Sept-Oct 2007 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

8/9/2019 Sept-Oct 2007 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

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Compost Tea Production,

Application and Benefitsfertilize and improve the health oftheir crops. This type of composttea, referred to as passive composttea, typically uses a ratio of one

part compost to five parts waterand steeps for about two weeksbefore it is applied to crops as asoluble nutrient solution.

Over the past ten years, com-post tea has developed into abooming industry, producing commercialcompost tea makers that brew thousands ofgallons of tea a day, and fostering two majorindustry organizations that represent justabout everyone in the business. Producerscan even find laboratories throughout theworld that analyze compost tea for microor-

ganism concentrations and diversity. Mostof this industry is devoted to aerated com-post tea, which is made by mechanically aer-ating the steeping process to maintain

aerobic levels of dissolved oxygen in the teasolution.

Aerated compost tea is different frompassive compost tea in a couple of waysFirst, aerated tea recipes usually includeadded nutrients such as kelp, fishhydrolysate, and humic acid to promote the

growth of beneficial microorganisms in thehighly oxygenated solution. These ingredients are not recommended for passive compost tea production because the additionanutrients can make the passive, less oxygenated tea solution anaerobic. Secondly with added nutrients and increased microbial growth, aerated compost tea is ready forapplication after only 24 hours, whereas pas-sive compost tea often takes several weeks tosteep. Use of passive compost tea is popularin Europe, while aerated compost tea is used

more commonly in North America.What Does Compost Tea Do?

Compost tea can be used to: fertilize crops via soil drenches or folia

applications. inoculate crop residue to facilitate decom

position. improve nutrient cycling in soil through

increased microorganism activity. manage certain plant pathogens, to som

extent, through microbial competition andimproved plant nutrition.

By Matthew Ryan & Christine Ziegler,The Rodale Institute

What is Compost Tea?

Compost is the best overall soil amend-ment growers can use to increase the qualityand health of soil. Good compost providessoil with nutrients, organic matter, and ben-eficial microorganisms, which can improvecrop health, growth, quality, and yields.Compost also improves a soils structure andlong-term nutrient availability, which helpsplants better tolerate drought and suppressdisease. However, the time and equipmentneeded to make and apply compost canmake it prohibitive for some farmers.

Compost tea offers some of the benefits

of compost in a more manageable package.For centuries, farmers have soaked tea bagsfull of compost in tubs of water, and thenused the resulting liquid (compost tea) to

Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and BeyondNumber 68 September/October 2007

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

continued page 8

FARMER PROFILE

Claire & Rusty OrnerQuiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living

Nestled in the small town of Brookville, Pennsylvania (Jefferson County) you will

find the unique farm owned by lifetime PASA members, Claire and Rusty Orner. The

Quiet Creek Herb Farm and School of Country Living remains a work in progress

after 10 years and continues to evolve.Both Claire and Rusty grew up with an appreciation for farming. Claires father, Jim

McDaniel, introduced her to organic farming and PASA, while Rusty grew up on a

dairy farm. Rusty went on to earn a degree in agriculture from Penn State, while Claire

earned degrees in geology and education. The two actually met at a Thanksgiving din-

ner Claires sister organized back in 1993.

After marrying, the couple moved to Seattle Washington, where Claire worked on

a Doctoral degree. According to Rusty Seattle is so much more progressive in terms

of the programs offered for agriculture. They were the first state to offer the Master

Gardener program. Both Claire and I learned so much while attending different work-

shops during our time there. continued page 3

Compost tea can be sprayed on crops to add

nutrients and enhance microorganism activity.


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Sept/Oct 20071 Compost Tea Production,

Application and Benefits

Farmer Profile

4 2008 Conference News

5 Neal Kinseys Advanced

Soil Fertility Seminar

6 Directors Corner

7 Board Perspective

10 Regional Marketing

11 Tax Credits for PA Farmers

12 Business Member Profile

13 Consumer News

14 Fundraising Update

15 Membership News

18 PASA News

19 Editors Corner:The Grapevine

20 Classified Ads

22 Calendar

23 Membership Form

24 Founders Fund

Pennsylvania Association

for Sustainable Agriculture

114 West Main Street

P.O.Box 419

Millheim PA 16854

Phone:(814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840Website:www.pasafarming.org

Passages STAFF & OFFICE

Staff Editor: Michele Gauger

Layout: C Factor

Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,PASA office, [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Kim Seeley,Bradford County

Vice President: Brian Moyer, Berks County

Secretary: Mary Barbercheck,Centre County

Treasurer: Louise Schorn Smith,Chester 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

Patti Olenick,Dauphin County

Rita Resick, Somerset County

Anthony Rodale,Berks County

Jim Travis,Adams County

At-Large Board Member

Jamie Moore,Allegheny County

PASA STAFF

Brian Snyder

Executive [email protected]

Lauren Smith

Director of [email protected]

Chris Fullerton

Director of Consumer [email protected]

Allison Shauger

Educational Outreach [email protected]

Michele Gauger

Director of Membership & Research [email protected]

Brandi MarksOffice Coordinator/Bookkeeper

[email protected]

Carrie Gillespie

Bookkeeping Assistant

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 September/October 2007 Contributors

Contributing writers & photographers: Ben & Christine Briggs, Ron Devlin, Lamonte Garber, Mena Hautau, Laurie

Lynch, Brian Moyer, Claire Murray, Gayle Morrow, Rusty Orner, Rik Paulsen, Matt Ryan,Kim Seeley, Allison Shauger,

Lauren Smith,Brian Snyder, Julie Speicher, Christine Ziegler.

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 November/December 2007 Issue:

October 29,2007

Passages is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper

Conference

keynote

speakers,

page 4

Neal Kinseys

Advanced Soil Fertility

Seminar,page 5

Harvest Dinner Update,

page 14


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Farm

erProfile

In 1996 Claire and Rusty purchasedthe farm property back in Pennsylvania, which is now their home. We bought

the property while we were still living inSeattle. So we had the luxury of a year toplan exactly how we wanted the farm tobe set-up in terms of buildings and class-es we wanted to offer. I think that is theclosest we actually ever came to making abusiness plan, said Rusty. We were surewe wanted to offer programs on the farmthat we were passionate about and thatalso tied into other areas on the farm. Wedidnt want to waste our energy on pro-grams we wouldnt enjoy, he continued.

On their 30-acre farm, the Orners, in

addition to their two sons now grow avariety of vegetables, fruits and herbs, aswell as edible and cut flowers. Several ofthese are then used to make herbal teas,soaps, dried products and vinegars thatare sold at the farm.

About four years ago the Ornersdecided to also make the farm a nonprof-it educational facility. They now offeryear-round educational classes on topicsranging from Integrated Pest Manage-ment (IPM), vermicomposting, the soilfood web, bread & soap making classes,

raised bed construction, yoga, specialcraft classes and much more.

During the summers they also offerspecial education programs for teachers

to earn Act 48 credits. We have about

1,500 kids per year come through the

farm. It is interesting to see the teacherscome to our programs during the sum-

mer and then in the fall they want to

bring their classes back to the farm as

well. Some of the groups learn about

cider making, others plant tomatoes or

other vegetables, said Rusty.

This is actually the first year we did-

nt offer our Community Supported

Agriculture (CSA) program, comment-

ed Rusty. We began the CSA because we

both enjoy vegetable gardening. We orig-

inally started with seven families, whichthen grew to 15. But as we began to look

at how the farm was growing and what

programs were working, we realized the

CSA was just breaking even. We alsowerent able to raise enough food to sup-ply the CSA and the increasing numberof school groups and others that werecoming to the farm for our workshopsand tours.

Since the Orners are so committed toeducation, they also offer a year-roundapprenticeship program and juniorinternship opportunities. Rusty com-mented The apprentices and interns arereally interested in what they will belearning how to do on the farm. We havebeen offering the apprentice program for

seven years and based it off a few modelswe had seen other farms offering. A recent intern shared I came to

Quiet Creek with a desire to participatein an entire growing season on a smallorganic farm. Almost immediately, I wasgiven trust, responsibility, resources, andencouragement. Rusty and Claire areboth amazing teachers that understand itis better to teach through hands-on expe-rience. Mistakes dont upset or scarethem; its another way to learn and teachas far as they are concerned. I felt as

though all of my ideas were realistic pos-sibilities, and received the support I need-ed to enact them. They dont have ascript they let creativity and innova-tion rule the farm; they expect to learnfrom apprentices as much as we learnfrom them. I

To learn more about Quiet Creek Farm and

School of Country Living, contact Claire & Rusty

Orner by email: [email protected],

phone: 814-849-9662. For a list of current work-

shops visit www.quietcreekherbfarm.com.

INTERVIEW WITH RUSTY ORNER

I What do you see as some of the critical issues concerning agriculture today?

Conventional agribusiness and genetically modified organisms and the influence

on consumers and producers.

I What is unique about your farm? We are all about sustainable living education,

growing naturally and offering teacher professional development through sum-

mer workshops and our Sustainable Health and the Classroom program.

I How has your operation evolved over the years? Becoming a 501(c) 3 in 2003

has opened up many opportunities to grow as an educational farm.

I Why did you join PASA? Claires father, Jim McDaniel, encouraged us to attend

the conference back in 1996 when we moved back to Pennsylvania, unfortunately

he died before we were able to attend in 1998 and shortly after we became lifetime

members.We truly believe in PASAs mission and encourage consumers, producers

and decomposers to join PASA for the enthusiasm, energy and professional devel-

opment we all need on a regular basis.

Claire and Rusty Ornercontinued from page 1

Claire & Rusty Orner with their sons Walker and Ashton.


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Support the Conference!

The Farming for the FutureConference isPASA's signature event and the mainvehicle for community building. It was agrand success earlier this year, when over1,700 people gathered from over thirty-five states for 3 very important days oflearning and sharing. Our audience offarmers, processors, researchers, businessand community leaders, consumers, stu-dents, teachers, and industry experts,looks forward to convening annually. Wevery much look forward to February2008, and invite you to join us! If you

have not received the full packagedescribing these options, call LaurenSmith at PASA headquarters.

I People Remember Good Food!

The Farming for the Futureconferenceis renowned for its extraordinary meals,made possible by farmers and producers,manufacturers and distributors through-out the region. High-quality, regionallyproduced products are in the spotlight ateach and every meal. Please consider join-ing PASA in this unique venture in com-

munity food contributions areimportant for Farming for the Future andhelp demonstrate the PASA mission in avery special way. If you are interested ingetting involved in the meal program atthe conference, please call Lauren Smithat PASA headquarters.

I Photography Exhibit The Far-mArts project will continue at the 2008Conference, as we look at farms, farmproducts, and farmers through the medi-um of photography. The images will beprojected during the conference, ratherthan hung individually, to accommodatemore images to enjoy. Not knowingahead of time what the population is ofphotographers who would like to partici-pate, Donald L. Gibbon, who is chairingthis activity, would like to hear from peo-ple who think they would enter images tobe shown. At this early point, jurying andprizes have not yet been arranged, how-ever photographers will receive personalcredit for their work. If there are PASAmembers or friends who would be willing

Confere

nceNews

The theme for the 2008 Farming for the Future conference, Ready to Grow: Shar-

ing the Sustainable Story, provides a perfect platform for our two keynote speakers

Diane Wilson and Mark McAfee.With ten Thursday Pre-Conference Tracks including

a hands-on pastured poultry and bio-diesel, beginning cheese making and a thor-

ough beef cattle track, this years conference line-up will astound you! Over 75

workshops on Friday and Saturday will feature outstanding speakers on hot topics

such as community supported agriculture, small fruit production,the Farm Bill and

agricultural policy, grazing and at-home veterinary care, marketing, forest farming

and much more! Look for the full descriptive brochure available in November.

Introducing Our Keynote Speakers

Diane Wilson, a 4th-generation shrimper, began fishing the

bays off the Gulf Coast of Texas at the age of eight. By twen-ty-four she was a boat captain. In 1989, while running herbrother's fish house and mending nets, she read a newspaperarticle that listed her home of Calhoun County as the num-ber one toxic polluter in the country. She set up a meeting inthe town hall to discuss what the chemical plants were doingto the bays and thus began her life as an environmental

activist. Threatened by thugs and despised by her neighbors, Diane insisted thetruth be told and that Formosa Plastics stop dumping toxins into the bay.

Wilsons book,An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos,Polluters and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas (Chelsea Green 2005), chronicles herbrave campaign from the courts, to the gates of the chemical plant, and to thehalls of power in Austin.

Her work on behalf of the people and aquatic life of Seadrift, Texas, has wonher a number of awards including: National Fisherman Magazine Award, Moth-er Joness Hell Raiser of the Month, Louis Gibbs' Environmental LifetimeAward, Louisiana Environmental Action Environmental Award, Giraffe Project,Jenifer Altman Award, and the Bioneers Award. She is co-founder of Code Pinkand continues to lead the fight for social justice.

Mark McAfee founded Organic Pastures Dairy, California'sfirst raw milk dairy with certified organic pasture land andone of the few remaining family-owned and operated dairiesin California, on a simple principle: care for our cows andthe environment, and our milk will be of the highest quali-ty. His dedication to providing his herds with a "stress-free"

life spent grazing in certified organic pasture led him todesign a revolutionary mobile milk barn. Organic Pastures

products, including raw milk, butter, cream, cheese and colostrum are sold instores throughout California and shipped nationally. The Company has beenrecognized repeatedly in independent National Farmers Organization tests ashaving the best milk taste of the dairies surveyed.

Mark is internationally recognized as an expert in raw milk production. Hehas spoken on this and the health benefits of raw dairy products in fifteen statesand three countries. He invented the first dietary supplements made fromfresh raw colostrum, and secured their certification from the FDA and DHS.Mark created and published the first international raw milk safety standards atwww.rawusa.org.

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PASAs 17th Annual Farming for the Future ConferenceReady to Grow: Sharing the Sustainable Story

February 79, 2008 State College, PA


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preparation; soil and plant analysis;ideal levels.

Details about this seminar and reg-istration will be included in the con-ference brochure, which will be mailedto members in November.

Confere

nceNews

to help in artistic examination of the joys,challenges, beauties, even the downersof being a farmer in Pennsylvania, pleasecontact Don at [email protected] call 412-362-8451.

I Charity Auction A great way tocontribute to the PASA conference and

gain exposure for your farm or business isto donate to the auction! This year wewill continue offering our Silent, Bag andLive Auctions, as we are seeking a varietyof items from all prices ranges. All threeauctions are an integral part of PASAsannual fundraising and last year generat-ed over $27,000 for the organization andthe Scholarship Fund! Right now we arein search of unique and useful items thatall conference goers will be interested in.For more information, contact MicheleGauger at PASA headquarters.

I The Sound of Music Onceagain, music will intertwine its waythroughout the conference. LouiseSchorn Smith and John Lozier are coor-dinating the Performing Artists for Sus-

5

formers into the available slots and John

will coordinate the staffing of the booth.Interested performers can contact Louiseand John by emailing [email protected] or by calling John at 304-599-8233 or Louise at 484-645-3102. It isnever too early to contact them!

NEAL KINSEYS ADVANCED SOIL FERTILITY SEMINARFollowing the Albrecht Methods

for soil testing and soil nutrient use,this advanced course is appropriate forthose who have completed Kinseysintroductory soil fertility course orhave a strong working knowledge ofthe terminology and principles setforth in Hands-On Agronomy. Partici-pants will learn strategies for effective-ly treating soils suffering from normalto extreme nutrient deficiencies.

What to Expect:

Day 1: Working with Soil Tests andLiming: soil test methods, soil struc-ture, Dos & Donts of soil sampling,

pH, using limestone and gypsum.

Day 2: Building Soil Fertility: calciumproof formula, magnesium for heavyand sandy soils, sulfur use, compostanalysis and evaluation, phosphatetesting, potassium fertilization, soilsodium.

Day 3: Micronutrients and Special Cir-cumstances: boron, iron, manganese,copper and zinc fertility needs; treatedvs. untreated nutrient levels; deep soil

A good farmer knows that whole-farm health is absolutely dependent onbalanced and nutrient rich soils. Heresyour chance to understand exactlyhow to enhance your farms soil quali-ty! PASA is excited to announce thisrare opportunity to participate in NealKinseys Advanced Soil Fertility Semi-nar. Mr. Kinsey is a world-renowned

soil expert and PASA is delighted to beable to offer the advanced course herein Pennsylvania!

Neal Kinsey studied privatelyunder Dr. Albrechts direction and suc-cessfully completed the requiredcourse material to qualify as a certifiedagronomist. As a soil fertility manage-ment specialist, Neal has served as theprinciple consultant to numerous agri-culture and commercial enterprisesaround the world.

Tuesday through Thursday,

February 5,6 & 7, 2008

Offered in conjunction with theFarming for the Future Conference

A great way to contribute to the PASA conference and gain exposure for your farm or business is

to donate to the charity auction. Money raised is an important part of PASA's annual fundraising.

tainable Agriculture series. They are

scheduling a multitude of musical acts invarious locations. The Performing Artistsbooth, a spot where artists can place theirpromotional literature, sell their record-ings and network with one another, willalso return. Louise will schedule the per-


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1. The current permit system for raw milk

producers and processors should be retained

and improved. Much as we might hope that

everyone can simply take responsibility for

themselves, their products and their purchas-

ing decisions, the economic environment issimply too hostile in terms of industry con-

cerns and federal regulations for Pennsylva-

nia farmers to go it alone in building and

maintaining this market.What is needed is a

strong partnership between the farmers,

consumers and state government to make

our raw dairy industry a model for other

states to follow.

2.To the extent possible, the legislature and

Department of Agriculture should promote

high quality standards for all dairy and other

farm products, but especially for milk and

value added dairy products that are intendedfor consumption without pasteurization. The

most important base standard for manage-

ment practices would be to develop grass-

based systems on our dairy farms, which is

especially important when raw milk is

involved. Lets face it, not all milk is created

equal, and we all know that to be true.

3a) Expansion of current raw milk regulations

should be considered to allow for sale of

products other than fluid milk and aged

cheese. My own informal research on this

matter would suggest that raw cream, ice

cream and butter are in demand and the eas-iest to produce, but other products such as

cottage cheese, soft cheeses and yogurt are

popular as well. Care should be taken to

develop clear and rational criteria if some

products are approved and others not.

3b) In the event that expansion of allowable

products is not possible, the so-called labor

contract system should be formalized so

that a very specific format is provided for

farmers to use that will be universally applied

and respected by PDA inspectors across the

state. The combination of state permits and

private contracts has worked in the past and

could be the key to future peace and pros-

perity when it comes to the raw milk trade.

The next two recommendations are intended

to help the Department of Agriculture in terms

of the human resources necessary to support

an expanded raw milk permit system.

4) The legislature and department should

consider increasing the current 1-cow

exemption (i.e.farmers with only one cow do

not need to get a permit) to apply to situa-

tions in which only 5 or 10 cows are involved,

or whatever number seems a reasonable risk

to the department. The way the law is cur-

rently written, such exemptions are always at

the discretion of the Secretary anyway, so

could easily be revoked in case a food safety

problem occurs.

5) New regulations should allow the Depart-

ment of Agriculture to license groups of

farmers as co-ops, incorporated clubs or

other associations wherein such a group can

inspect and issue raw milk permits to its own

members. I would think such groups can be

expected to meet or even exceed the specifi-

cations otherwise used by PDA in issuing

permits. This should not be seen as a way to

get around the law,but a way to offer prod-

ucts and services that, by association of like-

minded farmers, are distinguished and

further differentiated in the marketplace interms of overall quality.

6)The legislature should remove any imped-

iments in existing statutes and regulations

that make it unlawful for Pennsylvania farm-

ers or retailers to sell raw milk or raw dairy

products, with a permit, to out-of-state resi-

dents who come into Pennsylvania to make

their purchasesat least to the extent

allowed by federal law. I realize this is contro-

versial, but is also where some bold leader-

ship may be needed. The stress of

determining which customer is from where

simply must be taken off the back of individ-ual farmers, especially as they face the pres-

sure of increasing demand.

7) Something must be done to assist the

Department of Agriculture in improving

communication with farmers and sensitivity

to their specific challenges and cultural con-

texts. Rumors that are as unhelpful as they

are inconsistent will continue to fill any infor-

mation voids when it comes to changes in

department procedure or the latest news

about an alleged outbreak of illnesses.I have

tried to fill the role of information liaison to

some extent over the years, but simply can-not do it by myself or well enough to avoid all

the problems that might occur.

8) The Department of Health must be

encouraged to conduct their required inves-

tigations when illnesses do occur in an open-

minded, fair and forthright manner, looking

broadly at all the reasons a person might

have become sick. I believe that some of the

issues and problems surrounding raw milk

have originated with health officials due to a

lack of the qualities I have just mentioned.

Recommendations to the Senate Ag& Rural Affairs Committee:

By Brian Snyder, Executive Director

Directo

rsCorner

An extraordinary event took placein Harrisburg on September 18of this year. That is when the

Pennsylvania Senate Agriculture andRural Affairs Committee held a publichearing on the subject of raw milk salesand regulation, with an eye to expandingthe availability of raw milk products inthe commonwealth.

PASA was well-represented at thehearing, with members in attendancefrom each of our four regions. I was hon-ored to participate in the hearing as oneof seven persons asked to testify publicly.Below you will find eight recommenda-tions I made to the committee. Anyone wishing to see my full testimony maycontact me directly ([email protected]) and I will send out a copy.

If you needed more evidence that our

hard working farmers and local food sys-tems in general are being taken seriouslythese days, this should certainly suffice. Ifyou are a dairy farmer and ever dreamedof holding a raw milk permit, right nowis probably the best opportunity you willever have to apply, working directly withyour PDA inspector if a problemdevelops, please let me know. If you arelooking for a good source of raw milk inyour area, you will find a full list of the 75permitted farms in Pennsylvania on page13 of this newsletter. I

6

Raw MilkTakes Center

Stage


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very clear they had been educated not tothink critically in college? Among jun-iors and seniors? To be fair, lets readanother response.

I was impressed with Mr. Seeleys talkand how he came about so many newthings on his own by just thinking criti-

cally, wrote one and another I foundit remarkable that the students at PennCollege of Technology, were able to easi-ly detect the difference in his dairy prod-ucts compared to others. The differencesin his butter were surprising. Overall,very interesting and informative.

Back to the drought. However, wehave managed to keep grass in front ofour herd all summer with the exceptionof two weeks of sacrifice for the milkingherd only.

Grazing management is all about crit-

ical thinking. One only has to drivearound the countryside and see grazingfailures. The many resources that aredumped into growing too much corn, was illuminated to me many years agowhen I contacted our local Soil Conser-vation Service office. The man who visit-ed our farm plainly told me that almostevery program and soil management plan was based on growing more corn notmore grass. He wasnt happy with it.

PASA has always been about steward-ship of the land and prosperity for the

whole. You can imagine how excited wewere to host an intensive learning session with renowned experts, Jerry Brunettiand Hue Karreman. It was interesting tohave them comment on our animals andour grass management during their manyexamples of critical thinking they con-veyed to the 40 participants from all overthe northeastern U.S. One of the astutelisteners happened to have been in thatvery same Penn State ethics class 5 yearsago. He had heard the story of our farmtransition back then and took this oppor-tunity to come and learn more. We alllearned so much those two days becausethe PASA family fosters critical thinking.

This article was envisioned while walking through small bits of lush pas-tures during a very tough grazing year. (Ithas been like giving the cows small piecesof candy!) It reminded me of exactly whatall of us in the sustainable movement areexperiencing, a drought of critical think-ing and socially just actions. It is no sur-

PASABoardPerspective

funded program called Orderly Transi-tion out of the Dairy Sector. What hedid not find was a program about Howto Get Back into the Dairy Business.

The last time we saw high milk pricesthey only lasted 3 months, until one ofour largest milk/ butter handlers, created

a 50% butter, 50% oil blend and market-ed it nationwide to restaurants and insti-tutions. At that same time the price ofbutterfat crashed and with it, the farmprice of milk. The genius of targetingrestaurants and institutions however is anexample of selfish critical thinking.

Ingredient labels and real identity ofmany meals we buy at educational facili-ties and other institutions can remainanonymous. Nutritional information isavailable upon request, but not out in theopen like products in stores. No critical

thinking is encouraged, so that we mayprotect the disgusting practices by thevery food processors that provide some ofthe dollars for the slanted educationswhere we send our children to learn.

This last March I enjoyed the oppor-tunity to guest lecture at Penn StatesMorality and Ethics in AgricultureClass. This year I was warned the classhad a heavy attendance from the Dairyand Animal Science sector and they maynot like my message. Interestinglyenough, my message was about critical

thinking and searching for all the infor-mation about agricultural issues beforecoming to any conclusions about realfood. This year was the first time the pro-fessor required all the students to write asummation of the speaker. Below is oneof the comments from a student.

AhhhhhI didnt enjoy this speakerone bit, all milk is the same, and thecomponents dont change because ofholistic farming. The crazy liberal farmercant be taken seriously; because he has no

animal science degree, he is only an ageconomist. He needs to get a grip on real-ity and see the progress of American agri-culture and how we feed the world. I amproud of my land-grant education and want to use it to disprove his farmingways! Some of the pages of my ag text-books arent missing, they are completewith SCIENCE, and TECHNOLOGY,and EFFICIENT practices.

As I read the responses I could see thepolarization of the students. All the stu-dents heard the same words but it was

7

CriticalThinking

RevisitedBy Kim Seeley, Board President

At a memorial service for PASAlifetime member Alan Bullock,who recently lost his battle with

cancer, his son Greg remarked that Alanhad always taught his sons how tothink but not what to think. I camehome and immediately asked both of mysons and our summer intern if my father-ing was like that. They all agreed Iencouraged them to learn and think forthemselves. This may be against the grainof American society as was referred to byBrian Snyder in his July/August newslet-ter column. Critical thinking will alwaysbe necessary. PASA members exude it!

This morning as I subdivided mysmall plots of lush grass on our farm dur-ing what has been the deepest drought Ihave experienced in my last 35 years, Imarvel at the progress we have made. I

am also saddened as I watch the dairy cri-sis deepening (from my pasture I can seemy neighbors equipment being lined upfor auction). We are experiencing recordmilk prices now, reaffirming the fact thatdairy farmers should have been getting afair price all along.

The staggering loss of small and mid-size dairies is tightening up milk suppliesand the lack of reentry is starting to trick-le down to service suppliers. When myson Shon entered Penn State Universityas a new ag student he became aware of a continued page 18


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Your crops can directly benefit fromthe macro- and micro-nutrients found incompost tea. Foliar fertilization with

compost tea allows nutrients to beabsorbed by the plants directly throughstomata on their leaf surfaces. This typeof fertilization is very efficient and canquickly boost plant growth. Compost teacan also provide nutrients to the soilthrough soil drenches. When these com-post-derived nutrient solutions areapplied to the soil, plant roots can takethem up easily.

Healthy soil contains enormous popu-lations of microorganisms and inverte-brates (commonly referred to as the soil

food web). These microorganisms areresponsible for stabilizing soil particlessuch as sand, silt, clay, and organic mat-ter. A healthy soil, full of microorgan-isms, tends to form soil aggregates(clumps of soil particles, bound togeth-er), which create a porous soil texturethat reduces soil erosion, facilitates waterabsorption into the soil, and increases thewater holding capacity of soil. Microor-ganisms play a large role in the formationof these soil aggregates because theysecrete glue-like substances that bind the

soil particles.By applying compost tea, you boost

the number and diversity of microorgan-isms in your soils food web, making theweb more stable and positively affectingyour soils ability to conserve organicmatter, retain nutrients and hold mois-ture. More importantly, all these soilhealth benefits can translate into planthealth benefits, because the most vigor-ous, disease-free plants usually grow inthe most robust living soil.

Microorganisms are also the drivingforce behind decomposition. You canimprove crop residue decomposition byapplying compost tea and allowing itsmicroorganisms to break down theresidue into usable forms of nutrients foryour next crop. Even if your soil alreadycontains adequate levels of nutrients,microorganisms are often needed tomake nutrients more available to yourcrops. By incorporating nutrients intotheir bodies, microorganisms ensure thatthe nutrients are conserved in the soil and

not leached through rainfall anderosion.

Although trials that have testedcompost tea for disease manage-ment have generated variableresults, compost tea has the poten-tial to suppress certain plant

pathogens on some crops. Forexample, compost tea has beenshown to partially control pow-dery mildew, though it has not yetbeen proven to be sufficientlyeffective to use as a sole means ofcontrol for commercial growers. While plenty of anecdotal evi-dence suggests that compost teacan control disease, research hasnot supported this evidence todate (most of the pathogens anddiseases tested have not been con-

trolled by compost tea). However, thereare multiple mechanisms that mayexplain the variations in disease suppres-sion that have been observed, includingdifferent forms of competition, such asresource competition, antibiotic produc-tion, parasitism, and systemic acquiredresistance. While more research is neededto investigate the validity of compost teaas a disease suppressant, its ability toimprove soil health is certain.

If these benefits sound appealing, thenread on to find out how you can make

compost tea.

How Do I Get Started?

If you are interested in making com-post tea, you must begin by making acouple of decisions. First, you need todecide if you want to make passive or aer-ated compost tea.

Passive Tea

Passive compost tea is a great way tostart experimenting with compost teause. An easy way to make passive com-post tea is to fill an old burlap sack withone part compost, and suspend this bagin a garbage can filled with five partswater (by volume) for several weeks. Thistea can then be applied to crops or soil asa fertilizer. Most published research onthe use of compost tea for disease sup-pression utilizes passive compost teas.

Although passive compost tea is notaerated, it is not necessarily anaerobicunless additional nutrients are added. If apassive tea turns anaerobic, it can putrify,rather than ferment, which may produce

phenols and alcohol that can harm plantsand beneficial soil microorganisms.Therefore, its important not to add fer-tilizers or nutrients to your passive tea, inorder to keep it aerobic and healthy.

Aerated Tea

If you choose to produce aerated com-post tea, you then need to decide whetheryou want to purchase a commercial com-post tea brewer or build your own. Thesesystems require a source of electricity topower the air and/or water pumps that

provide oxygen and extract microorgan-isms and nutrients from the compost.Commercial brewers can cost anywherefrom $100 to thousands of dollars,depending on the volume and complexi-ty of the system. Fortunately most manu-factures have developed good brewinginstructions to go with their systems, so ifyou purchase a brewer, it is best to followthe directions provided. A list of com-mercial compost tea system manufactur-ers can be found in the resource sectionof this fact sheet.

If you decide to build your own sys-tem, you have more choices to make.Homemade aerated compost tea systemsvary in their design, and can employ aer-ation devices that range from fish tankaerators to commercial grade air com-pressors. Although this may be a moreeconomical option, you should expect acertain amount of trial and error beforeyour system is fully functional. For infor-mation visit the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Environmental Protections

Compost Teacontinued from page 1

Passive compost tea can be made by simply suspend-

ing a burlap sack full of compost in a tank of water.


9/249

safety of organic food. These recommen-dations and the complete article can befound online at www.newfarm.org/news/0404/042304/tea_report.shtml. Theoriginal recommendations from theNational Organic Standard BoardCompost Tea Task Force can also be

found online at www.ams.usda.gov/nosb/meetings/CompostTeaTaskForceFinalRe-port.pdf.

To apply the tea, use a low-pressure,high-volume sprayer with a diaphragmpump. The diaphragm pump is vitalbecause it doesnt squeeze and destroy themicroorganisms in the tea, as can happenwith a gear or vein pump. Your composttea sprayer should be dedicated to teaonly (or other non-toxic uses), becausepesticide residues inside the sprayer willcontaminate your tea and destroy its

microorganisms.Use a wide-orifice or flood-jet type

nozzle, and remove the nozzle screensbefore you spray to prevent clogging andimprove dispersion. Best times to sprayare after rains, and in the morning andevenings when UV rays are low and wont

affect the microorganisms in the tea.Compost tea is a very old tool that has

benefited farmers for centuries. Composttea production can be simple and inex-pensive (such as passive tea) or morecomplex and advanced, with large-scalemechanized systems that pump out thou-

sands of gallons of aerated tea a day.Though scientific research on composttea has been limited to date, the benefitsof using compost tea are just beginningto be realized. With more research, com-post tea may become an integral compo-nent of sustainable farming operations inthe future. For more information oncompost tea research, production, anduse, please see the resource list below.Happy brewing! I

online article, Compost Tea as Easy as 1, 2, 3, at www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/depu-tate/airwaste/wm/recycle/Tea/tea1.htm

Regardless of how you make composttea, proper sanitation is essential to pro-duce a quality tea. Most producers usechlorine bleach to clean the inside of

their systems, but other products such ashydrogen peroxide and detergents canalso be effective. One of the most basic,easy cleaning tricks is to rinse out the sys-tem with clean water as soon as youremove the tea, so that the residue does-nt have time to dry. That step, followedby proper sanitation, will help you main-tain a clean brewer that generates goodquality tea every time you use it.

How Do I Apply Compost Tea as

Part of an Organic Production Plan?

Certified organic growers can usecompost tea, but it is always a good ideato check with your certification agencybefore initiating any new practice. Certi-fied organic growers must follow the rec-ommendations set forth by the CompostTea Task Force, designed to insure the

Resources

LABORATORIES FOR TESTING

COMPOST AND COMPOST TEA

I BBC Laboratories, Inc.Vicki Bess

www.bbclabs.com

1217 N.Stadem Drive

Tempe,AZ, 85281

480-967-5931/ fx 480-967-5036

[email protected]

IWoods End Research Lab.,Inc.

William Brinton

www.woodsend.org

PO Box 297

Mt Vernon,ME, 04352

207-293-2457 / fx 207-293-2488

[email protected]

IMicrobial Matrix Systems,Inc.

Lynn Rodgers

www.microbialmatrix.com

33935 Hwy 99E,Suite B

Tangent, OR,97389

541-967-0554 / fx 541-967-4025

[email protected]

I Soil Foodweb Inc.

Elaine Ingham and Paul Wagner

www.soilfoodweb.com

555 Hallock Ave (Rt 25a) Suite 7

Port Jefferson Station, NY,11776

631-474-8848 / fx 631-474-8847

[email protected]

Compost tea nutrient values can be

determined by testing as a hydroponic

solution with your local agriculture labo-

ratory.

COMPOST TEA GROUPS

I International Compost Tea Council

(ICTC) a group devoted to expanding

public awareness of compost tea and

promoting sound science to support

advances in compost tea technology.www.intlctc.org/purpose.htm

I Compost Tea Industry Association

(CTIA) a group devoted to informa-

tion exchange and evolving the expand-

ing industry associated with compost

tea. www.composttea.org/

COMMERCIAL COMPOST TEA

BREWING SYSTEMS

I Alaska Bountea

John Evans

P.O. Box 1072,Palmer, Alaska 99645

907-745-8234

[email protected]

www.alaskagiant.com

I EPM Inc.

Bruce Elliot

P.O. Box 1295

Cottage Grove, Oregon, 97424

541-767-2747

[email protected]

www.composttea.com

I Growing Solutions, Inc

Michael Alms

P.O. Box 2256, Sonoma, CA 95476

888-600-9558

www.growingsolutions.com

I Keep It Simple, Inc

Leon Hussey

12323 180th Avenue NE

Redmond,WA 98052-2212

1-866-558-0990

[email protected]

www.simplici-tea.com

I Soil Soup, Inc

Jerry Erickson

305 9th Avenue NorthSeattle,WA 98109

1-877-711-7687

[email protected]

www.soilsoup.com

I Bobs Brewers, Inc

Bob Norsen

6515 West Marginal Way S.W

Seattle,WA 98106

206-571-4671

[email protected]

www.bobsbrewers.com

IWormGold, Inc

George Hahn

P.O. Box 95

Cardiff by the Sea,CA 92007

760-942-6086

[email protected]

www.wormgold.com

INature Tech, Inc

Carol Ann Rollins

1651 Point Drive,Sonoma, CA 95476

707-938-5857

[email protected]

www.nature-technologies.com

I EcoVit,Inc

Laura Sabourin

RR # 1 St.Catharines

Ontario Canada L2R 6P7

905-562-0151

[email protected]

www.ecovit.ca

PUBLICATIONS

I Soil Biology Primeris an excellent

resource about soil biology and the soil

food web. This Natural Resource Conser-

vation Service (NRCS) publication is

available free at: http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/soil_quality/soil_biology/soil_biolo-

gy_primer.html.

I The Compost Tea Brewers Manual

by Elaine Ingham,Soil Foodweb Inc.,

includes information about the biology

of compost and how to produce and

apply compost tea. Available on the web

at www.soilfoodweb.com.

I Compost Tea:Principals and

Prospects for Plant Disease Controlby

Steve Scheuerell and Walter Mahaffee,

Compost Science & Utilization,(2002),

vol.10, No.4, 313338.This is a great

source of information on using compost

tea for disease suppression.

I Understanding Compost Tea byVicki Bess of BBC Labs.An informative

article published Biocycle (Oct 2002)

available online at www.jgpress.com/

BCArticles/2000/100071.html

I Steve Diver, ATTRA, has put together a

nice summary of using compost tea for

disease suppression and is available

online at www.attra.org/attra-pub/com-

post-tea-notes.html.

For more information contact

the Rodale Institute:

[email protected]

610-683-1400

www.newfarm.org

Editors Note: Reprinted with permission of

The Rodale Institute,based upon work support-ed by the Cooperative State Research, Educa-

tion, and Extension Service (USDA CSREES)

under Agreement No. 00-52101-9707. Any opin-

ions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations

expressed in this publication are those of the

author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


10/2410

Field Day Report

Fresh from the Vines FarmBy Julie Speicher

Fresh from the Vines Farm inMeadville, PA (Crawford County) is a

sustainable fruit and vegetable farmowned by David and Rebecca Vines.Recently about 40 field day participantscame to the farm to learn about their

progress with sustainable agriculture.Over 11 years ago, David and Rebec-

ca moved to Pennsylvania from Arizonaand purchased their farm. David had pre-viously been a truck driver. Having landavailable and with David wanting tospend more time at home, the Vinessdecided to begin farming. They currentlyhave 80 acres of land in gardens, hightunnels, fruit trees, berry bushes, pastureand hay, as well as 60 acres of woodland.Rebecca is the general manager of theWhole Foods Cooperative in Erie, whereshe is able to have flexible hours whenthere is help needed on the farm.

WESTERN REGION

David began the tour with a walkthrough the barn, which houses 14 hens,including a 9 year-old hen that is still lay-ing eggs. Beyond the barn, is a fencedpasture, which is home to a goat, twodonkeys and two alpacas all of themrescued.

Year round vegetable growth, which

includes about 70 different varieties, isachieved at the Vines farm in two hightunnels. The size of the first is 26x 48with a 13 foot ceiling and the second is30x 96 with a 14 foot ceiling. Davidsources most of his fertilizers from TheFertrell Company, while obtaining seedsfrom High Mowing in Vermont andJohnnys Seeds.

David also mentioned he works withlocal businesses to meet farm needs aswell, including a local supplier, MeadvilleFarm and Garden. Labor to build the

high tunnels came from fellow farmersand friends, as well as from college stu-

dents at Allegheny College. The collegehas the CEED (Center for Environmen-tal and Economic Development), whichworks with the surrounding communityto get intern students out to area farms tolearn and lend precious labor. The stu-dents also work in the high tunnels dur-

ing the growing season. After the field day, participantsenjoyed lunch provided by the FreshHorizons Caf located in the WholeFoods Cooperative. Alice Sjolander, theMarket Master of the Meadville MarketHouse, gave a talk about the markethouse and her recent work with PASA.The Meadville Market House has seen alot of change since Alice and theMeadville Area Local Growers (MALG)have been involved with marketingefforts. MALG is starting their 5th year

in existence. The farmers of MALG cametogether after they were all involved witha local food dinner at Allegheny Collegeand started the farmers market at theMarket House. Where once there werevery little locally produced items in themarket house, there is now over 70% oflocal product. The residents of Meadvillesupport the market and the local farmers who sell outside the market housebecause they value the local food. Alice isalso working with PASA on a project toget local food to senior citizens.

For more information about theVines farm or the Whole Foods Cooper-

RegionalMarketing

NOTICE TO READERS

The mailing address for PASAs Western

Regional office has changed. The new

mailing address is:

PASA Western Office

650 Smithfield Street, Suite 1160Pittsburgh PA 15222

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 Moyer


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]


11/2411

ative, contact David & Rebecca Vines,

814-763-4606, freshfromthevines@all-

tel.net. For more information about the

Meadville Area Local Growers, contact

814-332-2795.

Recently the Valleys of the Susque-

hanna Buy Fresh, Buy Local(BFBL) cam-paign held its annual Local Foods Week.

Activities included guest chefs at area

NORTHCENTRAL REGION

farmers markets, a local food theme forthe First Friday events in Williamsportand a progressive dinner held in Selins-grove. Pictured here are Michele Gauger(left) of PASA and Valleys BFBL coordi-nator, Mandy Burbage of SEDA-COG.

PASA recently sponsored a farmersmarket at the 3rd annual PA RenewableEnergy and Sustainable Living Festival inKempton, PA. Here PASA lifetime mem-ber, Nitya Akeroyd of Woodsong HollowFarm in Boyertown, talks with a cus-tomer. Thanks to all the farmers whoparticipated in the market this year.

IDown to Earth Exhibit

The second Down to Earth exhibit will be held at The Arts Scene in West

Chester, PA, November 9December 8.The exhibit will display juried potterswho work with the earth to make objectsto be used with food, and furniture mak-ers who create surfaces intended to be

SOUTHEAST REGION

used with food, creating a sort of trip-tych of food, vessel and foundation.Artists are local, living within approxi-mately 100 miles of Chester County.

The mission of Down to Earth is todisplay functional art that is intended to

enhance the culinary experience: to cele-

brate the intrinsic value of eating locallygrown food using handmade art: and tobuild community by introducing peopleto their local farmers and regional artists.Visit www.downtoearthexhibit.org formore information.

Thanks to Kathleen and Roger Brum-

baugh who recently hosted a SouthCen-tral regional potluck at their farm inBedford County. This was a great event

for local PASA members and guests tocelebrate the coming fall. PASA appreci-ates members such as the Brumbaughs

for opening their farms for these regionalgatherings.

SOUTHCENTRAL REGION

$10 million for FY 07-08. In other

words, the state can issue up to $10 mil-lion in tax credits through June 2008.

Tax Credits?

Why Should I Be Interested?

REAP offers state tax credits for theestablishment of barnyard improvements,grazing systems, alternative manure sys-tems, stream buffers and other conserva-tion best management practices(BMPs). Because REAP tax credits aretransferable, farmers with limited tax lia-bility can sell them to other taxpayers or

they can use them to reduce their ownstate taxes, dollar-for-dollar, for up to fif-teen years.

Even better, businesses can help farm-ers with project financing and receive thetax credit instead of the farmer, for amutually beneficial partnership. Thefarmer gets help with up-front projectcosts and the business sees its tax moneywork at the local level.

The program is effective beginningOctober 24. Only eligible BMPs com-

pleted after that date are eligible for the

tax credit. Tax credits are issued on a first-

come, first-served basis but a pre-applica-

tion can reserve tax credits in a farmersname before he or she undertakes a proj-

ect. Up to $150,000 per agricultural

operation is available over the life of the

program.

Who Can Receive Tax Credits?

To be eligible, farmers must have a

current conservation plan that meets state

erosion control guidelines. Some will also

need a nutrient management plan. A

farmer who will be receiving project

funds from another government programmay also qualify for REAP tax credits,

but the tax credits cannot apply to that

portion of project costs covered by gov-

ernment funds.

REAP guidelines and applications are

being developed by the State Conserva-

tion Commission (SCC) for release this

fall. For now, here are some highlights:

By Lamonte Garber,

Chesapeake Bay FoundationThink tax credits are just for big busi-

ness? Think again! A brand new Pennsyl-vania program called the ResourceEnhancement and Protection Act, orREAP, offers transferable state tax cred-its to farmers anywhere in Pennsylvaniawho install eligible conservation practicesthat improve their operations.

PASA Helps Secure REAPs Passage

Thanks to PASA and a coalition offarm, business, sportsmen and environ-

mental groups, this ne w conservationprogram is now available to farmers. Thispast July, the Pennsylvania General Assembly and Governor Rendellapproved Act 55, which included REAP.This proposal received broad, bipartisansupport from legislative sponsors likeRepresentatives Jerry Stern and PeterDaley and Senators Mike Waugh andMichael OPake. These leaders helpedsecure REAPs passage despite a very leanstate budget. The program is capped at

Check out New PA Tax Credits for Farmers

continued page 19


12/24

that support the planet and our bodiesin ways that preserve its integrity so wedont have to spend time and money fix-ing problems from poor eating habitsand unhealthy lifestyles. Our business isan application of sustainable agricul-ture, since we are a source where peoplecan support sustainable practices withtheir food dollars.

We incorporate sustainability intoour business by providing options forour customers. Our foods and supple-ments are all from sustainable sources.By shopping with us, customers are say-ing they support sustainable agriculture.Our customers recognize the concept ofpay now or pay later. They are willing topay the extra money now, knowing thatthey are paying the true cost of foodproduction and reducing the cost totheir bodies and the environment bydoing so.

BusinessMemb

erProfile

IWhat is unique about your business?

We are one of the few natural/holisticpharmacies in the country. We are

unique in that we have organic food,

local food, organic natural supple-ments, a Take Action Center highlight-

ing local, state and national initiatives

protecting our food supply and planet

where customers are offered opportuni-ties to participate in these initiatives, a

holistic health center with licensed inte-

grative practitioners and educational

seminars throughout the year. Our phi-losophy is that personal and planetary

health are intimately intertwined and it

is our responsibility as stewards of the

planet to actively seek the highest goodfor both; hence our logo Healthy

Beings/Healthy Earth.

IWhy did you join PASA?Well, I had no choice! said Ben Brig-gs. My wife has been a PASA membersince 1995, and she turned me on tothe organization and the concurrence ofour missions. The Pharmacy has been amember since 2003. We also like theidea that membership allows our staff tojoin at a discount which increases mem-ber support for PASA.

I How has your membership been a

benefit to your business?Membership gives us information that we would not get elsewhere. The inforeinforces our mission, lets our cus-tomers see they can be a part of. Mem-bership helps us stay informed so wecan help our customers stay informed.

I What does the term sustainablemean to you and how do you incorpo-rate that into your business?Sustainable means supporting farms

12

By Gayle MorrowIt might be a little corny to call Lionville Natural Phar-

macy and Health Food Store the king of pharmaceuticalcare, but this independently owned shop does have it all.From organic foods and holistic therapies for humans to

custom-made medications for the animal kingdom and theearth, its been available in Chester County since 1979.

Ben Briggs, who owns and operates the multi-facetedbusiness with his wife, Charlene, and their son, Michael,explains that this is a licensed pharmacy with a full organ-ic health food store, an eatery Healthy Beings Cafe, andthe Book Corner, all attached to a holistic center with serv-ices that include seminars, flower essence therapy, massage,shiatzu, acupuncture, thermography, integrative medicalcare and yoga.

We all work together to integrate holistic care into ourcenter, says Briggs, noting that his specialty is the

endocrine system. He is also a nutritionist. As acompounding pharmacist, he can combine rawmaterials formulating individualized prescriptionorders from physicians and dentists. He is a mem-ber of the American Nutraceutical Association, theInternational Foundation of Nutrition and Healthand the International Academy of Compounding

Pharmacists, and is co-host of Health Focus, analternative medicine program on WCOJ Radio.Michael Briggs has completed certification in

veterinary pharmacy compounding and is able toprovide custom-made formulas and dosages thatget medicine and nutrients into the animals inunique and less invasive ways transdermal(through the skin), topical spray-on, and

liquid/solid flavored and palatable medications.Charlene Briggs is an environmental scientist who has

worked for the past 20 years in soil and water conservation,and is one of 108 registered Bach Flower practitioners inthe United States. In her flower essence practice, Charlene

facilitates release of emotional concerns, such as anxietyand depression, with flower-based homeopathic remedies.

The three do workshops and seminars on a variety oftopics on integrative health care and have authored and co-authored works on various health care subjects.

Ben and Charlene have been on nutrition committees with public and private schools aiming to improve thequality of school lunches and snack items.

For more information, visit www.lionrx.com or call thestore at 610-363-7474. Lionville Natural Pharmacy andHealth Food Store is at 309 Gordon Drive in Lionville,just off Route 113. I

Interview with

Charlene & Ben Briggs

Lionville Natural Pharmacyand Health Food Store

Healthy Beings, Healthy Earth

continued page 16


13/24

Aaron Esh Lancaster 717-52 9-227 3 Cow Milk

Alvin J. Stoltzfus Lancaster 717-44 2-920 8 Cow Milk

Amos B.King Perry 717-536-0189 Cow Milk

Amos T Ebersol Lebanon 717-768-3652 Cow Milk

Apittehikan Farm Bucks 610-817-8533 Goat Milk

B M B Farm Franklin 717-369-3843 Cow Milk

Beula Land Jerseys Lebanon 717-865-7158 Cow Milk

Birchwood Farms Bucks 215-598-8633 Cow Milk

Bridgeview Dairy Chester 717-529-2770 Cow Milk

Camphill Village C hester 610-93 5-030 5 Cow Milk/Bottled

Caprine Delight Adams 71 7-334 -3263 Goat Milk/C heese

Cedar Acres Lancaster 717-44 5-697 3 Cow Milk

Clark & Elaine Duncan Crawford 814-425-2302 Cow Milk

Colonial Goat Dairy Lancaster 717-76 8-749 2 Goat Milk

Coneibella Farm Chester 610-286-2967 Cow Milk

Conestoga Valley Lancaster 717-44 5-430 5 Cow Milk

Country Side Dairy Lancaster 7 17-68 7-6565 Cow Milk

Country SunRise Lebanon 717-866-9112 Cow MilkCreek Hill Dairy Dauphin 717-456-5184 Cow Milk

D B Messner Chester 610-942-4004 Cow Milk

David or Terella Rice Blair 814-832-3755 Cow Milk

Deans Farm Lawren ce 724-94 4-789 4 Cow Milk

Dianna Hersman Venango 814-437-1296 Cow Milk

Dove Song Dairy Berks 610-488-6060 Goat Milk/Cheese

Elmer & Martha King Centre no telephone Cow Milk

Fertile Valley Farm Lebanon 717-949-2935 Cow Milk

Frank White All eghe ny 724-258-6564 Co w M il k/ Bo tt ler

Friendly Farm Lancaster 717-44 2-874 5 Cow Milk

Green Acres Jersey Farm Lebanon 717-949-3555 Cow MilkGreen Valley Farm Lancaster 717-52 9-903 1 Cow Cheese

Greenhills Farm Lancaster 7 17-78 6-8093 Cow C heese

Hendricks Farm Montgomery 267-718-0219 Cow Milk/Cheese

Hilltop Meadow Farm S chuy lk il l 570-345-3305 Cow M ilk/Chee se

Hoffman HolmGuernsey Dairy Bedford 814-766-2496 Cow Milk

Hope Springs Farm Lebanon 717-445-0281 Cow Milk

John M & Erlaz Leid Lancaster 717-44 5-752 2 Cow Milk

King Fisher Dairy Lancaster 717-36 1-090 3 Cow Milk

Kleins FarmhouseCreamery Northampton 610-252-0961 Cow Milk/Cheese

Consu

merNews

13

Lapp Farmstead Northumberland 570-758-5148 Cow Milk

M & B Farview Farm Berks 610-562-4912 Cow Milk

Mark J Stoltzfus Clinton 570-726-7 799 Cow Milk/B ottled& Cheese

Mark Lichtenstein Wayne 570-448-2658 Cow Milk

Melvin Franicola Westmoreland 724-446-5860 Cow Milk

Misty Creek Dairy Lancaster 717-656-1 345 Goat MilkMisty Meadow Farm Berks 610-488-0614 Cow Milk

Mountain View Farms Union 570-966-5952 Goat Milk

Mt.Glen Farms Bradford 570-297-2838 Cow Milk

Norma J.Warner York 717-993-2919 Goat Milk

Norman or Edith Sauder Berks 610-683-3561 Cow Milk

Orner Farms Inc Clear field 814-583-7 864 Cow Milk

Pasture Pure Dairy Juniata 717-694-3268 Cow Milk

Patches of Star LLC Northampton 610-570-1274 Goat Milk

Piney Ridge Farm Clarion 814-764-6289 Cow Milk

Pot O Gold Dairy Warren 814-663-0921 Cow Milk

Robert Reinninger Union 570-966-3762 Cow Milk/Cheese

Schlitterler Farm Inc La ckawa nna 570-842-1743 Co w Mi lk

Shellbark Hollow Farm Chester 610-831-0786 Goat Milk &Goat Milk Products

Spring Bank Acres Centre no teleph one Cow Milk/B ottled &Cow Milk Products

Spring Creek Farms Berks 610-678-7629 Cow Milk

Stone Meadow Farm Centre 814-349-88 41 Cow Milk/Ch eese

Stone Ridge Farm Franklin 717-375-4035 Cow Milk

Swamp Crest Jersey LLC Somers et 814-2 67-99 32 Cow Milk

Swiss Villa Dairy D au phin 717-365-7116 Cow Mi lk/Bot tle d

Talmage Farm Dairy Lancaster 717- 6 56-07 08 Cow MilkTitus & Mabel Leid Lebanon 717-335-7885 Goat Milk

Toy Cow Creamery Lycoming 570-745-23 91 Cow Milk

Travis Bountiful Acres Cumberland 717-486-3307 Goat Milk/Cheese

Twin Maple Goat Dairy D au phin 717-362-2021 Goat M il k/Che ese

Warrior Run Meadows Northumberland 570-538-5175 Cow Milk

Wayside Acres Perry 717-567-9235 Goat Milk/Cheese

WentWorth Dairy Lancaster 717-5 48-38 96 Cow Milk

Wil-Ar Farm Cu mberl and 717-776-6552 Cow Che ese

Wilson Farms Armstrong 724-545-6 433 Cow Milk

Windswept Farm Northampton 610-264-0667 Goat Milk

RAW MILK PRODUCERS IN PENNSYLVANIAOpportunities for consumers in and around Pennsylvania to access quality, raw milk and raw milk products continue to

expand. Following is a list provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) showing names of those

farms/farmers who currently hold a permit to sell raw milk, cheese or other products derived from cows or goats.

Most permits allow consumers to bring their own containers directly to the farm for filling,while a few farms, as speci-

fied in the list, have permits allowing them to sell milk that has been bottled by the farmer. Milk products permits,

as shown, indicate farms that sell pasteurized products like yogurt, butter and cottage cheese unpasteurized products

of this nature can be arranged directly with many of the farmers listed through a private contract.

For more information, please contact PASA or PDA Division of Milk Sanitation at 717-787-4315.

NAME COUNT Y TELEPHONE PRODUCT(S) NAME COUNTY TELEPHONE PRODUCT(S)


14/2414

Fundraising Update/Harvest Dinner

Fundraisin

gUpdate

$109,747 September 27

$185,000

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

0

Our goal

$58,467March 15

$84,691May 15

$92,000July 15

IllustrationcourtesyofPhyllisKipp

Barn Continues to FillBy Mena Hautau, Board Fundraising Chair

Well, our haymow should be down right fullnow, but we still have some just harvested hay

out there, still to be stacked in the barn. Our total

for this newsletter issue stands at $109,747. How-

ever, we have funds (hay) yet to be stashed away as

a result of Harvest Dinners in Pittsburgh and Har-

risburg.Those funds will be counted in the Novem-

ber/December Passages. This haymow does,

however, have the benefit of the funds raised the

Whole Foods Market in Pittsburgh, where our 5%

Day there brought in over $5,000. Thanks Whole

Foods!

We are working towards some other activities

to bring in the hay harvest, so members will bereceiving a contact in the coming months as we

put the 2007 growing season to rest.Despite a year

when some areas of the state were rain challenged,

overall, we can be grateful and amazed by the

abundance.

PASAs Harvest Celebration Benefit DinnersPASAs Harvest Celebration Benefit Dinners held annually, had two wonderful successes this

past September.Our Harrisburg and Pittsburgh dinners were delicious local foods feasts with spe-

cial menus that showcased the exceptional seasonal foods being grown in our regions. These ben-efit dinners contribute to PASAs annual fund,which provides an important source of unrestricted

revenue for your organization.

We would like to share more of these delightful evenings with you (that happened as this issue

ofPassages went to press), so stay tuned to the next issue for some dinner details, photographs,

and acknowledgments of the events volunteers, sponsors,and partners.

PASA STAFF AND BOARD WOULD LIKETO TH AN K TH E FOLLOWI NG VOLUNTE ER S

Wendy Allem

Jessie AllerJackie BonomoHolly Cadwallader

Emily CookBill Deitrick

Lisa DiefenbachMary Duh

Adam DusenNicoya FreySteve Frey

William HooverCynthia Iberg

Candace & Duane LoweGayle & Katie McLaughlin

Claire MurraySarah & Hal Shockey

Bob Vernon

Phil & Karen YanakJim/Roz Yannaccone

PASA STAFF AND BOARD WECOMESOUR NEWEST BUSINESS MEMBERS

Cowgirl Creamery EastWashington DC

The Grenada ProjectWarwick, NY

Harrisburg DairiesHarrisburg,PA

Stargazers VineyardCoatesville, PA

Sustainable InnovationsPembroke, MA

Harrisburg Dinner Partners (L to R) William Roberts, Mike & Amelia Brownback


15/2415

PASA Members Show Support for the Lynch FamilySmall-Farm Boosters Help Pay Legal Costs for Fellow Members

MembershipNews

Rodale/Quiet Creek Farm, Seasons Har-vest, Uptown Espresso Bar, and EasySubcult.

A Letter of Thanks

from The Lynch Family

Dear Local Yolk*el

Brunch Contributors, We cant thank you enough for your

generosity and support of Fleur-de- LysFarm Market during our MaxatawnyTownship Zoning Hearing Board ordeal.

There is no telling when it will be overor what the outcome will be, but theencouragement we have received fromour family, friends, customers, and local

farmers has been more than we everimagined. We will get through this.

Unfortunately, as Ive talked to manyof you, friction from neighbors seems tobe as much a constant for small farmersas vagaries of the weather and marketfluctuations. If we can ever give you thesupport youve shown us, please call.

But the most important thing for you

By Ron Devlin, the Reading EagleRichard Tweet Angstadt, the chef at

Uptown Espresso Bar, made the Punjab

Pollo and Mango Tango.James Weaver, a Mennonite farmer inBowers, donated heirloom tomatoes.

Stephanie Miller, a filmmaker at Bull-frog Farms, helped make the zucchinijohnnycakes and tomato tarts.

They are only a few of the scores ofpeople who helped organize a specialSunday brunch at Global Libations Cof-fee House in Kutztown.

Jeff Slostav, co-owner of the coffee-house, called the repast that drew morethan 180 people a slightly organized

potluck. All the food was donated by 22small farms and business owners.

The $25-a-plate brunch was actually afundraiser to defray the legal expenses ofPaul and Laurie Lynch, who are strug-gling to save their tiny farm in Max-atawny Township.

The township has ordered the Lynch-es, who raise laying hens on a farm theycall Fleur-de-Lys, to reduce the flockfrom more than 100 to 12 birds to con-form to zoning regulations.

Were the Lynches to comply, they say,

it would put them out of the egg businesstheyre banking on for retirementincome. The Lynches plight has becomea cause among a coalition of Kutztown-area people intent upon saving smallfarms by promoting locally grown food.

Robyn Jasko, whos watched theLynch saga unfold over the last year,said the issue goes beyond the future ofone family farm. Its a communityissue, said Jasko, who operates an Inter-net dining service that promotes local

restaurants, www.dineindie.com. It rais-es questions for all local farmers.Steve Schnell, a neighbor of the

Lynches who teaches at Kutztown Uni-versity, said theres a growing need forsmall family farms. Hes done research onlocal farming and sustainable agriculture.

Theres a big move toward moreemphasis on local food, toward beingmore connected with where your foodcomes from, Schnell said.

There is such a wealth of local food,observed Jennifer Pinky Impink, one of

the brunch organizers.She works at Uptown Espresso Bar,

just off the Kutztown University campus.

Uptown, noted for its egg salad, buys itseggs from Laurie Lynch. People need toknow that Laurie is a vital part of thiscommunity, Impink said. We cannotafford to lose her farm.

Looking at the crowded coffeehouse,Laurie Lynch was at a loss for words. Imflabbergasted, she blurted, her eyeswelling. For her daughter, Marina Lynch,the fundraiser offered a valuable lesson inlife. Weve gotten so much support, somuch help, its overwhelming, Marinasaid. It shows that people care.

Contributors included but were notlimited to: B&H Organic Farm, Bettys,Burkholders, Country Time Farm, dieBlumme, Dietrichs, DineIndie.com,Eagle Point Farm & Market, EckertonHill Farm, Global Libations, GreenHaven Farm, Jersey Hollow Farm, LittleBig Rock Farm, Meadow View Farm,Neidermyer Poultry, Pastures Pride, PieBird Bakery, Pinnacle Ridge Winery,

REGIONAL POTLUCKS & GATHERINGSBy Michele Gauger

A few months ago I wrote an article describing how PASA is YOU ourmem-

bers. I wanted to bring up that idea again, as over the last several weeks I have

asked for volunteers for a variety of festivals, local food dinners and events, meet-

ings and tours where PASA has been involved. I wanted to personally thank all of

our PASA member volunteers who step up to lend a hand to the organization, not

only at these events, but also being part of the conference planning committee,

field day coordination and other special events.

As our organization continues to grow, the staff is striving to meet the needs of

all of our members,but we need your help to realize our strengths, weaknesses and

potential for the future.

As the growing and market seasons come to a close, I know many members are

planning regional potlucks and meetings. If you are planning a get-together in

your area, please let the PASA Membership Department know about it. We would

like to promote it to other members in your area. If you dont know about a meet-

ing in your area, but would like to plan one, let us know,we would be glad to offer

advice on planning and help find a location for a gathering.

More often than not, these get-togethers are ideal venues for members to bring

a new friend into the PASA community, talk about the summer season and brain-

storm for next year. Several of these regional potlucks have in the past spurned

field day sites and topics, a new consumer page in this newsletter, even a regional

bus tour. So you see, even if PASA staff doesnt always have the time to reach out

directly to each of our members we still appreciate and need your ideas to

expand and better our programs and services in the future.

continued page 18


16/2416

food and the physicalresilience, the taste, theconnection with localfarmers, the joy in theirchildren picking out freshfood from the market, per-

haps then sustainable agri-culture will be themainstay of the producesection of local markets.Our dream is to see a pro-duce section filled withorganic and/or local in-sea-son foods and the tiny, per-fect frankenfood section of

the produce section labeled chemicalwith the place of origin of production.

The relationship between sustain-

able ag and the consumer is ultimately

symbiotic. Sustainable ag produceshealthy food and maintains a healthy

environment. If personal and planetary

health are interconnected, the relation-

ship between sustainable ag and those

who eat its fruits is exemplified in the

logo, Healthy Beings/Healthy Earth.

Personally we eat local, belong to a

CSA, we recycle, we dont use pesticidesand we are attentive to the carbon chainand our role in reducing it. Sustainabil-ity is a practice and state of mind, aconsciousness that we exemplify and doour best to live in our personal andbusiness lives.

IWhat do you see as some of the crit-ical issues facing ag and ag-relatedbusinesses today?

Critical issues include the infiltra-tion of genetically modified seeds andplants into the biosphere. Getting thegovernment to label GMO food so peo-ple can make educated choices abouttheir food is another related issue. Lossof farmland to development and loss offarmers to farm the existing land areother pressing issues. We obviously sup-port organic farms and also see the need

to secure a local food supply,even if farmers choose to useoff farm inputs. The impor-tance of local food is para-mount to food safety,security and sustainability

from a global perspective. When the demand forlocal agriculture reaches acritical mass, then the agri-cultural related businesses will respond to thatdemand, in accord with themarket economy. While westill have significant farm-land resources, it is imperative that weexpand the demand for local food.Businesses like ours can play a vital rolein this expansion.

IWhat do you see as the connectionbetween sustainable ag and the con-sumer?The existence of sustainable agricultureis a function of consumer involvementin creating demand for it. When peoplebecome accustomed to eating healthy

Interview with Charleneand Ben Briggscontinued from page 12

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


17/2417

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Do the Easy Thing First,Use Fertrell Minerals

Joel Salatin


18/2418

PA

SANews

I Candidates Needed for

PASA BoardBy the time you read this, nominating

meetings will have been held in everyregion of Pennsylvania to suggest individ-uals who would be willing and able torepresent PASA members as part of ourboard of directors.

This year, we are placing specialemphasis on farmers who wish to serve sowe can keep the board in balanced repre-sentation of farmer and non-farmingboard members.

The role of a PASA board member is

both rewarding and challenging and itis crucial that each seat be filled with amember who not only shares PASAsvision for a sustainable food system, butsomeone who can devote significant timeand energy to advancing that vision inconcrete ways.

If you are interested in serving on thePASA board, or know someone whomight make a great board member, butmissed your regional nominating meet-ing, do not dismay! Contact Brian Moyer

Board of Directors NewsThe PASA Board of Directors recently appointed Jamie Moore of Eatn Park Hos-

pitality Group,as an at-large board member at the March meeting. It was an over-

sight to not have printed a biography of our newest director.

Jamie Moore, Allegheny County

In 2000, Jamie began his career with Eatn Park Hospitality Group, a company

that has 80 restaurants, 72 healthcare accounts and 40 college and business din-

ing accounts throughout PA, WV,OH, MD,NJ and NY. As manager of purchasing for

their on-site brands division, he emphasized the need to develop and maintain

innovative programs that would separate Eatn Park Hospitality Group from their

competitors.With this in mind, Jamie developed a local purchasing program called

FarmSource.This program ensures that 20% of all sites food supply is purchased in

and around their communities.Through this program Eatn Park Hospitality Group

purchased $300,000 dollars of locally produced foods last year. The FarmSource

program is recognized in the contract food business as being one of the best exe-

cuted local purchasing programs. Jamie was recently promoted as the Director of

Food and Beverage and continues his initiative to buy local.

Prior to his career in purchasing, Jamie served in the U.S. Navy as a mess man-

agement specialist (cook) on the USS Biddle. His military experience has helped

him streamline the local purchasing system at Eatn Park.

Jamie has supported PASA by hosting two Harvest Celebration dinners in the

western region, as an active member of the Western Regional PASA advisory com-

mittee and the Regional Foods Infrastructure Group and has attended numerous

PASA events.

Jamie lives the mission of PASA by providing local food to consumers. PASA has

provided Jamie the springboard that energizes and supports him in his mission of

sourcing that local food.

([email protected]), who is chair of the

boards Leadership Development Com-mittee.Later this month, the committee will

be reviewing the list of names lookingclosely at what each candidate can bringto the board and how best to create aboard that is balanced in many ways,and reflective of our diverse membership.A list of candidates will be finalized wellbefore the 2008 Farming for the Futureconference, where voting will commence.

I A Pat on the Back:

Sustainable Ag LeadershipAwards Reminder

Every year a highlight of our annualconference is the presentation of awardsfor outstanding leaders in sustainableagriculture and sustainable ag-relatedbusinesses. We are now seeding nomina-tions for both the Leadership and Busi-ness awards for 2007. PASA AwardCommittee co-chairs, Kim Seeley andJeff Mattocks are accepting nominationsfor either award. Nominations can be

sent to Kim Seeley at [email protected] or RD 1 Box 23, Troy PA16947 or Jeff Mattocks at [email protected] or PO Box 265, Bain-bridge PA 17502.

to do to protect your farm, if you haventalready, is to join PASA. When wereceived our zoning violation notice, we were dumbfounded. Luckily, a dearneighbor suggested calling PASA Execu-

tive Director Brian Snyder. In the pastyear, he has provided advice, contacts,testimony, networking, and encourage-ment. We couldnt have made it this farwithout him.

As you go about your day, please rec-ognize what an important part of thecommunity you and your farm are. Yourcustomers treasure the foods you pro-duce. Businesses like DineIndie.com andcoffeehouses/restaurants like GlobalLibations and Uptown Espresso Bar valuelocally grown and produced foods. Keep

up the good work.Thank you, with all of our hearts Laurie & Paul Lynch, Fleur-de-Lys

Farm Market I

A Note from Lynch Familycontinued from page 15

prise we have confusion about what isreally going on in our society. Droughtsare a part of the natural weather cycle.Droughts of critical thinking, fostered byeducators and industry are not natural,and shouldnt be tolerated. We are start-ing to see the hardy, savvy, determinedfarmers and students who are pushingtheir deep, strong roots through the hardsubsoils of our current food productioninto the rich veins of our moral and ethi-

cal potential.PASA is making a difference. You are

PASA. Keep up the good stewardship! I

Critical Thinking Revisitedcontinued from page 7

Stayconnected!

Visit PASA online at

www.pasafarming.org


19/24

Step 4: The SCC approves the completedfinal project and notifies the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Revenue, which in turngrants the tax credit to the applicant within

60 days of SCC approval. Prior to grantingthe tax credit, the Department of Revenuewill first deter

Documents

Sept-Oct 2007 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture