Spring 2019 Organic Matters

Organic Matters Quarterly Newsletter • Spring 2019

2

PA’s High Performance Farms Initiative

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Your Voice on Organic Integrity

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Opportunities for Marketing Organic Grains

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Compost Matters

PCO Strives to Uphold Core Values While Improving Customer Service Front Row L to R: Kyla Smith, Interim Co-Executive Director; Heather Donald, Senior Certification Specialist; Sabine Carey, Materials Specialist; April Kocis, Materials/Outreach Specialist; Marissa Evankovich, Certification Program Director; Sandy Vandeven, Human Resources Manager; Lauren Lewis, Program Assistant; Emily Newman, Certification Specialist; Aleisha Schreffler, Program Assistant Middle Row L to R: Reva Baylets, Operations Manager; Colleen Scott, Certification Specialist; Angela Morgan, Quality Systems and IT Manager; Jennifer Berkebile, Materials Program Manager; Kristin Shade, Program Assistant; Shawnee Matis, Staff Accountant; Liz Amos, Inspections Program Manager; Chelsea Johnson, Certification Specialist; Diana Underwood, Interim Co-Executive Director Back Row L to R: Cathy Jackson, Certification Specialist; Garrick McCullough, IT Specialist; Justine Cook, Certification Specialist; Eastlyn Wright, Certification Specialist; Ashley Madea, Inspections Program Coordinator; Elizabeth Leah, Accounting Manager; Lia Lopez, Administrative Assistant; Craig Shroyer, Certification Specialist; Stephen Hobaugh, Certification Specialist; Stacey Budd, Executive Assistant

A

t PCO spring means annual updates and initial reviews, goal setting and the PCO annual inspectors meeting. These all have the common thread of planning, preparing and beginning new initiatives for the next turn around the sun. We have come through the winter months enjoying engagement with members at various meetings, learning new things that we can hopefully apply in wonderful and meaningful ways and reflecting on the service we provide to our members through a customer service survey (thanks again for all of the valuable feedback).

We are delighted to share that the survey showed an increase from the 2016 survey of members who are likely to recommend PCO to their friends or colleagues. Over half (59%) of respondents rated PCO a 9 or 10, indicating that they are extremely likely to recommend PCO. The survey was open for nine weeks. The majority of comments focused on the high-quality of customer service and professionalism of our staff. We also received some excellent comments on areas for improvement which included improving response time, lowering fees and providing more guidance pertaining to the organic regulations. We will incorporate this feedback into our strategic initiatives around improving the customer service experience.

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

Speaking of surveys, help shape the future of Organic Matters by taking a survey included in this edition on page 11. This short survey will help PCO answer if this particular publication meets your needs and allows for member feedback on what we can do differently. Please take a moment to complete and return to the PCO office.

Similar to how we convene annually with all of the PCO inspectors, we also come together as a full staff. Traveling in from Nebraska, Ohio, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont and of course, Pennsylvania, any time we can all share the same space is important to the work we do each day. This year our staff gathering was themed around Values, Culture, and Service. As indicated in the survey, we hope you will continue to recognize PCO’s efforts to provide top customer service in all our interactions, while also upholding our core values: • People and Service: Keep people at the center of every action, interaction, and decision.

• Organic Spirit & Environment: Promote restorative practices that improve the world for future generations.

• Embrace transparency and integrity in all our work. continued on page 21

www.paorganic.org

Organic Matters Spring 2019

FFEEAT URREESS AT U OFFICERS

president Luke Howard, Homestead Farms, Inc. secretary Tina Ellor, Phillips Mushroom Farms treasurer Dave Hartman, Penn State Extension managing board chair Bob Eberly

ADVISORY BOARD

Kristy Borelli, Penn State University Ross Duffield, Canopy Growth Beth Gugino, Penn State Extension Betty Harper, Penn State University Ron Hoover, Penn State Extension Ted LeBow, Kitchen Table Consultants Joe Miller, Trickling Springs Creamery Spencer Miller, Boyd Station, LLC Andrew Smyre, Anchor Ingredients/ Precizion Ag LLC Marketing and Consulting Mike Spangler, Proximity Malt

STAFF

leadership team director of operations & interim co-executive director Diana Underwood certification director & interim co-executive director Kyla Smith executive assistant Stacey Budd administrative team accounting manager Elizabeth Leah staff accountant Shawnee Matis administrative assistant Lia Lopez human resources manager Sandy Vandeven

2 | PA’s High Performance Farms Initiative PCO joins partners to support innovative farming practices

certification team certification program manager Marissa Evankovich operations manager Reva Baylets senior certification specialist Heather Donald certification specialist Justine Cook certification specialist Stephen Hobaugh certification specialist Cathy Jackson certification specialist Chelsea Johnson certification specialist Emily Newman certification specialist Colleen Scott certification specialist Craig Shroyer certification specialist Eastlyn Wright program assistant Lauren Lewis program assistant Aleisha Schreffler program assistant Kristin Shade

4 | Opportunities for Marketing Organic Grains in Pennsylvania High demand and price premiums for domestic corn and soybeans

STORIES 3 | Your Voice on Organic Integrity Insider tips on providing input to National Organic Standards Board 6 | Compost Matters An emotional debate or a rational discussion?

inspections team inspections manager Liz Amos inspection program coordinator Ashley Madea materials team materials program manager Jennifer Berkebile materials specialist Sabine Carey materials/outreach specialist April Kocis

9 | PCO Board Welcome

quality team quality systems & it manager Angela Morgan it specialist Garrick McCullough

C O LU M N S 8

President’s Message

11 Organic Matters Survey

106 School Street, Suite 201

fax: 814.422.0255

Spring Mills, PA 16875

email: pco@paorganic.org

814.422.0251

web: paorganic.org

facebook.com/PAorganic OUR MISSION: To ensure the integrity of organic products

and serve our farming community.

www.paorganic.org

Standards & Policy New Faces

1 4 Transitions

21 Calendar

1 6 Dear Aggy

22 Organic Marketplace

1 7 Organic Updates Certification Legislative Materials

23 New Members On the cover: No till squash by Lizzie Wilford, Dickinson College Farm

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Pennsylvania’s High Performance Farms Initiative PCO joins forces with seven public and private partners to increase environmental sustainability, healthy communities, and economic development through supporting innovative farming practices the private market work with government and nongovernment agencies to capitalize on this interest, reward sustainable agriculture, and do the right thing for farms by paying fair prices, while promoting conservation and stewardship?

Enter the High Performance Farms Initiative (HPFI). What grew from a discussion a year ago, is now formulating into an idea with implementation tactics. The mission of this initiative is to seek out, recognize, enable, and transfer performance based practices and sustainable processes that achieve environmental results, enhance economic value to farmers and communities, and improve protection of public health and community resiliency. The HPFI idea was conceived from the realization of a need for collaboration across the different agricultural sectors in PA, and spear-headed by Scott Sechler, President & Chief Executive Officer of Left to right: State Conservation Commission Executive Director Karl Brown, PCO-Certified Bell & Evans Farms. Bell & Evans Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell, contracts with numerous small family farms in Bell & Evans Farms CEO Scott Sechler, Rodale Institute Director Jeff Moyer, PCO Pennsylvania to raise broilers, both organically and Interim Co-Executive Director Kyla Smith, PCO Interim Co-Executive Director antibiotic free. Sechler’s vision is to have all of the Diana Underwood, and Assistant PA State Conservationist for USDA’s Natural organic grain needed for the rapidly growing Resources Conservation Services Denise Coleman. organic poultry industry grown and processed right Photo: PA Department of Agriculture here in PA — but there’s a big problem with this.

Pennsylvania doesn’t even grow a fraction of the organic grain

By Marissa Evankovich, Certification Program Manager that is needed to support this endeavor.

Leaders from public, private, and non-government organiBell & Evans intends to work with and support participating zations met on January 11 at the 103rd Pennsylvania Farm grain and poultry producers in Pennsylvania, who agree to Show to launch the “High Performance Farms Initiative”, a voladopt organic production standards for grain and/or poultry untary commitment to promoting and supporting organic and and agree to implement the best management practice recomsustainable farming practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watermendations working with the State Conservation Commisshed while bringing Pennsylvania farms back into the spotlight sion, PCO, and Rodale Institute. as leaders in the agricultural industry. “PCO is honored to parBell & Evans, along with PCO, PA Natural Resource Conticipate in this initiative to increase organic acres by transitionservation Service, PA Department of Agriculture, PA Departing farmland into the organic production system, which will ment of Environmental Protection, PA State Conservation also positively impact our community through exceeding enviCommission and Rodale Institute participated in the ceremoronmental stewardship principles,” said Kyla Smith, PCO nial partnership signing event and will work together to Interim Co-Executive Director/Certification Director. develop a program that addresses healthy waters, healthy soil, Pennsylvania has always been a front runner in innovative regional approach, and economic & investment values. sustainable agricultural practices, and the Pennsylvania conThe hope is that by utilizing the synergies across sectors, sumer is becoming more adamantly supportive of both the farmers participating in the HPFI will reduce costs, improve farming practices and the practices’ effects on state and local efficiencies and enhance the health, vitality, resilience, and susareas they love and want to protect. In addition, more and tainability of our communities. As Mr. Sechler commented more consumers are interested in where their food comes during the signing ceremony, “We don’t know where this is from, the whole way back to the soil, and like the idea of buygoing to end up, but we’re going to work hard; PA will get back ing a product that creates a positive local impact. How could to being a leader, and the rest will follow.”

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

www.paorganic.org

Your Voice on Organic Integrity Insider tips on providing input to the National Organic Standards Board

By Christie Badger, Independent Organic Inspector & Consultant With the Seattle National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about making our voices heard when it comes to organic standards and organic integrity.

There are many criticisms of the National Organic Program (NOP), ranging from issues with particular standards or the use of a particular substance to the space allotted for chickens in poultry barns. While these examples illustrate challenges, USDA Certified Organic remains the gold standard for a nationally recognized, third party verified sustainable food production system.

When the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) was passed more than 25 years ago, the original advocates of the law considered OFPA the foundation for sustainable food production and planned for the law to be regularly updated. Organic regulations were never intended to be static; there is a process in place to make improvements to the standards and ensure integrity of the organic seal. That process offers a public-private relationship that allows organic stakeholders the opportunity to be the voice of organic integrity. Together, we have an opportunity to ensure that the program continues to evolve and meet public expectations. If the principles of organic matter to you, you need to get involved. Let me explain how.

In order to really understand where you come into the picture in all of this, it is important to have a basic understanding of how the whole process works.

What is the NOSB? The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a Federal Advisory Board made up of 15 dedicated public volunteers from across the organic community. The NOSB advises the Secretary of Agriculture on a wide variety of topics related to organic standards, including what materials should be allowed in organic production.

About the Board The 15-member board, consisting of four farmers, three environmentalists, three consumers, two food processors, and one retailer, scientist, and certifying agent, votes to allow or prohibit substances and practices in certified organic food and farming. The NOSB acts as a life-line from government to the organic community as it considers input from you, the public — the concerned citizens upon whom organic integrity depends. That is why your participation is vital to the development of organic standards. Rest assured, if you submit a public comment either in person or online, your concerns will be con-

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Fall 2018 National Organic Standards Board Meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota. Photo: National Organic Coalition.

sidered by the Board. Remember that the NOSB can’t take serious action to protect organic integrity without your input!

How does the NOSB contribute to transparency and integrity of the organic seal?

• The Board makes decisions on which materials to allow in organic production and processing based on the principles laid out in the organic law — a set of criteria that evaluates the need for the material, compatibility with organic systems, and cradle-to-grave impacts on human health and the environment. It is a whole systems approach that includes considerations such as the impact on biodiversity and soil health.

• The NOSB holds public meetings two times each year to discuss agenda items, vote on proposals, and make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture through the National Organic Program. These meetings are free and open to the public. NOSB meetings are an opportunity for the entire organic community to publicly voice their opinions about how the organic program should function.

• The Board accepts and considers written and oral testimony.

NOSB recommendations are informed by the input provided by public stakeholders. The NOSB processes allow for substantial, high quality, and diverse input from the organic community.

• NOSB proposals require that a 2 ⁄ 3 majority in favor of the proposed motion in order to become a recommendation.

• Special interests cannot unduly sway the outcomes of the NOSB decision-making process because of the carefully constructed balance of stakeholders on the board and the 2 ⁄ 3 majority requirement. continued on page 5

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Opportunities for Marketing Organic Grains in Pennsylvania High demand and price premiums for domestic organic corn and soybeans boost local market participation for PA grain farmers

By Kristy Borrelli Sustainable Ag Educator, Penn State University, PCO Advisory Board Member

You have probably heard by now that in 2016, Pennsylvania was second in organic sales, only to California (most recent available data). Pennsylvania brought in $660 million in organic sales that year. This is due in part to the national demand for organic products that has been steadily increasing over the last several decades. According to the Organic Trade Association, 74% of US families try to buy organic food regularly. Particularly, 52% of millennials (approximately 23–38 years old) make up the population of organic buyers. The primary reported reasons that consumers choose to purchase organic foods are their concerns about the effects of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics and their desire to avoid highly processed or artificial ingredients. These considerations mainly center around the health of their children, which explains why the primary buyers are in the age group of young parents. Nationally, the top commodities that consumers purchase are milk, eggs, and broiler chickens, in that order, followed by fruit and vegetables as well as some other livestock. This information indicates that consumers are mainly concerned around health issues associated with animalbased foods.

This is where Pennsylvania comes in.

Pennsylvania’s top two 2016 organic commodity sales were for broiler chickens and eggs. According to the USDA census of Agriculture and the 2016 Cer-

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tified Organic Survey, Pennsylvania’s total poultry industry had a $1.17 billion value, 42% off which was certified organic. As your PCO inspectors will tell you, all those certified birds need to eat certified organic grain!

Currently, organic grain is not grown in high enough quantities in the U.S. to supply this high demand for animal feed.

Therefore, much of the grain is imported internationally. In 2016, organic soybeans were the 2nd and feed corn was the 5th largest organic import into the U.S. and most of this grain was used as livestock feed. Yet, domestic organic soy prices are approximately $10 per bushel more than conventional soy and corn $7 per bushel more than its non-organic counterpart. These price premiums and demand for organic crops leave a rich opportunity for Pennsylvania grain growers to participate in a local, valueadded market.

Naturally, grain buyers and processors are rising to meet this local demand and several businesses within Pennsylvania and nearby states have increased the opportunities that organic grain producers have for selling their products. Many of these businesses also respect the importance of purchasing local agricultural products and commit their mission to purchase domestically and directly from farmers. Due to their high demand as a staple in most animal feed, organic corn and soybeans are relatively easy to market directly. However, it is important to identify who might purchase your grain and understand any grain quality concerns before growing large quantities. For example, when selling the grain, farmers need to ensure consistency in seed cleanliness, moisture content, and other feed quality parameters in order to

meet the quality standards of the buyer.

This is a greater concern in imported grain though since time and storage during shipping has a huge impact on grain moisture and can influence end-product processing and handling. Marketing with local producers and growers directly makes quality control easier and more efficient. Regardless, quality control considerations require farmers to have the infrastructure in place to clean, dry, and store grain before sale.

In addition to corn and soy, other grain crops that could provide nutritious sources of feed for poultry include wheat, oats and barley (particularly hulless varieties), hemp, sorghum, sunflower, buckwheat, canola, and field peas. Although they might be appropriate sources of feed, large markets are not currently available for these crops and it is not recommended to grow them without a contract. Also, although preliminary research suggests that they may have ideal nutritional compositions for feed, not much is understood about including these crops in poultry diets and a better understanding is needed before poultry nutritionists can recommend them as feed. We would also need to know how they perform under organic management.

Despite these concerns, diverse crop options for animal diets and the farming landscape is well within the interest of the organic mission. Organic certification requires crop rotations because this practice has known benefits for controlling disease and pests and for improving soil health. Although cover crops have greatly improved our ability to add diversity to farm fields, additional opportunities to grow multiple crops could increase these benefits further.

www.paorganic.org

Diverse crop markets also have the potential to improve financial security and increase options for animal diets.

Personally, I think that diversity (crops and other) provides exciting opportunities and is the secret to farming sustainably into the future!

Like all production systems, organic management has some challenges, especially at a large scale that is driven by market demand, like the one being discussed in Pennsylvania. Some of the main concerns identified include: the challenge of remaining profitable during the mandatory 3-year transition period, maintaining soil health and reducing soil erosion resulting from tillage, finding crop varieties adapted for organic management, minimal options for weed control, soil fertility management concerns (including waste and nutrient overload), and animal welfare concerns. Of course, these are not unique problems to organic production systems either. The first step

to managing problems is identifying that they exist and being open to discussing opposing viewpoints. We have many resources and tools available already to be able to address these concerns.

Besides, farmers are nothing if not innovative, creative, and adapted to dealing with risk. Emerging markets and the ever-changing farming landscapes offer many opportunities for co-learning, collaboration, experimentation, and teaching and they certainly keep us on our toes.

Kristy Borrelli is a Sustainable Ag Extension Educator with Penn State University’s Agronomy Team and the Northeast SARE Pennsylvania State Coordinator. Her background is in soil science and diverse cropping systems. Her current Northeast SARE State Professional Development Project focuses on marketing alternative grain crops.

Your Voice on Organic Integrity continued from page 3

• The balance of interest on the Board makes it possible for the voices of small-scale farmers, who represent the majority of organic farmers, to be heard.

But I am interested in farming, not policy work You don’t have to be a “policy wonk” to participate in the work of organic integrity. While you may have the impression that policy work deals with high-level issues that you may not feel you have the time or energy or desire to address, there are issues in front of the NOSB that relate specifically to small family farms and consumers of organic. A few examples include: • Bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging • Energy infrastructure on organic farms & the impacts of oil & gas fracking • Fraud — Have you or someone you known been impacted by price drops in organic grain?

• Next generation GE technologies — An ongoing discussion that needs to remain top-of-mind to keep technologies such as gene editing and CRISPR out of organic production.

• Paper pots — Petitioned to be added to the National List.

• Seeds — Anyone using them? The NOSB is currently discussing the genetic integrity transparency of seeds grown on organic land, as well as how to best ensure the use of organic seeds by organic producers. You might want to be a part of this discussion!

This list represents a small portion of issues of importance to the integrity of the organic seal that are currently in front of the NOSB. To learn more, find the full NOSB Work Agenda at

www.paorganic.org

TOP STATES:CERTIFIED ORGANIC SALES

California

($ MILLION) 2,889

Pennsylvania

660

Washington

636

Oregon

351

Texas

297

Wisconsin

255

New York

216

Michigan

201

Colorado

181

North Carolina

145

This data is from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service 2016 Certified Organic Survey.

www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOSBWorkAgenda.pdf Conclusion As a consumer-driven industry, organic has been growing faster than any other sector of the food industry. The importance of having our voices heard on organic integrity is greater than ever.

GET INVOLVED Your voice matters and can be heard in a number of different ways.

• Provide the National Organic Standards Board with oral or written testimony — talk about the issues that matter to you.

See overview below on the Spring 2019 Meeting and ways to participate.

• Attend an NOSB meeting. The meeting scheduled for April 24–26, 2019, will be held in Seattle, WA. The meeting scheduled for October 23–25, 2019, will be held in Pittsburgh, PA. • If you see a problem, submit a complaint to the National Organic Program: NOPCompliance@ams.usda.gov; 202-7203252 • Meet with your Representatives and Senators at home district meetings. Talk to them about organic agriculture. Invite them to visit your farm.

Christie Badger has been a National Organic Coalition (NOC) consultant since 2015, working to facilitate NOC’s NOSB work. She facilitates standards discussions, conducts research, and helps to write and deliver comments for the NOSB meeting. As an independent organic inspector, Christie specializes in inspecting dairies and poultry, as well as consulting with transitioning operations.

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Compost Matters An emotional debate or a rational discussion?

By Rick Carr Compost Production Specialist, Rodale Institute It’s no surprise that composting is viewed with such high favor among organic farmers and gardeners. The benefits have real potential and it’s a feel-good type of activity too. But why is that? Maybe it’s because we create useful materials for plant production, or avoid useless chemical treatments that are too often assumed to be the standard for growing plants; or maybe it’s because we’re practicing an archaic form of nutrient management and disease control for modern agriculture. Others could be avoiding the financial burden of purchasing bags of fertilizers and other soil amendments. Still, some are making compost simply because they believe it works. Whatever the reason, all practitioners seem to be proud of their compost — so much that it triggers an emotional response.

Too good to waste In general, composting has dual benefits. First, it can be used as an effective tool for waste management and second, finished compost is a valuable soil amendment for plant production. The vast majority of the agricultural community would have no problem giving an educated response to identifying the benefits of using compost, but what is discussed much less is the waste management aspect of composting.

So, let’s consider for a minute the “why compost” question.

In 2016, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a report documenting the trends in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, recycling, composting, and landfilling in

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

Mixed vegetables and other plant-based farm wastes collected at Rodale Institute for composting.

the U.S. The data was quite impressive. Total waste generation has risen steadily each year since first documenting in 1960. In 2014, MSW generation in the U.S. was 258.5 million tons, but what does that mean for this audience?

Food waste and yard trimmings account for over 28% of the MSW generated, and of that only 2.2% of food waste and 23.6% of yard trimmers were diverted from the landfill for recycling and composting (Figure 1). These materials are easily compostable in any backyard composting system. Still, there is a problem in this country because we have landfills that are nearly 30% food waste and yard trimmings (Figure 2). Compost is certainly not a magic bullet for agricultural nutrient management but think about all those resources we could use to improve our soils for crop production and a wide variety of other uses.

No one right way to make compost The 2019 PASA Conference in Lancaster, PA hosted a panel discussion with four advanced composters. Mike Brownback (Spiral Path Farm), Dan Landis (Landisdale Farm), Matt Steinman (Dickinson College Farm), and myself have different approaches to composting but the conclusion from the discussion was that even though we are composting differently our final products are arguably pretty equal — we all produce stable organic matter containing a diversity of nutrients and microorganisms suitable for plant production.

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FIGURE 1. Total MSW generation (by material) in 2014 was 258 million tons (left).

Total MSW recycling and composting (by material) in 2014 was 89 million tons (right).

USEPA, 2016. Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2014 Fact Sheet. Washington, DC.

Separate the “feel” good from the “real” good I mentioned previously that composting can be an emotional topic. However, when we start thinking emotionally we stop thinking rationally. So, let’s take the time to separate the “feel” good from the “real” good and ask the question, what is high quality compost?

Is quality determined by chemical and biological parameters such as the amount of NPK or the number of microbes we count with a microscope? I’d claim neither and instead argue that those are ways to characterize compost.

The quality of compost should be measured by its end-use.

For example, did you know that the long snake-like silt socks (Figure 3) you may see along construction sites are often filled

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FIGURE 2. Total MSW landfilled (by material) in 2014 was 136 million tons.

USEPA, 2016. Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: 2014 Fact Sheet. Washington, DC.

with compost? From a farmer’s perspective, the quality of compost put into silt socks would be much lower than compost produced for plant production; however, is the end goal to make plants grow better or to stop sediments from washing off-site. So as you can see, quality depends on how the material is going to be used.

Let’s be specific — what is high quality compost for plant production? We can test our materials and use those results for comparing and contrasting different composts. However, tests are a snapshot in time because compost continually changes physically, chemically and biologically. Furthermore, those test results cannot predict success or how plants will respond, continued on page 10

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President’s Message

By Luke R. Howard, PCO Advisory Board President Welcome to Spring 2019. As I notice the daffodils starting to grow in my back yard I think we can officially say spring is on its way. I am looking forward to this spring. As we had some very difficult weather last year, I am hoping that we have something that is closer to normal.

With mild temperatures and less moisture it looks like we will be in the fields before we know it. As I look into April and then May, I see many busy days on our farm and they will be filled with hopes of a productive growing season. It is always amazing to me how I think we have plenty of time to prepare and then on the first 60 degree day, I feel like we are behind. We are getting ready to plant hay, spread manure and hopefully get some corn in the ground before the middle of May. With hard work, good planning and some luck with the weather, we are going to hope for a bountiful year on our farm.

It seems like life on the PCO board never slows down. We have such a wonderful community of board members, support staff and volunteers. The commitment that our board members have for keeping the work of the board moving forward is amazing to me. We have honest, open discussions at our meetings. Sometimes disagreeing while we have discussions but always coming together for the good of our organization.

This year, our board says goodbye to Michael Ranck for his service as PCO Vice President and many years of service to the board. Michael has done a wonderful job at representing farmers on the board. He will be missed and I am sure he will be volunteering for some committees at PCO as his time allows. Thank you Michael. It has been a pleasure to work with you on the board.

We also have two new members joining our board, Spencer Miller and Betty Harper. Spencer will bring great experience as a grain merchandiser and many years of experience in the organic world.

And Betty is not new to PCO. Having spent time as PCO’s Executive Assistant before returning to a wonderful opportunity at Penn State, she will bring an insider’s view to our board. Betty has many years’ of experience with getting things done in a respectful productive way. We look forward to working with both of our new board members.

Finally, our board has begun the process of searching for a new Executive Director. Diana and Kyla have been doing a wonderful job in the interim position. But we all expected this role to be temporary and they still have their other positions to tend to. So at the last board meeting we formed an Executive Director Search Committee with Tina Ellor being the chairperson. The committee will begin the journey of researching and finding the best Executive Director for PCO. With so many exciting things happening in our industry the future looks bright and full of growth. But we also know that PCO and its certification services are known for their high level of integrity and reliability. It will be a big role for someone to fill but I am sure with the committee’s guidance your board will find the best candidate available. This process will be time consuming and the committee is currently meeting weekly to get the process moving. Stay tuned for more updates as this process moves along. I will update you in the next Organic Matters.

As always if you have thoughts or ideas feel free to reach out to me. It is always enjoyable to hear from our members. I wish you all a great spring and productive growing season. Stay safe and enjoy your family.

Luke R Howard, PCO President 410.708.3105

2020 PCO Calendar Photo Contest!

PCO would like to showcase your organic farm, and photography skills in our 2020 calendar. We are looking for pictures of your family and farm workers on your organic farm or handling operation, at work or at rest, throughout the seasons. We will accept high-resolution photos via submission on our website, by email, or on a CD. Please submit your entries for the photo contest by July 15, 2019 to: Pennsylvania Certified Organic 2020 Calendar Coordinator 106 School Street, Suite 201 • Spring Mills, PA 16875 calendar@paorganic.org • www.paorganic.org

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

www.paorganic.org

PCO Welcomes New 2019 Board Members SPENCER MILLER Boyd Station, LLC Danville, PA Spencer Miller currently works as the organic grain/oil seed merchandiser at Boyd Station LLC in Danville, PA. Spencer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and a minor in Poultry Sciences from Penn State University. He has been involved with organic grain and feed ingredients for over 5 years and has managed organic chicken farms.

Spencer’s areas of expertise include organic soybeans, organic corn, and organic grain marketing.

Spencer plays an important role in the organic grain industry by supporting organic grain farmers and is committed to the continued growth of organic acreage in Pennsylvania. Spencer lives in Reinholds, Pennsylvania.

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BETTY HARPER Penn State University State College, PA Betty Harper is an assistant director of learning outcomes assessment in the Office of Planning and Assessment at Penn State University. She supports faculty, program coordinators, and administrators across Penn State to develop and execute plans to assess student learning.

Immediately prior to accepting this position in December 2018, Betty served as PCO’s executive assistant, where she gained an understanding of PCO’s mission, organizational structure, and strategic goals, as well as working directly in support of its Board of Directors.

Although Betty recently accepted an invitation to return to Penn State, where she previously worked for 19 years, her commitment to PCO, its staff and members, and its vision remains and she would very much like to continue to contribute to the pursuit of that vision.

www.paorganic.org

Box 361, 119 Hamilton Place Penn Yan, NY 14527 315-531-1038 Certified Organic Feed, Seed & Livestock Products from Northeast organic farmers for Northeast organic farmers ❖ www.lakevieworganicgrain.com

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Compost Matters continued from page 7

despite what some might say. Instead, let your plants tell you the quality of your compost. For instance, after application did your plants grow better? Did you experience less disease? Was your soil buffered from seasonal changes in weather like drought? If you can answer yes with confidence to any one of those questions than its fair to say you have high quality compost.

Predicting success Compost amendment rate bioassays or grow-outs are low cost, at-home tests for predicting how plants will respond to compost. The general procedure is to first choose your base media (e.g. topsoil, potting media, sand, etc.) and then create different mixes of compost and media at varying rates. Typically I choose 0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% compost: media by volume (Figure 4). Zero percent and 100% compost are used as controls, which is a very important point to make.

How do you know if your compost did well for your plants or not? What are you comparing it to when it does work? Applying compost in one location and not in another while growing the same plants is a way to determine efficacy and compare results.

Compost happens!

Despite what our emotions or science tells us, if you are diverting organic wastes from the landfill and composting them than you are certainly doing a “real” good thing for your community and environment. What’s best is that it “feels” good too. Imagine a five-gallon bucket of rotting food waste sitting for a couple of weeks during the peak of summer. That description probably triggered a number of different senses, your olfactory senses for sure. Only a composter gets excited about dumping that bucket into their compost bin, knowing full well that they will be reaping the benefits come spring time — dark, crumbly, earth-smelling compost that you can feed to your plants.

Rick Carr, Compost Production Specialist Rick conducts research on composting best practices at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, PA. He earned a Master of Science degree in Plant Pathology from Cornell University in 2012. When not in the lab, he frequently worked with the Master Composters and Gardeners of New York State. Before joining the Rodale Institute staff, Rick conducted research on a large certified organic farm in Argentina.

FIGURE 3. Silt snake filter socks filled with compost to prevent soil runoff. Flex Tran.

FIGURE 4. Compost amendment rate bioassay with oats. Compost was amended at varying rates (0%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% v:v) to soil-less potting media.

FIGURE 5. Food waste diverted from the landfill for composting.

FIGURE 6. Turning compost at Rodale Institute.

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

www.paorganic.org

Organic Matters Survey We are asking for just a few moments of your time to make sure we hear your opinions and suggestions so Organic Matters can best serve your interests. By answering these questions, you’re helping us gain a clear understanding of what you expect to see in these pages, which will help us produce a publication that is a true reflection of interests in our organic community. Please complete the survey and return it in the self-addressed, stamped envelope by April 30, 2019. Thank you for your time and support in completing this survey.

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1. Overall I find Organic Matters informative .........................................................

2. What is the reason you typically read Organic Matters Education for my specific needs Organic Industry news Other:

3. Which of these sections do you always read (check all that apply) Legislative updates Standards/Policy updates Certification updates Materials updates Technical content focused on organic production (livestock, vegetables, crops, etc.)

Other:

4. How frequently are you interested in reading this type of content Within growing season (Apr–Oct) Outside of growing season (Nov–Mar) Bi-monthly (6x per year) Quarterly (4x per year) Occasionally (2x per year)

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements based on your experience of this publication:

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5. I am exposed to new points of view or ways of thinking about things ..................

6. I can apply the content I learn to my business /operation .....................................

7. The content feels relevant to the organic industry ...............................................

8. I’m able to follow along easily when reading articles (ease of reading/writing) ......................................................................................

9. Please share any other suggestions for improving Organic Matters (this can also include suggestions for future topics, use back of page if necessary):

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Use this page for additions suggestions for improving Organic Matters.

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Transitions Handler (Processor/Handler & Marketer/Broker/Trader) Inspections Making sure you are prepared for your handler inspection

By Colleen Scott, Certification Specialist In order to be granted organic certification for handling, your certification agency must verify that you are managing an organic system to handle organic products according to the National Organic Program standards. An inspector will come to your facility and/or office to verify that procedures, labels, and formulations on file are current and accurate, your product can be tracked from incoming ingredients to purchaser of outgoing product, and that there are adequate practices throughout your operation to ensure organic integrity. Thorough recordkeeping on your part is an essential part of this process.

At every new and annual inspection, the Organic System Plan (OSP), Materials Used Form, Product Profile(s), Private Label Agreement(s), OSP supplemental forms, and product labels are verified. In addition, the inspector may ask for a variety of supporting documents such as production records, organic certificates, pest management logs, cleaning logs, and Standard Operating Procedures. The inspector’s role is to verify accuracy of the information you have submitted and collect additional information as needed. The inspector is a neutral third-party who cannot make recommendations, issue adverse actions, or grant certification. The inspector will provide a written report to PCO, and then PCO will take action as needed, such as asking for additional information or granting certification.

The inspector will likely do the inspection in two parts. One part will be reviewing your records and going over all other relevant paperwork. The second part will be visually inspecting processing areas, storage areas, equipment, verifying process flow diagrams and pest management maps, and asking additional questions about things he or she sees. Before the inspection is over, your inspector will do an exit interview with you.

The purpose of this interview is to give a summary of the inspection and to highlight any issues found during inspection.

After your initial inspection and after you are granted certification, you must be inspected annually (once per calendar

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

year) in order to maintain your certification. The majority of PCO inspections for existing clients occur between April and October. If you have specific timing needs be sure to inform your Certification Specialist. Please note that Certification Reports for existing clients may be issued a few months postinspection. Your organic certification is continuous and your PCO Organic Certificate and Organic Certificate Addendum remain valid even if your Certification Report has not yet been completed.

Your initial inspection can happen at any time, but it is best if all equipment is in place during active production. If there is not enough information to evaluate whether your operation has the ability to comply with NOP regulations, a follow-up inspection may be required, or your application for certification may be denied.

Processing facilities do not have a transition period and may be certified at any time regardless of when conventional practices were last implemented as long as the operation is determined to be able to comply with all organic regulations.

Many processing facilities have split operations, meaning that they process both conventional and organic products. In these cases, PCO will verify there are practices in place to ensure there is no commingling of organic and conventional product.

This may include but is not limited to separate storage areas for organic and conventional ingredients, color coding or signs indicating whether an item is organic or conventional, batch records that identify organic ingredients, tracking logs for incoming organic ingredients, lot codes used throughout production, and Organic Control Point programs.

Preparing for your inspection You should read your Initial Review Report prior to your inspection. This is a letter that describes information you should have ready for the inspector and other items that the inspector will verify. The Initial Review Report may identify blank forms for you to complete, prior issues for the inspector to follow up on to ensure they have been corrected, comments regarding any new PCO policies or forms that have been updated since your last inspection, and/or comments on any missing information in your file. If you are already certified, review your Certification Report from the previous year and

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any applicable Notices of Noncompliance and/or Response Received — Correction letters. The Certification Report and Response Received — Correction letters will have conditions and reminders of items that will be checked at your next inspection. You should also check to see if the products listed on your Organic Certificate Addendum are accurate.

On the day of inspection, ensure that you can devote the time and attention needed to complete the inspection. Provide a space where you and the inspector can comfortably review records, such as a table. Furthermore, make sure that all of your records are organized and in one place so that the inspection goes as smoothly as possible.

Physical areas verified at inspection • Storage — The inspector will view any storage areas in use that are on-site. If you are using off-site storage, this information should be part of your Organic System Plan. An inspector may visit an off-site storage site if PCO determines this is required. Risk of commingling and contamination in storage areas may be noted by your inspector. This may include but is not limited to inadequate labeling, mislabeling, open containers, organic product stored underneath non-organic product, and/or the use of pest foggers in storage areas.

• Production — The inspector will verify that all process flow documents are current and accurate. The inspector will also verify that all portions of your Organic System Plan match what is happening on-site. If there are any differences, your inspector will relay the differences to PCO via the Inspection Report. Compliance of any changes will be determined by your Certification Specialist.

• Other — If there are areas relevant to organic production that are not listed on your Organic System Plan, your inspector may visit these areas. An example of this is production lines that have not been used previously but may be used in the future.

PCO Materials Verification PCO has a Materials Database that is regularly updated. All previously reviewed materials are re-reviewed once every 3 years, or when there are regulatory, policy, formulation, or production method changes. If a previously allowed material has a status change, PCO will notify you of the change and whether use up of the material is allowed. If you plan on using any new materials, contact PCO prior to use so your Certification Specialist can verify whether it is already listed in the Materials Database. New materials may be submitted for review at any time.

Your Certification Specialist will review your Materials Used form prior to your annual inspection to ensure all listed restrictions are current. If a material has not been reviewed in >3 years, the material will be submitted for a Review Update.

Your inspector will verify the Materials Used form on file is current and accurate.

www.paorganic.org

Audits Two types of audits are attempted at each annual inspection — a mass balance audit and a traceback audit. Keeping clear, complete, and organized records is crucial for a successful document trail audit.

A mass balance audit is used to determine whether there are sufficient organic ingredients or products purchased to produce the final product during the time period the inspector chooses to audit. You must be able to demonstrate that the amount of starting materials is adequate for the amount of final organic product produced.

A traceback audit is used to determine whether an organic product can be traced back through each production step to its origin within the operation. For multi-ingredient products, each ingredient must be able to be traced back to the last certified handler of the ingredient. You must be able to demonstrate integrity of organic product throughout your operation.

Common issues seen in these audits are inadequate records and out of date documentation. Inadequate records may include not using organic identifiers through production, not having lot codes, not using logs that are part of your Organic System Plan, not having receipts for uncertified handlers, missing transaction certificates, inability to track past inventory, and missing sales records. Out of date documentation may include organic certificates and applicable addendums that have an issue date more than 12 months ago that are linked to inventory no longer on site. If an audit is unsuccessful, an inspector may choose a different product to audit or use a different time period. However, in order to be compliant you must be able to repeatedly demonstrate that your record keeping system is robust enough to complete both types of audits for all products through any requested time period.

Legal Status Organic certificates are not transferrable if there is a legal status change of your operation. If you believe you will have an upcoming legal status change, or if a change has already occurred, be sure to contact PCO. An inspection of the new legal entity will need to occur prior to any organic production by the new entity.

Final Thoughts Adequate preparation for your annual inspection and clear communication with PCO and your Certification Specialist throughout the year are important steps to ensure your inspection goes smoothly. Having organized records, reviewing any letters or reports that PCO has sent you, and having personnel on site on the day of inspection that are familiar with all aspects of your organic operation are all best practices. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your Certification Specialist at any time. In the next issue, we will discuss the specifics for each document that may be part of your record keeping system

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Dear Aggy Readers’ Letters

1 6 87

Parasiticide Use in Poultry Dear Aggy, My neighbor has started using SafeGuard wormer for his flock of laying hens, and I would like to start my flock on a regular treatment schedule as well. — Thanks so much, Paul Poultryman

Dear Paul P, SafeGuard wormer contains Fenbendazole, a synthetic parasiticide. Synthetic parasiticides, including fenbendazole, are restricted for livestock use at 205.603(a)(23). At this time, none of the

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

restricted parasiticides (moxidectin, ivermectin, fenbendazole) are allowed for poultry.

All synthetic parasiticides are prohibited in slaughter stock and allowed in emergency treatment for dairy and breeder stock when organic system planapproved preventive management does not prevent infestation. In breeder stock, treatment cannot occur during the last third of gestation if the progeny will be sold as organic and must not be used during the lactation period for breeding stock. Moxidectin and fenbendazole are allowed for fiber bearing animals when

used a minimum of 36 days prior to harvesting of fleece or wool that is to be sold, labeled, or represented as organic.

In addition, milk or milk products from cattle treated with fenbendazole or moxidectin cannot be sold as organic for 2 days following treatment.

The National List will be amended to remove Ivermectin entirely, effective December 2019. In the meantime, milk or milk products from cattle treated with ivermectin cannot be sold as organic for 90 days following treatment.

Since there are no allowed synthetic parasiticides in organic poultry, parasites are most effectively controlled through playing close attention to management systems. Rotating outdoor access areas on a regular basis will minimize exposure to parasites and also break up their reproductive cycle. Additional sanitation measures in the poultry house, such as elevating waterers and feeders at a height level with the backs of the birds, will also reduce feed contamination. Adding fresh litter or raking litter frequently also reduces overall parasite habitat.

www.paorganic.org

Organic Updates

Certification Update

Legislative Update

Marissa Evankovich, Certification Program Manager

Kyla Smith, Interim Co-Executive Director & Certification Director

March has been a busy time at PCO. The certification specialists are finishing all the reports from the 2018 year, while simultaneously working to provide information and customer support for the upcoming 2019 annual update cycle. Every new yearly cycle brings us an opportunity to continue to improve our service to you, whether that be easier paperwork, or clearer policies to streamline consistency and overall processes.

A few reminders that I always like to mention for this time of year: If you’re adding new fields, adding new processes or products, (for example, starting to sell livestock feed and/or broker feed, adding swine, adding a new processing line), or moving your operation, please let PCO know as soon as possible. If you’ve indicated this information in your annual update, it never hurts to call and double check to make sure we are aware and you’ve received the right paperwork or are on track for an inspection.

One additional item I would like to mention that we have been seeing more and more of recently: If you plan to make a legal entity change to your operation that will affect your certificate, you must contact PCO prior to doing so, and prior to making any sales under the new legal entity. Certificates between legal entities are not transferrable, so it is not as simple as just adding a new name to the certificate. In general, additional paperwork and an inspection are necessary. Legal entity changes could be anything from moving the business from a sole proprietorship to an LLC, adding a family member’s name to the certificate to form a partnership, or when one business purchases another and a new tax ID is created, to name just a few scenarios. If it is found that you are not selling product under the same legal entity as is listed on your certificate, you will be subjected to a non-compliance and potentially additional adverse actions.

As always, if you have any questions about your certification, please contact your certification specialist. We always would rather find out about changes before they happen, and help provide guidance on options, rather than afterwards and having the changes made potentially affecting your certification.

STAY CONNECTED, VISIT:

paorganic.org

www.paorganic.org

Funding to Promote PA Agriculture Industry in Momentous PA Farm Bill Proposal Governor Tom Wolf announced the historic and inaugural PA Farm Bill proposal, which intends to invest more than $24 million in order to provide support and continued investments in the commonwealth’s agriculture industry.

The PA Farm Bill proposal outlines the following initiatives: 1. Develop New Resources for Agriculture Business Development and Succession Planning • Establish a PA Agricultural Business Development Center to serve as resource to assist in business, transition, or succession plan creation 2. Create More Processing Capabilities • Support the dairy industry through continued funding of the Dairy Investment Program and Center for Dairy Excellence • Establish Center for Animal Agriculture Excellence to aid poultry, swine, sheep, lamb, goat, and rabbit agriculture 3. Remove Regulatory Burdens and Strengthen the State’s Agricultural Business Climate • Incentivize best management practices through a mix of grants, low-interest loans, and tax credits 4. Increase Opportunities for Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Workforce • Provide funding to increase awareness of and exposure to agriculture jobs in the state 5. Protect Agricultural Infrastructure • Create a Pennsylvania Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account to allow for quick response to agricultural disasters 6. Increase Market Opportunities and Make Pennsylvania the Nation’s Leading Organic State • Create state-specific guidelines for marketing Pennsylvania’s organic products to a global marketplace For more information on the proposal contact the PCO office or visit: www.governor.pa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ 021319-farm-bill.pdf

Organic Industry Urges USDA to Take Action on Origin of Livestock The Accredited Certifiers Association submitted a cosigned letter, for which PCO supported, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requesting that the agency issue a

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

17

Organic Updates final rule pertaining to origin of livestock. A proposed rule was published in April 2015. The USDA never finalized this rule after the open comment period.

The National Organic Standards Board passed a unanimous resolution at the fall 2018 meeting which “urges the Secretary to directly issue a final rule for Origin of Livestock that incorporates public comments submitted in response to the Proposed Rule (Docket Number AMS-NOP- 11-0009).”

In addition, the Organic Trade Association’s Dairy Sector Council delivered a co-signed letter requesting a final rule based on the proposed rule from 2015 (never finalized) that would ensure uniform application of the organic dairy standards through the nation.

Court Rejects USDA’s Dismissal of Animal Welfare Lawsuit The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently ruled that the Organic Trade Association case against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failure to put into effect the organic livestock and poultry practices rule has the legal standing to contest the agency’s withdrawal of the rule.

“The court has recognized the harm to organic producers, to organic businesses, and to the integrity of the Organic seal that the USDA’s arbitrary and capricious stance against this important organic standard has already had, and the potential for even greater damage,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. “Our case will now advance. We are confident our case is strong and we look forward to winning this legal battle to uphold organic standards.”

Materials Update Jennifer Berkebile, Materials Program Manager The PCO Materials Team is busy reviewing the new input materials that you’ve included on your 2019 Materials Used form. If you haven’t yet sent in your annual update paperwork, contact PCO immediately! If you don’t want to wait to hear back about a material, call Jen, April, or Sabine at the PCO office, 814-422-0251, for a speedy review. Make sure you have the name of the product and the name of the manufacturer.

PCO sent out a letter with your annual update paperwork indicating some significant changes to the material inputs that are allowed in organic production. If you did not receive this letter, or if you have any questions, contact Jen at the PCO office or at jen@paorganic.org.

n ALLOWED — Contact PCO with any questions about the use or restrictions for these products.

Crop Materials • Humus Compost by Soil Health Technologies is allowed as a fertilizer/ soil amendment.

• Sila Prime S by Forage Research, Inc., is allowed as a crop production aid.

Livestock Materials • Encore Pre/Post Teat Dip by ABS Global Inc. is allowed as a teat dip/ udder care product.

• K.O. Dyne Udder Wash by WestfaliaSurge / GEA Farm Tech is allowed as a teat dip/ udder care product.

• Penny Pasture Pak K by Penny Nutrition is allowed as a feed additive/supplement.

• Super Booster for Adult Cattle by IBA, Inc., is allowed as a livestock medical treatment with the following restriction: Must not be administered in the absence of illness. Records must be kept documenting specific animal treated, treatment/dosage used, and duration of treatment.

• Super Booster for Calves by IBA, Inc., is allowed as a livestock medical treatment with the following restriction: Must not be administered in the absence of illness. Records must be kept documenting specific animal treated, treatment/dosage used, and duration of treatment.

• Uddermint by Ecolab, Inc/ Tiesen Products is allowed as a teat dip/ udder care product.

• Uddermint Green by Ecolab, Inc/ Tiesen Products is allowed as a teat dip/ udder care product. n PROHIBITED — Operators must immediately discontinue use of these products.

Crop Materials • Opti Sile Concentrate and Opti Sil Granular by IBA are prohibited as a crop production aid — forage treatments.

Livestock Materials • Super Life Pak by Natural Way Minerals, LLC, is prohibited as a feed additive/ supplement.

Standards & Policy Update Kyla Smith, Interim Co-Executive Director & Certification Director

Material Review Status Changes

PCO Drafts New Policies to Clarify USDA Organic Production Practices

Please note the following status changes for materials reviewed

by PCO for use by certified operations.

PCO adopted or revised the following policies. Full text of these or any PCO policies are available by contacting the PCO office.

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

www.paorganic.org

Organic Updates Crops/Livestock • Certification of Hemp: This policy clarifies the requirements for certifying the growing and processing of hemp.

• Biosecurity: This policy contains review criteria and verification points for materials used for biosecurity.

• Parasiticides (Approved Synthetic): This policy clarifies the approved and restricted uses of approved synthetic parasiticides on breeder and dairy stock.

• Origin of Livestock — Swine: This policy clarifies eligibility requirements for organic swine.

• Living Conditions — Swine: This policy defines the allowed and prohibited living conditions and stocking density of organic swine operations.

• Physical Alterations — Swine: This policy provides guidance to organic swine operations for allowed and prohibited practices of physical alterations.

• On-site Inspection Timing — Swine: This policy identifies the time period during which an on-site inspection of swine needs to occur to ensure that the inspection occurs at a time when land, facilities, and activities that demonstrate the operation’s compliance with or capability to comply with the Act and 7 CFR Part 205.

www.paorganic.org

Handling • Use of the Term “Organic” in Modifying a “100% Organic” or “Organic” Product: This policy clarifies when the term “organic” may be used to modify the name of a product.

• Look-alike USDA Seals: This policy provides clarification on when different types of seals may mimic the USDA seal.

New Faces PCO Welcomes New Executive Assistant Stacey Budd joined PCO as the Executive Assistant in January 2019. She has a background in association management and conference planning and is ready to put her knack for logistics to work for the team. Originally from Minnesota, she attended Grinnell College in Iowa where she earned a degree in Anthropology. Stacey believes in the power that community brings to building a resilient, healthy food system. When not crafting or designing her next DIY project, you can find her removing more of her lawn to build raised beds for edibles to grow.

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

19

Organically Speaking

Calendar

APRIL APRIL 10, 2–3PM Webinar: Integrating Crops and Livestock Rodaleinstitute.org APRIL 13, 10AM–2PM Tomato Grafting Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Rodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1400 APRIL 19 PCO Office Closed Good Friday APRIL 24–26 National Organic Standards Board Meeting Seattle, Washington Ams.usda.gov

continued from inside front cover

Black Urban Gardeners & Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-op Pittsburgh, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856 x 710 MAY 22, 2–3PM Webinar: Impact of Farming Systems on Soil Health and Water Quality Rodaleinstitute.org MAY 27 PCO Office Closed Memorial Day MAY 29, 3–5:30PM Managing Weeds Using Cover Crops and Poultry Rodale Institute Kutztown, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856 x709

MAY MAY 2, 10AM–3PM Designing a Rotational Grazing Plan Hameau Farm Belleville, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856 x 709 MAY 20–23 Organic Trade Association’s Organic Week D.C. Washington, DC Ota.com 202-403-8632 MAY 21, 10AM–2PM Bringing Marginal Ground Back Into Productive Grazing Moyers Dairy Farm Towanda, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856 x709 MAY 21, 3-6PM Irrigation Tools & Techniques for Small Farms

www.paorganic.org

PA Organic Agriculture is on the Brink of Big Things It is an exciting time to be a part of organic agriculture in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf recently announced a proposal for a state Farm Bill, a first for Pennsylvania. In the proposal the governor reiterates his administration’s commitment to promoting and increasing organic agriculture. For more details on the proposed PA Farm Bill see the Legislative Update on page 17.

Additionally PCO is honored to be a partner organization in the High Performance Farms Initiative (HPFI). According to the letter of intent signed by each partner organization at the PA Farm Show, the HPFI’s mission seeks out, recognizes, enables and transfers performance-based practices and sustainable processes that achieve environmental results, enhance economic value to farmers and communities and improve protection of public health and community resilience. This initiative aligns with PCO’s core value to promote restorative practices that improve the world for future generations. Specifically, PCO’s role will be to provide a visible face for certification through the transition process and offer certification services upon completion of the transition period. This will elevate PA’s environmental impact and increase organic acreage throughout the state. For more information see the article on page 2.

Please feel free to reach out to us anytime with questions, comments, and concerns. We wish you a successful start to the farming season.

JUNE JUNE 14, 10AM–4PM Ginseng Cultivation and Stewardship Shaver’s Creek Environ mental Center Petersburg, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856 x709

Diana Underwood Interim Co-Executive Director Director of Operations 704-718-0058 • Diana@paorganic.org

Kyla Smith Interim Co-Executive Director Certification Director 215-840-9640 • Kyla@paorganic.org

JUNE 20, 5–8PM Weed Control Strategies on Organic Farms Who Cooks For You Farm New Bethlehem, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856 x709 JUNE 26, 4:30–8PM Collaborating for Farming Success Root Mass Farm Oley, PA Pasafarming.org 814-349-9856

Russell Redding, PA Department of Agriculture Secretary; Diana Underwood, PCO Interim Co-Executive Director; Kyla Smith, PCO Interim Co-Executive Director; Scott Case, Patchwork Farm Owner; Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute Executive Director; Hannah SmithBrubaker, PASA Executive Director; Bob Casey, U.S. Senator for PA; and Judith Schwank, PA State Senator at the PASA’s 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Conference. Photo: PASA

ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

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Organic Marketplace

CROPS Organic wrapped round baled sorghum, please call for info and price. Lab report available. Randal Van Horn, 570-4120899. Northumberland County.

EQUIPMENT • 13 Foot S-tine harrow like-new condition. Excellent for seed prep. $3,000.

• 642 Ford Combine “Claas” 14-foot grain head, 4 row corn head. 2,000 hours, excellent condition.

• 1710 John Deer 11 shank chisel plow, excellent condition.

Contact Ron Gargasz (landline) 724-530-7220, (cell) 724730-6488, or email at rgargaszfarms@gmail.com. Lawrence County.

SERVICES Ag plastic recycling — I can use black and white bunker covers, bale wrap, plastic twine, clear stretch film, greenhouse covers, flats, and pots. Call for details. 717-658-9660.

Franklin County, PA.

LAND FOR SALE/ RENT Organic Grazing Dairy for sale in Massachusetts — milk contract with local creamery included. Profitable on-farm retail shop, healthy cows and soils, buildings and equipment in excellent condition. Details at www.sidehillfarm.net/listing

Do you shop online at Amazon?

You can support PCO at the same time through a program called AmazonSmile!

The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to PCO at no additional cost to you. To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from your web browser. Then select “Pennsylvania Certified Organic” using your existing Amazon.com account. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it easy to return and start your shopping and supporting!

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ORGANIC MATTERS • SPRING 2019

STAY CONNECTED, VISIT:

paorganic.org www.paorganic.org

Charles Farm, Inc.

New Members

Rheems, PA

PCO Welcomes 1st Quarter New Members!

Vineland, NJ

BUSINESS Advancing Eco Agriculture

L. D’Ottavio Nuseries, LLC

Miiddlefield, OH

Agri-Dynamics Ben G. Stoltzfus

Martins Creek, PA

Loganton, PA

Metzler Forest Products Reedsville, PA

Michael W. Phillips, Inc. CERTIFIED ORGANIC

Phillips Gourmet, Inc. Kennett Square, PA

Isaac L. & Ida L. Zook Myerstown, PA

John R. Blank Quarryville, PA

Ben K. Esh Jr.

Pro Ag Premix, LLC

Loganton, PA

Lebanon, PA

David Lynn Faus Farm Danville, PA

Eric Brubaker

Kennett Square, PA

Ozadia Plant Science Sound Beach, NY

Marshall Farms, LLC Halifax, PA

Penergy Solutions Huntington, PA

Miller’s Dairy Medina, NY

SUSTAINER Eden Valley Creamery Commodity Blenders LLC

Produce Packing Solutions, LLC

Eden, NY

Mt. Laurel, NJ

Avondale, PA

CF Fresh, LLC

Keystone Family Farms, LLC

Toughkenamon, PA

Howard, PA

West Salem, PA

Basciani Foods, Inc David Hartman

Forksville, PA

Greg Bomgardner

Turbotville, PA

Jonas Ebersol Strasburg, PA

Annville, PA

Lancaster ECO Coop Ronks, PA

GRASSFED

OnMark Certification Services

Longacre’s Modern Dairy, Inc

Natural Dairy Products Corp.

Goshen, IN

Eugene Martin Pine Grove, PA

Barto, PA

Newark, DE

Daniel Stoltzfus

Paul Funk Farm

Amos E. Stoltzfus

Rebersburg, PA

Washinton Boro, PA

Christiana, PA

Arctic Foods

Tracy Phillips

Washington, NJ

Duncannon, PA

TRANSITION

University Park, PA

Pleasant Valley Farm

Stephen Zook

Willowstone Farm LLC

Suzy Wickham

Penn Yan, NY

Telford, PA

Slatington, PA

Danville, PA

Chris Stoltzfus Lykens, PA

Ronald Hoover University Park, PA

ADVOCATE Beth Gugino

Advertise in Organic Matters Organic Matters is the quarterly newsletter of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, a non-profit organization serving growers, processors and handlers of organic products. Issues contain articles on the latest news and research in the organic industry, often highlighting our certified members. Approximately 1,500 copies of each publication are distributed directly to members and those requesting information about organic agriculture, and made available to the public at conferences, exhibits and educational programs in the Mid-Atlantic region.

PRICING

Ad size

Single

4 Issue Sub.*

Dimensions (in)

$572

na

Full Page

$362.50

$1,232

Half Page

$242.50

$824

7 µ 4.5 (horizontal) 3.25 µ 8.75 (vertical)

Quarter Page

$152.50

$518

3.25 µ 4.5 (vertical)

$112.50

$382

3.25 µ 2.25 (horizontal)

Back cover (in color)

Eighth Page

8.5 µ 9 8 µ 10

* Includes a complimentary full-color calendar ad.

The above rates refer to a single-issue ad placement and a subscription for ad placement in four consecutive issues.

A 15% discount is granted for the purchase of the 4-issue subscription.

For more information, please contact newsletter@paorganic.org or call the PCO Office at 814-422-0251.

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