Mar-Apr 2007 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

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By Michele GaugerLengel Brothers Farm and Market dates

back to 1940 when Steve and Rose Lengelmoved from Parkman, Ohio to Mercer,

Pennsylvania. During that time, the opera-tion was primarily a Holstein dairy with theproduction of crops for animal feed.

Over the years, the family has purchasedadjoining farmland (650 acres) and rentedabout 350 additional acres. In 1999 theLengel Brothers Farm began vegetable pro-duction and by 2005 the farm began sup-plying produce to Grove City College as wellas several local restaurants and grocerystores, in addition to an on-farm market.

Lengel Brothers Farm is currently ownedand operated by David, Elliott and Gary

Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and BeyondNumber 65 March/April 2007

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

Lengel. David and Gary manage the dairyoperation, while Elliott manages the cropsand machinery maintenance.

Over the past few years, Elliott has

formed a relationship with Bon AppetitManagement Company, which providesfood services for Grove City College. TheLengel family has strong connections to thecollege, as many of their family members arealumni. The relationship between Lengeland Bon Appetit spawned from a series ofevents beginning in 2005, when Lengel metthe executive chef.

Bon Appetit Management Company wasthe first major contract food service providerto address the issues related to where our

PASA Membership ElectsNew Team of DirectorsThis is a year of transition for

PASAs Board of Directors, as we arefilling vacancies left by two currentdirectors who have reached term lim-its (board president Kim Miller andboard secretary Lyn Garling) andthose deciding to depart the board;Chris Fullerton, board treasurer, andGeorge DeVault.

Winners of the recent electioninclude John Jamison (incumbent),

Jeff Mattocks, Patti Olenick, RitaResick and Louise Schorn Smith. Weare happy to provide a biography ofeach of these directors so you can getto know each of them better.

The resignation of previous boardmember, David Johnson, in January

also created a partial term vacancy.Filling this vacancy was at the discre-tion of the board, which elected JimTravis to serve out the remainder of

Johnsons term. A biography of Jim isincluded as well.

In addition, the election of the newboard of directors officers took placeat the March 23 board meeting inCentre Hall, Pennsylvania (after thisissue went to press). We will announcethe new officers of the board of direc-tors in the May/June issue ofPassages,

but anyone wishing to know thoseresults immediately may contactPASA headquarters at 814-349-9856.

Anyone interested in running forthe PASA board in the future may alsocontact Brian Moyer, 610-944-9349.

I John Jamison

Westmoreland County (incumbent)

John Jamison has been a PASAmember since the organization wasfounded in 1992 and has served on

Lengel Brothers Farm Joins Forceswith Bon Appetit Management

continued page 3continued page 16

Recently Bon Appetit Management Company joined forces with Lengel Brothers Farm to fund the con-struction of three high tunnels on the farm to supply fresh product to Grove City College in Mercer,PA.


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March/April 20071 Lengel Brothers Farm

Joins Forces with

Bon Appetit Management

New Board of Directors

4 Fundraising Update

Charity Auction

5 Conference Food & Auction

6 Directors Corner

7 Presidents Corner

8 Regional Marketing

9 Consumer News

10 Educational Outreach

12 Farmer Profile:Honey Brook Organic Farm

14 Membership Update

15 Business Member Profile:

Solair Energy, Inc.

16 Opinion

18 Editors Corner:The Grapevine

20 Classified Ads

22 Calendar

Charity auction, page 4

Honey Brook Organic Farm, page 12

Pennsylvania Association

for Sustainable Agriculture

114 West Main Street

P.O.Box 419

Millheim PA 16854Phone:(814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840

Website:www.pasafarming.org

Passages STAFF & OFFICE

Staff Editor: Michele Gauger

Layout: C Factor

Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,

PASA office, [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mary Barbercheck, Centre County

David Bingaman, Dauphin County

Jennifer Halpin, Cumberland County

Mena Hautau,Berks County

John Hopkins,Columbia County

John Jamison,Westmoreland County

Don Kretschmann,Beaver County

Jeff Mattocks, Dauphin County

Brian Moyer,Berks County

Patti Olenick,Dauphin County

Rita Resick, Somerset County

Anthony Rodale,Berks County

Kim Seeley,Bradford County

Louise Schorn Smith,Chester County

Jim Travis, Adams County

PASA STAFF

Headquarters

Brian SnyderExecutive Director

[email protected]

Lauren Smith

Director of Development

& Membership Programs

[email protected]

Heather House

Director of Educational Outreach

[email protected]

Michele Gauger

Membership & Research Assistant

[email protected]

Brandi Marks

Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper

[email protected]

Western Regional Office

Phone: 412-697-0411

David Eson

Director of Western Programs

[email protected]

Julie Speicher

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Sarah Young

Program Assistant

[email protected]

PASAs Mission isPromoting 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 chil-

dren,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 com-

munity at a time.

PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider and Employer.Some grant funding comes from the USDA and com-

plaints of discrimination should be sent to:US DA Office of Civil Rights,Washington, DC 20250-9410.

Passages March/April 2007 Contributors

Contributing writers and photographers: J. Lynne Brown, Pam Denlinger, Sherry Dudas, Michele Gauger, Jennifer

Halpin, Mena Hautau, Heather House, Jim Kinsel, Don Kretschmann, Elliott Lengel, Pat Little, Kim Miller, Gayle Mor-

row,Lynn Prior, Lauren Smith,Brian Snyder,Matt Steiman, Mike Wahler.

PASA in the NewsHave you seen articles about PASA in your local news-

papers or other media? PASA is active across the state,

and wed love to know what coverage we are gettingin your area. Please clip any articles you see on PASA

and mail them to our Millheim headquarters to the

attention of Office Coordinator Brandi Marks.

Do you have a great

article idea for Passages?Want to share a farming practice with members? Wed

love to hear from you. Please contact the newsletter

staff at [email protected].

Deadline for May/June 2007 Issue:

April 20 2007

Passages is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper

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the board of directors since 2001. He andwife Sukey Jamison manage their flock ofsheep on a picturesque 210-acre farm in

Latrobe, Pennsylvania.The Jamisons started out 27 years ago with essentially no animal husbandryexpertise, but today raise and slaughterseveral thousand natural, grassfed lambseach year. Their end product is destinedfor great cooks at home and some of thefinest chefs and restaurants in the world.They have researched and developedmethods for processing grassfed lambthat remains tender and flavorful. Theyhave also developed recipes for processingof their lamb into pre-prepared, value-

added products. Their mission has beento provide the best lamb in America tochefs either at home or at work.

I Jeff Mattocks

Dauphin County

Since 1996 Jeff has been activelyinvolved with the feeding and manage-ment of organic and natural farm ani-mals. He has been learning and sharingmethods of natural health care, diseaseprevention and treatment since starting

with animal nutrition, as they are cer-

tainly interconnected.Jeff has been employed by the Fertrell

Company since 1996 working withanimal nutrition and soil fertility, func-tioning as an officer, providing an under-standing of goals, budgets, accounting,marketing and product manufacturing.

Jeff has been a PASA member since1998 and a Lifetime member since 2003.In the past 8 years of membership he hasgiven three presentations at the Farming

for the Futureconferences as well as one

for a PASA field day in 2003 regardingswine nutrition.

I Louise Schorn Smith

Chester County

Louise Schorn Smith has beeninvolved in the farming community invarious ways for the past ten years andhas a keen interest in the future of farm-ing. Because of her interest in educatingpeople in her community about localfood systems, Louise co-founded theMaysies Farm CSA in Chester County in

1997, was instrumental in creatingMaysies Farm Conservation Center (aneducational nonprofit organization basedon a working farm) in 1999 and createdthe Sustainable Agriculture InternshipTraining Alliance of Southeastern PA.She also launched the Eagleview Farmers

Market (a seasonal, producers-only farm-ers market in her community) and servesas the volunteer Market Manager. Louisehas spent many hours volunteering in thegarden at Maysies Farm.

Louise spends her professional time asthe President of Countryside Consulting,Inc., a small consulting firm that providesfinancial consulting and fundraising serv-ices to nonprofit organizations and busi-nesses in the Philadelphia area.

I Patti Olenick

Dauphin CountyA native of Harrisburg, Patti graduat-

ed from Delaware Valley College with aBS in agronomy and currently works forthe PA Department of EnvironmentalProtection as the Organics RecyclingCoordinator, a role instrumental in pro-moting composting both on the farm andin local communities. She is involved in anew program assisting communities incleaning up illegal dumps and spearhead-ing beautification efforts.

Patti is also the statewide coordinator

for the Backyard Compost Program, inpartnership with Penn State Extension,and has done numerous compost presen-tations, including three at PASA confer-ences. She is an instructor and coursedeveloper for the Professional Recyclersof PA Educational Committee, and isalso a Senior Certified Recycling Profes-sional and has co-authored the book,Basic Composting.

I Rita Resick

Somerset County

Rita Resicks family has been in farm-ing since 1988 when they bought a Som-erset County farm that grew potatoes forthe Snyders of Berlin company. Rita andher husband Rick Stafford operate thefarm along with her sister and brother in-law. Together they realized that if theirfarm was going to be viable, chip pota-toes were not the key product, as pricing

was driven by Midwestern farms ten totwenty times their size. So they convertedfrom chip potatoes to table potatoes and

added green beans and sweet onions, allproducts with more favorable pricing inthe fresh vegetable market. They alsobranded their new products SomersetSpuds, Somerset Snaps, and SomersetSweets and began working with gro-cery and wholesale markets. Their prod-

ucts have a better price structure, andthey believe they hold the potential fortheir farms long-term viability.

Rita is a PASA Lifetime member andhas steered friends and associates interest-ed in farming and/or food to PASA mem-bership. Rita has also worked on PASAsRegional Food Infrastructure Networkproject in the western region.

I Jim Travis

Adams County

Jim Travis currently works at the Penn

State Fruit Research and Extension Cen-ter in Adams County, only a few milesfrom the fruit farm his father owned. Hehas over 25 years experience working

with fruit producers across Pennsylvaniain the management of tree fruit and grapediseases. Although Jim has always focusedcontrol recommendations on IntegratedPest Management (IPM) strategies suchas cultural practices and environmentalmonitoring to control diseases, mostrecently he has begun to develop sustain-able and organic production methods for

tree fruits and grapes. Jim has been a PASA member, pre-

sented at the annual Farming for theFuture conference, and has participatedin and hosted PASA field days. The mostrecent field day Jim hosted was an organ-ic tree fruit field day held in July 2006 atthe Penn State Fruit Center, which wasco-sponsored by PASA and PennsylvaniaCertified Organic. Jim supports the mis-sion of PASA and believes that IPM, sus-tainable and organic fruit production inPA can be profitable and sustainablebased on a solid foundation of growerknowledge and experience and new sci-ence to address the information gaps. I

New Board of Directorscontinued from page 1

Stayconnected!

Visit PASA online at

www.pasafarming.org

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Fundraisin

gUpdate

By Mena Hautau,Board Fundraising Chair

When I worked summers on a farm, I always felt a degree of

accomplishment seeing the haymow fully stacked. Putting up

hay is hard work, just like raising money, but the pay-off is having

the means to care for your livestock.Our goal is to get the hay stacked to $185,000 for our Annu-

al Fund this year, and we have already brought in the first cut-

ting. Between major donor gifts, the conference auction and a

donation from the Farmland Preservation Artist sale, we have

already raised $58,467 towards that goal! We want to thank

everyone who donated to or bid at the fundraising auctions, or

purchased beautiful farmland artwork at the conference.

Coming soon is the annual spring appeal letter. Its an oppor-

tunity for everyone to add their their slice to all the bales that will

be coming in for the next cutting.We also invite our members to

create their own regional fundraisers contact Lauren Smith at

PASA Headquarters for more information if interested.

Members Step Up to the Plate

PASA would like to acknowledge our members who dream

up and execute fundraisers on behalf of the organization.Thank

you so very much for taking the initiative to raise money for our

collective gain!

Last fall, Carrie Hahn was prompted by the Keystone Healthy

Zone Schools Campaign,an annual program that recognizes and

rewards schools for making a commitment to improve nutrition

and physical activity, to reach out to PASA member Browns

Orchards. The orchard donated 2,000 apples to the school dis-

trict, helping raise awareness of this wonderful PA fruit crop! Car-

rie then purchased additional apples for sale to the public and

raised $75 for PASA.

This past winter Tait Farm Foods conducted their promotion-

al PASA member product baskets once again, raising over $430

for the organization.

Will YOU be the next member to conduct a fundraiser for PASA?

Please contact Lauren Smith at PASA Headquarters for details andideas. I

2007 Annual Fund Kickoff the Haymow!

The Live Auction included 13 items, twoof which were auctioned to raise moneyfor the Arias M. Brownback ScholarshipFund. A case of Spiral Path Farm productand a hand-blown glass vase donated by

Illustration courtesy of Phyllis Kipp

Thanks to all those farms, businessand individuals who donated to the auc-tions at the recent PASA conference (fora full list, see page 5). We continued ourthree styles of auctions again; Bag, Liveand Silent, all of which grossed a total of$27,441 to the organization. This wasabout a $3,000 increase from last year!

The auction items ranged from goatsmilk soap, artisan crafts, special farmvacations, useful farm products, books,equipment and much more even a

wind turbine and a PASA lifetime mem-bership! It was a tribute to the diversity ofthe PASA membership and the organiza-tions that support our efforts.

Friday night showcased the Live Auc-tion and our auctioneer, Brian Magaro.Through the generosity of several PASAmembers, we raised a total of $9,250.

PASA Charity Auction Continues to Grow

Our goal

$58,467 March 1, 2007

$185,000

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

0

PASA staff member Julie Speicher (facing)explains the bidding process.

Ona Bella Magaro raised $5,450 for thefund that aids beginning farmers toattend the conference each year.

PASA appreciates the generosity of allthose who participated! I

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Conference

Wrap-Up

PASA Charity Auction DonorsPASA would to thank those who donated to the Charity Auction

Aaronsburg PotteryAdams County Winery

Alice Kelsey Oil & PastelPaintings

All-Clad Metalcrafters Inc

American Livestock BreedsConservancy

American Pastured PoultryProducers Assoc.

BackHome Magazine

Bakewell ReproductiveCenter LLC

Berry Fields Farm

Big Run Healing Arts

Blue Moon Farm & Forge

Briar Patch Farm

Nick Brink

Brookmere Farm Vineyards

Gene Chenoweth

Center for Food Safety

Christian W. Klay Winery

Co-Op Tek

Cocalico Cassettes

Cold Brand

Dairyland Sales & Service

Karen Daystar

Demeters Garden

Chef Mike Ditchfield

Browns Orchard & Cider Co.Apple Cider

Clif Bar, Inc.Clif Bar Nectar Bars

Dancing Creek FarmPastured Chickens

Deep Root OrganicsOrganic Carrots

Eberly PoultryHeritage Chickens

Four Seasons ProduceOrganic Produce

Frankferd Farms FoodsCrackers, Natural Sodas, Juices

Furmano Foods, Inc.Tomato & Bean Products

Green Haven FarmFarm Fresh Eggs

Hares Valley GrowersFarm Fresh Eggs

Help From Above FarmRussian Banana Fingerling Potatoes

Horizon OrganicOrganic Butter, Sour Cream, Yogurt, Smoothies

Inn To The SeasonsGoats Milk Ricotta

Keswick CreameryPennsylvania Cheeses

Kettle FoodsOrganic Corn & Potato Chips

Latimore Valley FarmsJams, Jellies & Fruit Spreads

Lavender HillOrganic Herbs

Leraysville Cheese FactoryPennsylvania Cheeses

Macneal Orchard and Sugar BushMaple Syrup

McGeary OrganicsOrganic Flour

Milky Way FarmMilk, Chocolate Milk, Ice Cream, Heavy Cream

Mother Earth MushroomsOrganic Button Mushrooms

Natural AcresPastured Beef

Natural Dairy ProductsWhipped Cream, Half & Half, Cheddar Cheese

Natures Best Organic FeedHeritage Chickens

New Morning FarmApples & Apple Cider

Northern Tier Sustainable Meat CoopPastured Beef

Old School SnacksWild Rice & Sesame Snacks

Organic Valley Family of FarmsPennsylvania Swiss Cheese, Cheese, Beef Jerky,Cream Cheese

Phillips Mushroom FarmsPortabella, Shitake & Other Exotic Mushrooms

Phoenix OrganicsOrganic Tofu

Porter FarmOrganic Cabbage, Onions

Quiet Creek Herb FarmWhole Grain Breads

Seven Stars FarmBiodynamic Yogurt

Snyders of HanoverPeanut Butter Pretzel Sandwiches, MultiGrainSunflower Chips

Spring Bank AcresPennsylvania Cheeses

Stone Meadow FarmPennsylvania Cheeses

Sunny Ridge FarmMixed Carrots

Tait Farm FoodsVinaigrettes, Chutneys, Fruit Shrub

Tuscarora Organic Growers Coop.Bounty from many of their 22 cooperative farms!

Whole Foods MarketFair Trade Coffee

Wil-Den Family FarmsSweet Sausage, Ham & Pork

Wild For SalmonWild-Caught Salmon

Windy Knolls FarmRed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes

Dream Thyme Farm

Dripworks

Earth Tools

Effies Common Scents

Fedco Seeds

Fertrell Company

Flint Hill Farm

Rebecca Francis

Full Circle Farms

Gatski Metal

Glynwood Center

Graceful Expressions

Green Chefs Deli

Green Haven Farm

Hahn Natural Foods

Harris Seeds

Healing Spirits Herb Farm &Education Center

Heartsong Farm Healing Herbs

House in the Woods CSA Farm

Hugh Lofting TimberFraming Inc

Carl Hursh

Indian Orchards

Jamison Farm

Jerry Jackson Fine Pewter

Johnnys Selected Seeds

Josephine Porter Institute

Lady Moon Farms

Lakeview Organic Grain

Leona Meat Plant

Betsy Lyman

Ona Bella Magaro

Maryann & Dennis Mawhinney

McGeary Organics Inc

Misty Dell Farm/Pen and Thread

Dianne & Kim Miller

Stacy Miller

Moyers Chicks Inc

Mt. Nittany Vineyard & WInery

Natural Acres

Natures Pantry

Needmore Land Cattle Farm

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Neptunes Harvest

Patti Olenick

Organic Materials ReviewInstitute

Organic Unlimited

Organic Valley Family of Farms

Jeanne Owens

PA State Beekeepers

Peaceful Valley Farm Supply

Penn Stater Conference Center

Pennsylvania Certified Organic

Phillips Mushroom FarmsPolyface Farm

Predator Friendly Certification

Jerry Quance

Quiet Creek Herb Farm

Ronny & Richard Riegel

Renis Natural Kitchen

Schafers Fisheries Inc

Seeds of Change

Seedway LLC

Nancy Shorsher

Slow Food Pittsburgh

Small Dairy.com

Lauren & Ian SmithLouise Shorn Smith

Soil Secret Inc

Solair Energy Inc

SpaceShare Geen Travel

Spiral Path Farm

Spoutwood Farm CSA

Stand n Plant

Steam Valley Fiber Farm

Tait Farm Foods

Tamarack Farm

Triangle Organic Farm

Bob Vernon

Village Acres

W.R.Case & Sons Cutlery

Waterkeeper Alliance

Wegmans Food Markets Inc

Weston A.Price Foundation

White Dog Caf

Mary Whittam

Whizbang Books

Diane Wiest

Wild for Salmon

Wild Rose Farm

Wilson College

Wood Prairie Farm

Wooly Bully Farm

PASA would like to thank Nutivafor supporting the conference asa Friend of the Conference. Theycontributed after we went topress with the full list in theJan/Feb issue ofPassages.

Conference Meals

Getting Special Attention The PASA conference meals have

rightfully gained respect in the past,

both for the quality of the food we

procure from our farmer members and

our unique menus. We apologize we

had a slight hiccup with a few of the

dishes served at our 2007 event. PASA

has already taken steps to assure the

quality you have come to expect will

be served at next years conference.An

example of the improvements we are

making for 2008 include a third option

for meal selection, vegan. And another

example is we already have the chef,

butchers and producers working

together to assure the right cuts are

brought in for preparation for our

meat entree. Again, our apologies for

any disappointment you experienced

this past year.

5 2007 Conference Food DonorsThe ingredients for the meals served during the conference are gatheredfrom supportive farmers, processors and distributors. Please support them!


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The Power of Words

changes in our food system will becomemanifest.

If you personally want to do this in athoughtful and ongoing way, please let usknow and well list you as part of the newPASA Writers Guild. To join the guild,

just write to me ([email protected])or Michele Gauger ([email protected]) and let us know particular topicsthat interest you or areas where you havedeveloped some expertise. As a memberof the guild, well let you know when an

issue arises that needs a written response,whether in Passagesor some other publi-cation. Itll be great to have your help inthis important activity!

Also, anyone interested in reading theoriginal article that appeared in LancasterFarming as well as the many responsesand other published letters that followed,can find them at our website (www.pasa-farming.org). Or just call the office (814-349-9856) and well send you a printedportfolio of the whole episode.

For all of us at PASA, the world will

never be quite the same as it was beforethis years conference. In some ways, welost our innocence in the wake of our16th annual gathering. We would nothave chosen this series of events to hap-pen, but its nonetheless a conservativeestimate to say that in the weeks follow-ing the conference, the number of people

who are now aware of PASA and its mis-sion has doubled!

Now is certainly the time to use thepower of our thoughts, our words ANDour deeds to work toward creating the

world we wish to see, with a food systemworthy of the Earths bounty, nourishingthe body and soul of all humankind. I

Directo

rsCorner

Brian SnyderEvery year after the close of our annu-

al Farming for the Futureconference, thePASA staff looks forward to a muchneeded change of pace. Oh, theres plen-ty of work left to be done in some

ways, the actual event is just the middleof the process but the urgency goesaway and we can for the most partresume spending normal evenings and

weekends with our families.This year ended up quite different

though, at least for me. On the Fridayfollowing our conference a front-pagestory broke in Lancaster Farming, one ofour nations leading agricultural publica-tions, that featured some unfortunatemisquotes, dubious comments andselected highlights of the conference thatseemed aimed at leaving a bad taste in theaverage readers mouth.

I spent much of that first weekend fol-lowing the conference feeling slammed,and wondering how wed ever be able tocorrect the impression made by an article

which, to this day, remains somewhatshrouded in mystery. It was a starkreminder to me that sometimes, carefullychosen words can do great harm.

But before the weekend was over, Iwas reminded that carefully chosen wordscan also do great good, even at timeshealing the harm caused by the words ofothers.

On email I began to see letters writtenby PASA members to the editor ofLan-caster Farmingletters not only challeng-

ing the impression left by the errant story,but also providing compelling testimonyas to the success of our annual conferenceand relevance of PASA in general to thefuture of agriculture.

Each letter that came in, both at firstand in the days to come, lifted weight offmy shoulders and gave me confidencethat indeed the future was bright forPASA and its members. But I wonderedhow many of these letters would actuallyget printed in the paper, where they weremost needed.

To the tremendous credit ofLancasterFarming and Dave Lefever, its editor,most of the letters sent to him (at leastamong those copied to me) were printedin subsequent editions. In fact, as of this

writing, the PASA conference and itsaftermath have now figured prominentlyin this publication for five straight weeks!

Among the letters written and printedhave been some strongly criticizing theattitude of PASA and its leaders. Thoseviews are also fitting and welcome, right

there on the page next to others morelaudatory in nature. Together, these con-trasting views of agriculture constitute adialogue that is much needed and longoverdue.

As Dave Lefever put it in his week #2editorial, I believe the overwhelmingresponse above all is a reflection of the times we live in, and specifically anundeniable tension within agriculture andthe entire food system. Lefever is dead right

with his assessment of the situation, andthe letters that keep coming into his pub-

lication weeks later, now on varying top-ics, serve as testimony to his insight.

Public discourse regarding agriculturein America has long been muted by thecombined complacency of a populaceincreasingly distanced from the sources ofits food, and the strategic influence of ahandful of mega-corporations now con-trolling the bulk of our food supply. Butthe dam is beginning to break, and thevoices that spill forward will not easily besilenced or satisfied without a great deal

more discussion...and lasting change inthe way food is procured in this country.To that end, PASA members must

continue to do their part. I knew we hada lot of intelligent and articulate mem-bers out there, but didnt know howquickly you could respond in a time ofneed. However, the need right nowgoes way beyond answering misconcep-tions about our organization or the annu-al conference. We must be heard clearly,consistently, and sometimes loudly in thecritical years ahead when long-term

6

Stayconnected!

Visit PASA online at

www.pasafarming.org

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fertilizer, pesticides, gasoline and dieselfuel. PASA has embraced these economicideas for years.

So too will the farms of the futurerequire skillful managers. Once againintelligence, an ability to adapt to newpractices, an ability to understand com-plex issues and self-reliance will be hall-marks of successful farmers. No more willcapital equipment and techno fixes keepthe wolves from the door these things

will simply be unaffordable.

At its most elemental level the newagriculture cannot be extractive. Farmingpractices must build the soil rather thandiminish it. We will come to understandthat soil can no longer be viewed as a sim-ple medium to which we add chemicalcomponents to support plant life. Ratherit will be understood that soil is theprovider of life and that it must be treat-ed with the utmost care.

PASA has long worked toward a newsystem of agriculture, one that is regener-ative, resilient and sustainable. The winds

of change bring a new urgency to our col-lective task. Lets continue to lead the

way, with humility and in the service ofour common good. In many ways theroad ahead looks treacherous. But, ourapproach is both hopeful and sensible. I

Words of Thanks

This is the last issue of Passages that will

include my column as president of the board.

It has been a great pleasure for me to serve

this incredible organization as board presi-

dent. It is gratifying to look at the work thatwe have accomplished over the years. But, I

also want to thank you all for the opportuni-

ty to learn and grow personally. What did I

know about being a board member when I

started? In a word,nothing.Had I ever written

a column before? Not one. Delivered a

speech in front of a thousand people? Never.

Yet, you have treated me with honor and

respect, given me encouragement and

tremendous support.Together we have built

an organization of which we can all be proud,

thank-you for letting me do my part.

Presiden

tsCorner

By Kim MillerChange is in the air. How will we

respond? Will we accept the new realitiesas they are revealed or will we languish indenial, allowing as James Kunstler saysReality to do our negotiating for us?

Will we respond in a hopeful manner orwill we wait for them to fix it for us?

And just what kind of change mightwe see? How significant will the climatechange be? How quickly will petroleumproducts be priced beyond the means of

the middle class? Will food that must betransported over long distances still becheap? Or even affordable? How will wemeet the challenges?

Will we make arrangements in the way we live to accommodate the newrealities? Or will we see our institutionscollapse and civil society vanish? Is this inthe realm of possibility? Just how pro-found will the difficulties presented bythe new realities be?

I think these are the kinds of questionsthat give us daily pause as we live our

lives. And I am thankful that organiza-tions like PASA provoke us to considerthese questions in a thoughtful manner.Wishing upon a star, as Kunstler saysmay be nice for children, but it is clear-ly not productive for adults.

Certainly a thoughtful look at ourfood system should give anyone pause.Not only is our system capital-intensiverather than management-intensive, but itis also predicated on cheap and abundantoil. Even discounting the negative health

consequences of eating pesticide-ladenfruits and vegetables along with antibiot-ic-infused and grain-fattened meat, itseems improbable that this way of doingthings can survive.

Whereas at one time it seemed unbe-lievably good that we could grow food inthe desert, now it seems unbelievably badthat we made that choice. It was a choiceconditioned on cheap oil and free water,conditions that no longer exist. It is hardto say whether the cost of transportationor the loss of water in our aquifers will

end this food production system first. Isuppose it could be the price of syntheticfertilizer or oil-based pesticides that coulddo it in as well. In any case the economicbasis for this system is near collapse.

These same kinds of conditional deci-sions have brought about our highlyindustrialized meat production systems.Our system denies the inherent nature ofthe animals being raised, all for the bene-fit of mass production. The same kinds ofeconomic realities that trouble our fruit

and vegetable systems are likely to endour meat production system as well. Evermore expensive transportation, highergrain production costs along with thecompeting interest of ethanol productionfor that grain, and a growing reluctanceon the part of the non-farm communityto accept pollution from these facilities asa fact of life, mean a not so hopeful futurefor this kind of food production.

On top of the economic realitiesabout to befall conventional agriculturethere is the problem of an ever more dis-

gruntled eating public. More and moreeaters are making the connectionbetween pesticide-laden and antibiotic-infused food and poor health. On top ofthat they are simply dissatisfied with theloss of flavor in food, an unintended con-sequence of breeding food for travel.

Organizations like PASA recognizethat disaster is going to befall conven-tional agriculture whether we are here ornot. The hopeful thing is that we arehere. We are here to lead the way to a sys-

tem of agriculture that is not dependenton cheap oil, or on draining our aquifersfor irrigation water, or on the necessity ofadding synthetic fertilizer to producecrops. We are working as fast as we can tohave a new system of agriculture in place.

It is apparent that farm economics willdictate a production system of smallerfarms that are located in closer proximityto customers. These farms will need touse less production inputs from ourdwindling and ever more costly fossil fuelreserves. These inputs include synthetic

Our Changing World

7

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RegionalMarketing

Western

NorthCentral/Eastern

SouthcentralSoutheastern

REGIONAL CONTACTS & DISCUSSION GROUP ADDRESSESDiscussion 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]

David Eson

412-697-0411 [email protected]

Southeastern

[email protected]

Brian Moyer610-944-9349 [email protected]

Mena Hautau


Southcentral

[email protected]

Julie Hurst:


NorthCentral/Eastern

[email protected]

Leah Tewksbury


Out of State discussion group addresses:

States North and East of Pennsylvania

[email protected]

States South and West of Pennsylvania

[email protected]

I A PRIL 2 1 | Dickinson College will behosting its third annual Local Food Din-ner Celebrationwith keynote Kim Seeleyof Milky Way Farms on Saturday April21 at 5:30pm! The event will be preced-

ed by an indoor farmers market from2:305:30pm. For more information andto purchase tickets, please contact JennHalpin at 717-245-1251 or [email protected]. Tickets for this mouthwa-tering celebration are $10.

I J UN E 2 3 | Summer Solstice Sustain-able Farming & Energy Celebration,4:009:00pm, Fulton Farm/Fulton Cen-ter for Sustainable Living, Wilson Col-lege, Chambersburg, PA.

Wilson College and the South CentralRegion of PASA will co-host this socialcelebration of the beginning of summer

with sustainable farm tours, renewableenergy demonstrations, music, food, andfun! Fulton Farm CSA will offer tours ofthe 7-acre Certified Naturally Grownproduce farm and community supportedagriculture operation. The Fulton Centerfor Sustainable Living will demonstrateseveral applications of renewable energy,including a biodiesel processing facility inaction, utility interactive solar electricsystem, small wind power system, and

several on-farm applications of solarpower. We will finish the evening with

live music in the solar powered barn, anda bonfire under the stars. PASA membersare encouraged to bring friends andneighbors who would like to get involved

with sustainable farming as farmers orconsumers! Contact Matt Steiman [email protected] or 717-264-4141

ext. 3247 for more information.

The Lehigh Valley Chapter of PASAsSoutheastern region met for their secondpotluck dinner on Thursday, March 8 atFlint Hill Farm (Thanks, Kathy). Besideseating great local food (SpringhouseFarms beef, Happy Farms chicken livers,Peters greens, etc.), we had lively discus-sions about everything from honey beesto exactly how far Springfield is fromFlint Hill Farm. We are working withother Lehigh Valley groups, such as West-on A. Price Foundation, the SustainableBusiness Network, and the Alliance forSustainable Communities, to create aLehigh Valley Local Food Directory. We

will also be setting up a Producers Pageon the Alliance for Sustainable Commu-nities website, so that customers can see

what products farmers have available atany given time. The next potluck will beon Thursday, May 10 at 6:30 pm at FlintHill Farm. For more information, contact

Lynn Prior at 610-438-3950 or [email protected].

SOUTHCENTRAL REGION

SOUTHEAST REGION

Take advantage of another

great PASA member benefit:

Get in the Guide!

Attention PASA members you can

now go to www.buylocalpa.org and apply

to have your farm or business included in

the Local Food Guide online searchabledatabase.This guide allows PASA members

and Buy Fresh,Buy Local partners to create

a custom entry, listing all products avail-

able from the farm/business, hours of

operation and much more. You can even

include your logo and a link to your web-

site (if applicable) with your listing.

Be sure to visit www.buylocalpa.org,

click on Get in the Guide,and fill in all the

needed information about your farm or

business. Members not having access to

the Internet may contact Michele Gaugerat PASA headquarters and we will send

you a paper copy, which you can return to

us for input for you.

New entries are being added daily, so

please check back often to find sources of

fresh, local foods as we assemble our list-

ings.

8


9/249

Consu

merNews

The energy-efficient refrigerator isalmost empty, so you gather up the can-vas shopping bags and ride your bike to

the grocery store. The pineapples lookdelish, you always need bananas, and thekids love those green grapes you canalways get them organically grown. Youpat yourself on the back and cycle home

with a contented smile on your face.Youre doing good, but you could do

better. As consumers reach for environ-mentally friendly alternatives, the marketis taking notice. If people are willing topay a few cents more for organic bananas,for example, more of them will appear onthe shelves in fact, sales of organic

bananas are growing by 20 percent a year.But why stop there? The next frontier

for discriminating eaters in a rapidlywarming world may well be food miles,the distance products must travel to getto your market. Recently Richard Pirogand others at the Leopold Center for Sus-tainable Agriculture at Iowa State Univer-sity have been studying food transport,fuel usage, and the resultant greenhouse-gas emissions. In one study, they workedout how much energy it takes to trans-

port various items from their points oforigin to Des Moines, Iowa. Some exam-ples are included below (calculations arebased on the weight of the produceshown).

The easiest way to cut down on yourfoods gas bill is to eat locally grown fare.Pirog is also looking into the feasibility offood labels indicating point of origin andmiles traveled. Meanwhile, it wouldnthurt to ask how far (and fast) those straw-berries had to travel to get to your tablein January. Remember to take into

account your location: as they say, yourmileage may vary.

Here are some examples in the

Leopold Center study, based on distancesfrom points of origin to Des Moines,Iowa (Iowa State University Study)

I Pineapples

Pineapple (Costa Rica) .............. 0.3 gal. gas

Pineapple (Hawaii) ..................... 2.8 gal. gas

Pineapples are a fuel splurge, butthose from Costa Rica are relatively lessso than their Hawaiian counterparts because half of their journey is by sea, anextremely efficient mode of transporta-tion. Hawaiian pineapples, demonstrate

that the most inefficient way to get pro-duce from point A to point B is by air.

I Apples

Apple (Iowa) ................. 1.7 teaspoons gasApple (Washington) ............. 1 cup of gas

Apples grown in Iowa travel only 60

miles in small trucks to market in DesMoines. Those grown in WashingtonState the source of more than half ofall fresh eating apples in the United States travel 1,722 miles in semitrailers.

I Potatoes

Potato (North Dakota) .......... 0.6 cup gas

Potato (Idaho) ........................ 1.3 cups gasLong-distance food transportation

encourages unhealthy monocultures the planting of vast areas with a singlecrop. Idaho, for example, produces athird of the nations potatoes, mostly inthe form of French fries. Were Idahoansto consume the states potato crop them-selves, notes the U.S. Department of

Agriculture they would have to eat 63spuds a day.

IGrapes

Grapes (California) ............... 1.9 cups gasGrapes (Chile) ........................ 2.2 cups gas

Theres more to judging the environ-mental impact of transporting food thanknowing the absolute distance. Eventhough California is more than 5,000miles closer to Iowa than Chile, the ener-gy savings of its grapes are only marginal.

Why? Because Chilean grapes are sent tothe Golden State by sea. From there theycontinue to Iowa by truck, the same asCalifornian grapes. (This effect is obvi-ously dependent on the endpoint: The

closer the destination is to the port in Los Angeles, the greater the relative energycost of the Chilean grapes.)

Editors Note: This was reprinted fromthe May/June 2006 edition of Sierra, theSierra Club Magazine. I

Miles to GoBefore You Eat:Why it pays to buy locally grown food

S E AS O N AL R E C I PE

5 lb butternut squash, peeled and

cut into 3/4"dice

2 medium yellow onions, chopped1 Tablespoon finely-chopped fresh

thyme

3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt,to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

(not mushroom stock)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2/3 cup heavy cream or crme

fraiche (optional)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Preheat oven to 425F.

Toss squash, onions and thyme in olive oil.

Spread mixture onto one or two large baking sheets.Season with salt and pepper.

Roast 2030 minutes until tender, stirring once

or twice.

Remove from oven and transfer to a large saucepot.Add stock,wine and cardamom. Simmer 10 minutes.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or

food processor until smooth.

Transfer to a clean saucepan and check seasoning.When ready to serve, bring back to simmer, remove

from heat and whisk in cream.

Serves 810

Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods, www.wholefoods.com

9


10/24

Determining the Potential Role ofHigh Pressure Processed Milk in thePennsylvania Food System

10

By Michele GaugerIs there an alternative to traditional

heat pasteurization of milk? One suchmethod that may become an alternativein the food system is called high pressureprocessing (HPP). Many processed foods

we consume are heated to kill potentiallyharmful bacteria. Juice, milk and canned

soups are examples of foods that havebeen heat processed. Unfortunately thiscan also affect taste and texture. HPP,however, still kills the bacteria, while pre-serving more of the taste and texture, i.e.quality attributes.

HPP technology began in the materi-al and process-engineering industry

where it has been commercially used insheet metal formation. HPP in the foodprocessing industry subjects the food tovery high pressures (up to 120,000

pounds per square inch) to kill bacteria inraw food.According to research being conduct-

ed at Ohio State University, in a typicalprocess, pre-packaged raw product isloaded inside a pressure chamber andsubjected to very high pressures for aspecific short period of time. This wholeprocess may take 10 minutes or less. Plusthe food is not subjected to high temper-ature as in heat pasteurization.

High pressure processed foods havebeen commercially available in the U.S.

market since the mid 1990s. Food prod-ucts that have been brought to marketthat currently employ high pressure pro-cessing in their manufacture include gua-camole, ham, fruit jellies and jams, fruit

juices, pourable salad dressings, salsa,poultry and rice products. Other poten-tial applications include processing shelf-

stable products, blanching, and pressureassisted freezing and thawing. Equip-ment and processing costs are typicallyestimated to be less than $0.10 per kg ofthe food processed.

A commercial scale, high-pressure ves-sel costs between $500,000 to $2.5 mil-lion dollars depending upon equipmentcapacity and extent of automation. As anew processing technology with a limitedmarket, pressure-processed products maycost 3 to 10 cents per pound more to pro-

duce than thermally processed products.However, as demand for HPP equip-ment grows, capital cost and operatingcost will continue to decrease. Con-sumers benefit from the increased shelflife, quality and availability of value-added products and new types of foodsthat are impossible to make using ther-mal processing methods.

HPP does not present any uniqueissues for food processors concerning reg-ulatory matters or labeling. The require-ments are similar to those pertaining to

traditional thermal pasteurization or ster-ilization in the United States, where theFood and Drug Administration (FDA)and the Department of Agriculture(USDA) are responsible for evaluatingand monitoring the safety of HPPprocessed foods.

Dr. J. Lynne Brown, Associate Profes-sor of Food Science at Penn State Univer-sity, recently began a research project tosee if HPP might play a role in milk pro-duction in the state. She was especiallyinterested in milk produced and sold

locally by farmers directly to consumerson farm or through a local retail outlet.

According to the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Agricultures Center forDairy Excellence, Pennsylvania ranks 4th

among all 50 states in milk production. As a leading Pennsylvania agriculturalindustry, milk processors have realized forsome time that traditional heat pasteur-ization has an effect on the taste of milk.HPP may be an alternative to traditionalheat methods, using less time and lowertemperatures. Because HPP preserves

more of the flavor of raw milk whiledestroying pathogens, it may appeal toconsumers drinking raw milk for reasonsof taste or to consumers of heat-pasteur-ized milk seeking better flavor.

To help identify the market niche, shefelt that consumers of raw milk and ofheat-pasteurized milk would need to tasteHPP milk and compare it to their currentlocally produced milk choice. Howeverthere is no research documentation of thereasons people drink locally produced

raw milk or even locally produced heat-pasteurized milk. It seemed important tofirst document why consumers seek outlocally produced milk (raw or heat pas-teurized). Then if taste emerged as a rea-son, to see if this was a sufficient marketniche using a consumer survey with sen-sory tasting administered within variouscommunities where locally producedmilk is sold.

So to initiate the study, she felt an in-depth examination of the reasons thatfarmers sell and consumers seek raw milk

Educational

Outreach

Determining the Potential Role ofHigh Pressure Processed Milk in thePennsylvania Food System

Can high pressure processing (HPP) have a rolein the Pennsylvania food system? Penn Stateresearcher J. Lynne Brown is looking to answerthat question. She is especially interested inmilk produced and sold locally by farmersdirectly to consumers on farm or through alocal retail outlet.

10


11/2411

was warranted. First, Dr. Brown identi-fied interested farmers who sell raw milkusing the list of those legally permitted todo so from the Pennsylvania Departmentof Agriculture. She also identified acreamery that sold pasteurized, locallyproduced milk that would serve as a com-parison. Interviews with five farmers ormanagers of retail units were conductedbetween FebruaryJune 2006.

Sample questions asked of the farm-

ers/managers included how long theyhave been farming, how long have theybeen selling their type of milk, what stepsthey take to insure the health of theirherd, how the sale of raw or pasteurizedmilk contributed to the profitability oftheir farm or store and why they thinkconsumers purchase their milk.

Eighteen interviews with raw milkand comparison milk consumers wereconducted in JuneJuly 2006. Con-sumers were asked how long they had

been purchasing the target milk, whythey sought it out, how they chose the

farm or retail unit to buy from and howimportant a local source of their milk

was. They were also asked if they wouldbe willing to taste a sample of HPP milkas a part of a future survey.

Transcriptions of the farmer and con-sumer interviews are underway. Althoughno formal analysis has been done yet,Brown reported a few impressions. First,most of the participating farms dairyherds are exclusively grass-fed for at least

nine months of the year, a characteristicthe farmers say customers are seeking.Some farmers/retailers indicated cus-tomers have three major reasons for seek-ing their raw or pasteurized milk; theperceived health benefits, taste and tradi-tion, and support of local agriculturaland sustainable farming practices.

After analysis, the interview resultswill lay the groundwork for a paper andpencil survey to verify the themes seenin the interviews. Brown would like to

collect survey and sensory comparisondata from consumers of locally produced,

heat pasteurized or raw milk where theywould compare the taste of their currentmilk to that of HPP milk. To gain a rep-resentative sample, the survey will beadministered in a variety of locations.

Brown feels There is a lack of pub-lished scientific studies that document

the reasons that consumers choose todrink raw milk or even locally producedpasteurized milk. I suspect consumers doresearch and make informed decisionsabout where they are buying their milk.

Brown continued, Some of thefarmer interviews are revealing interestingfacts about why some are selling rawmilk. At least one producer said he wasselling raw milk because there is interestamong his local consumer market.

Another farm actually transitioned froma sheep operation to raising Jersey cattle.

This same farm also went organic andcurrently sells grass-fed raw milk.

Her hope is that this research will helpproducers and farmers better understand

why consumers are buying locally pro-duced raw or pasteurized milk, gain atruer representation of opinions aboutthese products and reveal why those sameconsumers prefer their locally producedmilk. HPP may serve a niche market those not willing to drink raw milk but

wanting to retain other beneficial char-

acteristics associated with raw, lessprocessed milk. I

Educational

Outreach

HPP may serve a niche market those not

willing to drink raw milk but wanting to retain

other beneficial characteristics associated with

raw, less processed milk.

PASA Field Day May 45

Goat Milk CheesemakingGoat Milk Cheesemaking with Linda Smith at Fallsdale

Farm in Tyler Hill, Wayne County. Registration includes

two full days of instruction, a 12-page notebook with

recipes, breakfast snacks and a hearty lunch each day.

Cost: $125 for PASA members, $175 all others. Register

with PASA at 814-349-9856.

PASA Apprentice & Intern ListingWe will post your listing in our newsletter and on our web-based

Intern Board. Submit your postings directly to Heather House at

[email protected] or via mail at PASA Intern Board, PO Box

419, Millheim,PA 16854.

Hungry Parasites,Predators on PatrolUse Biocontrol in the Field to Control:

Corn Borer, Mexican Bean Beetle, Manure Flies

Use Biocontrol in the Greenhouse to Control:

Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider Mites, Thrips, Fungus Gnats

IPM Laboratories, Inc.

www.ipmlabs.com [email protected]

Phone: (315) 497-2063

Healthy Beneficials Guaranteed

ADVERTISEMENT

11


12/24

more diverse audience is to target publi-

cations that appeal to the African Ameri-can populations, like The Kitchen TableNews. We specifically mention in ouradvertisements the kinds of crops thatthose populations are interested in, likeokra and collards. Ironically, our boxshare program, which actually costs a lit-tle more than our picked-up shares onaccount of delivery fees, is growing as wecontinue to increase the number of cus-tomers we serve in underprivileged areaslike Trenton.

One advantage a CSA has over a farm-ers market when serving an area likeTrenton is that you usually have a host

who cares very much that you succeed.These community leaders want the bestfor their neighborhoods and they knowthat it also has to be working for you.

Were happy with our sales, and wevelearned by using a secret shopper tocompare our prices with Whole Foodsthat we are delivering about $1,800

worth of produce for about a third of theretail price. Its a good deal for everyone.

Farm

erProfile

Interview with Sherry Dudas

What do you see as some of the crit-ical issues concerning agriculture today?

We see there is a lack of access toaffordable land for purchase or rent. Youmay be surprised to know many farmers

who practice sustainable agriculture inthe Garden State (New Jersey) haveextremely insecure land tenure. Thisincludes farms that some of our mostexperienced growers are on. In fact, Jimhas been here on the land owned by anonprofit watershed association for 17years, so we have a lot of experience inlandlord/tenancy issuesthe good andthe less-good aspects. Still, not having along-term lease for land creates a level ofbackground insecurity that is stressful.

The bottom line is you cannot have alocal, sustainable agriculture food systemon an insecure land base. In New Jersey,

we have one of the most successful Farm-land Preservation Programs in the nation,and you would think that the program isassisting farmers with access to land, butthis is not the case. The program is really

protecting the equity of current landown-

ers. In fact, our Farmland PreservationProgram does not require that farmingeven occur on preserved farms! This con-tributes to the problem of working landsbeing converted to publicly subsidizedcountry estates owned by non-farmers.

When some of these farms are sold, theirpreserved values can be as high as$100,000 per acre!

What is unique about your farm?Honey Brook Organic Farm is the

largest CSA in the nation in terms of

members. Last year we sold about 2,200memberships, and we think were feedingabout 3,000-4,000 people. Despite beinglocated just outside of Princeton (a rela-tively high-income area), we have made aconscious effort from the very beginningto be inclusive of varied ethnicities,income groups, and cultures. People kindof assume that a CSA located outside ofPrinceton caters to the elite, but in fact

we serve a very diverse population.One of the things we do to reach a

12

By Heather House

Honey Brook Organic Farm is one of the oldest operating

organic farms in New Jersey. In 1991, farmer Jim Kinsel estab-

lished Honey Brook Organic Farms Community Supported Agri-

culture (CSA) program. The CSA began with 50 initial members

and has grown steadily over the years to presently include about

2,200 memberships. In 2001, the Boxed Share Program was

implemented, in which farm staff drop off boxed shares of fresh

produce on a weekly basis to host sites in locations throughout

New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The land on which Honey Brook Organic Farm operates is

part of the 860-acre Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Reserve

and includes woodland, old fields and frontage along the Stony

and Honey Brooks. Fourteen miles of trails lace the reserve and

are open to the public year round,dawn to dusk.Located in Pennington, just outside of Princeton, Honey

Brook Organic Farm includes Jim,his wife and farm planner,Sher-

ry Dudas; David Camacho, field manager; Susan Barosko, office

manager;and Lynne Quinto,office assistant.During the height of

the season they also employ ten field workers.

Honey Brook Organic Farm

For more information about Honey Brook Organic Farm, visit: www.honeybrookorganicfarm.com,

call 609-737-8899 or write: Honey Brook Organic Farm, 260 Wargo Road, Pennington NJ 08534

Jim Kinsel and Sherry Dudas show off some of their qualityorganic produce.Honey Brook Organic Farm is the largestCommunity Support Agriculture (CSA) farm in the nation.

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Certified by PCO

Full line of pastured poultry andpastured livestock feed

using Fertrell minerals on request

Complete feeds and concentrates

NO quantity too large or too smallAvailable bagged or bulk

Will custom mix

ORGANIC UNLIMITED

P.O. Box 238Atglen, PA 19310

Phone:610-593-2995 Fax: 610-593-2155

ORGANICUNLIMITED

Manufacturer of

certified organic feed

When Whole Foods built what was its

largest store in the nation at the time, just

down the road from us, we really worriedthat it was going to hurt our business.

But now our customers cant wait for us

to open in the spring because our prices

are so much better. We dont do any wholesaling, but we have some friends

who say that their bottom line was betterten years ago before they started selling to

Whole Foods. It seems like their recent

push to work with local farmers is more

about image than a commitment to the

local farmer. If they just treated their

existing farmer vendors differently, they

would have better luck.

Why did Honey Brook Organic

Farm join PASA?PASA offers really meaningful educa-

tional opportunities for growers with 15+years of experience, and Passages is a veryinformative newsletter. Also, for people

who are thinking about relocating to PA,

PASA is a good networking group. I

Farm

erProfile

How has the operation evolved overthe years?

We did not set out to be the largestCSA in the nation. In fact, when Jim firststarted farming here 17 years ago, hestarted out with 5 acres and 50 members.

After interning for three years, Jim wasjust happy to have access to land, equip-ment, and markets. He had sort of anincubator with the watershed association,but it quickly became important to himto pay the association a fair rent.

After I joined the farm, it becameincreasingly important to feel like wemight be able to buy our own place oneday. And although we havent done thatyet, the scale of the CSA has allowed us tobuild a nest egg that we will someday usefor our own property.

We are no longer actively growing theCSA and, in fact, sometimes question

whether this is the scale we still want tobe operating on. We are open 7 days a

week and with over 200 people visitingthe farm daily, there is a lack of privacy.Still, we have done a lot to have the farm

operate much more efficiently. In highseason, we have 10 field workers led by afield manager, a farm manager, an officemanager and a farm planner.

We have also strengthened our ties tothe community by streamlining a pro-

duce donation program, formalizing oureducational program offerings, varyingour event offerings and building relation-ships with the media. And we havebecome a model and mentor for otherCSA farmers by giving employees theopportunity to learn from Jim and byhosting twilight meetings for farmers.

We have been pretty open about shar-ing the realities of our business. In fact,

we feel there is a real need to have frankand open discussions about the financesof a farm business. You can spend years

interning on a farm and never reallyknow if the farmer you are working for ismaking it. Also, if we want more con-ventional farmers to see sustainable andorganic operations as viable businesses,

we need to show them that you can makea decent living at it.

13

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In MemoriamPASA wanted to express our condolences to the family of long-time mem-

ber William (Bill) Plank, who died on Januray 25, 2007 in Baltimore, Mary-

land following complications from an auto accident. Bill had been a faithful

member of PASA since 1997.A Michigan native, Bill and his wife, Marietta, bought a Bedford County

farm in 1973 and made a commitment to make their community better. He

applied his seemingly boundless energy to a wide variety of environmental and

civic organizations at the county, regional and state levels. Bill was a man of

passion and strong convictions. Yet he was also someone who listened to all

side, in complex and often contentious agricultural and environmental issues,

always working to find some common ground.

Bill Planks commitment to turn knowledge and passion into action, in

effort to benefit all of his neighbors, is an inspiring example and challenge

for every PASA member. He showed us what the term good neighbor real-

ly means, and his extended neighborhood in Pennsylvania and the SouthernAlleghenies will miss him.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marietta A. (Thomas) Plank; two

brothers: Robert J. Plank and wife, Hedy, and Timothy c. Plank and wife,

Constance; a niece, Jacqueline S. Plank; and two nephews: Timothy J. Plank

and wife, Della, and Jonathan W. Plank, all of Rockford, Mich.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the William Plank Memorial

Scholarship Fund to support students in post-high school environmental edu-

cation, in care of Bedford County Conservation District, 702 West Pitt Street,

Bedford PA 15522.

Membersh

ipUpdate

I Dont Forget to Renew!

This growing number is encouraging to

PASA and our members, as we continue

outreach efforts about PASA programs and

efforts. However there are still 740 house-

holds still yet to renew for the 2007 year,which totals 1,277 members. We encour-

age all PASA members to renew their

memberships today! This will save PASA

additional costs sending reminders

money that can be used to better our

membership services such as our newslet-

ter and website.

I New PASA Membership Category

In January 2007 the PASA Board of

Directors voted to implement a new cate-

gory of PASA membership entitled Perma-

nent Business Partner. This new category

is geared towards businesses and nonprof-

its wishing to make a more permanent,

lifetime commitment to PASA. This new

membership is offered to companies at a

one-time cost of $3,000 and includes simi-

lar membership benefits as business and

nonprofit membership, for more informa-

tion, contact PASA headquarters at 814-

349-9856. We thank the our first two

Permanent Business Partners:

East End Food CooperativePittsburgh, PA

A member-owned natural foods store in

Pittsburgh,PA since 1977. Featuring organ-

ic produce, baked goods, packaged foods,

cleaning and household goods, health and

beauty products and an award-winning

vegetarian cafe.

www.eastendfoodcoop.org

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Farmington,PA

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is a family

and luxury vacation destination on 2,800wooded acres in the Laurel Highlands of

Southwestern Pennsylvania. Nemacolin

has made a commitment to purchase

locally-grown foods for use in their dining

establishments.

www.nemacolin.com

I Help Us Spread the Word!

If there is an event, meeting or farmers

market in your area where you would like

to distribute materials about PASA, call

Michele Gauger at PASA headquarters at

814-349-9856, we would love to hear from

you, and would be glad to send informa-

tion to you to distribute.

I PASA is Growing!

Since the 2007 Farming for the Future

conference, the overall PASA membership

has grown to include 4,375 individuals.

This goes to show how the population is

growing more concerned about how our

food is grown and of course by whom.

I PASA Staff and Board Welcomes

Our Newest Business Members

Clean Air Council

Philadelphia,PA

Garden Genetics LLC

Bellefonte, PA

Giant Eagle

Pittsburgh,PA

Whats New in the Membership Department?Help Document

PASA HistoryIn celebrating PASAs 15th anniver-

sary, we are reaching out to those long-

time members and supporters who were

integral in the fledgling beginnings of

the organization.In the July/August summer edition

ofPassageswe are looking to feature sto-

ries, photos and other memorabilia

related to PASAs founding. If you have

something to contribute to this effort,

please send your stories, documents,

photos, etc. from PASAs first year (1992

or even the earlier meetings).

We look forward to publishing some

of the information we receive in the

summer newsletter, as well as compiling

all the information we receive on the

PASA website. If you have any ques-tions, contact Michele Gauger at PASA

headquarters, 814-349-9856 or

[email protected].

14


15/2415

BusinessMemb

erProfile

By Gayle Morrow

The name connotes something pleasant sun, warmth,

air and breezes. For a dozen years,Solair Energy,Inc. has been

helping people achieve a pleasant home environment in

ways that are sustainable, earth-friendly and practical.

We do energy conservation and renewable energy,

explains Solair founder and president Pam Denlinger. We

are also experts at reducing peoples energy needs.We think

thats an important part.

Thats something of an understatement. From escalating

home heating and cooling costs, to the economic and polit-

ical issues surrounding the use of fossil fuel, to global climate

change, there is a growing awareness that we, as a society,

maybe should be thinking about doing things a little differ-

ently. Many folks are willing to try, but may not know whereto start. Solair can help.

From the company headquarters in Ralston, Lycoming County, about 10

miles from Trout Run, Denlinger, six full-time employees, and two part-time

employees, provide a variety of energy services.We do residential and busi-

ness energy audits, retro-fit work, solar water heating, and small scale wind

generating,she says.The climate is becoming more favorable every day for

energy renewable [products]. There is lobbying going on for residential tax

cuts [for people who use these kinds of products]. People are starting to perk

up! It is a very exciting time.

It would, indeed, be exciting to think that your electric bill or your natural

gas bill could be significantly reduced or eliminated.Solair can tell you if your property is suitable for wind or solar power gen-

eration, can provide you with a written report of energy efficiency recom-

mendations, and can install those wind energy generators, photovoltaics,

solar water heating systems,and solar pool heaters.

How might Solair help the ag community?

One of our employees is a Master Gardener; were very supportive of sus-

tainable agriculture and interested in helping farmers to become more ener-

gy efficient and to purchase renewable energy, Denlinger says. She cites a

hydroponic operation with energy bills that are putting them out of busi-

ness.

So we are grasping at straws to help these people, she continues. Thefarmer in question does have wind and solar options and Solair is working

with that individual to come up with some solutions.

To talk with Denlinger, call 570-995-

5747.The Ralston office does not have a

showroom but there are customer sites to

visit and see the energy renewal and

energy conservation at work.Solairs web-

site, www.solairenergy.com, has a wealth

of information as well.

Solair Energy, Inc.

Q. What is unique about your business?A. The combination of energy conserva-

tion and renewable energy. Were really help-ing people decrease their energy footprint.

The companys founding was also unique.Denlinger calls it a God thing. I really feellike it was a divine appointment, she says,laughing. The thing I was passionate about

came to me.She had been working in Connecticut in

a skyscraper for an insurance company. When she moved to Pennsylvania 20 yearsago, she took a job with a state weatheriza-tion firm. She was invited by PennsylvaniaPower & Light to bid on some outsourcingand Solair came to be some time after that.

Q. Why did you join PASA?A. I guess because the vision of PASA just

resonated with my vision the vision forsustainable and promoting local economies

and the local farmer. Ive seen many friendslose their farms over the last 1015 years andI want to be part of the solution.

Q. How has your membership been a bene-fit to your business?

A. I think the connections were makingwith people who are educated and interestedin the things we do. Our exhibit at the con-ference I have never seen attendees moreknowledgeable and committed to the things

we do.

Photo above: Solair Energy, Inc. founder and president,

Pam Denlinger and installer Michael Fisher at the

recent PASA conference.

continued page 18

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all that propitious. And this is the nexus a sustainable agriculture cannot standalone. It needs an equally informed con-sumer, living and working in sustainablebuildings, who is part of a sustainablecommunity, in a country with sustainablepolicies of energy, security, and econom-

ics, which is cooperating with all coun-tries of the world to sustain the planet.It is interesting that the word organ-

ic when used in agriculture is generallydefined negatively artificial pesticidesand fertilizers are not used. But organicalso means to be organized or arrangedas a system of related parts. I would saythat when we start viewing the food sys-tem organically we begin to get an idea ofhow to make it sustainable.

One thing all of us who have workedfor sustainability have noted is that its a

constantly changing thing. And this is tobe as expected because the other quality

which will ultimately make the criticaldifference, and turn the tide from thedeath trap of unsustainability, is life itself.

My Definition of Sustainability

PASAOpinion

16

the human race be around long enoughfor any discernable layer of deposit at therate we are using resources and degradingthe planet? Will we survive even as long

as the dinosaurs? I think so. But it willmean utilizing the one thing we have,which all the other living things dont the ability to see ahead and to choose tosublimate our animal instincts for thecommon good. Selfishness will not suf-

fice. As a matter of fact, it will lead to ourown extinction.

So this might be the first principle ofsustainability cooperation.

A second principle might be farsight-edness.

There are the practicalities like

how far out do we need to plan. To betruly sustainable this would be indefinite-ly. The Native Americans looked forwardto the seventh generation. There are thosein agriculture who have projected scenar-ios well into the future but it doesnt look

By Don Kretschmann,PASA Board Member

One sees the word sustainablenowadays just about every time you turn

around. It is no small thing that manypeople from many different backgroundsand in many different fields use the wordand see its pertinence. Even those who

would deny that we face the prospect oflimited resources, sense the invisiblebounds forcing us to think of how we cansustain ourselves in the future. Sustain-ability is a method of continuance. And itis very serious stuff. It is a big pictureperspective which every human being, nomatter in what endeavor he is engaged,willneed to begin to judge his actions by.

Just a few years ago I saw the GrandCanyon for the first time. The rangergave her rangerspiel this layer rep-resents 200 million years, that one 250millionthat one encompasses the ageof the dinosaurs I wondered, Will continued page 22

food comes from and how it is grown. In1999 it began the Farm to Fork Program,and has since made commitments to severalfood-related missions.

In addition to the Farm to Fork Program,Bon Appetit has made commitments pro-grams such as Seafood Watch, and pledges touse BGH-free milk, antibiotic-free meats,trans-fat free cooking oils and cage-free eggs.

Since implementing the Farm to ForkProgram, all 400+ Bon Appetit facilitieshave continually increased their purchasingof products from local farmers and artisansin order to support the local community andprovide fresher product to guests.

According to General Manager, RalphMura, The Bon Appetit services at GroveCity College include locally produced itemssuch as dairy products, eggs, honey, bakedgoods, poultry and bottled water. As muchlocal produce is sourced from the LengelBrothers Farm as possible.

Recently Bon Appetit and Lengel Broth-ers Farm expanded their partnership, as Bon

Appetit is funding the construction of sever-

al high tunnels on the Lengel Brothers650-acre farm. The initial agreement is for10 years, during which time more tunnelsmay be built along with a compost center,

where scraps from the Bon Appetit kitchensmay be used for mulching on the farm.

Unfortunately the academic calendarat Grove City doesnt coincide with thepeak growing season in western Pennsylva-nia. So the Lengels decided to work withhigh tunnels, since they are a practical meansto extend the growing season of severalvegetables.

The tunnels were constructed this winterand planting began in March. There will betwo 21x48 foot tunnels along with a 14x48foot tunnel for experimentation. Accordingto Elliott Lengel, The smaller tunnel is

where we will trial different varieties toincrease storage potential and increase theselection we can offer.

Lengel is impressed with the level ofcommitment by the food service group andsays, Bon Appetit wanted to be part ofthis. They want to work inside the tunnelsand help set them up. They want to beinvolved in the growing, so they understand

where the products come from. I am reallyimpressed they want to be on both ends

of the program.In return for their investment, Bon

Appetit will receive their pick of the cropAn educational video will be made detailing

the high tunnel construction, which will beshown throughout the college so studentand faculty can learn where their food comesfrom.

Lengel Brothers Farm and Market prideitself with the number of returning cus-tomers year after year. Lengel Brothers arealso currently exploring the possibility oserving retirement centers and communities

To learn more about this project, contactElliott Lengel at 724-748-4932 [email protected]. I

Lengel Brothers Farmcontinued from page 1

PASA Staff and Board

Thank Our Recent

Volunteers

Lisa Diefenbach

Matt Shockey

Tom Streble

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The Grapevineby Michele Gauger

Edito

rsCorner

I Innovations in Agricultural Marketing

Years ago, Indiana farmer Brian Churchill won a grant from theSustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to

experiment with new pest management strategies on his 100 acres

of sweet corn, melons, tomatoes and other produce. Scouting for

pests, withholding routine spraying and building habitat for benefi-

cial insects cut his insecticide use drastically. He decided to use that

as a marketing hook by inviting chefs to an expo and opening a

now-thriving farm stand.

We drive the point home about using less chemicals all the

time, he said. The customers keep coming back and bringing

friends with them. Our farm has grown a lot since the grant.

Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers, a 20-page bulletin

recently revised by the Sustainable Agriculture Network, features

innovative SARE-funded research in a range of marketing options,including additional resources for further information. Throughout,

farmers and ranchers like Churchill share how farmers markets, CSA,

tourism, direct-marketing, season extension, adding value, restau-

rants, and/or the Internet improved their bottom line.

Marketing Strategies is the latest of a series of publications that

feature the most creative research funded by SARE. Preview or

download the entire publication at www.sare.org/ publications/mar-

keting.htm.To order free print copies, visit www.sare.org/Webstore,

call 301/504-5411 or email san_assoc@ sare.org. Agricultural educa-

tors may place orders for print copies in quantity at no cost.

I New IPM Web Site for Conservation Programs in

Pennsylvania Fruit,Vegetable and Christmas Trees

A new Web site has created a one-stop-shop for Pennsylvania

growers interested in financial assistance for IPM practices from fed-

eral conservation programs.

IPM, or integrated pest management, aims to manage pests

such as insects, diseases,weeds and animals by combining physi-

cal, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and envi-

ronmentally compatible. To apply for IPM support, growers need to fill out application

forms that are available at their local NRCS office, or download them

from Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/nrcs.html.

To learn more about IPM practices for tree fruit, vegetables,

Christmas trees and other commodities visit the IPM Pest Problem

Solver Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/problemSolv.html.

Q. What does the term sustainable mean to you and howdo you incorporate that into your business?

A. Sustainable to me means finding ways of living that canendure, whether thats housing, energy, food. A sustainable modeis one that will endure.

Q. What do you see as some of the critical issues facing agand ag-related businesses today?

A. I think obviously it is the burden of the cost of energy(including the environmental cost). Also, the fact that the loca

farmer is in such a precarious position, that the cost of energy andenergy security is so tenacious they will be pushed over the edge

And, connecting sustainable farmers with their markets. It seemslike its important for local folks to connect with their markets.

Q. What do you see as the connection between sustainable agand the consumer?

A. I think there is a growing awareness of need for productsand services the sustainable farmer provides and, as time goes onthat will become more critical. Health, availability, quality andreliability all those connections are going to become more andmore apparent. We cant continue to operate the way we are. I

Solair Energy, Inc.continued from page 15

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Expandeddistribution in2007!

Visit www.ediblechesapeake.com for advertising rates, or call 301-675-2299.

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FOR SALE

FOR SALE Five Angus/Scottish Highland Cross

heifers. No antibiotics, no hormones, fed only grass and

hay. Good stockers or replacements for grass finished

operation.400 600#. $500 your choice. 717-734-2082.

For Sale 2 Chicken starter heat hoods.They are about

4 in diameter. My grandfather ran them off of propane

but they can also be run off of natural gas. They are old

but are in very good shape.$50 each or best offer.Con-tact Art at 724-443-5869 [email protected].

WANTED

PASTURE WANTED Fenced pasture wanted for lease,

to run beef cattle starting in March 07. Looking for

parcels 8 to 20 acres located vicinity of Glenville, PA or

Glenrock, PA; premises must be fenced, have limited

shelter, and water available. Please contact Wayne @

[email protected]; or call: 717-235-5324.

WANTED The Skippack Farmers Market will enter its

7th season! Located in the village of Skippack on Rt.73

just east of Rt.113. We are looking for a few good farm-

ers! Skippack is an upper middle-income area however;

we do receive WIC customers from nearby Norristown

and the senior community in the area. A good teameffort to grow the market this year led by some enthu-

siastic farmers that joined us last year. Contact bri-

[email protected].

LAND WANTED Minimum 10 acresIn Cumberland,

Adams, or Perry County in PA,but travel time no greater

than 30 minutes to Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 Looking

for farmer willing to sell a couple of pretty acres at a fair

price to build our dream home and canine training facil-

ity on. Will keep the land clean and green. Just want to

enjoy country living and working with my passion,dogs!

Contact Terri at [email protected] with location and price

per acre.

WANTED Farm to Purchase - In Southwestern

Pennsylvania (Greene,Westmoreland, Fayette,or Somer-

set County preferred) looking for mix of tillable, pas-

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land and improvements in good condition, good water

sources, not too close to highways or major roads, and

surrounded by other farm land. Acreage no less than

1520 acres,as much as 100 acres. Contact Marika Torok,

202-246-5113 or email [email protected]

Owners or listing agents only please.

EMPLOYMENT

NEW FARMER INITIATIVE Countryside Conservancy

New Farmers Initiative. Farm internship and apprentice-

ship opportunities in Northeast Ohio. Countryside Con-

servancy (formerly Cuyahoga Valley Countryside

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2007.This is a great way to learn from some of the best

Documents

Mar-Apr 2007 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture