas of
my grandfather at the age of ninety-eight.
He had been a farmer when I was very
young — a “sharecropper” (though he
intensely hated that term) — until a
house fire brought a sudden change of
fortune. After that he held local political
office, and also worked for the USDA as
an enumerator of agricultural statistics. I
spent much of my youth riding around
with him, all over northern Indiana, as
we collected data and generally became
witnesses to the tremendous changes that
were taking place in rural areas.
As we sat at kitchen tables, or under a
shade tree, at each farmer’s house, first
explaining “why the hell government
needs this information anyway,” then listening to their stories of woe, my grandfather would listen thoughtfully, writing
down the facts he was sent there to collect, and then narrate to me between such
visits the other impending changes he
saw coming.
He had in fact seen it coming for quite
some time. As a young man himself he
worked on a wheat harvesting crew in
western Kansas, laboring from sun-up to
sundown to “feed the beast,” which only
incidentally meant the massive threshing
machines of the day. Even then he could
see that all the small operators were on
borrowed time, because “efficiency” was
the name of the game and the lives of
men such as his were only means to that
end. His own body badly “bent” (as he
described it to me) and nearly broken, he
hopped a freight train back east to the
Kansas City area, healed, got married,
and kept moving east to Indiana, where
farming was still done in a relatively sane
fashion.
I was born when my grandfather was
forty-five years old, and forty-five years
after that I was living here in Pennsylvania, continuing his path back east, where
farming was still done in a reasonable
way. Since that time, however, I’ve seen
the number of dairy farms here plummet
by more than a third, and so many farms
sold off for development of some kind
that I realize it has just taken the efficiency “beast” of the Midwest most of a
century to fully make its arrival here in
6
the Mid-Atlantic.
Change, it seems, is indeed relentless.
It’s an idea that has the power to swing
elections, first one way, then the other,
and it’s a concept that most of the agricultural community absolutely worships,
even to its own detriment. In fact, we are
told, time and time again, that if we resist
such change, we have become the enemies — dangerous activists who wish to
return agriculture to the days of 40 acres
and a mule.
In the Bible, the word “repent”
means literally to “turn back” —
and it’s considered a good thing.
Aside from the fact that I would give
my left arm (I am right-handed) for forty
acres and a mule if offered it today, I am
left wondering just how inevitable all the
changes we have seen, and that my
grandfather witnessed going back nearly
a hundred years, actually were, and
whether we are doomed to experiencing
ever-more-rapid change in the years
ahead as well.
For many people, the term “change” is
synonymous with “progress.” But to me,
the thought of experiencing some kind of
progression implies that conscious,
informed decisions are being made.
Heck, there might even be some “wisdom” involved in such a process! What I
learned from my grandfather is that
change for its own sake, coming without
good information, wisdom and conscious
choices, can in fact be quite…beastly.
When we look around today and see
not only the tragedy that has affected so
many of our dairy farms, but also the
specter of new weeds carrying the same
pesticide resistance as had been engineered into the crops they inhabit, the
continuous loss of nutritional density in
commoditized foods, the degradation of
soils and sensitive watersheds by overapplication of manure and synthetic fertilizers, just to name a few ill effects of the
industrial age in agriculture, it rapidly
becomes apparent that the beast has
befallen us.
Against this kind of ongoing change
we must resist. But we must also repair
much of the damage that has already
been done. In the Bible, the word
“repent” means literally to “turn back”
— and it’s considered a good thing. n
PASA Board Perspective
PASA at
Twenty
By Kim Seeley,
PASA board president
Editor’s Note: This is a reprint of Kim’s
speech given at the recent Farming for the
Future Conference in early February.
I
n 1992, Tim Bowser orchestrated a
planning session to bring together
freethinking farmers, educators, and sustainable visionaries. The result was a
gathering of 500 enthusiastic agricultural
revolutionaries. This group fueled the
fires of a brand new association, which
became PASA. As stewards of a sustainable future, this organization identified
and provided what was missing in the
Pennsylvania agricultural landscape.
I quote: “The purpose of this association will be to develop, support, and promote sustainable food and farming
systems, now and for future generations
that are economically viable, environmentally sound, scientifically based and
community oriented.”
All of those original initiatives are still
very active today within PASA, and
ongoing on some of your farms. It hasn’t
been easy. In the beginning we were the
alarmists. We were thought to be the
extreme fringe, the naïve earthy folks
who don’t believe in progress. Since the
beginning, PASA has been defining what
our culture should look like. These folks
were so far ahead of their time!
Later on we would be asked to please
step in line behind the production agriculture experts. We were creating a division among farmers. Step down, be quiet,
and let modern science feed the world.
Get on the technology train, even if it is
moving so fast we don’t know where we
are going. Modern agriculture will feed
the world. Unfortunately, as we all know,
without adding a healthy culture it doesn’t.
For those of you who are from that
era, I ask you to think about where you
were, and how you fit in to the food culture back then. I will share that in the
early 1990’s, I had just escaped poisoning
my 6 year-old son with corn insecticides.
I was struggling to cash flow a dairy farm,
with a herd of cows that were addicted to
medicine and synthetic hormones. I was
raising feedlot steers, using the latest in
enhanced growth-promoters. Simply put,
I was trashing my small part of the world.
I was looking for something, anything, to
save our farm.
I then took a trip to The Rodale Institute in Kutztown and looked at fields
without chemicals. I was trying desperately to transition my soils from the long
chemistry experiment that I had subjected them to, while trying to grow perfect corn and alfalfa with all the poisons
that had been approved by federal regulators in charge of such dangerous compounds.
I was tired, and lacked local support
necessary to make bold changes to my
conventionally trained mind. Then it all
began to change. I went to my first PASA
conference in 1996. Forever since, a new
page has been turned, with a whole exciting story still being written, with the help
of many of you.
For the first time in my life I learned,
that farming is only sustainable if it connects with a healthy culture, which
respects the natural environment while
sustaining the inhabitants. Not just
humans, but all living things.
As a young father then, and now soon
to be a grandfather, I am forever indebted
to the group who organized PASA and
led at the beginning. It is why it is so easy
for me to give back at a time when our
grandchildren need to be born into a better culture, and know who they can trust
to produce their food.
We come here today with the same
common goals, ideas, and hope for
7
rebuilding our culture as our founders
twenty years ago. We are at the front of
the local food movement, providing the
truly safe, healthy food that nourishes
children, while it rebuilds our communities.
In this past year we have shown who
we are, what we believe in, and how committed we are to sustainable food production. Together we lead the awakening
about the need for local, diversified, selfsustaining communities. Collectively we
share knowledge, implement strategies,
foster networks and cooperatives, and
create permanent, sustainable opportunities for our children and grandchildren.
I feel that our most important contribution to future generations will be the
necessity to continually define and
defend, when necessary, the kind of culture we envision that will sustain our
planet. Corporations with unsustainable
business plans have hijacked our culture
for many decades. The creed is simple. It
is called domination. Obscene profits
always trump community prosperity.
Currently, two fiercely debated topics
involve the worlds’ culture. They are
about food and energy supplies — both
of which are under scrutiny in our MidAtlantic region.
Recent deregulation of genetically
modified alfalfa by the US Department
of Agriculture is a blatant attack on
organic farming. Multitudes of American
farmers and eaters have voiced opposition
to this ruling. Yet corporate lobbying
bought the souls of elected American
officials and rejected democratic process.
The questions and answers to world
energy demands are disturbing. It is obvious from our history of energy exploration, including coal, oil, and now deep
shale gas that the humans in control forget we must live in our own waste stream.
We must have energy to survive, but it
must not come at a speed of exploitation,
unable to be scrutinized.
Currently we have an energy industry
with a dark, oppressive culture. Billions
have been made at the expense of innocent landowners with deviant leasing
contracts, which hold people hostage to
uncertainty. Truth and honesty are rare.
I will be quick to change my mind if I
see the culture improve. I encourage
wealthy energy executives to solve water
continued on page 26
Thursday evening’s Winter Picnic Buffet is a conference favorite with its
delicious diversity. Coming through
the line with smiles and full plates are
Scott Exo of Food Alliance (left), and
PASA executive director Brian Snyder.
Speaker Chris Raines demonstrates using the whole animal in pre-conference
track Sustainability in the Foodservice Industry.
Dave Potter of Dairy Connections and Peter Dixon of Dairy Foods Consulting, evaluate cheeses for faults and troubleshooting in the
Advanced Cheesemaking pre-conference track.
At the Friday evening banquet dinner, awards were given to outgoing
PASA board members John Hopkins (left) and Don Kretschmann (far right).
John and Don are leaving the board after reaching term limits. Fellow board
member, Brian Moyer (center) made the presentation to acknowledge their
years of work.
PASA Board Member Susan Miller
of Birchrun Hills Farm gives out
samples of her farmstead cheese
to attendees of the Thursday
evening tasting.
Central to the conference and new
this year, the PASA HUB represented
the variety of PASA programs. Community
Outreach Coordinator Hannah Smith,
pictured here, was excited to talk up the
Good Food Neighborhood® to attendees.
Outside of the workshops, attendees peruse the General
Information area to make connections and gather potential
resources.
Past keynoter Elizabeth Henderson gets attendees out of their seats to bring home the
message of our food connections in a workshop on domestic Fair Trade.
Knitters just beginning and with experience a yarn long joined together for the
Friday morning Knitting Circle. Here, a novice counts his first stitches.
Whitney Scott (pictured in center) of conference
sponsor Delaware Valley College, donated all
of the fresh-pressed cider for continental breakfasts — an example of Sponsors giving much
more than financial support!
The PASA Mercantile was packed with custom clothing and creative gifts
for folks to purchase and show their support.
Chef Ken Stout (left) designs the fantastic conference
meals, which feature ingredients from over 40 regional
producers. Chef Mike Ditchfield of the Pennsylvania
College of Technology brings culinary program students
annually (one of whom is pictured here), to provide
additional labor and support.
For a fifth year running, a beautiful exhibit of the Farmland Preservation Artists gave the conference audience an opportunity to enjoy
farmland from the artist’s viewpoint. Pictured here is Holly Fritchman,
one of 16 artists represented. A percentage of the show’s sales were
donated to the PASA annual fund.
Since this was PASA’s 20th annual conference, we gathered some of the important founders of the organization (left to right) Carolyn Sachs, Lamonte Garber,
Jim Crawford, Bryan Petrucci, Kim Tait, Tim Bowser, Anne Nordell, Eric Nordell,
Dorothy Blair and Preston Boop.
Keynoter Wes Jackson
signs his new book,
Consulting the
Genius of the Place,
for Conference
Manager Kristin Hoy.
A unique moment in PASA history — all the past presidents of our board and also our
executive directors! From left to right, Preston Boop (first board president), Kim Miller,
Kim Seeley (current board president), Brian Snyder (current executive director), Lamonte
Garber (former interim executive director), and Tim Bowser (first executive director).
Our ninth year of auction fundraising at the conference was very successful, with the Bag
Auction being a favorite. This “game of chance” lets many people try their luck at winning.
Tackling the difficult issue of GMOs were some of the best
around — Dave Mortensen, Andrew Kimbrell and Shelby
Fleischer. In pre-conference tracks and workshops, conference attendees had a chance to look at all sides of this issue.
PASA’s Annual Meeting
is also part of conference
activities. This is a
chance for members to
hear candidates for
board of director elections, activities happening in our regions, and
details of organizational
strategic & financial
planning.
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson discussed the
organization’s current situation in Pennsylvania, and invited all
PASA members to help reinvigorate the Farmers Union here and in
the Mid-Atlantic region. A meeting will be held February 23rd at the
Penn Stater (beginning at 1:00), with that objective in mind.
Our ninth year of auction fundraising at the conference was very successful, with the
Bag Auction being a favorite. This “game of chance” event lets many people try their
luck at winning.
Over 60 children ages, 18 months to 12 years old, participated
in the Future Farmers’ Program. PASA thanks Jill Shankel of
Munnell Run Farm and the Penn State Sustainable Agriculture
club for their efforts to offer engaging programming.
Brooks Miller
demonstrates
hands-on methods
to add value to
pork to get more
per animal for less
waste.
Sourdough with jam anyone? Local food abounds
at the conference. The Farmers Market Café was
a popular alternative for healthy snack or light
meal — like these baguettes from Millheim Bread
Company (pictured here), which paired wonderfully with the value-added products sold in the
Marketplace by conference sponsor Tait Farm
Foods (also pictured).
Future Farmers set up
the seed swap, a new
addition to the conference. The hand-crafted
signs brought order
with a family feel to
help PASA members
share their favorite
varieties.
Conference Review
We Salute Our
Conference Volunteers
PASA staff and board would like to thank the
many volunteers who helped make the 20th
Annual Farming for the Future Conference a success. Numerous volunteers are needed to put
together the conference together throughout the
year. The Conference Committee (acknowledged in Passages #86) started planning in May
by volunteering their time to develop with the
conference theme, program and speakers. This
diverse group assures a balanced program with
top-notch experts. Then in the months leading
up to the conference, volunteers participate with
staff in a wide variety of details and tasks, to
keep everything running smoothly.
We appreciate all of the people who donated
their time and labor in the weeks leading up to
the conference, as well as at the conference center during the event. Below is a list of folks who
did just that, and helped the staff get the conference going at the Penn Stater.
Thanks to these conference volunteers!
Juliet Braslow
Ann & Becky
Kretschmann
Mike Byers
Meagan Latimer
Pat & Bill Callahan
Bridget Canning
Dane DiFebo
Ann Docken
Shauna & Cornelius
Frantz-Deppe
PASA offered our Third Annual Lifetime Member & Permanent Business Partner Breakfast Reception during the annual conference on Friday. These dedicated members,
including (from left to right), Ken & Beth Marshall; PASA board member Jamie Moore;
and Allen Matthews, enjoy meeting and networking with one another.
FRIENDS OF THE CONFERENCE
Bob Anderson • Marilyn & John Anthony • Ed Arnold • Mary Barbercheck •
Missy & David Barnhart • Nancy & Bob Bernhardt • Mary & Lee Bixler of Four
Oaks Farm • Linda & Tim Blakeley • Blue Rooster Farm • Tim Bowser • Jerry
Brunetti • Virginia & Mike Byers • Annmarie & Sam Cantrell • Sabine & Tom
Carey • Melanie & Mark Dietrich Cochran • Moie & Jim Crawford • Paul Dalrymple & Sean Wilson • Lisa & Duane Diefenbach • Robert Drescher • Patricia Eagon & James Stafford • Eva & Jason Edelstein • Mike Eisenstat • Helen
Warren Leitzel
& Bill Elkins • Tina Ellor • Forks Farm • Michele Gauger • Meg Gleason • Kathy
Jane Lewis
& Wes Gordon • Jenn Halpin • Dawn Hasenauer-Levan & Don Levan • Kristin
Steve Marks Family
& Steve Hoy • Sukey & John Jamison • Aaron Kolb • Becky & Don
Mark Mazzochette
Kretschmann • David Lembeck • Gretchen Ludders • Allen Matthews Fam-
Eric McGowan
ily • Beth & Ken Marshall • Tracy & Jeff Mattocks • Maryann & Dennis
Mawhinney • Milky Way Farms • Joan Miller & Don Hess • Susan Miller •
Bob & Nate Gillespie
Ben Meese
Jamie Moore • Dave Mortensen • Holley & Brian Moyer • Ginny & Larry Mutti
Tessa Gross
Ray Najjar
• Jean & Ray Najjar • Patty Neiner & Lyn Garling • Martha Noble • Anne & Eric
Rob Haney
Daniel Patton
Nordell • Joan & Drew Norman • Northern Tier Sustainable Meat Co-op •
Jeff Hawkins
Zoe Rubinstein
Kira Lace Hawkins
Jessie & Jordan Schiele
Jillian Herschlag
Kevin Spencer
• Lauren & Ian Smith • Leah Smith & Alberto Cirigo • Louise Schorn Smith •
Caleb Johnson
Carlos Villafuerte
Paula & Brian Snyder • Rick Stafford • Judy & Jonas Stoltzfus • Judy & Karen
Christopher Knoblauch
Bernadette Weeks
Styborski • Amy Taylor & Jim Baughman • Barbara & Michael Wahler • Eliza
Oyler Family • PSU Center for Sustainability • Rita Resick • Susan Richards &
Rob Amsterdam • Stephanie Ritchie • Anthony Rodale Family • Carolyn
Sachs • Susan & Don Sauter • Denise & Jim Sheehan • Shary & Gary Skoloff
Walbridge • Sandra & John Walker • Debbie & Jeff Warden • Dan Zettle
Conference CDs, DVDs and MP3s are available!
Farming for the Future Keynotes and Workshops are audio recorded courtesy of:
Cocalico Audio • 187 East Church Street • Stevens, PA 17578 • Phone: (717) 336-4179
Cocalico offers nearly all conference workshops and pre-conference programs on 80-minute audio CDs and MP3s. Not all recordings will
be available in MP3 format until after the conference. Not all programming is recorded. A select number of workshops are also offered on
DVD. To purchase CDs or DVDs, please see the order form in your registration folder or stop by the Cocalico booth next to the PASA Conference Registration Desk. After the Conference, you may contact Cocalico to place additional orders.
12
Fundraising Update
2011 Ways to Give Kicks off
with a TREK for PASA!
Inspired by PASA members’ creativity
in raising funds for the organization,
PASA has launched a new fundraising
tool called Ways to Give.
Ways to Give is an opportunity for
members to contribute to PASA through
their own unique event or promotion —
whether it’s a Barn Dance or a Bake Sale,
many members and supportive companies are designing fundraisers that fit
their style and give back. Anyone can get
involved in Ways to Give and if you have
an idea or want to learn more, please contact Lauren Smith at PASA headquarters.
Please consider pledging your
support today by visiting
www.pasafarming.org/trek.
All proceeds from the Trek
will benefit PASA.
Our Ways to Give campaign will
kick-off this year with a very special promotion developed by longtime PASA
member Steve Marks. Steve and his 13
year-old son Randy will attempt to climb
to Mt. Everest Base Camp, an elevation
of 18,500 feet, to raise funds for PASA.
At 13, Randy will be one of the youngest
people to ever attempt this climb.
This TREK for PASA, starting in
early April, will be the third time that
Steve and Randy have gotten
active for a good cause. Steve
has always encouraged his sons
to get outside and appreciate all
that the outdoors has to offer.
In recent years he’s tried to
combine his love of the outdoors with fundraising efforts
for programs he supports. In
2006 Steve and Randy biked
across Rhode Island raising
more than $30,000 for a
Nepalese eye camp. Last year
they climbed Mt. Everest to an
elevation of 15,000 feet and
raised nearly $4,000 for victims
of the Haiti earthquake.
Steve and Randy are going
Randy (left) and Steve Marks during their Mt. Everest
to incredible heights for PASA,
trek in 2010, to benefit victims of the Haiti earthquake
and for this climb to be a success they’ll need the support of many www.pasafarming.org/trek. You will have
sponsors and donors. Please consider the option of pledging a set amount, or
pledging your support today by visiting you can trek vicariously with Steve &
Randy by pledging by the foot — and
really be a part of the climb! We hope
many are inspired to support this incredible journey.
Note: Steve and Randy tabled at the
recent Farming for the Future conference to
collect pledges for their climb. So far they’ve
raised over $2,000 for the organization. Go
Steve and Randy!
B U I L D I N G PA S A TO G E T H E R
by the Fundraising Committee
Our 2010 fundraising efforts began with Board Member Rita Resick’s
engaging appeal letter to members which asked, “There is a sustainable wave
of change sweeping over our country today — a sea change of sorts. Have
you noticed?”
Well, many people have noticed, and they are transforming their belief in
agricultural sustainability into support for PASA and our very important Annual
Fund. We achieved 93% of our goal this past year by raising $250,445 to be
directed to our education and advocacy programs.
Many thanks go out to all the organizers and participants of our 2010
fundraising efforts. We very much appreciate everyone who gave generously of
their time, talents, money, creativity and gifts — to support the PASA mission.
Together we are building PASA, and we are grateful for our thriving membership that keeps the organization viable. In such a financially trying year, we
are grateful to so many of you who verified your faith in PASA’s programs and
mission by supporting these efforts with your gifts.
It is now time to look ahead again and start working for a successful 2011.
As we look ahead to spring and summer
and regional farmland awakening from our
Pennsylvania winter, PASA staff and volunteers are beginning to plan our third annual
Summer FARM START being held May
through June 2011. This year, the Summer
FARM START is a statewide series of
events to kick-off and celebrate local family
farming, with a goal of increasing awareness
of the significance of agriculture and local
food systems in our region.
Summer FARM START will give us the
continued on page 28
13
Regional Marketing
SOUTHEAST REGION
n FarmFutures Program
Marilyn Anthony, Southeast Regional
Director describes the new land sharing
program FarmFutures as “a blend of eBay
and eHarmony.”
Initially focused on the state’s Southeast region, the program will use a website to connect new or expanding farmers
with land trusts and private landowners.
The goal is to assist aspiring sustainable
growers by matching them with underutilized land and the people who control
it. PASA, and program partner PA FarmLink, began selecting participants in January and hope to have a pilot organic
vegetable farm up and running in 2011.
The finished FarmFutures website should
launch sometime next year.
If you are interested in applying for
consideration in this pilot stage of the
land-leasing program, visit PASA’s website for application materials or contact
WESTERN REGION
Spring is a great time of year for networking! A network can achieve a greater
impact than is possible alone — it can be
a resource for learning and a springboard
for developing a business. PASA provides
many opportunities for members to build
relationships and connections across sectors of the food system through face-toface networking opportunities such as
potlucks, workshops, and events. This
spring, take advantage of the many
opportunities to connect to other players
within the food system — meet consumers, learn from other market managers, and connect with other
organizations working to build the local
food system in Western Pennsylvania.
There are also opportunities to
become part of on-line networks with
similar goals. Check out http://localfoodsystems.org and find a place to meet,
discuss, strategize, and develop ideas.
Join a group or create one of your own in
this on-line community of farmers, nonprofits, universities, businesses, and consumers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and
Ohio.
Read on to learn about workshops,
meetings, and conferences coming up
soon, and keep up-to-date on events and
[email protected] or 610-4585700 x307.
n Southeast Master Class:
Cheesemaking 101
Klein Farms Dairy & Creamery, Easton PA (Lehigh Co). For more information visit pasafarming.org/southeast or
contact Denise Sheehan, 610-458-5700
x317.
n Bike Fresh Bike Local —
Chester County
Save the date for September 25, 2011.
Visit www.pasafarming.org/bikefresh for
details.
NORTH CENTRAL / EAST REGION
The PASA member regional group
based in Wayne Co. is offering a fourpart “Food for Thought” lecture series at
the Honesdale Public Library. These
began on February 26th and here are
opportunities on the Western Regional
webpage: www.pasafarming.org/westernregion.
Building New Markets Series:
Presented by PASA and Penn State
Cooperative Extension, Allegheny
County
A series of professional development opportunities for farmers interested in advanced
marketing strategies to diversify their sales
channels.
n Local Food Showcase:
A Buy/Grower Event
Thursday, March 10
Chatham University
This event showcases the finest, freshest local foods Western Pennsylvania has
to offer. Farmers and food purchasers
interact to find new business connections
for the upcoming growing season and
beyond. Come join other producers at
the premier grower/buyer networking
event in the SW Pennsylvania region.
Find customers for your farm products
by registering as a vendor!
For information & registration contact — Heather Mikulas, Penn State
Extension, 412-473-2540
[email protected]
14
those remaining:
n Organic Raised-Bed Gardening:
Getting Started
March 12
Presentation by Roger Hill, Treeline
Farms & Al Benner, The Old School
Farm & Moss Acres. 10:30am,
www.waynelibraries.org for directions.
n Seed Saving 101
March 19
Presentation by Adrianne Picciano
a.k.a. The Dirt Diva. 10:30am,
www.waynelibraries.org for directions.
n Regional Potluck Gathering
March 20, 4pm
Summerhouse Grill in Montrose
(Susquehanna Co.)
A chance for members to gather, network & share a dish!
RSVP to Darcie Welsted, 570-3961837. For directions, visit summerhousegrill.com or call 570-278-2000.
n Understanding GAP
Saturday, April 9
9:00am–11:00am
Penn State Extension,
Allegheny County Office
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Registration fee: $12.00
Is GAP Certification right for you?
Learn about the Good Agricultural Practices Audit Verification Program, why
you may consider this certification, and
resources available should you decide to
complete an audit. Lee Young provides
an overview of what GAP is and shares
resources and templates used to prepare
for the audit process. Mikal Merlina
describes his services conducting GAP
audits.
For information & registration contact — Heather Mikulas, Penn State
Extension, 412-473-2540
[email protected]
n Farm to Table Pittsburgh
5th Annual Conference
March 25 & 26
Farm to Table Pittsburgh, a program
of American Healthcare Group, is an
educational program that provides
opportunities for eating healthy local
food in the Southwestern Pennsylvania
Regional Marketing
region.
This
year, the theme
“Eat Local and
Healthy All Year
Round” inspires
attendees
to
think beyond
summer’s
bounty of fruits
and vegetables and explore all the seasonal, healthy foods that are available
throughout the year. The conference features an interesting panel of speakers,
including author Cody Holmes, presenting, “Ranching Full-Time on Three
Hours a Day” and Sally Fallon of the
Weston A. Price Foundation presenting “Traditional Diets and Raw Milk”.
There are many opportunities for PASA
members to get involved at the 5th
Annual Conference held at the David L.
Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh. Register to attend as a
participant or a vendor! Volunteer for a
shift at the PASA table and promote your
products! Exhibit for free at the Friday
night Food Tasting- sample your food
products and connect with customers.
For more information about Farm to
Table visit http://farmtotablepa.com/
conference. To learn more about volunteering at the PASA table contact the
Western Regional Office at [email protected] or 412-365-2985.
n 2nd Annual Edinboro
Maple Festival
March 19 & 20
Supports Northwest Pennsylvania
Maple Association’s annual Taste and
Tour. Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department’s Social Hall. Maple Festival
includes meal of pancakes, fresh farm
sausage, and fresh local maple syrup.
Includes local agriculture, arts and crafts
vendors, live music all day. See how sap is
converted to syrup and other products.
Buy your fresh syrup and value-added
products at the festival from the NW PA
Maple Producer’s Association. For more
information about the Taste and Tour
www.pamaple.org/ tour.html For more
information about the festival go to:
www.edinborohistory.org
n PASA Master Class: Farmers
Market Management Workshop
April 2, 2011
10am–1pm
Venango County Fairgrounds
867 Mercer Road
Franklin, PA 16323
Learn from other market managers
the tricks of the trade — market management strategies, presentation and displays, and market promotion. Bring a
sack lunch and take time to network with
other market managers during lunch and
a special break-out session. Learn about
ways to stay connected and continue
your conversations on-line!
For more information visit www.pasafarming.org/westernregion or contact
Leah at 412-365-2985
Visit PASA online at
www.pasafarming.org
REGIONAL CONTACTS & DISCUSSION GROUP ADDRESSES
Discussion groups are open to PASA members only to join and discuss issues related to sustainable agriculture.
To join the group in your region, send an email to the appropriate address provided.
Western
[email protected]
Leah Smith
412-365-2985 • [email protected]
NorthCentral/Eastern
Southeastern
[email protected]
Denise Sheehan
610-458-5700 x317 • [email protected]
Western
Southeast
Southcentral
[email protected]
Jenn Halpin
717-243-5996 • [email protected]
NorthCentral/Eastern
[email protected]
Leah Tewksbury
570-437-2620 • [email protected]
Southcentral
Out of State discussion group addresses:
States North and East of Pennsylvania
[email protected]
States South and West of Pennsylvania
[email protected]
15
Communtiy Outreach
What is Buy Fresh Buy Local®?
PENNSYLVANIA BUY FRESH BUYLOCAL®
How to Plug In
What is Buy Fresh Buy Local®?
Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) is a national marketing campaign coordinated by FoodRoutes Network (foodroutes.org)
to connect consumers with locally grown foods. They coordinate BFBL chapters all across the country, in states including
California, Iowa, New York, New Jersey and many others.
PASA is working with FoodRoutes to coordinate 13 existing
chapters in Pennsylvania. Several of these regional chapters are
coordinated by PASA members and nonprofit associates. If
you are interested in learning more, contact the chapter representative in your area (see box at right).
BFBL is a marketing resource for farms and food businesses
to showcase their products to consumers via buylocalpa.org
and utilizing the BFBL logo on various marketing pieces, so
customers can begin identifying what is produced locally.
The Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local® program has been celebrating the
abundance found in our Commonwealth since 2002, with the aim of making it easier for Pennsylvania consumers to find, choose and appreciate
great local foods…and to support the farmers and lands which produce
them. Currently there are 13 active chapters in Pennsylvania. We create
local food guides (both in print and online) and organize events (such as
farms tours or tastings), among other activities. To learn more about
what's going on in your region, contact one of the local chapter coordinators listed below. For information on Buy Fresh Buy Local® chapters and
activities outside of PA, visit FoodRoutes.org.
What is the Good Food Neighborhood™?
A vibrant local foods community depends on informed,
involved eaters as it does on responsible growers and robust
markets. Noticing a need for a membership for a broad consumer audience, while utilizing resources PASA had already
been building with our BFBL chapters, The Good Food
Neighborhood™ (GFN) was developed in 2009.
GFN is a membership program offered via buylocalpa.org
to connect the community of eaters, growers and various businesses. Current PASA members living in Pennsylvania are
invited to join the program — and others may elect to join
(GFN) instead of full PASA membership. As a GFN member,
you will receive seasonal product updates; a e-subscription to
Eaters Digest, the monthly newsletter of good food news in
PA; a seat at our Community Table, where you can connect
with other GFN members in your region around local food
shopping, cooking and learning; information on events and
tastings in your area; and discounts on apparel in our BFBL
store. You can register today at buylocalpa.org/gfn.
n Fayette & Greene Counties
Fay-Penn Economic Development
Council
Chapter Coordinators
Bob Junk
[email protected]
724-437-7913 x227
or
Jessica Steimer
[email protected]
724-437-7913 x222
(New chapter in 2010)
n Southeastern Pennsylvania
(including Chester County’s Chapter)
Chapter Coordinators
Denise Sheehan
[email protected]
610-458-5700 x317
or
Marilyn Anthony
[email protected]
610-458-5700 x305
Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware
and Montgomery Counties
n Greater Lehigh Valley
Nurture Nature Center
Chapter Coordinator
Lynn Prior
[email protected]
610-703-6954 or
[email protected]
Serving Berks, Lehigh and
Northampton Counties
n Valleys of the Susquehanna
(including Centre County’s Chapter)
Chapter Coordinator
Kristin Hoy
[email protected]
814-349-9856 x11
Serving Centre, Clinton, Columbia,
Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties
n Lancaster County
Local Steering Committee, with
the assistance of the Local Economy
Center, Franklin & Marshall College
Chapter Coordinator
Linda Aleci 717-291-4293
or 717-380-7280
[email protected]
n Western Pennsylvania
PASA
Chapter Coordinator
for Southwest PA:
[email protected]
for Northwest PA:
[email protected]
412-365-2985
Serving Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver,
Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest,
Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer,
Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington
and Westmoreland Counties
n Northeast Region
The University of Scranton
Small Business Development Center
Chapter Coordinator
Maria Montenegro
570-941-7588 or
[email protected]
Or:
Lisa Hall 570-941-7588 or
[email protected]
Serving Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike and
Wayne Counties
n Northern Tier
Chapter Coordinator
Northern Tier Cultural Alliance
[email protected]
570-265-7455
Serving Bradford, Potter, Sullivan,
Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming
Counties
Get on the map at buylocalpa.org
Thousands of eager eaters each month use the map-based
search tools on our website to find local foods near them in
markets, stores, restaurants and direct from local growers.
Shouldn’t they also find your business there? Even if you have
your own website or Internet listings elsewhere, you don’t
want to turn down the additional exposure you’ll get through
a profile on our site — the online home of the Pennsylvania
Buy Fresh Buy Local® program. Signing up is quick and easy:
visit www.buylocalpa. org/getonthemap.
n Philadelphia
Fair Food
Chapter Coordinators
Christina Dowd
[email protected]
215-386-5211 x106
or
Ann Karlen
[email protected]
215-386-2511 x101
n South Central
Cheryl Burns
Chapter Coordinator
[email protected]
717-241-4361
Serving Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin,
Franklin, Lebanon, Juniata, Perry and
York Counties
Be sure your profile is up to date
If your business is already listed on buylocalpa.org, check to
make sure that your information has been updated and you are
using all the available tools.
16
n York County
York County Agriculture Business
Council
Chapter Coordinator
Brandi Miller
[email protected]
717-858-8152
n Statewide Program
Coordination
Contact:
[email protected]
For website support contact:
[email protected]
Buy Fresh Buy Local® chapters in Pennsylvania are coordinated by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable
Agriculture, on behalf of their national
partner, FoodRoutes Network. To
explore your region's food system further, hear about upcoming events and
find more ways to get involved, please
visit our website —
www.buylocapa.org — or contact one
of the folks listed above.
Food Alliance
Making the Most of Sustainability Certification
Excerpted from
Food Alliance Handbook
Use certification
to boost brand value
• Customers buy products because of
their brand value (e.g., quality, cost,
customer service).
• Certification adds value to your brand
by verifying your marketing claims.
Know your talking points
• Sustainability certification claims come
with a set of attributes and benefits to
help communicate with customers.
Train your sales
and marketing staff
• Be sure they know how to promote
your product using its environmental
and social claims credibly and effectively.
Peel back the
eco-label for your customers
• Not all eco-labels are created equal.
Educate your customers on how to critically evaluate eco-labels.
Follow labeling rules
and guidelines
• Ensure the certification seal is used with
integrity. Be specific, avoid ambiguity
and never overstate the scope of the
claim. All of Food Alliance’s marketing
materials have been developed in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission’s Guides for the Use of
Environmental Marketing Claims.
Use the certification
seal on products
• On-product labeling helps cultivate
trust with sustainability-driven consumers, ensuring transparency and
traceability.
Use the certification seal
elsewhere too
• Every customer interaction is an opportunity to build brand recognition and
customer loyalty. To communicate and
remind others what you stand for —
include the certification seal on your
website, brochures, proposals, email signature line, press releases, advertisements, e-newsletters, etc.
ADVERTISEMENT
17
Compose your story
• Develop a concise & emotionally
appealing narrative that tells the unique
store about your environmental and
social responsibility. Complement it
with photos and video.
Build relationships
• The sustainability-driven consumer
wants a relationship with you! Connect
customers with the people, places and
processes behind the production of
your product.
continued on page 21
PASA News
PASA Staff Changes
PASA would like to extend a warm
welcome to Hannah Smith, our new
Community Outreach Coordinator.
Hannah will be working part-time with
the Good Food Neighborhood program
that extends throughout Pennsylvania
and beyond. Through her work at the
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Keystone Human Services
and as an independent consultant,
Hannah comes to us with a wealth of
experience in providing educational
programming, communications, outreach and grant management, as well as
policy advocacy.
Jean Najjar was recently promoted to
Auction Associate. Congratulations to
Jean for her success in growing the PASA
auction, launching GreenGoods and the
online auction program.
PASA STAFF AND BOARD WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME
THESE NEW BUSINESS MEMBERS AS OF JANUARY 24, 2011
AgSquared
Washington DC
www.agsquared.com
Benjamin’s Catering
Boalsburg, PA
http://benjaminscatering.com
Better Harvest
Factoryville, PA
BioCycle Magazine,
The JG Press Inc
Emmaus, PA
www.jgpress.com/biocycle.htm
Capital RC&D
Mechanicsburg PA
www.capitalrcd.org
Charles F. Patton
Middle School
Kennett Square, PA
Common Wealth Inc
Youngstown, OH
www.resettleyoungstown.org
PASA staff and board
would like to thank the following
volunteers as of 1.24.2011
Michael Ahlert
Brad Berry
Tricia Borneman
Jill Landes
Tom Murtha
Joan Norman
Henry Rosenberger
Casey Spacht
Special thanks to those
who helped at the Farm Shows in
York and Harrisburg
Carol Anderson
Amanda Birk
Barbara Corson
Barbara & Charlie Gerlach
Amanda Grace
Carl Hursh
Laurie Lynch
Dru Peters
Lori Sollenberger
Jason Stoltzfus
Judy & Jonas Stoltzfus
Chris Treichler
Roz & Jim Yannaccone
PASA staff and board
would like to welcome these new
Lifetime Members as of 1.24.2011
Thomas & Teresa Kisiel
Claire Murray, Hugh & Ann Lofting
Chris & Randy Treichler
Katherine Watt
Cornerstone Farm Ventures
Norwich, NY
www.cornerstone-farm.com
Dairy Connection Inc
Madison, WI
www.dairyconnection.com
Eggzy.net
New Hope, PA
www.eggzy.net
Firth Maple Products
Spartansburg, PA
Goodness Grows Ministry
North Lima OH
www.goodnessgrows.net
Green Gables Restaurant
Jennerstown, PA
www.greengablesrestaurant.com
Highland Naturals
Millersburg, OH
J.M. Hatchery
New Holland, PA
www.jmhatchery.com
Lancaster Trading House Inc
Lancaster, PA
www.lancastertradinghouse.com
Local Food Marketplace
Eugene, OR
www.localfoodmarketplace.com
Milton Hershey School AEE
Hershey, PA
Northeast Beginning
Farming Program
Ithaca, NY
www.nebeginningfarmers.org
Ohio Employee
Ownership Center
Kent OH
Oxy-Blast
Reedsville, PA
www.progressivealternatives.com
Reading Terminal
Market
Philadelphia PA
www.readingterminalmarket.org
Red Wiggler
Community Farm
Clarksburg MD
www.redwiggler.org
Redmond Mineral Inc
Redmond, UT
www.redmondnatural.com
Seed Savers Exchange
Decorah, IA
www.seedsavers.org
SF& Company
State College, PA
www.sfc-cpa.com
Shenot Farm Inc
Wexford PA
www.shenotfarm.com
Slow Food Harrisburg
Harrisburg PA
www.slowfoodharrisburg.com
Slow Food Philadelphia
Glenside PA
Stanley C. Bierly
Millheim, PA
www.bierlygroup.com
Penn State Press
University Park, PA
www.psupress.org
Stoudt’s Brewery/
Stoudt’s Family
Farmers Market
Adamstown, PA
www.stoudts.com
Featherman Equipment Co.
Jamesport, MO
www.featherman.net
Penny Rock Farm
Hallstead, PA
Sycamore Bridge Farm
Versailles, OH
Filtrexx Foundation
Grafton OH
www.filtrexx.com
Purple Mountain Organics
Takoma Park, MD
purplemountainorganics.com
VT Grass Farmers
Association
Colchester, VT
FarmStart
Guelph, Ontario
www.farmstart.ca
At the PA Farm Show in January, PASA member & volunteer Dru Peters (left) of Sunnyside
Farm in York Co. was staffing our information booth, when State Senator Pat Toomey and
then PA Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding stopped by to learn more about
PASA! Photo: Hannah Smith
18
Membership Update
Moving?
If you are moving, please contact
PASA to update your mailing address.
Several of our publications are sent via
bulk mail, which is not forwarded via
the USPS. Contact ted@pasafarming.
org or call 814-349-9856 x25 to make
an update.
PASA Membership Snapshot
As of January 24, 2011 — PASA
membership stands at 5,474 members.
Broken down by PASA regions:
West
Southeast
SouthCentral
NorthCentral
Out of State
= 932
= 1425
= 802
= 1278
= 1037
Membership Renewal Reminder
Just a reminder to all those yet to
renew your membership for 2011 —
please look at your mailing label on the
back of this newsletter to recall when
your membership expires. You can
renew online at pasafarming.net/membership, call 814-349-9856 or return the
form you recently received in the mail.
Membership Survey Results
In the fall of 2009, PASA distributed our first biannual comprehensive member
survey, and during the 2010 Farming for the Future Conference we attempted to gather
additional responses. Data collection ended in March 2010, as written responses were
entered into our survey tool. In upcoming issues of the newsletter and on our website,
we will be reporting various results of the survey — a full summary report is available
upon request.
Demographics
The average age of PASA members who answered the survey was 48 years old, a
bit younger than the statewide average of 55.2. The average age of those identifying
themselves as an agricultural producer was 49. Fifty-four percent of respondents were
female, 46 percent were male. 97% of PASA members identify their race, ethnicity,
origin, or background as White or Caucasian, which is similar to the 2007 US Census of
Agriculture respondents, 99% of whom were White or Caucasian.
Member Occupations
Sixty-three percent of PASA members represented by the survey are agricultural
producers. About half of these producers are full time farmers and half of these are part
time farmers. PASA is a mixture of both new and established farmers. 21% of PASA
members represented by the survey characterize themselves as aspiring farmers. 22%
of farmers work on agricultural operations founded in the last ten years.
PASA members are also active in agriculture and food systems in a diversity of
roles. 16% are agricultural educators, 11% of PASA members represented in the survey
identify themselves as processors of value-added products, 9% as food retailers. PASA
membership also includes a significant number of individuals who participate in the
local food system as conscientious consumers. 36% identified themselves as frequent
shoppers at farmers markets and 16% are current or recent CSA subscribers.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
• Materials reviews
• Quarterly Organic Matters Newsletter
• Workshops and field days
Contact us for a free info pack or to speak to
one of our certification specialists.
ASSURING the INTEGRITY of ORGANIC PRODUCTS
106 School Street, Suite 201 • Spring Mills PA 16875
814-422-0251 • [email protected] • www.paorganic.org
19
To learn more about Miller’s Orchards in
Clarks Summit (Lackawanna Co.) visit
millersorchard.com or call 570-587-3399.
Miller’s Orchard
By Michelle Isham, PASA Member
F
or the Peregrim family, owners of
Miller’s Orchards Farm Market, the
key to success is balancing the new with
the old. Farming the same plot of land in
Clarks Summit since the early 1800s, the
family has seen its share of changes from
dairy to apiary to orchard to vegetable
farm. They are betting those years of
experience with a new emphasis on soil
management and new marketing techniques will prove profitable.
Miller’s Orchards Farm Market sits
on 120 hilly and rocky acres in northeastern Pennsylvania. Despite the topographical challenges, the farm is planted
with apple orchards, vegetable gardens,
and pastures for livestock. Husband and
wife, Walter and Robin, took over the
farm in 1992. Like many farmers seeking
to add additional revenue streams, they
added a farm market, a greenhouse for
starting plants, and a bakery. Their
freshly baked pies are well-loved in their
area. The Peregrims also began offering
hayrides and farm tours.
Today Walter and Robin share farm
management duties with their son Lewis
and his wife Amber. This year, Lewis’s
sister Delana left a job in finance to begin
working on the farm as well. The elder
Peregrim’s work together with their children to expand the community education
and farm fun aspect of the farm. Meanwhile, both generations have turned their
attention to soil health, sustainability,
and the livestock. Amber and Lewis are
currently able to live on what they earn
from the farm alone and are committed
to farming as their careers.
“I grew up on a farm and my husband
grew up on this farm. We just have it in
our blood,” said Amber.
Over the last five years, Lewis has
developed a special interest in soil health
and spends the off-season attending conferences and researching the subject.
According to Delana, many of the
approaches that they are taking are simply going back to the old way of doing
things. The family came to the realization
that for them, it was as important to
enrich the soil and protect the environment as it was to bring in a large harvest.
“We’re making sure that what we’re
growing is full of nutrients from the soil
on up,” said Amber.
“Our job on earth is not to kill everything that’s here. We looked at these sustainable practices and they really
matched our world view,” said Delana.
Their current challenge is spreading
20
the word about the taste and quality of
their products. The sustainable food message hasn’t penetrated as deeply into their
rural region of northeastern Pennsylvania
as it has in central and southern parts of
the state. The process of marketing is
directed as much toward selling the concept of sustainable foods themselves as
selling Miller’s Orchard Farm Market
produce. The Peregrims use their web
site to detail the difference between their
chickens and conventionally raised chickens. Delana has also established a presence at farmers markets in the area, using
the markets as one more venue in which
to spread the word. One advantage that
the Peregrims have in their area is the
close-knit community that seeks to support its members. Neighbors patronize
their farm store out of a sense of loyalty
to the community.
“There’s a very strong tie in the community and that’s the thing we want to
leverage,” said Delana.
Growing a variety of crops helps them
appeal to customers who are used to the
one-stop-shopping convenience of large
retail outlets like Wal-Mart. But every
new product they introduce requires
research and a period of trial and error
experimentation. In addition to the
learning curve, the family must guess correctly what products people will want to
buy.
“Farming by nature is not a specialization. You have to be good at a lot of
things,” said Delana.
Before selling a new product such as
free-range chicken, the Peregrim’s
researched growing techniques and raised
experimental flocks to perfect their
process. Once the processed chickens
were satisfactory, they then turned their
attention to pigs. Wary of diluting their
attention and efforts, the Peregrim’s have
refused to introduce multiple products at
once or introduce a product before they
felt that it consistently met their standard. The family is now working to perfect grass-fed beef. As with the chicken
and the pork, they won’t begin selling the
beef before it is, in Amber’s words “amazing.”
“We are committed to not selling anything that isn’t excellent,” she said. n
Food Alliance
FOOD ALLIANCE CERTIFICATION
STANDARDS INCLUDE:
continued from page 17
Know the
sustainability-driven customer
• Create an internal process for continually monitoring
the needs and desires of these customers.
Provide adequate information
• The sustainability-driven consumer has a robust
appetite for information. Complement point-of-purchase materials with more detailed web-based content
so customers can access the amount of information
that’s right for them.
Increase transparency
• Demonstrate authenticity by backing up your claim.
Show results, acknowledge shortcomings and engage
customers in the process.
If you are interested in becoming Food Alliance certified, contact [email protected] or call
814-349-9856. Once certified Food Alliance offers an
in-depth marketing kit, which is available on their website at www.foodalliance.org.
• Protect and improve soil resources
• Protect and conserve water resources
• Protect and enhance biodiversity
• Conserve energy, reduce & recycle waste
• Reduce use of pesticides, and other toxic and hazardous
materials
• Maintain transparent and sustainable food supply chains
• Support safe and fair working conditions
• No GMOs or artificial ingredients
• Ensure healthy, humane animal treatment, with no growth
hormones or non-therapeutic antibiotics
• Continually improve practices
ADVERTISEMENT
Community Outreach
continued from page 16
Buy Fresh Buy Local Chapter Updates
NORTHEAST CHAPTER
Upcoming Events:
February 4, 6pm, First Friday in Downtown Scranton, Vintage Theater, 222 Wyoming Avenue, movie clips from the film
FRESH. Local wine and food will be served. Chapter membership information will be displayed. Admission is free. Tote bags,
hats and shirts will be for sale.
February 25, 7pm, Penn State, Hazleton Campus. The
Northeast Region Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local and the Center for Landscape Design and Stewardship will present a screening of the movie Fresh. Admission is free.
March 18, 9am–11am, The University of Scranton
Employee Wellness Day, Scranton, Northeast Region Chapter
will have a booth and display chapter membership information
and the local food guide.
April 30, 1pm–6pm, Wine and Cheese Event, Maiolatesi
Winery, 210 Green Grove Road, Scott Township. Sample local
wines and cheeses at a beautiful winery. Admission is $30 and
includes a chapter membership. Admission alone is $20.00.
GREATER LEHIGH VALLEY CHAPTER
This chapter is launching their own website at www.BuyLocalGreaterLehighValley.org.
21
Farmer Profile
Green Meadow Farm
By Sarah Graham, PASA member
G
lenn and Karen Brendle, owners of
Green Meadow Farm, located in
Gap (Lancaster County) call their farm
practice philosophy “minimum impact
farming” and include methods borrowed
from organic and sustainable practices.
“Farming is a learning process, every day,
every year and every season brings something new,” says Glenn. Sometimes
“serendipitous accidents” bring about
new methods, as he has discovered.
The Brendles started farming over 25
years ago, and today Green Meadow is
comprised of 6 acres of gardens and
4,200 square feet of greenhouses, producing specialty herbs and vegetables for
restaurants in Philadelphia and Lancaster.
Glenn says unlike some farming operations that focus on just one or two
crops, they grow over two hundred varieties of herbs and vegetables each year. “I
realized I had to start delivering directly
to chefs and restaurants in order to grow
as a farm,” he says. It became apparent
that his customers wanted variety, and
valued his ability to provide many kinds
of produce within a short time frame, tailored weekly to their specific orders.
Brendle remembers starting out in the
early 80’s attending the farmers market
through the help of an Amish farmer.
Experiences at the market led him to
meet key individuals and customers who
would help him create his farm and build
his business over the years.
Glenn says in terms of price structure
for his produce he finds that it varies
according to the needs of his customers,
falling between that of traditional wholesale pricing and retail prices.
When talking with Glenn recently
about what he felt was unique about his
farm, he replied modestly, “very little”.
In some ways, their farm operation is
similar to many others, but this farm
stands out in its ability to conserve energy
and create new ways of using alternative
farming methods and fuels to support all
facets of their work. In particular, Glenn
says, “The main focus is on appropriate
technology with lowest impact inputs.”
The restaurants he sells to have an
unending supply of waste vegetable oil,
22
Green Meadow owner Glenn Brendle. His
farm comprises six acres of gardens and 4200
sq. feet of greenhouse space.
and are in need of someone to use or dispense of this waste, and that is where
Glenn stepped in and decided to use this
waste to operate his farm. “It’s a win —
win situation,” says Glenn.
The use of waste vegetable oil to heat,
provide electricity to the farm, and act as
a natural herbicide and fungicide has
increased his profitability and decreased
pollution over the years.
Fertility inputs include on-site composting of neighborhood manures and
waste hay. Cover cropping includes use
of Brassicas for harvest and weed suppression and insect control is accomplished through integrated pest
management (IPM) and soap/vegetable
oil emulsions.
For more information about Green
Meadow Farm, 130 South Mount Vernon Road, Gap PA 17527, contact 717442-5222 or [email protected]. n
Farmer Profile
INTERVIEW WITH GLENN & KAREN BRENDLE
What is unique about your farm?
Green Meadow Farm is located on the eastern boundary of
Lancaster County near the town of Gap, Pennsylvania. The business, originally Spring Grove Farm at a former location, is now
comprised of 6 acres of gardens and 4200 sq. ft. of greenhouses.
The focus at the farm is on growing specialty herbs and vegetables
for restaurants in Philadelphia and Lancaster. We are unique in
how we operate our farm, using minimum impact farming that
incorporates sustainable and organic methods of production. We
continually work to create new methods that meet these standards.
How has your operation evolved over the years?
Our farm continually strives to find and use methods that
reduce our impact on the land, while reducing waste and pollutants. Our use of vegetable oil and its by-products for energy consumption have allowed us to increase our production and lower
our costs, which has increased our profitability. Over the years we
have been able to recycle the energy we use to create other usable
forms throughout our operation. More specifically, we are finding
ways to power and heat our greenhouses to increase production
during the late winter and early spring seasons, and thus provide
some produce usually unavailable during this time of year to our
customers.
What do you see as some of the critical issues concerning agriculture today?
There are many issues facing agriculture today, some are new
issues, but many are long-term issues that need to be constantly
re-addressed. In particular, the loss of farmland is one such issue,
which coincides with the high cost and low accessibility of land to
farmers. Another common issue among many farmers is not having enough time, and figuring out how to balance their efforts
between marketing and production to make a living, and make a
profit as well.
Why did you join PASA?
We joined PASA to support efforts to unite farmers together
towards a common goal of sustainable practices, while improving
our economic viability. Traditionally, farmers are independent
thinkers, so encouraging us to work together is hard work but very
important work. PASA helps by building solidarity within the farming community, uniting to work towards better practices and representing our interests, which is vital to our ability to survive as
farmers today.
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23
Understanding Federal Poultry Exemptions
for the Direct-To-Consumer Producer/Grower
By Brian Moyer,
Program Coordinator – PSU Extension,
PASA Board Member & Farmer
Raising and processing poultry for the
direct-to-consumer market has grown in
popularity in recent years, particularly
poultry raised on pasture. Advantages
include low start-up cost, fast turnaround
of product (typically eight weeks from
start to finish), and growing popularity
with consumers interested in local, natural or organic food.
The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health
federal agency responsible for ensuring
that the nation’s commercial supply of
meat, poultry, and egg products is safe,
wholesome, and correctly labeled and
packaged.
There are exemptions to the federal
poultry regulations that small producers
can qualify for so they can raise, slaughter, and sell poultry directly from their
farm. The exemptions can be found in
Federal code 9 CFR 381.10 through
381.15. We will focus on what appears to
be the three most popular exemptions for
farmers. They are the “producer grower
— 1,000 or less birds per year,” “producer grower — 20,000 or less birds per
year,” and the “producer grower or other
person (PGOP).”
A common misconception is that an
exempt operation is exempt from ALL
requirements of the Poultry Products
Inspection Act (PPIA). “Exempt” means
that certain types of poultry slaughter
and processing operations qualify to
operate without:
• Daily Federal inspection
• A grant of federal inspection
• Continuous bird-by-bird inspection
• Presence of a federal inspector
If you intend to operate under an
exemption, you must keep two things in
mind:
A person or business may slaughter or
process poultry under an exemption if
the operation qualifies for the exemption.
A slaughterer or processor of poultry
may not simultaneously operate under
more than one exemption during a calendar year.
What follows are segments taken from
the USDA’s guide “Guidance for Determining Whether a Poultry Slaughter or
Processing Operation is Exempt from
Inspection Requirements of the Poultry
Products Inspection Act.” Recently, the
USDA has recognized some inconsistencies in the guide and they will be updating it in the near future. For the time
being, it is still a useful resource for small
scale poultry producers.
Producer/Grower — 1,000 Limit
Exemption Limited provisions of the Act
apply to poultry growers who slaughter
no more than 1,000 poultry in a calendar
year for use as human food. A person
may slaughter and process on his or her
premises poultry that he or she raised and
they may distribute such poultry without
mandatory inspection when the following six criteria are met [ 9 CFR
§381.10(c) ].
Criteria:
The poultry grower slaughters no
more than 1,000 healthy birds of his or
her own raising in a calendar year for distribution as human food;
The poultry grower does not engage
in buying or selling poultry products
other than those produced from poultry
raised on his or her own farm;
The slaughter and processing are conducted under sanitary standards, practices, and procedures that produce
poultry products that are sound, clean,
and fit for human food (not adulterated);
The producer keeps records necessary
for the effective enforcement of the Act [
9 CFR 381.175 ]; and
The poultry products do not move in
commerce.
Note: Commerce means the exchange
or transportation of poultry products
between States, U.S. territories (Guam,
Virgin Islands of the United States, and
American Samoa), and the District of
Columbia [ 9CFR §381.1(b) ].
6. The shipping containers bear:
a. the producer’s name,
b. the producer’s address, and
c. the statement, Exempt P.L. 90-492.
“Exempt P.L. 90-492” identifies the
24
product as product produced under an
exemption from the Act, Public Law 90492. Instead of the Federal law 90-492, a
State law may be cited when the inspection of the slaughter and processing of
poultry is exempted under the authority
of a State law and the operations are
reviewed by a State Agency.
Producer/Grower — 20,000 Limit
Exemption A poultry grower may
slaughter and process more than 1,000
birds as exempt product for distribution
as human food when the following eight
criteria are met [ 9 CFR §381.10(a)(5)
and (b)(1) and (2) ].
Criteria:
The producer/grower slaughters and
processes, on his or her own premises, no
more than 20,000 poultry, raised by him
or her, in a calendar year;
The producer/grower sells, in a calendar year, only poultry or poultry products
he or she prepares according to the criteria for the Producer/Grower — 20,000
Limit Exemption; he or she may not buy
or sell poultry products prepared under
another exemption in the same calendar
year in which he or she claims the Producer/Grower — 20,000 Limit Exemption;
The poultry products are distributed
solely by the producer/grower and only
within the District of Columbia or the
State or Territory in which the poultry
product is produced;
The poultry are healthy when slaughtered;
The slaughter and processing at the
producer/grower’s premises are conducted using sanitary standards, practices, and procedures that produce
poultry products that are sound, clean,
and fit for use as human food (not adulterated);
The producer only distributes poultry
products he or she produced under the
Producer/Grower Exemption;
The facility used to slaughter or
process the poultry is not used to slaughter or process another person’s poultry
unless the Administrator of FSIS grants
an exemption [ 9 CFR 381.10b)(2)]
The shipping containers, when distributed in intrastate commerce (instead
of the required features of a label of
inspected product) bear:
• producer’s name,
• producer’s address, and
• the statement, Exempt P.L. 90-492.
Producer/Grower 20,000 Limit
Exemption Notes:
The producer/grower may sell,
intrastate, the poultry products he or she
prepares to other businesses for resale as
meat or meals, including a distributor,
hotel, restaurant, retail store, institution,
or small enterprise when the product is
produced under a Federal or a State
exemption.
FSIS has determined that when a
grower producing poultry under the Producer/Grower Exemption rents slaughtering or processing equipment and
operates such equipment on his or her
premises, he or she is not disqualified for
the Producer/Grower Exemption. In this
situation, the grower is not required to
request an exemption from the Administrator of FSIS. However, the slaughter or
processing unit may not be used to
slaughter or process another person’s
poultry while it is on the renter’s premises.
Producer/Grower or Other Person
(PGOP) Exemption The term “Producer/Grower or Other Person” (PGOP)
refers to a single entity, which may be:
(1) A poultry grower who slaughters
and processes poultry that he or she
raised for sale directly to household consumers, restaurants, hotels, and boarding
houses to be used in those homes and
dining rooms for the preparation of
meals served or sold directly to cus-
tomers.
(2) A person who purchases live poultry from a grower and then slaughters
these poultry and processes such poultry
for sale directly to household consumers,
restaurants, hotels, and boarding houses
to be served in those homes or dining
rooms for the preparation of meals sold
directly to customers.
A business may slaughter and process
poultry under this exemption when the
following nine criteria are met [ 9 CFR
§381.10(a)(6) and (b) ].
Criteria:
1. The producer/grower or other person slaughters for processing and sale
directly to household consumers, restaurants, hotels, and boarding houses for use
in dining rooms or in the preparation of
meals sold directly to customers;
continued on page 26
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25
Poultry Exemptions
continued from page 25
The PGOP slaughters no more than
20,000 poultry in a calendar year that the
producer/grower or other person raised
or purchased are slaughtered and
processed under this exemption;
The poultry processed by a PGOP is
poultry that the PGOP slaughtered;.
The poultry products produced under
the PGOP Exemption are distributed
solely by the manufacturer and only
within the State or Territory or the District of Columbia in which the poultry
product is produced;
The producer/grower or other person
does not engage in the business of buying
or selling poultry or poultry products
prepared under other exemptions in the
same calendar year he or she claims the
Producer/Grower Exemption;
The processing is limited to preparation of poultry products from poultry
slaughtered by the PGOP for distribution directly to: 1) household consumers,
2) restaurants, 3) hotels, and 4) boarding
houses for use in their dining rooms or in
the preparation of meals sold directly to
consumers within the jurisdiction were it
is prepared;
The slaughter and processing at the
producer/grower or other person’s facility
is conducted in a manner that results in
the preparation of poultry products that
are wholesome, sound, clean, and fit for
human food (not adulterated);
The facility used to slaughter and
process poultry is not used to slaughter or
process another person’s poultry unless
the Administrator of FSIS grants an
exemption [ 9 CFR 381.10b)(2) ]; and
The shipping containers, when distributed in intrastate commerce, (instead
of all the required features of a label for
inspected product) bear:
• the processor’s name,
• the address, and
• the statement, Exempt P.L. 90-492.
State law, rather than Federal law,
may be cited when product is produced
in accordance with requirements of a
State exemption.
Producer/Grower or
Other Person Exemption Notes:
A business preparing poultry product
under the PGOP exemption may not
slaughter or process poultry owned by
another person.
A business preparing poultry products
under the PGOP exemption may not sell
products to a retail store or other producer/grower.
State health department regulations
may apply.
Some things to consider if you are
thinking about attempting to operate
under exemption from federal inspection:
Give considerable thought to your
slaughter location on your farm. How
will you handle:
• Waste water and offal?
• Pest control?
• Is your water tested annually?
What are your local zoning regulations?
As you can see, poultry exemptions
are rather complicated and can be misinterpreted. USDA FSIS has created a few
things to help producers understand the
exemptions. First, there is a free booklet
called “Guidance for Determining
Whether a Poultry Slaughter or Processing Operation is Exempt from Inspection Requirements of the Poultry
Products Inspection Act” available at
www.extension.org/ pages/Understanding_Poultry_Exemptions as well as a
helpful chart that can aid you in navigating the exemptions. You can also listen to
a recent webinar on poultry exemptions
hosted by the Niche Meat Processors
Association Network (NMPAN) at
www.extension.org/pages/Archived_
Niche_Meat_ Processor_Webinars.
FSIS now has an e-mail address to
help you with your question. Go to askfsis.custhelp.com. n
PASA at Twenty
PASA has to offer. Our Board of Directors represents a diversity of agriculture
from the entire state. Our competent
staff is your support network, representing all regions. I encourage all of you, to
stand, be heard, and defend the culture
you choose. Be assured, PASA will stand
with you.
In the coming year I intend to lead
discussions with other organizations with
similar food ideology. We must be prepared for more attacks on raw milk, on
local food suppliers and on organizations
like PASA. We must be ready to stand
and be clear about our commitment to
rebuilding our Good Food Neighborhoods.
I pledge to you all that if I must I will
fight until my strength is gone to protect,
food fit for our children and grandchildren. Let it be known that in the coming
years, as new crises arise, our organization
will not be quiet and fall into line, behind
unsustainable leadership regarding food,
fiber and energy policies. We will speak
loudly and clearly, with unlimited determination, as we educate our communities with the highest quality knowledge
available, and feed our future leaders with
the healthiest food to be found. We must
insert culture back into daily living.
Together with all of you, I look forward
to that journey! n
continued from page 7
quality issues affecting all citizens, instead
of endowing public universities with millions of dollars for unneeded hockey arenas for the benefit of a only a few. Our
culture can tolerate honest capitalism,
but not corrupt cronyism. Clean energy
today, must keep the hills and valleys of
Pennsylvania safe for citizens to live in
fifty years.
The recent youthful, unrest in Egypt
should wake up our political process, and
serve as a warning to ignorant, arrogant
and unsustainable leadership. The Egyptian youth are angry from years of oppression. Our youth have a reason to be angry
as well. Their health and future lifestyles
have been undermined with inferior food
choices, continuing environmental contamination, and the accumulated debt
from the aftermath. Our youth deserve to
be involved in choosing a sustainable culture.
The young men and women I come in
contact with from food networking want
better leadership. Just look at the impressive future leaders among us here today.
Starting today, all of you need to become
part of the sustainable food production
solution. Today, you have chosen to
learn from the best and the brightest
26
Editor’s Corner
The Grapevine
by Michele Gauger
Community Wind Project
The Saint Francis University Renewable
Energy Center was recently awarded a
grant from the USDA and the Met Ed/Penelec Energy Sustainable Energy Fund to
provide reports on wind resources for
Pennsylvanian agricultural producers and
small businesses.
The lift on the electricity cap has left
farmers and rural small businesses with
rapid increases in electricity costs. Wind
turbines in areas with good resources will
help to reduce that cost, increase revenue
streams, and lower overhead.
Identification of a site’s wind resource is
critical in determining feasibility of a
potential wind project. The REC will use
their systems and data to prepare wind
resource assessment reports for your specific site with detailed information. Those
with sufficient wind resources will be provided with information on choosing reputable wind installers. These installers can
use our reports to help with their on-location assessments. Those without the sufficient wind resource will be advised on
other possible renewable energy sources
to utilize.
Due to the grant this service will be free
to landowners throughout Pennsylvania.
More information and applications for the
program is available at www.francis.edu/
communitywindhome.htm or by email at
[email protected].
Food Desert Mapping from the
National to the Neighborhood
Scale
ArcGis provides very detailed
zoomable maps on food access and
numerous related variables on their website. Go to www.arcgis.com/home and
enter the words “food access” into the
search box. The first item is a supermarket
access map which shows the locations of
supermarkets relative to populations living in poverty (the latter is available below
a certain scale). One of the links is to the
Food Atlas newly prepared by USDA’s Economic Research Service. A direct link to
this site, which contains additional useful
data is at www.ers.usda.gov/foodatlas
Meat CSAs and Buying Clubs
Nick McCann, NCAT Agriculture Marketing Specialist
In any farm business, it’s important to have multiple marketing outlets in order to minimize risk and maintain a stable
income. For an increasing number of livestock producers, a
meat community-supported agriculture program (CSA) or
buying club has become a viable addition to commodity
markets or the sale barn. A meat CSA/buying club sells
whole, half, or quarter carcasses to a group of individuals in
order to:
state-inspected, or custom-exempt butchering plants
nearby. There are three main types of facilities:
• Federally Inspected Plant
You may resell your meat to consumers and enter into interstate commerce.
• State-Inspected Plant
You may resell meat to consumers, but not across state lines.
• Minimize the time it takes to sell meat in volume.
• Custom-Exempt Plant
• Sell directly to minimize consumer costs.
You may deliver meat to your customers, but for legal rea-
• Sell the whole animal, not just the high-end cuts.
sons your customers must pay the custom plant directly for
slaughter and cutting services. So you must sell the animal
• How can I start and manage a meat CSA/ buying club?
Look to church communities or your own social network
where people are already organized and familiar with each
other to develop your meat CSA/buying club customer base.
Customers are often asked to pay for their CSA/buying club
share up front. However, when the upfront cost is too high,
it is possible to market smaller portions of the carcass.
When does marketing smaller cuts become too time
intensive to both raise and market animals? This cut-off
point will be different for every business but needs to be
considered carefully.
on the hoof and the buyer must pay the processor for
butchering, cutting, and wrapping.
• Where can I find other resources about meat CSAs or
buying clubs?
Marketing Meat for Small Producers, by Arion Thiboumery,
Iowa State University Extension, and Mike Lorentz, Lorentz
Meats.
Alternative Meat Marketing Strategies, by Lauren Gwin
OSU/Niche Meat Processing Assistance Network
Local Harvest is an extensive national website of direct
• How do I get my animals butchered and wrapped?
The local meat locker is often a good place to find out
about getting your animals butchered and wrapped.
Depending on your area, you may have federally inspected,
marketing that makes it easy for farmers and consumers to
find each other.
CSA Center directory at Warren Wilson College.
27
Classified Ads
A full and up to date listing of
classified and employment opportunities
is available at www.pasafarming.org.
FOR RENT / LEASE
FOR RENT/PARTNERSHIP — Organic farm
with acreage in Dauphin Co. is available for
rent or partnership, 18,000 square foot
greenhouse ready to farm, bed&breakfast
with apartment and large out buildings. It
would be great for a CSA or other adventures. Follow your dreams. Call Ivan @ 717433-7700.
FOR SALE
FOR SALE — 150 ton of spelt straw, large
bales with no rain damage. Located at
Millersburg, PA – Call Ivan at 717-433-7700.
FOR SALE — PCO certified organic hay, 4x4
round bales, stored inside, first cutting,
mixed grasses with lots of red clover, tested.
$140 ton or $40/bale. Pleasant Valley Organic
Farm, Amity, PA 15311 (Washington County),
PASA member. Contact [email protected] or
Lynn at 740 424 0446. Will help with loading
or delivery.
AVAILABLE
AVAILABLE – 2 greenhouses, 2 hoophouses,
garden. Housing, adjacent restaurant as base
customer, Lehigh Valley. Contact 610-3606926
AVAILABLE – small dairy suitable for cows,
goats or sheep. All equipment plus housling.
Lehigh Valley. Contact 610-360-6926
INTERN POSITION — 10 wks, 2-acre miniintensive farm, Chester Co., housing
included, $1,000 stipend. Contact Stephen at
610-593-1996. For pictures, go to
www.guineahengarden.com. To apply, email [email protected]
FARM ASSISTANT MANAGER — Organic
Farm Assistant Manager — Washingtom/Baltimore area. Started over thirty years ago, we
are an established, diversified organic operation on 185 acres. Primarily a value added
enterprise, we direct market most of our
products to consumers and other organic
farms. — We conduct on-farm research and
are often involved with organic/sustainable
issues at the state and national levels.
Help with daily activities: grass-based
beef, pastured chicken and turkeys (on-farm
processing), free range eggs, grain and vegetable crops, forages, ground livestock feeds,
and organic seed production. Duties: operate
tractors and equipment, feed livestock, and
possible supervision of staff/interns. Assist
with new projects, such as, farm scale composting to recycle local food wastes; “green”
energy and building projects; and expanding
farm tours.
Qualifications: — demonstrated commitment to organic/sustainable/ local agriculture; desire to learn and to take on increasing
levels of responsibility; experience working
on a farm; ability, or willingness, to operate
tractors and equipment. Desirable qualifications: experience on an organic farm or grassbased livestock operation; related education;
ability to do simple repairs on farm equipment; ability to weld, repair fencing, and do
simple carpentry; familiarity with managing:
row crops, vegetables, forages, dairy, beef, or
poultry.
Salary commensurate with experience
and abilities. A house suitable for a small family and health insurance are available.
Reply with a letter of interest and resume
or a description of your background:
[email protected]
Visit PASA online at
www.pasafarming.org
ADVERTISEMENT
Summer FARM START
continued from page 13
platform and opportunity to promote the coming
growing season widely to local and regional media
outlets as well as the public. It’s a chance to remind
and educate consumers that tremendous local food
is grown in every region of the state and there are
multiple ways to support our community farmers
and gain access to this healthy food.
This year’s FARM START events will be held
throughout Pennsylvania and are just beginning to
take shape. We’d like to give our members the
opportunity to be involved by designing your very
own event that features farming and agriculture
‘your style.’ In tandem with your support, we are
developing a Menu of Events that will include such
things as Tours of Cheesemaking Farmsteads, Ice
Cream socials featuring the first strawberries of
spring, Wild Foraging Excursions, an Art on the
Farm Reception and a variety of health & wellness
focused activities. We want our events to give folks
the opportunity to see, feel, and taste the advent
of the farming season. To get involved, contact
Lauren Smith at PASA headquarters.
28
ADVERTISEMENT
Calendar
A full & updated calendar listing is available at pasafarming.org. These listings
include PASA coordinated or supported
events, as well as those we felt would be
of interest to our membership.
March
n Mar 12
PASA Wayne Co. Members Group —
“Food for Thought” Library Series —
Honesdale Library. Organic Raised-Bed
Gardening: Getting Started, presentation
by Roger Hill, Treeline Farms & Al Benner,
The Old School Farm & Moss Acres.
10:30am, www.waynelibraries.org.
n Mar 19
PASA Field Day — Sustainable Maple
Syrup Production on Any Scale. Macneal
Orchards & Sugarbush, Centre Co. For
details visit pasafarming.org/farmbasededucation or call 814-349-9856 x20.
n Mar 19
PASA Wayne Co. Members Group —
“Food for Thought” Library Series —
Honesdale Library. Seed Saving 101,
presentation by Adrianne Picciano a.k.a.
The Dirt Diva. 10:30am, www.waynelibraries.org.
n Mar 19–20
2nd Annual Edinboro Maple Festival.
Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department’s
Social Hall 125 Meadville Street, Edinboro, PA. For details — www.edinborohistory.org.
n Mar 25–26
Farm to Table Pittsburgh 5th Annual
Conference. For details — http://farmtotablepa.com/conference.
n Mar 26
PASA Southeast Region Master Class:
Cheesemaking 101; Klein Farms Dairy &
Creamery, Easton PA. For more information visit www.pasafarming.org/southeast or contact Denise at 610-458-5700.
n Mar 28–Apr 18
Backyard Poultry Course, Montgomery
Co. 4-H Center. A program for small-scale
meat and egg producers. This course
covers breeds, health, nutrition, and
housing. For details: http://extension.
psu.edu/start-farming/courses/backyardpoultry.
n Mar 29
Keeping Fresh Produce Safe Using Good
Agricultural Practices (GAPs) — Farm
Food Safety Workshops from Penn State
Cooperative Extension Contact: Andy
Beck, 570-622-4225 or [email protected].
n Mar 30–Apr 1
What Works 2011! Conference Explores
Entrepreneurship and Community Development. Philadelphia, PA. Sponsored by
Northeast Regional Center for Rural
Development (NERCRD),
www.nercrd.psu.edu.
n Mar 31–Apr 21
Exploring the Small Farm Dream —
PSU; Lehigh County Agricultural Center,
4184 Dorney Park Road, Room 108
Allentown, PA. For details: http://extension.psu.edu/start-farming/ courses/
exploring-the-small-farm-dream-1.
April
n Apr 2
PASA Western Region Master Class:
Farmers Market Management Workshop;
10am–1pm, Venango County Fairgrounds, 867 Mercer Road, Franklin, PA
16323. For more information visit
www.pasafarming.org/ westernregion or
contact Leah at 412-365-2985.
n Apr 15–24
Edible Ecosystems Emerging: Food
Forestry for the 21st Century. Join us for
a nine-day forest garden design intensive
with Dave Jacke and friends! Wild Meadows Farm — 456 Smith Road — Schellsburg, PA 15559. Contact — Kim Walsh,
[email protected] or 814-8394962 or http://wildmeadowsfarm.com.
n Apr 16
Breaking the Barriers — Access to Land,
Capital and Equipment for Farm Startups. Delaware Valley College,
Doylestown, PA. For details —
http://extension.psu.edu/startfarming/courses/breaking-the-barriersaccess-to-land-capital-and-equipmentfor-farm-start-ups.
n Apr 30
Pastured Pork Day at Owens Farm in Sunbury, PA. Three pastured pork producers
and a nutritionist will share their experience on the day-to-day realities and chal-
30
lenges of raising pigs outdoors. The
guest speakers (all members of PASA)
include Jeff Mattocks from The Fertrell
Co., John and Todd Hopkins from Forks
Farm in Columbia Co.,Nate Thomas from
Breakaway Farms in Lancaster Co., and
David and Caroline Owens. Preregistration is required. For more information,
visit www.owensfarm.com or call 570898-6060.
n Apr 15
PASA Field Day — Hands-on Urban Market Gardens: Techniques for Improving
Sustainability & Profits in Small Spaces.
The Fairgreen Neighborhood Garden,
Youngstown, OH. For details visit pasafarming.org/farmbasededucation or call
814-349-9856 x20.
May
n May 9
PASA Field Day — Transitioning to
Organic in an Apple Orchard
O’Neill’s Orchard, Wayne Co. For details
visit pasafarming.org/farmbasededucation or call 814-349-9856 x20.
n Mid-May –Mid-June
PASA Summer FARM START
A statewide series of farm-themed
events will kick-off and celebrate local
family farming and increase awareness
local food in the Commonwealth. This
year’s FARM START events will give people the opportunity to experience farms
& agriculture in a variety of ways. Stay
tuned to pasafarming.org/farmstart.
n May 23–25
PASA Intensive Learning Program —
Mob Grazing with Ian Mitchell-Innes: A
Three-day, Hands-on Intensive. Kananga
Farm, Westmoreland Co. Registration
limited to 50. Save $100 by registering
before April 15th. For details visit pasafarming.org/farmbasededucation or call
814-349-9856 x20.
September
n Sept 25
Save the Date!
Bike Fresh Bike Local —
Chester County
For details vist www.pasafarming.org/
bikefresh.
Membership
& Contribution Form
Please clip this application and return with payment to:
PASA Membership, PO Box 419, Millheim, PA 16854
or join online at pasafarming.org
GOOD FOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ™ MEMBERSHIP
GOOD FOOD NEIGHBORHOOD BENEFITS
Good Food Neighborhood is an internet-based program
• Personalized seasonal product updates from local
food providers on buylocalpa.org.
• Insider info on food & beverage tastings, farm tours
and other local food events in your neck of the woods.
• Weekly event & educational news from PASA.
• A subscription to Eaters Digest, monthly e-newsletter
on good food news in Pennsylvania (and beyond).
• Discounts on apparel and other goods purchased
from the buylocalpa.org marketplace.
• A seat at the Community Table, where neighbors connect around local food shopping, cooking and learning. Our Community Table Program helps you make
LOCAL connections. Reach out to your Good Food
Neighbors to form or join a group to either discuss a
local food topic or organize a local foods activity.
• The satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to
sustain agriculture in your region
Good Food Neighborborhood Membership
Please enter name and email address of the recipient in the field
$ 30
PASA MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
PASA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
• A subscription to our bimonthly, Passages newsletter
• Free classified ad and discounted display advertising
in Passages
• Discounted admission to our annual conference,
field day & intensive learning programs
• Voting privileges for board of director elections &
bylaws
• Annual membership in the Good Food
Neighborhood™ program for consumers
(separate online registration required)
• Assistance with Food Alliance sustainable certification
(if applicable)
• Invitations to other special events, such as membership • Membership networking opportunities regionally
& via PASA discussion groups
potlucks & Harvest Celebration dinners
• The satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to
sustain agriculture in your region
• Discounts on Buy Fresh Buy Local® partner fees
(coordinated through local chapters)
• Event promotion via our website & newsletter
PASA MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS
Family/Farm or Sustaining Lifetime Membership
Individual
Individual — Two Year RENEWAL Membership* (Save $10)
Please list all names for this Family/Farm membership. You may include children between the ages of 14–22,
and also multiple generations directly involved in the farm.
$ 45
$ 80
$ 70
Family/Farm Please complete field at right
Family/Farm — Two Year RENEWAL Membership* (Save $10) $ 130
Nonprofit Please complete field at right
$ 100
Business Please complete field at right
$ 150
Business Patron PASA will contact you for the 12 additional names
Nonprofit or Business Membership ($100 or $150 Levels)
$ 500
of those to receive individual membership benefits.
* Two year membership options are for current members RENEWING only!
Please list up to two additional people associated with your business to receive individual membership privileges.
$
DONATIONS
PAYMENT
Consider lending extra support to these two PASA funds.
The Annual Fund supports PASA’s basic
operations.
Total amount due
VISA
$
Check Payable to PASA
The Arias M. Brownback Scholarship
Fund helps those wishing to learn about
$
sustainable agriculture attend the annual
conference regardless of financial position.
MasterCard
Discover
Exp. Date
Cardholder Name
Credit Card Complete at
Signature
right
PASA is a registered 501 (C) 3 organization and contributions are tax exempt. The official registration and financial information of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of
State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
GIFT MEMBERSHIP
In addition to your own membership, you may give PASA membership
to a good friend, family member, business associate or other worthy
recipient on an annual or lifetime basis…a gift that keeps on giving!
$ 45
Individual
special
extras
Card No.
$
Family/Farm
$ 70
Sustaining Lifetime Member
$ 1,400
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP &
PERMANENT BUSINESS PARTNERS
Contributions for Lifetime Memberships & Permanent Business Partnerships will be managed with care, sustaining both the ongoing
memberships as well as the long-term future of PASA. There are few
things a member or business could do to symbolize their lifelong commitment to sustainability than to place such confidence in the value
and viability of PASA itself.
$ 1,400
Sustaining Lifetime Member
SUBTOTAL $
Please complete the Family/Farm Membership field above left
Name(s)
Permanent Business Partner
City
State
Telephone
$ 3,000
Please complete the Nonprofit/Business Membership field above left
Address
SUBTOTAL $
ZIP+4
E-mail
31
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
State College, PA
Permit No. 213
Pennsylvania
Association for
Sustainable Agriculture
PO Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854-0419
2011 Farming for the Future Conference Sponsors
PATRONS OF SUSTAINABILITY
PLATINUM KEY SPONSORS