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Re: comments onUSDA/NOP cost and benefits to organic farmers and handlers



what does foil mean?  

>

>eak: It is a pleasure to be your foil Sal.  

>

>When this thing started we ask what about

> the small farmer and were told don't worry there will always be a
place

> in organic growing for small farmers sal .  Well the $5000 gross is
not

> what I call a help for a small farmer.  These folks also want to make
the

> small organic farmer a factory farmer and like this guy says if you
can't

> pay you can not play.   He says if we cannot afford this new tax on

> organic farmers we can not call yourself organic even if you are .

>

>eak: When you buy diesel Sal, you pay a tax that does a service.  When
you

>take a plane you pay a tax that does a service.  When you pay an 
annual

>property tax, it does a service.  The quality and dependability of
those

>services are on balance higher then what service you get when you go to
a

>store and buy something.


Maybe you are taxing the wrong folk as the certified organic farmer is
all ready paying for his certification.  And once I got a bill for over
$200 just for the inspection let alone all the other costs because I
would have to pay for the inspectors gas,time driving,food,room,time
spent at my farm , time spent filling out paper work etc .  then the
certifier charges 100 and the local chapter 25 excused me that just got
raised to $50.  Then their is the state charge. and on and on and on. 

When will it ever end . and every year year after year.



.

here are some quotes for others beside me: 


 

Next time you go to grocery store and ask to buy some produce ask if its
fresh

ask the seller

would you sign a declaration form under penalty of perjury subject  to
jail 

Ask that car dealer the same.....Will the saleman who sells your next
suit of

clothes who

tells you that you look good in them do the same. Unfortunately we have
lost

trust in fellow human being, and make it federal case out of organics for
the

small producer is stupid.



Why not reduce the need for annual inspections

for growers that are not changing their operations, have been certified
for

years, have not had any problems and are not in a high risk area eg.

surrounded by growers who use lots of chemicals. These people would
still

need to send in the paperwork and keep all the records but they could go
a

year without an on farm inspection. That would help reduce costs and
still

safequard the integrity of the system. This could only apply to growers

under $50,000. in gross farm sales.

 


I 

>>agree with a lot of what you had to say, specifically that it's no good 

>>to keep burdening the small organic farmer with more & more $$ fees. 

>>Also, that the consumer is the one left out of the paying scale here, 

>>since the middleman seems to be the one making the $$. 

Why does the farmer have to pay all the cost?

If the gov't 

>>stopped commercial ag subsidies, then we would have TRUE costs of food
in 

>>the marketplace, and organic wouldn't seem so high. 



>

>eak: Wrong analysis Sal.  I am continually becoming more informed and

>thinking about the options.  .


GOOD ME TOO!



.  The

>USDA/NOP adding $20 more to every farmer applying and $40 more to 
every

>handling operation applying easily raises $140,000 per year at the level
of

>5000 farm and 1000 handling operation certifications the first year. 
After

>the first accreditation round of certification agents, the next review
is

>mandated within 5 years.  Of the 50 certification agencies, that means
10

>must be reviewed each year.  Certainly, $14,000 apiece is enough to
review

>the accreditation status of a certification agency and provide support
for a

>qualified Peer Review Panel to assist the Secretary of Ag to make a

>determination.  In fact, there should be excess funds to carry on some
of the

>other USDA/NOP responsiblities indicated below.  As the numbers of
farmers,

>handlers and certification agencies grow so will the job
responsibilities of

>the USDA/NOP and so will their annual budget

.I grow fruit trees and it is seasonal .  I have to make the money I make
last the whole year and pay my bills and taxes and sometime it is touch
and go.  I am not a factory farmer like yourself and the trees only
produce so much fruit and I do not push them to the max because I want my
land to last .  I may not be the best at making money but money is not my
first love. I love the life .    Still I do grow organic and feel I
should be able to label as such even though I am not the money maker you
are. I need what little money I make to live this good  life and I feel
every extra cent I have to spend.  

  

I organic grower should not have to pay 1 cent extra to grow and sell
organic!  Also the $20 is on top of what I am already paying. 

This is just another level of government we the small farmer have to
support.  



.>

>That is the full extent of the USDA/NOP's responsibility under the
Organic

>Food Production Act.  Much of the USDA/NOP information program should be
on

>the Web with some printed material. 


Thanks for keeping us informed.


>a smooth running and cost effective program in any business or
government.

> It is essential to have the persistent input of organic farmers and
handlers

>nationwide.  We must require, review and make sure that the National
Organic

>Program truly is efficient and benefits its clientele.   Within two
years

>after OFPA's implementation, the USDA/NOP should be self sustaining and
have

>a minimal of staff.  The benefits to everyone will be immense, provide

>USDA/NOP is run efficiently and limits its work to its mandate by
Congress.

  


>

>

>the $5000 small farm exemption is a Joke and a

> insult to all those poor folks fighting to keep their farms.   It is
sad

> that the money and the paper work is more important than a mans 

> righteousness. 

>

>eak: No one every questioned a person's righteousness when he or she
were

>directed to drive down the right side of the street.  It is a set of
rules so

>everyone is on an even playing field and a pedestrian (the consumer)
knows

>how not to get hit.  You are correct that all rules do get applied

>personally.  However, they are for the general welfare and benefit and
as

>such must be impartial, have rational criteria and be decided on and

>supported by reasonable consensus of those effected.  


if you are driving down the right side of the street you don't pay the
fine only the wrong doers pay!

I am being force to pay for the right I know not for any wrong.


For instace, another issue you've raised, if not

exactly in these terms, is that an organic farmer is being presumed

guilty and forced to pay to prove his innocence.  


key word <bigger>FORCED

</bigger>

>

>

><</bigger>He says there is are people

> selling organic that are lying.  This may be true.  There are people
that

> steal be we don't search every ones house in the whole US because a
few

> folks steal.  We should not search every organic grower place in the

> whole US year after year after year and charge them money for it
because

> a few people may lie. Some of us cannot afford it.   Even when we do

> search some ones house we have a warrant and have to show just cause

> because it is private property but here they want to search every
organic

> farm  and charge us to do it just because some one may be a lier. HEY

> THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY  

>

>eak: Are you certified Sal?  No one searches your farm during
inspection.  If

>they do and there have been instances of such overzealous inspections,
that

>inspector needs to be reprimanded, if not removed from such a position. 
Have

>you had such invasions of your privacy Sal?  Please inform OFMA of the

>certification agency and the inspectors name.  email the information 
to

>cvof@iquest.net



ok Eric can you explain to the good people what the inspector does if not
search you farm ,just what is this inspection business if it is not a
search of your farm what are these spot checks .I can understand a look
at your record keeping and I can understand the inspector going over the
rules with you but after you have heard them for 10 years paying for this
over and over is only taxing me for nothing.   Can they look under my bed
?  They look  every where for chemicals that are no where around. If you
are looking  for something that is not there it could take quite a bit of
time.   Could you tell us what inspection means as far as search and
private property rights go .  

Thanks for taking the time Eric in answering some of our questions.  You
have to remember to a lot of folks this is new stuff or never really
explained because intimidation is so much part of the process. Seem like
they want to keep the organic grower scard or something.  So you really
think I need a certifier,an inspector and the federial gov . to vouch for
my honesty and that I should pay them all what ever they ask and just
shut up. 

  Eric Kindberg

>

>

>The Organic Farmers Marketing Association at www.iquest.net/ofma/ 

>

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