sept-oct 2006 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

8/9/2019 Sept-Oct 2006 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

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Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers,Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond Number 62 September/October 2006

Newsletter of thePennsylvaniaAssociation

for SustainableAgriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

on unique varieties, we had to sell all of them retail. Not having a suitable locationfor on-farm sales meant relying solely onproducer-only farmers markets. We already participated in two of such markets. Overthe next several years we joined many moresuch markets as they came into existence.

What a joy it has been since then to growthis farm! Sure, cutting down a lot of Lib-erty trees was not easy. Nor was deciding tocut down the overabundance of Asian peartrees and other apple varieties which we hadoriginally planted. But, with the need toreally focus on esoteric varieties for the retailmarket, weve had the joy of selecting

replacement varieties for those we cut dow Apples such as Gold Rush, EsopSpitzenberg, Pixie Crunch, and ReinetSimerenko joined the lineup. Planting 3varieties of peaches and 36 varieties of plumsoon followed. Cherries and nectarines camalong shortly thereafter.

With all this replanting on about 1acres, weve experienced the joys of divetyboth of the varieties we grow and thpeople weve gotten to know. Focused soleon retail sales as we are, weve met so ma wonderful people. Some have becoemployees, and some have become friend

continued page 3

By Lisa Kerschner I remember the day many years ago that

my husband, Ike, and I decided to pack upour excess of Liberty apples and take themto the produce auction. What a learningexperience. We had to gure out how theauction worked, when to be there, how to

get a vendor number, and where to purchasethe right kind of boxes just to get started.

Armed with all of that information and abundle of boxes, we spent the next severalhours packing up the Liberty, sortingthem by size into different boxes. The nextday I was up before dawn, and set off to theauction with my 4-year-old son and a pick-up truck full of apples. And our take for theeffort? $2.50 per bushel box of apples. I wastruly appalled.

What did we do next? We tried itagainand againand again. Over thecourse of that harvest season, we sold at theauction several times, receiving anywherefrom $1.25 to $3.50 per packed box. Theaverage? You guessed it, about $2.50 per boxof size-sorted high-quality fruit. So our net,taking out the cost of the box (82 centseach), was less than $2 per half bushel. It wasnt even worth the trip to the auction forthat, much less the time spent sorting, grow-ing, and even planting the apples!

What did we do next? We cut down abunch of Liberty trees! We also decided

that wed never let ourselves get in that kindof position again. Selling some portion of our fruit wholesale would just not be a sus-tainable option. In addition to the auction, abrief trial selling Asian pears to two localgrocery stores was almost equally disastrous.Those wholesale markets just werent ready or willing to take what we had to offer.

A few years before, in 1992, we startedplanting the orchard and committed our-selves to growing unique and heritage vari-eties of apples and Asian pears. It wasobvious that if our farm was going to focus

Lisa Kerschner of North Star Orchard in Coatesville, PA enjoys a day at one of the producers-only farmersmarkets she and her husband Ike participate in.

North StarOrchard

FARMER PROFILE


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Sept/Oct 20061 Cover Story :

North Star Orchard

4 Conference News

6 Directors Corner

7 Presidents Corner

8 Regional Marketing

10 Harvest Dinners

12 PASA Fundraising

13 Founders Fund

14 Educational Outreach

17 Membership News

18 Evolution of KimbertonWhole Foods

22 Sustainable Insurancefor Farms and Other Businesses

24 Editors Corner: The Grapevine

25 Calendar

26 Classied Ads

27 Membership & Contribution Form

Pennsylvania Associationfor Sustainable Agriculture

P.O.Box 419Millheim PA 16854

Phone:(814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840Website:www.pasafarming.org

Passages STAFF & OFFICEStaff Editor : Michele Gauger

Layout : C FactorAdvertising Sales : Michele Gauger,

PASA ofce, [email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident: Kim Miller,Westmoreland CountyVice President: Kim Seeley,Bradford County

Secretary: Lyn Garling,Centre CountyTreasurer: Chris Fullerton,Huntingdon County

Mary Barbercheck,Centre CountyDavid Bingaman,Dauphin County

George DeVault,Lehigh CountyJennifer Halpin,Cumberland County

Mena Hautau,Berks CountyJohn Hopkins,Columbia County

John Jamison,Westmoreland CountyDave Johnson,Tioga County

Don Kretschmann,Beaver CountyBrian Moyer, Berks County

Anthony Rodale,Berks County

PASA STAFFHeadquarters

Brian SnyderExecutive Director

[email protected]

Jackie BonomoExecutive Assistant

[email protected]

Lauren SmithDirector of Development& Membership [email protected]

Heather HouseDirector of Educational Outreach

[email protected]

Michele GaugerMembership & Research Assistant

[email protected]

Brandi MarksOfce Coordinator/Bookkeeper

[email protected]

Western Regional OfcePhone:412-697-0411

David EsonDirector of Western Programs

[email protected]

Julie SpeicherMarketing Manager

[email protected]

Sarah YoungProgram Assistant

[email protected]

PASAs Mission isPromoting protable farms which produce

healthy food for all people while respecting the

natural environment.PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvanialandscape. We are seasoned farmers who know thatsustainability is not only a concept, but a way of life.We are new farmers looking for the fulllment of landstewardship. We are students and other consumers,anxious to understand our food systems and thechoices that must be made.We are families and chil-dren,who hold the future of farming in our hands.Thisis an organization that is growing in its voice on behalf of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond.Our mission isachieved,one voice,one farm,one strengthened com-munity at a time.

PASA is an Equal O pportunity Service Provider and Employer.Some grant funding comes from the USDA and complaintsof discrimination should be sent to:USDA Ofce of Civil Rights,Washington,DC 20250-9410.

Passages July/August 2006 ContributorsContributors:David Eson, Chris Fullerton, Mena Hautau, Ron Hoover, Heather House, Lisa Kerschner,Brandi Marks,Kim Miller, Sandra K.Miller, Julie Speicher, Lauren Smith, Brian Snyder, David Wolfgang,Sarah Young

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 PASAand mail them to our Millheim headquarters to theattention of Ofce Coordinator Brandi Marks.

Do you have a greatarticle idea for Passages ?

Want to share a farming practice with members? Wedlove to hear from you. Please contact the newsletterstaff at [email protected].

Deadline for November/December 2006 Issue:October 23,2006

Passages is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper

Harrisburg Harvest Dinner, page 11


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16th Annual Farming for the Future ConferenceCultivating Excellence Farming to Serve the Common Good

February 13,2007 State College, PA

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I Charity AuctionNow in our fth year of auction

fundraising at the conference, we areseeking unique (and valuable!) items toauction at the conference. The Silent,Bag, and Live Auctions need a variety of items in all price ranges. This is a terric way to contribute to the cause! ContactLauren Smith at PASA headquarters formore information.

I The Sound of MusicOnce again, music will intertwine its

way throughout the conference dur-ing social hours, before meetings, and atbreakfast. Louise Schorn Smith and JohnLozier are coordinating the Performing Artists for Sustainable Agriculture series.They are scheduling a multitude of dif-ferent musical acts in various locations.The Performing Artists booth, a spot where artists can place their promotional

literature, sell their recordings and network with one another, will also return.

Louise will schedule the performersinto the available slots and John willcoordinate the stafng of the booth.Interested performers can contact Louiseand John by emailing [email protected] or by calling John at 304-599-8233 or Louise at 484-645-3102. It isnever too early to contact them!

I People Remember Good Food!The Farming for the Future conference

is renowned for its extraordinary meals,made possible by farmers and producers,manufacturers and distributors through-out the region. High-quality, regionally produced products are in the spotlight ateach and every meal. Please consider join-ing PASA in this unique venture in com-munity food contributions areimportant to Farming for the Future and

Introducing Our

Keynote Speakers Joel Salatin is oneof Americas pre-mier grass farmers. As owner/operatorof Polyface FarmInc., Salatin livesthe farms mission:To develop agricul-tural prototypes

that are environmentally, economically and emotionally enhancing and facilitate

their duplication throughout the world.Beginning with just pastured poultry,Salatin and his son Daniel have devel-oped production models for cattle, pork,and rabbits. They began with on-farmsales, and now also have home buyersclubs in Maryland, restaurant accounts inVirginia, and sales all over the region viaEcoFriendly Foods.

Salatins ability to communicate com-plements his creativity and businesssense, enabling him to write about themodels he has developed and made prof-

itable. He speaks all over the UnitedStates each winter, encouraging otherentrepreneurs to take up the tools he hasforged and produce healthy food for theirown communities.

James HowardKunstler says he wrote The Geogra- phy of Nowhere ,Because I believe alot of people sharemy feelings aboutthe tragic landscapeof highway strips,

parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities, and a ravaged countrysidethat makes up the everyday environment where most Americans live and work.

His latest book, The Long Emergency ,published by the Atlantic Monthly Pressin 2005, is about the challenges posed by the coming permanent global oil crisis,climate change, and other convergingcatastrophes of the 21st century.

Kunstler spent most of his childhood

in New York City. He graduated from theState University of New York, Brockportcampus, worked as a reporter and feature writer for a number of newspapers, andnally as a staff writer for Rolling Stonemagazine. In 1975, he dropped out to write books on a full-time basis. Thoughhe has no formal training in architectureor the related design elds, Kunstler isfrequently invited to lecture on these top-ics for distinguished universities andrenowned organizations.

Michael Ableman isthe founder andexecutive director of the Center forUrban Agricultureat Fairview Gar-dens, a nonprofitorganization basedon one of the oldest

and most diverse organic farms in south-ern California where he farmed from1981 to 2001. The farm has become animportant community and education

center and a national model for small

scale and urban agriculture, hosting asmany as 5,000 people per year for tours,classes, festivals, and apprenticeships.Under Ablemans leadership the farm wassaved from development and preservedunder one of the earliest and most uniqueactive agricultural conservation ease-ments of its type in the country.

Ablemans rst book,From the Good E arth: A Celebration of Growing Food Around the World (Abrams, 1993) hasbecome a timeless classic that challengesus to participate in the marketplace, ourkitchens, and in our own backyards.

Ablemans second book,On Good Land: The Autobiography of an UrbanFarm, is the emblematic story of his ghtto preserve a piece of what was once someof the richest farmland in the world, anda paean to the sweet obsession of growingfood. His third book, Fields of Plenty: A farmers journey in search of real food andthe people who grow it , was released withan accompanying PBS lm in the fall of 2005.

C o n f e r e n c e N e w s


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help demonstrate the PASA mission in avery special way. If you are interested ingetting involved in the meal program atthe conference, please call Lauren Smithat PASA headquarters.

I Candidates Needed for PASA BoardBy the time you read this, nominating

meetings will have been held in every region of Pennsylvania to suggest individ-uals who would be willing and able torepresent PASA members as part of ourboard of directors.

As mentioned in previous issues of Passages , we are placing a special empha-sis on this process this year because there will potentially be signicant turnover inboard membership over the next 18months (because of term limits, resigna-tions and other factors).

The role of a PASA board member isboth rewarding and challenging and itis crucial that each seat be lled with amember who not only shares PASAsvision for a sustainable food system, butsomeone who can devote signicant time

and energy to advancing that vision inconcrete ways.

If you are interested in serving on thePASA board, or know someone whomight make a great board member, butmissed your regional nominating meet-ing, do not dismay! You can still get in

contact with your regional coordinator,or communicate directly with ChrisFullerton by email [email protected] orphone 814-448-2173, who is chair of theboards Leadership Development Com-mittee.

Later this month, the committee willbe reviewing the list of names suggestedin regional meetings, looking closely at what each candidate can bring to theboard and how best to create a board thatis balanced in many ways, and reec-tive of our diverse membership. A list of

candidates will be nalized well beforethe 2007 Farming for the Future confer-ence, where the rst round of voting willcommence.

The next board election will be therst to include absentee balloting. Those

who do not attend PASAs Annual Meet-ing at the conference will have a chanceto send their votes in during the weeksthat follow the conference.

I A Pat on the Back: Sustainable AgLeadership Awards Reminder

Recognize outstanding leadership andbusiness acumen. Give credit and publicrecognition for jobs well done.

Every year a highlight of our annualconference is the presentation of awardsfor outstanding leaders in sustainableagriculture and sustainable ag-relatedbusinesses. We are now seeking nomina-tions for both the Leadership and Busi-ness awards for 2007. PASA AwardCommittee Chair, Lyn Garling is accept-

ing nominations for either award. Nomi-nations can be sent to Lyn by [email protected], phone 814-863-8884 ormailed to Penn State University, Dept. of Entomology, 501 ASI, University Park,PA 16802.

C o n f e r e n c e N e w s

Writing a business plan is a lot like eating bran:you know

its good for you but its not a whole lot of fun. To help you

get serious about developing your strategic business plan,

PASA has booked author and consultant Lee Hargrave to

conduct a special two-day track during PASAs pre-confer-

ence. Beginning Wednesday, January 31 Mr. Hargrave will

draw on actual examples of farm and food business plans to

take you step-by-step through the interrelated elements of a

typical business plan.

As a participant of the course, you will have in-classassignments and homework that will form the foundation

of your personal strategic business plan.You will also receive

a copy of Mr. Hargraves book, Plan for Protability: How to

Write a Strategic Business Plan (check out the rave reviews at

Amazon.com).This book, which is widely recognized as one

of the most practical guides to developing a business plan,

will serve as a reference for you both during and after the

course.Best of all, you will be working along-side your fellow

PASA members and will have the opportunity to learn from

their insights and experiences.

This course is open to anyone interested in starting or

expanding their own business, with emphasis given to farm

and food related ventures. Class size will be limited to ensure

a valuable experience for all registrants. Mr. Hargrave has

written over 100 strategic business plans and consulted with

companies all over the world during his distinguished 35-

year career as a strategic business planning consultant.

More details about the course and registration will be

included in the conference brochure, which will be mailed tomembers in mid-November.

Note: If you have an existing business plan (complete or par-

tial) tha t you would like to have reviewed by Lee Hargrave

and used as an anonymous example for the Strategic Busi-

ness Planning pre-conference track, please contact Heather

House at PASA. This is a rare and valuable opportunity to

receive free consultation from an internationally recognized

professional.

Internationally Recognized Consultant to ConductStrategic Business Planning Course During Pre-Conference


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Who Will Grab theGood Food Vote?

sales of milk representing organic, hor-mone free, pastured and/or local sourcesrepresent a relatively small portion of thecurrent market (maybe 2 or 3 percent).But our speakers were unrelenting, not-ing the trend was consistent, strong andcut across social and economic classes. Inshort, these businessmen were thinkingabout the future for the sake of recom-mending good decisions in the present.

It would seem the cat is out of the bag

quality counts, and it counts whether were talking cars, milk, meat, vegetablesor even in such specic examples as whatschools put in front of our children in theform of school lunches. Increasingdemand for food that is organic, natural,sustainable, grassfed, free range or pro-duced in other special ways that enhancequality is here, and will not be goingaway soon.

There is a tremendous opportunity inall of this for Pennsylvania farms. Withmore than half the U.S. population (andmuch of Canadas) located within a daysdrive of our productive elds, there is nostate better situated to experience an eco-nomic windfall from the good food rev-olution going on in our society.

The only question in this regard is whether anyone in a position to do some-thing about it will notice this opportuni-ty before everyone else (e.g. agriculture inneighboring states) does.

I like to joke with my colleagues outin California that they are fortunate to be

working in the Pennsylvania of the WestCoast. Of course I am being hopeful insaying that. But there is simply no reasonthat Pennsylvania farms cannot, orshould not, become the leaders in spe-cialty and high quality food productionon the East Coast, the whole country orbeyondno reason except for industry and political inertia that is.

If Pennsylvanias agricultural commu-nity set this goal, and directed the avail-able resources in its direction, this is a

D i r e c t o r s C o r n e r

By Brian Snyder Its ofcially open season in terms of

all the energy that will go into addressingthe next federal Farm Bill, and also thattime of year when all of us here in Penn-sylvania get to hear politicians talk abouthow important agriculture is to the com-monwealths economy.

Just take this years campaigns for theSenate and Governor here in Pennsylva-nia. Itll take more ngers than on two

hands to count the number of times can-didates running for ofce will emphati-cally refer to agriculture as our numberone industry.

This happens year after year, and cam-paign season after campaign season.Regardless, I know of no single time inrecent history when a broad spectrum of Pennsylvania politicians, industry leadersand actual farmers have sat down to hon-estly consider what this number-one-industry designation means, and what itmight take to protect or even improveagricultures status in the future.

If there were such a meeting, wed rsthave to come to terms with the fact thatactual farm production only accounts forabout 10% of the revenue attributed to what is dened as agriculture. The rest,a mixture of forest products, food pro-cessing, retail sales and whatnot eventhings like soft drink and beer produc-tion would certainly be counted asparts of other industries as well.

Such a meeting would also have to

take a serious look at whats happening inconsumer markets across the country (assuming that we still are our own pri-mary customers). We wouldnt have tolook only at markets for food and otheragricultural products, though, to under-stand the situation.

Take the auto industry for instance.Recently it was announced that Toyotahad overtaken the Ford Motor Company in total sales, making it the number twoautomaker in America. The same reportsuggested it was only a matter of time

before the surging Japanese company overtakes the slumping General Motorsfor the top spot.

Whats happening in the auto indus-try is the result of the same phenomenonnow beginning to affect our nationsdemand for food as well, and it can besummed up in a single wordquality .

Y ep, in our relatively strong economy,product quality actually trumps price foran increasing number of consumers, and

it ultimately leads to success in terms of quantity of sales as well. It should benoted that rarely if ever does this rela-tionship work in reverse.

Recently, at a committee meeting of the Pennsylvania Department of Agricul-tures Dairy Task Force, some of uslearned this lesson in a very blunt way. With some of the top brass of the North-easts largest dairy processors present,leaders of the task force presented the sta-tistics showing how overall milk produc-tion has been successfully increased overthe past couple of years.

When it was the processors turn, they were polite, though also very clear intheir message. The rst speaker acknowl-edged the importance of increased pro-duction, but stated that for the futurethe dairy industry in the Northeast willneed to get over its reluctance to talk about milk quality. The second speaker was even more blunt, stating that highermilk production is good, but what wereally need is more organic milk. He

added that sales of certied organic prod-ucts were increasing by over 20% eachyear, limited only by supply, not demand.

Further discussion at this meetingyielded the information that most con-sumers driving current market trends were primarily interested in purchasingmilk produced without the use of syn-thetic hormones. Many others, they said,also wanted assurances that the cows werekept on pasture, and that the product wascoming from local farms if possible.

Oh, it was acknowledged that overall

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and healthy food can climb aboard thetrain, or wagon if you prefer. Whenenough voters say Its a no go GMO!and Well ght to eat right! and Wedont eat industrial sheat! then politi-cians will start to pay attention.

As we create a strategy for the futurePASA needs to remain farmer centered,but we must welcome our customers intomembership as well. Just as the Civil

P r e s i d e n t s C o r n e r

By Kim Miller If money is the root of all evil then the

weeds of this evil root grow unmolestedon the compost pile of our political sys-tem. Our nations founders failed toimagine the development of the massmedia and the high price of election toofce. This inability to foretell the future,and make provision for it, has givenindustry an opening to use money tosprout its evil plans. It is downright

amazing what a eld of evil weeds can besprouted from a little packet of campaigncontribution seeds.

The same root has grown its vinearound our Land Grant universities. Thedamage done to the food-eating citizensof this great country by industrys controlof the political, educational and researchagenda is incalculable. Complicit are thepoliticians and educators who cannot or will not refuse the evil root.

What is unspoken, but obvious none-the-less, is that these contributions andgrants made to politicians and universi-ties are nancial transactions. And as with all nancial transactions there is aquid pro quo, literally a this for that. What both amuses and alarms me is theout of all proportion quo that our institu-tions give industry for their measly quid .It is as if our politicians and educators arein some sort of a perverse race to see whocan give the mostquo for the least quid .But, of course this is an illusion too.Quid and quo must be in balance and so

if the quid is short of the quo that is where you and I, the taxpayers and voterscome in. We get to make up the differ-ence.

As a grassroots organization, PASA isnot in a position to bend politicians andeducators to its side by greasing palms.Even if we had the money, I cant imagineany of us wanting to be a player in thisfailed game. None-the-less we are now avisible enough organization that we areinvited to the table when agriculture isthe topic of conversation. For a bunch of

whippersnappers like us this can be heady stuff. While feeling our oats we need toremember that given the grim reality of our political and educational systems,money will trump good intentions every time.

We must also be careful not to be usedas a propaganda piece; as in We haveconsulted with the sustainable communi-ty and have come to this joint conclu-

Rights Movement included vast numbers

of unoppressed middle class voters, somust the Food Rights Movement includeall of those who wish to eat food of theirown choosing.

As an organization, we cannot hope tomitigate or eliminate the damage done by the evil root of money unless we welcomeour customers into membership withopen arms. Our strength is in our open-ness, our honesty, and our desire to be of service to the common good. We cannotbeat the moneyed interests at their owngame, but we can change the game and

create a healthy future for family farmersand our customers as we work together inthe Food Rights Movement. I

sion, when the conclusion is something

anathema to our goals. It is an easy thingto be assimilated to death. What PASA and similar organizations

can do is to spearhead a national FoodRights Movement. Remember, whatpoliticians want are votes. Money is only useful as a means to get votes. The only way to defeat the power of money to con-trol our political discourse is to have anissue that is so big that voters willrespond to it directly. I will submit thatfood is such an issue.

Money has been winning for a longtime now. But there was a time in thiscountry when the moneyed interests hadtheir collective hat handed to them. TheCivil Rights Movement captured theinterest of enough voters that signicantchanges in the laws of this country weremade and the way that business was con-ducted changed.

In the Food Rights Movement theclass that is directly oppressed and can bethe ash point for change is the family farmer. But all of us that wish to eat clean

Evil Roots

7

We cannot beat the moneyed interests at their own

game, but we can change the game and create a health

future for family farmers and our customers as we wo

together in the Food Rights Movement .

Stayconnected!

Visit PASA online atwww.pasafarming.org


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By Sarah Young

The Regional Food InfrastructureNetwork (RFIN) study is producingvaluable information about the WesternPennsylvania regions agricultural indus-try and food system. The project aims tocreate a business plan to strengthen thefood economy through the creation of opportunities for producing value-addedfood products and by bridging gapsbetween producers, processors and con-sumers. At the June advisory committeemeeting, people from a broad spectrumof agricultural and economic sectorscame together to learn about the recently completed Structural Analysis Reportand Farmer Survey, discussed below. Themeeting demonstrated the building inter-est in agricultures role in the regions eco-nomic development and how differentsectors, from farmers and food businessowners to economic and community development agencies, can come togetherto make a difference in our region.

Structural Analysisof Western Pennsylvania Agriculture

The agricultural industry in WesternPennsylvania plays an important eco-nomic role employing 34,000 people andgenerating $4.1 billion dollars in eco-nomic output annually. Western Pennsyl-vania accounts for one-third of the statesfarm acreage, a quarter of Pennsylvaniasvegetable farms and nearly half of Penn-sylvanias cattle farms. However, despiteits importance in the region, agriculturehere is experiencing many of the samedownward trends that are seen across thecountry such as a decrease in total sales.

One of the more telling statistics is theloss of the mid-size farm. While in thepast 15 years there has been an increase inthe number of small (1 to 180 acres) andlarge (over 1,000 acres) farms, there hasbeen a decline in those in between. Mid-size farms can no longer compete withlarger industrial farms meaning they must intensify their farming to increaseincome or, in many cases but not all,downsize their operation, which usually means an inadequate income that is not

enough to pay the bills. While the

increase in small farms, in part due tonew entrants into farming, is promising,such farms will have a difcult time com-pensating for the loss of mid-size farmproduction. Large farms may make upfor some of this loss in production, butlargely through the production of com-modity crops that are exported out of theregion rather than such things as fruitand produce, which can be sold to con-sumers and food businesses in WesternPennsylvania.

With a population of more than 3million people in Western Pennsylvaniato feed, one might wonder why ourregions seventeen thousand farms, withan average size of 137 acres, are not thriv-ing. The residents of Western Pennsylva-nia have an annual purchasing power of $108 billion1 and spend $7.9 billion2 of that on food each year. Unfortunately, itmay be that only $2 billion3 of that foodis actually produced within the region.Using this estimation that would meanthere is a potential $5.9 billion in agri-cultural production that could occur tofulll the regions food needs, and keepmore food spending in Western Pennsyl-vania beneting farmers and communi-ties. Spending more dollars on local foodputs a higher percentage of food dollarsin the farmers pockets. According to the2002 U.S. Agricultural Census, only 1,973 farms in Western Pennsylvaniasold directly to consumers totaling $13million that year, a drop in the bucket of total food spending in our region.

Farmer Survey So how can the RFIN study help to

localize our food economy and strength-en Western Pennsylvania agriculture? With better understanding of the agricul-ture industry gained from the structuralanalysis, RFIN began to dig deeper,going to the source itself with a region- wide farmer survey. The results of thissurvey, sent to over 3,000 farmers in theregion, show some troubling data butalso some reasons for optimism. Seventy-six percent of survey respondents were

over 50 years old with only 20% sure of handing down the family business totheir sons and/or daughters. This, in conjunction with the large percentage of farms that are considered small, does notbode well for the regions farming futureas farm exits have been correlated to small

farm size and aging farmers4

. Small farmsare less stable and show higher turnover, while farming in general is compoundedby aging farmers.

However, there are some encouragingresults a large number of survey respondents showed an interest inexpanding their production capacity andmarketing opportunities through prod-uct branding, shared marketing invest-ment and value-added products. Many expressed a need for more processing andstorage facilities as well as training oppor-tunities in such areas as business andmarket planning. This demonstrates thedynamic nature of farming in our region.The business plan generated by RFINaims to respond to many of these needsand to harness the great potential thatexists for a thriving and prosperous farmand food system.

Whats NextNow that we are in the data collection

and networking stages, we now have abetter idea of the interest and potentialthat exists for expanding farm businessestoward the production of value-addedproducts. It is time to take a look at con-sumer interest and demand for suchgoods. First, an assessment of the chal-lenges and opportunities facing agricul-ture and the food system in individualcounties will be carried out through sur-veys and interviews of extension agentsand agricultural business leaders. Fromthere, a region-wide consumer survey willbe conducted that will provide vitalinformation on what consumers are look-ing for when it comes to regional andlocal food and will provide insight into where the opportunities lie for value-added products and marketing.

The information gained from theRFIN study and surveys, along with con-tinued on-the-ground research and inter-views, may result in a stronger network of farmers, processors, and distributors.This vital information will allow us toconnect producers of like goods to

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R e g i o n a l M a r k e t i n g

Regional Food Infrastructure Network Study Moves Forward in Western PA

WESTERN REGION

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One certain highlight of Local Foods

Week was Lewisburgs first-ever localfoods progressive dinner involving threedowntown Lewisburg restaurants (theTowne Tavern, Marcos Tapas and theBleu Plate Caf) and over 50 community participants. Over the course of theevening, diners strolled between the threerestaurants and enjoyed plate after plateof seasonal dishes artfully prepared by thechefs and paired with local spirits. Theevent was a great success and is sure tobecome a xture of Lewisburgs LocalFoods Week celebrations in the future.

Local Foods Week also took to themore rural parts of the region with the Warrior Run Farm Tour, a 17-mile bikeride through the scenic hills and valleys of Upper Northumberland County.

Concluding Lewisburgs Local Foods Week, over 1,300 Bucknell students werepleased to enjoy their second annual har-vest dinner in the Bostwick cafeteria.Parkhurst Dining Services worked with anumber of local farmers to prepare dish-es, which highlighted local and seasonalfoods. A student survey taken at the eventrevealed an overwhelming majority of students wishing to see more local foods

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R e g i o n a l M a r k e t i n g

By Amanda Burbage

The Valleys of the SusquehannaBuy Fresh, Buy Local campaign celebratedLocal Foods Weeks September 114 inan action packed two weeks of food andfarm-related events across the NorthCentral region. The City of Williamsportkicked off Local Foods Week with its 2ndannual Taste of Williamsport event in which a dozen downtown restaurantsoffered free samples prepared with localingredients to newly arrived college stu-dents and First Friday goers.

In Lewisburg, Local Foods Week

opened with a press conference at theSusquehanna Valley Growers Market.Lewisburg Mayor Judy Wagner joinedUnion County Commissioner PrestonBoop to issue the second annual jointproclamation of Local Foods Week inUnion County and the Borough of Lewisburg. Highlights at the marketsevent included performances by localmusicians, free samples prepared by Chef Phoebe Faden of the Bleu Plate Caf andseveral childrens activities, which encour-aged young consumers to visit marketvendors stands to learn more about wheretheir food comes from.

Western

NorthCentral/Eastern

SouthcentralSoutheastern

REGIONAL CONTACTS & DISCUSSION GROUP ADDRESSESDiscussion groups are open to PASA members only to join and discuss issues related to sustainable agriculture.

To join the group in your region,send an email to the appropriate address [email protected] Eson412-697-0411 [email protected]

[email protected]

Brian Moyer610-944-9349 [email protected] Hautau610-378-1327 [email protected]

[email protected] Hurst:717-734-2082 [email protected]

NorthCentral/[email protected] Tewksbury570-437-2620 [email protected]

Out of State discussion group addresses:

States North and East of [email protected]

States South and West of [email protected]

NORTHCENTRAL REGION

featured in the dining hall on a yearround basis. Bucknells involvement inLocal Foods Week has not only helped toraise awareness of local foods within thestudent body, but has also helpedParkhurst to identify and develop newrelationships with farmers in the Susque-hanna Valley. I

Valleys of the SusquehannasBuy Fresh, Buy Local Weeks A Success

Penn Colleges culinary students put on an impres-sive and tasty spectacle at the Williamsport Grow-ers Market. Under the guidance of Chef MikeDitchfield, the students prepared sample after sample of everything from meatloaf to gumbo tocarrot cake, pleasing Williamsport market goerswith their savory and artistic presentations.


10/2810

H a r v e s t D i n n e r s

Two Dinners,Too Good!PASAs Harvest Celebration Benet Dinners have been held aroundthe state for the past ve years. On September 15th, we held twodinners simultaneously one in Harrisburg and the other in Pitts-burgh.These events were delicious local foods feasts with special

menus showcasing the exceptional seasonal foods being grownright here in our region. We hope you enjoy perusing a few mem-ories from the September 2006 events in these photos, and enjoyseeing the sponsor and farm lists too.These benet dinners con-tribute to PASAs annual fund,which provides an important sourceof unrestricted revenue for your organization. PASA would like tothank our dinner guests, the volunteers, and the sponsors thatmade these grand feasts possible!

ABOVE:Pittsburghs twilight skyline was a perfectly splendid backdrop to cele-brate local foods at the at Carnegie Science Center.

LEFT: Summers nal harvest offers a bountiful platter of Pickled Green Beans,Roasted Asparagus, Grilled Eggplant, Squash, and Zucchini, and Marinated Red Peppers.

PITTSBURGH DINNEREVENT SPONSORS

Eat n Park Hospitality Group, Inc.Richard King Mellon Foundation

United States Department of Agriculture

Anonymous Donor TABLE SPONSORS

Berner InternationalKretschmann Farm

McGinnis Sisters Special Food StoresParagon Monteverde

Parkhurst Dining ServicesRob Coyne Family and Friends

Westmoreland County Conservation DistrictWhole Foods Market

Proving Farms, Vineyards,Breweries & BusinessesBrenkle Farm C.T. Miller Vineyards Coffee Tree Roasters DairyFarmers Co-op Dawson Orchards Frankferd Farms Foods Friendship Farms Inc Green Valley Dairy Harvest Valley Farms Heinis Bunker Hill Cheese Jamison Farm Kretschmann Farm Miseras Organic Farm Natural by Nature Paragon Monteverde Parma Sausage Products, Inc Penn Brewery Penns CornerFarm Alliance Presque Isle Wine Cellars Ridgeview Acres Farm Sallys Cider Press Spring Valley Garden Wil-Den Family Farms Woodwards Orchard

PittsburghPittsburgh


11/2811

H a r v e s t D i n n e r s

HARRISBURG DINNERPRESENTING SPONSOR

Lady Moon Farms

PATRON SPONSORThe Fertrell Company

DONOR SPONSORSChesapeake Bay Foundation

CURA HospitalityEberly Poultry

McGeary OrganicsNatures Best Organic Feeds

Organic Unlimited

Proving Farms,Vineyards,Breweries & BusinessesAndrews Orchard Brookmere Farm Vineyards Chadds-ford Winery Cow-a-Hen Farm Creekside Farm Danc-ing Creek Farm Demeters Garden Dreamcatcher Farm Eberly Poultry Green Heron Farm Hares Valley Grow-ers Help From Above Farm Jamison Farm JubileeOrganic Farm Kuhn Orchards Lady Moon Farms Lehmans Eggs Lil Pond Farm Long Lane Farm Mac-neal Orchard and Sugar Bush MAX Boer Goats Farm McGeary Organics Mother Earth Mushrooms NaturalAcres New Morning Farm North Star Orchards OldMeadow Farm Oylers Eden Valley Farms Painted HandFarm Phillips Mushroom Farms Rippling Brook Farm

Seedway Trial Farm Shade Mountain Vineyards & Win-ery Shoestring Acres Smiths Organic Farm Spiral PathFarm Stoltzfus Farm Sunny Ridge Farm Tait Farm Trickling Springs Creamery Tregs Brewing Company Tuscarora Organic Growers Coop Village Acres Vollmecke Orchards WestHanover Winery WindyKnolls Farm

Cheese was acquired from these PennsylvaniaF armstead & Artisan Cheese Alliance Members

Farmstead Fresh Green Valley Dairy Higheld Dairy Highland Farm Keswick Creamery LeRaysville CheeseFactory Otterbein Acres Pipe Dreams Fromage Shell-bark Hollow Farm Travis Bountiful Acres

TOP LEFT: Executive Chef John Reis was excited to be involved in the Harvest Celebration.He and Chef Joe Wiles exclaimed the quality of the foods you provided was fantastic!

TOP RIGHT:Over 14 specially designed hors doeuvres were served at the reception,alongwith more than 22 artesinal cheeses from the PA Farmstead & Artisan Cheese Alliance.

BELOW LEFT: Among the delighted guests that evening were Melanie and Mark DietrichCochran and baby Madelyn,of Keswick Creamery,who provided cheese and yogurt for themeal.

BELOW RIGHT:Sandra Miller of Painted Hand Farm addressed the audience with a sinceretestimonial of what PASA means to farmers.

BOTTOM: Over 24 PASA members and friends contributed to the rafe style Basket Auc-tions,a great way to raise additional revenue and have some fun.

HarrisburgHarrisburg


12/2812

$51,940MAY 16

$51,940MAY 16

P A S A F u n d r a i s i n g

By Mena Hautau, Fundraising Committee Chair Last night, my kitchen became a wonderful aromatic space while

canning tomato salsa. We had a poor homegrown tomato crop thisyear,but were very fortunate to have local growers to lean on for theirseconds.We were able to join these tomatoes with our own sweet and

hot peppers, onions, tomatillos, and several spices.This spicy appetiz-er contains plenty of warm kick and avor, without blistering theinside of the mouth!

I started to think thats just how our fundraising plan continues toprogress and grow over time.We started with some gifts and projectsthat we knew we could count on, such as the spring appeal and theconference auction.Then we had to add in creative ways, and the sum-mer farm dinners were just the right ingredient. Now this past month,we successfully executed two harvest benet dinners, adding a niceboost to our total these are the peppers that we nurtured all sum-mer. A surprise ingredient was the donation of over $11,000 fromWhole Foods Market, when PASA was the beneciary of their 5% daysin three PA stores mid-September!

Green or Red Salsa? Harvest of Plenty for PASAWe have simmered this pot to more than $100,000 a number

that by itself was only a dream just two years ago. And now to reachour goal of $150,000 by years end, we must rely on all our membersand friends to provide that necessary bit of spice to nish it off.

Please remember PASA when making those end-of-the-year, holi-

day gifts.Checks are always welcome,but you can also donate by con-tacting Lauren Smith at 814-349-9856 ext. 1 or at our website,www.pasafarming.org.

The nal product simply will not be the same without your involve-ment! I

Our goal $150,000

$100,000

$50,000

0

$65,482 JULY 19

$65,482 JULY 19

$44, 772MARCH !&

$44, 772MARCH 17

Illustration courtesy of Phyllis Kipp

$101,529SEPT. 25

$101,529SEPT. 25

Hungry Parasites,Predators on PatrolUse Biocontrol in the Field to Control:

Corn Borer, Mexican Bean Beetle, Manure FliesUse Biocontrol in the Greenhouse to Control:

Aphids, Whiteies, Spider Mites, Thrips, Fungus Gnats

IPM Laboratories, Inc.www.ipmlabs.com [email protected]: (315) 497-2063Healthy Benecials Guaranteed

PASA Staff and Board Would LikeTo Thank the Following Volunteers

PASA Welcomes Our Newest Business MembersEfe OpheliaLancaster, PA

Sperry Farms Inc. Atlantic,PA

Wonderdog Licensing Company Inc.Pittsburgh,PA

Linda AleciRob AmsterdamCharlie BoyerIvory Brownback

Cynthia & JimColbertEmily Cook Ann Quinn CorrLisa DiefenbachLamonte GarberBarbara & CharlesGerlachGary GyekisSusan HaneyCarl HurshDoug Irwin

Carol Keiser

Sean Kelly

Jim Kerhin

Mary Jo Langston

Cindy LawCandace Lowe

Pat Leary

Julie Mason

Tom Maurer

Sandra K. Miller

Jim Minesky

Paula Goetting-Minesky

Glenn Mitchelll

Claire Murray

Jessica Neff

Patti Olenick

Harrison Schailey

Roy Sletson

Lindsay SmithPaula Snyder

Betsy Sterwers

Jacob Stoltzfus

Kim Tait

Jeremy Tosten

George Vahoviak

Connie Wenger

Karen & Phil Yanak

Roz & JimYannaccone

ADVERTISEMENT


13/28

Founders Fund A LifelongCommitment to Sustainability

All of us at PASA are proud of the growing roster of lifetime members.Contributions for lifetime membership will be managed with care as

part of the PASA Founders Fund, sustaining both ongoing member-ship as well as the long-term future of PASA. There are few things amember could do to symbolize their lifelong commitment to sustain-ability than to place such condence in the value and availability of PASA itself. It is our pleasure to list the entire roster of lifetime mem-bers on an annual basis.

13

Nitya Akeroyd & Jeff ZehrBoyertown PA

Claudia Albertin & GlennVernonLoganton PA

Robert AmsterdamSusan RichardsMechanicsburg PA

Mary Barbercheck University Park PA

Judy & Tinka BergerHuntingdon PA

Katherine Bigler & JohnKrambOrrtanna PA

Linda & Tim BlakeleyEglon WV

Jackie BonomoDunc an Ha yesLemont PA

Wanda & Preston BoopMifinburg PA

Timothy BowserMillheim PA

Michele Briggs & FamilyDavid Fetterolf Centre Hall PA

Terra & Michael Brownback Family

Loysville PA

Susan & Alan Bullock Rome PA

Jane & Dick BurlingameRussell PA

Virginia & Mike ByersSpring Mills PA

Mary Ann ByrnePottstown PA

Gene ChenowethGenelle SweetserMifinburg PA

Lou Ann & Daniel CollierBerlin PA

Moie & Jim CrawfordHustontown PA

Barbara CrosbyPortageville NY

Jonda CrosbyHelena MT

Andrew CrowleyGlendale OH

Mike DebachTroy PA

Bill Deitrick FamilyNew Columbia P A

Dan DesmondElizabethtown PA

Melanie & George DeVaultEmmaus PA

David DietzYork PA

R. Elizabeth DroppWesley W. RamseyYoungsville PA

Dale & Jack Duff Natrona Heights PA

Chris FullertonHustontown PA

Brian Futhey FamilyDebra HellerWoodward PA

Lamonte GarberLancaster PA

Lyn GarlingRebersburg PA

Janet GoloubMartin BoksenbaumTreichlers PA

Jeanie & Bill HassBear Creek PA

Mena HautauSteve De Broux

Barto PAJohn HeinzUpper Black Eddy PA

Bobbie Hineline Tom Ljungman FamilyGreensburg PA

Ingrid & Bernie HoffnarSix Mile Run PA

Todd & John HopkinsFamilyOrangeville PA

Susan & Joel HublerSlatington PA

John IkerdColumbia MO

Cindy & John IrwinPequea PA

Wes JacksonSalina KS

Rose Marie KendallHookstown PA

Barbara KlineRanda ShannonPittsburgh PA

Becky & Don KretschmannFamily Rochester PA

David Lembeck State College PA

Don LevanDawn Hasenauer-LevanTemple PA

Albert Lusk Wilmington DE

Becky & Steve MarksBloomsburg PA

Martha & Allen MatthewsFamilyBurlington VT

Tracy & Jeff MattocksMiddletown PA

Dave MattocksBainbridge PA

Sue & Tom Maurer Annville PA

Dianne & Kim Miller FamilyNew Alexandria PA

Suzanne MilshawBoyertown PA

Ted W. MitchellLevittown PA

Babs MummaMechanicsburg PA

Philip Jan & Daniel NagelFamily

Ottsville PA

Johanna & Brett NicholsFloyd VA

Anne & Eric NordellTrout Run PA

Joan & Drew NormanWhite Hall MD

Claire & Rusty OrnerBrookville PA

Cass PetersonFlanders NJ

Michael Phillips FamilyKennett Square PA

Dan ReinholdMill Hall PA

Rita Resick Somerset PA

Ardath Rodale Allentown PA

Florence & Anthony Rodale Allentown PA

Carolyn SachsUniversity Park PA

Peggy & Joseph SchottLebanon PA

Shon SeeleyJessica GreenblattTroy PA

Ann & Kim Seeley FamilyTroy PA

Gail & Marcus ShefferFamilyWellsville PA

Chuck & Liz Shenko FamilyMoscow PA

Sondra & Ben SimmonsHershey PA

Roy & Hammer SletsonMadisonburg PA

Lauren & Ian Smith Aaronsburg PA

Melissa & Andrew SmithCollegeville PA

Paula & Brian SnyderCentre Hall PA

Barbara SongerClarion PA

John A. Stellmack State College PA

Dana StuchulState College PA

Debbie SwettenamLinda Humphreys

Sarver PA

Phyllis & Mark TerwilligerHonesdale PA

Leah & John TewksburyMuncy PA

Joan S. & Dennis W. ThomsonUniversity Park PA

Ruth TonachelTowanda PA

Nan Uhl

Bayeld COJodi & Evan VerbanicBulger PA

Karen & Jan VollmeckeCoatesville PA

Althea & William WagmanFort Littleton PA

Christopher WahlbergPittsburgh PA

Barbara & Michael WahlerFamilyMcVeytown PA

Sandie & John WalkerBloomsburg PA

Melanie & Fred WertzNewport PA

Robert WestJo RytterBellefonte PA

Beth WhitemanBoalsburg PA

Roz & James YannacconeT urbotville PA

F o u n d e r s F u n d


14/28

Negative strongyle counts accountedfor about 51% of farms surveyed. Pooled samples >300 eggs/gm indicatea fairly high parasite load & high risk forthe entire ock.

- To be most effective, strategic thera-

pies should be instituted with knowl-edge of parasite life cycle &persistence in environment.

Pooled sample counts with 1 to 300eggs/gm indicate a low parasite burden &select animals may be at risk.

- Use FAMACHA (eye anemia), body condition or other animal indicatorsto target therapy and animal needs.

Negative pooled samples are welcomenews but may be inuenced by time of

Preliminary Risk AssessmentSummary Results as of Feb.2006

Here are a few key observations wehave seen thus far on the farms visited: 13% of farms at high risk of problems with parasites, 47% are in the moderate

range where some management changescould be benecial 2/3 of farms at high risk regarding theirpasture management a portion of thefarms had never sampled their pasturesoil or considered quality of forages & theimpact on animal health Levels of risk associated with farm man-agement & marketing are varied

Fecal Analyses: Internal ParasitesComposite (pooled) fecal samples

were taken from 20 farms located acrossPennsylvania and analyzed for internalparasites. Composite samples can be agood indicator of the total parasite loadin a group of animals. Proper interpreta-tion of the results along with animalobservations such as the FAMACHA sys-tem (eye anemia) allows producers to usecontrol strategies in an effective, judi-cious manner.

Fecal Strongyle(parasitic nema tode worms) Counts High strongyle counts (>300 eggs/gm)accounted for about 31% of farms sur-veyed. Low strongyle counts (>0 but


15/28


16/2816

E d u c a t i o n a l

O u t r e a c h New Edition of Hands-On Agronomy

Kinsey demonstrates how to recognizeand remedy common problems andexamines balancing soil nutrients formaximum yield. In addition, the whats

and whys of nutrients, soil drainage,tilth, soil structure and organic matter areexplained in detail.

Kinsey is the foremost practitionerand consultant on Albrecht-style fertility balancing worldwide and he has spentthe past decade teaching his renownedsoil science seminars from this book,offering true hands-on advice that con-sultants charge thousands for every day.In this extensively revised and updatededition, Kinsey has drawn on his experi-ence with thousands of students to clari-

fy and expand on the lessons taughttherein, making Hands-On Agronomy more accessible and informative than ever.

Neal Kinsey has been called a consul-tants consultant. Through his in-depthcourses, he has trained thousands of con-sultants and sophisticated growers in themethodology of soil element balancing

The soil is much more than just a sub-strate that anchors crops in place. An eco-logically balanced soil system is essentialfor maintaining nutritious, resilient

crops. In Hands-On Agronomy , Neal Kin-sey shows us how working with the soil tobring it into balance produces healthiercrops with a higher yield.

Growers learning from Kinsey willcome to truly understand soil fertility ina practical manner easy to apply in theeld. Presented in Kinseys entertainingand anecdotal style,Hands-On Agronomy covers the major fertility elements, stress-ing the accurate soil analyses and auditsare key for quality crop production. Dis-cover why simple N-P-K fertilization is

not enough to sustain and nurture yoursoil to optimal health. With Kinseyshelp, understand the proper use, timingand application of manures, compost,tillage and micronutrients.

A truly comprehensive manual on soilmanagement, the lessons outlined inHands-On Agronomy are applicable toboth small and large-scale operations.

utilizing cation exchange capacity. Kinsey specializes in building and maintainingsoil for quality crop production and trav-els the world consulting in a teaching the Albrecht methods of soil fertility balanc-ing. His understanding of macro- andmicronutrient balance in the soil is hard

to match. In addition to consulting oncrops such as corn, cotton, soybeans, rice, wheat and other small grain, he also works with signicant acreages of citrus,vegetables, grapes, alfalfa, pastures, oats,melons, almonds, avocados, coffee,bananas, turf grass, and most other cropsgrown around the world.

The book is available by calling 800-355-5313 or visit www.acresusa.com.I

Neal Kinsey will be offering a PASAIntensive Learning Program on the

Introduction to the Albrecht Methodson November 1315 at Camp Yoligwa inCumberland County, which has a veryaffordable rate for overnight accommo-dations.For more information & to regis-ter call Heather House at PASAheadquarters, 814-349-9856 or visitwww.pasafarming.org.


17/2817

By the PASA Membership Department For those of you who may not realize

it, PASA is a membership-based organi-zation meaning we are always looking

for new individuals, families, students,and businesses to join our organization both in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Every year PASA staff and many of our members attend regional events andconferences to try and nd new PASA members. PASA also does direct-mailsolicitations to names we have gathered atthese events and that have been suggestedto us by other members. This year hasbeen no different.

All of these efforts require time anddedication to the cause of nding like-

minded individuals who may becomePASA members now or in the future.Last fall PASAs Board of Directors set agoal for membership over the next fewyears, which includes a 20% increase of the total membership by the end of 2006,for a total of 4,032 members.

We felt, just like the annual fund, ourannual membership growth also deservessome attention in Passages . So we willbegin charting our membership growthover the next several months as we aim toreach the goal of 4,032 members by theend of this year.

The only way we will reach this goal is with a little help from each of you.Remember PASA is your organization,you tell us what programming you wouldlike to see, you tell us who you want tohear from at the conference and you tellus what issues are important to you.

We are asking for each of you to helpbring in members for PASA this year andinto the future. Brian Moyer, PASA board member and owner of Green

Haven farm says, PASAs membership isaround 3,500 and is growing. Folks from37 states came to the conference this year. What we need is to continue to grow themembership so we can have the kind of food system and communities WE want. With the organic market growing at arate of 20% annually, PASA can do thesame. So, please encourage customers,shareholders and other farmers to joinPASA. Its our organization, our farms,its our food, its our communities, notthe governments or corporate America.

What is the best way to help usincrease the PASA membership? Tell yourfriends, neighbors, family, coworkers andanyone you might see on the street!

Here are a few suggestions of ways youcan help: Tell everyone you know about PASA! Host a PASA informational booth atlocal events in your community or atcivic group meetings Write articles and/or editorials aboutPASA or sustainable agriculture issues foryour local newspapers and magazines The holiday season will be here beforeyou know it, think about buying a giftmembership in PASA for someone youknow Volunteer for PASA at the events weattend Farm Show, Ag Progress Days,etc. Let PASA know names/companies youmay suggest we send a packet of mem-bership information

David Bingaman, PASA board mem-ber and membership committee chairsays One of the things that makesPASAs membership unique is its diversi-tyNot only the paths that our mem-bers choose to walk but the concepts andideals we choose and share. If you feel

your organization has failed you as amember you need to share this with us.The board is open to all types of feedback since the thoughts and problems of ourmembers along with solutions are key tothe health of our organization.

Remember the PASA membershipdepartment will send you materials youmay need to host an informational tableor distribute to venues in your communi-ty, such as membership brochures,newsletters, fact sheets, etc. Just let usknow what and how many you might

need. We also may be able to loan youour PASA display for use at your event as well just give Michele Gauger a call atPASA headquarters or [email protected].

There has never been a better time tohelp nd new members to add to thegrowing membership roster at PASA.I

M e m b e r s h i p N e w s

Never A Better Time

A Great Job for the Right Person:

General Manager, Tuscarora Organic Growers Co-op Are you a self-motivated, entrepre-neurial type with a high energy level and great attention to detail?

Are you a good communicator, whocan multi-task and act decisively in adeadline-driven work environment?

Can you delegate, manage, negotiate AND be a good team player? Are you apeople person?

Are you committed to the goals and vision of sustainable agriculture,organic food production,and coopera-tive business management?

Do you want a career that has a real impact on the economic lives of family farmers?

If you answered yes to these ques-tions, we want to talk to you! Wereparticularly interested in individualswith experience in business and per-sonnel management, sales and mar-keting, bookkeeping and accounting,

cooperative management, food dis-tribution, food safety systems, freshproduce management or procure-ment, and/or organic food marketing.Strong computer skills are a must.

Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) isowned by 22 family farmers, andserves them and other growers in theMid-Atlantic though marketing, dis-tribution, coordinated season plan-ning and group purchasing. Wedeliver to over 100 wholesale buyers

for whom freshness, quality and sea-sonal eating is a priority. And were agrowing business!

For more info, contact Jim Crawford,Co-op President, at 814.448.3904 or [email protected]; or ChrisFullerton, Manager, at 814.448.2173or [email protected].

We hope to ll this position by earlyJanuary 2007.

ADVERTISEMENT


18/28

P A S A N e w s

18

By Heather House In 1986, Terry and Patricia Brett were

hired by the nonprot Kimberton Farms

School. Kimberton Farms School(presently Kimberton Waldorf School) was entrusted with the operation of a400-acre biodynamic dairy farm, whichsurrounded the school grounds. Ongoingoperational decits incurred in managingthe farm led the school to seek a grant forthe purpose of building a small dairy pro-cessing plant with an adjacent retail sell-ing space. The goals were to add value tothe biodynamic milk through bottlingand the creation of a yogurt product. Thestore would also serve as an outlet for thefarms meats and eggs.

Patricia and Terry Brett were hired by the school to begin the store (Patricia)and to assist in the creation of a yogurtprocessing and marketing program andthe bottling of uid milk (Terry).

In January of 1988, Kimberton Wal-dorf School granted biodynamic farmers,David and Edie Grifths, a long-termlease for the farm, store, and processingoperations. David and Edie renamed the

farm Seven Stars Farm and in the springof that year founded a co-workers coop-erative in which Terry and Patricia were

members.The Grifths experience, energy, andfinancial investment gave the criticalboost to Seven Stars Yogurts develop-ment and to the rebuilding of the farm-ing operation. The farm store grewrapidly into a diversied natural foodsstore selling a full range of organic staplesand produce in addition to the farmsown products. The nancial success of the store contributed signicantly to thecash ow necessary for upgrading farmand dairy processing equipment.

Terry attributes much of the success of the store and yogurt to strategic pricing.There was just one other organic yogurtthat we would have considered our com-petitor on the market at the time SevenStars Yogurt was ready for broader distri-bution, says Terry.

We didnt set a price for our yogurtbased on what it should cost. We priced itaccording to what it did cost. Terry took a detailed look at what it cost to put the

yogurt on the dock ready for shipping(FOB pricing) and then priced the yogurtaccordingly. The yogurt, which is known

for its layer of creamy Jersey butterfat ontop, cost less than the competition. With what many agreed was a better-

tasting product at a lower price, SevenStars Yogurt experienced explosivegrowth. Filling yogurt cups and cappingthem by hand was no longer an option.New equipment was purchased, help washired and, fortunately, the cooperativesmilk inspector was there to help SevenStars along the way. Roy Malik, then justan inspector-in-training and now theMilk Sanitarian Supervisor for the Penn-

sylvania Department of Agriculture, worked with the cooperative to positionSeven Stars for legal interstate sales anddistribution. Another major advantagefor expanding distribution came from thefarm stores relationships with naturalfoods distributors and from being on theretail side of the grocery business.

But thats when Terry and David expe-rienced their biggest challenge: demand was outpacing supply. While David andEdie were faced with increasing milk pro-duction, Terry was trying to avoid disap-pointing distributors by pacingproduction to match sales growth. Addi-tional milk was rst purchased fromKimberton Hills, a neighboring biody-namic farm. Today milk is also purchasedfrom a Lancaster County-based organicmilk cooperative when needed.

For Terry, growing the business was anumbers game, and hes good with num-bers. But his commitment to organicfood and local farms tempers all of hisbusiness decision-making.

All the while, the natural food store was also expanding and it soon becameclear that the two entities would have tosplit. Terry said, You have more of achance of surviving in the market the big-ger you are, but the challenge is not tobite off more than you can chew. Reluc-tantly, Terry gave up his life on the farmto be the glue for what is now Kimber-ton Whole Foods Store.

Todays Kimberton Whole Foods is aquiet bustle of employees restocking

Evolution of Kimberton Whole Foods

The staff at Kimberton Whole Foods strives to ensure 95% of the bulk food and 95% of the produce offered is organic.


19/2819

P A S A N e w s

shelves, customers perusing the terra cotta aisles, and ametro-earthy caf serving up organic fare. Again, Terry attributes much of the success of Kimberton Whole Foodsto pricing. With competition from the likes of WholeFoods and Trader Joes, Terry has made a practice of stock-ing up on items when he can get them at a particularly good price, then passing along the savings to the cus-tomer. On the farm, Terry used to store his stock in shedsand upper barn storage areas. We were running all overthe place to keep the shelves in our 1,000 square-footstore stocked. Even though the modern Kimberton Whole Foods boasts more storage space, its 50+ employ-ees still work hard and fast to keep costs reasonable forour customers.

Kimberton Whole Foods also has a sort of silent con-tract with their customers. People are tired of the imper-sonality of the marketplace. Community and food offerthem something to gather around. Terry and his crewstrive to ensure that 95% of the bulk food and 95% of theproduce offered is organic. At Kimberton, customersknow they are shopping in a store committed to organicfarming.

Terry didnt start this business twenty years ago with avision for either the store or the natural food industry. I wanted to be a farmer! Now, as Kimberton Whole Foodsis poised to open its third location in January 2007, Terry asks himself What is the vision?

Terry is aware that the positive relationship he has withcurrent distributors is something he cant take for granted,especially as they continue to be consolidated by national

distribution chains. He has long patronized local farms,like Maysies Farm Conservation Center, Paradise Organ-ics and Wills-Daal Farm to feature local produce andvalue-added products on the Kimberton Whole Foodshelves. Now the store is moving towards creating its ownvalue-added line of products featuring local ingredients toreplace national brands.

If we dont, as independent business owners and nat-ural food suppliers, represent something deeper than lowprices, then access to a wider market for small farmers willdisappear. And why is this so important to Terry?Because I still want to be a farmer.I

highly achievable proposition. Nothing could do more to assurethe long term success of the commonwealths number one industry, or for that matter the number two industry (tourism), as thisone specic achievement.

To put it succinctly, what we need is to move beyond the well-intended Pennsylvania Preferred campaign, and get on to talking about what it would mean to promote, with integrity, thenotion that Pennsylvania Premium products are the best in the world.

So I will be listening to the candidates speeches and politicaads for the rest of this campaign season to determine if anyone hasthe guts to say what needs to be said that we can be the bestand should direct precious resources toward something other thanbuilding on the status quo in Pennsylvania agriculture.

You would think this a compelling argument for any politi-cian, particularly since farmers only make up about 2% of the voting population, while the good food movement has thepotential to bring the other 98% into the equation.

Lets just say, Im not holding my breath.I

Editors Note: A similar version of this article rst appeared inLancaster Farming

The Good Food Votecontinued from page 6

People are tired of the impersonality of the market-

place. Community and food offer them something to gather around.

Terry Brett

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20/2820

C o n s u m e r N e w s

When their children started school afew years ago, Amy Hemmert and

Tammy Pelstring, two moms from SantaCruz, California, discovered that schoollunches had changed since they werekids. Wholesome, home-made lunchesare no longer the norm. Instead, parentsnow pack single-use, prepackaged,processed foods high in fat, sodium, andsugar. These lunches are not only nutri-ent-poor, but when lunch is over, thetrash cans sit overowing with packagingand food waste. With childhood obesity at an all-time high and landll space at apremium, Hemmert and Pelstring real-

ized that something had to change. Thetwo friends started by talking with otherparents and searching the Internet tolearn what schools and environmentalgroups were doing. They made twoimportant discoveries: 1) many parentsshared their views and 2) some schoolsand environmental groups were promot-ing waste-free lunch programs. Someschool web sites offered tips for making it work. Some provided downloadable y-ers or posters. Several described how toconduct a trash audit, and a few featuredclassroom materials. However, Hemmertand Pelstring could not nd a single sitedevoted to the issue of lunch waste. Andthats when they decided to create waste-freelunches.org.

They started collecting all the infor-mation they could, took a crash course inHTML, designed their site, anduploaded the information as fast as they could. Believing visitors could learn fromothers successes, they solicited successstories from the eld and posted them on

the site. They added a how to section, waste-free lunch statistics, trash auditbasics, sample letters to families, andlinks to waste-free lunch resources. Laterthey added a free monthly e-newsletterand downloadable waste-free lunch pam-phlet. While conducting their researchand building wastefreelunches.org, they started a waste-free lunch program attheir childrens school. They met withfaculty and staff, sent letters home tofamilies, conducted trash audits, puttogether a waste-free lunch display, and

arranged for various lunchtime activities.It was a huge success!

But the two moms realized that pro-gram success depended on families hav-ing the right tools. Thats when they came up with the idea of putting togeth-er a waste-free lunch kit a set of brightly colored reusable containers, afork and spoon, a rellable drink bottle,an insulated carrying case, and a book of wholesome, earth-friendly lunch ideas.The kit, called the Laptop Lunch System, works because its convenient, economi-cal, and has kid-appeal. Reusable con-tainers are great not only for waste-free

lunches, but for improving nutrition as well, says Pelstring. Once familiesswitch to reusable containers, they oftenstart packing more fresh fruits and veg-etables, and their children eat thembecause its fun. Now the moms spend

Wastefreelunches.org:Reducing School Lunch Waste, Improving Nutrition?

most of their time educating familiesabout the importance of packing nutri-tious, waste-free lunches. They speak atschool events, conduct family workshops,participate in school fundraisers, and write their monthly newsletter. Ournewsletter features nutritious recipes,

everyday environmental tips, and practi-cal resources for eco-conscious families,says Hemmert. It helps families stay ontrack and reminds them that theyre notalone. Our readers tell us they look forward to the infusion of new ideas.Hemmert and Pelstring continue to pro-mote nutritious waste-free lunches bothlocally and nationally, hoping to changethe way Americans pack lunch onemeal at a time.

For more information visit, waste-freelunches.org, write 849 Almar Ave,Suite C-323 Santa Cruz, CA 95060, call831-457-0301or email [email protected]

Reprinted with permission from the OrionGrassroots Network.

Beanslima ............................... July to Oct.

Beanssnap .............................. July to Oct.

Beets ......................................... July to Dec.

Broccoli ..................................... July to Oct.

Cabbagegreen ...................... July to Oct.

Cabbagered ........................... July to Oct.

CabbageChinese ................. June to Oct.

Cantaloupe/Musk Melon .....July to Sept.

Carrots ...................................... July to Dec.

Cauliower ....... June to July/Sept. to Nov.

Celery ....................................... June to Feb.

Corn-pop ................................Sept.to Dec.

Corn-sweet ............................... July to Oct.

Cucumbers ............................. July to Sept.

Eggplant ................................... July to Oct.

Gourds ....................................Sept.to Nov.

GreensKollards, Kale,Mustard .......... June to Oct.

Indian Corn ............................Sept.to Nov.

Lettuce .....................................May to Oct.

Parsnips ..................................Sept.to Dec.

Peas .........................................May to JunePeppers-sweet ........................ July to Dec.

Peppers-hot ............................. July to Oct.

Pumpkins ................................Sept.to Oct.

Pumpkinspie, sugar ................Sept,.Nov.

Rhubarb ...............................May and June

Spinach ..............May & June,Aug. to Nov.

Squashsummer .................... June to Oct.

Squashwinter .......................Sept to Dec.

Sweet Potatoes .......................Sept to Oct.

Tomatoes ................................ June to Oct.

Tomatoescherry ................... June to Oct.

Tomatoesgreenhouses ........................... April to July, Oct.to Dec.

Turnips ....................................Sept.to Jan.

source Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing

and Research Program,2001

Vegetables and Availability


21/28

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Joel Salatin


22/28

P A S A N e w s

By Brian Snyder, Executive Director Many readers may recall that PASA

has been working for over a year toanswer the call that has come from mem-bers to provide more sustainable-friend-ly insurance options. PASA is proud toannounce that at least one new option isnow available that should be helpful.

Working in conjunction with theMarkel Insurance Company of Virginiaand Midlands Management Corporationof Oklahoma, PASA has been instrumen-tal in creating a new property and liabil-ity program for sustainable farms. Thisexciting program is being launched con-

currently in a dozen states (listed on the website below) and is fairly unique in atleast two major respects:

1) In response to your willingness tosign a pledge of sustainability, Markel haspledged to provide a discounted premi-um.

2) Unlike most farm-owner policies of the sort you generally nd, this one isdesigned to cover product liability fordirect sales to the public as well.

Visit the website www.sustainable-farminsurance.com, or call Roger Park atMidlands (1-800-800-4007) to obtainmore information necessary to work withthe agent of your choice, and to proceed with your own application for sustainablefarm insurance. It would be good to dothis well in advance of the expiration dateon your current coverage.

You should be aware that this is abrand new program, and our friends inthe insurance industry are possibly evenmore risk-averse than a typical sustain-able farmer!

There will be issues involved withyour applications, and we need to work things through as the good folks atMarkel get to know more about our com-munity. For instance, given some of thenegative publicity about Avian Inuenza,raw milk, and possibly even fresh spinachby now, there may be a hesitancy to pro-vide coverage in these areas.

I have been assured, however, thatthose who write the policies will maintain

an open mind, listen to their potentialcustomers and consult with us as neces-

sary, to arrive at the best decisions possi-ble. We are also counting on all of you tobe ready to explain why your particularsustainable systems are designed to mini-mize the risk of any problems developing.

Still, it needs to be acknowledged thatsome of you who apply might get turneddown the first time, or have someuncomfortable restrictions applied toyour coverage. Whatever the outcome, I would be glad to hear from you directly how it goes.

I also want you to know that our

agreement with Midlands includes thatPASA will receive a small percentage of the premium on every policy that is writ-ten. This will have NO NET EFFECTon the cost of your coverage, so should beconsidered as one way in which your pre-mium dollars will accomplish more thanthey would with another company. When you apply for coverage, pleasemake sure to check the box to indicatethat you are indeed a PASA member!

Workers Compensation CoverageThis is also an opportunity to remind

you Eastern Alliance Insurance Group(EAIG) located in Lancaster, PA, has

Workers Compensation coverage avail-able for those of you with farms andother businesses. Due to state regulationof Workers Comp, no discount is avail-able, but the folks at EAIG have prom-ised to provide our members with betterservice than you may currently take for

grantedand yes, a small portion of yourpremium would come to PASA. So, if you have employees, you can inquire fur-ther about this special opportunity by calling Bill Krug at Eastern Alliance (1-888-654-7100 ext. 1665). Coverage isavailable in Pennsylvania, Maryland andDelaware.

A similar getting to know youprocess has occurred with Eastern Alliance. I recently met with Bill Krugand he told me, now that they know ourcommunity a little better, they wouldprovide coverage for some of those early applicants who were unfortunately turned down.

So whether youve applied before ornot, take this as encouragement to give ita try. And by the way, EAIG specializesin the restaurant industry, in addition toother types of employers. For coveringfarms, they are focused on the sustainabletype operations that our membershiprepresentsso make sure to mentionPASA on that application as well. Andfeel free to forward a copy of this articleto anyone who you think SHOULD be aPASA member!I

Sustainable Insurancefor Farms and Other Businesses

22

Regional Food Infra- structure Network Study continued from page 8

regional facilities and food businesses.These farms and businesses can then col-laborate to add value to local farm prod-ucts and market them to WesternPennsylvania consumers. It is thisstrengthened food network that will helpto keep more of those 7.9 billion fooddollars in our region, and will help West-ern Pennsylvania farms be more prof-itable.

For more information on this project,contact David Eson, Director of WesternPrograms, at 412-697-0411 [email protected]

Footnotes1 Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic

Accounts,Calculated from personal income data from 2004

available for each county.

2 This number is calculated using the Average Annual Food

Expenditures per Consumer Unit from the Bureau of Labor

Statistics,19992000 Northeast Region Consumer Expendi-

ture Survey and the number of households in Western PA

from the US Census 20003 There is no existing data regarding where food purchases

come from. Hence, this number is a rough estimate based

on the assumption that about 25% of food purchases are

produced in the region. See Swenson, D. (2006).The Eco-

nomic Impacts of Increased Fruit and Vegetable Production

and Consumption in Iowa: Phase II. Iowa State University.

See also Meter, K. and Rosales, J. (2001). Finding Food in

Farm Country: The Economics of Food and Farming in

Southeast Minnesota. University of Minnesota.

4 Hoppe,Robert A. and Korb,Penni (2006). Understanding

US Farm Exits. USDA, Economic Research Service. Available

online at www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ ERR21/


23/28

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24/2824

The Grapevineby Michele Gauger

E d i t o r s C o r n e r

SARE Farmer/Producer Grants Available The goal of the Farmer grant program is todevelop, rene, and demonstrate new sustain-able techniques and to explore innovative ideasdeveloped by farmers across the region. Infor-mation gained from these farm-based projectsmay be used to redirect research priorities.

To apply, you must be a farmer in the North-east SARE region. You need not be farming full

time, but your operation should have an estab-lished crop or animal product that you sell on aregular basis.Nonprot farms may apply,but theprimary activity of the farm must be to produceand sell food under the kinds of economic con-straints that affect commercial growers. Manycommunity-supported farms qualify, but farmswhere the primary mission is educational nor-mally do not.

The Northeast SARE region is made up of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Mary-land, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, NewYork,Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,Vermont, WestVirginia, and Washington, D.C.

To learn more visit www.sare.org or toobtain additional copies of the application, anda list of previously funded projects, call 802-656-0471 or email [email protected]. Grant applica-tions are due December 22, 2006.

SARE Program Highlights AvailableFarmers and ranchers seeking to learn moreabout protable and practical agricultural sys-tems will nd a wealth of ideas from the 2006/07 SARE Highlights, a free publication now available

from the Sustainable Agriculture Research andEducation (SARE) program.

The publication features the most innova-tive research projects funded by SARE, whichawards grants to promote farming and ranchingsystems that are profitable, environmentallysound,and good for people and communities.

In New York, a mentoring program pairedexperienced graziers with farmers in the Finger

Lakes region to improve pastured livestock sys-tems.The program helped 100 farmers achievesuch goals as improving fencing or convertingcrop elds to productive pasture on 5,500 acresin the environmentally sensitive area.

2006/07 SARE Highlights is the latest of aseries of publications that feature the most cre-ative research funded by SARE. Download theentire publication at www.sare.org/publica-tions/highlights.htm. To order free print copies,visit www.sare.org/Webstore, call 301-504-5411or email [email protected]. Agricultural edu-cators may place orders for print copies in quan-tity at no cost.

Student Sustainability Grants AvailableEveryone has a role in protecting our environ-ment, including members of Generation Y. TheEPA is tapping into their creativity in ndingsolutions to environmental challenges throughthe agencys People, Prosperity and the Planet(P3) competition.The agency plans to award upto $1.25 million in grants that enable teams of college students to develop and design scientif-ic and technical solutions to sustainability chal-

lenges that protect the environment whileachieving continued economic prosperity.

EPA will award as many as 50 grants up to$10,000 each to student teams. The money willbe used to research and develop sustainablesolutions during the 2007-08 academic year. Inspring 2008, the teams will be invited to bringtheir designs to Washington,D.C.to compete forEPAs P3 Award, which includes an additionalaward worth up to $75,000 to further developand implement the project in the eld.The com-petition will be judged by the National Acade-my of Engineering for design innovation andtechnical merit along with relevant social, eco-nomic and environmental considerations thatare the keys to sustainable designs.

The grants will be awarded for researchrelated to the P3 (People, Prosperity, and thePlanet) sustainability competition, a nationalstudent design competition launched in 2004.

Proposals must reach EPA by December 21,2006. Application procedures and materials forthis years grants: http://es.epa.gov/nc

sept-oct 2006 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

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