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Organic farmers press Congress for millions

Submitted by administrator on Tue, 03/06/2007 - 17:54.

By MICHAEL DOYLE
Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Lawmakers largely left organic alone the last time they wrote a farm bill. Merced County dairy farmer Tony T. Azevedo now wants to correct that oversight.

Azevedo and his allies seek tens of millions of dollars for research. They want help with crop insurance, and they crave protection in case their crops become contaminated.

"Our goal is to give all farms in the United States a chance to become part of organic (farming)," Azevedo said Tuesday.

Azevedo, 55, is a lifelong dairyman who spent his early career as a conventional farmer. For the past 11 years, he has foregone traditional chemicals, put his 700 cows out to pasture and trod his own path as the self-described first organic dairy farmer in the San Joaquin Valley.

This week, he and other organic farmers are hand-sowing their agenda around Capitol Hill. It's an ambitious and politically challenging wish list being shared with the likes of Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif.

Their agenda includes:

_ Creating a new $50 million-a-year grant program to assist farmers in adopting organic practices.

_ Providing $5 million annually to help farmers offset the cost of attaining organic certification.

_ Establishing a new $25 million-a-year organic farming research program.

Federal funding is only part of game plan.

Organic growers currently pay a 5 percent surcharge on their crop insurance rates. They want that to stop. And, in a challenge to some big corporate players, the growers want to be able to recoup their losses from manufacturers of genetically engineered seeds in the case of crop contamination.

With 4 million acres in the United States now certified as organic, twice the level when Congress wrote the 2002 farm bill, growers undeniably command attention from more lawmakers.

"They are now more receptive," Azevedo said. "Organic farming has become fashionable."

Along with Hilmar almond farmer Glenn Anderson and others, Azevedo is doing the rounds among the congressional offices responsible for writing agricultural legislation. As early as next week, Cardoza, whose district includes Merced, could introduce a specialty crop bill with provisions affecting the organic growers.

Then the real juggling begins.

"They may not get the specific language they're asking for," Cardoza said. "I don't think anyone will get everything they want."

Cardoza now chairs the House subcommittee responsible for organic agriculture, but the first version of the multibillion-dollar specialty crop bill he introduced last fall did not mention the word "organic" in its 71 pages. The omission was not one of disrespect _ Cardoza said he supports "added attention" to organic farming _ but it does reflect an enduring political challenge.

The organic farmers lobbying Capitol Hill this week are arriving after the draft specialty crop bill already has been shipped to the House's legislative counsel for a final technical scrubbing. It will inevitably change in coming months, but there's always a political advantage to starting on the inside.

Lawmakers are also cautioning that they won't have as much money to spend as they would like, making it harder to designate dollars for certain growers. The organic farmers' recommendations have a hefty five-year price tag of at least $475 million. They also pose some potential conflicts with political powerful entities, such as the processors that the growers' literature refers to as "large corporate buyers."

"The one thing I won't tolerate is pitting one sector of agriculture against another," Cardoza said.

Still, the growers united as the National Organic Coalition insist their time has come. In California, 1,738 certified organic farmers operated on 222,557 acres in 2005, Agriculture Department figures show.

"It's a pretty noticeable market share," said Mark Lipson, policy program director for the Organic Farming Research Foundation.

(Contact Michael Doyle at mdoyle(at)mcclatchydc.com.)

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Federation of Organic Dairy Farmers

Submitted by Edward Maltby (not verified) on Wed, 03/07/2007 - 10:29.

For immediate release- Monday March 5th 2007
Despite the Snow, Farmers Say Organic Cows Need to Graze Pasture

LA CROSSE, WIS.: What’s the connection between record snowfall and green grass? One association is that organic dairy farmers from across the country braved Wisconsin’s biggest snowstorm in years to affirm that the green grass of pasture must be a significant part of the diet of organic cows that produce organic milk for American consumers.

Organic dairy farmers from Maine to California met in LaCrosse, Wisconsin on February 23rd and formed FOOD Farmers (Federation of Organic Dairy Farmers), a national group of organic dairy farmers. “As dairy farmers, we are committed to providing a wholesome product from happy organic cows, said California dairyman Tony Azevedo”.

FOOD Farmers unanimously supported adding additional federal regulatory language to clarify that production of organic milk requires that organic dairy animals must consume at least 30% of their food needs (dry matter intake) from pasture for the entire growing season, but for no less than 120 days. "Most regions of this country where organic milk is produced have their cows out on pasture for far longer than 120 days,” stated Steve Pechacek from Wisconsin. “A key principle is to maintain the land/animal connection that is central to organic production.”

The USDA’s National Organic Program is currently in the process of more clearly defining the current standard that requires all ruminant animals, which includes dairy cows, to have access to pasture. The addition of feed and time requirements will result in a verifiable nationwide standard unlike any other organic standard in the world.

What is obvious and natural to farmers, who spend their lives caring for their animals and their land, needs to be firmly implanted within the USDA National Organic Program regulations to ensure that the Organic Seal remains the most reliable third party certified standard. New York dairy farmer Kathie Arnold, a member of the newly minted organization, said “In addition to no use of hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides in organic dairy production, organic consumers have made it clear that they expect and want organic dairy cows to be immersed in their natural environment—pasture.”

Scientific studies have shown that higher consumption of pasture leads to elevated levels of beneficial fatty acids such as Omega 3s and CLA and vitamins such as A and E in the milk of grazed dairy cows—compounds that are believed to help protect against such maladies as heart disease and cancer. Pasture has long been called ‘Dr. Green’ because of its health giving benefits to animals.
“Consumers expect that the organic seal on organic dairy products means that the animals have been given the opportunity to behave in a natural manner, and that the quality of the product reflects this benefit of organic production”, said Robynn Shrader, CEO of the National Cooperative Grocers Association.

The organic dairy farmers at the La Crosse meeting expressed their gratitude and thanks to the multitude of consumers who choose to purchase organic dairy products for their families. "We wholeheartedly thank the families who purchase our products and provide our families with a living wage. As farmers, we are committed to developing and maintaining strict federal standards that will ensure that the organic seal reflects the consumers’ interests and we thank you for your support" added Steve Morrison, dairy producer from Maine.

For more information contact Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director, at 413-772-0444 or 413-427-7323 or by email: ednodpa@comcast.net and at www.nodpa.com or www.organicmilk.org

-30-

About FOOD Farmers:
Federation of Organic Dairy Farmers (FOOF Farmers) is a national organization formed by the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA), the Midwest Organic Dairy Producers Association (MODPA) and the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (WODPA) who represent over 850 organic dairies across the USA. The organic dairy farmers have many different production methods including seasonal grass based dairies and more traditional production methods that combine pasture, conserved forage and grain. They also market their milk in many different ways, selling to the major brands including Horizon Organic, Organic Valley, Stonyfield, Humboldt Dairy, as well as through smaller cooperatives including Upstate Farms Cooperative, Organic Choice and LOFCO, and independent manufacturers of organic dairy product and direct to the consumer.

Steve Morrison, NODPA President, Charleston, Maine
Kathie Arnold, NODPA Policy Chair, Truxton, NY

NODPA’s mission: “to enable organic family dairy farmers, situated across an extensive area, to have informed discussion about matters critical to the well being of the organic dairy industry as a whole and to do so in an independent farmer-driven mode” with particular emphasis on:
1. Establishing a fair and sustainable price for their product at the wholesale level.
2. Promoting ethical, ecological and economically sustainable farming practices.
3. Developing networks with producers and processors of other organic commodities to strengthen the infrastructure within the industry.
4. Establishing open dialogue with organic dairy processors and retailers in order to better influence producer pay price and to contribute to marketing efforts.

Steve Pechacek, MODPA President, Mondovi, WI
MODPA’s mission is to promote communication and networking for the betterment of all Midwest organic dairy producers and enhance a sustainable farmgate price.

Tony Azevedo, WODPA President, Stevinson, CA
WODPA: “Integrity” the Backbone of Organics

NODPA is a member of the National Organic Coalition.
For more information contact Steve Etka at 703-519-7772

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