Inside Organics: Committed to Organic: Doing More than Growing Vegetables

PHOTO: LIZ GRAZNAK AT HER FARM, HAPPY HOLLOW FARM, MONITEAU COUNTY, MO.

BY LORI STERN

COMMITTED TO ORGANIC:

DOiNg mOre tHaN grOWiNg vegetaBles

A CONVERSATION WITH LIZ GRAZNAK, 2021 FARMER OF THE YEAR AND NEW NOSB MEMBER

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a critical component in implementation of the Organic Food Production Act passed as part of the 1990 Farm Bill. The act was created to establish uniform and consistent standards for agricultural foods labeled as “organic”. It authorized a new USDA National Organic Program (NOP) for this purpose. In addition, the NOP oversees mandatory certification of organic production. A critical piece of ensuring that organic standards respond and evolve with new agricultural technology, growing markets, and environmental changes, was the establishment of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). This board, made up of 15 volunteer board members, advises the Secretary of Agriculture in setting the National Organic Program standards. Only producers who meet standards set by the NOP, verified by an independent and certified inspector, may label their products as “USDA Certified Organic.”

The organic community is lucky to have several farmers still actively farming, teaching, speaking, and working on agricultural organization boards that remember the battle for more consistency nationwide. They were there as this process was designed and molded to fit within federal policies around advisory boards and rulemaking. Similar to today, the necessity for representation and transparency in a process that advises on agricultural rules and principles were top of mind for farmer advocates ahead of that 1990 Farm Bill.

The USDA Organic seal has come to represent production methods, that in the mind of the consumer, benefit animal, human, and planet health. And as concerns about climate and the food system grow louder, the commitment to maintain organic program integrity and purpose also grows.

Similar to other hard-fought political battles of over thirty years ago, farmers and eaters today do not know what it was like to make conscientious food purchasing choices without the benefit of a USDA certified organic label. Now we all have the benefit of a process for achieving certification that is clear – spelling out allowed production practices, whether you farm in California, Vermont, or somewhere in between.

The NOSB membership is also established by law. Of the 15 volunteer members, four must be organic farmers/growers, three environmental/resource conservationists, three consumer/ public interest representatives, two organic handlers/ processors, one retailer, one scientist (toxicology, ecology, or biochemistry), and one USDA-accredited certifying agent. Each NOSB member is appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for a five-year term.

Given the complexity of organic certification, ever-changing agricultural technology and inputs, along with changes in the scale of operations as organic becomes a larger share of the marketplace, the volunteer board members put in countless hours in research and meetings, traveling to multi-day in-person meetings twice a year. This is very much a working board.

We caught up with the NOSB’s newest Environmental Seat member and also USDA certified organic farmer Liz Graznak who also happens to be the MOSES, now Marbleseed, 2021 Farmer of the Year! Liz attended her first public NOSB meeting virtually in April. Concurrently with her NOSB service, Liz farms Happy Hollow Farm in rural Moniteau County, Missouri. She launched her farm business in 2010 with 18 members in a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. , Today she and her crew deliver 85 share boxes, provide six tents of produce as a cornerstone vendor at the Columbia Farmers Market, and supply produce to local restaurants and natural foods grocers. One thing that sets Happy Hollow apart from other vegetable farms in the area, is its year-round production cycle. While many farms have produce 32 weeks a year, Happy Hollow provides produce 52 weeks a year. Here is a bit from my conversation with Liz.

Lori: First, I want to thank you for your service on behalf of the organic farming community. We know that it is an incredible amount of work and time! What made you want to serve on the NOSB?

Liz: As a small-scale organic farmer I never commented to the NOSB – I was not engaged before. I did not feel like I had the time. I was more motivated to be involved at the local level and in my community. Two years ago, I was approached by both the National Organic Coalition and the Organic Farmers Association to see if I would be interested in serving. I was definitely too busy then and did not really think more about it. But then they asked me again and I knew they were serious. And I started to be drawn to the idea of shifting my level of involvement in something I care so deeply about (organic farming), to give more time that is service- oriented versus just growing the farm.

As a beginning farmer, the challenges of growing food and starting a business from scratch took all of my time. I also have a family. And still I started my NOSB service with a brand-new crew that needs training, and there is a lot happening on the farm right now. But I also know that being committed to organic means I needed to be more involved and do more than just grow organic vegetables.

Lori: Being engaged in our local community is critical. And that step into a larger, more public context can be daunting. What surprised you most about serving on the NOSB and your first meetings?

Liz: I knew it would be a lot of time. But I was not prepared for the amount of work and time it took almost right away. Luckily the USDA website search feature is there for us. And the NOP staff that support the NOSB are amazing. They ensure that all of the public comments are categoI serve on two subcommittees (Livestock and Crops). Only the crops committee is vegetable focused. Which means I have a lot of research and educating myself that I need to do. Any single recommendation can take an entire day of research and reading public comments. I have spent more hours in front of the computer in the last few months since I have been on the NOSB than I have in the last 10 years of farming. The work does really happen behind the scenes in subcommittees. That is where we review the substances, discuss with fellow board members, prep for the meetings and review all of the materials that will be considered. I thought that I would be able to put my earbuds in and do my green house work while participating in the subcommittee meetings but it takes so much concentration and focus. I had to give up the green house and other potential farming time.

The three months I have been on the board have mostly been doing materials reviews. And meetings are every other week. At the end of the public comment meeting, we did discuss NOP-funded research. But otherwise, the subcommittee conversations are very specific. The first few calls I was on were very overwhelming and it was hard to keep up with what was happening. But it is getting easier. My fellow board members have been incredibly helpful in bringing me up to speed.

Lori: Lots of advocates for the NOP are thinking about ways to make NOSB service more accessible and reasonable for farmers. What do you think would be most supportive of this goal?

Practical, reliable and friendly organic certi cation services

Liz: The volunteer aspect of NOSB membership is incredible. It is amazing that there are enough people willing to be on the board. For farmers, we are losing money every hour that we do NOSB work. If we are not doing the work on our farms, we are paying someone to do it. I know lots of people are calling for more diversity on the board. But until we figure out how to get people the time, resources, and money that is required to volunteer at this level, those conversations almost seem ludicrous. I know I am incredibly privileged in that I have the resources it takes to be on the board. I think it would be a good idea to figure out how to pay people some sort of stipend for the work that is needed to participate fully in all of the meetings and doing the behind-the-scenes pre-work and research that is required.

Lori: Some folks are also talking about research help.

Liz: I am lucky in that way as well. I have a broad social network of smart, connected people. Many of whom are researchers at universities and organizations who have been studying the minutiae that create the lists of substances and practices that are allowed in the NOP. And these small things have a very big impact on the rules of organic – they steer the ship. And research informs us about why we are allowed to do things and not. So for me, it is less about needing help in doing the research. I have people I can ask; and I still need to read the research and form my own opinion. I really want to understand the science behind biodegradable mulch, for example. And this is a specific topic that affects my farm. There are so many other topics Lori: As someone who participates in coalitions at the national level, conversations I have tend more toward the bigger picture. It is nice to hear the importance of the ‘minutiae’ as you said – that it ultimately steers the ship.

Liz: I know there are rules that the board has made recommendations on that are still not being implemented. I guess another surprise was how slowly things move at the governmental level. But I know that the staff and Dr. Tucker are very committed to organic. And after 12 years of farming, I am really looking at how to give back to the organic community long term.

Lori: There are definitely opportunities in the face of climate change, to promote soil-building organic practices and systems as a way to address greenhouse gas emissions and increase the presence of beneficial insects and species diversity. I am so thankful for the leadership and spirit of service that you are offering the organic community. We look forward to your five years on the board. Feel free to update us any time!

Lori Stern is the Executive Director of Marbleseed. She lives with her wife, LeAnn, on a small farm near Monticello, Wisconsin, where they grow vegetables and raise chickens and goats.

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