Letter to Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, AMS National Organic Program

John Bobbe, executive director
E149 Cty. Rd. B
Scandinavia, WI  54977
E-mail:  johnbobbe@gmail.com
Tel.  715.467.0031  Cell:  920.493.3339

June 12, 2017

To:  Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, AMS National Organic Program
From:  John Bobbe, OFARM Executive Director

Dear Miles,

This letter is our follow-up to your recent reply letter regarding the continuing harm to US organic grain farmers due to continuing threats from dubious grain imports into US.

For nearly two years now Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) has been investigating issues surrounding the significantly increasing amounts of imported organic grain into the United States.  Our findings show that the source for much of this grain appears to be centered in Eastern European countries, specifically Ukraine, Romania and Turkey.  OFARM’s concerns center around the lack of organic audit trail integrity given the current political unrest in these countries. 

The recent Washington Post investigation and results with actual altered documents, not only confirms what we in OFARM have been saying for almost two years, but should throw up flags about the holes and deficiencies in the current NOP protocols.

Over this same two year period OFARM has received direct testimony from numerous sources corroborating OFARM’s concerns about audit trail integrity.

# An organic trader recently lost a 1200 metric tonne consignment of sunflower seed which had a dodgy residue test in Europe.  This consignment was diverted to the United States.

# A presenter at Expo West stated that the U.S. is a dumping ground for organic imports due to the lax paper work.

# OFARM keeps getting information and offers to provide information on organic fraud.

#OFARM representatives have had extensive conversations with people who have travelled to countries that export to the U.S. and they have reported highly questionable practices including, such things as wild birds flying around in processing facilities and questionable protocols regarding sanitation.

We feel your recent letter offered no assurances that the audit trail integrity of imported products is in fact uncontestable.   In conversations in LaCrosse, you indicated that while investigations such as those that may be needed in countries like Turkey are on hold due to civil unrest and uncertainty United States imports from these countries continue.

 “ (AMS)…working with APHIS PPQ Program to identify better ways to oversee organic products at Ports of Entry into the United States.”

“AMS does not have the resources or specific authority to inspect products at Ports of Entry into the United States.”

Currently the NOP system relies on entities in the supply chain (certifiers) to do the verification because NOP either does not have the authority, resources or personnel to conduct intense oversight as practiced in other major organic market countries in the world.

OFARM is concerned about the fact that NOP’s steps in dealing with the massive amounts of organic imports, especially grains, appears to be on a cosmetic level and wholly inadequate to stem this rising tide of questionable imports. The consequences of protocol violation seem miniscule in comparison to the overall value of the imported product potential.  

Below is the pricing history of organic corn and soybeans in the Midwest, two years prior (2013 and 2014) average prices to compare with the years 2015 and 2016 when massive amounts of imports started to impact the markets. The damages to U.S. organic producers in the 12-Midwestern states that produce 77 percent of the organic corn for grain and almost 50 percent of the soybeans is staggering.

Actual prices received by OFARM member cooperative organic grain producers are as follows:

Year               Corn (bu)                  Soybeans (bu)
2013               $14.63                      $24.46
2014               $13.25                      $23.00
2015                 $9.76                      $20.00
2016                 $8.50                      $18.00

Table 1 is the 2015 organic acreage for 12-Midwestern states as part of the SARE North Central Region. Acreages for 2016 will not be available until September 20, 2017.  For purposes of this analysis, 2015 numbers were used for 2016 although organic acreage has been increasing at about 2 percent per year.  The numbers for 2016 should be considered conservative.

Table 1-North Central Region state corn and soybean acreage-2015

State     Corn for Grain     Soybeans
IL           9244                    6682
IN          5016                    2394
IA          24553                  16255
KS         3736                    1100
MI         12077                   7085
MN        21750                  10546
MO        2755                     562
NE         8475                    4857
ND         2416                    3177
OH         8222                    5643
SD         4577                    3903
WI         26322                   7691
Total     129143                 69895
US        166841                140345
% of Total 77.4                   49.8
Source:  Table 9: Certified Organic Field Crops Harvested and Value of Sales-2015; USDA-NASS

Table 2-Estimated damage calculations to 12-Midwestern state organic corn and soybean producers for 2015 and 2016.

                              2015                 2016                 2015                 2016
                              Corn                 Corn                 Soybeans         Soybeans
Acres-12 states
(Table 1 above)     129143             129143             69895               69895

Yield (1) bu/acre    125                   125                   35                     35

Total bushels-
12 states                16,142,875       16,142,875      2,446,625          2,446,625

Price per bu.
Losses with
2014 as the
base price (2)         $3.49                $4.75               $3.00                 $5.00

Total estimated
losses                     $56,338,633     $76,678,656    $7,339,875        $12,233,125

Estimated
12-state two-year
losses (3)                Corn                 $133,017,280  Soybeans           $19,573,000

1.  Yield estimates by a former University of Minnesota Organic Outreach Coordinator and organic farmer.
2. Prices are used from above with 2014 used as the base year to calculate price declines.
3. Total losses are rounded for discussion purposes that follow.

Total losses to these 12-state organic producers conservatively estimated is about $ 152.6 million for 2015 and 2016.  This is for only 12 states.  If all the states with their acreages were included for organic corn and soybeans, the losses would be close to $250 million.

When compared to other major importers of organic products, it is OFARM’s conclusion that NOP may be severely lacking when it comes to protecting and upholding the integrity of imported certified organic products.  Based on the accumulation of conversations, documents, data and political climates of several countries engaged in high volumes of organic product exports over these past two years, OFARM questions the veracity of assurances from Washington DC that “everything is just fine,” or up until the Washington Post article denying that a problem may even exist because the system is in place.

We would offer the following points based on our continuing discussions with knowledgeable individuals in Europe and within the U.S. organic industry:

NOP should increase communication; listen to what the EU Commission has to say. It is our understanding that Turkey has now been added to the list of “high risk countries.”  NOP should take heed that when a certification body is delisted for the EU, there might be something wrong with it.

1. Does the NOP currently have an implemented “high risk country protocol” that mandates further actions and investigations based   EU, Canada or other equivalency partners assessments?
There appear to be a very small number of certification bodies that are involved in certifying these grain farms at their origin, and the traders and supply chain steps, especially from the Black Sea region.

2. Is the NOP aware of this and are you tracking them sufficient to ensure that they are indeed in full compliance?
NOP should inform U.S. certifiers that there should be an extra level of scrutiny to anything coming from Hakan Organics, which is based in Dubai but with offices in Turkey, or Tiryaki, the largest Turkish grain exporter, or any of the many companies associated with them.

3. Has NOP/USDA issued any additional guidance or instructions to certifiers that would require greater scrutiny of actors with history of non-compliance?
NOP should enforce rigorous and more complete audit trails including - Certificate of Inspection, Certificate of Origin, (there is way that so much grain is be originating from Turkey), as well as Certificate of Conformity, (which we understand should include a seal of the UA Ministry of Agriculture).

4.  What are the NOP’s plans for insuring organic integrity for commodities in addition to corn and soybeans that don’t currently meet the threshold for being assigned a specific ITC code?
An example is dry edible beans.  It is our understanding that ITC does not assign a specific separate code for a commodity to be organic unless it meets a specific dollar threshold.  One of the farmers at our annual meeting in LaCrosse supplies a good share of dry edible organic beans to a major restaurant chain.  Large amounts of imported beans are putting immense downward pressure on the markets.  At the same time other than industry reports and rumors, there is no specific data on amounts, country of origin or being able to verify the organic documentation that is supposed to accompany the shipments.

5. Does the NOP/USDA have current authority to require such full chain audits trails now for “high-risk” countries, and if so has this been implemented and if no – what is necessary for this to be established?
NOP should implement residue testing on the pesticides that are regularly found in these shipments, share these results with the EU (and demand it the other way around). NOP should put goods under embargo until questions are answered and dare to reject goods when dubious in nature.

6. Has NOP/USDA implemented any such additional testing requirements and can USDA embargo and/or reject such shipments under your current powers?
NOP should not be accepting Ukraine, Russian, or Kazakhstan product to become Turkish when they are moved through Turkey – this one is also a problem for the EU Commission that is not, resolved, SEE NEW EU-GUIDELINES http://www.gfrs.de/fileadmin/files/eu/Guidelines-on-additional-official-controls_UA_KZ_RU.pdf

7.  Does the NOP/USDA plan to take actions regarding this specific critical control point, where it seems that aggregated grain being shipped from Turkey is failing to meet organic standards?
We understand that Turkey has not yet changed the origin of their certificates that has been addressed in that new EU guideline. Ukrainian and Russian product still becomes stated as Turkish origin. As we have long suspected Turkey is producing more organic corn and sunflowers than it possibly can. USDA’s FAS should be able to further verify this.  Authorities should insist on a proper Certificate of Origin. The Turkish certificates are provided by the Turkish Ministry of Ag – as it seems that Tiryaki has good relations with minister.  As the January 2016 USDA FAS report notes, fraud is rampant in Turkey.

 8. What actions is NOP/USDA taking to address this address this problem?
Accreditation bodies such as EA, UA and in particular Turkish) and competent authorities (Ukrainian, Turkish) should provide proof of participation in the Anti- organic Fraud Initiative and then provide proof of implementation of protocols to prevent fraud. Russians probably will not come to AFI workshop scheduled for Odessa, Ukraine in September. However, it is hoped that when they hear of AFI initiatives and that this will also bring them additional scrutiny, then they will hopefully change their behavior. NOP should participate in AFI meetings where inside or outside the meeting these kinds of developments are shared.

9.  Will NOP/USDA now engage with AFI in such meetings to become more informed?
Patty Lovera, Michael Sligh and I look forward to meeting with you on July 6, 2017 in your office.

Sincerely,

John Bobbe, OFARM Executive Director

Press Release: OFARM and Food & Water Watch Request Audit of Imported Organic Grain

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

OFARM and Food & Water Watch Request Audit of Imported Organic Grain

An organic grain producers group and a citizens’ advocacy organization are urging the USDA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the integrity of imported organic grains.

OFARM and Food & Water Watch wrote to USDA Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong about the potential for fraudulent organic imports to undermine consumer expectations and the market for domestic organic producers. The Office of Inspector General is currently auditing the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) oversight of an organic equivalency agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU). 

As part of their letter, OFARM and Food & Water Watch requested that OIG “…examine the dramatic increase in the import of organic commodities, especially grains. A key area of concern for U.S. organic gain growers, and increasingly for consumers, is whether these in creased imports present an opportunity for fraudulently labeled organic products to enter the United states, undermining the opportunity for U.S. producers to get affair price in the market.”

The letter noted particular concern about dramatic increases in the import of organic grains from a few countries. During the first six months of 2016, there was a dramatic increase in the dollar value of organic soybean imports from Turkey, with more than thirty-six times the value of imports from Turkey in the first six months of 2016 than the same time period in 2015. During the first six months of 2016, there was a dramatic increase in the dollar value of imported organic yellow dent corn from Turkey, with more than five times the value of imports from Turkey in 2016 than the same time period in 2015.

The groups’ letter to USDA’s OIG further noted “As the organic market grows rapidly around the world, resulting shortages in the supply of various commodities can create a tempting satiation for those who do not value the integrity of the organic standards and see a potential to ship products fraudulently labeled as organic.”

“These long international supply chains increase the opportunities for breaks in the chain of recordkeeping, organic certification and verification that the USDA organic seal is built upon,” said John Bobbe, executive director of OFARM. “We need the USDA to make sure that organic imports are meeting the same organic standards that U.S. producers do.”

The OFARM/Food & Water Watch letter concludes with a request for the OIG to examine whether:

- NOP’s procedures to assess whether the EU’s processes for accreditation and certification are adequate to ensure the integrity of bulk shipments of commodities that are pooled from many farms;

- NOP has an adequate system to track bulk commodity shipments produced in other countries outside the EU that are certified by EU-based certifiers, or shipped through EU countries;

- NOP should collect other data to gain a better understanding of source of imports, back to the certifier and farm level.

To read the full letter, go to previous post.

###

The Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) has six member organic grain and livestock marketing cooperatives with organic producers in 19 states from Montana to Texas and Louisiana to Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio and all states in between.

Food & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that put profits before people, and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment.

CONTACT: John Bobbe Executive Director, OFARM 715.467.0031 johnbobbe@gmail.com www.OFARM.coop 

Letter to USDA's Office of Inspector General

September 1, 2016

Inspector General Phyllis K. Fong
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 117-W Jamie Whitten Building
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20250

Dear Inspector General Fong,

We are writing to draw your attention to an emerging trend that is dramatically impacting organic markets in the United States. The Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) is a cooperative incorporated in the State of Minnesota as a marketing-agency-in-common and operates under the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922. OFARM has six member organic grain and livestock marketing cooperatives with organic producers in 19 states from Montana to Texas and Louisiana to Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio and all states in between. USDA has cited OFARM as the largest organized block of farmer controlled organic grain in the United States.[1] Food & Water Watch is an advocacy organization that works to ensure that our food is produced sustainably, which includes advocating for strong organic standards and healthy markets for organic producers.

We are aware that the Office of Inspector General is conducting an audit into the USDA National Organic Program (NOP)’s oversight of an organic equivalency agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU). The audit was described in your annual plan as an effort “to ensure that European Union products marketed as organic in the United States meet the standards established in the arrangement.” In the annual plan, the review of the equivalency arrangement is listed as a step to “reduce program vulnerabilities and strengthen program integrity in the delivery of program assistance.” [2]

As part of this audit, we urge you to examine the dramatic increase in the import of organic commodities, especially grains. A key area of concern for U.S. organic grain growers, and increasingly for consumers, is whether these increased imports present an opportunity for fraudulently labeled organic products to enter the United States, undermining the opportunity for U.S. producers to get a fair price in the market.

The trend of increasing imports of organic soybeans and corn is dramatic:

• From 2013 to 2015, the dollar value of imported organic soybeans (except seed) more than doubled, from $110 million to $240 million.
• During the first six months of 2016, 12 countries exported organic soybeans (except seed) to the United States. Turkey was the leading exporter, followed by India, and Ukraine. In 2015, Turkey was the sixth largest exporter.
• During the first six months of 2016, there was a dramatic increase in the dollar value of imported organic soybean (except seed) imports from Turkey, with more than thirty-six times the value of imports from Turkey in the first six months of 2016 than the same time period in 2015.
• From 2013 to 2015, the dollar value of imported organic yellow dent corn (except seed) more than tripled, from $36 million to $112 million.
• During the first six months of 2016, 8 countries exported organic yellow dent corn (except seed) to the United States. Turkey was the leading exporter, followed by Romania and the Netherlands.
• During the first six months of 2016, the dollar value of imported organic yellow dent corn (except seed) nearly doubled from the same time period in 2015.
• During the first six months of 2016, there was a dramatic increase in the dollar value of imported organic yellow dent corn (except seed) from Turkey, with more than five times the value of imports from Turkey in 2016 than the same time period in 2015. The imports from Turkey during the first six months of this year were close to double the value from Turkey for the entire year of 2015. [3] 

As organic exports grow, so do concerns about the potential for fraudulent organic products to enter the United States, due to lack of inspections and the opportunities for fraud that occur in more complicated supply chains. These long international supply chains increase the opportunities for breaks in the chain of recordkeeping, organic certification and verification that the USDA organic seal is built upon.

We are aware that your audit focuses on the agreement between the United States and the EU. But there are connections between major exporters to the United States, such as Ukraine and Turkey, and the EU. Specifically, the rise of imports from Turkey raises concern. A 2016 report by USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service summarized the potential for fraudulent activity in the Turkish organic sector:

“According to a EUROPOL report, some Turkish companies have been involved in relabeling or repackaging products as organic and bringing the counterfeit products into the European Union, even though the products do not meet the EU’s organic standards. Reports from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in 2013, Eurofins Scientific in 2012, the Cornucopia Institute in 2013 and the French Ministry of the Economy in 2015 uncovered fraud or unapproved production methods in organic products from Turkey. There have also been instances where a few Turkish companies were found to have been using fraudulent organic certificates. Turkish news articles report that consumers may be misled by conventional products that are marketed as organic, mostly in open air bazaars or independent stores where a vendor could more easily sell a fake organic product. Although inspections and transparency in the Turkish organic food sector are improving, the integrity of organic farming, production, shipping and marketing is not always guaranteed.”[4]

One Turkish organic certifier, ETKO, has been decertified by the EU.[5] The introduction of additional testing regimes in the EU has reportedly led some traders to prefer to ship to non-EU destinations (including the United States), as there is less risk of rejection in U.S. markets.[6]

As the organic market grows rapidly around the world, resulting shortages in the supply of various commodities can create a tempting situation for those who do not value the integrity of the organic standards and see a potential to ship products fraudulently labeled as organic. The potential for fraud is being acknowledged by some participants in the organic sector, with the establishment of an Anti-Fraud Initiative to “improve cross border communication among inspection and certification bodies, trade companies, label organizations and authorities to strengthen organic integrity.”[7] The fact that fraud is a serious enough concern to trigger the creation of this network, and international workshops with titles such as “Best practice examples to guarantee integrity of organic exports from Turkey,”[8] should provide sufficient motivation to the NOP to dedicate more effort to this issue.

The dramatic increases in imported organic grains are having impacts on the potential for U.S. organic farmers to sell their products for a fair price:

• One major international grain company attempting to make inroads into the U.S. domestic organic market recently told NFOrganics and OFARM member organization marketer Tim Boortz that he needed to get the prices for organic grain he was offering for sale down to the price they could pay for imported grain.
• Merle Kramer, Midwest Organic Farmers Coop organic grain marketer notes “many larger buyers of organic corn contracting 50,000 bushels from import brokers offer local farmers 20%-25% less then what they pay for imports, often not having room in their bins to buy domestic corn putting financial pressure on those farmers not being able to sell when they need cash.”
• John Bobbe, OFARM’s executive director had discussions with a major organic grain marketer in Ontario, Canada. The firm markets grain into U.S. markets as well as Canada. The marketer confirmed that in recent months any imported shipment with the semblance of “organic” in the documentation has been sold as organic, no questions asked as to the origin.

We urge you to take a careful look at the potential for non-organic products, especially bulk commodities like grains, to enter the U.S. market and be sold as organic. Specifically, we urge you to examine:

• What procedures does NOP have to assess whether the EU’s processes for accreditation and certification are adequate to ensure the integrity of bulk shipments of commodities that are pooled from many farms?
• Does NOP have an adequate system to track bulk commodity shipments produced in other countries outside the EU that are certified by EU-based certifiers, or shipped through EU countries?
• What other data collection should NOP set up to have a better understanding of source of imports, back to the certifier and farm level?

We appreciate your attention to this critical issue for both organic consumers and farmers in the United States. Please contact John Bobbe from OFARM, (715) 467-0031 or johnbobbe@gmail.com, for more information or if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

John Bobbe
Executive Director
OFARM

Patty Lovera
Assistant Director
Food & Water Watch

[1] U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rural Cooperatives Magazine. January, 2012.

[2] U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. “Annual Plan: Fiscal Year 2016.” 2016. https://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/2016_Annual_Plan.pdf.

[3] Data compiled from USDA’s Economic Research Service.

[4] USDA Global Agriculture Information Network. “Report # TR601, Turkish Organic Market Overview.” January 26, 2016.

[5] IOAS. “IOAS withdraw ISO 65 accreditation of ETKO Turkey.” May 25, 2016.

[6] Personal communication. Email to John Bobbe, OFARM Executive Director, from a U.K. organic farmer-owned company. August 8, 2016.

[7] Anti-Fraud Initiative. http://www.organic-integrity.org/

[8] Anti-Fraud Initiative. “Meetings and Events.” http://www.organic-integrity.org/meetings/#c2716

Organic Checkoff

OFARM has consistently maintained that there are better ways to promote "organic" then a federally mandated Organic Research and Promotion Order as proposed by the Organic Trade Association (OTA).  Here is another reason why.

“For Our Common Ground” is a website and Facebook page supposedly dedicated to “helping consumers sort through the myths and misinformation” about the food they buy.  It does have a token organic farmer or two and brief discussions of organic. However, one could read the statements on the website and conclude it is simply a ruse to cover the dismal track record of conventional agriculture regarding food safety and the merits of organic food produced with no pesticides, antibiotics or genetically engineered seeds.

Here are a few examples:

“Organic or traditional, all milk contains the same valuable nutrients.”  Yes, but studies show organic milk to be better and most consumers don’t want hormones and antibiotics used in production of their milk.

“The USDA, which certifies organic production, makes no claims that organically grown food is more nutritious than conventionally grown food. Organic food proves to be only different in how it is grown, handled and processed.” True but independent research shows otherwise.

Then there is an entire article devoted to dispelling the myths of GMO foods that consumers go to the grocery store to buy.  Read that, consumers are mis-informed and need to be told.

Here is another statement:

“Do I need to buy the most expensive food to get the best for my family

• While organic food prices are often higher than conventional food, there is no difference in nutritional value, according to a review of 400 scientific papers on the health impacts of organic foods, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.”

The bottom line is that some of the people on this website will viciously attack anyone who challenges the status quo of conventional agriculture and readily op disparage organic.  And there is always a strong defense of GMO’s and Monsanto.

The best part is their by-line:  “Brought to you by America's soybean and corn farmers and their checkoffs.”

Organic checkoff funds could not be used to rebut the false and misleading statements made on this website or any other. The idea of a conversation about food is always welcome.  Using farmer checkoff funds under the guise of a conversation about food to disparage “organic” is very questionable to say the least. For example, there is no discussion of alterative research about the food safety issues surrounding GMO’s and glycophosphates.  The attitude is just “trust us.”  Never mind that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared glycophosphates as a probable carcinogen.  

This is just another reason why the OTA proposed checkoff is a very bad idea and a waste of organic farmer’s money. 

Organic Checkoff Position

A proposal has been submitted to the USDA by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) for USDA to conduct a referendum for an organic research and promotion order checkoff.  OFARM along with a number of other organizations are not opposed to funds for research and promotion, but are opposed to the OTA proposal as presented for a number of reasons.

First, and foremost is why farmers have spent a lot of time decrying the intrusion of government into their business through rules and regulations  Now comes along a proposal that would require organic farmers to fund more government rules and regulations for research and promotion. Ultimately, organic farmers will be footing the bill. OFARM has been working with a number of like-minded organic farmer groups as there simply has to be a better way to do this. The conventional commodity checkoff programs have been rife with misspent money and lack of accountability. In the case of the pork checkoff, farmers voted out the checkoff and the courts blocked those efforts so farmers still are paying into a checkoff program they voted to do away with.

For years, the organic community has sought to make "organic" stand out to consumers.  Now to get a checkoff, OTA (an industry trade group) had Congress classify organic as a single "commodity" just like dairy, pork or beef.

To continue to be informed of the latest developments on this issue, go to www.noorganiccheckoff.com and also like the site on Facebook.

GENERAL MANAGER POSITION GRAIN FARMERS CO-OP

Midwest Organic Farmers Cooperative is seeking a general manager for its operations, including marketing division, grain cleaning plant, feed mill, seed division, logistics operations, and administrative office.  To qualify, the applicant must have prior management experience and proven personnel supervisory skills commensurate with the duties of this position.  Knowledge of grain farming and organic practices is a plus.

MOFC is a fast growing cooperative that markets organic grain for members and non-members throughout the U.S. midwest to buyers all over the country.  It has developed its own organic seed lines and markets them widely.  It cleans grain for farmers and end users, and is in the process of a large expansion of the cleaning plant to service the developing business.  Its feed mill is also expanding capacity to meet increasing business.

For a complete description of the general manager duties, salary parameters, or to submit a resume with references, contact:   johnx@midwestorganic.com

USDA seeks comments on Coexistence with GMO crops

I attended a USDA sponsored workshop at North Carolina State University on "Coexistence". Organic farmers know well the problem GMO pollen drift causes to their crops.

The workshop was a total disaster for USDA and things didn't go well. The concept appears to be that organic farmers should "go along to get along" with their neighbors.

USDA is now seeking comments on "Co-existence."  The deadline has been extended to May 11,  2015  Below is a link to the Organic Seed Alliance with how to file comments. OFARM supports the Organic Seed Alliance and its good work.

Please file your individual comments as they are important. The link also provides some easy talking points and an additional link to USDA's website to file the comments.

http://blog.seedalliance.org/2015/04/06/usda-seeks-comments-on-coexistence/

Your help is appreciated.

The DARK Act

If you don't know what the "DARK Act", you should. It is a bill proposed by Representative Pompeo (R-KS) that would pre-empt states passing laws about your right to know if the food you are buying has GMO's in it.  Several states including Vermont and Connecticut have already passed bills requiring GMO labeling. The bill is a ruse supported by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) using the ploy that it will raise the cost of food for families.  In fact it will cost only pennies if that and foods already have labels for other things.  One has to ask what the GMA and its minders such as the likes of Monsanto and Syngenta have to be afraid of if GMO's are safe.

In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) just published a report that Roundup and glycophosphates as herbicides in growing GMO crops is of concern with regard to carcinogens. Here is a link to our friends at Food and Water Watch to take action on the Pompeo bill:

https://secure3.convio.net/fww/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1937&s_src=fb&s_subsrc=032515a

USDA's organic agriculture census

USDA is conducting its Organic Ag Census.  It is critical for all certified organic producers with sales above $5000 annually to fill out the census.  Section 10 deals with an especially important question of GMO contamination costs for organic producers.  I am told that many in the biotech industry and conventional farming community such as the American Soybean Association and National Corn Growers Association and their producers are "livid" over USDA even asking this question.

Just last week an organic producer had four loads of organic food grade corn rejected in one day at a loss of $5000  due to GMO contamination.  We in the organic community and especially farmers know this is a problem.  

Below is the link to the survey.  If you haven't responded, please do so.  

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Online_Response/

More Organic Farmers, Please

Merle Kramer, Midwest Organic Farmers Coop general manager wrote the following press release which appeared on www.usagnet.com in the news for Indiana and Illinois  It sums up the current state of affairs in organic where reports are that as much as 50-60% of organic grain is imported.

In order for more acres to transition into organic production farmers need to keep in mind that
orderly group marketing and a strategic marketing plan for their farm will be key to keeping
organic grain prices profitable.  OFARM member organization marketers can help you do that.

More Organic Farmers, Please
Indiana Ag Connection - 03/06/2015

Eastern Illinois-based Midwest Organic Farmers Cooperative (MOFC) is experiencing a severe shortage of organic acres in eastern Illinois and western Indiana for the organic soybean and corn markets.

Merle Kramer, 22-year organic grain veteran and marketing director for MOFC, Sibley, Ill., says that MOFC has a good market for an extra 200,000 bushels of organic soybeans and 500,000 to 1,000,000 plus bushels of organic corn to satisfy just two customers alone. Demand for organic grain crops is growing at double digit rates nationwide.

Kramer says that since the economic downturn in 2009 and its subsequent recovery, more and more consumers are interested in knowing where their food is coming from and wanting to support farming systems that are environmentally friendly, humane to animals and fair to people.

"More people from younger generations are getting involved in organic and local agriculture, many with small scale produce and retail food businesses they can afford to buy into," he notes.

Kramer goes onto say that "the grain and meat side of organic agriculture is looking for younger farmers who have that drive and entrepreneurial spirit and are in-search of new challenges." Kramer puts it this way "Organic offers them opportunities to see how well they can do both financially and personally off fewer acres, be more in-control by having access to more options and markets that organic and sustainable agriculture provide."

The future is going to be bright for those willing to make the transition to organic agriculture, as there is a growing awareness in the value of wholesome nutritious food for long term good health. A healthy lifestyle including good food translates into less chronic illness in our society and a more prosperous America from a heathy food culture.

For more information contact Kramer at 734-429-9110 or email at merle@midwestorganic.com.

More from this state at:
Indiana Ag Connection