It was typical spring weather in the Mile High City for the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) spring meeting last week. A day of piercing sunshine was followed by wind and sputtering rain that cascaded off the Rockies. The unsettled climate mirrored the tone of this biannual meeting. A cloudburst of uncertainties was gathering that could decidedly affect farmers and ranchers, manufacturers and consumers all with the swift vote of this 15-member board. While the lion’s share of this meeting was set aside for discussion, it provided a glimpse of the board’s predilections on future recommendations. Continue reading “April NOSB Meeting: Why it’s Important to be Part of the Organic Process”
Month: April 2017
What I said at the NOSB meeting last week
The National Organic Standards Board met in Denver last week. The room was packed with policy wonks, farmers and consumer advocates. Public comments are the main reason for these meetings. We all sat in a subterranean ballroom to agree to disagree and perhaps influence the board to make the right decisions in order to grow organic.
My three minute comments were applauded by some and likely criticized by others. Following is how I addressed the board:
Continue reading “What I said at the NOSB meeting last week”
Organic Growers Observe Earth Day with Every Harvest
April 22nd, 1970 was the day the Earth took center stage as twenty million souls took to the streets in defense of the natural world. The rally cry was for clean air, water and soil, a society that protected the wondrously biodiverse planet we call home. Forty-seven years later, the earth is a cleaner albeit hotter orb and organic farmers play a crucial role in protecting the planet’s future. Continue reading “Organic Growers Observe Earth Day with Every Harvest”
What’s at Stake at This Week’s National Organic Standards Board Meeting?
Its spring time in the Rockies and I am heading to the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) biannual meeting which provides an opportunity for organic stakeholders to give input on proposed recommendations and discussions. These meetings can decide the fate of organic farming and manufacturing for many years to come. Indeed the very future of organic is held in the hands of the 15 individuals on the board.
So it’s important to show up. Continue reading “What’s at Stake at This Week’s National Organic Standards Board Meeting?”
One Final Push For Organic – April 19th is Your Deadline to Act
My humble beginnings in the organic industry began in 1976 in a small co-op in Iowa. The people were eclectic, and I was drawn to the culture as much as I was the idea of providing healthy organic foods to my community. We were a nascent movement, getting back to the land and nature. Growing, selling and eating organic foods—we were a palpable crusade of Birkenstock bedecked folks who wanted to leave the world a better place through food and agriculture.
I was involved in a bit of midwifery helping to birth the organic movement. Fast forward almost 40 years later, has the organic industry truly grown up? Continue reading “One Final Push For Organic – April 19th is Your Deadline to Act”