jan-feb 2008 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

8/9/2019 Jan-Feb 2008 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

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PASAs 17th AnnualFarming for the Future conference

PASAs signature event the Farming for the Future

conference was a success in early February. Widely regarded

as the best sustainable agriculture gathering in the East,

this diverse 5-day spectacular brought together an audi-

ence of over 1,900 from 39 states and 8 countries.

Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and BeyondNumber 70 January/February 2008

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems


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Jan/Feb 20082008 Farming for the Future

Conference Review

3 Sustainable Ag Awards

5 Conference Volunteers & Friends,

Brownback Scholarships

8 Conference Photos

6 Directors Corner

7 Board Perspective

13 Consumer News

14 Business Member Profile

15 Regional Marketing

16 Farmer Profile

20 Membership News

22 On-Farm Research

24 Editors Corner:The Grapevine

25 Classified Ads

30 Calendar

31 Membership Form

Pennsylvania Association

for Sustainable Agriculture

114 West Main Street

P.O.Box 419

Millheim PA 16854

Phone:(814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840

Website:www.pasafarming.org

Passages STAFF & OFFICE

Staff Editor: Michele Gauger

Layout: C Factor

Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,

PASA office, [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Kim Seeley,Bradford County

Vice President: Brian Moyer, Berks County

Secretary: Mary Barbercheck,Centre County

Treasurer: Louise Schorn Smith,Chester County

David Bingaman,Dauphin County

Jennifer Halpin, Cumberland County

Mena Hautau,Berks County

John Hopkins,Columbia County

John Jamison,Westmoreland CountyDon Kretschmann,Beaver County

Jeff Mattocks,Dauphin County

Sandra Miller,Cumberland County

Rita Resick, Somerset County

Anthony Rodale,Berks County

Jim Travis, Adams County

At-Large Board Member

Jamie Moore, Allegheny County

PASA STAFF

Brian Snyder

Executive Director

[email protected]

Lauren Smith

Director of Development

[email protected]

Chris Fullerton

Director of Consumer Outreach5

[email protected]

Allison Shauger

Educational Outreach Director

[email protected]

Michele Gauger

Director of Membership & Research Assistant

[email protected]

Brandi Marks

Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper

[email protected]

Carrie Gillespie

Bookkeeping Assistant

[email protected]

Southeast Regional Office

Phone: 610-458-5700 x305

Marilyn Anthony

Southeastern Regional Director

[email protected]

Western Regional Office

Julie Speicher

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Sarah Young

Program Assistant

[email protected]

PASAs Mission isPromoting profitable farms which produce

healthy food for all people while respecting the

natural environment.PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania

landscape. We are seasoned farmers who know that

sustainability is not only a concept, but a way of life.

We are new farmers looking for the fulfillment of land

stewardship. We are students and other consumers,

anxious to understand our food systems and the

choices that must be made. We are families and chil-

dren,who hold the future of farming in our hands.This

is an organization that is growing in its voice on behalf

of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond. Our mission is

achieved,one voice, one farm,one strengthened com-

munity at a time.

PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider and Employer.Some grant funding comes from the USDA and com-

plaints of discrimination should be sent to:US DA Office of Civil Rights,Washington, DC 20250-9410.

PassagesJanuary/February 2008 Contributors

Contributing writers & photographers: Marilyn Anthony, David Eson, Chris Fullerton, Mena Hautau, Ron Hoover,

Kristen Leitzel, Pat Little, Paul Morgan, Gayle Morrow, John Rhodes, Kim Seeley, Allison Shauger, Kate Sigler,

Lauren Smith,Brian Snyder.

PASA in the NewsHave you seen articles about PASA in your local news-

papers or other media? PASA is active across the state,

and wed love to know what coverage we are gettingin your area. Please clip any articles you see on PASA

and mail them to our Millheim headquarters to the

attention of Office Coordinator Brandi Marks.

Do you have a great

article idea for Passages?Want to share a farming practice with members? Wed

love to hear from you. Please contact the newsletter

staff at [email protected].

Deadline for March/April 2008 Issue:

March 17, 2008

Passages is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper

Photographs on the

front cover (clockwise

from upper left)

Keynote speaker, Diane

Wilson, signs copies of

her book,An Unreason-

able Woman:A True Story

of Shrimpers,Politicos,

Polluters,and the Fight

for Seadrift,Texas for an

eager crowd followingher inspirational opening

remarks.

Eleven students from the

Penn College of Technolo-

gy Culinary program (one

of whom pictured here)

contributed a great

amount of labor in pro-

cessing the raw ingredi-

ents for our conference

meals. Chef Mike Ditch-

field touted Willy

Benedetto (pictured rear)

as one of the guys that

has made the sustainable

food program at the con-

ference happen!

Sixty young Future Farm-

ers enjoyed activities

including the exploration

of wooden instruments.

PASA thanks Joan Turns

and George Vahoviak of

Shavers Creek Environ-

mental Center as well as

the Penn State Sustain-

able Agriculture Club for

their dedication to this

important program.

During the Hands-On

Pastured Poultry pre-

conference track held at

Poultry Man LLC in Mif-

flinburg PA, participants

worked together to build

two 9x 9cattle panel

hoop houses.The Ameri-

can Pastured Poultry

Producers Assn. (APPPA)

then generously donated

one of the hoop houses

to the PASA Auction.


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By Gayle Morrow,PASA member

Who gets the SustainableAg Business Leadership Award

or the Sustainable Ag Leader-ship Award this year? As alwaysit was a surprise right upuntil the Farming for the Futureconference awards banquet,only a handful of folks knew.

It was especially surprisingto the recipients they didnot recognize themselves inPASA executive director, BrianSnyders announcements.When Brian started out Ithought I wonder who this

is, said Terry Brett, who, withKimberton Whole Foods,earned the 2008 Sustainable Ag BusinessLeadership Award. I couldnt believe hewas talking about me.

Jerry Brunetti, who took the 2008Sustainable Ag Leadership award, wasequally amazed at his own achievement.He didnt know who Snyder was describ-ing, but admitted with a laugh that hethought this is my kind of guy.

Sustainable Agriculture

Business Leadership AwardTerry Brett is the first to admit hed

rather be farming, but customers of Kim-berton Whole Foods are, perhaps selfish-ly, glad hes not. I shopped there lastMonday night and I counted so manylocally grown products, said PASAboard member, Louise Schorn Smith inher introduction. His personal strengthsinclude business and management style,super-human energy, and dedication tothe local food system.

Brett and Kimberton Whole Foodshave, she said, set the gold standard forwhat they do.

Brett started out in 1986 with culture yogurt culture, that is. He was hired tomake and market yogurt for the CampHill Village/Kimberton Hills biodynamicfarm. The result was Seven Stars Yogurtand the expansion of an existing naturalfoods store that eventually morphed intoKimberton Whole Foods.

Have you ever noticed how manysuccessful businesses start on a farm, or at

3

least are connected to a farm? musedSnyder in his preface to the announce-ment of Bretts award. There are proba-bly many reasons for this, but Im sure wecould all agree that farm-based businessesoften do well simply because of the workethic learned on farms.

That ethic, and the dedication of Brettand Kimberton Whole Foods to providethe highest quality products possible, at afair price, based on the cost of production

rather than simply what the marketwould bear, are exemplified in their mis-

sion statement, which Snydershared:

We care for the Earth by pro-moting organic and bio-dynam-

ic farming methods. We conductour business in a respectful andethical manner while buildingstrong cooperative ties withinour larger community. In a more

personal way, we support eachindividuals quest to learn moreabout healthy choices in diet andlifestyle. Finally, we are commit-ted to honoring each customerwith outstanding service.

I would really rather be ona farm, said Brett as he accept-

ed the award (and who would-nt rather be on a farm?). But

thank you for honoring all of us at Kim-berton Whole Foods for what we do.

Sustainable Agriculture

Leadership AwardWant to reduce your use of pesticides,

eliminate dependence on chemical fertil-izers, and learn to toss around terms likephenolics, terpenes and sterols?

Who ya gonna call? asked PASAboard president, Kim Seeley as he intro-

duced Jerry Brunetti.

Annual Awards Celebrate Leaders in Sustainable Agriculture

ConferenceReview

continued on page 4

Kimberton Whole Foods was honored with the Sustainable Agriculture Business Award during the

Friday evening awards banquet.Terry Brett, who accepted the award on behalf of everyone at Kim-

berton, was thankful to have their work recognized.Pictured from left to right are Terry Brett of Kim-

berton Whole Foods,Brian Snyder and PASA board treasurer,Louise Schorn Smith.

Jerry Brunetti was honored with the Sustainable Ag Leadership Award

at the conference.Jerry was surprised and very grateful to be recognized.

Pictured left to right are Kim Seeley, PASA board president; Jerry

Brunetti and Brian Snyder.


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Snyder characterized Brunetti as atrue Renaissance person, one who elic-its strong reactions of all sorts when he

teaches, which is rather refreshing in anera of increasingly boring, standardizedways of thinking and learning.

Brunetti began his professional careerin animal sciences, then, as Snyder said,branched out in both directions alongthe food chainon subjects as far-rang-ing as soil and forage quality and alterna-tive approaches to treating humandisease.

His dynamic and energetic speakingstyle has made him a favorite at the PASAconference and other venues. PASA and

its members are fortunate, Snyder said,that Brunetti considers this conferenceto be a home basewhere he is not justa speaker but a member of the family.

Im overwhelmed by this, saidBrunetti as he accepted the honor. It isfamily, and it is my greatest joy and priv-ilege to give [to you]. Thank you.

Departing Board

Members Recognized

The Friday night banquet was also atime to honor outgoing board members

Mena Hautau and Anthony Rodale.

Mena Hautau, who had served on theboard since 1999, is a senior Extensionagent in agronomy and agriculture withPenn State Cooperative Extension inBerks County. She chaired the searchcommittee that ultimately hired BrianSnyder as Executive Director and hasbeen an invaluable leader and partner inthe organizations fundraising efforts.

Its an absolute pleasure to have

someone like her on any board, saidMiller. Shes always willing to do herpart and beyond. She helped us to comeup with an evaluation system for theboard and employees. These are thingsthat lend credence to an organization.

Ive normally been in a role to thankothers for what theyve done with PASA,said Hautau. You get out what you put

into it. Im thankful to the board forcoming together as a team, and it is aprivilege to work with the staff we have.It is up to us as members to make surethey have the resources they need to getthe job done.

Anthony Rodale (who was not ableto be at the banquet) is from the firstfamily of agriculture, continued Miller.We could not be more pleased than forhim to lend his name to our organizationin its early years. It is unusual to have theopportunity to have someone with inter-national stature put his shoulder to thesame wheel as our shoulders.

Rodale is the grandson of The RodaleInstitutes founder J.I. Rodale. Under hisguidance, the Institute has worked todevelop educational programs gearedtoward children helping them under-stand the vital connections betweenhealthy soil, healthy food and healthypeople. He and his wife, Florence, live inAllentown. They have two children, Mar-low and Coco-Margaux. I

ConferenceReview

PASA Leaders

continued from page 3

PASA board fundraising chair, Mena Hautau was honored during the Friday evening banquet.

Mena will be leaving the board due to term limits after the conference and she was recognized for

her efforts by former board president, Kim Miller (left) and Brian Snyder.

PASA board vice president Brian Moyer (left) presented outgoing board member Anthony Rodale

with a gift from the board. Anthony was honored during the Friday evening awards banquet for his

years of service to the organization.


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ConferenceReview

CONFERENCEVOLUNTEERS

PASA staff and board would like

to thank our dedicated volunteers

who helped make our recent

conference a success.

Chris Adamski Nitya Akeroyd Kat

Alden Val Alexander Wendy Allem

Amanda Barker Michele Briggs Chris

Brittenburg Sabine Carey Eileen

Clark Moie Crawford Heather Donald

Adam Dellinger Sarabelle Eisenfeld

John Lee Fisher Meghan Fridirici

Heath Gamache Donald Gibbon

Greta Haney Maggie & Dale Henry

Todd Hopkins Liz Hunsberger Karl

Ingram Shira Kamm Rachel KohnObut Pat Leary Warren Leitzel Gin-

ger Marshall Julie Mason Cindy& Eric

Noel Patti Olenick Sunil Patel Andy

Pressman Colette Skundberg-Radtke

Tony Ricci Penny Sandoval Rachel

Schaal Dan Shimp Becky Smith

Shana Tritsch Holly Tyson Bob Ver-

non Sue Walker-Moyer Bill Wolfe

David Wrestler Steffany Yamada

Karen & Phil Yanak Heidi Zellie Effie

Zuck Leslie Zuck

The annual PASA Charity Auction was once again a success in raising funds for our Annu-

al Fund.One of the items featured included the original painting by Kathy Frank, which

served as our conference graphic this year entitled Brush Valley Cows.Stay tuned for

the March/April Passages for a complete recap of this fundraiser.

Friends of the ConferenceThe Farming for the Future conference is an extremely important event for the PASA

membership.I ts our chance to learn from and network with interesting people and field

experts and gather new ideas for improving our businesses and lives.Those who donat-

ed $100 to become a Friend of the Conference were contributing to ensure everyone

can participate by keeping registration fees affordable.Thanks to all of these generous

folks for being a Friend!

Amsterdam ProduceEnterprises, Inc.

Bob Anderson

Mary Barbercheck

Nancy & Bob Bernhardt

Linda & Tim Blakeley

Jane & Dick Burlingame

Charlestown Farm

Moie & Jim Crawford

Bill Curran

Lisa & Duane Diefenbach

Bill Elkins

Helen Elkins

Chris Fullerton

Meg Gleason

Greener Partners

Todd & John Hopkins

Carl Hursh

Becky Kretschmann

Arias M. Brownback

Scholarships AwardedPASA is pleased to announce that the

Arias M. Brownback Scholarship Fundsupported 50 scholarship recipients toattend the 2008 Farming for the Future

conference. The Scholarship Fundannually benefits from members gener-ous contributions. As the conferencehas grown over the years, so have thenumber of requests for and awards ofscholarships.

Thankfully, member support for thisimportant fund has kept pace with thedemand for scholarships and we havenever turned away an aspiring farmer inneed. Applying for the scholarship is easy.Applicants must demonstrate two quali-ties: an interest in pursuing farming as a

vocation and a financial need that wouldotherwise prevent them from attendingthe conference. A sincere thank you toeveryone who has contributed to this worthy cause! Stay tuned for theMarch/April issue of Passages to hearfrom some of our scholarship recipients.

Don Kretschmann

David Lembeck

Tracy & Jeff Mattocks

Maryann & DennisMawhinney

Milky Way Farms

Dianne Miller

Kim Miller

Sandra Miller

Dave Mortensen

Martha Noble

Northern Tier SustainableMeat Cooperative

Mary Ann & William Oyler

Nora Pouillon

Rita Resick

Melissa Reynolds

Thomas Reynolds

Carolyn Sachs

Susan & Don Sauter

Allison Shauger

Louise Schorn Smith

Peggy & Joseph Schott

Nancy Shorsher

Kress Simpson

Lauren & Ian Smith

Paula & Brian Snyder

Rick Stafford

Genelle Sweetser &

Gene Chenoweth

Debbie Swettenam &

Linda Humphreys

Tuscarora Organic

Growers Cooperative

Barbara & Michael Wahler

Sandie & John Walker

West Penn Power

Sustainable Energy Fund


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involved in an epic struggle to recover thequestions that have been obscured in ourbig box research institutions. In fact, I amconvinced that the struggle for food sov-ereignty and the research that will get usthere is rapidly becoming the major civilrights struggle of our time.

But as a struggle, its also becomingclear that there is another side out therefighting against us every step of the way.The food labeling issue has at least servedto expose the unholy alliance that hasoccurred between some factions withingovernment, industry and the scientificcommunity. The aim of this alliance is tocontrol the food system for the relativelyshort term gain of its members, and theirstrategy is to divide and conquer thoseother groups, such as ourselves, who havethe longer term aims of preserving our

farms, saving the Earth and maximizingthe quality of life for all humankind.

We know for instance that a principlegoal of this alliance is to redefine the con-cept of sustainability as it relates to agri-culture, essentially requiring the use ofthe latest technology for a farming opera-tion to be considered sustainable. We alsosuspect that the next step would be topick apart the National Organic Programand the organic movement in general tothe point where the term organic losesits meaning and becomes irrelevant to

farmers and consumers alikeas thoughwe dont already see evidence of this hap-pening. Ultimately, however, it is theLocal Food Movement that representsthe greatest threat to the Agricultural-Industrial Complex, because you cannever reproduce a true local food systemon an industrial scale.

In order that we never again getcaught flatfooted on issues of importanceto our members and our mission, we arejoining with some close partners today toform a new coalition of our own for thepromotion of local, organic and sustain-able food and farming systems here inPennsylvania, and possibly beyond. Join-ing me in forming this coalition will berepresentatives from Pennsylvania Certi-fied Organic, the FoodRoutes Network,White Dog Community Enterprises andThe Rodale Institute.

In all, we hope to connect throughthis alliance with thousands of peoplewho understand the value of high quality,

order. This tremendous victory cameabout not only because hundreds ofPASA members made their voices heard,but indeed because in working with otherstate and national partners, we collective-ly generated thousands, perhaps tens ofthousands of messages to the governors

office, all of which were simply appealingto the commonsense proposition that agrowing number of consumers want toknowmore, not less, about the food theybuy for their families.

It also happened because the milkdealers in Pennsylvania threatened to sueif they could not put something on thelabel about not using rBST. So lets alsokeep this victory in perspective. Itsquite likely that letters, phone calls andemails would not have been enough bythemselves. Why is this? I believe the rea-

son is that a new voice has emerged thatconsiders itself above that of the generalpublic in terms of both intelligence andpolitical importance, and that voice iswhat Im calling scientism.

I use the word scientism very care-fully to mean something other than thenormal practice of science, which issomething we all appreciate as the pursuitof empirical knowledge, properly done without undue bias and in the publicsbest interest. Scientism, on the otherhand, describes a situation where there is

no longer a dialogue going on about thenature of reality from many different per-spectives, like religion, science, historyand philosophy, as you would normallyexpect. But in this case, science hasbecome a religion, and in fact the finalarbiter of truth in all those other impor-tant disciplines as well.

This new attitude toward science is soubiquitous today that one could almostfail to notice it. But its arrogance is felton a regular basis in meetings I attend

around the state and country. Scientismeven has its own language, or liturgyyou might say, in expressing its confidenthold on reality. In this way of thinking,an activist is simply someone youstrongly disagree with, and the concept ofsound science is used consistently toindicate the use of science that is biasedon behalf of industry.

One identifying mark of scientism isthat it controls the answers it gives by firstcontrolling the questions that are beingasked. It is now very clear that we are

By Brian Snyder, Executive Director

Directo

rsCorner

Some excerpts from my talk at thisyears Farming for the Futureconference:

This talk is entitled Scientism andthe Rise of the Agricultural-IndustrialComplex, a heading that not so long agowould have conjured images of shady fig-ures on grassy knolls and visiting aliensfrom other planets whose spaceships and

bodily remains were being hidden awaysomewhere in the deserts of New Mexico.But isnt it interesting, and a true measureof how things have changed in our socie-ty, that it no longer is even controversialto suggest that a coalition of government,industry and university personnel mightbe involved in an effort to manipulateour food system, altering the process ofotherwise free markets to ensure thebenefit of the few over the many?

I was actually out of state at a meetingwith several other sustainable ag and foodsystem leaders when the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Agriculture issued itsfirst-in-the-nation directive to ban whatit called false and misleading labels.The department was clear right from thestart that this ban was to be applied notonly to claims about growth hormones,but also to other substances like antibi-otics and pesticides.

So let us celebrate our achievement ingetting the governor and his Dept of Agto reconsider and rescind their original

Scientism andthe Rise of the

Agricultural-IndustrialComplex

continued on page 12


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quiet voice in our head guides us toenhanced vision and problem solving.This mindset only can be achieved byreading, listening and sharing with thebrilliance among us.

Over the years the PASA conferencehas continually brought us the brightest

stars in the form of keynote and work-shop speakers. This year was no excep-tion. In my daily life, it is not uncommonto remember and reflect on these variouspresentations and bring the knowledge toreality in the work I do. Our farm todayis an ongoing research and developmentexperiment based on sustainable practiceswe have learned from others and discov-ered with natures help.

As I write this column, the proposedmilk labeling change by Pennsylvania leg-islators and dubious lobbyists has been

rescinded. What a victory for free speechand the democratic process. It is impor-tant to voice our opinions through PASAwhen it comes to rulings and propagandathat may be for the gain of some but notall of mankind. I am so proud of theresponse from members voicing the needfor truth, transparency and democracy.Keep it up!

We are all tiring of hearing the con-tinuous sound bites that the corporatemachine creates. You are being emotion-al not scientific, your technology tool bag

is being taken away by misinformed con-sumers, the FDA and USDA allow it so itis 100% safe. The technology industryand its supporters are intentionally leav-ing out the most important rule nature and the laws and science of it.

The growth of PASA and the messageof sustainability advocates around theworld are based on the laws of nature. Wehave seen real life case studies and testi-monials that have occurred in front ofour own eyes, on our farms, as we chal-

lenge the laws of man.Nature, as the mornings sunrisereflects, is a wonderful spectacle that noone can debate. Thank goodness the sunis the fuel for everyones spirit. Thankgoodness that all of you aspire and workto produce and process food that is thebest it can be for our childrens spirit.Thank goodness that all of you supportthe work and truth of the PASA family.Most importantly we must teach ourchildren to respect the laws of nature andnatures science. I

PASABoardPerspective

As a sophomore in college at the time,I clearly saw my future in dairying andproudly grabbed all the technology avail-able to help design what would becomemy lifelong future. What my family did-nt realize was that all the shiny newstuff wasnt built for longevity. Our

super steel structure would prove to befire proof, but not rust proof like ournative wood buildings.

Our feeding equipment would needto be rebuilt in less than five yearsbecause of the abrasiveness and acidity ofour total mixed ration (TMR). Our milk-ing system would need to be modifiedbecause of the design of both milk flowand pulsation. The more serious problemyet to be diagnosed was herd health andlongevity.

All of these things were extremely

challenging and frustrating, consideringwe had invested in the latest technologyand yet none of it had even depreciated.Our family had an act of nature throw usa curve ball and we had humanly swungat it without ever addressing the laws ofnature.

For years after our fire we were pro-ducing milk in a chase for volume insteadof nutrient density. After all that is what we were being paid for. Where wouldMilky Way Farms be today if we hadPASA to turn to at that time? The by-

products of animals (meat and milk)managed against the laws of natural sci-ence are causing serious economic, envi-ronmental and nutritional problems thatall of us need to help solve.

The laws and science of nature, not tobe confused with the laws and science ofman need to be respected.

I still see dairy farmers being encour-aged to add more technology as a way outof the current dairy crisis. Massive farmdebt is as insidious as poor animal nutri-

tion. Anyone looking for advice and iscurrently being wooed by non-sustain-able lending experts, should be encour-aged to visit PASA farmers who readilyshare their farm successes and failures.

Since joining PASA, I try to search forsustainable solutions to things I do everyday on the farm and in life. I look for nat-ural teachings, which to an open mind,are all around us. These ideas come whensometimes I least expect them.

Daily stress can sometimes cloud ourobjectivity. Under calmer conditions, the

By Kim Seeley, Board President

Have you studied a sunrise lately? Thismorning, the color was infinitely preciseand woke up a countryside that wasenjoying 50 degree winter weather.Unfortunately the only blemishes werethe jet streams created by man.

Mans impact leaves a mark every- where we turn these days, sometimes

good and sometimes just plain disgusting(from antibiotic resistant MRSA, toColony Collapse Disorder, and even thecontinued decline of the Chesapeake Bayand other watersheds). If mans technolo-gy is so foolproof, scientifically provenand positive, as well as methodicallyreviewed and approved, why do we stillstruggle with impending environmentalcollapse?

Laws of nature are being broken daily.In 1976 my familys barn was hit by

lightning during a fast moving thunder-storm. We were actually in the barn and were fortunate to move all the animalsout to pasture, as we watched years ofwork go up in flames.

The few weeks following the fire wereconsumed by decisions about the kind ofstructure to rebuild in its place. Theseevents were happening in the 70s, whenthe new farm model was encouragingcentralization and concentration of ani-mals in large, efficient, mostly metalbuildings.

Laws of Nature,

Laws of Man


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he Farmers Market Caf was a popular alternative

or a healthy snack or light meal. Vending PASA

members provided sandwiches, cheeses & breads,

alads, and other healthy fare,in cluding raw milk!

he Farmers Market Caf was a popular alternative

or a healthy snack or light meal. Vending PASA

members provided sandwiches,ch eeses & breads,

alads, and other healthy fare,inclu ding raw milk!

articipants learned the ins and outs of poul-

ry processing at Kathleen and Eli Reiffs farm

n Mifflinburg, PA during one of Thursdays

re-conference tracks.

Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) supported the conference in a big way with both a Patron of Sustai

sponsorship and bringing sixteen representatives to the conference. Their creative exhibit booth Bring

Home was the perfect backdrop for a group photo.

Grammy nominated artist Adrienne Young and

her band Little Sadie had folks dancing

to their foot-stomping original music after

Thursdays Winter Picnic.

One item featured in the Live Auction wDinner in your Homecourtesy of Che

Mike Ditchfield from Penn College and

Benedetto of the Penn Stater.Both che

an important role in creating the delic

meals served at the conference.

Jim Amory of the LeRaysville Cheese Factory

(also a Bronze Key Conference Sponsor)

demonstrates the art and chemistry of

cheesemaking to an attentive crowd.

Jim Amory of the LeRaysville Cheese Factory

(also a Bronze Key Conference Sponsor)

demonstrates the art and chemistry of

cheesemaking to an attentive crowd.


9/329

Brian Moyer,PASA board vice president,

was master of ceremonies during the

Friday morning plenary session.

r. Michael Fox signs copies of his

ooks following his workshop on the

ioethics of food and agriculture.

he PASA staff took a bow at the closing ceremonies,

o a standing ovation! Pictured here left to right:

ront row) Kristin Leitzel, Carrie Gillespie, Kate Sigler, Brian Snyder,

Michele Gauger, Julie Speicher, Marilyn Anthony

back row) Brandi Marks, Lisa Diefenbach, Chris Fullerton,

llison Shauger, Lauren Smith.

Several PASA members, farms and busin

donated items that were part of PASAs a

Charity Auctions.The auction held in Dean

was also site of the new Photography E

coordinated by volunteer Donald Gi

The photographs were continuously p

throughout the confe


10/32

Mark McAfee shared a passionate account of his raw milk

activism during the closing keynote address.

articipants in Saturdays drum circle workshop found their rhythm and

earned to build community through music.

tate Senator Rob Wonderling (R-24th) addresses the Friday morning

rowd, telling his story of how he came to know more about sustainable

griculture and why he thinks it is applicable in making Pennsylvania a

etter place for its citizens.The senator drew a cheer for talking about

etting wholesome, locally grown food into the public schools.

haring the bounty of our regional foods is always a highlight at the conference, be it at the

ocial hour (pictured here),the special cheese tasting, or the featured meals. A complete list of

arms and businesses that participated in the food program will be in the March/April Passages.

The Farmland Preservation A

held a show of their food and farm

art during the conference,with a perce

of sales benefiting PASA.Their beautifuwas a delight to browsers and shoppers

Chef Ken Stout carved

the grass-fed Steam

ship Rounds of beef

at the Thursday Winter

Picnic. The beef was

donated by Bakewell

and enjoyed

very much.


11/32

popular exhibitor for over a decade,

aul Goland of Hardscrabble Enterprises,

Franklin,West Virginia) sold a wide vari-

ty of mushroom related products

ncluding the shiitake logs shown here.

Yvonne Post, Denise Sheehan and David

demonstrate ways of incorporating healthy

as well as nutritious food productio

preparation into school cur

ver 60 children ages,18 months to 12 years old, participated

n the Future Farmers Program. PASA thanks Jill Shankel of

Munnell Run Farm and the Penn State Sustainable Agriculture

ub for their efforts to offer engaging programming.

11

ASAs Consumer Outreach efforts inclu ded hosting a Buy Fresh Buy

ocal(BFBL) booth at the conference. Consumer Outreach Director,

hris Fullerton and several volunteers from Pennsylvanias BFBL

hapters distributed information on how to join regional chaptersnd more. See page 13 of this newsletter for further details.

At the conference, PASA announced the formation of a coalition among

representatives of White Dog Community Enterprises, Pennsylvania Certified

Organic, FoodRoutes Network and The Rodale Institute to help promote

local, organic and sustainable food and farming systems in Pennsylvania.

We hope to connect through this alliance with thousands of people who

understand the value of high quality, nutritious food coming from sustain-

able farms, produced and served in the convenience of their own communi-ties.Pictured left to right: Brian Snyder, PASA; Andrew Altman,White Dog

Community Enterprises; Leslie Zuck, Pennsylvania Certified Organic; Tim

Schlitzer, FoodRoutes and Judy Wicks, White Dog Community Enterprises.

At the conference, PASA announced the formation of a coalition among

representatives of White Dog Community Enterprises, Pennsylvania Certified

Organic, FoodRoutes Network and The Rodale Institute to help promote

local, organic and sustainable food and farming systems in Pennsylvania.

We hope to connect through this alliance with thousands of people who

understand the value of high quality, nutritious food coming from sustain-

able farms, produced and served in the convenience of their own communi-ties.Pictured left to right: Brian Snyder, PASA; Andrew Altman,White Dog

Community Enterprises; Tim Schlitzer, FoodRoutes; Leslie Zuck, Pennsylvania

Certified Organic; and Judy Wicks, White Dog Community Enterprises.

The PASA Mercantile was a great place to shop for giftssupport the organization. Attendees welcomed newly de

oped and designed merchandise, such as fleece vests, th

mugs and totes,ch eese kits and more!

The PASA Mercantile was a great place to shop for giftssupport the organization. Attendees welcomed newly de

oped and designed merchandise, such as fleece vests, th

mugs and totes, cheese kits and more!


12/32

$185,000

$150,000

$100,000

$50,000

0

Our goal

Illustrat

ioncourtesyofPhyllisKipp

$58,467MARCH 15

$92,000JULY 15

$153,047NOV 16

$85,691MAY 15

$109,747SEPT 27

WE DID IT!

$193,498DEC 31

12

Fundraisin

gUpdate

Our Successful HaymowThanks to ALL!

By Mena Hautau, Board Fundraising ChairGreetings members and supporters! The PASA haymow is stacked to the barn

rafters and then some! As we brought in the last of our 2007 hay crop, we gatheredextra winter stores represented here in our Annual Fund meter as wrapped baleage.Our goal of $185,000 was surpassed as we reached a final harvest of $193,498. We

would like to thank everyone who helped and participated!We empathize with those of you who had a hay shortage this year. However, inthe mythical land of the PASA hay harvest, we owe a great deal of thanks to the goodweather and fortitude of our hay farmers, those of you participated in writing letters,making calls, joining in fundraising dinners or contributing to our benefit events andauctions. In the late fall, a very generous challenge gift of $15,000 from Lady MoonFarms enabled our board and staff to reach out to members and friends in seekingthe final dollars needed. Over 120 donors came together to help us reach our goal,by participating with a matching gift.

So, there you have it. Be grateful for the earth that gives us her harvest. Be grate-ful for our membership who cares deeply about keeping the organization viable, sothat good works can continue. I

Editors Note: The 2008 Fundraising Campaign kicks off in the March/April issue.

nutritious food coming from sus-

tainable farms, produced and servedin the convenience of their owncommunities. They will not fall eas-ily for the more profane, self-indul-gent intentions of scientism or theagricultural-industrial complex, but will respond heartily to the dreamof sustainability for our farms andthe communities in which they aresituatedwhich is a sacred trust wemust never betray, except at ourown peril. I

Directors Corner



13/3213

Consu

merNews

bakers, bed & breakfasts, and other busi-nesses that sell locally grown products.

But the website does have limitations.For instance: it is not easy for a family tofind a CSA with a drop-off location neartheir home, because CSA farms are listedby farm location, not service areas.

Another challenge is keeping theinformation fresh. Currently there is nosystem for regularly updating entries inthe online local food guide to make surethey remain accurate. Clearly, we need toaddress these weaknesses. Our goal is tocreate the most comprehensive, reliable,user-friendly source for local food infor-

mation in the state or perhaps anywhere.

An Angies List for Local Food?The Internet has made it possible for

people to quickly find and share all kindsof information. Some of the most suc-

cessful websites are thosethat act as guides for con-sumers by collecting andorganizing reviews.Zagat does this withrestaurants and AngiesList does this for homeservicing companies.

Why cant we do thesame for local food? Byoffering opportunitiesfor consumers to rate andcomment on local foodsources at www.buylocal-pa.org, our online foodguide will become amuch richer and moreinteresting resource. And

Consumers hear more and moreabout the nutritional, environmental,

economic and social benefits of eatinglocal food that is produced in a responsi-ble manner. But in this age of informa-tion overload, what consumers wantmost is exactly what PASA can offer,advice on finding the best foods availablein their region. For most people, thinkingabout food starts with a shopping list!

Since 2005, the www.buylocalpa.org website has been a useful resource. Thesite features background information onthe benefits of eating local as well as cal-endar listings for local food events, but

the main feature is an online local foodguide. This search engine allows con-sumers to find family farms includingCommunity Supported Agriculture(CSA) and u-pick farms, farmers mar-kets, restaurants, grocers, caterers and

Eaters of Pennsylvania, Fire Up Your Browsers!A major overhaul of www.buylocalpa.org will give PA consumers new tools for local eating.

By Chris Fullerton, Director of Consumer OutreachConsumer research during the past six months on how PASA can step up its

outreach to the non-farming public has provided us with a clear goal: we needto enhance our online presence for the Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) program,which helps people connect to nearby sources for local food. Thanks to funding

from the Henry A. Wallace Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Winrock Inter-

national, PASA has the resources to begin meeting this challenge, and to work

on other ways to expand our BFBL programming. For the vast majority of Penn-

sylvanians, eating is the only opportunity they have to be involved in agricul-

ture. PASA intends to increase our efforts to connect and communicate with

consumers about their food choices.

we can also tap web-users to help us keepinformation up to date and accurate its just a matter of creating the right tools

that are easy to use.Using a request for reviews to turn aone-way website into an interactive com-munity is one example of social net-working on the web. But we dont haveto stop with ratings. Consumers will alsobe able to build a personal portfolio oftheir favorite local foods, markets, farmsand restaurants; respond to surveys onvarious topics; and connect with otherlocal consumers to share information andcooperate on local food shopping, cook-ing and/or gardening. While basic search-

es and information will remainfree-of-charge to the general public, someof these new services will be available onthe site only for auxiliary consumermembers of PASA.

A Sustainable Local

Food System it takes a Village!

PASA, for all it has grown, is still tiny when you consider the breadth of ourvision for a more sustainable food system.An upgraded BFBL website will help usbuild a network of informed eaters across

the state who will be additional eyes andears and hands and feet (and lets not for-get mouths) of our movement.

When consumers who have onlyrecently begun to think about their foodchoices are ready to take the next step, wewant to provide them not just with infor-mation, but also with a community. Aninteractive website will allow those whoare already experts in local food to serveas trusted guides to those who are newto the search. We cant forget that formany people, CSAs are a new idea. Or

those long-time grocery store shoppersmight need a little handholding beforethey make their first visit to an outdoor,seasonal market.

But even existing local food loyalistsshould benefit from the new web tools wehave in mind. If a family wants a differ-ent choice for milk than currently offeredby their local grocery store, we will helpthem connect to other like-minded fami-



14/32

By Gayle MorrowImagine a wild grilled Sockeye salmon filet, topped with a sauce of creamy dill

or lemony white wine and garlic. Now imagine you can get that salmon filet here,in Pennsylvania, and that it has that direct from the boat flavor.

You dont have to use your imagination anymore. All you have to do is callJenn or Steve Kurian at Wild for Salmon and that Sockeyefilet can be on our table.

It was a trip to Alaska that spawned the Blooms-burg couples business. They traveled there aboutfive years ago to do some commercial fishing with afriend, and came home with salmon for otherfriends and family to try. To say it was popular is abit of an understatement.

It went like wildfire, says Steve Kurian.So they decided to buy their own boat.Now, says Kurian, This is becoming a full-time operation.

The Kurians fish out of the Bristol Bay fishery, using their 32-foot boat witha four-person crew Steve (the skipper), Jenn and two deckhands and is outfour to five weeks during the June and July salmon spawn. There is usually aweek of work on the boat first, reports Kurian. He explains that the fish theycatch are kept in refrigerated holds on the boat. Then the salmon are periodical-ly transferred to another boat, which takes them to the processing facility wherethey are filleted, flash-frozen and vacuum sealed. From there the packaged salmongo on a barge to Seattle and are then trucked east.

There are five rivers we can fish, Kurian says. We see whales, sea otters,bears and all kinds of great birds.

For more information about Wild for Salmon or to order, visit www.wild-forsalmon.com or call 570-387-0550. Then fire up the grill! I

What is unique about your business?

Were unique in that my wife and I go up

and fish and bring back the wild Alaskan

Sockeye salmon to local consumers.We try

to bring back enough so people have it all

year round, as we sell it at local farmers

markets and through orders.

Why did you join PASA?We sell a lot of product to people tied to

PASA. We became aware of the Buy Fresh

Buy Local campaign and became interest-

ed in that concept. We are interested in

and supportive of small farms. PASA is an

alert market with a very focused audi-

ence and theyve been very supportive of

what we do.

How has your membership been a bene-

fit to your business?

We had a booth at the conference and

when we were there word spread around

the PASA web. Weve done networkingand have learned a lot, on a personal scale

and with the Buy Fresh Buy Local and

organic campaigns.

What does the term sustainable mean

to you and how do you incorporate that

into you business?

Bristol Bay Sockeye fishery is one of the

best managed in the world. Others havent

done so well. With Alaska being so rural

and remote, man hasnt had a chance to

damage it. Its been doing extremely well

on account [of fish] being harvested from

it (Bristol Bay earned commendation from

The Marine Stewardship Council). As a

marketer I feel confident in the sustainabil-

ity of the runs. There are ups and downs,

but I think long-term it will stay strong.

What do you see as some of the critical

issues facing ag an ag-related business

today?

The most critical issues for our business is

world population growth and global

warming, if it is happening. Both issues will

have negative influences on the salmon

population. There are problems with anenvironment that is changing,for instance,

permafrost is melting and putting more

sediment in the streams.

What do you see as the connection

between sustainable agriculture and

the consumer?

The consumer gets to vote with their dol-

lar. As more people become aware, they

get to come to the farmer or the wild

salmon fisherman and know they are get-

ting a good product that supports the

environment.

14

BuseinessMemberProfile

Go Wild for SalmonGo Wild for Salmon

Jenn and Steve Kurian of

Wild for Salmon created

the business to provide

natural, sustainably

harvested salmon

products of

superior quality,

priced for the

common good.


15/3215

By David Eson, Western Program DirectorDuring my first two years at PASA,

many farmers, food businesses, and con-

sumers talked about the lack of marketsfor their products, need for organizedtransportation to ship and receive localproducts, and the inability to find localproducts at area stores and restaurants. InJanuary 2005, a group of PASA membersin the western region came up with a planto begin to address these problems andfind potential solutions.

That plan was to determine the feasi-bility of producing value-added foodproduct from local farms and sellingthose products to consumers in local

markets. This plan would collect a com-prehensive baseline of information thatcould determine what current consumerdemand for food in the 19 counties of western Pennsylvania totaled, what thecurrent supply of food produced in theregion totaled, where the food manufac-turers were located, where farmers werelocated in the region who were interestedin selling directly to consumers, and whatlocal farm products in the region localconsumers were looking for.

At about the same time our plans were

being finalized, the Rendell Administra-tion announced the initiation of the FirstIndustries program, a $150 million grantand loan program aimed at strengtheningPennsylvanias agriculture and tourismindustries. Over the next six months,PASAs Western regional office workedwith members and a consultant to draft afeasibility study proposal for the FirstIndustries program. The proposal wassubmitted to the Pennsylvania Depart-ment of Community Economic Devel-

opment in July 2005 and a grant wasawarded in September 2005. This planis now known as the Regional FoodInfrastructure Network (RFIN) feasi-bility study.

In October 2005, Tripp Umbach, aconsulting firm that provides customizedmarketing research, strategic planningand economic impact analyses, was con-tracted to conduct the research and dataanalysis for the project. Their work tookplace from the fall 2005 until the fall2007. As of the writing of this article, the

final report will be ready for public pres-entation by sprinmg 2008.

The project was conducted in three

phases with the first phase being theassessment of agricultural production andeconomic impact in the region. The sec-ond phase focused on consumers todetermine their food purchasing powerand preferences. The final phase lookedinto the opportunities and challenges for western Pennsylvania agriculture. Thephases collected the following informa-tion:

I The Structure of Agriculture in West-ern Pennsylvania geography, historical

trends, current agricultural production,

economic impact and farmer survey

information.

I Consumers in Western Pennsylvania demographics, food purchasing, pref-

erence, marketing strategies, and con-

sumer survey information.

I Opportunities and Challenges for

Western Pennsylvania Agriculture

agribusiness survey information, identi-

fied gaps between farms and consumers,

distribution and processing information,

and community focus groups informa-

tion. I

Each phase of research was bundled into reports. The reports created were the Western

Pennsylvania Agriculture Structure Analysis, Regional Assets Assessment, Barriers and

Unmet Needs Assessment,Workforce Assessment and Consumer Market Research.Below

are a few highlights from these reports:

Western Pennsylvania Region

19 Counties:Allegheny,Armstrong, Beaver, Butler,Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette,Forest,Greene,

Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland

3,365,0001 residents hold $108 billion2 in annual purchasing power.

The Regions Farm Families

17,648 farms, average farm size: 137 acres3

89 farms (28% of state) selling $349,000 of organic products, 4% of Pennsylvanias production

1,973 farms sell $13 million of food directly to consumers (1.2% decrease from 1997 to 2002)Regions farmers produce $656 million per year4, yet spend $672 million5 to raise it, losing $16

million in production costs each year. This is a total loss of $80 million over the last five years.

This loss is offset by an average of $24 million of federal subsidies6 and $58 million of farm-relat-

ed income7 each year.

The Regions Consumers

The regions consumers spend $7.9 billion buying food each year8, an estimated $5.9 billion of

this from outside the region9, while farmers lose $16 million each year selling commodities. Of

the $7.9 billion spent on food, only $13.6 million was spent purchasing directly from farmers.

Farm and Food Economy Summary

Farmers lose $16 million each year producing food commodities, while consumers spend

$5.9 billion buying food from outside the region.Of the $672 million in agricultural production

costs,about 10% is on hired labor. It is assumed that a large percentage of the remaining $600million in costs (ie. fertilizer, seeds, feed, livestock, petroleum products and other expenses) is

spent on goods from outside the region.

Western Pennsylvania Region: markets for food10

Foods purchased for at-home consumption

Meats,poultry,fish and eggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.2 billion

Fruits and Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $841 million

Cereals and bakery products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $723 million

Dairy products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $529 million

Other including sweets, fats & oils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.3 billion

Foods purchased for consumption outside of the home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.3 billion


RegionalM

arketing

Regional Food Infrastructure Network Project

WESTERN REGION


16/3216

By Michele Gauger While interviewing Don Minto of

Watson Farm in Jamestown, RhodeIsland over the phone, I was wishing I were able to conduct this interview inperson and see he and his wife, Heathersoperation, first hand. According to Don,their current 256-acre property is one of

the oldest, continuously farmed acreagesin the United States, originally cleared bythe Narragansett Tribe practicing slashand burn agriculture in their productionof corn, squash and beans. When the firstEnglish settled in the region, ConanicutIsland was already in grassland.

The Minto Family has managed the Watson Farm, owned by Historic NewEngland, since 1980. Their mission hasbeen to manage the farm in the most sus-tainable manner possible and to providepublic access, educational programs andprograms to connect people to the land.The farm is open three days a week fromJune 1 to October 15 to anyone wishingto hike the property or take a tour or pas-ture walk along the 34 mile shoreline.

According to Don I grew up in sub-urbia, but we turned our yard into morevegetable gardens than actual grass. Donattended the University of Rhode Island, where he studied plant and soil scienceand also met his wife Heather. They bothhad an interest in farming, as Heather

was studying historic textiles and wantedto eventually raise sheep.

Don and Heather leased a few farmsand around 1979 began looking for theirown. However the cost of land made thisdream out of their reach. Luckily theyformed the partnership with Historic

New England and when they first arrivedat what is now Watson Farm, they tookover an existing cattle herd, overgrazedpasture and poor fencing.

We had an interest in setting up rota-tional grazing in order to produce grass-fed beef and lamb. We set up permanent

high tensile fencing and used portablefence to subdivide the pastures. We worked progressively to raise the pH ofthe pastures from 4.5 to 6.8 using limeand farm-made compost was applied toabout 26 acres per year. We are still con-tinuously improving our pastures by no-till seeding legumes and grasses, utilizingfoliar applications of fish oil, trace miner-als and soil amendments.

Over the years it became evident thatproper genetics were essential for produc-ing quality grass-fed beef. Today red

Devon is their breed of choice due totheir breeds docility, tenderness, intra-muscular marbling and the ability to fin-ish extremely well on grass alone. WatsonFarm is now home to about 90 head ofred Devon cattle for seed stock sales aswell as for the local market.

The Watson Farm also produces wooland lamb from their 50 Romney crossewes. The Mintos market their own woolas the Conanicut Island Blanket and

FarmerProfile

Interview with Don Minto

What do you see as some of the critical issues concerning agriculture today?

Some of the important issues for us are the problems with the industrial model of

agriculture and the health of our food system.In addition, the collapse of the agri-

cultural infrastructure particularly the USDA livestock processing plant issue and

the high cost of fuel.

What is unique about your farm?

Watson Farm has a rich agrarian past with the land being used continuously for

agriculture for over 2,000 years.

This 265-acre, seaside farm was bequeathed to Historic New England, www.his-

toricnewengland.org, a preservation organization in 1980 to be preserved in per-

petuity as a working farm with public access and educational programming.

How has your operation evolved?

In 1980 we began our enterprise with the goal of managing the grasslands for pro-

duction of high quality grass-based beef and lamb and marketing it to the local

community.Today we have evolved to raising Red Devon cattle of the right type for

breeding stock marketed to other grass farmers and market fifteen head per year

direct to consumers at the Coastal Growers Farmers Market.

Why did you join PASA?

Our philosophy has always been to learn by doing. We joined PASA and started

attending conferences in the early 1990s for the quality and content of the work-

shops offered, networking, and the comradery of like-minded farmers.

Watson Farm:Grass-Based Farming by the Sea

Heather and Don Minto of Watson Farm have managed the historic property since 1980.

continued on next page


17/3217

through the statewide Rhody Warm Blanket initiative.Our biggest challenge right now is to find a suitable

USDA processor, said Don. We have been able to develop awonderful customer base and sell at a local farmers market butwe have to haul cattle 6 or 8 hours to get them processed.Don mentioned that about four years ago he acquired a permitfrom the Rhode Island Department of Health to sell meats

direct to the consumer at their farmers market. They were thefirst farmers in Rhode Island to get such a permit, althoughother farmers were still selling under the radar. Don reportsthat today there are about five other producers in the state thatalso have this type of permit.

Currently we sell about 15 head of cattle during the farm-ers market season and one whole lamb per week at our marketwhich runs MayNovember continued Don. We also providecustomers with whole lambs and 30 lb. portion packs of grass-fed beef during the winter months. Shortening the distancebetween the farm gate and the dinner table has been their pri-mary goal for keeping the farm and community sustainable. I

For more information on Watson Farm, contact Heather and

Don Minto at 401-423-0005, [email protected].

Editors Note: The Mintos were part of the Thursday Pre-Confer-

ence track at the PASA conference entitled Grass-fed,Grass-finished

Beef. To order recordings of that workshop contact Cocalico Audio

at 717-336-4179.

Hungry Parasites,Predators on Patrol

Use Biocontrol in the Field to Control:

Corn Borer, Mexican Bean Beetle, Manure Flies

Use Biocontrol in the Greenhouse to Control:

Aphids, Whiteflies, Spider Mites, Thrips, Fungus Gnats

IPM Laboratories, Inc.

www.ipmlabs.com [email protected]

Phone: (315) 497-2063

Healthy Beneficials Guaranteed

ADVERTISEMENT

Consumer Preferences and Perspectives on Local Products11

Top three qualities consumers look for: safety,freshness and taste

61% intentionally seek out local products. Of those:

93% have purchased local vegetables

38% have purchased local beef

90% have purchased local fruit

30% have purchased local cheese

The top three reasons for buying local are its fresher, supports the

local economy and tastes better.

For those that dont seek out local food products, the top three rea-

sons for not buying locally are: Access/availability, labeling/adver-

tising and convenience/location

If available

98% would buy local fruit

84% would buy local chicken

98% would buy local vegetables

82% would buy local beef87% would buy local cheese

79% would buy local pork

There is a higher demand for local meat (beef and pork) and dairy

products in rural communities and higher demand for local fruits and

vegetables in urban communities

There is a higher demand for local products versus organic products

There is a demand for local value-added products such as jams,

syrups and salsas.

Only 17% of consumers have concerns about buying local products,

the greatest of which is safety/health/pesticides/preparation.

69% consider local to be within 100 miles or less of the point of

purchase.

Marketing Local Products to Regional Consumers12

Consumers most often shop at and would be most interested in buy-

ing locally grown food from regular grocery stores and farmers

markets

Consumers get most of their information about food products from

in-store signs and newspapers

57% of consumers would pay 510% more for locally grown or pro-duced food

81% would be likely to buy a product with the Buy Fresh Buy Local

label on it versus a commercial/nationally branded product.

A final report of the RFIN projects findings is available by contact-

ing the PASA Western Regional Office, 412-697-0411.

Notes:

1 US Census 2002,estimates for 2005.

2 Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts, Calculated from personal

income data from 2004 available for each county.

3 All of the following data is calculated from county data from the 2002 US Census of Agri-

cultural

4 Average taken over the years 2000 to 2004, from Cash Receipts from Marketing data from

the Bureau of Economic Analysis,www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/.

5 Average taken over the years 2000 to 2004,from the Total Production Expenses data from

the Bureau of Economic Analysis,www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/.6 Average taken over the years 2000 to2004, from the Government Payments data from the

Bureau of Economic Analysis, www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/.

7 Average taken over the years 2000 to 2004, from the Imputed and Miscellaneous income

received data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis,www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/.This

includes imputed income such as value of home consumption, and other farm related

income components such as machine hire and custom work income, rental income and

income from forest products.

8 This number is calculated using the Average Annual Food Expenditures per Consumer Unit

(2.4 people on average per unit) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19992000 Northeast

Region Consumer Expenditure Survey multiplied by the number of households (2.48 peo-

ple on average per household) in Western PA from the US Census 2000

9 Using the same percentage (75%) used by Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center, Black

Hawk County (Iowa) Regions Food and Farm Economy.

10 These numbers are calculated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19992000 Northeast

Region Consumer Expenditure Survey as above in Footnote 8.

11 From PASAs Regional Food Infrastructure Network 2006 Consumer Survey.

12 From PASAs Regional Food Infrastructure Network 2006 Consumer Survey.

Regional Food Infrastructure


Watson Farm

continued from previous page


18/3218

local CSA combined with an evening of

local music and microbrews, a presenta-tion by a local chef and potter and theirconnection to the use of fire, and aEmpty Bowls fundraiser for a localcommunity garden organization.

The overall theme that emerged fromthese events was a celebration of connec-tions connections between the artists,farmers, musicians, moviemakers, venue,and audience. It was wonderful to see vis-itors holding pottery from which they were sampling dishes prepared by localchefs, from food grown by local farmers,

while watching films or listening tomusic by local musicians and in somecases while standing next to the artistwho had crafted the bowl!

The exhibition was well attended(with over 1,000 people specifically visit-ing the Art Scene to see the Down toEarth Exhibit) and well received thepositive feedback has been amazing. Itwas a success in that it managed to raiseboth funds and awareness for the South-east Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Localchapter. Thanks to Gwendolyn Yoppolo,

our ceramics juror, expressed it beautiful-ly when she wrote:

It has been an honor to jury thisendeavor to form connections betweenthose who make and celebrate handmadepots and those who grow and prepare

By Claire Murray, PASA member

This fall I had the pleasure of helpingto coordinate the second annual Down toEarth Exhibit with curator and potter,Lyla Kaplan. The exhibit was held at TheArt Scene in West Chester, PA and ranNovember 9thDecember 8th.

The mission of the Down to EarthExhibit is to display functional art thatenhances the culinary experience, to cele-brate the intrinsic value of eating locallygrown food using handmade art, and tobuild community by introducing visitorsto their local farmers and regional artists.

The juried show featured work fromsixteen functional potters displayed onthe creations of seven fine furniture mak-ers a triptych of food, vessel andfoundation. In addition to the artworks,this unique exhibition featured four spe-cial events that highlighted the relation-ship between food, farming, and art.

My role in the exhibition was to helpcreate the four special events, and Iapproached each as an opportunity tohave attendees leave with a deeper appre-ciation for the beauty of functional art, as

well as an awareness of the importance ofa thriving local, sustainable food systemto a strong and vital community.

Events included a local food and bev-erage reception, a documentary filmmak-er who chronicled his membership at a

food. Through this event, we raise aware-ness of the centrality of what we eat, howwe eat, and how we engage in communi-

ty life.Thank you to all the wonderful vol-

unteers, sponsors, artists, musicians, film-maker, farmers, beer, wine and restaurantdonors, speakers, Caf Menta, and ouramazing venue The Art Scene. I

RegionalMarketingNews

Sean Weinberg of Restaurant Alba,Inc. provided

pointers to Luke DeSimone while plating food

samples on plates purchased for the event.

Cooking for Reals Denise Sheehan and Yvonne Post provided their vegetarian soup to happy

patrons during the Empty Bowls event. The event raised $2,800 for Community Gardens of Chester

County. Photo by Paul Morgan

Down to Earth Exhibit A Success for theChester Co. Buy Fresh Buy LocalCampaign

SOUTHEAST REGION

EVENT SPONSORS& CONTRIBUTORS

Special Thanks to Sustainer Sponsors:

Kimberton Whole Foods

Mr.& Mrs. Robert D. McNeil

We Greatly Appreciate the

Additional Support from:

5 County Arts FundHugh Lofting Timber Framing

Inverbrook Farm

Chester County Economic Development CouncilCooking for Real

Countryside Consulting

Providing Farms

Birchrun Hills Farm

Charlestown Cooperative CSAHighland Farm Friesland Sheep

Inverbrook FarmMaysies Farm Conservation Center CSA

Natural By Natural Dairy ProductsNorth Star Orchard

Shellbark Hollow Farm

Swallow Hill Farm

Walts SwarmbustinHoneyVollmecke Orchard and CSA

Providing Vineyards, Breweries

& Restaurants

Stargazers VineyardVictory Brewing Company

Cafe Menta at The Arts Scene

Restaurant AlbaTalulas Table

Complete details at downtoearthexhibit.org


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but also a chance to help revitalize thelocal economy, said Anthony. It was hergoal to open the restaurant, have itbecome established in the communityand then transition ownership to one ofher project partners, which is currentlyunderway.

Anthony commented, The restau-rant gave me the opportunity to workdirectly with local farms. We worked

together to figure out the business issueslike pricing, supply, delivery, and market-ing. I learned much more about farmingand the farmers learned more about therestaurant business. I came to believechefs and farmers actually have a greatdeal in common, though we never want-ed to change places. Farming seemsincredibly complex and stressful to me,whether youre raising livestock or vegeta-bles, but the farmers felt the restaurantlife would be way too crazy for them.

When asked why she decided to applyfor the PASA post, she noted, It was a wonderful opportunity for me to pro-mote local living economies, which is apassion of mine, and also promote agri-culture as part of the economic vitality ofthe area.

Since beginning her new role withPASA, Marilyn has been traveling aroundthe region to meet members and visittheir farm operations. I have beenamazed by the creativity and resourceful-ness of the farmers I have met. Im also

By Michele GaugerIn November, PASA welcomed Mari-

lyn Anthony to the staff to fill the posi-tion of Southeastern Regional Director.Born in Allentown, Marilyn grew up inthe Bryn Mawr area. I didnt grow up ona farm, but the development where myfamily lived was next to an Angus beeffarm, so I spent a lot of time playingthere, she said.

After attending Cornell Universityand majoring in English Literature, sheearned a Masters degree in teaching fromBrown University. She was working foran educational consulting company inPhiladelphia when she began a night jobcooking for a restaurant. After that expe-rience she changed careers and spent thenext couple of decades in the hospitalitybusiness in restaurants, hotels, and a cor-porate food service company.

In 200506 Marilyn had the opportu-nity to be CEO of the White Dog Caf inPhiladelphia. While at the White Dog,Marilyn began meeting area farmers andbecame a member of PASA. She recalled,I attended the conference and was justoverwhelmed and energized by theevent. Since that time, Marilyns mostrecent venture has been opening a sea-sonal restaurant designed specifically tobuy products from local farmers.

Opening the Summerhouse Grill inSusquehanna County was not only anopportunity to work with local farmers,

grateful for how generous they have beenwith their time and resources, she said.

I see my role as Southeast Director toforge closer links with farmers and con-sumers focusing on the superior qual-ity of local food. The most compellingreason to support local food is the taste,

said Anthony.Current projects Marilyn is working

on include member potlucks in Lancast-er and Berks counties, the formation of aBuy Fresh Buy Local chapter in theGreater Lehigh Valley, a field day onSoutheastern Farmers Markets on March15, a Grass Fed-Beef Challenge Cook-offin August, a Chester County Bike Fresh,Bike Local event on September 21, and amajor fundraising Celebration of LocalFarms dinner to be held at LongwoodGardens on September 26.

I welcome ideas, input and of coursevolunteer help from all PASA membersthroughout the southeast. If you areinterested in working on any of theseevents, or have ideas for additionalefforts, or would like to serve on a region-al advisory committee, please contact me.PASAs greatest strength is in our active,committed, energetic members willing tolend time and resources. I welcome yourhelp to accomplish an improved food sys-tem and more educated consumers in the

southeast.There is high demand for local foods

in the southeast region and I am veryinterested in continuing to increase sup-ply. We are exploring opportunities fornew and beginning farmers to have accessto agricultural land without necessarilypurchasing it, she said. She currently ismeeting with land conservancy groups inthe region who may be interested inopening some tracts of land for agricul-ture. Marilyn wants to pursue some proj-ects with 4-H or FFA groups in a pilotprogram to encourage students to raisespecific livestock for an alliance of restau-rant chefs.

Marilyn lives in Montgomery Countywith her husband John, who owns MAJARecording Studio and Red Hill Pottery,and their rescued pit bull named Kakiwho is all bark, no bite. I

Editors Note: Contact Marilyn at 737Constitution Avenue, Exton PA 19341,610-458-5700 x 305 or marilyn@pasa-

farming.org.

RegionalMarketingNews

PASA Welcomes Marilyn Anthony

Marilyn Anthony, PASAs new Southeastern Regional Director, is enjoying visiting various

farms and businesses in the region, including Sam Matthews Milky Way Farm in

Chester Springs. (Photo: John Rhodes)


20/32

Betsy Albright

Lee Bixler

Wendy Briggs

Holly Cadwallader

Jason CollinsTina & Clark Craumer

Chrissie Dewey

Barbara & Charlie Gerlach

Liz Hunsberger

Carl Hursh

Cynthia Iberg

VOLUNTEERSPASA staff and board would like to thank these dedicatedgroup of volunteers who helped staff our informationalbooth at the recent PA Farm Show in Harrisburg:

Cameron Kelley

Amy Leber

Sue & Tom Maurer

Patti Olenick

Dave PalmerJo-an Rechtin

Linda Singley

Jessica Stought

Ann Schwar

Randy Treichler

Roz & Jim Yannaccone

Bethlehem Farm

Pence Springs,WV

Eating Fresh Publications

Princeton,NJ

Farm in the Hollow

Mifflinburg, PA

FRESHFARM Markets

Washington DC

Greenmarket

New York, NY

Griffis Lumber

Friendsville, PA

BUSINESS MEMBERSPASA Staff and Board would like to welcome our newest

business members as of February 1st:

Innovative Farmers of Ohio

Richwood,OH

Leidys Pork Products

Souderton, PA

Lower Eastern Shore

Sustainable Organic Network

(LESSON)

Quantico, MD

Sustainable Lancaster

Lancaster, PA

Turner Dairy Farms

Pittsburgh,PA

Kat Alden

Bill Torretti

Spring Mills,PA

Val & Scott Alexander

Back Forty Farm

McConnellsburg,PA

Debby & Larry Bright

Bright Farm

Floyd,VAHope & Roy Brubaker

Village Acres

Mifflintown, PA

Kristin Curtis Family

Journeys End Farm

Newfoundland,PA

Martha Gallagher

Boalsburg,PA

Mel Gehman

LeValle Egg Farm

Annville, PA

LIFETIME MEMBERSPASA Staff and Board would like to welcome our newest life-

time members as of February 1st:

William Heasom

Down to Earth Design

Quakertown, PA

John & Sukey Jamison

Jamison Farm

Latrobe,PA

Amos King Family

Lititz, PA

Charis LindroothMichael Ahlert

Red Earth Farm

Orwigsburg PA

Beth & Ken Marshall

Next Life Farm

Homer City,PA

Rolanda Ritzman

Gary Kendall

New Berlin,PA

Lucy & Rob Wood

Spoutwood Farm CSA

Glen Rock,PA

MembershipNews

20

Membership Notes

I Changes at PASA

Earlier this year, PASAs Western Regional ProgramDirector, David Eson announced his intentions to leave hisposition after over 5 years of service to the organization. Allof us at PASA want to thank David for his dedicationand wish he and his family well in the future. At the timeof printing a search is currently underway for a new West-

ern Regional Director, as well as Associate positions inPASAs Consumer Outreach and Educational OutreachDepartments.

I Dont Forget to Renew Your Membership!PASA members who have not done so already, dont forgetto renew your membership for the 2008 year. To make thisprocess easier, a personalized form was mailed in Novemberand a second mailing the end of February. You can alsorenew via our website at www.pasafarming.org. Thank you!

I PASA Board of Directors ElectionsAt the time of publishing, absentee balloting was underwayfor the 2008 PASA Board of Directors election. Ballotswere to be postmarked by March 8 in order to be countedin the election tally. An announcement of the winners willbe made in the March/April issue ofPassages.

A D V E R TI S E M E N T


21/3221

lies nearby to organize a reverse milkroute. If someone wants to buy a wholehog but doesnt have the freezer space,

they can find a meat mate or twoonline. Dont want to spend all day can-ning tomatoes yourself? Use the websiteto send invites for a preservation party.

Because most folks in our PASA com-munity can already be considered localfood experts in their regions, we will jumpstart our new online program byoffering current PASA members freeonline access to these new interactive fea-tures when they become ready later thisspring (if you have an email address, watch your inbox!). PASA has always

derived a lot of its strength from grass-roots organizing and local networking;our hope is that our members will helpaccelerate the reconstruction of local foodsystems across the state with these newonline tools!

The Web is Just

One Piece of the Puzzle

While upgrading buylocalpa.org isimportant, rest assured that we will alsobe working on plenty of reasons for folksto get up from their desks and go eat

something delicious! Our eight active andgrowing Buy Fresh Buy Local chaptersacross the state (see sidebar) will continueto be the organizing points for much ofour consumer outreach, such as distribut-ing local food guides and organizing localevents (including regional Local FoodWeeks). As we build on a solid five-yeartrack record of BFBL programming, ourexpectation is that our new web-basedcommunity building will help revitalizeand expand this work, which dependslargely on the contributions of local vol-

unteers, market partners and otherorganizations.

We know that one of the bestresources you can have as a farmer is anetwork of informed, committed, pas-sionate and connected customers. Werehoping to raise a bumper crop in theyears ahead! I

For more information about PASAsconsumer outreach initiatives, contactChris Fullerton, [email protected] or412-246-0990.

I Philadelphia

Chapter Coordinator:

Andrew Altman,

White Dog Community Enterprises

[email protected]

or 215-386-5211

I Lancaster County


Linda Aleci, Local Economy Center,

F&M College

[email protected] or 717-291-4293

I Chester County


Claire Murray,Inverbrook Farm


I South Central PA

[Adams, Bedford,Blair,Cambria, Cumber-

land, Dauphin,Franklin,Fulton, Huntingdon,

Lebanon,Perry & York Counties]


Susan Richards,Capital RC&D


I Centre County

Chapter Coordinator:Volunteer Needed!

Contact Chris Fullerton (see at right) if inter-

ested.

I Valleys of the Susquehanna

[Centre,Clinton, Columbia,Juniata,

Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumber-

land, Snyder and Union]


Trish Carothers, SEDA-COG


Buy Fresh Buy LocalChapters in PAThe goal of PASAs Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) programming is to make it easier for

Pennsylvania consumers to find, choose and appreciate great local foodsand to sup-

port the farmers and lands which produce them.

I Northern Tier

[Bradford,Potter, Sullivan,Susquehanna,

Tioga and Wyoming]


Ruth Tonachel, N.T.Cultural Alliance


I Western Pennsylvania

[Allegheny, Armstrong,Beaver, Butler,

Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest,

Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence,

Mercer, Somerset,Venango,Warren,

Washington and Westmoreland]

Chapter Coordinator:Volunteer Needed!

Contact Chris Fullerton (see below) if

interested.

I Statewide BFBL Coordination

Chris Fullerton, PASA Consumer Outreach


Buy Fresh Buy Localchapters in Pennsylvania

are coordinated by PASA, on behalf of our

national partner, FoodRoutes Network

(www.foodroutes.org). To explore your

regions food system further, hear about

upcoming events and find more ways to getinvolved, please visit our website

www.buylocalpa.org or contact one of

the folks listed above.

Our work is made possible in part by fund-

ing from the Pennsylvania Department of

Agriculture and by contributions from indi-

viduals and businesses throughout the

state.

Fire Up Your Browsers!



22/3222

In September 2006 the PASA/PennState On-Farm Research Program part-

nered with PASA member Steve Misera,of Miseras Organic Farm in Butler (But-ler Co.) Pennsylvania. Steves interest inon-farm research was to learn how to uti-lize cover crops to provide nitrogen tosubsequent cash crops grown on hisdiverse farm. Steve and his family havebeen farming since 1998 and have beenat their current farm since 2000. Theyraise organic chickens, eggs, corn, soy-beans, wheat, oats and hay, and are work-ing on obtaining certification for theirnew beef operation. Steve sells his prod-

ucts to individuals, restaurants, CSAsand at a Pittsburgh farmers market.

Visits with numerous farmers inPennsylvania have revealed many are notaggressively managing their cover cropprograms. While many producers incor-porate cover crops into production sys-tems, there is still important education tobe done concerning the management ofthese valuable crops. Improved manage-ment of cover crops may result in largeimpacts on weed population dynamics,soil quality, yield of cash crops and ulti-mately farm sustainability.

Areas for improving cover crop man-agement include increasing seeding rates,optimizing the time of seeding and select-ing better performing species, especiallylegumes. Thicker stands of cover cropshould improve weed control throughincreased shading of emerging weeds.Greater cover crop yields will also con-tribute to increases in soil organic matterand improvements in soil fertility.

Misera, in conjunction with Penn

State On-Farm Research Coordinator,Ron Hoover and PASAs On-FarmResearch Assistant, Michele Gauger was

interested in comparing seeding rates offive different cover crop combinations forincreases in biomass production, compe-tition with weed populations and impactson subsequent grain crop yields.

The field used at Steves farm was

The Penn State/PASA

On-Farm ResearchProgram has been working

with PASA farmers

to improve cover crop

management on their

farms.

approximately 800 feet long, measuring1.5 acres and was previously planted inrye. Lime was also applied to the field ata rate of two tons/acre. The field was pre-pared by moldboard plowing and disk-ing, followed by a single pass with acultimulcher. The five cover crop treat-

ments and associated seeding rates ofeach species were: Treatment 1 Ryealone (172 lbs/ac); Treatment 2 Wheat alone (148 lbs/ac); Treatment 3 Wheat/Oats/Nebraska Hairy Vetch(74/47/37 lbs/ac); Treatment 4 Wheat/Oats/Oregon Hairy Vetch(74/47/37 lbs/ac); Treatment 5 Wheat, Oats/Austrian Winter Pea(74/47/123 lbs/ac). Seeding rates wereapproximately 20% greater than recom-mended, due to the stiff drive mechanismof the new grain drill and soft field con-

ditions.Esch Manufacturing (Lancaster

County, PA) loaned the Penn State On-Farm Research program a seven-footwide no-till grain drill for use in variouson-farm projects. The new machine wasdelivered several weeks prior to using itfor this test. Use during this trial was thefirst time it was operated in the field. Thestiff drive mechanism combined with thesoft field surface resulted in drive wheelslippage during calibration. Seed weighedinto and out of the drill enabled the team

to determine actual seeding rates, whichwere determined to be about twenty per-cent greater than recommended orintended seeding rates.

Each plot was approximately 260 feetlong and fourteen feet wide. The five

On-Farm

Research

Figure 1. Plot plan for treatments used for on-farm trials

at Miseras farm in Butler Co., PA.

Cover Crop Combinationsat Varying Seeding Rates andSubsequent Cash Crop Yields

Cov

jan-feb 2008 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

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