Subject: Re: Second Proposed Rule being issued next week:

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2000 15:16:31 EST

March 6 ?  Oh yes, Mercury will still be Retrograde.  Hmmm!?

This will be interesting, Hawk

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 2 Mar 2000 10:20:08 EST

Here is some good news from another list.  Let us hope for the best.

Art Biggert
Ocean Sky Farm  

In a message dated 3/2/00 6:29:44 AM Pacific Standard Time, Erorganic writes:

<< Good morning,
 
 In a telephone conversation with Keith Jones, USDA/NOP, he indicated the 
second Proposed Organic Rule would be placed in the Federal Register for 
public comment this coming week of March 6, 2000.  
 
 The Organic 4um will issue a side by side comparison of the Proposed Rule 
with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 very shortly thereafter.  Final 
Recommendations of the National Organic Standards Board, CODEX Guidelines for 
Organic Farming and Handling and consumer expectations will be noted in the 
Side by Side Comparison where appropriate.  Everyone is asked to critique the 
Proposed Rule and the Side by Side as well.  
 
 A report follows by a participant at a meeting held last week with Keith 
Jones, staff director of the USDA National Organic Program.  It should be 
noted there were no certified farmers or handlers in attendance.  Without 
someone circulating the information of such meetings and the information 
supplied at such meetings to certified organic farmers and handlers, we are 
becoming more and more spoken for rather than spoken to.  We suggest that for 
information flow and transparency, that statements that impact on the organic 
community at such "organic community meetings" with federal government 
representatives, need to be posted on the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service 
website the following day.
 
 And there is a poem.
 
 Have a good day
 
 Best regards,
 
 Eric Kindberg

 Monday, February 28 - Briefing with Keith Jones 
 
 Representatives of the Organic Committee, Campaign for Sustainable 
Agriculture, met with Keith who updated us about the rule and program news.  
Attending were Michael Sligh, Liana Hoode, Mardi Mellon, Joe Mendelson, Stacy 
Clary (CASWAG), Barbara Robinson (the USDA Secretary's legislative liaison), 
Diane Goodman and two or three others.
 
 Keith announced that the rule would be out within 10 days.  The Secretary 
will hold a press conference announcing it and Keith will initiate conference 
calls to constituents on the same day.  Kathleen will do a briefing for the 
Hill and with mainstream agriculture.
 
 The rule includes a user-friendly index so if you wanted direction to a 
subject like livestock, a find or search for that subject will turn up each 
time the word is used in the rule.  It's 676 pages, double-spaced, single 
sided and the web site has been redesigned to handle it, as well as a 
capacity for 400,000 comments.  
 
 The Preamble includes a question and answer section, a section of changes 
requested by those that commented and made by USDA, changes requested and not 
made and changes made by USDA on their own.  
 
 There is not a side by side comparison of the rule, NOSB Final 
Recommendations, American Organic Standards, European Union Guidelines nor 
CODEX.  
 
 There will be no USDA public hearings on the Proposed Rule.  

 NEXT National Organic Standards Board Meeting Scheduled:
 The NOSB will meet in Buena Park, California March 21 and 22. 
 --Day 1, first half will be NOSB Committee Reports, Materials will address 
ethylene, second half will be USDA briefing the Board about the Rule, 
 --Day 2, first half will continue USDA briefing and second half for public 
input.
 
 New NOSB appointments will not be announced before the second Proposed Rule 
is issued.  They will be in place before the Board meets in June.
 
 Dates for public input regarding certification of the production and 
handling of organic seafood meetings have been set.
 
 --April 7  Seattle Workshop formats with State of Washington and Alaska
 --April 10 Mobile, AL  with EPA Gulf Coast Conference
 --April 11 Anchorage   with Pacific Council of Fisheries
 --May 3        Providence, RI      with Atlantic Council of Fisheries
 --June 23-24   University of Minnesota Independent conference