Grace Gershuny wrote:
> It might also be worth noting that this large organic dairy (which shall
> remain nameless) to which Bill refers lobbyied hard to eliminate any
> allowance for antibiotic use in the NOP, and has marketed its products
> under a claim of "no antibiotics". USDA's attempt to provide flexibility
> for antibiotic use only "if necessary" was attacked as contradicting
> consumer expectations, and so the purist position that penalizes farmers
> like the Amish has won the day.
This is a great example why I never intend to go organic. From a my perspective
-as a full time farmer, trying to make a profit, while protecting the
environment and having a positive influence in my community, these kind of
policies (politics) is what makes certain componants of organic agriculture
unsustainable. I'm banking on environmentally friendly, locally grown, and
nutritious food production as the basis for my cropping system. I do everything
I know to keep my animals healthy and if I need to treat with antibiotics I
will. I do a better job of keeping my soil in place and have increased soil
quality more than an organic system would have to offer if implemented on my
farm. We can't turn our backs to soil erosion and tillage induced carbon loss
and call ourselves sustainable. Some natural pesticides that organic agriculture
permits are more toxic and persistant then their synthetic counter parts. We
can't tie one hand behind our backs and limit ourselves to regulated laws that
might be unsustainable in some circumstances. Contray to what most posters on
Sanet seem to promote, I don't think organic agriculture as a whole is the
*ideal* we should be striving for. Rather, we need to implement practices that
can utilize any method, be it organic, high tech, or traditional and still
maintain sustainable integrity.
-- Steve Groff"Enhancing the Environment" http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com/ Cedar Meadow Farm 679 Hilldale Road Holtwood, PA 17532 USA
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