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8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
1/28
Number 41 Fall 2002
Food for Thought: UniversityBuys Local for Dining Hall Service
Newsletterof the
PennsylvaniaAssociation
for SustainableAgriculture
dining at SRU for the last fifteen years.
Fortunately, I too have kept my ears open
and have heard, over the cry for organics,
the need for local markets.In November 2001 I met with Wayne
Clickner (a Pennsylvania state Food Ser-
vice Consultant) and Ms. Pincek to learn
about the obstacles to purchasing from
local farmers. My motto became, Show
me No and Ill find Yes. For the next
several months I networked and gathered
information that helped me form a long-
term vision for the project.
The realities of dealing with a large
corporation like ARAMARK can be over-
whelming to a sustainable farmer. Among
the corporate obstacles are high minimuminsurance requirements, frequent delivery
demands, and homogenous quality stan-
dards. Forming a cooperative is one way
farmers can work together to meet objec-
tives that would be otherwise unattainable
if acting alone. For example, a farmers
cooperative may organize insur-
ance coverage that a single
farmer could not afford by
him/herself.
At the Farm-to-School con-
ference held at Cornell Univer-
sity last December, I met Brian
Snyder of PASA and Kristen
Markley, who is the Farm-to-
College Program Manager for
the Community Food Security
Coalition (a national nonprofit
organization dedicated to build-
ing sustainable local and region-
al food systems), and learned of
their interest in seeing a Farm-
to-College initiative in Pennsyl-
vania. From the spirit of the
PASA conference in February 2002 and
the resounding message of the need for
local markets, I gained confidence to
move forward. I approached Jerry Mullen
ARAMARKs Director of Dining Ser
vices at SRU, about giving a local foods
project a trial run over the summer. Amaz
ingly, Mr. Mullen agreed!
By the end of February we had will-
ing dining services personnel and Ms
Pinceks unwavering support. Now all we
needed were farmers! Fortunately, the for
mation of PLOW (Pennsylvania Loca
Organic Works, a cooperative of certified
organic farmers) was underway and
despite the frenzy surrounding the new
business, manager Chad Whitacre agreed
to work us into the regular delivery sched-
PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems
Dan Palombo, district manager for theARAMARK food service company,speaks about Slippery Rock Universitysbuy-local initiative while August 22 fieldday participants enjoy a local meal.Photo: Brian Snyder
With obvious enthusiasm, Dr. Davide Neri discuss-es orchard management with those who attended
the Slippery Rock field day. Photo: Brian Snyder
See page 19 for related article, A Systems
Approach to Orchard Management. Continued on page 5
By Heather House
After a successful buy local trial
program at Slippery Rock Universitys
(SRU) dining hall this summer, SRUwants ten percent of food consumed on
campus to come from local farmers in the
food services contract being sent out for
bid this autumn. Nearly a year has passed
since I first approached Ms. Debra Pincek,
Director of Auxiliary Student Services at
SRU, about the idea of featuring organi-
cally grown produce on the salad bar.
Now were talking contracts, and a whole
lot more than just lettuce.
Im a graduate student in the Sustain-
able Systems Program at SRU. It was for
a class project that I first approached din-ing services about featuring organic prod-
ucts in the daily menu. Full of passion and
fury, my dreams fell on the receptive ears
of dining personnel, including manage-
ment in ARAMARK, the Fortune 500
food services corporation that has handled
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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Pennsylvania Associationfor Sustainable Agriculture
114 Main St.
P.O. Box 419
Millheim PA 16854
Phone: (814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840
Email: [email protected]: www.pasafarming.org
PASSAGES STAFF & OFFICE
Guest Editor: Dan Brannen Jr.
PO Box 345, Aaronsburg, PA 16820
Phone: 814-349-8212
Email: [email protected]
Layout: C Factor
Advertising Sales: Lauren Smith, PASA office,
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Kim Miller, Westmoreland County
Vice President: Kim Tait, Centre County
Secretary: Lyn Garling, Centre County
Treasurer: Paul Hauser, Chester County
Lee Bentz, Adams County
George DeVault, Lehigh County
Chris Fullerton, Huntingdon County
Mena Hautau, Berks County
John Hopkins, Columbia County
Dave Johnson, Tioga County
Anthony Rodale, Berks County
Don Kretschmann, Beaver County
Carolyn Sachs, Centre County
Kim Seeley, Bradford County
PASA STAFF
Headquarters
Brian Snyder, Executive Director
Lauren Smith, Director of Development
& Membership Programs
Brandi Marks, Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper
Regional Offices
Kate Francis, Farm Based Education Coordinator
Phone: 570-387-6327
Lamonte Garber, Director of Southeast Programs
Phone: 717-394-1704
David Eson, Director of Southwest Programs
Phone: 412-997-2343
Passages is printed with soy inks on recycled, chlorine-free paper
2
PASA Mission Statement:
Promoting profitable farms which produce healthy food for all people
while respecting the natural environment.
PASA works to increase the number of farms and the economic viabili
ty of existing farms in Pennsylvania through farm-based educational programs, organizing an annual conference, publishing a quarterlynewsletter, networking to build markets for local and sustainably pro-
duced food, providing educational programs and opportunities for new
farmers, and providing information and education on farmer-developedvalue-added products.
PASA works to provide healthy food for people in both rural and urbanlocations. PASA increases consumer awareness about health and safe
food through advocating, educating, and networking with hunger and food
advocacy groups throughout the state.
PASA creates a thriving natural environment by promoting and provid
ing educational programs about sustainable agricultural practices, build
ing coalitions with environmental and statewide organizations, andpromoting policies that support a positive relationship between agriculture
and the natural environment.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS
Bruno Borsari, Greg Bowman, Dan Brannen Jr., Laura M
Carnes, George DeVault, Kate Francis, Lamonte Garber, T.L
Gettings, Heather House, Kim Miller, Gayle Morrow, Sally Roe
Lauren Smith, Brian Snyder.
Contents1 Food For Thought: University Buys Local for Dining Hall Service
3 Farm Aid Brings Music and a Message to Pennsylvania
5 Farewell to a Good Friend
6 PASA-tively Speaking: Board Presidents Corner
7 Directors Corner
8 Senate Bill 1413 Update
9 Farming for the FutureConference 2003
10 Birthing the Dream: After Getting the Green Light from
Municipality, Telford Market Finds Farmers, Adopts Structure
12 Whos Selling Local Food and Whos Buying It in Southeastern PA?
13 Take PASA Out to the Farm Show
14 Survey Says: PASA Thrives with Community Approach to Farming
16 Pork with a Positive Attitude
17 DeVault Selected for Food and Society Policy Fellows Program
18 Farm Based Education Program
20 Business Member Profile
21 The Junior PASA Page
22 The Compost Heap: Editors Corner
23 Calendar of Events
24 Opportunities
Deadline for Winter Issue:November 25, 2002
Have a great article idea for Passages? Want to share a farming
practice with members? Wed love to hear from you. Please contact guest editor Dan Brannen at (814) 349-8212 or emai
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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By Brian Snyder
When the Farm Aid extravaganza
rolls into town, it brings with it much
more than just some of the best music in
America. While the musical fare did not
disappoint the sold-out crowd of more
than 23,000 fans who showed up on
September 21 at the Post-Gazette Pavil-
ion in Burgettstown (near Pittsburgh) for
the eight-hour feast of stars, the real
show was mostly behind the scenes.
For a 24-hour period before the con-
cert, this fifteenth edition of Farm Aid
and a host of local sponsors presented
numerous opportunities for members of
the public and the press to be nourished
on information and encouragement
aimed at bolstering family farms all over
Pennsylvania and the rest of the country.
Beginning at the Regional History
Center in downtown Pittsburgh on Fri-
day night, purveyors of the Farm Aid
message sponsored a program entitled,
Challenges and Choices: The Future of
Our Food and Farms, featuring the
words and reflections of nationally
known speakers as well as of three
PASA farmers from Pennsylvania.
Local co-sponsors of the event,
which was intended to underscore the
role family farmers play in building the
regional economy while producing
fresh, quality food and protecting the
environment, were themselves a smor-
gasbord of groups working to improve
the lot of the regions farmers and health
of its citizens, including the Pennsylva-
nia Farmers Union, PASA, Farmers
Market Alliance of Pitts
burgh, Just Harvest, Eas
End Food Co-op, Greater
Pittsburgh Community
Food Banks, Southwes
Pennsylvania Commis
sion, Penns Corner Farm
Alliance, PLOW Organ
ics, Slow Food Pittsburgh
and Farmers at the Fire-house.
The principal speak
ers for the evening were
Andrew Kimbrell, Execu
tive Director of the Center
for Food Safety in Wash
ington, D.C., and Fred
Kirschenmann, Director
of the Leopold Center for
Sustainable Agriculture
and Professor of Religion
and Philosophy at Iowa
State University in AmesIowa. Kirschenmann was
also in town to serve as a
keynote speaker for the
PennAg Industries Asso
ciation 124th annual con
vention, held at the Nemacolin
Woodlands resort and spa in nearby
Farmington, Pennsylvania, addressing
the assigned topic, Seeking a Balance
Is There Room for Both Large-Scale
Commercial Farms and Smaller, Sus
tainable Farms.
No small farmer himself, Kirschen-
mann, who is president of Kirschen-
mann Family Farms, a 3,500-acre
certified organic farm in Windsor, North
Dakota, told Friday nights estimated
crowd of 450 eager listeners that its
high time that federal policy be designed
to build stronger rural communities as
opposed to commodities, leaving no
one in doubt regarding his disappoint-
ment with current farm policy and the
Farm Aid Brings Music
and a Message to Pennsylvania
Qu PASA? Whats New!
3
Continued on page 4
PASAs Lyn Garling and Brian Snyder participate in the Farm Aid press briefings.Photo: George DeVault
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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federal Farm Bill signed into law earlier
this year.
Bradford County dairy farmer (and
PASA board member) Kim Seeley, who
operates a successful, 40-year old bot-
tling and direct marketing enterprise,
was one of the Pennsylvania farmers to
speak at the History Center. He intro-duced a theme that would endure from
beginning to end of the weekends fes-
tivities: You can become empowered in
the decisions you make, the food you
buy, the purchasing decisions you make
for other people, the stories you tell in
the media, he said, urging the crowd of
mostly non-farmers to Meet a
farmeryou will learn more than just
how your food was produced. Other
farmers who spoke that evening were
Pam Bryan, a founding member of the
Penns Corner Farm Alliance, and ArtKing of Harvest Valley Farms.
Noon on Saturday brought the next
big opportunity to consume the Farm
Aid message, with a press conference
featuring all the stars, representing a
dynamic mix of musical genres. Front
and center was Willie Nelson, the
acknowledged founder, or father, of
the Farm Aid movement.
But if Willie is the head of the
group, and superstars John Mellencamp
and Dave Matthews provide the raw
strength that keeps it going, then Rock
n Roll Hall of Fame member Neil
Young showed both at the press confer-
ence and onstage later that he is the
groups conscience and most effective
communicator. Attention shoppers!
shouted Young, bringing the media
throng to strict attention. Buy with a
conscience and save the family farm,
he continued, echoing the plea of farmer
Seeley the night before. He also admon-
ished the press, Dont write about who
played or what anybody wore. Try to
write about the real issues.
Following the press conference, and
offstage during the concert, concert
organizers sponsored a series of media
briefings that featured a wide array of
speakers from Pennsylvania and across
the country. PASA was well represented
on these panels, with Kim Miller, LynGarling, George DeVault, Don
Kretschmann, Kim Seeley, and Brian
Snyder participating. Speakers
addressed a variety of topics, includ-
ing
1) Farm Policy and Farm Bill Per-
spectives
2) Fighting Factory Farms in Penn-
sylvania and across the Country
3) New Organic Standards and Sus-
tainable Agriculture Models
4) Dairy Issues in Pennsylvania and
Nationally
According to Ted Quaday, program
director of Farm Aid, these briefings
were designed to provide the media
with opportunities to learn more abou
agriculture issues and to develop new
contacts and ideas for future stories. As
in the other events, speakers emphasized
over and over again the need for con-
sumer education and awareness in pur
chasing food.
If there is a common thread inAmerican agriculture today, it seems to
be this pervasive understanding tha
consumers, and not farmers, legislators
or lobbyists, will have the ultimate say
about the future of food and farms in this
country. And like other industries, the
choices consumers make will depend on
factors such as price, quality, and serv-
ice.
Many of the speakers in this day-
and-a-half marathon, whether celebrity
or not, conceded that it will be difficul
for smaller family farms to compete in
the area of price, but remained adaman
that the competitive edge in the other
two arenas, quality and service, goes to
the smaller producers, who can be both
accountable and responsive to their cus
tomers directly. Though the final out-
come is far from being clear, this seems
to be the message behind the music tha
drives Farm Aid year after year.
Editors NoteThis article
adapted from one that originally
appeared in Lancaster Farming and is
reprinted with the generous, express per
mission of that publication.
Continued from page 3
Farm Aid Stars Willie Nelson and Neil Young captured on monitors, supportingfamily farms at the press conference. Photos: George DeVault
Concerned Citizens of Nippenose Valley show team spirit at Farm Aid concert.Photo: George DeVault
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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ulebeginning mid-June! Obviously,
by mid-June, school is out for summer.
Undaunted, we tailored our trial-
period to the faculty dining hall and the
summer camps hosted at SRU. PASA
funded an internship over the summer todocument the trial run and help things
go smoothly.
The trial run had two important out-
comes: local farmers demonstrated they
can deliver a quality product in a timely
manner at a reasonable price, and the
idea of purchasing locally became more
deeply embedded in the cultural climate
of the University. In fact, the results of a
survey issued to faculty diners demon-
strated strong support for the initiative;
over 76% of the respondents agreed or
strongly agreed that the Universityshould support the local economy by
purchasing locally grown and produced
products. (Our commitment is to support
local farmers, whether they farm organi-
cally or not.)
SRU dining services has a long-
standing relationship with the universi-
tys Robert A. Macoskey Center for
Sustainable Systems Education and
Research, especially with a project for
composting pre-consumer food scraps
from the prep kitchens. The success of
the composting project is due in part to
Ms. Pinceks vision for a food service
that integrates the dining experience
with the educational goals of the Univer-
sity. Cooperation with the compostingproject is required by the food service
providers contract with the University.
From the very beginning, I asked
Ms. Pincek and Mr. Clickner to make a
similar contractual commitment for the
local foods project. However, I learned
that, even if the food service provider is
required by contract to purchase directly
from local farmers, the success of the
project ultimately hinges on farmer par-
ticipation and logistical considerations.
There also might be a legal question as
to whether a state-funded university can
have a minimum local requirement.
This winter, I hope to present my
experiences with the SRU Local Foods
Project to different farmer organizations.
I want to learn more from farmers about
their expectations or reservations con-
cerning the project. In my greatest
vision, the University works with farm-
ers to plan for the next growing season,
farmers organize themselves to meet the
complex demands of food service
providers, and the percentage of food
sourced locally increases to around 30%
after five years. In addition to ironing
out the legal issues, further progress will
require that more farmers, including
those in dairy and other livestock ven-
tures, join the initiative, and that pro-
duce farmers show a willingness toextend the growing season by investing
in hothouses or value-added processing.
Another major objective for the
upcoming year is to mobilize the student
population and educate them about the
importance of buying locally. To that
end, I am designing an environmental
education curriculum for use in the din-
ing halls entitled, Creating a Sense of
Place through Awareness of Food Sys-
tems. Next semester I will evaluate the
effectiveness of these materials as we
enter our second season of local pro-
curement at Slippery Rock University.
Editors Note: Heather House coor-
dinates the buy local project for Slippery
Rock University and was a PASA intern
this summer. Those with comments or
questions for Heather may contact her
at 724-738-2647 or via email at hhh-
University Buys Local for Dining Hall Service
FAREWELL TO A GOOD FRIENDBy Lauren Smith
Back in the spring of 2000, a few members mentioned to
me that they were happy that PASA had developed a website. I
thanked them kindly but said they must be mistaken because
PASA did not have a website. They insisted, and gave me the
web address. It was a long string of characters, not the
www.pasafarming.org address we have today, but a simple
one-page site with our logo, mission statement, address, and
phone number. I marveled at how this website came to be in
cyberspace without our even knowing about it, and wondered
who was responsible for this random act of kindness.
Later that year we investigated the possibility of develop-
ing an official PASA website and began researching the local
companies that did such a thing. Roads quickly led to Centre of
the Web. I called and spoke with Terry Beard, the lead design-
er of the internet development company, to set up a meeting.
It was at our first meeting that Terry asked, So, how did
you like that webpage we put up for you a while back? I then
discovered that it was Centre of the Web folks who, having
seen our booth at a local Earth Day Festival in State College,
decided to pick up our brochure and put us on the World Wide
Web. We like good causes and you guys seemed like a good
cause, Terry told me that day.
So our relationship began, and over the past two years, with
a lot more effort on Terry Beards part, PASAhas been available
at the click of a mouse to people all around the world. Weve
had hundreds join PASA, even more register for the Farming for
the Future conference, many ask advice on farming issues, and
even some learn about new careers, all through the website. We
consider www.pasafarming.org a success, and for all of this
cyber-efficiency we have Terry Beard to thank. Even the burst
of sunshine you see on your computer monitor when you rollover the links on our website was Terrys doing.
Terry was an accomplished musician, opening for many
acts including Billy Joel, Hall and Oates, Three Dog Night, and
the J. Geils Band, but he applied his talents to more than the
stage. PASA owes a debt of gratitude to Terry Beard for his
incredible efforts and generosity. We express sympathy to his
family and friends at his passing on August 10, 2002. I have
seen many unsung heroes during my career at PASA, and Terry
Beard is one of them. His dedication to using his talents to the
betterment of Pennsylvania farms and farmers was a partnership
made in heaven.
Continued from page 1
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I recently had the good
fortune to hear Dr. Fred
Kirschenmann speak at aconference sponsored by
PennAg Industries Associa-
tion (a trade association of
635 businesses that sell
seed, feed, and chemicals to
Pennsylvania farmers).
Kirschenmann followed
Mr. Dennis Avery, who is a
tough act to follow (or is it
a bad act?). Anyway, Dr. Kirschenmann
said that what we really need in agricul-
ture today is a conversation with each
other. He said that in a good conversa-tion people share back and forth, hear
each others positions, try to learn from
each other, and, hopefully, arrive at a
mutually agreed conclusion. At the end
of the conversation the participants may
find that their own positions are a little
less strident, but so are those of the other
participants, a reasonable tradeoff.
To have a good conversation,
the participants must have humility;
a reasonable understanding of just
how little any of us really knows.
What stops a conversation is oneparticipant trying to convince the
other participants that they are all
wrong and that the speaker is all
right. This conversation stopper
eliminates the possibility of a satis-
factory conclusion to the conversa-
tion; namely, consensus. This all
sounds so wonderful from the podi-
um, lets get on with it and trudge
the road to happy destiny, as Ive
heard it put somewhere.
The problem is that I dont
want to talk with some of the rap-
scallions in agriculture. Sure I like
to converse with PASA members,
our customers, local organic grow-
ers, my neighboring farmers, con-
ventional family farmers, the local
feed mill operators, implement
dealers, and packinghouse opera-
tors. I like to talk with the local
Conservation District, Cooperative
Extension, the NRCS, the Pennsyl-
vania Farmers Union, area foresters,
6
there is consensus as to the
worthiness of the goal.
It is the others thatrouble me: Farm Bureau
the Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Agriculture (PDA
under the current adminis
tration, the United States
Department of Agriculture
(USDA) under the curren
administration, and the
multinational food industry
corporations and their trade associa-
tions. The reason that it is difficult to
converse with these organizations is tha
it is not clear that they share the goal ofsustaining family farming in this coun-
try.
I know that this statement may ruf-
fle some feathers at PDA and the USDA
organizations that will both claim to sup
port family farmers. Unfortunately the
PDA tends to support policies that pro
liferate corporate agriculture at the
expense of Pennsylvania family
farms. Vertical integration in the
hog industry, for example, has been
an unmitigated disaster for family
hog farmers wherever it hasoccurred. This is aside from the
environmental degradation.
And from the USDA we get an
agribusiness gold mine called
euphemistically, the Farm Bill
These policies were created by cor
porations to serve their own profi
motives, and then foisted upon the
public by politicians eager to repay
these corporations for their cam
paign contributions. This is cor-
poratism, not democracy. The
primary goal, the only goal, of a
publicly traded company is profit. I
can never be the sustainability of
the family farm or the stewardship
of the land, and every penny that a
corporation can squeeze out of the
family farmer it must take, by hook
or by crook. And so, a conversation
about sustaining family farming is
out of the question when it comes to
agribusiness corporations.
Qu PASA? Whats up with your organization?
PASA-TIVELY SPEAKING:Board Presidents Corner
A Good ConversationBy Kim Miller
and the Farm Service Agency. The
PASA board has an excellent ongoing
conversation with Dean Robert Steele
and his staff at Penn State University.The one thing that I have in common
with all of these folks is a belief in the
family-owned farm as the backbone of
strong rural communities. So even
though there is a wide divergence of
opinion among the groups listed above
as to how best to sustain the family farm,
Continued on page 8
Fred Kirschenmann warns of the perils of corpo-rate agriculture at PennAg Industries conference.Photo: George DeVault
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
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and energetically by PA Secre-
tary of Agriculture Sam Hayes
at Penn States Ag ProgressDays this year. This way of
thinking might assert, for
instance, that each and every
new product coming off an
assembly line is better than its
predecessors. This is also the
proposition that fuels national-
istic fervor wherever it is found
in the world, and is often the
cause of war.
But other models see, over a broader spectrum of time, that
nations come and go, as do achievement and true understand-
ing (as opposed to mere knowledge). If I refer to this as the sus-tainable model, I mean to say that sustainable thinking assumes
there is ebb and flow to history and technology, that mistakes
can and will be made, and major course corrections will be
required in order to maintain proper balance and consistent
direction. From a sustainable point-of-view, the concept of
progress might indicate that a society can recognize its own
historical cycles, and is willing and able to adopt the correc-
tions to its course necessary to move ahead in a positive man-
ner.
In agriculture, we have come to a point where we must
choose between these two perspectives. Shall we continue to
seek progress with the assumption that more and bigger is bet-
As I travel around Penn-
sylvania, there is one criticism I
hear most commonly about thesustainability movement, com-
ing especially from those who
are enmeshed in the industrial
paradigm. They say we are
stuck in the past, and want to
take others back there with us.
One seemingly respected and
respectful fellow, a convention-
al farmer, even told me to go
crawl back in [my] cave,
apparently a not-so-subtle reference to the vintage of ideas I
was espousing. (He later apologized.)
The notion of what constitutes real progress in agricultureis now murky for many people, and threatening to others, as
compared to decades past. When I was young, the idea was
clear; progress meant more rows on the corn planter or com-
bine, more bottoms on the plow, more horsepower on the trac-
tor, more bushels per acre, more animals per square footin
short, more of anything was considered better and a step for-
ward. That idea is still embodied in what is being force-fed to
us as the advanced farming model, but it is an idea that is at
least as old as I am, and more.
What constitutes progress is actually not clear for any-
one these days, no matter the context or subject. I can tell you
for certain that almost none of the newer appliances in my
home works as well as the ones I had, say, twenty years ago.Even the clock in my relatively new vehicle has never kept
accurate time. And dont get me started about the service aspect
of our supposedly new service economy. What we really
have is a consultant economy where people are paid mostly
to help us feel better about the status quo, i.e., the general lack
of real progress and good service in our daily lives. The fact is,
despite the reality of constant change in our society, we can no
longer (if we ever could) suppose that such change necessarily
entails much improvement.
How does all this apply to agriculture? You can see it every
day in the faces of farmers who are fed up with being paid
prices for their products that are in many cases equal to or even
below what they got twenty or thirty years ago. Over the same
period most everything else in a farmers life, including agri-
cultural inputs, has gone up in price dramatically. How does a
farmer understand that, at the same time a market hog sells for
about $2530/cwt, a single meal at any of the finer restaurants
might legitimately cost $100/couple or more? Is this progress?
Is this advanced farming at its best?
Ones view of progress is affected by ones view of histo-
ry. That is, do you see history as linear or cyclical in nature?
The industrial model relies heavily on the assumption that his-
tory is linear, heading us toward ever more complete knowl-
edge and greater achievementan attitude espoused openly
Directors CornerReflections on the
Concept of ProgressBy Brian Snyder, Executive Director
Qu PASA? Whats up with your organization?
Continued on page 8
Board Openings Reminder
At least five seats on PASAs board of directors are up for
election at the Farming for the Futureconference on Feb-
ruary 78, 2003. If you or a member you know would like
to do PASA the valuable favor of board service, please
send a nomination suggestion with brief biographical
information to Nominating Committee Chair Kim Seeley
(570-673-5690) or to the PASA main office by November
8, 2002 (an extension of the previous deadline).
Sustainable Ag Leadership Award ReminderKnow someone who stands out in the promotion of sus-
tainable agriculture? Someone whose day-to-day work
gives exceptional lifeblood and energy to our movement?
PASA Award Committee Chair Lee Bentz is accepting
nominations for the Sustainable Ag Leadership Award
until December 15, 2002. Please write to Lee at 269 Bar-
low-Two Taverns Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-8626. As
always, PASA will present the award at the Farming for
the Future conference in State College, February 78,
2003.
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
8/28
to carry on this conversation. Food
eaters everywhere, speak up. Let us sug-
gest that taxpayer money fund research
at our land grant universities rather than
corporate money with its attached agen-
da. Lets talk about research on organic
and sustainable food production sys-
tems. Lets request an end to the use of
genetically modified organisms until
research on long-term health and safety
questions are answered. Lets propose
that agricultural industry meet conven-
tional industrial standards for environ-
mental protection. Lets consider ways
to limit corporate power and access to
elected officials. Lets appeal to our
political leaders to conduct policy dis-
cussions in the light of day. Lets recom-
mend that corporate power be broughtinto balance with corporate responsibili-
ty. Lets lift up the family-owned farm as
conducive to a way of life that promotes
the kind of values that are essential for a
working democracy. And lets do all of
this with a dose of humility. Now thats
what Im talking about.
ter? Or do we examine the cycle we are
in to see if a major course correction is
in order to maintain a different kind of
progress? Nothing is more indicative of
this necessary dilemma than the new
Farm Bill, laden as it is with yes
answers to both questions. But the ship,
having not changed direction sufficient-
ly, is headed toward the inevitable ice-
berg of forced changean image used
by more than one speaker at the recent
Farm Aid event in Pittsburgh.
In the meantime, it is possible for us
to support and participate in activities
that look at farming practices from the
past, along with those in the present, in
order to evaluate and select a future
course correction for agriculture that
might be less traumatic for individual
farmers and their families. This is what
PASAs Farm Based Education program
is all about, and this is why we gather as
8
Senate Bill
1413 UpdateBy Brian Snyder
It looks like Senate Bill 1413, a
carefully crafted tool to exempt
corporate farms from local regula-
tion, will be going right down to thewire. With members of the Penn-
sylvania House of Representatives
showing reluctance to take action
either way on this controversial
measure before the statewide
election in November, all eyes will
be on the House in the two weeks
after the election, up to when the
current legislative session ends.
The fact that a sweeping change in
state administration is looking like-
ly at this point means that the pres-
sure will be even greater on the
outgoing administration to get the
bill through while, and any way,
they can.
Many state Representatives
have recently had their eyes
opened to the reality that the agri-
cultural community is far from unit-
ed in favor of SB 1413, thanks
mostly to the hard work of several
allied public interest groups,
including PASA and the Pennsyl-
vania Farmers Union. Now, during
this critical period, we need your
help as well. If you have ever won-
dered if your voice really matters in
state government, this is clearly a
time when you can make a differ-
ence, especially if you are a
farmer.
Please call your Representative
and tell him/her that rural commu-
nities do matter, and that under no
circumstances do you want them
to drive a wedge between thefarms and communities in your
area. Tell them that what is good
for the community is good for farm-
ers as well, and vice versa, and
that it could never be otherwise.
This bill is all about intimidation
of local government on behalf of
corporate agriculture, not preser-
vation of farms or communities,
and it must be stopped!
a community every February for the
Farming for the Future conference. Far
from being a step back into the era of
cavemen, both of these important PASA
programs are full of forward-thinking,
optimistic people who appreciate hear-
ing about the latest research as much as
they enjoy celebrating the old ways of
doing things.
For folks who accept the cyclical
nature of history, and understand the
necessity of changing course every so
often in order to maintain consistent
progress, it can be sad and downright
disturbing to see others follow their
straight-line of history right into the
inevitable crash site. At PASA, well do
our part to warn those others by shouting
and waving our hands whenever we get
a chance. But mostly well put our ener-
gies into defining and implementing that
necessary course correction for our
farmersbefore its too late.
A Good Conversation
Reflections on the
Concept of Progress
But it is an absolute necessity when
it comes to our elected officials, the
PDA, and the USDA. The democratic
process in this country is as badly erod-
ed as was the soil on the hilltop corn-
fields of our farm when we bought it.The notion of entering into conversation
with organizations that have fostered
this erosion is as hard for me to consider
as it would be to seek advice from the
farmers responsible for the degradation
of our land.
Yet we need to rebuild the demo-
cratic process in this country just as we
are rebuilding the soil on our farm. It
will take hard work, perseverance, and a
good amount of conversation. Just as a
good neighbor keeps his fences in repair,
so too do our politicians need to mend
the fences and build some new ones so
that Americas corporations are con-
trolled and kept off our family farms.
Politicians that refuse to contain corpo-
rations need to be voted out of office and
excluded from the conversation.
And it is not just farmers that need
Continued from page 6
Continued from page 7
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
9/28
PASA REACHES OUTTO NEW AUDIENCES
Weve heard that the PASA conference can
change lives. Well, okwe know it can change
perspectives on agriculture. We know that a
first-time PASA conference attendee can come
away with a whole new vision of his/her farm.
In an effort to make more of this eye-open-
ing change, wed like to reach out to farmers
across the state who have not yet attended
the Farming for the Future conference. Weve
designed a special little flier to let these folks
know about the conference.
If you have an idea of where these flyers
could be displayed, please give Lauren Smith
a call at the PASA office. We appreciate your
help in getting the word out!
9
night, includes more brisk exercise, and
provides the nutrients necessary to cre-
ate mood-boosting biochemicals that
alleviate mild bouts of depression.
Jo will lead two workshops at the
conference. The first will give us an
update on the latest research on grass-
fed animal products. Back from a recent
study trip to Crete where The Omega
Diet (one based on pastured animal
products) is central, Jo will present realworld applications of this diet. Jos sec-
ond workshop will integrate learning
from her work on The Body Blues
(returning humans to a more natural
environment).
For more information on Jos work
on grass-fed products refer to
www.eatwild.com. For more informa-
tion on The Body Blues refer to
www.thebodyblues.com.
Qu PASA? Farming for the Future Conference
BRINGING IN THE YOUTH
PASA is designing a workshop
geared to junior and high school age
youth for the 2003 Farming for the
Future conference. The workshop
will give youth a chance to see what
people their age are doing to start
sustainable enterprises on farms.
After all, there is no future for farm-
ing without them.
We plan to invite FFA and 4-H
groups to the conference. If you are
the leader of a 4-H group or director
of an FFA group and are interested
in getting your group to the confer-
ence, or if you just want more infor-
mation about this aspect of the
program, please contact Kate Fran-
cis at PASA. Thanks for your help!
Conference Sneak Preview:
What to Do When Your Body Gets the BluesNew York Times best-selling author
Jo Robinson is in the compelling line-up
of speakers and workshops scheduled
for the 2003 Farming for the Future
conference (February 78). When she
last joined our conference, Jo, an inves-
tigative journalist, revealed research
from her book Why Grassfed is Best!,
which demonstrated the health benefits
of grass-fed livestock, supporting the
rotational grazing practices many farm-
ers across the state have implemented.
Jo validated our work and helped us
market our meat products more convinc-
ingly.
This time Jo comes as co-author of
a newly released book, When Your BodyGets the Blues: The Clinically Proven
Program for Women Who Feel Tired and
Stressed and Eat too Much. This ground-
breaking book is not about returning
farm animals to a more natural environ-
ment, but about returning humans to a
more natural setting. In it, Jo and Dr.
Marie-Annette Brown (a professor in the
School of Nursing at the University of
Washington) discuss how humans, par-
ticularly women, need an environment
that is brighter in the daytime, darker at
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
10/2810
By Greg BowmanHaving sown the seed for a local
market at Telford, the Indian Valley
Farmers Market (IVFM) committee set
out to cultivate a farmer-oriented struc-
ture that would expand agricultural
opportunity in the region. Beginning in
September 2001, the committee identi-
fied the best site with the help of experi-
enced farmers market managers,
collected bylaws and guidelines from
PASA and other markets, checked on
local and county permits, and gathered
farmers names.
Support from the Borough of
Telford was pivotal at this stage. They
provided meeting space and three enthu-
siastic committee members, promised
help with vehicle management and sig-
nage, and agreed to bear the cost of
water and electricity access to the farm-
ers specifications.
Recruiting, Deciding, Planning
Farmer recruitment was intense
from mid-December 2001 through mid-
January 2002. Direct mail, personalinvitations, and simple computer-gener-
ated fliers identified the intended market
location and invited farmers to a January
information meeting.
All participants at that session intro-
duced themselves before getting an
overview (with slides) of good market
practices, a promotion on the benefits of
Producer-Only Markets (POM), and a
report on the debut of the Skippack
POM in 2001 by co-manager Brian
Moyer. John Berry, a regional Extension
specialist on farm profitability, gave a
how-to overview on selling at a farmers
market. The session closed with a pre-
view of the pending decisions: whether
to be a POM, opening and closing dates
and hours, and how to manage the mar-
ket to achieve our goals.
The POM decision was a particular
challenge. POM means customers
wont necessarily find as broad an array
of products as they are used to from gro-
cery stores and hucksters who maximize
variety by buying from wholesale hous
es. In times of drought (such as 2002) or
other crop-limiting conditions, growers
must go to market with less product than
they would like. On the other hand
POM assures customers that every dol-
lar they spend goes to the farmer they
see. It rewards risk and innovation bythe farmer to extend the season and
expand offerings without fear of being
undercut by imported items from other
growing regions. Most importantly, i
gives the market a distinct local person
ality that a grocery or huckster can never
duplicate.
Choosing to be a POM, IVFM cele
brated in February when the fifth farm
agreed to participate, giving the market
the minimum number of charter mem-
bers set by committee. (The Market had
eight farmers on opening day, added twoduring the season, and lost none
throughout.)
Farmers shared their intended crops
and products for the season at a meeting
in March. Each one used a seven-page
enterprise list provided by the commit-
tee to allow easy comparison between
growers. The members indicated expect
ed dates for each item that they intended
to bring, and received encouragement to
find creative ways to avoid duplicating
each other in what they offered in a
given week.
The group worked as a committee
of the whole to set dates (June 1
through October 26) and hours (9 a.m. to
1 p.m.), adopt a $200 members fee (fo
advertising and supplies), and work
through POM guidelines, advertising
and permits and inspections.
In April, the group tackled parking
trash collection, canopy anchor options
(safe and secure are essential), and bath-
room access (restrooms in the borough
Qu PASA? CommunityFARM Initiative
INDIAN VALLEY FARMERS MARKET AT TELFORDPART 2 OF 3
Birthing the Dream:After Getting the Green Light from Municipality,Telford Market Finds Farmers, Adopts Structure
Diagram depicts Telford Market layout and location of farmers stands.
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
11/28
would handle frozen, wrapped packages
of bison, broilers, lamb, and ultra-lean
beef. The county inspectors wanted to
see that the food would be protected
from sunshine and outside contamina-
tion (especially dust) and wanted frozengoods to remain frozen. Farmers feared
for a while that they would need elabo-
rate selling structures and high-priced
sources of in-transit freezing capacity.
Days before opening day, county
inspectors settled for steel-pole canopies
and onsite verification that the frozen
meat did indeed arrive frozen at the mar-
ket site in chest freezers on pick-up
trucks from the home farms. The freez-
ers are plugged in to the brand-new
power supply immediately on arrival.
Curiously, we have not noticed any on-site inspectors during market days at the
Telford market (held in a paved parking
lot on Saturdays) or at the nearby Skip-
pack POM (held in an unpaved area on
Sundays). Penn State Department of
Food Science faculty were helpful in
providing guidance in food safety ques-
tions in outdoor situations.
All but one farmer received an OK
to sell by opening day; that farmer was
approved as soon as he could schedule
an inspection. The market committee
and the farmers will be more confident if
and when they can sell under county
regulations written with farmer consul-
tation specifically for outdoor markets.
But for now, it was time to harvest the
dream by getting ready for opening day.
Next time: Beyond Expectations
Building Community Through Local
Food.
Greg Bowman is online editor of
www.newfarm.org at the Rodale
Institute.
from the services of Carolyn
Nolan, a professional publicist.
Her employer, Univest (a local
banking company), provided
technical support and paid for
graphic design work and some of
her time. Nolan targeted area
newspapers with well-timed
press releases that highlighted
Gary Schuler, the farmer-mem-ber who served as manager for
the season.
Other crucial support came
from the committees tireless
chair, Rob Kerns (an employee
of the county planning commis-
sion) and from me, Greg Bow-
man, a staff person with agricultural
contacts who worked at the time for a
local Christian denominational head-
quarters. A realistic tally from these and
other committee members would show
an investment of hundreds of hours toestablish, promote, and support the mar-
ket.
Anxiety Heightens
Committee members had been in
contact with the Montgomery County
health department on several matters
during planning months. The department
was still uneasy due to an isolated but
medically serious E. coli episode at a
local dairy petting farm a couple of
years ago.
Some three weeks before the sched-
uled opening of IVFM, the departmentannounced it would require mobile
vendor permits (MVP) for the meat
producers. Unique among Pennsylvania
counties in maintaining food regulations
distinct from state law, Montgomery
County has no rules on whole fruits and
vegetables sold off-farm, but regulates
the sale of what it calls potentially haz-
ardous foods such as meat, prepared
foods, and sliced fruits or vegetables.
The county MVP program is meant
to cover food concessions at outdoor
events. The department is usually satis-
fied with a self-contained trailer with
multiple sinks, power outlets, non-
porous counters, hot water, window
screens for customer service areas, and
refrigeration or freezers. Inspectors did-
nt see how an outdoor market could
approximate these protections.
In a quickly called meeting with
department staff, the committee outlined
the nature and intent of an outdoor farm-
ers market. Farmers described how they
11
hall). Members also considered draft
logo designs, signage plans, promotion-
al materials, and opening-day event
plans.
The charter members used their
newly adopted guidelines to work
through two new producer applications:
one from a local soap maker who does
not grow any ingredients (which the
Market declined) and one from a cater-ing chef who hoped to grow produce and
bring prepared foods (which the Market
granted conditional acceptance). The
group agreed to study development of a
market rule on how long a grower has to
grow out purchased plugs or transplants
before they sell them as their own. Even-
tually it adopted the 30-day rule
employed by the Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Agriculture on its horticultural
census. The decision was eased by the
fact that the persons using plugs were
selling potted Mothers Day baskets,clearly a value-added product that
showed substantial grower skill and
investment.
By May, Telford Borough had
agreed to help in many ways by: becom-
ing the Markets fiscal agent to handle
fee payments; providing umbrella insur-
ance to committee members; assuring
that market activity was covered for lia-
bility by the borough insurance policy;
installing a season-long street banner
(with PASA mentioned in small print);
and planting and maintaining ten largewooden planters.
The committee benefited greatly
OVERHEARD AT THE MARKET:
I really enjoy this market. My wife
used to grow flowers, but cant
right now, so I come each week and
buy her a fresh bouquet. I just like
being here. Tim Alderfer
This is healthy food. This is a
wonderful thing for our town. I am
just so excited.
Wendy Leshenski
I brought Mama earlier, but she
was getting tired by the time we
had what she needed. Now Im
back for our stuff. Phil Bergey
George and Mel DeVaultPheasant Hill FarmEmmaus PA
Roland Ray GehmanRays GreenhouseTelford PA
Lynn Heckler& Aaron HecklerDeer Run Daylily GardensSalford PA
Doug KogelTelford PA
Bob & Mary LandisSunrise Sunflower FarmHarleysville PA
Donna, Matt,and Tom MoodWindy Springs FarmQuakertown PA
Brian & Holley MoyerGreen Haven FarmFleetwood PA
Gary & B.J. SchulerHillside FarmsTelford PA
Quentin & Anita ShirkQuakertown PA
Dane & Audrey SnyderHoney AcresLansdale PA
CHARTER FARMERS OF THEINDIAN VALLEY FARMERS MARKET AT TELFORD
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
12/2812
Whos Selling Local Food and
Whos Buying It in Southeastern PA?
Qu PASA? CommunityFARM Initiative
By Lamonte Garber
PASA and its partners completed a
series of investigations this summer to
better inform those of us who promote
local food in the Delaware Valley. We
conducted this work as part of a larger
project coordinated by the Rodale Insti-
tute entitled, Regenerating Small Fam-
ily Farms: Combining Education,
Research and Marketing. Funding forthe project came from USDA. Our
research provides information about the
marketing needs of area farmers and the
interests of consumers in buying fresh,
locally grown foods. We also identified a
wide range of opportunities that already
exist for farmers selling their products in
this region.
WHAT DO CONSUMERS WANT?Working with PASA and the Rodale
Institute, Michael Wildfeuer authored a
report entitled, Farmers, Food andthe Modern Consumer. The report
combines reviews of consumer surveys,
local food initiatives, and eco-label pro-
grams. Most surveys, for example, sug-
gest, freshness and taste are primary
factors influencing general food pur-
chases. As most consumers place taste,
freshness, and other attributes (price,
convenience, etc.) above concerns about
buying local, these factors should be
highlighted in promotions and market-
ing by farmers and local food groups.
Wildfeuers research found that
many residents in the greater Philadel-
phia area are concerned about the sur-
vival of the small family farm and
recognize that these farms contribute to
the local economy. The diversity of
farms and markets in the area, however,
and the close proximity of neighboring
states make establishing a regional iden-
tity for farm products a real challenge.
In addition to looking at consumer
trends, Wildfeuer assessed the impact of
Buy Local campaigns in various parts
of the country. He found that successful
marketing campaigns have a well-
researched marketing strategy with
excellent marketing materials, a com-
pelling message, and high quality prod-
ucts that stand out in the market place.
A PHONE SURVEY OF 400
CONSUMERS IN PHILADELPHIAAND ITS SUBURBS
PASA collaborated with Food-
Routes Network and Greenburg, Quin-
lin, Rosner Research, Inc. to conduct a
phone survey of 400 residents in the
greater Philadelphia area to assess con-
sumer attitudes and behavior related to
buying local food. Funding for the
phone survey came from FoodRoutes
Network.
The survey indicates, Inconve-
nience and ignorance are the biggest
barriers to support for locally pro-duced and grown food. Few people fre-
quently look at labels to see where food
is grown, and few people shop in the
kinds of locations that sell predominate-
ly locally grown food (e.g., farmers
markets or community supported agri-
culture farms).
The Greenburg report recommends
that PASA, FoodRoutes, and others
need to overcome these obstacles by
making information readily available to
consumers through advertising, either
through the media or in stores. More-
over, [we] need to encourage better
product placement, or at least raise
awareness of product placement, in large
grocery stores and supermarkets.
WHERE CAN FARMERS SELL NOW?Many farmers are already selling
products directly to consumers in the
Delaware Valley, and we wanted to doc-
ument this activity and show farmers
where current opportunities exist. With
support from PASA and the Rodale
Institute, Bob Pierson developed an
inventory of farmer-friendly farmers
markets and CSAs in the southeas
region. He also surveyed produce buyers
for grocery stores in the Philadelphia
region to identify barriers and opportu-
nities for farmers to sell through these
stores. For results of the inventories
contact Lamonte Garber at 717-3941704 or [email protected].
WHAT DO FARMERS NEED?A successful food system meets the
needs of both consumers and farmers
To find out what kind of support farmers
need in the marketing arena, PASA
Rodale Institute, and Farm to City sent a
survey to hundreds of farmers in south-
eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring
areas late last year, asking a range of
questions about direct marketing.
Sixty-three farmers responded from11 counties in Pennsylvania (most in the
southeast), five counties in New Jersey
and one in Maryland. The county with
the most participants was Lancaster
Pennsylvania. While the sample size is
small, our findings give some genera
information about the activities, opin-
ions, and interests of a group of farmers
who view direct marketing as an impor-
tant component of their overall farming
operation.
In terms of profit versus effortfarmers markets are the most popular
direct marketing technique within this
group. Many of these growers also
believe that farm stands, CSAs, and
restaurant sales are a cost effective mar-
keting strategy.
When asked about barriers or prob
lems for direct marketing off the farm
many growers agreed with the state-
ment, Dont think Ill sell enough to
make the trip worthwhile. Shortage
Continued next page
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
13/28
Take PASA Out to the Farm ShowThe Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg is the largest
indoor agricultural event in America, attracting over 350,000 visi-
tors last year. The Farm Show has something for everyone, farm-
ers and non-farmers alike. It provides a great opportunity to find
out what is going on in agriculture in the Commonwealth.
We at PASA know a good opportunity to reach out when we
see it! For the 10th year running, PASAwill participate in the Penn-
sylvania Farm Show this coming January 1118, 2003. The PASA
booth will provide visitors with information on PASA research &education programs, direct marketing opportunities for local pro-
ducers, membership, and the 12th annual Farming for the Future
conference.
Volunteering a bit of time is a wonderful way for PASA mem-
bers to help theirassociation. It can be lots of fun to get out, greet
the public, and share some farm stories with people interested in
sustaining Pennsylvania agriculture. PASA has seen a growing
interest in our mission and programs at the Farm Show in recent
years, and there is no doubt the 2003 show will once again attract
new interest in the association.
So, we are inviting enthusiastic members to staff the PASA
booth. If you would like to help out at the Farm Show, please
review the chart below to see how your schedule best fits the
available time slots. Then mail, fax, call, or register online
(www.pasafarming.org) with your interest and availability. If youdlike to learn more about what volunteering at the Farm Show
entails, contact Lauren Smith at PASAs Millheim headquarters,
814-349-9856, 114 West Main Street, PO Box 419, Millheim, PA
16854.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward
to hearing from you and seeing you at the Farm Show!
Name ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Daytime Phone ............................................................................ Evening Phone .............................................................................................
n Yes, I will help staff the PASA booth at the 2003 PA Farm Show
n I am available only the dates/times indicated below
n I can help and am flexible. Let me know when you need me
n Sorry, I cant help this year, but Id like to volunteer in the future
Wednesday, Jan 15
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Thursday, Jan 16
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Friday, Jan 17
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Saturday, Jan 18
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Saturday, Jan 11
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Sunday, Jan 12
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Monday, Jan 13
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
Tuesday, Jan 14
n 8 11 am n 11 am2 pm n 2 5 pm n 5 9 pm
13
of affordable labor was another popu-
lar response. Other barriers included
lack of effective promotions for mar-
kets, need for refrigeration equip-
ment, difficulty locating interested
stores, and transportation limitations.
Finally, many respondents indicated that
they were limited by a lack of basicskills or knowledge in starting a mar-
keting enterprise, setting prices, selling,
and knowing what to produce.
When asked about sources of infor-
mation, some interesting patterns
emerged. Reading materials appear to
be a very popular source of marketing
information for growers. Within the cat-
egory of training and workshops,
farm visits was a clear favorite. Many
respondents also showed a preference
for direct contact with other farmers
who are involved in direct marketing.
WHERE TO NOW?A key role for PASA in the coming
years will be to inform non-farmers
about the benefits of buying locally
grown foods. At the same time we need
to work with farmers to ensure that localproducts are available when consumers
seek them. We look forward to working
with PASA members throughout the
southeast region as we build a local, sus-
tainable food system.
Copies of these studies are avail-
able upon request from Lamonte Garber
at [email protected] or 717-
394-1704, and from Michelle Frain at
[email protected] or 610-
683-1401.
Continued from previous page
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
14/2814
Table 1. Personal benefits of being a member of PASARanked by farmers.
SURVEY RESPONSES
Very Somewhat Not
SURVEY QUESTION Important Important Important
Interacting with innovative people 81% (154) 17% (32) 2% (4)
Learning profitable production practices 74% (142) 24% (46) 2% (4)
Learning environmentally sound production
practices to protect the environment 73% (140) 25% (48) 2% (4)
Being part of a political voice to influence
agricultural policy 64% (121) 32% (61) 5% (10)
Obtaining support that the University
or USDA does not provide 59% (113) 34% (65) 7% (13)
Increasing marketing opportunities 53% (100) 34% (65) 14% (26)
Saving my familys farm 45% (82) 33% (60) 22% (40)
By Laura M. CarnesFor my masters thesis in the geog-
raphy department at Penn State, I con-
ducted a study of PASA in 2001 to
discover the characteristics and philoso-
phies of this successful sustainable agri-
culture organization (SAO). PASA
stands out among other SAOs in the
northeast region because its growth in
membership and program participation
have been significant, and the majority
of its diverse membership identifies the
organization as being very important to
their farming operations in a variety ofways. In this article, I share some of the
interesting things I learned about PASA
members, the vision and approaches that
PASA has employed, and some of the
impacts PASA has had on the growth of
sustainable agriculture.
METHODSTo learn more about PASA mem-
bers and PASAs philosophies that are
responsible for its successes, I inter-
viewed 15 past and present board and
staff members, performed a contentanalysis of PASAs newsletters, and sent
a mail survey in February 2001 to all of
PASAs members residing in Pennsylva-
nia. I received completed surveys from a
remarkable 70% of recipients192
farmer members and 199 members who
do not farm.
BENEFITS OFPASA MEMBERSHIP
Tables 1 and 2 display responses to
the survey question, What benefits of
being a member of PASA are important
to you? The benefit most frequently
considered as very important to PASA
farmers who responded to the survey is,
Interacting with innovative people
(see Table 1). This is not surprising
given the fact that networking to share
alternative farming information is a key
function of SAOs, including PASA. In
addition, most farmer members consider
the profitable and environmentally
sound farming practices they learn from
PASA as very important. More than half
reported that PASA provides support not
available from conventional institutions.
According to the survey, about half
of PASAs members do not farm but are
active in the agricultural and food sys-
tems in other ways. Eighty-percent are
gardeners, and most are employed in
agriculture, environmental conservation,
or the food industry. More than half have
worked on a farm, and about a quarter
were raised on a farm.
The benefit considered important toall respondents who do not farm is,
Supporting environmentally sound
farming (see Table 2, next page). More
than half consider learning how to farm
an important personal benefit of PASA
membership. This shows that PASAs
new and vibrant approach to farming
attracts new people.
PASAS STRATEGIESEmbracing a Broad Definition
of Sustainable Agriculture
Results show that one of PASAs
successful philosophies is its broad,
all-inclusive definition of sustainable
agriculture. When determining the orga-
nizations foundations, there was a dis-
cussion among PASA members whether
or not to be an organic association or to
have a more inclusive definition of sus-
tainable farming. They decided on the
latter. PASA believes that a broad spec-
trum of farmers needs to be involved in
the sustainable agriculture movement
for lasting changes toward a just and
sustainable food system.
The result of not restricting their
educational activities to organic prac
tices has resulted in a farmer member-
ship that is diverse and representative o
a broad spectrum of farmers in Pennsyl
vania. According to survey responses
PASA includes many small- and large
scale farmers, full-time farmers with
extensive farming experience, and new
farmers. About two-thirds are organicand the rest reported using various sus-
tainable practices.
In comparison to the total popula
tion of Pennsylvania farmers, a higher
percentage of PASA farmers grow veg
etables, fruits, herbs and flowers, and
native grasses; and a lower percentage
grow grain, hay, and raise dairy and bee
cattle. What is striking is that some o
PASAs livestock farmers are large in
scaleone of PASAs 32 dairy farmers
has more than 1,000 dairy cattle, and
several beef farmers have herds of more
than 200 beef cattle. These operations
are comparable to large-scale farms in
the 1997 Pennsylvania Census of Agri-
culture.
A number of PASA farmer charac
teristics indicate that they are represen-
tative of many farmers in Pennsylvania
The percentage of PASA farmers and
Pennsylvania farmers who have off
farm jobs is almost equal. About 20% of
PASAs farmer respondents derive mos
Survey Says: PASA Thrives withCommunity Approach to Farming
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
15/28
of their total income from their farm,
while many others derive only a fraction
of it from their farm. More than one-
third of PASAs farmer respondents have
been farming for 20 or more years, while
just over a third have farmed for 8 years
or less.
Many PASA farmers also have an
extensive family farming history. Morethan a third of PASA farmer respondents
and their families have farmed for 4 or
more generations. However, PASA also
attracts people who are new to farming;
just under half are the first people in
their families to farm, suggesting that
PASAs vibrant approach to agriculture
attracts new people to farming.
Beneficial Results of a
Broad-Based Membership
Benefits of having an all-inclusive
approach to sustainable agriculture thatembraces a broad spectrum of the farm-
ing community are twofold. First, there
is some evidence that PASA farmers
farming practices are becoming more
environmentally sound. In order to
understand how their farming practices
may have changed over time, I surveyed
PASA farmers past and present
approaches to farming. Half of the
PASA farmer respondents reported sig-
nificantly changing their farming prac-
tices over time (see Figure 1). Of the
farmers who changed, more than halfuse less chemicals and more sustainable
practices. The high percentage of farm-
ers in the other category most likely
reflects the limited number of survey
answer categories.
A second benefit is that an all-inclu-
sive approach to sustainable agriculture
draws more members, strengthening
sustainable agricultures political voice.
Preston Boop, PASAs former president,
explains, When you can turn out 1,100
people at an annual conference meeting,
then faculty at Penn State obviouslyneed to stand up and take notice. Penn
State has gradually shown more support
for sustainable farming, and recently
funded a research position to work with
sustainable farmers in the state.
Creating Sustainable,
Community-Controlled Food Systems
I think the most significant contri-
bution that PASA made was really pro-
moting the idea that without a focus on
communities, sustainable agriculture
wasnt going to mean muchthe eco-nomics is critical, the environment is
critical, but I really think that the com-
munity emphasis put wheels on it. (Tim
Bowser, former PASA executive direc-
tor.)
In the early years of PASAs exis-
tence, the organization focused on the
technical, production end of sustainable
farming. As the organization and its
members matured, they came to realize
that marketing is the lynchpin of farm-
ers sustainability. They also came to the
realization that without broad support
from citizens and community leaders,
markets for local food would not thrive.PASAs goal became not only to create
markets for local farmers, but to create a
whole new food system that differs from
the prevailing system. Their vision is a
food system that supports local busi-
nesses rather than private corporations,
maintains the productivity of land and
water resources, nurtures satisfying,
trusting relationships between farmers
and consumers, and creates strong net-
works of community organizations that
support local agriculture. PASAs strate-
gy to create these sustainable, communi-ty-controlled food systems has been to
combine sustainable agriculture with
community economic development.
PASAs program that most actively
accomplishes this is the Community
Farm Initiative. Another activity that
plays a role is PASAs Farming for the
Future conference.
CONCLUSIONThis study shows that PASA plays
an important role in promoting sustain-
able agriculture. Two of its importantfunctions include representing the farm-
ing community to include farming in
local economic development plans, and
promoting broad community support for
local agriculture by providing network-
ing opportunities that facilitate con-
sumer education about the importance of
supporting local agriculture. PASA has
achieved these successes by having an
all-inclusive approach to membership
and by connecting sustainable agricul-
ture with community-controlled eco-nomic development. Id like to thank all
of the PASA members who filled out
surveys or talked with me in interviews.
Without your help, this study would not
have been possible.
Editors NoteMs. CarnesPenn
State Masters Thesis in Geography,
dated August 2002, is entitled, Devel-
opment of a Grass-Roots Infrastructure
for Sustainable Agriculture: The Penn-
sylvania Association for Sustainable
Agriculture as a Case Study.
Table 2. Personal benefits of being a member of PASA Ranked by members who do not farm.
SURVEY RESPONSES
Very Somewhat Not
SURVEY QUESTION Important Important Important
Enhancing the environment by supportingfarmers using environmentally sound practices 93% (183) 7% (13) 0% (0)
Preserving farmland by supporting family farms 86% (166) 13% (25) 1% (1)
Interacting with innovative people 83% (161) 17% (33) 1% (1)
Increasing the economic viability of family farms
by buying their products 79% (152) 19% (36) 3% (5)
Being part of a political voice to influence
agricultural policy 78% (152) 19% (36) 3% (6)
Gaining access to safe, healthy food 77% (149) 20% (38) 3% (6)
Learning environmentally sound and innovative
gardening practices 68% (132) 26% (50) 6% (12)
Learning effective farming practices so that
I can become a farmer 29% (56) 32% (61) 39% (76)
15
Figure 1. PASA farmer respondents who
changed their farming practices.
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
16/28
free of meat and meat by-products; and
3) producers must agree to adhere to the
guidelines established for raising hogs
by the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)
in Washington, D.C. Willis further clari-
fied that in addition to these standards,
samples of products being sold with theNiman label must be tested for quality,
especially taste.
Among the acceptable practices
established by AWI, hogs must be raised
on pasture or in deeply bedded pens, and
use of farrowing crates is prohibited. On
hand at the workshop to represent AWI
and the standards they require was
Diane Halverson, who grew up on a
Minnesota farm and now serves as the
Farm Animal Advisor for AWI.
Apparently the idea is catching on
among both farmers and consumers. The
Niman Ranch Pork Company currently
includes 210 farmers, who are part own-
ers of the company and are spread over
9 states, mostly across the Midwest. The
company markets just under 2,000 hogs
each week to about 900 restaurants, sev-
eral high-end retail outlets (including
Williams-Sonoma), and directly to indi-
vidual consumers through the website.
Paul Willis, who himself produces each
year about 3,000 hogs on pasture for the
16
By Brian Snyder
Farmers and consumers
who lament the changes in
Americas hog industry over
the last few decades, and who
long for the wonderful taste
of pork they remember from
their childhood, might better
be looking to the future rather
than the past for a solution.
This was the lesson learned in
Centre County as representa-
tives of Californias NimanRanch, Inc., meat marketing
company spoke at a PASA-
sponsored workshop in Cen-
tre Hall on October 1.
The festivities began
with a meal that featured deli-
cious Niman Ranch pork loins that were
donated for the event. Afterward, over
100 people, mostly farmers, enjoyed an
unexpected two-fer when the adver-
tised speaker, Paul Willis, who is man-
ager of the Niman Ranch Pork Company
based in Thornton, Iowa, was joined byBill Niman, founder and CEO of Niman
Ranch, Inc., who happened to be on the
East Coast for other business.
Mr. Niman may have had his arm
twisted just a bit, as he apologized to the
crowd for being late after what he called
the alleged two-hour drive from New
York City. With one speaking from the
front of the room, and the other from the
back, Willis and Niman shared with
PASAs guests the success story that is
Niman Ranch, and reported some of the
more challenging aspects of the business
as well.
Founded over a quarter century ago,
Niman Ranch seeks to produce and mar-
ket the finest tasting meat in the world
by adhering to a strict code of husbandry
principles, as their website
(www.nimanranch.com) reports. Mr.
Willis explained to the attentive group
that the strict code referred to means: 1)
neither growth-promoting hormones nor
antibiotics may be used; 2) feed must be
Niman market, is upbea
about the possibility of Penn
sylvania being the next state
to join the team.
Mr. Niman also spoke
with considerable enthusiasm
about the mission of Niman
Ranch. Our principle objec-
tive, he explained, is to
ensure the financial viability
of our farmers. The program
now guarantees a bottom
price of $40/cwt for produc-ers who have joined, and they
are currently paying $65/cw
for hogs that are certified
organic. Producers can earn a
bonus price when they mee
identified targets in terms of
animal size as well. Mr. Niman further
explained, The Pork Company retains a
penny-and-a-half per pound to build
equity and support daily operations
which is matched by the Niman Ranch
parent organization.
Much of the discussion followingthe official presentation centered on the
economic realities of Pennsylvania
farming, i.e., property taxes, cost of feed
and processing, etc. Asked whether
Niman Ranch could adjust their pricing
structure to meet such circumstances
both Willis and Niman invited Pennsyl
vania producers to work together to find
cost efficiencies, but indicated that some
small degree of flexibility might be in
order.
The emphasis throughout the dis-
cussion was on the future of meat mar
keting in this country. Niman Ranch is
interested in Pennsylvania because there
seems to be a large potential market in
the Mid-Atlantic region for their prod
ucts, and the future is that consumers
are wanting to buy from local sources
and are willing to pay more for that priv
ilege, explained Mr. Niman.
Going beyond an emphasis on loca
sources, however, it was reported that
Qu PASA? Public Policy Partnership
Pork with a Positive Attitude
Continued on page 19
Was that pork good or what!? From left to right: Paul Willis,Bill Niman, and Brian Snyder demonstrate their satisfactionwith the days farefresh maple-smoked Niman Ranch porkloin. Photo: Lauren Smith
8/9/2019 Fall 2002 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
17/28
example, has worked in the Programs
2001 class to champion the idea of coop
eration, including collective bargaining
for farmers trying to negotiate fair prices
for their products. This past July in
Japan, National Farmers Union presi-
dent Dave Frederickson supported the
concept of global cooperation in a
speech to Japanese farm leaders workingon the problem of corporate ag concen-
tration.
In September, George traveled to
Vancouver, Canada, for a Fellows media
training session. There he learned abou
FarmFolk/CityFolk, a nine-year-old
nonprofit society working for a demo
cratic and sustainable food system in
British Columbia. With energy, commit-
ment, and accomplishments much like
those of PASA, FarmFolk/CityFolk is an
organization from which PASA can
learn a lot.Theyve published books that pro
file new farmers, what theyre doing
whats possible, George relays with
enthusiasm. This could be a way for
PASA to get information out and create
an income stream.
While in Vancouver, George got to
meet the other Fellows in his class
including Arlin Wasserman, the policy
director of the Michigan Land Use Insti
tute. Mr. Wasserman, who grew up in
Philadelphia and has cousins in Allen
town, will visit Pheasant Hill Farm onNovember 10 with his 88-year-old
father, who was a produce broker his
entire life but never set foot on a farm.
So not only will the visit improve
communications between the Mid-
Atlantic and Midwest, says George
but it will introduce local residents to
local agriculture.
On the horizon, George will ren-
dezvous with his Fellows this December
for the Farm Journal Forum in Wash
ington, D.C. This annual, two-day even
brings policymakers together to hear
about a wide range of ag issues. Cospon-
sored not only by the Kellogg Founda
tion but also by Monsanto and the
Council for Biotechnology Information
its an event at which the agribusiness
viewpoint is traditionally represented,
according to Ms. Corselius. Kellogg
wants the Fellows to interject sustain
able ag issues into the discussion.
It is significant that the Fellows
17
George, a journalist with extensive
reporting experience, thinks hell cover
many of these interrelated areas during
his two-year stint.
Most journalists have yet to dis-
cover that agriculture is simply the best
beat on the paper, George observes,
because it combines all of the other
beatscops, courts, labor, environment,
science, technology, business, health,
nutrition, politics, entertainment, reli-gion, education, and government.
Developing a communications plan
for his part in the Program, George
reflected on the specific topics he might
cover over the next two years. Factory
farms are an obvious candidate. Sewer-
less cities, as George calls them, gen-
erating just as much waste without the
controls on management.
As a farmer who works twenty-acre
Pheasant Hill Farm in Emmaus, Penn-
sylvania, with his family, George also
wants to educate the public about what it
really means to be an organic farmer.
Theres more to it than not doing cer-
tain things, such as using chemicals,
George explains. I want to encourage a
plant-positive approach. If the Fellows
Program works as intended, such educa-
tion will translate into tangible policy
changes in American agriculture, socie-
ty, and government.
Policy Fellow Dr. Richard Levins
from the University of Minnesota, for
By Dan Brannen Jr.
In what he calls a logical next step
in everything I have been doing for the
last almost 30 years, PASA board mem-
ber George DeVault will spend two
years spreading the message of sustain-
able agriculture as one of twelve partici-
pants in the second class of the Food and
Society Policy Fellows Program.
Administered by the Thomas Jeffer-
son Agricultural Institute in Missouri
and the Institute for Agriculture & TradePolicy in Minnesota, and primarily fund-
ed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the
Fellows Program uses media, scholar-
ship, and public education and outreach
to promote the creation and expansion of
community-based food systems in the
United States. From September 2002
through August 2004, George and his
fellow Fellows (including fo