Without repeating much of Sal's message, here is a response to Rich:
> only want the big players and small organic farmers have no business
> farming if they can not pay this extra tax for growing organic. Small
> organic farmers why don't they all just fad away. There is nothing like a
> level playing field. Thanks
> If they charge the certifier the certifier pass the cost down to the
> farmer if they charge an inspector it is the farmer that pays. the farmer
> is paying for all this. It is just another way to bleed the turnips.
> More government more taxes made up special for those crooked,lying organic
> growers. I already pay an inspector, I already pay a certifier,I all ready
> pay the state of Ca. this is getting nuts. How many pencil pushers do
> organic farmers have to pay off just because they want to sell organic food
> as organic.
Sal,
You're absolutely right on target when you discuss the burgeoning
bureaucracy that is being constructed to remove dollars from the pocket
of people who are actually growing organic product. All these people,
organizations, and government agencies add absolutely not one iota of
value to that product. We seem to be going down the same road that
conventional ag went until it finally transformed those farmers into
agribusiness puppets.
I am president of the Indiana Chapter of OCIA and I would love nothing
more than to see there be no need for certification. The primary
reason we have certification is because there is no connection and
trust between the farmer and the people that consume the food they
produce . We all know the way to make that connection is to grow and (is to)
sell local. Unfortunately, it takes time to build those markets and
connections and therefore entrepreneurs ( certifying agencies, inspector
trainers, consultants, etc) saw a route by which that they could
parasitize people who actually work and produce goods. This appears to
be the way of the modern world. People who really want to avoid work and
can produce no useful product or service need to attach to those people
that can. Every time money changes hands there is inevitably (sp) some
other character around who wants to take a cut even though they neither
have nor will add anything of value to that good or service. When
organic beans go overseas to a processor there is no connection.
Brokers, certifiers, etc obtain dollars. When organic produce comes to
Indiana from California there is no connection. Enter parasites, once
again. I don't need certification to sell my beef locally. When I can
sell it all locally I will not need to get my pasture, grain and hay
certified. I work with the folks in our Chapter because they are all
wonderful productive people and I have told them that I look forward to
the day when those agribusiness persons who do not meet a minimum
standard of organic or sustainable production methods will be the ones
surcharged and certified as social, economic , and environmental
culprits, and will continue to be charged until they can prove
otherwise.
If most people really knew how their food was produced and what effects
it has on rural communities and the natural systems, they would
certainly demand that the "playing field be properly leveled". They
would begin to understand that most of the costs of food are not added
to the price of food, so food is consequently drastically under valued
in this country and most of the world. They would begin to realize that
agrichemical companies add no value but exact tremendous profits and in
addition destroy people, communities , and natural ecosystems.
Sal, I know I'm not really telling you anything you don't already know,
but there are many others who read these messages that need to learn
much of what organic farmers are trying to disseminate. All I really had
to say was " Keep up the fight because there many folks who will benefit
from your efforts". I guess I'm just getting both a little frustrated
and verbose. Grow, buy, and sell local. Buck megatrends. Support local
businesses and stay out of major chains. ( Walmart, etc are some
of the worst plagues on this planet)