>OFPA exempts small farm operations under =A72106 COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS.=
=20
=20
> (d) SMALL FARMER EXEMPTION. Subsection (a)(1)** shall not apply to
persons
>who sell no more than $5,000 annually in value of agricultural products.=20
>**The Subsection (a)(1) makes certification by an accredited USDA
certifying
>agent mandatory to affix a label to, or otherwise provide market
information
>concerning, an agricultural product if such label or information
implies,
>directly or indirectly, that such product is produced and handled=20
using
>organic methods, except in accordance with OFPA. =20
>
>The House/Senate Joint Conferee Report, in a final statement before
passage
>of OFPA, says, "Farmers who sell less than $5000 of agricultural
products may
>represent their product as organic without certification but no USDA
label is
>authorized to be used in this instance."
=20
I know what the law is and it is unjust on the small grower and I wish
there was someone out there that understands this is an unjust law and it
burdens the small grower and I hope they would step in here. Were are
the folks that are supposed to protect the small farmer? =20
=20
>A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE SMALL FARM EXEMPTION OF OFPA:
>
>STOPPING MISREPRESENTATION BY COMMERCIAL, CONVENTIONAL FARMS AS NOT
SELLING
>MUCH ORGANIC PRODUCT.
>The Small Farm Exemption because it applies to the gross farm income
means
>every farm with total conventional and organic sales over $5000 must=20
be
>certified. This closes any loophole of a commercial size conventional
farm
>contending it does not sell over $5000 organic for instance at a
farmers
>market, to CSA customers, restaurants or to local retail outlets.
=20
you not only closed the loopholes you are killing off the small grower
because you are worried about someone doing wrong you make those that are
not doing wrong suffer. . Do not make me suffer because of that
dishonest guy.
>And,
>HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE BEGINNING AND TRANSITION FARMERS TO BECOME ORGANIC
>FARMERS?
You are not encouraging anyone as people are running away. Farmers I
know see all the bullshit paper work and run.=20
>Create an expanding and permanent market for "organically produced"
products
>through implementing:
>- a set of high quality organic standards that the consumer recognizes
as
>worth paying for (the National Organic Standards, including the
National
>List), and
>- a transparent method to assure the consumer they are consistently
getting
>what they are paying for (accreditation/certification/equivalency).=20
>OFPA does these things.
>
>And so what are the problems with the $5000 Small Farmer Exemption? =20
>
>IS THE $5000 GROSS SALES FIGURE FOR NOT HAVING TO BE CERTIFIED TOO=20
LOW?
<bigger>You are catching on it is way to low that number is so low it is
a joke.
</bigger>
>Raising the $5000 figure to say $40,000 gross farm income may seem to be
an
>assistance when the small grower is looking at their personal income
>statement, but it will open the door to larger commercial,=20
conventional
>growers to reap the economic benefits of selling organic products
locally.
y<bigger>ou are so worried about conventional farmers you are killing off
the small organic farmer to protect your market share. You are a hard
hearted guy.=20
</bigger>> If done, there would be many more growers selling their
product as organic
>and never having to be certified. Do local small organic growers want
more
>competition for which it is very difficult to monitor whether they are
truly
>conforming to the National Organic Standards? =20
you can Certify the small grower just don't tax them out of the game.=20
Certify the small grower making under 40000 for free that way no one will
be harmed.
>
>IS THE COST OF BECOMING CERTIFIED WHEN A FARM EXCEEDS $5000 GROSS FARM
SALES
>TO HIGH? =20
<bigger>Yes in Ca. a small farm is $250,000 so I would say you are a
little off with that $5000 number.
</bigger>>The Small Farm Exemption was put in OFPA to allow beginning
farmers without
>many sales to develop to a level where they could afford to be part of
the
>USDA National Organic Program. Cost of certification varies from
locality to
>locality. Some State organic programs like Kentucky ($25, any size),
Texas
>($150, 20 acres), Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Idaho
perform
>certification and to some extent subsidize the certification. Some
private
>certifying organizations have subsidized farm and handling operation
>applicants for years. Those most involved or with the greatest
expertise in
>organic farming and handling regularly volunteer their time, expertise
and
>energy. OCIA Chapter certification committees, approximately 38 of
them
>across the US, are all volunteer workers. Sometimes an office
administrator
>is paid, but volunteers do most of the work. On the other hand
inspectors
>are always paid. After years of involvement in certification and
inspection
>of organic farms and handling operations, I feel confident in stating
that
>the true cost of organic certification is greatly undercharged for by
the
>semi or mostly volunteer certifiers like OCIA chapters, Florida, N.
Carolina,
>etc., even CCOF and the NOFAs. If you look at the certification prices
now
>charged by the for-profit private certifiers, QAI, FVO, who have never
really
>made any money yet, and the non-profit private certifiers like Oregon
Tilth
>and OGBA, one obtains clarity on what organic certification really
costs.
I love all those folks and want to thank them for the work they are doing
. I am sorry they are being taking over by the USDA National Organic
Program. after all their hard work to make organic what it is today. I
was happy being certified by my peers and want them to know they had the
right idea . It is just some folks wanted to turn this into a
bureaucratic nightmare. While the rest of the country is shifting
responsibility over to the private sector and getting big government out
of peoples lives some folks want more big brother . I like what the
certifiers are doing and feel you are doing a great job and do not need
government intervention. look how far we have come on are own as a grass
roots movement . let us not take this step backwards . Backwards it is
just so backwards. I wonder if we can get the conservatives in this to
help us as these Liberals are so full of bull. They say one thing and do
another. they say less government yet they give us more goverment. =20
> Investigation indicates most certified organic farmers and handlers, as
well
>as applicants who do not qualify, are presently being subsidized by
small
>groups of certified organic farmers who are participating on the
>certification decision making body. If organic farming is actually a
>business, it is time for a change.=20
bull shit you are one hard hearted fellow being organic is not about how
much money I can give you it is how we grow food it is you making it a
money thing not us. your right about the time for a change all right and
the change is coming . Soon you can have your paper kingdom and eat the
paper.
=20
In my certification experiences,
>volunteerism has reached its limits. Just as organic farmers and
handlers
>are professionals, so certification and inspection needs to be
professional
>and have profession practices and systems and quality pay for quality
work
=20
here it comes ok lets raise all their pay what the hell they are all so
professional and the farmer will pay for it. I have to support all these
professional folks and I have trouble supporting my self. I think these
are good people it is just unjust to make a small grower support all of
them. If organic growing is a matter of public safety then let the
public pay the professionals and let me farm. If in fact if it is not a
act of public safety then all those growing before the law should be
grand fathered in. Isn't that how it works. Hell I was organic before
the dumb law so I should be grand fathered in. You don't know how hard
it is to build a farm and then they change the law on you and you find
you are taxed out of business . I should be grandfather in. It is not
fair to change the law on a profession that takes such a big investment
of time and money and commitment so charge the new folks and grandfather
me in. The old grandfather me in clause should be added so as not to
burden the man that has been organic for years with new laws every year.
If you change the rules of the game and it is not a question of public
safety then This is why they have a grandfather clause. =20
. >In the next Bulletin of the Organic Organizer we will delve into
>certification agent operation and explain how we calculated the cost of
an
>organic certification agency under OFPA.
>
>For now let us just say and we do seriously propose that after
implementation
>of OFPA the total cost for the smallest farm applicant (those above the
$5000
>level) will be at the highest, if priced reasonably by the certifiers
>themselves, approximately $237.50 annually. =20
here you go making up numbers again. I have had an inspection bill of
$240 alone one year my self and that is just the inspection not even
counting the cert charge and the state charge so your numbers are just
made up. your a dreamer the inspectors,the certifier and the state fix
their own prices and we pay them just like the USDA fixes what it asked
of us and you have no control of the numbers so you make them up. We
are talking about 5 parties all charging what they want and the grower
paying it under threat of enforcement. that means FORCE see that little
word in there. Force enforcement. Now the Certifier the state and the
inspector are way to much enforcement let alone the USDA on top of all
that. and the grower and handler pays for it all. Unjust law on the
folks that are not doing anything wrong. They only farming the
enforcement folks are doing is milking us. They milk us every year year
after year.=20
This certification cost comes
>out to 4.75% on a gross of $5000. At $10,000 gross sales, the percent
>becomes 2.3% and drops in half from the cost at $5000 gross. Of course,
it
>would be about the same certification cost for an organic farm=20
grossing
>$40,000, which would then make certification cost .59% of the gross.=20
How
>much acreage is certified to achieve what gross income is dependent on
the
>organic farmer's activities. The NOP could compensate some way for
small
>farmers perhaps be charging only $2 annually per farmer for the
accreditation
>cost to organic farmers grossing between $5000 gross and $40,000 gross.=20
A
>much more direct and effective way to reduce certification expenses is
for
>each State to subsidize certification of small farms and perhaps small
>handling operations.
=20
if you only have a little and someone takes part if it you feel it a lot
more than if you have a lot. I know that is hard for you folks that have
a lot to understand.
>If the small organic farmer with over $5000 gross cannot live with
private
>certification cost, perhaps, their State needs to be prompted to=20
follow
>Kentucky and Texas's lead and implement an approved State Organic
>Certification Program with subsidized fees for small or all growers.=20
This is
>certainly within the grasp of organic farmers in every State to
accomplish
. =20
Dreamer it will never happen here in my state . you are asking the state
to give up money you are a dreamer. They just found this new cow to milk
and it is me.
>I would suggest that the expense of $237.50 annually is payable by any
>organic farm seriously interested in growing and becoming economically
viable
>for its owner(s).
You made that number up there you go again making up stuff where does it
say I only have to pay 237.50 I have had inspections that cost that
much. I know a farmer that paid the state $400 this year and still had
to pay his certifier. where do you get you numbers from as things are a
lot different where you live. I think if you post to sanet you should do
some research me I don't have to do research as I get the bills. And to
me and my small place $237.50 is way to much. I feel a organic grower
should not have to pay 1cent extra to grow and sell his organic crop as
organic . =20
>Organic: a partnership between farmers, marketers, customers and the
>environment.
then let the marketers,customers and environment get the bill along with
us lets cut it up a little and be fair. If we are all part of this
partnership lets split the cost 4 ways. Take my name off the bill and
put their name on it and let them pay.for some of it . oh i see we are
all partners but the farmer pays the bill. hummm bad deal. EAT the
Paper. =20
><<End>
>
>Best, Eric Kindberg
>
>
>
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