Page 11 - Spring2010

Letters

philosophy of farming that was based it.” The USDA-NOP Standards have no organic agriculture. The problem with
on ecological principles modeled after provisions against organic milk pas- the term “sustainable agriculture” is that
nature. teurization or even ultra-pasteurization it lacks definition and is easily co-opted
A well-developed organic farm (nor do they mandate pasteurization). by greenwashing vested interests.
was envisioned to function as a kind of The USDA-NOP is often legitimately Dr. Joseph Heckman
living organism. Key cultural practices criticized for failing to adequately Monroe, New Jersey
include recycling all types of natural enforce organic livestock pasture stan-
waste materials, composting, building dards. The USDA and its marketing The point of Dr. Cowan’s statement was
soil organic matter content and soil qual- programs have never represented the that the farming methods that led to the
ity, an integration of plant and animal center of gravity of the organic com- decline in the Middle East and to the
agriculture on the same farm, livestock munity. Nevertheless, the USDA-NOP, Dust Bowl conformed more or less to
grazing on pasture, complex rotations of despite its imperfections provides a the USDA standards; perhaps a better
perennial and annual crops, and growing useful service of minimum standards description of the factors that led to
cover crops for soil conservation and for how to achieve organic certifica- desertification would be monocropping
nitrogen fertility. Everything centered tion, prevent fraud, and assist informed not alternating with animal production.
on designing a farming system that consumer choice. Perhaps in an ideal As with modern organic standards, no
prevented disease, pest injury and soil world, where the food producer and the pesticides were used; even so, it was
erosion, and building and maintaining food eater know one another and agree obviously not sustainable.
the soil resource upon which plant, on farming philosophy, there is no need
animal, and human health depend. Few for third party certification. Any wonder MAPLE SYRUP UPDATE
to none of these organic regenerative why about half of the farms advertising Did you know that maple syrup is
cultural practices were employed in in Wise Traditions are USDA Certified one of the safest, most digestible natu-
the initial farming of the Great Plains. Organic? ral sugars known to man? As a maple
Beyond the farm gate, organic principles The pre-USDA or traditional or- producer, I am proud to be part of the
also originally extended to protection of ganic farming principles were generally production of such a beautiful crop.
living food quality. Organic pioneers based on sound ecological principles However, thanks to some unhealthy
Walter Northborne, Jerome Rodale, given the scientific and institutional practices from twenty years ago, the
and Eve Balfour were vigorous sup- limitations of the period in which they industry is still dealing with some nega-
porters of raw milk decades before the were developed. Organic is not a static tive repercussions.
current Campaign for Real Milk. Both set of rules (USDA has just updated Formaldehyde tablets were used for
Jerome Rodale and Eve Balfour wrote organic access to pasture) but rather a short period of time by some maple
book chapters acknowledging the valu- the continuing evolution of a farming producers throughout North America
able contributions of nutrition pioneer system to achieve the best that nature in the tap holes of the trees. Why? To
Weston A. Price. can provide. The best organic farmers prevent the maple tree from clotting
In 1990, when the USDA National already go beyond the minimum stan- the holes, a natural process that heals
Organic Program (USDA-NOP) was dards set by USDA organic certification the holes after the sap is collected for
established, it codified some but not and they might appropriately be called the six weeks of maple season. Not all
all of the traditional organic farming “Beyond USDA-NOP Standards.” producers used these tablets for obvious
principles in the USDA-NOP Standards. The article by Dr. Cowan ends with reason—their potential harm to the trees
For example, in 1958, Rodale loudly pro- a statement of support for “sustainable and to the consumer.
claimed that “It is not organic to produce agriculture.” This popular term has Eventually, the FDA banned the
milk organically, and then to pasteurize become the more palatable offshoot of use of the tablets when formaldehyde

SPRING 2010 Wise Traditions 11