Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] The Slow Death of "Organic" ?!?

From: Steve Diver <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 13:01:04 -0600

Every where that I go there are organic farmers fully
engaged in certification, production, and marketing.

I still see small farmers, family farmers, and diversified
farmers showing up at the conferences, learning and
sharing about organics.

The organic farming conferences are getting bigger
and bigger attendance.  There are half a dozen
conferences with 1,000+ in attendance, and many
more with 300-500 in attendance.

The quality of technical information, tools, and
fertility and pest control products that have come into
being in the last 10-15 years has made it easier
for farmers to transition to organic farming. 

Farmers to farmer experience and sharing of
technical resources is still a major part of the
picture.

Young people and entry level small farms that
raise for farmers markets and CSA's are almost
universally interested in organics, in my experience,
whether they become certified or not.

Sure, keeping all those records and dealing with
federal regulatory changes and policy wrangling
can be a headache, but organic agriculture in
general keeps on growing. 

An IFOAM speaker at the Texas organics
conference last week relayed worldwide figures
on acreages devoted to organics, and it is amazing.

Of course, there are far greater acreages devoted
to eco-farming, sustainable farming, and various
other forms of biological farming... beyond certified
organic.  

Steve Diver

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