Organic Broadcaster | March 2019 | Volume 27, Issue 2

Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service FarmPageLaborLaws4 Farm ManagementWorkPage7 FarmsteadCreameryPage9 MOSESHighlights2019Page10

March | April 2019 To Organic Future on page 6

By Lauren Langworthy 27 |

Community works on collective vision of organic future

Commodity system creates persistent losses

To begin with, let’s consider the economic context all organic farmers operate within. Setting the terms under which we farm, this dominant, conventional commodity economy both creates the potential for organic farmers to thrive, and simultaneously limits it. Chart 1 shows the history of U.S. farming over the past century. On this chart, the orange line shows the cash receipts earned by all farmers since 1910. As you can readily see, there have been tremendous increases in the sales of farm commodities. However, the maroon line shows that production expenses have risen just as fast. The red line on Chart 1 shows the net cash income of the farm sector—production expenses subtracted from cash receipts. While farm families have other ways to earn income, this red line shows how profitable it is to raise crops and livestock. A quick glance at this chart shows that there has been no sustained growth in net cash income for more than 100 years. In fact, at the time this data set was compiled, the net cash income for all farmers was nearly zero for 2016-2018, after a few peak years in which prices rose to abnormal levels. In an earlier compilation, the one we showed in our workshop, ERS showed negative net cash income for U.S. farmers in 2015. For reasons we are not clear about, this estimate has now been changed. Thus, the nation that claims to feed the world has created extensive supports and incentives for To Commodity System on

More than 100 changemakers joined forces to create a path forward for organic farming into the year 2050 and beyond during Organic 2051, a forum held in conjunction with the 2019 MOSES Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse,ThroughWis. dialogue, facilita tion, and art, these community members shared how they want our food systems to evolve to support the world’s population as it grows past the year 2050, when it’s expected to reach 9.8 billion. Small groups worked together to define gaps, brain storm resources, and develop action“Organicsteps.

Volume

Former board member and long-time farmer friend of MOSES, Audrey Arner acted as facilitator for the day. Groups gathered into 15 issue areas, including climate change, rural community revitalization, mar ket infrastructure, and more. At the end of the day, many people shared that they appreci ated the space and facilitation to express and hear diverse perspec tives on these topics.

2051 was emblematic of what MOSES does every year, at every event and conversation—tap the wisdom, energy,

This article is based on the MOSES 2019 workshop, “Strengthening Community-Based Food Systems,” presented by the authors. Here, they explain the context in which organic growers operate—the prevailing commodity system. In the next issue, the authors will focus on organic markets. Some data have been updated since the conference, as more complete data sets became available.

Number 2 54767WIValley,Spring339,BoxPO TM

By Ken Meter & Megan Phillips Goldenberg commodity production, but these encourage the market conditions that lead to persistent losses. These results are both a testimony to the fragility of all farm enterprises—due to farmers’ dependence on the weather and other uncertainties—and a caution about the actual efficacy of public policy. Yet it is also important to consider this same data from a slightly different perspective. The value of the U.S. dollar has declined over the past century as a result of inflation. This means a dollar earned in 1910 was worth about $25 today. So we like to adjust this data for inflation to show what these same trends look like in today’s dollars. That adjusted data is shown in ChartVisible2. in Chart 2 are several periods of prosper ity for the U.S. farm sector: a) the “Golden Age” of Chart 1 and ideas of the crowd,” said Sylvia Burgos Toftness, one of the forum participants. “Farmers and ranchers, policy makers, econo mists, marketers, and consumer advocates put their heads together over thorny and complex chal lenges. They identified key opportunities, drilled down to the major obstacles, and worked to express possible strategies.”

Source: USDA Economic Research Service Farm Income Balance Sheet data

page 8

is MOSES Staff: Lauren Langworthy, Interim Executive Director | lauren@mosesorganic.org Audrey Alwell, Communications Director | audrey@mosesorganic.org Sarah Broadfoot, Data & Registration Coor. | sarahb@mosesorganic.org Sophia Cleveland, Development Coor. | sophia@mosesorganic.org Stephanie Coffman, Presentation Coor. | stephanie@mosesorganic.org Lisa Kivirist, In Her Boots Coordinator | lisa@mosesorganic.org Caleb Langworthy, Organic Specialist | caleb@mosesorganic.org Tom Manley, Account Service Coordinator | thomas@mosesorganic.org Jennifer Nelson, Organic Specialist | jennifer@mosesorganic.org Stacy Shealey, Office Assistant | stacy@mosesorganic.org On-Farm Organic Specialist Team | specialist@mosesorganic.org Board of Directors: David Abazs | Round River Farm, Minn. Mike Bollinger | River Root Farm, Iowa Sylvia Burgos Toftness | Bull Brook Keep, Wis. Dave Campbell | Lily Lake Organic Farm, Ill. Dela Ends | Scotch Hill Farm, Wis. Clare Hintz | Elsewhere Farm, Wis. Charlie Johnson | Johnson Farms, SD David Perkins | Vermont Valley Farm, Wis. Molly Rockamann | EarthDance Farm School, Mo. Sara Tedeschi | Dog Hollow Farm, Wis. Darin Von Ruden | Von Ruden Family Farm, Wis. By Audrey Alwell, MOSES Communications Director TM Norfolk,NE AGlobalEquipmentCompany,Inc. www.henkebuffalo.com 800-345-5073 Lauren Langworthy addresses the audience at the recent MOSES Organic Farming Conference. The MOSES Board of Directors has named Langworthy the nonprofit’s interim executive director. Photo by Laurie Schneider also engaged in graduate studies pertaining to nonprofit management and board governance. “I’m looking forward to continued work with our partners in the organic and sustainable farm ing community to encourage farmers’ success,” shePerkinssaid. also expressed confidence in the full MOSES staff. “We are fortunate to have 10 very talented staff members who are dedicated to the organization’s mission,” he said. “Their skills ensure MOSES con tinues to be a vital organization helping to shape a better future for farmers.”

Volume 27, #2 March | April 2019 Editor Audrey Alwell Advertising Coordinator Tom Manley Digital Content Producer Stephanie Coffman The Organic BroadcasterTM is a bimonthly newspaper published by the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a nonprofit that provides education, resources and practical advice to farmers. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Inclusion of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of a product. We reserve the right to refuse inappropriate advertising. © 2019 MOSES Content may be reprinted with permission. Contact Audrey@mosesorganic.org Display & Classified Advertising: Thomas@mosesorganic.org or 715-778-5775 Content Submissions or Inquiries: Audrey@mosesorganic.org Free Subscription: mosesorganic.org/sign-up or 715-778-5775 MOSES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit qualified to receive tax-deductible donations. Please support our programs and this FREE publication with a donation: MOSES, P.O. Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767 Online: mosesorganic.org/donate MOSES educates, inspires, and empowers farmers to thrive in a sustainable, organic system of agriculture.

Board of Directors announces leadership change

Earlier this month, after much delibera tion, the MOSES Board of Directors ended John Mesko’s tenure with MOSES. “The MOSES Board recognized the need for a leadership shift to move MOSES for ward in line with its mission, vision, and values,” said David Perkins, Board President. The Board has tapped Program Director Lauren Langworthy to be the Interim Executive Director. Langworthy has been with MOSES four years. She has been deeply involved in all aspects of the organization’s work, espe cially the annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference.“We’reconfident in her abilities to assume the leadership role,” Perkins said. Langworthy and her husband, Caleb, own a 153-acre grass-based farm in Wheeler, Wis. They rotationally graze a 200-ewe flock of sheep and a small herd of Highland cattle. Prior to investing in live stock, they had a certified organic vegetable operation for six years, marketed through wholesale accounts and direct-to-consumer. In 2017, the Langworthys were selected as the state representatives to the Farmers Union Enterprises leader development program, a one-year training to cultivate new leadership for the organization. In 2018, Lauren was elected to represent her district on the board of the Wisconsin Farmers Union for a threeyearLangworthyterm. has represented the MOSES commu nity of farmers at multiple meetings in Washington D.C., and takes a keen interest in policies that advance organic and regenerative farming. She

Small Exposures Matter Although we used to believe that “the dose makes the poison,” in recent decades, science has shown that even extremely small exposures to pesticides matter. Consider the fact that chemicals prescribed by doctors to alter behavior, like the drug Ritalin, are active at levels that are the same or lower than some pesticides detected in children’s bodies. We now know that small amounts of pesticides can act like drugs and alter our brain development, hormones, immune systems, and more. Chemicals that affect our hormone systems, called endocrine-disrupting chemicals, can be espe cially problematic at very low doses. We’re also increasingly understanding that even if the level of each pesticide is below legal limits, mixtures of pesticides can have an additive “punch” in total toxicity. Various studies have sought to assess this cumulative exposure, including one that looked specifically at organophosphates and found that if you consider the totality of U.S. children’s exposure from diet, approximately 40 percent may be exposed to levels that exceed benchmarks for neurological harm like ADHD and learning disabilities.20

1 Hertz-Picciotto, I., Sass, J.B., Engel, S., Bennett, D.H., Bradman, A., Eskenazi, B., Lanphear, B. and Whyatt, R., (2018). Organophosphate exposures during pregnancy and child neurodevelopment: Recommendations for essential policy reforms. PLoS medicine. 15(10), p.e1002671.

2 Ibid 3 UC Berkeley. Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children in Salinas.

Other recent studies show that reducing pesticide exposure by choosing an organic food can improve health, suggesting that the pesticide residues on our food matter. One study found a 25% reduction in cancer risk for participants who ate the most organic food.21 Another study found fertility benefits for policy favors pesticide-intensive agriculture while failing to provide adequate incentives to farmers to transition to organic practices. As a result, pesticideintensive agriculture is subsidized to the tune of bil lions of dollars while organic programs and research are woefully underfunded. This misdirection of public dollars makes pesticide-laden food the norm and is a significant reason why many people across the country still don’t have access to, or can’t afford, organic food. Friends of the Earth, along with over 40 organiza tions across the country, believe that we all have the right to food that is free of toxic pesticides. The farmers and farmworkers who grow our nation’s food, and their communities, have a right to not be exposed to chemi cals linked to serious health problems. And the way we farm should protect rather than harm the biodiversity, soil and water that sustain all life. We can work together to pass laws in our cities, states and nationally that decrease pesticide use and expand organic farming. We can change the national Farm Bill and can advocate for policies that support fair pricing and fair contracts for family-scale farmers in order to support the increase in organic farming that we need to provide organic food for all. We can tell food companies and grocery stores to end the use of toxic pesticides in their supply chains and expand organic offerings. And we can support farmers mar kets, CSAs, and independent retailers and food compa nies that source from local, organic growers.

7 Cimino, A.M., et al. (2017). Effects of Neonicotinoid Pesticide Exposure on Human Health: A Systematic Review. Environ Health Perspectives. 125(2): p. 155-162. 8 Hoshi, N. et al. (2014). Insight into the mechanism of reproductive dysfunction caused by neonicotinoid pesticides. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 37(9), 9pp.1439-1443.ScienceDaily. 2018. Neonicotinoids may alter estrogen production in humans. April 26. Online. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180426125939.htm 10 Cimino, A.M., et al. 2017. Effects of Neonicotinoid Pesticide Exposure on Human Health: A Systematic Review. Environ Health Perspectives. 125(2): p. 155-162. 11 Bittel, J. (2014, July 9). Second Silent Spring? Bird Declines Linked to Popular Pesticides. National Geographic. Retrieved from 12news/2014/07/140709-birds-insects-pesticides-insecticides-neonicotinoids-silent-spring/news.nationalgeographic.com/NewYorkTimesEditorialBoard.(2017,October29).InsectArmageddon. New York Times. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2017/10/29/opinion/insect-armageddon13ecosystem-.htmlGo,V.,Garey,J., Wolff, M.S. and Pogo, B.G., 1999. Estrogenic potential of certain pyrethroid compounds in the MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line. Environmental health perspectives, 107(3), p.173. 14 Quiros-Alcala, L., S. Mehta, and B. Eskenazi, 2014. Pyrethroid Pesticide Exposure and Parental Report of Learning Disability and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in U.S. Children: NHANES 1999–2002. Environ Health Perspect. 15 Beyond Pesticides. Pesticides Trigger Parkinson’s Disease. Online. 16parkinson%27s%20cited.pdfbeyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/gateway/health%20effects/www.Jurewicz,J.,Radwan,M.,Wielgomas,B.,Sobala,W.,Piskunowicz,M.,Radwan, P., Bochenek, M. and Hanke, W., 2015. The effect of environmental exposure to pyre throids and DNA damage in human sperm. Systems biology in reproductive medicine, 61(1), pp.37-43. 17 US Environmental Protection Agency. 2017. Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage: 2008 – 2012 Market Estimates. Online.

22October21nationalEvaluating20cides.org/assets/media/documents/pesticides/factsheets/2-4-D.pdf19health%20effects/endocrine%20cited.pdfby18documents/pesticides-industry-sales-usage-2016_0.pdfwww.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/BeyondPesticides.PesticidesthatDisruptEndocrineSystemStillUnregulatedEPA.Online.www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/gateway/BeyondPesticides.ChemicalWatchFactsheet:2,4-D.Online.www.beyondpestiPayne-Sturges,D.,Cohen,J.,Castorina,R.,Axelrad,D.A.andWoodruff,T.J.,2009.cumulativeorganophosphoruspesticidebodyburdenofchildren:acasestudy.Environmentalscience&technology,43(20),pp.7924-7930.Scutti,Susan.2018.Youcancutyourcancerriskbyeatingorganic,anewstudysays.22.www.cnn.com/2018/10/22/health/organic-food-cancer-study/index.htmlChiu,Y., et al. 2018. Association between pesticide residue intake from consumption of fruits and vegetables and pregnancy outcomes among women undergoing infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technology. JAMA internal medicine, 178(1), pp.17-26.

Study shows pesticide levels drop dramatically after 1 week of eating organic

ORGANICS

Can eating organic really reduce levels of pesticides in our bodies? A new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Environmental Research found that switching to an organic diet significantly reduced the levels of synthetic pesticides found in all participants in just one week. On average, the pesticides detected dropped by 60.5% after six days of eating an allorganic diet. The study was led by researchers from the University of California-Berkeley and Friends of the Earth. We found families that didn’t typically eat organic food in four cities across the country —Minneapolis, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Oakland. (MOSES was the partner organization for the Minneapolis study. The Birchwood Cafe, a local, organic restaurant, prepared organic meals for the family for the family’s week on an organic diet.) The study lasted 12 days. During the first six days, each family ate only conventional foods and beverages. During the second six days, each family ate only organic food, all the way down to oils and spices. To ensure that they were able to eat a completely organic diet, each family wrote up a grocery list and research assistants shopped for them; dinners during the organic week were prepared by licensed chefs. All of the organic food was provided free of charge to the families. Each participant provided a urine sample every morning. These were shipped to labs at the University of California at San Francisco and the Québec National Institute of Public Health. These labs looked for 18 dif ferent pesticides and the chemicals that pesticides break down to in our bodies, called metabolites. Our study was designed to assess whether an organic diet could reduce exposure to pesticides, not to provide insight on the health risks associated with the pesticides in our diets. But we chose the pesticides we tested for because they’re among the most commonly used in U.S. agriculture and because they have been associated with harm to human health. The most significant declines in our study involved organophosphates, a class of highly neurotoxic pesticides linked to brain damage in children. We found a 95% drop in levels of malathion, a probable human carcinogen, a nearly two-thirds reduction in chlorpyrifos, and a 70% drop in DAPs metabolites that represent exposure to organophosphates as a class. Organophosphates are so toxic to children’s develop ing brains that scientists have called for a full phase out.1 Organophosphate exposure is associated with endocrine disruption, autism, learning disabilities, reduced IQ, attention disorders, delayed motor devel opment, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, decreased sperm quality, and cancers.2,3,4,5,6 The neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin dropped by 83%. Neonicotinoids are among the most commonly

INSIDE

Levels of pyrethroids were halved. Exposure to this class of pesticides is associated with endocrine disrup tion, adverse neurodevelopmental, immunological and reproductive effects, increased risk of Parkinson’s and sperm DNA damage.13,14,15,16 Finally, 2,4-D dropped by 37 percent. 2,4-D is one of two ingredients in the Vietnam War defoliant Agent Orange. It is among the top five most commonly used pesticides in the U.S.17 and is associated with endocrine disruption, thyroid disorders, increased risk of Parkinson’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, devel opmental and reproductive toxicity and damage to the liver, immune system and semen quality.18,19

Editorials by members of the organic community a main driver of massive pollinator and insect losses, leading scientists to warn of a second “silent spring.”11,12

Kendra Klein is senior staff scientist for Friends of the Earth.

TM By Kendra Klein, Ph.D., Friends of the Earth

4Online.cerch.berkeley.edu/research-programs/chamacos-studyLeCouteur,D.G.,McLean,A.J.,Taylor,M.C.,Woodham,B.L.and Board, P.G., (1999). Pesticides and Parkinson’s disease. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 53(3), 5pp.122-130.WorldHealth Organization. International Agency for Research on Cancer. Monograph 112: Evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides. Online. www-prod. 6iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/MonographVolume112-1.pdfRecio‐Vega,R.,Ocampo‐Gómez,G.,Borja‐Aburto,V.H.,Moran‐Martínez, J. and Cebrian‐Garcia, M.E., 2008. Organophosphorus pesticide exposure decreases sperm quality: association between sperm parameters and urinary pesticide levels. Journal of Applied Toxicology, 28(5), pp.674-680.

Together, we can demand that our leaders step up and shift support, research, and policies to create a system where organic is for all. The solution is here— we just have to grow it. For more information and ways to take action, go to www.OrganicForAll.org.

| 3mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775

A free sample employee manual is available on the Farm Common website at resources/sample-farm-employee-handbook.farmcommons.org/

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State law may protect against discrimination on additional grounds such as sexual orientation. Armstrong discouraged checking out potential employees on social media. The easiest way to avoid being accused of discrimination is not having infor mation about someone’s race, religion, or other pro tected status, she explained. Pressman said that while it is not ok to ask someone their age, you can ask if the person can lift a certain amount of weight if the job requires lifting. It is not ok to ask if someone has a disability, but you can ask if they are capable of working up to 10 hours a day in all types of weather. You cannot reject someone because they do not have a car or a driver’s license to get to and from work, but you can require they have reliable transportation. It is not ok to inquire if some one has children, but it is ok to explain your late and absentee policy and ask if that would be an issue for an applicant.When in doubt remember that any requirements of an applicant must only relate to their ability to do the job, they both cautioned. “In general, it is only ok to ask things that are spe cific to the job,” Pressman said. It is acceptable to ask someone you hire to obtain a doctor’s ok that he or she can physically perform the job, but only if you make that a requirement for all new hires. Make a list of questions to ask all candidates, and avoid “trick” questions, he said. Ask situational ques tions in an interview; instead of asking how someone deals with stress, ask the applicant to tell you about a time they felt stressful and how they dealt with that.

Armstrong and Pressman shared their insights about employment law for farmers at the 2019 MOSES Organic Farming Conference.

Worker Classifications

Seeking Applicants Pressman encouraged farmers to set a reasonable budget and spend money advertising open positions. “A good job description is meaningless unless it’s seen by the right applicants.” He recommended placing job postings on multiple venues, and tracking which venues bring you the most applicants so you know where to best spend your money in the future. When hiring employees, it is against federal law discriminate on the basis of: • Race, color, or national origin

Wherever your path leads,WE’RE WITH YOU.

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• Sex, disability

By Kelli Boylen For farms to grow, farmers often need to hire additional labor, turning farmers into employers. As employers, farmers must know and follow employ ment“Therelaws.are a lot of legalities,” said Ariel Pressman, who recently farmed at Seed to Seed Farm, a 13-acre certified organic vegetable farm located near Balsam Lake, Wis. If you follow the laws, you can avoid enor mous risks, he added. “Keep people happy and keep them safe,” said Rachel Armstrong, founder and head of Farm Commons, a nonprofit legal education organization dedicated to empowering farmers with business law. Armstrong grew up on a dairy farm and is now an attorney specializing in ag business.

Finding 597-4086

• Age or genetic information

Understand employment law to get farm help you need

Onboarding “The number one reason for quitting a job is that the job was not what the person expected,” Pressman said. A good first step to keep employees happy is writing a brief, to-the-point job description that details every aspect of the job. This should always include the specific wage, hours and seasonal commitment. He advised against saying “pay based on experience,” recommending instead to state what the base pay is and that wages may be higher based on skills. He noted that within the first few weeks of employ ment many people decide how long they want to work there and how much effort they are going to put in. “Remember communication is incredibly impor tant,” he added. Be sure to check in with a new employee often and make sure to answer all of his or her“Recruitmentquestions. is expensive, it is important that employees feel they are treated fairly,” Armstrong said. Although an employee manual is not required legally, Armstrong and Pressman said the establish ment of consistent, clear policies will make life easier for you and your employees. They did caution, however, to keep in mind that an employee manual should not accidentally create a contract, but it should instead be a good reference to make sure things are understood by the employee. Armstrong said a poorly written contract can cause issues so it is important to do it well.

4 | March | April 2019 TM

Employers sometimes prefer to classify those work ing for them as an independent contractor because it is not required to pay workers compensation or take out taxes. In general, farm independent contractors set their own schedule and are hired for a project, are not permanent and aren’t performing core tasks. Farmers cannot direct the means or tasks the independent contractor uses to accomplish a broad objective, ArmstrongArmstrongsaid.used the example of hiring someone to keep a vegetable field weed-free. If the farmer directs how the work is done and when it will be done, that person likely should be classified as an employee. If a farmer hires someone to keep the field weed-free and says they don’t care when the person works or how the job gets done, the hired person supplies their own tools and offers that same service to others, then that person is likely an independent contractor. If you are hiring someone as an independent con tractor be sure they understand they are not covered by worker’s comp and that you are not taking taxes out of their payment. If you misclassify someone, Armstrong explained, you can be responsible for back wages, back taxes, and penalties.Legally, the definition of employing someone is to “permit” a person to work for your operation, so an intern has the same minimum wage, overtime, and salary rules in most cases. The only exceptions to this are when it is an educational environment designed for the student’s benefit; there must be no displacement of paid workers and no or little benefit for the employer. The presenters noted that waivers or agreements with interns cannot override the law. “If you have interns who are not paid, be very care ful,” Pressman cautioned. Another classification to be aware of is the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker program, the federal program that allows farmers to bring foreign nationals to the U.S. to fill temporary agricultural jobs.

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The Perkinses started a worker share program their second year and had as many as 60 worker shares a year working on the farm in return for their CSA share. Barb developed effective methods for managing the worker shares and in turn they proved to be a fantastic addition to the farm. “The worker shares expected to be closely managed. They didn’t come with vegetable farm experience but wanted to learn and be productive,” she explained. Barb had high expectations and worked together with the crews, giving detailed, clear instructions, correcting mistakes and having fun. Overall, Barb views their worker share program as extremely positive.

The Perkins family has had a successful CSA program at Vermont Valley Community Farm for 24 years. Now, they are retiring from CSA, but encourage others to pursue the CSA model. Pictured from left: Eric, Jesse, Jonnah, Becky (with grandson, Felix), David, and Barb. Photo submitted

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Pioneering CSA farmers retire, encourage others to share connection to land through CSA

One of the region’s oldest community supported agriculture (CSA) farms, Vermont Valley Community Farm in Blue Mounds, Wis., delivered its last CSA share in December. Owners Barb and David Perkins ended the thriving CSA so they could retire after 24 successful seasons. Their farm story highlights the many layers of community in organic farming. They hope their success inspires current and upcoming generations of CSA farmers. Over the past two decades, the Perkinses have pioneered best practices for CSA management and efficient vegetable production, generously sharing their knowledge with other growers through workshops and field days. They developed innovative models for subsi dizing CSA memberships for low-income families and donated thousands of pounds of produce each year to schools, community centers, and food pantries. Barb and David started their farm in 1994, near the beginning of the CSA movement in the Midwest. They came to their new farm with clear goals: first, they had to discover if the core concepts of CSA were real; second, they would farm only if it worked financially since both were leaving city jobs behind and expected to earn simi lar incomes as farmers. They also set a third goal: they would only grow food for their members organically. They have been certified organic by MOSA since 1999. “I was drawn to CSA because I wanted to see if it would work for the farmer,” explained David, who had grown up on a traditional, diverse crop and livestock farm in southern Wisconsin. “The traditional com modity markets don’t work for the farmer,” he added. David and Barb had an initial goal to grow their CSA membership to 500 shares in five years. They achieved their five-year membership target and contin ued to grow their farm beyond that. Their CSA mem bership expanded rapidly, more than doubling between 2005 and 2009 when it reached its peak at 1,280 weekly shares with over 2,300 member families. Demand for CSA was very high in this period, partly because sev eral HMO insurers in the Madison area subsidized the cost of CSA memberships for their health plan mem bers. The HMOs gradually withdrew their rebate pro grams. Membership at Vermont Valley and other area farms declined, but the Perkinses were able to continue to maintain a profitable livelihood from their farm. On the farm, Barb was responsible for greenhouse management, supervising workers, harvest and getting the share boxes packed while David oversaw field production and

moremanagersastoandourment“LaborBarbgrewhaveneedsseewebeganontooutsideneededfoundtheduceLikeinfrastructure.equipmentmaintainedandmanyprogrowers,Perkinsestheytobringlabortheirfarm.“Whenwefarming,didnotforethelaborwewouldasthefarmlarger,”said.managewasnotstrength,weneededlearnquicklywebecameofandmoreemployees

each year.” The farm’s labor force was diverse including workers shares, family members, full and part time employees, and a seasonal contract crew. The three Perkins children—Jesse, Eric, and Becky —each gravitated to different roles on the farm. Jesse was heavily involved in all aspects of field work and equipment management. Eric directed produce wash ing and packing. Becky cooked for the farm crew. Jesse’s wife, Jonnah, joined the farm in 2009 and took over much of the CSA member communications and other office Althoughwork.Eric, Jesse, and Jonnah were all deeply involved with the farm through 2018, they have decided not to continue the CSA. When Barb and David started their farm, they had no expectation that their children would join them, let alone take over the farm. CSA was something they felt passionate about Chris McGuire and wanted to accomplish. “It was a gift that our children worked with us on the farm for so many years,” Barb said. “They are not letting us down by not continuing the CSA.”

The shared vision of a better future for agriculture and our food systems that we developed at Organic 2051 is very powerful. Together, the long-standing MOSES community—and the new partnerships we have yet to cultivate—have the power to create lasting and impact ful change.

6 | March | April 2019 TM Organic Future — from page 1

The illustrations on this page and the front page show some of the work that happened at the forum. The Organic 2051 website, mosesorganic.org/organic2051, has links to all of the groups’ original worksheets, which MOSES staff is organizing into a road map for the organic community to move forward. We’ll keep you updated as we move forward with this project. As participants mull their conversations from the forum, and as those conversations and information spread throughout our community, we hope that every one will find places where their skills, talents, knowledge, and networks fit into the grand vision. None of us can do this work alone—the community is stronger when we all leverage our unique capabilities.

Lauren Langworthy is the Interim Executive Director of MOSES.

The next thing we did was add a whiteboard for the week’s schedule next to our maps. This became our morning meeting place where everyone could look at the week’s list and the day’s tasks and could share in the responsibility to get it done. It also meant that everyone could anticipate and plan for the whole week.

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| 7mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775TM To Management Wall on page 14

Management ‘wall’ creates efficiencies, reduces labor costs for market farm

When I read The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman a couple of years ago, I was completely floored by the inefficiencies I could see in our farm operation. We have spent the last 2 years adapting to new processes, but by far, the way we changed how we managed our time—both within a single task and over the course of a season—has had the biggest impact on our bottom line and the overall stress on the farm. Our farm, 10th St. Farm & Market, is a diversified vegetable farm serving a four-season CSA, wholesale markets, and a well-attended farm stand in Afton, Minn. When we started farming 8 years ago, our goal was to build an efficient, sustainable farm that two of us could run to serve our local community. Efficiencies were on our mind from day one and governed how we set up our markets. We thought we were fairly successful in our farm endeavor, utilizing our resources well, keeping costs as low as we could, and expanding each year. But when I got to The Lean Farm chapter titled “Ten Types of Farm Waste,” I was struck by #2, “Waiting.” I started writing down all the ways our operation was plagued by this type of waste: waiting for the days’ schedule, produce waiting to be washed, time spent looking for a hoe, or taking the time to answer interns’ questions about their tasks while mine wentAfterunfinished.making this long list of “waiting wastes,” it dawned on me that we had set up management from a manager’s perspective and not from a job-is-done perspective. The manager-farmer, who wants to spend time farming, was doing a lot of managing tasks while the jobs themselves got done in the nick of time with a little luck and a lot of sweat. We wanted to re-think our system so that the jobs got done on time, the right way, decreasing the stressful part of the manager role. The first thing we did was make a large map of our fields. We laminated it for use as a whiteboard and mounted it on the wall. Every bed is labeled on this map, making it easy to reference in our planting schedule and when explaining a task. On this map, we write what is in the ground and the planting date. When we pull a crop and re-plant, we erase the first crop, add a tick mark on the left side of the bed, then write in the new crop. This way we know on the fly how many crops we have been planted per bed over the course of the season. We can also identify empty beds that are waiting to be planted. As we go through the season and this map changes, we take a picture of it every Friday as a record of that week. This picture is automatically uploaded to a folder (Google Cloud) and stored chronologically so it is easy to access whenWeneeded.havethree movable un-heated high tunnels and one heated stationary tunnel on our farm so we do a lot of bed turning over the course of a year. With the movables, timing is key. This map helps bridge the gap between the plan on paper and what is actually planted. The biggest waste of space and time we can make is to move our tunnels over a crop that does not gain value from that structure. In our heated tunnel, we want to make sure that we are not waiting a single day on an empty bed since we are spending the money to heat it; being prepared to replant a bed the day it is harvested is key. Also, having a visual of our fields in real time allows for meaningful decision-making to happen quickly rather than having to walk the farm or hope the paper plan is up-to-date.

Jerry Romine Territory Manager, Iowa & 1.515.709.9049Missouri (Call or jerry.romine@terramera.comText)

Andy Moore Territory Manager, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, 1.901.483.2587Louisiana(Call or Andy.moore@terramera.comText)

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Adding these task sheets allowed people to get their jobs done efficiently, in less time. The sheets also allowed people to manage themselves rather than me having to check on them. This allowed me to get my jobs done. Before this system, I spent a lot of time answering questions or delegating, fixing issues, and problem-solving while my list never really got done. Now I have a list in my pocket so when I get inter rupted, which does not happen as often anymore, I pull my list out and get back on track. Another benefit to these task sheets is figuring out how long it actually takes to get specific tasks done. As soon as we started using them, we rarely worked overtime because we were able to schedule the right amount of time for each task and could assign tasks to the right people, utiliz ing each person’s skills effectively. We then added all sorts of “cheat sheets” to our management wall, out in the greenhouse, and in our high tunnels. This made it easy for everyone to have the right information in the right place so tasks were not interrupted by looking up an answer in a book or doing some “quick” math. We learned that people can either think or do, but doing both at the same time took way more time. The cheat sheets took the think ing out of the equation. We saw results across the farm. Greenhouse transplants germinated better, and we had the right amount—not too many or too few. Plantings in the field were spaced correctly and our yields were dependable. It was amazing how many little mistakes made on a weekly basis had impacted our bottom line and how a simple thing like hanging up a reference sheet solved the problem. After implementing this management system, I then put myself on a strict schedule of planning out the following week’s schedule on Fridays. This was the difference between planning on being successful and hoping to be successful. I would do a farm walk, write down all the field tasks that needed to be done next week, then factor in our harvest and sales schedule.

This board also became a convenient place to write down notes and reminders in the middle of the work day without actually interrupting the flow of the job to have a conversation. This meant two things started happening: 1) meaningful conversations happened before or after the work was done; and, 2) important ideas and tasks did not get forgotten. The third item we added to our management wall was the task sheet. These sheets are small (4x5 inches) and have the same map of our fields as our wall. They have room to write down the jobs to accomplish that day. At the top is a line for the name of the worker and theIdate.fillthese out every day, one for each person on the farm including myself. Each task and the bed where that task will happen is highlighted in the same color. That way, no one is confused about where they need to go even if it is their first day on the farm. I also write down any tools they need and any other relevant notes to get the job done efficiently. Each person takes these sheets to the field with them so if they have a question they do not have to come and find me or go back to the barn, they can reference their sheet. At the end of the day, everyone puts them into a folder hung on the wall.

to keep

Cory Runyon Territory Manager, Arizona, Imperial Valley CA, New Mexico 1.623.688.6448 (Call or cory.runyon@terramera.comText)

TerraNeem®

For all other regions, questions or dealer inquiries, please contact: James & Andy Miller 181 N Country Rd. 000 E Arthur, IL andymiller58@gmail.com61911 Earthwise Organics 13081 State Highway 172 La Ward, TX 77970 1. 956.207.0500 The Ahimsa Alternative, Inc. Usha Bloomington,Rao MN 55437 1.952.943.9449 Dealers 12 x 1 quart, 4 x 1 gallon, 2 x 2.5 gallon, 200 liter drum, 7, 275g tote. Team: Hallie Anderson uses task sheets track of each worker’s daily to specific beds, this sheet. by Hallie Anderson wipe-off by Hallie Anderson

Photo

This

chart maps out what’s growing in each bed. Photo

Official

Our

Finally, ethnobotanist Gary Paul Nabhan captured a humbling trend in his new book, Food From the Radical Center (2018). Nabhan found that despite four decades of government intervention to protect our pre cious environmental resources, including actions for protecting clean water, protecting clean air, remediat ing brownfields, and levying fines on polluters, public support for environmental concerns has actually diminished. Citing Gallup Polls, he states that in 1991, 78% of all U.S. adults considered themselves environ mentalists. By 2016, that figure had fallen to 42%. He continues by saying that what is actually working to bring people together to protect the environment are community-based conservation initiatives, more effec tive and less polarizing than broad federal programs. (Nabhan does not argue, nor do we, that federal pro tections should be eliminated, since they are essential policy tools. Yet they have not in themselves increased support for environmental protection). We’ll focus on community-based food systems in the next issue of the Organic Broadcaster, highlighting how organic growers are creating resilient markets. Ken Meter is with Crossroads Resource Center in Minne apolis. Megan Phillips Goldenberg is with New Growth Associates in Saline, phillips.megan.e@gmail.com;kmeter@crcworks.org;Michigan.612-385-8664906-869-0372 not to lasting prosperity for the farm sector. Chart 2 shows only the income that farmers earn from selling crops and livestock and does not include other common sources of farm income. These include government subsidies, renting out land, and doing custom farm work for a neighbor (for example, har vesting their corn crop for pay). Incorporating these additional forms of incomes does make this picture a bit brighter, but not significantly.

Obesity is only one of several health conditions related to sweeteners. Today, one in every 10 U.S. residents (more than 30 million people) has been diagnosed with diabetes (Centers for Disease Control Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2017). The American Diabetes Association calculates that the total medical cost of treating diabetes in the U.S. has risen to $327 billion per year, which is equal to 86% of all the cash receipts earned by U.S. farmers through the sale of crops and livestock. These medical costs, along with the costs of other diet-related medi cal conditions and environmental debacles (such as the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico and the decline of bee and insect populations), are only some of the external costs that are not taken into account when USDA calculates the production expenses of farming.

8 | March | April 2019 TM VIKING PURE & ULTRA-PURE SEED CORN Start Pure, Stay Pure. Viking offers the industry’s first non-GMO purity guarantee. 99 % NON-GMO NON-GMO 99.9% www.alseed.com NON-GMO PURITY GUARANTEED (800) 352-5247 1910-1914 when the U.S. dominated global commodity markets and living costs were low. This era is still viewed as the standard for farm prosperity, and was followed by more robust sales, spurred by World War I, that lasted to 1920; b) the period during and immediately after World War II when wartime and recovery-era sales and new technology combined to boost farm income; c) the OPEC oil crisis of 1973-1974, when the U.S. sold massive shipments of grain to the USSR in order to retrieve its dollar supply; and d) the global housing debt crisis of 2008-2011 when specula tors’ bidding up grain prices and rising ethanol use conspired to create a commodity price bubble. What this adjusted chart shows is that the only truly prosperous periods for U.S. agriculture were due to global market power (a), which was lost in mid-cen tury as other nations became competitive producers, or to external shocks (a-d). Overall, net cash income has trended downward, reaching levels lower than the Great Depression (1932) in 1983, 2000, and 2018. Moreover, each of these bubbles led to further decline, -100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 1910 1913 1916 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 US$ billions (2018 dollars) Adjusted Net Cash Income for U.S. Farms, 1910 - 2018 Cash Receipts Production Expenses Net Cash Income Chart 2 Source: USDA ERS Farm Income Balance Sheet data, adjusted for inflation to 2018 dollar values

Commodity System — from page 1

The USDA also compiles data covering nonfarm sources of income, but unfortunately these are only available for 1960 and later years. These data (USDA ERS Farm Household Income and Characteristics, adjusted for inflation) show that in 1960 farm families earned about $40,000 per year, $20,000 each from farm and nonfarm sources. Today, more than $90,000 is earned off the farm, while farm income has barely risen, to $24,000 per household, despite the fact that farmers have more than doubled productivity. The ups and downs in farm income inflict steep consequences for health, as well. This is obviously of great concern to organic growers and their families. As one example, let’s consider the aftermath of the prosperity bubble that commodity farmers enjoyed in 1973-1974. After the Soviet Union began growing grain for itself again, it stopped buying from the U.S. Commodity farmers were left with immense stocks of corn and wheat they could not sell. While following the advice of Agriculture Secretary Earl Butts, who had exhorted farmers to “plant fence row to fence row” in order to meet what he claimed was rising global demand, farmers produced record crops. Suddenly no one was buying. Country elevators stored huge piles of grain in the open air on their properties. Given this surplus, grain prices plummeted. Meanwhile a new enzymatic process was introduced that allowed for the low-cost production of high-fructose corn sweetener. Since corn was cheap, it became quite easy for food processors to switch to High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as a primary product. Corn sweet ener use increased rapidly from 1974 to 1985. This had health consequences for U.S. consum ers. Chart 3 shows that in 1974, just as HFCS was introduced, the number of youth who were overweight began to increase.

Chart 3: Overweight U.S. Youth — Percent by Age

Source: National Center for Health Statistics National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 Chart by Melinda Hemmelgarn

Dairy Beginnings Hoffpauir and Bryceson started farming as Turnip Rock Farm in 2009 with their vegetable CSA, but had a vision for a farm and business that included more. They had an interest in grass-based livestock that stemmed from Bryceson’s work with Heifer International, a global nonprofit that distributes animals and provides training for agriculture-based community development. Working for them in Arkansas, he developed a love for livestock, and saw a potential for real balance on farms that include ani mals on pasture. The fertility complements a vegetable farm, and the benefits of having a diversity in markets seemed essential for a family farm. He spent a season milking at Poplar Hills Farm in Scandia, Minn., to gain some direct dairy experience, and learned more about grazing through MOSES workshops, Grassworks, and UW Extension. They both spent time talking to other dairy farmers, visiting small-scale farms, and reading all they could. Meanwhile, on their own farm they started with Since then they’ve been milking up to 20 cows at a time, and have grown to making about 8,000 pounds of cheese per year. For reference, the FDA designates a small creamery as those making less than one million pounds of cheese each year. Hoffpauir refers to their operation as a “micro dairy,” a term that doesn’t have an official definition.

dairy economy for family farmers and rural com munities,” Wilson said about Farmers Union’s current multi-state initiative. “Specifically, we are looking at federal policy options to manage overproduction and return a fair price to farmers.”

By Rachel Henderson

The CSA model remains the primary vehicle Hoffpauir uses to market cheese. Their existing CSA was a big part of what helped them make their creamery successful: it gave them an income stream that helped as they developed their dairy, and allowed them an instant market for the finished product. Since their vegetable farm was already well established, they also had the confidence of experienced farmers to make a budget that they could have faith in, and a knowledge of what they could sell. Turnip Rock has mostly marketed their vegetables directly to consumers, so marketing wholesale has been a new world for Cosmic Wheel. As their cheese busi ness has grown, they’ve looked to wholesale to keep it viable. Twin Cities co-ops, specialty cheese shops, and a few restaurants have been receptive customers, excited about their product and story. They also have a handful of customers who love the cheese so much they buy whole wheels at a time at wholesale pricing.

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Cheesemaking Education Wisconsin, with its identity rooted in dairy, is the only state that requires a license to make and sell cheese. For Hoffpauir, getting that license amounted to required coursework on cheese making and sanita tion through UW Dairy Learning Center, Center for Dairy Research, and the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, as well as an apprenticeship with Castle Rock Dairy in Osseo, Wis. With farm and family already taking a lot of time, she said it took about 5 years to get through it all. During that time, she also engaged in informal education, doing research and reaching out to organizations. The Wisconsin Artisan Cheesemakers Guild and American Cheese Society were helpful, and she also worked with consultants. They found that the state doesn’t have a clear path or web of resources for really small-scale dairy. Instructors in all of the courses wanted to be helpful, but they seemed perplexed by the extremely small scale. It was challenging to figure out how to take some of the rules that are geared toward an industrial scale and apply them to a farmstead creamery. Working directly with other small farms, who are doing what Rama Hoffpauir and Josh Bryceson, pictured with their kids, Otto and Sadie, run a vegetable CSA and recently started making artisanal cheese. They’ll host a MOSES Organic Field Day May 23 to share how they started their farmstead creamery. See mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days. Travis Veiths

| 9mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775TM If you were at the MOSES Organic Farming Conference this year, you may have noticed Rama Hoffpauir running around to make sure volunteer posts were staffed. If you live in the Twin Cities area, you may have known Hoffpauir and her husband, Josh Bryceson, for years as the Turnip Rock CSA veg etable farmers from Clear Lake, Wis. Now, Hoffpauir and Bryceson are becoming locally famous for the artisanal cheese they’re making in their farmstead creamery, Cosmic Wheel. When Hoffpauir and Bryceson started milking cows, they planned to ship milk off-farm and make cheese. Once they saw the way things are going in the dairy industry and after talking to buyers, they real ized that selling milk wouldn’t help them meet their financialGroupsgoals.such as Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) have been working to address the causes of the current crisis, and believe that it’s not only possible but essen tial to have a dairy industry that supports farmers, processors, and consumers. Their current initiatives explore solutions based on supply management and stableWFUpricing.Policy Associate Bobbi Wilson said, “While the overall state of Wisconsin’s dairy economy is bleak, direct market creameries are keeping some farms afloat by offering higher prices than farmers can find through conventional channels. Creameries like Cosmic Wheel occupy a niche in the marketplace by appealing to consumers’ love for the family farm and desire for locally sourced artisan cheeses.” Clearly most dairies in Wisconsin don’t have the option to suddenly become artisan creameries, but Cosmic Wheel represents something to be optimistic about when it comes to the state of our cheese. Aside from the advantages that come with direct marketing, many see grass-based dairy farms, like Cosmic Wheel, as a way of staying in the marketplace by managing costs. In a 2009 study, the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison identified high-quality pasture as the least expensive feed source for dairy cows, in a business where feed is the biggest share of expenses. At Cosmic Wheel, they only produce cheese during the grazing season, with the exception of some hay in the early spring. They see their farm as a complete ecosys tem, with each part interdependent on others. While their small farmstead creamery can feel like a world apart from the turmoil of the dairy industry in Wisconsin, Hoffpauir said she feels the heartbreak of the consolidation that’s happening all around them and feels allied with other family farms. “The other small farms in our area are important to our survival,” she explained. “Finding hay, et cetera, doesn’t happen unless there’s other small farms—hav ing families in our town with children in the schools, and all the other things we want in a thriving small town.” These sentiments tie into WFU’s work. “Dairy Together is a movement to rebuild a viable

Audrey Arner picked up on that theme, saying the MOSES Conference was first organized because organic farmers were “so yearning for the sharing of information that was not available in the conventional farm information networks.”

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The speakers for the Saturday keynote each have stepped up in their own way to encourage organic farming. Dayna Burtness Nguyen shared how she and her husband, Nick, are paying it forward by launch ing an incubator farm on their property to help two beginning farmers get started. Dairy farmer Danny Borgerding put a drop of food coloring in a MOSES Conference mug to illustrate how one person can have an impact, especially when “we shake things up a bit.” Micro-farmer Alicia Razvi explained how her husband’s battle with cancer launched her into organic gardening and then into sharing what she grew through CSA, and also into a community through participation in Wisconsin Farmers Union, where she’s now her district director. The Organic Farmer of the Year presentation and conference keynotes are on the MOSES YouTube chan nel at Thewww.youtube.com/mosesorganic.MOSESConferenceincludesthe Organic Research Forum and a juried poster session. This year’s winner is Hannah Philips from the University of Minnesota with her research on using chickens to reduce flies in organic dairy pastures. Claire Flavin Hodge, also from the University of Minnesota, took second place, and Dylan Bruce from the University of Wisconsin took third place. The conference provided the chance to remem ber long-time conference planner and presenter Chris Blanchard, who passed away late last year. His memorial scholarship has collected over $10,000 to send farmers to the annual MOSES Conference. Additional donations can be made at bit.ly/ ChrisBlanchardScholarship2MOSES.Audiorecordingsofconferenceworkshops are avail able at mosesorganic.net—the MOSES online store. The MP3 downloads are $5 each. The complete set of work shop recordings comes on a USB drive for $75. This year, many presenters also shared their PowerPoints, making the audio recordings even more informative. The PowerPoints are posted online at mosesorganic.org/ 800.370.7979 blueriverorgseed.com 2019 MOSES Conference By Audrey Alwell

The panelists shared personal stories of how they created change through their farms and in their com

Sandwiched between snowstorms, the 30th Annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference brought over 2,800 people to La Crosse, Wis., to share ideas, discover new resources, and make connections to improve the success of their farms or businesses. “MOSES lights a spark in me every year that reinforces I am on the right career path,” said Hana Tanberg of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Minnesota. “I believe in organic and farms that value our earth, and realize that we need to do a heck of a lot collaborating if we are ever going to compete with the machine.” Collaboration was evident not only in the work shop presentations, but also in the conversations throughout the dining and exhibit halls. It also showed in the list of sponsors of the conference. “We have an outstanding group of longtime spon sors who are the backbone of this conference,” said Tom Manley, MOSES Account Services Coordinator. “The financial and food support we receive from Organic Valley is crucial. Sitka Salmon returned to help us with an awesome dinner on Friday, and Blue River Organic Seed continued their consistent sup port. We also had several new companies—Patagonia, Kubota, and Valent, to name a few—join us to show case their shared values. We couldn’t put on an event of this size without that kind of support, and I want to thank all of our sponsors for all that they do to help us host this community. We can all thank them by looking to them first for the products and services we all need to grow successfully.” Links to all the sponsors are online at mosesorganic.org/sponsors. At the Conference Kick-Off, David Perkins, MOSES board president, presented the Organic Farmer of the Year Award to Jim Riddle and Joyce Ford of Blue Fruit Farm in Winona, Minn. These pioneering farmers have had a “profound impact on organic agriculture, not just as farmers, but also as educators, policy advo cates, and advisers,” Perkins said. “They have worked at local, state, and national levels to promote organic agriculture, and helped shape the country’s founding organic standards in the 1990s. In essence, they’ve been front and center in nearly every aspect of the organicRiddleworld.”andFord shared their farm story and high lights from their years of travel and work to promote organic farming, interspersed with wise advice to the next generation of organic farmers. “Be empowered to experiment on your own farms,” Ford said. “Be involved in organic organizations—we really need you.” Riddle offered similar advice when he spoke as part of the Friday keynote panel, “Upholding the Legacy.” He encouraged young farmers to be engaged in policy as well as farming and to pay attention to what the organic label means. “There aren’t a lot of industries that go to D.C. and say, ‘please regulate us,’ but we did,” he said as he explained how the growing organic community in the 1980s sought uniform national standards and a unified organic label. “Stay true to our roots, and continue to own this word!”

The keynote panel, moderated by MOSES board member Sylvia Burgos Toftness, featured five people, in addition to Riddle, who have had major roles in the organic movement: George Siemon, Audrey Arner, Francis Thicke, Faye Jones, and Atina Diffley. They shared insights from the years they worked to expand organics and helped a new generation of farmers understand what went into creating the organic label and the MOSES Conference. When Atina Diffley explained how she and her husband, Martin, started Gardens of Eagan in Minnesota, she emphasized how much they learned by sharing information with other farmers, adding, “that’s why we’re all here today [at the MOSES Conference]. We don’t see this in other parts of agriculture; we don’t see this in other parts of our American culture, this concept of sharing knowledge and that we’re all in this together.”

10 | March | April 2019 TM

Above: Organic Farmers of the Year Jim Riddle and Joyce Ford share their farm story.

Top left: Young farmers express enthusiasm for the MOSES TopConference.right:Kubota’s tractor catches farmers’ eyes. 2nd row: Patagonia brought its new line of hemp workwear for people to try on. Hannah Phillips from the University of Minnesota shows off her first place research poster. Elders in the organic movement talk about the early years in organics and the start of the MOSES Conference.

| 11mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775TM

Middle left: Synister Dane plays before the keynotes.

Left: The Organic Pheromones rock the crowd Thursday night. Bottom: Dancers learn the steps at the Friday night square dance. Photos by Laurie Schneider

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The CSA Model

The Perkinses firmly believe that CSA is an out standing model for agriculture. “For the farmer, CSA creates meaningful purpose and financial reward,” David said. “For the committed member, CSA re-establishes a heartfelt connection to a place; the land, the labor, their food.” From an economic standpoint, “CSA cannot be beat,” he added. The farmers set their price, choose their products, set a delivery schedule, and receive prepayment. “And this is not some theoretical model. It works. There are real-life farms out there doing this, making a living.” He cautioned that it’s not enough to just grow a product, even a great product. CSA members seek a direct connection to their farm and that’s part of what they pay for. CSA farmers must “sell” their farm to members, he explained. Vermont Valley Community Farm did an excep tional job of connecting CSA members with the farm. They held seven organized member events each year, which were very well attended. Many hundreds of members participated in their worker share program over the Anotheryears.positive aspect David sees in the CSA model is that each farm is marketing their own unique farm experience, not a generic commodity, which reduces competition between farms. “As a CSA farmer, your farm is your product, and so your product is unique,” he explained. “You’re compet ing with yourself, not other farms.”

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Workers Compensation Workers Compensation was originally set up to protect employers, Armstrong said. Generally, employ ees are prohibited from suing a farmer who is carrying workers compensation for the employee’s work-related injuries.Compensation laws vary from state to state, so it is important to learn about the laws for your location. Some states require it for agricultural employment and some do not. Even if you aren’t legally required to have it you still need insurance for worker injuries.

Kelli Boylen is a freelance writer who lives on a home stead in Iowa. She enjoyed working with the CSA members, and the program embodied their overall CSA philosophy, which was to “involve as many people as possible as much as possible” in their farm. From the beginning, Barb and David set financial expectations the farm needed to meet. But, David added, “We were willing to fail.” If the farm did not pay enough, if the CSA model did not work, they agreed they would discontinue the farm. Clear goals, combined with an exit plan, prevented them from being mired down for the long term in an unsuccessful venture. David and Barb were deeply involved in the Fairshare CSA Coalition, which began as a group of community activists in the Madison area that brought the CSA concept to southern Wisconsin farmers and eaters. Within the coalition, they benefitted greatly from collaborative marketing and knowledge sharing between farms. “We could not have done what we did without the coalition,” David said. “Other CSA farms were not our competition. The coalition works collectively to build the CSA movement.” Barb and David concentrated on CSA from their farm’s beginning. Brief trials with farmers markets and wholesale marketing convinced them to stick with their initial CSA plan. “We put all of our energy into our members, and our members felt how much time and energy we put into them,” Barb explained. They did add an organic seed potato business to the farm, partly to complement the CSA and secondly, with the passage of the federal organic rule, to fill the need in the Midwest for good organic potato seed.

Successful CSA —

Minimum Wage

12 | March | April 2019 TM Employment Law — from page 4

Many states do not require a minimum wage for farms, but this only applies to farm labor, not value-added, processing, or ag-tourism. That said, Armstrong added that paying a livable wage can help in the long run by retaining reliable, trained employees.Salaries or per-piece payments are not a way to skirt minimum wage, she said. An hourly wage can go up or down based on salary or per-piece, but it must always be above minimum wage for each hour worked if the minimum wage is required.

services

Chris McGuire is an organic specialist with MOSES. He and his wife have a CSA farm near Madison, Wis.

Rates differ for different sized farms, Pressman said. Covering up to $100,000 worth of wages cost his farming operation about $5,000 annually. Workers Comp insurance can be purchased through many insurance companies. It is possible to purchase a different type of insur ance to cover employees, but Pressman said those types of policies typically result in the injured person having to sue the insurance company for payment. “I thought it ethically better to purchase workers’ comp,” he says.Asking employees if they have their own health insurance is not a good option. Some private insur ance companies will not cover injuries at work. Being injured on the job often can result in lawsuits; health insurance policies may not cover lost wages or perma nent disability. Resources There are many free resources for agricultural employers online at www.farmcommons.org, includ ing guides to managing risks of interns and volunteers, classifying your workers, knowing the basics of farm employment laws, and OSHA and migrant worker fact sheets.

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It’s a great way to get qualified farm workers, Pressman said, but there is a lot of paperwork, and the government closely monitors the program to avoid exploitation of the migrant workers. Workers must be temporary (not year-round), and must be provided free housing, meals, workers comp, and at least the equivalent of minimum wage. Using this program may be too expensive for smaller operations, but may be a good option for larger farms that need a reliable option for field work and harvesting.

Barb and David both recognize that CSA is not suitable for every farmer. People skills are essential: CSA farmers need to interact with employees, farm workers, and CSA members. Most CSA farms grow diverse vegetable crops with complicated planting schedules, so organization and time-management skills are essential. Farmers need to recognize their strengths and weaknesses and design their farms accordingly. Barb and David see a bright future for CSA. Although demand for CSA has decreased recently in the Madison area, a strong core of dedicated CSA supporters has remained and actually is now increasing.“Associety moves faster and faster, and people lose their connection to solid, tangible things, they will increasingly seek the connection that CSA offers,” Barb forecasted. Neither large-scale corporate organics nor home delivery services such as Blue Apron will be able to duplicate the connection that CSA provides, she added.The Perkinses said they will watch with interest as other CSA farmers innovate. Customized CSA boxes, farmers market pickups where members choose their produce, and non-vegetable items such as meat and fruits are all possibilities for boosting consumer inter est in CSA. But Barb and David firmly believe that providing eaters with a direct connection to a farm will remain an essential part of CSA. In the coming years, Barb and David will live on the farm and manage the land. David will continue to work at the family’s organic seed potato business with their son, Jesse. The farm will remain connected with the organic agriculture movement.

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Lender explains what’s needed for smooth loan processing

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upcoming year projection, and banking details (loan renewals, existing interest rates, new money needs). Along with the agenda, Jane hands me a completed balance sheet, income/expense statement, and a pro jection. This allows us to actually talk about the busi ness rather than just gather data. Sometimes I even get the numbers ahead of time so I can review and make sure any questions I have are answered. Before I leave, John and Jane negotiate the new loan rate and terms. I am able to commit to a one-week turnaround time. As John and Jane have become more experienced farmers, they’ve also become better business manag ers. By following their second example of providing good documentation, you will have a better chance of getting a loan. In times where margins are tight and credit isn’t as readily available, you need to be able to show your lender that you know your business. Just being a good producer doesn’t mean what it used to 10 years ago. Joshua Rynes is the vice president of the Wisconsin Ag Business Banking Team at Bremer Bank. like

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By Joshua Rynes As I sat at my desk formulating how to attack the day, I received an email with an interesting question: “What would you like to see a farmer bring to the table when making a loan request?” In all honesty, a lender wants to take as little risk as possible while making the most money possible. Farmers need to show they are a safe bet to repay the loan—that they are good at farming and keeping records. The difference between an approved loan and a denied loan can be as simple as how a farmer pro vides the farm’s financial information for the lender to review. Here are a couple of scenarios to help you understand what your lender needs for a loan request.

John and Jane Doe are in their mid-40s and have been customers of the bank for many years. They grow crops and keep dairy cows. Jane also raises vegetables to sell at the farmers market and is in charge of the finances for the entire farm. Each year I schedule a meeting with them to dis cuss their business and financial needs for the upcom ing year. My goal for this meeting is to walk out with a fiscal year-end balance sheet, production information, income and expense numbers, a list of any assets bought or sold in the year, and a projection for the upcoming year that would also include any potential new loan requests. In the first few years, I would come out to the farm and sit down at the kitchen table. After an hour of sharing stories and pictures I would start asking for the information needed to complete the annual loan request. We would start with the balance sheet. John would reach into his pocket and pull out a crumpled up paper towel stained with iodine from teat dip. On this paper, John had all of his cattle numbers. Next I would ask John about any inventories they had at year end. John would write down the number of piles of feed he had and the dimensions of the silos, and guesstimate how many hay bales were wrapped up out in the field. Next I would provide him a machinery list which he would glance over and agree that everything was the same as last year. Jane would estimate how much cash was in the checkbook. For the debt, she would say they made all of their payments so the balance at year end should be the prior year balance minus the pay ments they made. For the projection, John would say, “Well, I don’t really see anything different happening this year so let’s just use last year’s numbers.” Jane would then hand me a shoe box full of various check stubs for income they generated along with all of the billing statements and receipts for the year’s expenses. To get the production information from the previ ous year, John would run out to the barn and grab all of the bulk tank slips and feverishly add them up. He would then guess as to how many cows he aver aged milking for the year to get production per cow. For crop production, he would figure out how many wagonloads of each crop he harvested and guess the capacity of each wagon to get a number. They had now provided me with all of the informa tion I needed to do the renewal and provide operating money for the year. As I gathered my things, they asked the most dreaded question a banker wants to hear, “So how long before you have the new loan approved?” Based on the simplicity and size of the request, one would expect a decision to be made and have the loan closed within the week. However with how they had provided numbers, it ended up taking 3 weeks.Why so long? I had to build a balance sheet in the format that is accepted by the bank and the ag lending community from the numbers John and Jane had pro vided. I had to sort out all of the items in the shoe box and categorize them to the best of my ability. This had to be done just to build a projection for the upcoming year. Once all of this was done, I would have questions for John or Jane to answer, which would typically take a day or two for them to respond. Once I was confident that I had all of my questions answered I would tell John and Jane what the terms of the new loan were to be. In those early years John always griped about the high interest rate we were charging and the time it was taking to get the loan. Fast forward 20 years and here is how our annual meeting happens: Jane sends me an email around the holidays giving me dates that they are available to meet, noting they’d prefer to meet right away in January. A few days before the meeting, Jane has me email her any items I would like on the agenda and includes the financial statements. I show up to the meeting and am handed an agenda that lists time to catch up on news, recap of the previous year (produc tion, prices, projects, income and expense statement),

Future Plans With their commitment to producing highquality, grass-based, artisanal cheese, Cosmic Wheel is unlikely to get much bigger. They see themselves as “at capacity” on their available pasture, and their creamery is not large enough to support much more production. Hoffpauir said they feel good about the size of their business. Her goals for the future are to continue to improve recipes, tweak their markets, and make sure they can make wonderful cheese and raise happy cows. Far from seeing their niche industry as fiercely competitive, Hoffpauir is excited about connecting with other cheesemakers. Thinking about the potential for more farmstead creameries in Wisconsin, she urges people considering it to really focus on potential markets, since that was one of the most important ingredients in Cosmic Wheel’s success.

If I found that there was more on the list than could be accomplished in five days, I would have Saturday and Sunday to get caught up to be on-schedule or ahead of the game come Monday morning. Being on schedule becomes the norm and allows me to have most weekends off. If I wait until Sunday night or Monday morning to plan, I find I operate all week in catch-up mode. When that happens repeat edly, it becomes much harder to get back on track. Our new management system has decreased our labor costs significantly. In 2017, we spent almost $18,000 in hired labor costs compared to $11,000 in 2018 while producing the same amount. Our printed maps cost $80, the task sheets were $75 for 1000 sheets.

farming brings with it a network of support – small dairies that help each other answer questions, share resources, call each other with licensing questions or when they’ve suddenly run out of supplies. As they experienced with vegetable farming, this was an important resource to help them in the early stages. Adding a creamery to their farm brought new complexity to the business. Like many farm couples, Hoffpauir and Bryceson started out sharing all of the work on their farm. As it grew to include livestock, Hoffpauir assumed that would continue. “I wanted to milk the cows! Then I realized I’d have to worry about cross-contamination,” she said, talking about going in and out of their cheesemaking facility. Now Hoffpauir is in charge of anything cheese related, while Bryceson takes care of all of the livestock, as well as managing the vegetable production. This way, they avoid stepping on each other’s toes too much and each could focus on one aspect of the operation during the intensive learning process. To maintain a healthy balance among their distinct farm enterprises, Hoffpauir emphasized the need to communicate well and often. “Ok, are we pumping milk or not? How much is in the tank? Do we have to take a cow out of production? We keep working on getting better at that,” she said. “Making peace with our roles can be challenging, but is getting easier the more we embrace where we are.”

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14 | March | April 2019 TM Cowsmo Compost Compost and Potting Soils 608 626 2571 www.cowsmocompost.comjrosenow@mwt.net

ELITE CORN FROM GREAT HARVEST ORGANICS

Hallie Anderson owns and operates 10th St. Farm & Market, a diversified vegetable farm in Afton, Minn.

Rachel Henderson is an organic specialist for MOSES. She and her husband have a certified organic orchard and raise pastured livestock.

The full “Management Wall” at 10th St. Farm & Market includes laminated (wipeoff) field maps that correspond to maps on individual workers’ task sheets for each day. At the end of the day, workers return the completed task sheets to the folder on the left, providing a record of everything done in each row. The cheat sheets on the right side of the photo outline how to do specific tasks, cutting down on time the owner needs to spend explaining tasks.

Farmstead Creamery — from page 9

Management Wall — from page 7 With the cheat sheets, a whiteboard, and a couple of other organizing tools our investment grand total was $225 to save $7,000. The real impact of the management wall, though, is how much stress is lifted when the farm is always on schedule. I have the freedom to spend time with family and friends in the middle of the season, and the farm has better cash flow to buffer emergency expenses or to grow when it needs to. It has also become a record keeping system, that in a way, keeps itself. I don’t have to spend extra time keeping records; I am collecting that data in tandem with planning my week’s schedule and task list. My task sheets have a detailed record of what happened each day, by whom, amendment/ compost applications, plant varieties, etc. I organize them once a month into a paperclip, put a sticky note on top with the month they represent and place them in a shoe box in my office for easy reference later. When you are making a profit on your farm, it is very easy to think you are doing everything as well as you can. But, as Ben Hartman explains in his book, we need to continuously improve; fix it and fix it again! Our management wall was step one. Efficiencies are compounding, and I am looking forward to building upon them this next season and seasons to come.

Visit GreatHarvestOrganics.com or call 800.937.2325 for our full list of products, subject to availability.

Photo by Hallie Anderson

Year 1 310.75 hours to maintain pigs on pasture 46 total moves 31 pigs consisting of 4 sows and 27 feeders 240 days on pasture 10 hours of labor per pig over the season .041 hours per pig per day Year 2 255.7 hours to maintain pigs on pasture 33 total moves 54 pigs consisting of 6 sows and 48 feeders 205 days on pasture 4.73 hours of labor per pig over the season

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Farmer shares challenges, costs, results, of pastured pig demonstration project

By Harry Hoch At Hoch Orchard, we have been experimenting with animal rotations in our fruit plots for several years. We strive to create a perennial fruit system that mimics nature with animals feeding on plants and stimulating the biology in the soil. Our goal is to strengthen the soil, break fruit-pest life cycles, and produce high quality meat without taking land away from human food production. In 2016, we received a grant to focus on this project from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant Program. Our project was more of a “proof of concept” than a research project that tests specific practices. We hoped to demonstrate the viability of adding animals to perennial fruit production, and believed this con cept could be applied to any perennial system or even a mixed annual and perennial vegetable system.

Infrastructure Although we had been rotating animals through our fruit plots prior to the grant project, we found many problems with our system that limited the scale of animal production on our farm. Our property is set up with a 10-foot woven wire deer fence enclosing about 60 acres of land. Just inside that deer fence is a high-tensile electric fence creating a ring pasture around the perimeter of the farm. We used the ring pasture to move animals around the farm without having to go through the fruit plots. We used the pasture fence to power temporary ribbon or mesh fence when we put animals in the fruit plots. The system’s drawback was the time required to set up the temporary fences. We also had a lot of trouble with animal escapes and fences failing. For the grant, we laid out a good schedule and had a good crew in place to set up fencing. Our plan was: Year 1 - Collect data on time required to rotate hogs using temporary fencing. Erect permanent fencing and track time needed. Year 2 – Finish fences and install gates. Track time needed for rotations using permanent fencing. Host a field day through MOSES, focused on livestock fencing. Year 3 – Install water lines, track rotations, have final field day, and create a report comparing temporary fencing with permanent fencing. Also report on the income per hog and the cost of raising a hog on pasture. This all seemed simple and easily managed. We expected everything to be done by November or December of Year 3 (2018). However, as is often the case in life, things did not go as planned. Fall of Year 1 went well. Our intern worked with the harvest crew after apples were picked and got almost all of the main runs of fence put up. We saved money on posts by nailing multi-species woven wire fence to the windbreaks that divide the fruit plots. Then things went downhill. While our animal production intern did a great job her first year, she had some life challenges in Year 2, making the responsibility of animals difficult. Piece by piece, we moved her animal responsibilities to others. We did not have time to install the corners and gates, and had to use portable fencing to close off the paddocks and use as gates. Even still, the permanent woven wire fence along the windbreaks made it much easier to set up temporary paddocks. We had big plans to finish the corners and hang gates after harvest. That’s when the weather became a roadblock. Harvest ran late and an early hard frost made fence work impossible. Year 3 presented similar challenges. In March, our cider salesman moved away, leaving me to manage cider sales and animal production. I sold off most of the feeder pigs in the spring and did not order any poultry in order to streamline the animal project. We went into the summer with a manageable group of feeders and a small flock of sheep. I moved the pigs a few times during the summer using electric mesh fence as gates and filler where fences were not finished. Moving animals only took a few minutes where the new fencing was in place. In August, our part-time farmhand who had helped with fencing and animal chores announced he was leaving for a full-time warehouse job the first week of September. That left us short on experienced workers who could rotate the pigs through the fruit plots. So I set up a small run for the pigs just outside the animal shed. They could get outside to graze and root a little, but got all their nutrition from waste fruit dumped in the feed trough. We had a good crop of apples and lots of cider pumice and grade outs so the pigs got all the fruit they could eat. In a typical year, we would move the pigs as fruit ripened. The raspberries finish in August, so we would flash graze through the patch to clean up the last the apricots. Apricot trees always drop a lot of fruit during harvest so the pigs have a lot of fruit to glean. Their powerful jaws crack through the pits and all. Then the pigs move to the plum block and finally to the summer apples. In Year 3, October had record rainfall and the most challenging harvest of my entire career, with daily rounds of mud, rain-soaked workers, and stuck trac tors. When we wrapped up harvest, it was far too wet to auger holes and build H braces to hang the gates. When it finally did dry off, we put the entire crew on fencing and built one last run and hung two gates to make two completely fenced plots. As soon as we finished, the temperature dropped below average and stayed there. The wet ground froze like concrete so no more gate posts would go in the ground in 2018. Project Results The main lesson we learned form this project is that sometimes you can’t control things that impact a schedule. While we had a good project, we fell short on good luck. Ours is a cautionary tale for other farmers; it only takes a few bouts of bad luck or bad timing to really throw off a project. Fortunately, our project was intended to be a demonstration, not strict research. Even though we did not get all the data we had hoped to collect, we were able to demonstrate how our con cept could work. We have data for two years of pasturing hogs in our rotational system. We tracked the time to feed, water, and move the pigs, including time to set up and take down portable fencing, and chase loose pigs.

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The wire we used has 8 horizontal wires spaced closer near the ground and wider higher up. The vertical wires are one foot apart. The height is only 42 inches, but we figured we could add a single wire on top if we needed more height. That top wire could be hung with insulators and be energized. One problem I found with the wire we chose is that small feeder pigs under about 50 pounds could hop up to the wider horizontal wire and squeeze through. We have found that pastured pigs that are getting most of their nutrition from the pasture are hungry most of the time. They have to eat a lot of high-fiber, low-calorie food to grow. They will pressure the fence a lot more than a grain-fed “pastured” hog. We should have spent a little more money and gone with either an 8-42-6 which has twice as many verticals and costs $.60 a foot, or a 13-48-12 which has horizontal wires much closer together and costs $.68 a foot.

Five-inch diameter seven-foot-long treated posts are a good strong option for making pasture fence. This size can be pounded in without shattering or can be augered in. This is a very common size that is often on sale at farm stores and lumber yards. Metal T-posts can also make good line posts. Their advantage is they are cheaper than wood; you can often find used ones at farm auctions for a low price. T-posts can be put in fairly quickly with just a post pounder. T-posts have a few disadvantages. Installing the woven wire can be trickier when you are stretching it and attaching it to metal posts than wood posts. This style of fence should be anchored at one end then stretched with a clamp system and a tractor on the other end. Sliding the wire past a smooth round post works well, but sliding wire against a T-post can snag. The job will require a few more sets of hands. Attaching the wire to the T-post also requires a special clip or cutting thousands of pieces of malleable wire that can be twisted tight on the post. Attaching the wire to wooden posts just requires pounding a few simplePostsU-nails.should be spaced with the type of livestock in mind. High-tensile woven wire fence can be stretched tight and will not break if cattle or other heavy animals lean on it or push into it. You can space your line posts as far apart as 24 feet for some grazing animals.

Hogs are a different story. A mid-size feeder pig or adult hog can get his snout under the wire and push it up enough to slip under. By spacing posts 10 feet apart, there is not enough slack for a pig to get under. A literal interpretation of the National Organic Program rule is no use of treated posts in any new fence construction or the replacement of broken posts. A certifying agency may require a 24-inch buffer between treated posts and the organic livestock. I have been told I have to fence off my corner posts so the animals cannot contact the treated posts. I have been using metal T-posts for line posts and cedar for the end posts and H-braces. In some cases, the certifying agency may allow treated posts for pad docks that are used for flash grazing. This is contrasted with fencing that is used for corrals or feedlots where the animals are near the posts for extended periods of time or in regular contact with the posts. A farm that is transitioning to organic production will most likely have the existing field fences grandfathered in, but cannot use treated wood to replace broken posts. Always talk to your certifier before you install fencing with treated posts. If you do install new treated posts and don’t get caught right away, don’t expect to plead ignorance if you get caught years later by a stricter inspector. If you install treated posts after you have started your transition process you are out of compliance and could end up having to re-fence or abandon a pasture. If you work out an agreement with your certifier to use treated posts in paddocks that are only flash grazed, be sure to get your agreement in writing. Some of the larger certification agencies have a lot of staff turnover. Just because one certification specialist told you that your posts are not a problem, doesn’t mean those same posts won’t be a problem for a new special ist, certifier, or executive at your certification agency. Harry Hoch and his wife, Jackie, own Hoch Orchards and Gardens in La Crescent, Minn.

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16 | March | April 2019 TM In 2018 (Year 3), we moved our one small group of pigs about five times. No time was spent catching loose pigs. Less than 10 hours was spent putting up tem porary fencing to complete the perimeter of partially fenced blocks or to act as gates. Moving animals into paddocks was less than a half hour per move. There is a huge savings of time when utilizing permanent fencing. After all the fences are complete with gates, we should be able to get the average time spent per animal down to under an hour each over the season—a tenfold reduction in hours. Fencing Costs, Recommendations

Oren Holle, president 979 Second Road Bremen KS oholle@bluevalley.net785-337-244266412www.ofarm.coop

We already had a perimeter fence in place and nailed 8-42-12 woven wire to windbreak trees. This lowered fencing costs quite a bit. We spent $3,118.81 on materials and had 119.5 hours of labor to install 4,870 feet of fence, creating 12 paddocks averaging four acres each. We did not install gates and have been using por table energized mesh fence to close off the paddocks. The amount we spent on fencing simply serves as an example of how much cheaper fencing can be when using existing materials such as our windbreak. The pric ing research I did is worth sharing to help other farmers estimate the cost to add fencing for pastured livestock. The prices here reflect the cost of materials when I started the project three years ago, although fence costs have not changed very much since then. The cost of a straight run of fence is not very high; it’s the corners and gates that increase the price considerably. A good rule of thumb if you are not planning to install the fence yourself is to double the materials cost. A professional will charge about as much for installation as materials.Wovenwire is $.45 per foot and the posts are $9 each. 1,000 feet of fence is $1,350 or $1.35 per foot. One corner requires three posts in the ground and two posts for the top of the H-brace. Hardware for corners is about $10. One corner adds $55.00. A gate requires an H-brace on each side. That is another six posts, hardware, and about $150 for the gate (depending on size) and its hardware. One gate adds $214.A site that is not square and requires many extra corners is going to be more expensive. In fact, some times it is cheaper to run a longer fence than putting in three corners to go around an obstacle. Farmer ingenu ity can reduce costs. Using an oak tree as a corner, or running up to an existing barbwire or electric fence will save some money. We used a moderately priced high-tensile woven wire designed for multiple species. I can’t emphasize enough the value of knotted woven wire over old fashioned low-tensile welded wire. High-tensile wire can be stretched tight like piano wire and still have some give. A tree falling on the fence or a tractor driver misjudging the width of the wagon can break posts and knock down long stretches of fence. Woven wire can be pulled back up when the broken posts are replaced. Old-style welded wire kinks and breaks and requires much more time to replace and repair.

Fencing Project — from page 15

The USDA is accepting nominations for five open seats on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), the 15-member board which makes recommendations on the production, handling, and processing of USDA certified organic products. Each member serves a fiveyear term and represents specific sectors of the organic community. Current openings include one seat each for an environmental protection and resource conservation representative, organic farmer, and organic retailer, and two seats for organic handlers. Nominations are due by May 17, 2019. See bit.ly/NOSBopenings.

Workshop for Women Landowners in Wisconsin

National Organic Coalition Meeting

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Are you a Wisconsin woman who owns agricultural acreage but doesn’t live there? This event can help you learn how to care for your land. Do you rent from a female landowner? Please share this opportunity with your landlord. The MOSES In Her Boots project is again partner ing with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) in a unique Women Caring for the Land workshop that specifically targets women absen tee landowners, helping this group learn about soil health and conservation principles as well as connect to federal and local programs that can fund conserva tionThisprojects.freeworkshop will be held March 24 in Madison and May 1 in Elkhorn. Two sessions will be offered each day at each site—a breakfast or lunch ses sion—offering identical programming to give women scheduling options.The workshop includes breakfast or lunch. The program is free but registration is required. See mosesorganic.org/in-her-boots/events.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meets April 24-26, 2019, in Seattle, Wash. This is the semiannual meeting for the board to hear comments from the public about substances used in organic production. Written comments and requests for a speaking time at the meeting must be received by April 4. Speaker slots are limited and are filled as requests are received. The NOSB also will hold public comment webinars April 16 and 18. The NOSB has posted proposals and discussion documents online board-nosb-meeting-seattle-wa.www.ams.usda.gov/event/national-organic-standards-at

The National Organic Coalition (NOC) will meet April 23, the day prior to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting in Seattle. The meeting will cover the Farm Bill and organic policy updates, a Q&A session with Jenny Tucker (head of the USDA National Organic Program), strengthening enforcement of the organic standards domestically and internationally, regional updates from organic farmers, a discussion of sanitizer use in organic, and other topics.

RSVP at www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/events.

Women in Sustainable Ag Conference MOSES is organizing this year’s conference for women in sustainable ag. The event will be Oct. 17-19 at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel in downtown St. Paul, Minn. Details will be available soon at mosesorganic.org/WISA. In Her Boots Podcast The MOSES “In Her Boots” podcast currently features interviews with Erin Schneider from Hilltop Community Farm in LaFarge, Wis., where she grows wide range of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and perennial fruit. New episodes post every Friday. Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher, or listen at mosesor ganic.org/in-her-boots-podcast. New Organic Resource Directory MOSES just published the 11th edition of the Midwest Organic Resource Directory. The 80-page book lists buyers, processors, suppliers, certification agencies, consultants, resource organiza tions, state and federal agen cies, and university programs. Suppliers are broken out by tools, soil inputs, livestock products, pest control, season extension, and seed to help you find the supplies you need quickly and easily. The directory is available online as a free PDF download at mosesorganic.org/organic-resource-directory. To request a printed, spiral-bound book, email info@ mosesorganic.org or call 888-90-MOSES.

NOSB Openings

Sitka Salmon Shares, a major sponsor of the MOSES Conference, has donated over $600 to MOSES for farmer education. The funds were raised through the company’s give-back program—25 mem bers of the MOSES community purchased seafood shares during the one-month special offer.

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NOSB Meeting

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The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), in cooperation with USDA-Risk Management Agency, recently published two guidebooks: Introduction to Crop Insurance for Organic and Transitioning Producers explains how crop insurance works for organic and transitioning farmers, as well as tips on working with crop insurance agent. Reducing Risks Through Best Soil Health Management Practices in Organic Crop Production explores research on best soil-building practices for resilience in the face of climate change. Both publications are free online as PDFs at ofrf.org/reports. Managing Birds on Farms Wild Farm Alliance has published a new resource, Supporting Beneficial Birds and Managing Pest Birds, to educate farmers on how they can use birds to aid in farm production. It includes information about using birds as a part of pest control, creating on-farm habi tats for beneficial birds, and increasing biodiversity and farm resilience. See www.wildfarmalliance.org/ bird_resource. Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions

Links to more information: Heartland Forum: heartlandforum.splashthat.com Farmers Bill of Rights: www.farmaction.us/fbor Register for the WFU Bus maincalendar/details/heartland-forum-bus-trip-94562wisconsinfarmersunion.growthzoneapp.com/Trip:

The Organic Trade Association has launched its Organic Fraud Prevention Solutions program, which establishes a framework for businesses to continuously improve internal programs for achieving organic integrity throughout their associated supply chains. For details, see /ota.com/news/press-releases/20518.

Risk Management Resources

A new documentary series, “Farmer’s Footprint,” showcases the grassroots regenerative agriculture movement. The first film, “Farmer’s Footprint: The Beginning,” showcases the lessons learned and gratify ing victories of the four-generation Breitkreutz family of Stoney Creek Farm in Redwood Falls, Minn., as they navigate away from conventional practices to regenerative agriculture—just a few years of embrac ing regenerative practices has healed their land while cutting their costs. See farmersfootprint.us.

Wisconsin Pollinator Research

On March 30, the Heartland Forum and Farmers Bill of Rights pre-forum rally will be held at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. The Heartland Forum seeks to surface new, high-impact ideas for revitalizing America’s heartland communities. Presidential contenders are asked to present visions and policy agendas designed to reverse rural and small-town issues ranging from agricultural consoli dation and collapse of manufacturing to the disap pearance of local journalism. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. John Delaney, and Rep. Tim Ryan join HuffPost, Open Markets Action, the Iowa Farmers Union, and members of the Storm Lake Times community to discuss issues of rural life and corporate power in America’s heartland. Learn more about these events and register online. Wisconsin Farmers Union members are invited to join a group bus trip to participate in these events.

Organic Corn Research Organic corn growers in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin can contribute to research on genetic diversity of U.S. corn. Cathleen McCluskey, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is interviewing farmers to better understand how they perceive and manage genetic diversity on their farms. Growers will receive a $100 stipend in exchange for their time. To be considered for this research, email cmccluskey@wisc.edu.

Food Hub Opportunity for Farmers Fresh Picks Farmer Alliance, a collaborative food hub network of organic and sustainable produce, meat and dairy farmers selling into Chicagoland, is seeking additional farmers. The Alliance has three anchor hubs: Springdale Farm in Plymouth, Wis., PrairiErth Farm in Atlanta, Ill., and All Grass Farms in West Dundee, Ill. To learn more, email shelly@freshpicks. com or call Shelly at 847-410-0595.

Heartland Forum & Farmer Bill of Rights Rally

Organic Certification Serving the Upper Midwest Ensuring Organic Integrity Since 2002

18 | March | April 2019 TM NEWS BRIEFS

Documentary on Regenerative Farming

Researchers at the University of WisconsinMadison are looking for grower collaborators in Wisconsin for a pollinator research project in the summer of 2019 and 2020. The project will evaluate the impact of pollinator habitat on the wild bee com munity, crop pollination, and yield. Farms must have established pollinator habitat and be willing to grow cucumbers and melons. For information, contact Dr. Hannah Gaines Day at hgaines@wisc.edu or 774-392-0498.

FARMER Looking for organic, regenerative permaculture farmer (raised beds/no till) northeastern soil, to manage and expand farm and markets for growing farm and retreat center on over 300 acres in Hudson Valley, New York. Experience with collaborative planning, budgeting. Interest in developing destination location and educational programs. Housing offered (if requested). Salary based on experience. Resume to goshengreenfarminfo@gmail.com

Small grain, grasses and cover crop seeders to save a trip. Gandy and Valmar models, multiple sizes. Starting at $2900. Call Paul at 763-286-2037. Farmall Super C with sidedress attachment. Very good condition. Also have 3 pt. mist sprayer with blower, like new. Iowa, 319 559 0373

For Sale: Tempered, insulated, double-pane glass. Large panes for sunrooms, solar homes, ag buildings, greenhouses or ??? One hundred fifty thousand sold since 1979; 32” x 74” x 1” double-pane only $49.00. We will be closing or selling Arctic Glass in 12 months. If you need glass now would be a good time! Arctic Glass, www. kissourglass.com, 715-639-3762 or joseph4249@gmail.com. Nature Safe Fertilizer. We manufacture our own OMRI listed Amino Acid 15-0-1, a dry powder water soluble fertilizer. Use in your sprayer, drip irrigation or pivot. Sold by the ton in 55 lb. bags, super sacks. www.naturesafe.com 616-566-0307.

Dairy Jobs: Grazing/Organic farmers in MN, MO, NY, PA, VT and WI are hiring fulltime employees to work and gain skills needed to become dairy farm managers and owners. Visit https://www.dga-national.org.

Certified organic oats and succotash: Feed quality good test weight, 600 bushel of each. Northeast Iowa. Call: 515-494-5204. Michael.natvig@gmail.com

| 19mosesorganic.org | 715-778-5775TM Looking for hard working, I mean hard working, individual or individuals, who want a career in organic crop farming. Not looking for an employee, looking for a business partner. Excellent earning potential. Northern Illinois. ecflsary@gmail.com Certified organic, grass fed Black Angus cows: 25 head bred to Black Angus bull. Due to calve April- May. Northeast Iowa. 515-494-5204. michael.natvig@gmail.com Certified Organic, Grassfed Black Angus calves. 20 head. Weight: 500-600 #. Northeast Iowa , Cresco. 515-4945204. michael.natvig@gmail.com Looking for 12-24 feeder cattle around 800# to purchase in April to finish on grass. Preferably Angus but willing to consider others. Please contact Mike at mike.lind@bigriverbeef.com. We Stock Dr. Paul’s organic approved Animal Health Products including Health Tinctures, Boluses, Aloe Pellets with Garlic, Immune System Boosters, Calf Health Products, De-wormers and more. We sell wholesale and retail. Also looking for dealers to stock our organic certified kelp meal, Sea 90 Salt, Reed Sedge Peat (feed grade humated), etc. Sunrise Seeds Plus, LLC. Topeka, Indiana 260-463-0380. Organic Onion Plants, Sedona, Redwing, Candy, White Wing, yellow and red Cipollini, and Leeks. Other varieties available upon request. $7 per 100, 1000 plant minimum, certified by MOSA. Glen 563-379-3951 gitsfresh@gmail. com ORGANIC FISH FERTILIZER 15-1-1, 100% dry water soluble, 5-7 times more nutritious than liquid fish. Will not clog drip irrigation. One lb., 5 lb. or 55 lb. packaging, can be shipped UPS. Frommelt Ag Service, Greeley, IA, 563-920-3674.

For Sale: JD 430 Rotary Hoe, 30 ft. folding, HD Stone Guard & Warning Flashers, $7500. Lilliston 6200 Bean Combine, Sund Pickup Head, 16” Lift, $3500. David at david11novak@gmail.com. 989-430-3461. Wildcat Compost Turner. Model FX700,3 point model. Requires110 HP tractor to operate. $8,000 or make offer. Call for info. 715-284-2606. 12 row 30’’ Red Dragon row crop flamer with twin 1000 gallon propane tanks on a gooseneck cart. Units and tanks new in 2015 $17,500. 12 row 30’’ Bourquin weed puller new in 2017 $26,000 Vertical fold toolbar. Homebuilt 12 row 30’’ in row weeder has Lilleston cutaways and Lely tine weeder units over the row $2500. 701-640-3476. Farmland Auction-320 ac. Bureau Co., IL. Organic farm offered in 3 tracts with house, and 10,000-bushel grain bin. Tract 3 had 7700 ft. of tile installed in Spring 2018. Auction being held March 13, 2019 at 10 a.m. Deer Valley Banquets, Deer Grove, IL. Capital Agricultural Property Serv. by Timo thy A. Harris, IL auctioneer, 815-875-7418, timothy.a.harris@ pgim.com or www.capitalag.com. Organic Apple Orchard, contains 200 trees, plus cherry, peach and pear. Includes house with attached garage, large shed, and walk in cooler. Asking $250,000. Contact Jeanette Scholtes at 507-261-0226.

Seasonal Positions: Hiring now for seasonal positions to start in June: mushroom worker, production lead, picker/ packer, and farmers market vendor. Cherry Tree House Mushrooms (aka Northwood Mushrooms) is a small farm near the Twin Cities specializing in log-grown organic mushrooms. Benefits include free housing and mush rooms, $12 to $14 per hour. Find more details at north woodmushrooms.com or call Jeremy at 612-205-8599.

Farm For Sale -Take our Central WI farm forward: 20 acres, new garage with attached kitchen, a four-bedroom two bath remodeled farm house, pole shed, barn, greenhouse, fruit and nut trees, 10K solar system, walk-in cooler and fenced for rotational grazing. The farm has used regenerative practices for years. Randy scutler@tznet.com 715-305-5670. For Sale: Chicken barn on 15 acres. Holds 20,000 chickens. Good business opportunity. 2 years old. Asking price $950,000 or make good offer. 618-516-2828 or samzook5@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS Place an ad at Organic Classifieds or call 715-778-5775. mosesorganic.org/organic-classifieds

For Sale or Rent: 80 acres certified organic standing grass hay near Curtis, Wis. Jim at 715-255-9236. FARMS/LAND LIVESTOCK FORAGESGRAINS MISCELLANEOUS Place your ad to be seen by 15,000 readers! $20 for up to 30 words; $5/additional 10 words mosesorganic.org/organic-classifieds EQUIPMENT JOBS The Ahimsä Alternative, Inc. For all things Neem & Karanja INSECTICIDEBIOLOGICAL 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil (3750 ppm azadirachtin) Controls Aphids, Army Worms, Beetles, Stink bugs, Caterpillars, Leaf hoppers, Leaf miners, Whitefly, Mealy bugs, Midges, Nematodes, Spider mites, Weevils, Scale, Thrips. www.nimbiosys.com100%ColdPressed,Wild Harvested Neem Oil, Karanja Oil,Neem & Karanja Cake TerraNeem®EC Order @www.neemresource.com or call 1-877-873-6336 Biological Insecticide, Miticide, Fungicide, Nematicide Cold Pressed Neem Oil Ready to Use For Organic & Sustainable Use 4-hour REI Zero days to harvest JOBS (continued) HUMATES Liquid 5, 15, or 55 gallon Dry super sacks-2400 Ibs. OMRI certified Other dry water soluble 7 6 4 16 0 0 Frommelt Ag Greeley, IA 563 920 3674

Open Pollinated Corn Seed. Early Varieties 75, 85,87,90,105,110, and 120 Day Field corn. Sweet corn and pop corn. Free Catalog. Green Haven Open Pollinated Seed Group. 607 566 9253. www.openpollinated.com Organic rye for sale. Feed quality. Sno Pac Farms, Caledonia MN. 507-725-5281.

90 round bales need to move. Mixed grass, certified organic, 600-700# average. Southwest Michigan. Delivery possible. (773) 680-8397.

Certified Organic Alfalfa Hay in Bloomfield, IA. 5X6 Round bales. Shedded. Test results available. Range 140-167 RFV depending on cutting. Doug Schock at 641twozeroeight0273 or nate.schock@gmail.com.

Organic Field Peas OMRI Inoculants OMRI Seed Treatments Yellow Field Peas Green Field Peas CustomWildlifeCoverForagesCowpeasFabaLentilsBeansCropsBlendsSeedBlending Bismarck, ND www.pulseusa.com 701-530-0734

MFA Class: Irrigation May 1 | 5:45 – 8 p.m. | $20 | Marine of St. Croix, Minn. Learn about the different irrigation options for small-scale vegetable farming and the pros and cons of each, including a hands-on demonstration of how to install a drip-tape system. To register and find out about scholarships and multi-class discounts, contact Laura at laura@mnfoodassociation.org, or call 651-433-3676.

MOSES: Women Caring for the Land April 24 | 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Elkhorn, Wis. The 2019 workshops are uniquely tailored for women who own farmland but do not live on it. These landowners will learn about conservation resources and how to best work with farmer tenants and management companies. 715-778-5775 or mosesorganic.org/in-her-boots/events

MOSES Organic Field Day: Begin a Farmstead Micro-Creamery May 23 | Free | Clear Lake, Wis. Cosmic Wheel Creamery is a micro-dairy that processes the milk from 20 grass-fed cows on the farm into artisan cheese that is direct marketed via CSA and farmers markets. We invite you to see their farm and creamery, discuss how they decided the best way to integrate the dairy into their existing business, the legal and regulatory requirements to start a value added dairy, marketing, and their decision to milk seasonally and once a day. 715-778-5775 or mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days/

MFA Field Day: Asparagus May 18 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | $20 | Marine of St. Croix, Minn. Learn the basics of asparagus production in Minnesota, includ ing site selection, ground prep, sourcing crowns, equipment needs, installation, care, harvest, and markets. Taught by experienced asparagus farmers and extension educators, class includes planting asparagus at Big River Farms. Light lunch provided. Contact Laura at laura@mnfoodassociation.org, or call 651-433-3676.

Deep Winter Greenhouse Field Day April 4 | $ | Cold Spring, Minn. Check out Green Winter Gardens’ DWG and learn about UMN horticulture, economics, and design research projects concern ing this exciting and emerging production system. There will also be hands-on DWG production training for those interested in growing in their own DWG in the near future. Green Winter Gardens 320-363-4401 or Greg Schweser 612-625-9706

Meat Goat Workshop April 13 | 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. | Clear Lake, Minn. Learn about grazing goats for profit, kidding and goat health, feed and marketing strategies, and farm security and more. Lunch is included. shonyofarm@yahoo.com or 612-810-0534.

20 | March | April 2019 TM

MFA Farm Tour: Season Extension & Farm Efficiency –10th Street Farm & Market April 27 | 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | $20 | Afton, Minn. Hosted in partnership with Land Stewardship Project. 10th Street uses a combination of low acreage-high production farming methods, organic practices and extended season tools to grow their CSA, wholesale, and farm stand customers. Light snacks & refreshments provided. To register contact Laura at laura@mnfoodassociation.org, or call 651-433-3676.

Grower Inquiries Welcome!

April 13 | $ | North Branch, Minn. WEI (Women’s Enviromental Institute) presents a workshop on growing oyster mushrooms year-round on straw, coffee grounds, and other media using low-tech methods. Partici pants will take a small bag of inoculated substrate home to fruit. 651-583-0705 Homegrown Minneapolis Community Food Forum April 17 | 5 – 7:30 p.m. | Minneapolis, Minn. Program to feature Mayor Jacob Frey, Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremy Schroeder, University of Minnesota professor Anu Ramaswami, and Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council and staff. 612-673-3553. The Sun Hive – Making a Biodynamic Beehive April 20 | $ | North Branch, Minn. WEI (Women’s Enviromental Institute) presents a workshop on The Sun Hive, a biodynamic beehive made of rye straw. This uniquely shaped hive is comprised of two skeps (baskets), held together by wooden support structures and uses top bar hive frames. This is a hands-on workshop and students will focus on the craft of weaving. 651-583-0705

The Herbal Apprentice: From Self Care to Community April 6 & 7 | $ | North Branch, Minn. WEI (Women’s Enviromental Institute) presents a workshop on the intuitive art and solid science of botanical medicine with Master Herbalist Gigi Stafne. 651-583-0705

Oyster Mushroom Cultivation

OTA Organic Week May 20 – 23 | $ | Washington, D.C. Organic Trade Association hosts members and others for 3 days of advocacy to advance organic policy priorities. ota.com

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Find details and event links online: mosesorganic.org/community

MOSES: Women Caring for the Land May 1 | 8 – 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Madison, Wis. The 2019 workshopsare uniquely tailored for women who own farmland but do not live on it. These landowners will learn about conservation resources and how to best work with farmer tenants and management companies. 715-778-5775 or mosesorganic.org/in-her-boots/events

LSP Workshop: Farm Dreams April 7 | $ | Minneapolis, Minn. Farm Dreams is a four-hour workshop designed to help people clarify what motivates them to farm, get their vision on paper, inventory their strengths and training needs, and get perspec tive from an experienced farmer. Each registration fee covers up to two people per family or farm. To register call 507-523-3366. MFA Class: Organic Fertility & Pest Prevention April 10 | 5:45 – 8 p.m. | $20 | Marine of St. Croix, Minn. This class will discuss strategies farmers can use to make smart decisions around fertility and also will discuss the organic inputs used at Big River Farms, and demonstrate how to safely and correctly apply them. Finally, review how to document usage for your records and Organic Certification. To register call 651-433-3676.