Subject: *Buy OURS*

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 10:09:32 -0800 (PST)

I am excited we have among us those who understand what it takes to organize
a common stand. Clearly, I am not the technical type so I am particularly
thankful that Fiona, Douglas, Guy and others have the wherewithal to do
those parts so well and have so many  ideas of how to move forward. 

No one has power over what we know anymore. We know too much and there is a
stand we hold that is a new way to hold truth.  Our truth is growing,
leaping and bounding. We know deep within what we are here to do.  Through
our food, through our consciousness, through our living the truth that we
know, the true change comes. In holding our common front, we synergize a new
understanding. We can call it Permaculture or whatever..that's nice..It's a
great rallying point for us now that we have found each other..There's alot
of power here between us to create the change we are all wanting.

Sorry to be sort of maudlin here. I was writing some feelings as I was
beginning to compose a letter to submit to the USDA. Then I got an idea for
an acronym..something like *Buy OURS*...Organic United Rights (Revolution?
Rally?) Stand (School? Society?) and,  we adopt Oregon Tilth's standards
which several have suggested,i.e.,

hi sweet vinca
how about TILTH
and hold the oregon tilth standards for what they are, 
one of the best we got.
peace
olafur

 In my letter I will suggest graded organic standards.  The existing Tilth
standards, for instance, could be *Organic Grade 1*  while some of the crazy
sludge-using, bleach-using, etc. standards that are being added could be
grade 2, 3, and so on. This was alluded to in the Yoga Journal article..All
we can do is offer suggestions and hope the comments they are welcoming will
actually be read and taken to heart and have some good effect. If they want
a straight-across Organic labeling, then we are prepared to implement an
alternative; *Buy OURS* or some such thing. 

 Yoga Journal article was pretty good..It looked at all the reasons the
certification initially looks quite good and timely and then shows how
overboard they've gone for  greed, no doubt, and points out clearly the
problems of maintaining quality organic food. Good introduction for anyone
to begin to see what's happening.