Y2.001K
Drat.
The whole year went by without "the system" falling apart
or computers blowing up or Britney Spears getting knocked off the
pop charts.
The
"election" fiasco was mildly interesting but now its business
as usual. And, as always, the worst part of any election is that
one of the bozos running actually wins.
Oh
well, like the Yippies used to say, "Rome wasn't destroyed
in a day." Don't give up hope yet…
I
Stand Corrected
"Oops,
I did it again." Last issue, I reported that the annual NM
Farming & Garden Expo is on February 11 but in reality, it's
Saturday the 10th at the conference center in Glorieta, N.M.
As
usual, there's a great line up of the best and brightest of NM's
organic farmers speaking on everything from soils, compost, equipment,
etc. on through stickier issues like setting up Community Supported
Agriculture ("subscription farming"), Land Trusts and
other philosophical and thought provoking ideas.
Contact
the N.M. Organic Commodity Commission at 516 Chama St. NE, Room
D, Albq., NM 87108 or call 266-9849 for info (and if your timing
is bad, I may just be the one picking up the phone. Poor you!).
Remember
that Glorieta is somewhere around 7500-8000 feet elevation up in
the pines and it's a mite chilly there until summer.
Don't
despair, however, the Center is right off of I-25 so you won't be
navigating any icy mountain pack mule trails or anything. See you
there!
Los
Federales Organicos
As
of this writing (December 12! Feliz Dia de Guadalupe!), the Federal
Organic Rule has not yet been published.
We
have been promised this continually for many years so another delay
was expected (although it was supposed to finalized by the end of
2000).
It
appears that the stuff you all objected to so strongly in the recent
past (thanks for your calls & letters!
The
USDA received more feedback on this one issue than everything else
in their entire history!) have been agreed with: no irradiation,
no biotech crops, no feeding livestock other livestock parts, no
sewage sludge, etc. in certified organic produce and products.
While
the Fed Rule may not be quite as strong as the strongest standards
in the nation (as independent agencies like Oregon Tilth or California
Certified Organic Farmers), it's actually not so bad.
One
bonus of having the NMOCC being an actual state entity (yes I'm
a state worker — shudder!) is that the Federal Rule says that
only official State Certifying Agencies can have higher standards
than the Federal standards— if we petition and defend each
inclusion on a case by case basis.
Sounds
like a hassle but we expect to do so in a few cases.
And
although we are a state agency, we are in a grey area as far as
not actually being part of the N.M. Department of Agriculture or
any other N.M. department; we're sort of independent although we
have to navigate the maze of state procedure (for instance, I was
supposed to fly to an organic conference in North Carolina earlier
in the year…
But
there were no forms that covered that expense unless (this is the
truth!) I used the one that would reimburse me for piloting my own
private aircraft. Since my Learjet's in the shop at the moment,
I chose not to go this time…)
Most
unfortunate, however, is the fact that the independent certifying
agencies (like the above-mentioned Tilth and CCOF) must abide by
the Fed regulations with no changes.
Long
story short, there's going to be a few rough spots in the road ahead
but all the certifiers are sticking together and
in constant contact so that the public is assured that when you
pony up the not-inconsiderable bucks for organic food, it will be
the real deal.
Somewhat
reassuring, the Feds will not actually do any of the certifying
of the crops but will instead accredit us certifying agencies to
operate (eek! Sounds like a nightmare!
A state
agency dealing with a fed agency/ A veritable red tape bonanza!).
Many
times I think that all these programs are a pile of bovine fertilizer;
more government controls, lots of files and papers but like it or
not, this is the reality for the word "organic."
It's
up to you to decide whether or not you want to trust wingnuts like
me to carry out this madcap program. You may want to demand a recount…
See
ya in 30.