july-aug 2009 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

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Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and BeyondNumber 79 July/August 2009

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

Moving the Garden into the Classroom:Reflections on Developing Youth Gardening Programs

By Chrissa CarlsonAt this years PASA conference, as part of the 21st Century Victory Gardens pre-

conference track, I had the opportunity to share some of my experiences in develop-ing and implementing youth gardening programs. During this highly interactiveworkshop, participants exchanged ideas and best practices they used in their programs.

However, the discussion also revealed that many of us have shared in a commondichotomy in developing youth garden programs: it can be inspiring, rewarding, andenergizing, while also being frustrating, challenging, and logistically complex.

As a community of people who are inspired by the transformative powers of gar-dening; who see its potential as a magic bullet for improving nutrition, transformingcommunity, and teaching lifes important lessons, we leave ourselves exposed to heart-break when our enthusiasm is not matched by folks with whom we try to share the les-sons of the garden. I hope that some of these thoughts may save some of us from a littlebit of the heartbreak that can result when we devote time and energy into creatingyouth gardening programs with our hearts best intentions, but without careful andstrategic forethought.

Students at an afterschool gardening program observe the different growth forms of lettuce,connecting the food they see in the grocery store with how it grows from the ground.

Top: Views from Tussock Sedge Farm in BucksCounty, PA. Tussock Sedge has 100 cow/calf pairsin the herd and 100 steers finishing. The farm has

500 acres of hay and pastures.

Special Resource SectionSee page 16

By Michelle Isham, PASA MemberFor Henry Rosenberger simplicity is the

key to successful farming. The former fooddistributor and his wife, Charlotte, bought afarm in Blooming Glen (Bucks Co.) in1991. They lived on the property but rented

the land out to another farmer. After watch-ing his land being farmed, Rosenbergerfound himself interested in agriculture. Sowhen he sold his business in 1998, instead orenting out the land he farmed it himself.

I enjoyed watching the farming so muchthat I wanted to try it, he said.

Rosenberger started out in farming withcorn and soybeans and quickly learnedabout the unique perils of agriculture. Envi-ronmental factors from wildlife to weathediminished his harvest. Additionally, Rosenberger found himself troubled by his reliance

on his seed and fertilizer suppliers.Between the ground hogs and the dee

you can pretty much loose a soybean crop,he said.

In 2005 he decided crop farming wasnworking and sold his equipment. With thencouragement of his family, he switchedfrom crops to cattle. Thats when I fell inlove with what I was doing and left the frus-

FARMER PROFILE

continued on page 4

continued on page 3

Tussock Sedge FarmHenry & Charlotte Rosenberger

Tussock Sedge FarmHenry & Charlotte Rosenberger


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1 Moving the Garden to the Classroom

Farmer Profile

5 Sues View From Over Here

6 Directors Corner

7 PASA Board Perspective

8 PASA News

9 Conference Update

10 Regional Marketing

12 Various Mulching Techniquesat Pleasant Valley Farm

16 Business Resource Listing

19 Special Paid Advertising Section

22 Fundraising Update

26 Consumer Outreach

27 Classified Ads/Employment

30 Calendar

31 Membership Form

32 Upcoming PASA Events

Passages STAFF & OFFICE

Editor: Michele Gauger

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident: Kim Seeley, Bradford County

Vice President: Brian Moyer, Berks CountySecretary: Mary Barbercheck, Centre County

Treasurer: Louise Schorn Smith, Chester CountyJerry Brunetti, Northampton County

Melanie Dietrich Cochran, Cumberland CountyJennifer Halpin, Cumberland County

John Hopkins, Columbia CountyJohn Jamison, Westmoreland County

Don Kretschmann, Beaver CountyChristopher Lent, Luzerne County

Jeff Mattocks, Dauphin CountySandra Miller, Cumberland County

Susan Miller, Chester CountyRita Resick, Somerset County

At-Large Board MembersDavid Bingaman, Dauphin County

Jamie Moore, Allegheny County

PASA STAFFPASA HeadquartersPhone: 814-349-9856

Brian SnyderExecutive Director

[email protected]

Matt SoccioDirector of [email protected]

Lauren Smith

Director of Development /Conference [email protected]

Carrie GillespieDevelopment Program Assistant

[email protected]

Kristin LeitzelBFBL Chapter Coordinator /

Conference Program [email protected]

Rachel SchaalEducational Outreach Associate

[email protected]

Michele GaugerDirector of Membership

[email protected]

Brandi MarksOffice Coordinator/Bookkeeper

[email protected] McFeelyOffice Manager

[email protected]

Lisa DiefenbachHuman Resources Coordinator

[email protected]

Susan Beal, DVMAg Science Advisor

[email protected]

Consumer OutreachPhone: 412-246-0990

Chris FullertonDirector of Consumer Outreach

[email protected]

Southeast Regional OfficePhone: 610-458-5700

Marilyn AnthonySoutheast Regional Director

[email protected]

Kendra AndersonAssistant Program [email protected]

Western Regional OfficePhone: 412-697-0411

Greg BoulosWestern Regional Director

[email protected]

Mia FarberOutreach Associate

[email protected]

Leah SmithMember Services Coordinator

[email protected]

Contributing Writers & Photographers

Marilyn Anthony, Sandy & Paul Arnold, Susan Beal,

Chrissa Carlson, Lisa Diefenbach, Mia Farber, Chris

Fullerton, Carrie Gillespie, Michelle Isham, Kristin

Leitzel, Jeff Mattocks, Caroline Owens, Rachel Schaal,

Kim Seeley, Lauren Smith, Matt Soccio, Brian Snyder.

Note to our Readers If you are moving, please

contact PASA to update your mailing address. Several

of our publications are sent via bulk mail service,

which is not forwarded via the USPS. Contact

[email protected] or call 814-349-9856 tomake an update.

Do you have a great article idea for Passages?

Want to share a farming practice with members? Wed

love to hear from you. Please contact the newsletter

staff at [email protected].

Deadline for September/October 2009 Issue:

August 31, 2009

Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,

PASA office, [email protected]

Layout: C Factor

PASAs Headquarters Office is Moving!PASA is moving our office to a new location in Millheim at 104 North Street. Our post office boxmailing address will remain the same, but if you need to ship anything to us, please use the newNorth Street address! (see note on page 15)

Pennsylvania Association

for Sustainable AgricultureP.O. Box 419

Millheim PA 16854-0419Phone: (814) 349-9856

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

PASAs Mission isPromoting profitable farms which produce

healthy food for all people while respecting the nat-

ural environment.PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania land-

scape. We are seasoned farmers who know that sustainability is

not only a concept, but a way of life. We are new farmers look-

ing for the fulfillment of land stewardship. We are students and

other consumers, anxious to understand our food systems and

the choices that must be made. We are families and children,

who hold the future of farming in our hands. This is an organi-

zation that is growing in its voice on behalf of farmers in Penn-

sylvania and beyond. Our mission is achieved, one voice, one

farm, one strengthened community at a time.

PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider and Employer.

Some grant funding comes from the USDA and complaints of

discrimination should be sent to: USDA Office of Civil Rights,

Washington, DC 20250-9410.Passages is printed on recycled paper

July/August 2009

Page 10

Page 12


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A Garden is Not a Program

It is worth distinguishing what a gar-dening program means; I do not seek togive advice on designing garden spaces,

constructing raised beds, or plantingseeds. I assume that you, or those in yourcircles, have the expertise to develop thephysical space. What I wish to address isdeveloping the program that includes thegarden itself, but also the delivery of edu-cation and experiences through youthinteractions with and in the garden.

When I began my position as the gar-dening educator for Food Stamp Nutri-tion Education in Baltimore, I sufferedfrom the Field of Dreams philosophy:If you build it, they will come. This is aflawed and dangerous assumption, onethat is founded in the belief that ourintended audience is already committedto the cause, and is simply waiting for usto provide them with the space. If it wereonly that easy!

In reality, if it is your desire to garden with youth, you will likely be accessingyour audience at a school, recreation cen-ter, church, or community garden. Thegarden will likely be one component ofmany other activities going on at the site.

Rather than focusing first on developingthe space, take time to consider how theprogram will be delivered to fit in withexisting operations at the site: when andhow often will youth be in the garden?Will the learning happen during informalexperiences planting and harvesting, or will there be formal lessons to comple-ment the gardening? What curriculumwill you use? How many students can beengaged in the garden at once? Will youneed to recruit and attract youth to theprogram or is your audience already cap-

tured as part of a broader class/program?How many staff and volunteers are com-mitted to the program and maintainingthe garden? Who will coordinate all ofthese variables?

Grow for the Goal

In order to best answer these ques-tions, you must be able to clearly articu-late the goals of the gardening program. While your gut response might be toteach kids about growing stuff (duh)! Iadvise taking the time to carefully con-

3

and how much we planted around what we would use in our cooking lessons; I

created visual harvesting guides for eachvegetable we planted to ensure the food

was harvested and used; and I worked

with a colleague to develop pre-printedpads of recipe cards that could be shoved

in bags of vegetables as they traveledhome with students.

Also take time to consider what the

goals of the program site are, and howthey overlap with yours. My program

sites include public schools as well asafterschool/summer recreational sites. In

the school setting, I recognize that, while

they may appreciate nutrition education,most partner teachers value the garden as

an opportunity for hands-on reinforce-ment of their curriculum. To that end, I

have worked to ensure that my lesson

plans document the grade-specific cur-riculum objectives they address. In con-

trast, my afterschool/summer programsites exist primarily to keep youth

involved in positive recreational activi-

ties. At these sites I aim to make my les-sons fun and informal, and to provide

quick and easy-to-facilitate follow upactivities that help keep kids engaged in

the garden throughout the season. Con-

sidering where your program can supportthe goals of your program site will help

ensure the staff embraces it and make itmore sustainable.

CoverStory

sider the specific learning outcomes youhope that youth who interact with thegarden will gain. Is your goal to teachhorticultural skills relevant to ag-relatedcareers? To provide outdoor and environ-mental education? Nutrition educationand food skills? An understanding offood systems, from seed to fork?

I came to my current position soonafter completing an internship at a small

organic vegetable farm in northeastGeorgia. The goals of a small, biointen-sive farm business are simple: to produceas high a yield as possible while main-taining healthy soils and good land stew-ardship. Extending this yield-centricphilosophy to my first season as a gar-dening and nutrition educator was asource of much angst: shameful quanti-ties of cucumbers rotted on the ground;scads of broccoli revealed its yellow-flow-ered destiny. The goal of Food StampNutrition Education is to provide experi-ences that encourage healthy dietarychoices on a limited budget. My garden-ing programs, therefore, need to be devel-oped with the exclusive focus onencouraging fruit and vegetable con-sumption by providing positive experi-ences growing, preparing, and eatinggarden produce. Once I took a step backand reminded myself that my program was not about production, but aboutnutrition and food skills education, myapproach changed. I started basing what

Container gardens are a great first step in developing a garden space. Not only is container garden a bit

more manageable than in-ground gardens, but if things dont work out, the materials can be transferredto another site.

Moving the Gardencontinued from page 1

continued on page 22


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tration behind, Rosenberger said. TodayTussock Sedge Farm has 100 cow/calfpairs in the herd and 100 steers finishing.The farm has 500 acres of hay and pas-

tures.Making 500 acres of hay and manag-

ing grass and pastures and fencing its abig job but I love it, he said.

Rosenberger said that prior to chang-ing over to cattle he felt as though he wasworking for his seed and fertilizer suppli-ers. I admire the people who can do itbut I dont think its long term sustain-able because its too heavily dependenton the seed and chemical companies.

Rosenberger said that he learned the

best way to be sustainable and makemoney in the cattle business is to have aslittle equipment as possible. He pur-chased smaller equipment and is consid-ering going to intensive grazing. TheRosenbergers also sell their beef directlyto customers through their website, www.tussocksedgefarm.com. Rosenber-ger advises other farmers to keep theiroperations as simple as possible.

I looked at hay cutters and choppersand I began to realize that all that is justmoney out of your pocket, he said.

Tussock Sedge Farm is about to sim-plify even further by changing from grainfinished beef to grass finished beef, elim-inating the need for grain from an out-side supplier. Rosenberger was verypleased with the quality of the beef theywere producing on grain, but found thatconsumer demand was trending towardgrass-finished beef. At first, Rosenbergerwas skeptical that he could get the leveltaste and marbling he wanted fromentirely grass-fed beef. After experiment-ing with a few heifers, he found he could.

I guess I was the biggest doubter interms of whether I could get the quality I want so did a test run of six heifersIhad to convince myself, he said.

Of the total acreage, about 440 acresof Tussock Sedge Farm are permanentlypreserved as open space through theBucks County Farmland Preservationprogram. Putting land in the preservationprogram means its committed to agricul-ture in perpetuity. This means it will beused in some form of agriculture from

4

wetlands on the property. They also haveplanted 450 trees and native grasses.

The birds and the tweeters and thefrogs are coming back, said Rosen-berger. Its been four years since we lastused RoundUp. The peepers are com-ing back. We heard them again for first

time last year.Rosenberger credits county and statefarming programs and organizations likePASA for helping him balance farm prof-itability with sustainability. I thinkPennsylvania, especially PASA, has beenparticularly helpful to me where youlearn from people who are doing thingsin a sustainable way, he said.

For more information contact Tus-sock Sedge Farm at 1239 Route 113 Box59, Blooming Glen, PA 18911, email:[email protected], 215-257-

4868, web: www.tussocksedgefarm.com.

Farm

erProfile

fish farms to hay for eternity.Its a bit of sacrifice because youre

not getting market value per acre butfrom the standpoint of peace of mindand beauty it gives a lot of satisfaction,said Rosenberger.

The Rosenbergers are continuing towork toward improving their land. They

have built two dams to restore 26 acres of

Tussock Sedge Farmcontinued from page 1

PASA member Henry Rosenberger feeds one ofhis grass-fed beef calves at Tussock Sedge Farmin Bucks County, PA.

I N TE RV IE W W IT H C HA RL OT T E & H EN RY R O S EN BE RG E R

What do you see as some of the critical issues facing agriculture today?The

greatest issue facing agriculture is whether it can be sustained on the base of

chemical dependency that we have placed most of the production of output today

and the cost we employ getting it to market. We have been led by cheap fuel into

chemical dependent production and specialized large scale production, requiring

1,500 miles of transport for nearly all food consumed in the U.S. Agriculture. This is

not sustainable done in this manner over time. The second issue I feel strongly

about is the challenge of individual farmers to sell their production into a marketdriven by big business and subsidized by government, which destroys opportunity

for the small farmer to grow here in the U.S. And it is a disincentive for small pro-

ducers in developing countries affected by our (U.S.) cheap, subsidized exports

entering their markets. We need to develop geographic sourced product and

regionalize our food sources and reduce transit cost and environmental impact.

What is unique about our farm? Our farm is made up of several farms scattered

around the village of Blooming Glen forming a green buffer, very European like; 73

acres are in forest and wetlands. All the rest of the farm is grassland paddock for

rotational grazing and hayfields. We have placed conservation easements upon

425 acres and doing wetland restoration on 26 acres. Our focus now is grass fed

beef with an eighty five herd cow calf operation and a transition to all grass fin-

ished beef which we direct market. We formed a partnership with two organicfarmers to rent and operate a CSA on 15 acres of our land offering 200 member-

ships to local residents and also sell produce at some markets. The entire farm is on

chemical withdrawal now using all natural manure, compost and lime. It is chal-

lenging to make a profit, which is the core of sustainablility, but we continue to

learn and grow and feel good about what we do.

How has the operation evolved? We began farming, after careers in food ware-

housing and trucking (Henry) and nursing mothering and counseling (Charlotte),

first in traditional crop farming with cow calf. After ten years and lots of losses it

was apparent change had to happen and our children helped us focus on what was

possible without hired help and reduced overhead. We sold the continued on page 8


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By Susan Beal, DVM

Sues View

From Over Here

5

time. But there is a more compellingargument to be made: the ratio of Omega6 to Omega 3 fatty acids. That ratio is thesure fired way one can differentiate realgrass beef and beef that has had somegrain in the finish.

In beef that has been raised on

mommas milk, grass and forages only,the ratio between Omega 6 fatty acidsand Omega 3 fatty acids (the 6:3 ratio)is always less than 2:1, and is, in fact,often closer to 1.2 1.5 to 1. That meansevery pile of Omega 6 there is a pile ofOmega 3 that is half that size. Nutrition-ists suggest that the optimal ratio is some-thing under 4:1.

In grain-finished beef (in feedlots andon farm), the Omega 6:3 ratio is in theneighborhood of 18:1 to 20:1. Think ofthe different size piles you would need to

illustrate thatAnd in beef that has been fed grain for

a shorter time than the typical grain fin-ished animal (say, those last two weeks offinish, just to polish em up), we findOmega 6:3 ratios between 10:1 and 12:1.This is seen with even a relatively shorttime/small amount of grain.

So what? Think about all the advicethat is being given about the need toincrease the Omega 3 fatty acids in onesdiet and/or supplement program. Con-sider the products being sold with added

Omega 3s (eggs and yoghurt are com-mon examples). That advice stems from aneed to compensate for a diet that isheavy on the Omega 6 side and thatskews the desired 1:4 or less ratio.

So, if were eating meat that has a high6:3 ratio, well need proportionatelymore Omega 3 to even out that ratioand get it in line with the desired 4:1 orless. Its not that we are Omega 3 defi-cient. Its that we are relatively Omega 6excess. Doesnt it make sense to eat foods

that do not contribute to that excess?I invite folks to call or send me a note(at [email protected] or plain oldpen and paper) and let me know whatson your mind. It may be about a wonderyou might have, about an observationthat youve made, about somethingyouve tried with your stock or your pas-tures or your plants. It may be a specificquestion or series of questions. We planto make this column a regular part of thenewsletter and it can be as interactiveas you folks want it to be. I

Over the years Ive found that theretends to be a big question in many folksminds about what constitutes science and what does that science stuff have to do with the reality of what they do day today. When we make those polarizationsand judgments, we estrange ourselves

from science, either ignoring it or puttingit on a pedestal, deeming it far out ofreach of the everyman. More signifi-cantly, we estrange ourselves from theexperience of integrating the connectionsin our world and in our experiences.

Folks may have the idea that science isonly found when we talk about geneticmodifications of food, or in calculatingfertilizer application rates orbut atleast in my reality there is as much sci-ence in the wonders that bring about peassprouting from those hard seeds placed in

the cold ground, in the manner in whichmilk morphs to cheese, in the transfor-mation of sunlight to grass, in watchinghow a cow minds her calf

The article about the Rosenbergers(see front cover) reminds me about con-versations I have with farmers and eatersconcerning grass fed/grass finished beef.

There are many parts of the story ofgrass fed/grass finished beef that are reallysignificant. The lack of exposure tobovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE) prion is one of them, as is the

paucity of E coli O157:H7, but thenutritional aspects of the meat are mostoften cited. Often talking nutrition andgrass fed meat involves a whole bunch ofnumbers and listeners eyes glaze over.Incomplete understanding of the dataprovides some fuel for the naysayer, too,like trying to sell the advantage of half thefat and twice the conjugated linoleic acid(CLA)doesnt that work out to thesame amount of CLA per unit?

Its the fat of grass fed and finished

beef thats the good stuff. It makes nosense at all to go to all the time and trou-ble to raise this special fat and then elim-inate it in the final product by trimmingclose or grinding a lean burger. The fat inthis meat is distributed differently thanthat of grain/corn finished, sitting amongthe muscle cells in small flecks verydifferent than the large marbled clumpsof grain fed fat (which also tends to sit ineaters blood vessels in large clumps).

Folks have used CLA to sell the ben-efits of grass fed/finished beef for a long

A Note to Our Readers: Theres been alot of growth over the last months at PASA,including adding Susan Beal, DVM to theteam in the part-time position of Agricul-tural Science Advisor. Susan brings withher a history of working with us in variouscapacities, as well as a solid background inholistic medicine. She is interested in whole

farm ecology, particularly pasture basedfarming.

G reetings all, when a friend of mineand I were talking about the transi-tion to working on the PASA team, Ishowed him my job description. He readthe page of material thoughtfully, lookedup and said simply, I could have said allthat in two words. Whyd they take all upthis paper? I looked at him in wonder.Simple, he said. Help Farmers.

That says it all. Depending on theday, that help farmers might be visitinga local dairy farm to discuss adding somestability to local dairy ventures, checkingreferences for the food safety bill, gather-ing information concerning greenhousegas emissions, interfacing with farmersand eaters, visiting with landownerspreparing to make the transition to farm-ers as they plan how to use their under-used land for grazingall with thebottom line goal to, as my friend so suc-cinctly put it help farmers.


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By Brian Snyder, Executive Director

UnderstandingSustainable

Agriculture

6

Regeneration An idea that hasgained traction and relevance ever sincewe began to acknowledge that the healthof our planet and its people is in jeop-ardy, we now understand sustainableagriculture to involve practices that willrestore health to the land and everything

that depends on it. In its essence, thismeans we are trying to abandon a degen-erative system in favor of one that willimprove life as we know it indefinitely.This idea and its many variants is likelyto sound disruptive, dismissive or evenarrogant by others who encounter it forthe first time, but then lately everyone isstarting to understand just how urgentthe need to change our ways in so manyareas of life has become. The twenty-firstcentury will be all about restoring healthfrom the ground upor else.

Continuous Improvement Themain point to be made here is that thepath taken by sustainable agriculture wherever it occurs is to be understooddistinctly in contrast to the idea ofprogress or mere technologicaladvancement. History does not runaccording to a straight arrow; our societyis more aware than ever these days of thecyclical nature of many aspects of life,including politics, economics, religionand yes, even science. Proponents of sus-

tainable agriculture love science andresearch as much as anyone out there, butthey also understand the folly of believingthat science itself leads to inevitable,uninterrupted progress. In contrast, theybelieve that continuous improvement inagriculture is a product of the collectivewisdom of a community of common val-ues and practice working very hardtogether.

Alignment There is a spiritual sideof sustainable agriculture that receives

more or less emphasis depending onones variety of faith and religious prac-tice (another area where diversity isrequired). But whether an individualpractitioner believes literally in creation-ism, intelligent design or the scientifictheory of evolution, there is frequent ref-erence made in everyday practice to thealignment of ones methods with divinepurposes, the laws of the universe or thesometimes mysterious ways of nature,almost interchangeably. This is a primary

possible agricultural result over thelongest time span imaginable. In thissense, sustainability is simply the oppo-site of simplistic, short-term thinking ofany kind, and stands in distinct contrastto programs that, for instance, merelypreserve farmland.

The technical definition of sustainableagriculture is the successful employmentof farming practices that achieve threethings at once, without diminishing anyone of them: economic viability, environ-mental soundness, social responsibility.

Key Concepts in Implementing

Sustainable Practices

Diversity Nothing is more impor-tant to the practice of sustainable farmingthan the idea of diversity. This term isused in many different contexts, includ-ing diversity of types and locations offarms, race/ethnicity/background offarmers themselves, varieties of crops andlivestock, market venues used in sellingproducts, and so on. A lack of diversity inany of these areas often, and perhapsinevitably, leads to failure of the systemas a whole. Maintaining diversity in everyrespect is considered the quintessentialrisk management strategy, contrasting with other strategies that rely only onconventional insurance and/or govern-ment assistance for survival.

Balance Before there was sustainableagriculture, our major land grant univer-sities talked about balanced agriculture.This was really the same idea, and wasitself preceded by other ideas and evenfolk wisdom that emphasized the impor-tance of common sense over booklearning. In the technical definitiongiven above, one can understand that theeconomic, environmental, and socialaspects of any farm must be in balancefor the operation to be sustainable. Aside

from any hazy, philosophical thinkinginvolved, this idea has real, practicalpower in the everyday world. To wit,farming done merely for profit withoutregard to environmental impact, or forprofit and environment protection with-out regard to social factors (like, can nor-mal people afford to eat?) is ultimatelyconsidered irresponsible. And yet, we alsounderstand that farming that does notkeep the farmer in business financially will fail altogether. To achieve success,everything must be in balance.

Directo

rsCorner

Several months ago I was asked to jotdown some basic concepts about sus-tainable agriculture to help a public offi-cial who wanted to be able to talk aboutit intelligently. More recently, this exer-cise came to mind again as I, along withmany of you, had to endure the Mon-santo greenwashing campaign onNational Public Radio wherein theyclaim to be supporting sustainable agri-culture as a priority.

Since Monsanto, and many othercompanies by the way, are currently busytrying to misrepresent themselves as hav-ing been right there at the forefront ofthe sustainability movement, I thought itappropriate for us all to review what wereally mean when using the term sus-tainable agriculture. Following are someof my thoughts on the subject:

Definition of

Sustainable Agriculture

First and foremost, sustainable agri-culture is a philosophy or an attitudeadopted by the farmer in question, usu-ally characterized by an intention tooperate the farm holistically with respectto the context in which it is situated(environment, community, etc.) and toshow continuous improvement.

Ultimately, any sustainable farmer/farm is attempting to achieve the best continued on page 24


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Where is PASA headed? Where you,our members, take us. PASA isyour organization with a Board of Direc-

tors elected by you. Our founders drafted

a mission statement that still reflects our

ideals. Lately, however, we are con-

fronted by an overwhelming number of

food-system related issues, both old andnew. The board takes very seriously the

need to remain consistent with our mis-

sion in making informed policy decisions

concerning such issues, and we always

welcome comments from any member

for the common good.

Together we are becoming an impor-

tant regional and even national voice for

sustainable food systems. Our Field Day

calendar continues to lead the way in the

breadth and depth of topics covered. Our

volunteer list is growing. Our staff isexpanding. Together, we must be the

voices of reason to correct the many flaws

in our existing industrial food system.

We must insist that progress in sustain-

able food production not be impeded or

undermined, especially by the efforts of

food corporations that do not have our

best interests in mind. Our duty to our

children, and those still unborn, is to

ensure that food is as good as it can be,

and not a threat to our very existence.

7

production of milk. But this situationmay be more an indication of reducedconsumer confidence in dairy productsgenerally, than any success story withregard to modern production techniques.

Most consumers dont know whatreally good dairy products are anymore.

As attention has focused on quantity-over-quality in the milk supply, andindustry-driven manipulation of dairyingredients has been rampant, farmprices have generally gone down. This isespecially true when prices are adjustedfor inflating production costs. Ourfriends at Organic Valley understood thisyears ago when they created a farmer-owned cooperative with high standards.Now their success is being underminedby the same industrial tendencies thathave already decimated other sectors of

agriculture.Recently, Dean Foods announced it

was creating a natural line of fluid milkproducts, as a cost effective choice forconsumers who might otherwise buyorganic or sustainably certified milk. Thisnew classification would be priced higherthan commodity milk, but would be pro-duced with virtually the same standards. Would the farmer receive more in hismailbox? The milk price formula staysthe same. It will be pennies for the farm-ers, dollars for Dean Foods more busi-

ness as usual.PASA is committed to defending the

progress that so many of you have accom-plished. We will provide the voices to tellour stories. But it is also time for eachone of us to continue the day-to-day nur-turance and food education of our friendsand families. We must both tell and showthem what good food really is, and howto distinguish it from the adulteratedalternatives out there.

My hat is off to our farmers, who

worked the land and had the guts andcourage to envision real food, grownand processed in a safe, clean, nutrientdense manner. Our organization eachday welcomes new members who want to join our ranks and demand food onwhich our children can thrive. Each day,PASA members can be proud and reas-sured that your staff and board of direc-tors work for true food security in thisstate and country, which is a standard farbeyond what most of our lawmakers caneven begin to imagine. I

PASABoardPerspective

Recently, the United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA) held a lis-tening session in Harrisburg regardingthe proposed National Animal Identifica-tion System (NAIS). I cautioned USDAto listen carefully to the suggestions thatin many cases went beyond the need to

keep track of animals and envisioned afood system built on relationships andtrust. I made clear that without suchtrust, a time might come for farmers toexercise civil disobedience with respect toefforts that might otherwise regulatethem out of existence. I was proud to rep-resent PASA that day, and only sorry thatwe could not have a coalition of agricul-tural organizations, coming from all per-spectives, standing together on this basicconcept.

The listening sessions have created an

opportunity for grass-roots, sustainablefarmers to open the book on what iswrong in Americas heartland. We mustnurture those sustainable ideas and com-ments that surfaced in Harrisburg and atother listening sessions, and bring themto life within our many flourishing, localfood initiatives.

Brian Snyder and I recently repre-sented PASA in Washington D.C., withrepresentatives of the National Sustain-able Agriculture Coalition, concerningfarm issues and food safety. We told our

elected officials that there are manythreats to our food supply, but also manysolutions being put into practice by someof our countrys most innovative farmers.

The food safety issue is in itself a studyin our governments narrow way ofthinking. The Food and Drug Adminis-tration (FDA) seems to think that addi-tional inspections, at all food facilities, will be all thats needed to get the jobdone. But we know that managementdecisions are pervasive throughout thefood system, and are driven by the visionof the producers, processors, retailers andeaters along the entire value chain. Nat-ural, clean food, grown with centuries-old, sustainable practices, could go a longway toward increasing our food securityand safety.

What else should the USDA and FDAbe looking and listening for? They couldbe taking many important cues from thecurrent meltdown of the dairy industry.There is a myth propagated by many thatprices are in the tank because of the over

By Kim Seeley, Board President

In Search of

True Food Security


8/328

PASANews

PASA Welcomes MattSoccio as Director ofOperations

In May, Matt Soccio joined the PASAteam as the Director of Operations in our

Millheim office. Matt grew up in Lewis-town, Mifflin County and spent much ofhis youth hiking, biking, and camping inthe mountains of central PA. His fascina-tion with the woods and streams led himto pursue a degree in biology at VillanovaUniversity. After graduating in 1993,Matt worked as a seasonal biologist on awide range of projects that included mov-ing American Shad past the dams on theSusquehanna River, counting and band-ing migrating hawks in PA and NewMexico, and avian nesting censuses in

Oklahoma and Arizona.Bills, a booming technology sector

and a desire to settle down took Matt ona detour in the late 90s. He spent a cou-ple of years in Lancaster, PA working forRR Donnelley as a technical liaison andmiddle manager. With the seasonal travelbehind him, Matt and his wife Tricia,started backyard gardening and kitchencomposting and began to incubate adream for a simpler life and a homestead.

While in Lancaster, Matt frequentedthe Central Market, and gained an appre-ciation for the quality of locally producedfoods. In 2000, the Soccios moved backto Lewistown to be closer to family andMatt began working for Penn State in theAstronomy Department as a Unix/Linuxsystems administrator. During this time,he and Tricia converted over a quarteracre of lawn into bountiful flower, herb,and vegetable gardens. In 2004, their firstson was born and the family moved toState College to trade a 30-minute com-mute for a 15-minute bike ride.

Shortly thereafter, Matt transferred tothe Computer Science Department towork on large mail services and computeclusters. A second son was born in late2005, and somehow Tricia started asmall internet sales business from theirgarage. As this business grew, Mattbecame more and more involved in thetechnical, financial, and operationalaspects of the venture. With the successof the home business, the dream of a fewacres, some chickens, and more vegeta-

bles than a family could handle started totake more shape.

In the process of looking for farmingand sustainable living resources on theinternet, Matt came across PASA andimmediately signed his family up. PASAand Centre County Buy Fresh, Buy Localhave made it possible for us to find andparticipate in our foodshed and keep ourdollars here in the local community, saysMatt.

He attended his first Farming for theFuture conference in February 2009, where he saw the ad for the Directorposition. At first I was apprehensiveabout applying because I had no farmingexperience, but now that I see what

PASA needs as it continues to grow, Ithink I will be a great fit. I am very

excited that my diverse skills can make adifference for an organization that isreforming our land, waterways and econ-omy one acre at a time.

PASA Welcomes LeahSmith as Western RegionMember ServicesCoordinator

Please join PASA in welcoming ournewest staff member, Leah Smith. Leahbegan her work as the Western MemberServices Coordinator on July 6, 2009 inour Pittsburgh office. Her Masters of Sci-ence degree in Rural Sociology focusedon sustainability and the food system.Her work experience includes interningand volunteering on a variety of farms inthe Northeast, as well as working as theProgram Director for the PoughkeepsieFarm Project in New York. While inPoughkeepsie, Leah worked in all facetsof the farm, including administration,fundraising, record keeping, programdevelopment and implementation, as well as volunteer and Farmers Marketmanagement. Leah will be providing sup-port services to members through theoffice and in person, and looks forward tomeeting and collaborating with PASAmembers throughout the region. A full

profile of Leah will be included in afuture issue of this newsletter.

combine, leased the grain bins and with Natural Resource Conservation Service

(NRCS) help, through EQIP, transitioned into fenced pastures and hayfields. The

past four years have taught us a lot about what doesnt work and what does. Feed-

ing cows on grass is all about growing good grass mixes and learning how to make

and store hay for the winter at least cost. We have learned that growing great beef

can be done on grass.

Why did you join PASA?

We joined PASA because we learn from others and network to learn a lot about

agriculture, which isnt taught at our Ag Schools. Some of the techniques and

methods of farming have been lost in the swirl of chemical driven agriculture. We

have to relearn agriculture and understand what systems are sustainable. I have

found PASA to be my source of mentors and information in this capacity and was

chagrined to find no Penn State faculty present at the PASA conference on grass

fed beef, supportive of the program. I believe that big business interests control

the focus of our Ag Education. We need PASA even more to tell the other side of

the story.

Interview with Charlotte & Henry Rosenberger

continued from page 4


9/32

Nitya Akeroyd

Robert Amsterdam

Wil Bailey, Jr.

Mary Barbercheck

Susan Beal, DVM

Amanda Birk

Preston Boop

Roy D.Brubaker

Brian Burger

Peter Burns

Mike Byers

Tracey Coulter

Claire Cox

Moie Crawford

Lisa Diefenbach

Susan Dietrich

Melanie DietrichCochran

April Fix

Donald Gibbon

Laurel Hoffman

Julie Hurst

Kelle Kersten

Kristin Leitzel

Warren Leitzel

Tom Maurer

Nancy Mercanti

Brooks Miller

Kim Miller

Sandra Miller

Sue Miller

Jamie Moore

Bill Murphy

Debbie Murphy

Dwayne Murphy

Eric Noel

Patti Olenick

Allison Shauger

Lauren Smith

Crystal Smithmyer

Brian Snyder

Matt Soccio

Lori Sollenberger

George Vahoviak

Charlie White

Christine Ziegler

Leslie Zuck

Planning Committee Hard at Work

Over 45 volunteer conference com-mittee members are diligently developingconference workshops and pre-confer-ence tracks, fine-tuning content, andinviting speakers. The groups final meet-ing is in August. Board members MaryBarbercheck and Melanie DeitrichCochran are co-chairing the committeethis year, and we would like to acknowl-edge and thank the committee members(listed right).

Scholarships Abound

We are proud to report that therewere 65 scholarship recipients at the Feb-ruary 2009 conference. The Arias M.Brownback Memorial Fund gave finan-cial assistance to 45 individuals. Createdin 2001, this scholarship fund wasdesigned to foster the interest of develop-ing farmers by providing financial sup-port to attend the Farming for the Futureconference. Please consider donating tothe invaluable Brownback Scholarship

fund. You may contribute securely on thePASA website, or mail a check payable toPASA with Brownback Scholarship inthe memo section. Scholarship applica-tions will be available this fall for the2010 event, and more information willbe offered in the conference materialsreleased this fall.

Also this past year, in addition to theBrownback Fund, 27 first-time PASAconference attendees received workforcetraining funding to cover 75% of the reg-istration fees made available through the

SE PA Agriculture Partnership, a pro-gram of the Chester County EconomicDevelopment Council and ChesterCounty Workforce Investment Board.

Photography Exhibit

Back by Popular Demand

Photographers wanted for participa-tion in our 2010 conference exhibit,Love Your Mother Farming As IfThe Earth Matters. For the past twoyears we have projected a show of nearly300 images during the conference. These

are images, chosen to represent your ideaof what it means to farm sustainably, itsjoys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies,beauties and ugliness. Submit sampleimages in 300Kb jpeg format to DonaldGibbon, exhibit curator, and hell makesure were all on the same wavelength!Your ultimate submission will need to besubmitted on computer disk in Decem-ber 2009. Contact Donald with yoursample submissions, or questions at [email protected].

Opportunities Abound

at the Conference

Our nationally recognized conferencecan provide businesses, organizations,and individuals the opportunity tobecome part of something much largerand more compelling than any routinebusiness transaction. The sheer numbersand diversity of businesses and organiza-tions that are associated with the confer-

ence are notable, through sponsoring,exhibiting, advertising, auction dona-tions and various other ways of beinginvolved. This fall the conference staffwill distribute the Business OpportunitiesProspectus, which will outline the multi-tude of options available. If you have notreceived these materials in the past butwould like to be on the mailing list for2010, please contact Lauren Smith atPASA headquarters.

Our Successful Auction Fundraiser

We are already thinking about oureighth annual PASA Benefit Auction tobe held at the 2010 conference, and weare seeking unique (and valuable!) itemsin a variety of categories. At the 2009event, we showcased original works ofart, gift baskets, books, tools, vacationgetaways, and more. We raised over$30,000 for the organization and the

ConferenceUpdate

19th Annual

Farming for the Future ConferenceFebruary 4, 5 & 6, 2010 State College, PA

2009 Conference Planning Committee MembersPASA staff and board members listed in bold

9



10/3210

I Bike Fresh Bike Local Ride in

Chester County

The lush farmland and beautiful land-scapes of Southeastern Pennsylvania willbe on view during the 2nd Annual Bike

Fresh Bike Local Chester County eventon Sunday September 27th. Organizedin collaboration with Philadelphia areabike clubs, the bike tour welcomes ridersof all abilities with a choice of three dif-ferent routes 25 mile, 50 mile ride or75 mile rides.

The event will begin and end at Vic-tory Brewing Company in Downing-town. A $35 advance registration feeincludes a Buy Fresh Buy Local teeshirt, rest stops offering energy drinksand wholesome snacks, and a post-ride

lunch of local foods and legendary Vic-tory microbrews enjoyed rain or shine inVictorys parking lot under party tents.This year we are especially proud to beexpanding the foods contributed by thePhiladelphia Public School culinary pro-gram. Students will be showing off theirskills with donated baked goods andsavory side dishes such as hummus andvegetable salads.

Bike Fresh is family friendly and atrue community effort. Last years rideattracted over 400 riders, many of whomreported it was the best and most beau-tiful ride ever. The route takes riderssoaring along un-trafficked country roadsnext to small farms that tend to the land,and raise the kind of foods we want ourchildren to be eating, says Royer Smith,chief event organizer and a seasoned longdistance cyclist.

Youll see bison and steers, horsesand sheep, goats and chickens, saysSmith, a PASA member and executivechef at LaSalle University where he has

staged local food events. Youll passfields that were plowed by a farmer andhis team of work horses, and you mighthave to slow down for horse-drawn vehi-cles on the road.

The 75-mile ride is by far the mostscenic, but also quite hilly and challeng-ing even for seasoned riders. The 50-mileoffers more moderate challenges, whilethe 25 is for casual riders. All routes passthrough Springton Manor Farm, initiallypart of the William Penn Manor. Spring-ton has been in agricultural use since the

SOUTHEAST REGION early 1700s. On this 300-acre farm, youcan meet the animals and tour the But-terfly House. In addition to the historicsights at Springton, there will be homecomposting demonstrations conductedby PDA who are partnering with PASAand Victory to make this event a Zero

Waste effort.PASA anticipates between 600 and800 riders this year so it is bound to be alively, fun, and locally delicious day. Inconjunction with Victory Brewing co-owner Bill Covaleski, were making adedicated effort to get more chefs onbikes, especially those serving local foodsin their restaurants. Special thanks toevent sponsors Anthony Rodale, andKimberton Whole Foods for supportingwellness, local agriculture and PASA.

Pre-registration ends September 14th.

Advance registration and details are avail-able at www.pasafarming.org. Day of reg-istration will be $40 and is quite limitedso please make your reservation soon.

I Sheep Camp for Adults:

A Very Hands-On Workshop on

Keeping Sheep

Thinking about adding sheep to youroperation? Jump-start the learning curveat this event on Saturday, September 12,

hosted by PASA members Caroline andDavid Owens of Sunbury, Pennsylvania(Snyder Co). A panel of four experiencedshepherds will share their expertise ontopics such as How To Handle Sheep

NORTH CENTRAL REGION

RegionalMarketing

So They Dont Handle You, Dr. You:Home Vet Skills, and Fat, or Fluffy?Half the day will be spent practicingessential management skills out in the

sheep barn.The guest shepherds are a diverse

group of meat and wool producers from

Pennsylvania. Owens Farm runs twoflocks, Coopworth and Katahdin. JanMotter raises purebred Shropshires in

Jersey Shore. Janice Jenkins raises Ice-landics and Merinos in Spring Mills. JackSmith from Turbotville has been raising

sheep and teaching about them his wholelife, including the management of a 600-ewe flock.

Raising sheep since 1992, the Owens

family has witnessed the trials and tribu-lations of many new sheep owners. Theyoffer this workshop to help people avoid

common beginner mistakes and unneces-sary set-backs. This workshop was firstheld in May 2009, and was a sold-out

success. The hands-on practice and theopportunity to discuss problems with dif-ferent shepherds were noted as the

biggest attractions by those attending.The camp will be held on September

12 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuitionis $25 for the first person in a family, $15

for the second. Owens Farm is locatedbetween Sunbury and Danville. For more

information and registration forms, visit www.owensfarm.com. Call 570-286-5309. or email [email protected] is limited to 25, and registra-

tion is currently taking place.

Guest shepherd Jan Motter (left) demonstrates condition-scoring.


11/3211

Toasting the Start of the Season

with a Fresh Local FUN Raiser

By Mia FarberGetting folks excited for the begin-

ning of a bountiful harvest season was thegoal of the first ever PASA Fresh LocalFUN Raiser. The Western Regionteamed up with expert vodka-makersPrentiss Orr and Barry Young of thePennsylvania Pure Distilleries in Glen-shaw, PA to host a fresh, new fundraisingevent.

Prentiss Orr led groups on tours of thedistillery, where Boyd & Blair Vodka ismade from spuds grown in nearby Som-erset County by Laurel Vista Farms. Orrdemonstrated the vodka distillationprocess and taught how a potato grown

less than 70 miles away from the distillerycan not only result in fine spirits, butuphold the principles of local eating andsustainability in the process.

The event featured a Boyd & BlairVodka Bar with local Basil & StrawberryVodka Tonics featuring fresh basil andstrawberries from the Northwest PAGrowers Cooperative, Appletinis withapples from Dawsons Orchard, and IcePicks with local Honey Sticks fromBedillions Route 18 Farm & Fruit Mar-ket. Designated drivers were pleased to

sip Red Ribbon Cherry Supreme,Jamaicas Finest Ginger Beer and HomeBrewed Style Root Beer from the

WESTERN REGION Natrona Bottling Co. inNatrona Heights, PA.

Fresh hors doeuvresincluded a selection ofgoat and raw milk cheesesfrom Riverview Dairy andPasture Maid Creamery in

Western PA. Samplingsfrom Chef Keith Fullerof Six Penn Kitchen com-plimented the culinarystylings of Chef KateRomane of the Enrico Bis-cotti Company. The chefswere eager to connect withfarmers and learn what wasin season before setting amenu. The result friedsalmon skin crackers with chive spread,raw foods crudits with a fresh herbed

and roasted garlic dip, crispy potato,ramp & goat cheese, smoked bleu cheese& roasted tomato, and fontina & wildmushroom crostatas, with walnut tape-nade, asiago artichoke dip, and Enricosfamous focaccias. This bounty was servedon Verterra compostable dishware thatgrabbed the attention of event goers andis made from pressed, fallen leaves!

The evening concluded with decadentpastries from the Enrico Biscotti Com-pany and coffees provided by BuildingNew Hope a Pittsburgh, nonprofit

dedicated to sourcing fair trade coffeesand working with sustainable growers inCentral America. The evening had a sur-

RegionalMarketing

Western

NorthCentral/Eastern

SouthcentralSoutheast

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 provided.

Western

[email protected]

Greg Boulos

412-697-0411 [email protected]

Southeastern

[email protected]

Marilyn Anthony

610-458-5700 x305 [email protected]

Southcentral

[email protected]

Jenn Halpin


NorthCentral/Eastern

[email protected]

Leah Tewksbury


Out of State discussion group addresses:

States North and East of Pennsylvania

[email protected]

States South and West of Pennsylvania

[email protected]

prise in store for two lucky guests whotook home raffle prizes, including a bot-

tle of Boyd & Blair Vodka, a Buy FreshBuy Local T-shirt and Good FoodNeighborhood coffee mug.

The Fresh Local FUN Raiser pre-sented a casual atmosphere for eventattendees to meet and mingle with PASAstaff and attending farmers to learn moreabout PASAs work supporting sustain-ability, in addition to the Buy Fresh BuyLocal program and Good Food Neigh-borhood. The event brought in over$1,300 for PASAs Annual Fund. Thanksto all of those who attended the event

and contributed to making our first FreshLocal FUN Raiser a great success!

Mia Farber, PASA West Outreach Coordinator and Katie McAnallen,

PASA West Farmers Market Coordinator pose in front of the Buy

Fresh Buy Local Banner at the Fresh Local FUN Raiser.



12/3212

By Paul & Sandy Arnold

Pleasant Valley Farm is located in avalley in a rural town 25 milesnortheast of Saratoga Springs, New

York which we purchased as just land in1988. We have two children; Robert (age16) and Kimberly (age 13) who are homeschooled and are an integral part of ourfamily farm. We own 60 acres and rentour neighbors 120 acre farm, both ofwhich have somewhat limited tillable soilfor good vegetable production. We use atotal of 6 acres for vegetable production,1/2 acre for large fruits and ? acre for

small fruits, and keep another 4 acres incover crops for rotation. We grow adiverse selection of more than 40 types ofvegetables and fruits with organic meth-ods for retail sales at three area farmersmarkets that operate each week May 1stthrough the end of November, and alsoat winter markets that we started attend-ing in the 200506 winter.

Since the start of our farming careerover 20 years ago, our goal was to makefarming a full-time venture, to not work

off the farm, and raise a family with agood quality of life. We were able toaccomplish our goals in a matter of 4years and become profitable by using acombination of good business manage-ment techniques, record keeping, seasonextension, soil management techniques,and creative marketing. Profitability to usmeans each year being able to pay ourbills, maintain what we have, pay forhealth insurance, invest money back intothe farm, and invest in IRAs for us andthe kids each year, and have a comfort-

able lifestyle with yearly family vacations.One aspect we have always paid atten-

tion to on our farm is using various typesof mulches. Benefits of mulches are: weedcontrol, maintaining soil moisture,increasing organic matter, soil building,disease control. Our farm has benefited asthe result of good mulching habits.

Originally, we spread a thick six-inchlayer of mulch hay in the fall over ourfields to increase organic matter. Theland had been depleted of organic mattersince it had been in continuous conven-tional corn, and by applying the hay

mulch annually, we were able to raise theorganic matter from 2.1 to 4.1 after sev-eral years. Hay mulch was gathered (andstill is) with the use of a Gehl flail chop-per on our hay fields. The chopper hasknives to chop the hay that is thenthrown into an auger that brings it to ablower; the chop is blown into a trailinghay wagon or a self-unloading forage wagon. Once a wagonload of hay ischopped, we bring it right to the fieldswithout drying it, and pitch it onto theland as mulch. You need 9 horsepowerper foot of mower to run the flail chop-per and ours is a six-foot mower, so itrequires a 54 horsepower tractor.

Most of our mulch comes from ourown hay fields, which must be choppedat specific times so as not to gather weedor grass seeds. The best time is usually inMay or June prior to any seed formation,and again in late September after thegrass seeds have dropped. In addition tohay chop, often some cover crops arechopped in the spring, such as winter rye

before it goes to pollen; for fall plantedrye/clover cover crops, when the rye ischopped off the following spring, theclover takes over and can be left to growup to a year, giving a wonderful supply of

Nitrogen to a cash crop. Another sourceof mulch for us is straw, which is specifi-cally grown for us by a local farmer andcut/baled prior to pollination. If thestraw has seed in it, it can be a real weedproblem. Sometimes we have own fieldsof hay or rye baled in large round balesfor later use as well.

For many years, the mulch was spreadout over the fields during the growingseason, rows were marked with string andstakes, and then plants were transplanted

right into the mulch. The crops thatmulch was used on were typically long-season crops like cucumbers, summerand winter squash, peppers, tomatoes,herbs, broccoli, brussells sprouts, swisschard, garlic, strawberries, etc. The idea was to plant them and walk away, andthen come back to harvest. Weed controlhas always been important to us and wedont want any weeds to go to seed. Thecrops harvest so much easier in weed-freefields, and we get higher yields if we keepthem clean with no weed competition for

soil nutrients. The mulch not only keepsthe vegetables clean for harvest, but alsoprevents soil-borne pathogens from beingsplashed onto the plants. When the cropsare finished for the year, everything istilled or disked in, leaving a rich, mellowsoil to work with the following year, orplanted to a cover crop. Care should begiven when planting crops directly intoshiny straw mulch to not put rowcoversdirectly over the crop because of theextreme heat buildup when the sun isshining which will fry the plants; haychop is fine with rowcovers.

Paul had worked at other farms thatused black plastic mulch, even the sup-posedly photodegradable type, andwanted no part of picking that up at theend of the season and dealing with theenvironmental waste created by it. How-ever, when a new material came out sev-eral years ago that claimed to bebiodegradable in soil, we gave it a try. Itis called Biotello and is an Italian prod-uct made from cornstarch which is

Various Mulching Techniquesat Pleasant Valley Farm

Paul Arnold pitching hay mulch betweenBiotello mulched onion strips.


13/3213

approved for organic production in allEuropean countries (and hopefully soonin the United States). In tests it seems tofully degrade in less than a season. It isavailable from either Dubois Agrinova-tion in Canada (www.duboisag.com ), orNolts in Pennsylvania (phone: 717-656-

9764), and a 48-inch wide.6 mil film in a5,000-foot roll costs about $350. Ourfarm uses about three rolls for the entirefarm each year, so the expense is minimalcompared to the benefits. It comes in dif-ferent widths and types, just like regularblack plastic. There is a micro-perforatedtype that has very tiny holes, designed tobe used if no drip irrigation was beingused, but our experience with it showedthere was no benefit to it and it wasntworth the extra expense.

Biotello is biodegradable under the

proper conditions, and it breaks downfrom the soil up. We have used it for 2seasons and after it is rototilled, there isvery little or no trace of it the next year.The Biotello breaks down quickly withsoil contact on our farm; the more activethe soil is, the faster it will break down.Cover cropping can be done over the topof it when a crop is finished; we use a John Deere overseeder which is a drop-type spreader with 2 sets of cultipackingrollers. The overseeder is similar to a Bril-lion seeder, but much less expensive!

For the Biotello system, we first fertil-ize the land according to recommenda-tions based on our soil tests. We lay theBiotello on raised beds which is donewith a raised-bed plastic layer implementavailable from Nolts and other compa-nies. It is attached to the tractor with 3-

point hitch, and it has the ability to layout the drip irrigation lines whereneeded. The top of the beds we make areonly about 3032 inches wide, anddepending on the crop, the beds arespaced differently by using different trac-tors with different wheel spacing.

Plants are transplanted into holes inthe Biotello either by hand or with a waterwheel transplanter. We havelearned that when a tiny plant is trans-planted, we must make the hole in theBiotello big enough so that the plantshave room to grow and the overhead irri-gation/rain water can get down into theholes (if no drip irrigation is run underthe plastic). The crops in our high tun-nels have drip tape, but all outside cropsdepend exclusively on overhead irrigationand/or rain on our farm, which has

worked very well for us. In spring of2009, we purchased our own waterwheeltransplanter after borrowing a localfarmers Rain Flow model and research-ing the various brands for a few years. Wechose a Buckeye model, which fit our sys-tems because the frame is adjustable forthe different bed widths we use on ourfarm. Although we liked the Buckeyemachine, we preferred the Rain Flowsuper wheels which were more versatileto transplanting different crops at differ-ent spacings. The spikes on the planting

wheels are easily changed, as well as thespacing between the wheels. We pur-chased 8 wheels, one set of 4 (23) doesour 8 and 24 spaced plants, and theother set (26) does the 6, 12 and 18spaced plants. The wheels slide off easilyto switch from one, two, three or four

rows per bed, or we often just take off thespikes on the wheels not needed. It takesonly 5 to 10 minutes total to switch thesystem for a new crop, usually done whilethe water tank is filling. The watering ofthe plants while they are being planted isa real benefit to giving the transplants a

great start, and reduces our immediateirrigation duties. We did have to re-design the Buckeye watering system tothe wheels when running more than 2wheels at a time (the Rain Flow system isbetter, but each year brings better designs with these companies). On the 4Biotello, we plant 4 rows of onions at 6,3 rows of parsley, basil, celery, swisschard at 12, 3 rows of cabbage at 8, 1row of summer squash at 24, 1 row oftomatoes, winter squash, melons andpumpkins at 18, 1 row of cucumbers at

12, and all the other brassicas at variousspacing. The lettuce is transplanted outon bare ground with 4 rows 8 apart and14 between rows. After one year of gain-ing experience, we are going to look atour options for switching to the 5Biotello and see if that makes more sense.The tires on our tractor (John Deere5325 with creeper gears) is set to juststraddle the Biotello, so the paths can beas narrow as about 24 to save field space.

During our few years of experiment-ing, we have noted a definite increase in

production, earliness, and yield on manycrops. These include winter squash,tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, andstrawberries. In September of 2008, weplanted our typical annual bed strawberrysystem and for the first time, used theBiotello on 3/4 of the beds and just thehay mulch on the other 1/4. The differ-ence in plant vigor, time of harvest(Biotello ones were ready one week ear-lier), and total yield were amazing. Thissplit system was also done on garlic at a

local farm, and the spring variation inplant vigor, etc. gave the same results.The one issue we have found with theBiotello system is that as the wintersquash grows, the squash that sit directlyon the Biotello sometimes get the blackdebris stuck on them and we have toscrub that off if it doesnt come off in thevegetable washing machine.

To control erosion, maintain weedcontrol, and add organic matter, 6 inchesor so of chopped hay or straw is


The Arnolds recently purchased a Buckeye model transplanter, which fit their farming systemsbecause the frame is adjustable for the different bed widths used on the farm.


14/3214

pitched/spread onto the paths betweenthe beds. Usually the hay wagon is pulledbetween the rows of Biotello and pitchedoff both sides. Minor weeding is needed

where a few weeds may come up in theholes and along the edges of the plastic. We have seen an interesting phenome-non that if the Biotello is laid and we waitat least 2 weeks before transplanting, fewweeds germinate through the holes. Also,after the Biotello breaks down, the sur-face of the soil underneath has basicallybeen stale-seed bedded and few weedsemerge for the rest of the season.

Timing is crucial in this process ofmulching and bed-forming. It is ideal to

cut and spread the mulch as soon as welay the Biotello, but sometimes there aretoo many things that have to be done atonce and we dont always get the mulchdown. If we wait too long to put themulch down, weeds can come up andthen we might have to go in and cultivate with the tractor and push hoe prior tomulching. Another system that workedwell for us in 2008 was to plant winterrye down the paths between the rows offall brassicas that were on Biotello. Thedirt paths had been cultivated once, then

a winter rye/medium red clover seed mixwas spread by hand down the paths at therate of 200# to the acre of rye and 20# tothe acre of clover. The area was keptmoist and the heavy rate of seeding gavea wonderful cover between the cropswhich also gave a nice cover for the win-ter and the following spring. These latebrassicas are harvested in November, soits a nice option to get a partial wintercover crop growing. We feel this could beseeded anytime after July 15th; we seededit August 1st in 2008. There was no dif-ference in the vigor of the crops whenthey were next to bare ground versus thehay mulch or cover crop. The only timethere is a nitrogen tie-up is after themulch is turned under, then we have towait several weeks for the mulch to breakdown before planting cash crops.

The many systems of utilizing mulchare site, crop, or farmer specific and wecontinue to diversify how we use themulch on our farm. Recently, we startedspreading a 3 wide band of hay mulch

over or under the 3 aluminum irrigationpipes so that the pipes are permanentlyset for the season. Crops such as summersquashes, cucumbers on trellises, herbs,peppers, etc. are then transplanted intothe mulch along the pipes to utilize thefield space. The large, round bales also

work well for this system. The bales arerolled out along an irrigation path or inbetween Biotello beds, then the irrigationpipes are set on top of the mulch, andlastly, plants can be transplanted throughthe mulch.

Mulching has always been an integralpart of Pleasant Valley Farm and we feelit has been a necessary ingredient to oursuccess. The addition of the organic mat-

ter that the mulching provides is the keyto long term maintenance of strong, bio-logically active soils. The mulching mate-rials readily available for us are hay andstraw, but each farm needs to determine what works for them. Town leaves andpond weeds are used by farmer friends of

ours. We feel the important thing is tokeep finding ways to keep soil organicmatter up, not cause excess nutrients,manage crops and weeds wisely, and bemarket savvy so that farming becomes aprofitable venture so we can all enjoy thegreat lifestyle it has to offer. I

Editors Note: Contact Paul & Sandy

Arnold at 118 South Valley Road, Argyle, NY,

518-638-6501 or [email protected]

Mulching Techniquescontinued from page 13

Conference Updatecontinued from page 9

Scholarship Fund. Please contact CarrieGillespie at PASA headquarters if you are

interested in donating for 2010. Ourpopular Silent Auction, Bag Auction and

Live Auction need a variety of items in all

price ranges and we value our membersofferings.

Nominees for Awards Sought

Every year at the Farming for theFuture Conference, PASA presentsawards to those who have led the way inthe sustainable agricultural community

with their innovative ways, outreach, and

influence.The Sustainable Agriculture Leader-

ship Award and the Sustainable Agricul-ture Business Leader Award honor those

people and businesses that are the most

notable sustainable ag leaders and pro-moters in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Past winners of the Sustainable AgLeadership Award are: Preston Boop,Tim Bowser, Terra & Mike Brownback, Jerry Brunetti, Herbert Cole, Moie & Jim Crawford, Ron Gargasz, Sheri &Steve Groff, Paul Keene, Kim Miller, Anne & Eric Nordell, Cass Peterson & Ward Sinclair, Robert Rodale, JoelSalatin, Lucy & Roman Stoltzfoos, KimTait, Linda & Don Weaver.

Past Sustainable Ag Business Awardwinners include: East End Food Cooper-ative, The Fertrell Company, KimbertonWhole Foods, Lady Moon Farms, WhiteDog Caf.

The Executive Committee looks tothe PASA membership for recommenda-tions of worthy award nominees. If youknow a person or business who should beconsidered for an award, please contactany member of the committee (Kim See-ley, Mary Barbercheck, Louise Smith), orpass the suggestion through PASAsHuman Resources Manager, Lisa Diefen-bach at [email protected].

During the years of the Arnolds experimenting with various mulching techniques they have noteddefinite increases in production, earliness and yield on many crops, including winter squash pic-tured here.


15/3215

PASANews

PASA Developing

Comprehensive Member Survey

Throughout any given year PASA reaches out to our mem-bers to complete multiple surveys. The information from thesesurveys is important to educational program development,ensures we have correct data about what products or services

your farm/company offers, and helps us to learn more aboutour diverse membership. Regularly surveying our members will also help us get a clearer picture of our organizationsprogress toward our goals of healthy, responsible and prof-itable farming.

In effort to streamline our multiple surveying procedures,PASA is currently working on a comprehensive questionnaireto be distributed in the fall of this year. We are currently devel-oping the questions for the survey and are looking for anymembers with expertise in this area that may want to beinvolved in the development process.

If you have interest in participating in our member surveydevelopment, please contact Michele Gauger, [email protected] or 814-349-9856 x207.

We will be selecting a small group of members in Septem-ber to test out the survey and broad distribution will take placein November 2009. Our goal is to have some preliminary sur-vey results to share with the membership at the 2010 PASAconference and in our January/February 2010 newsletter.

AdminService Inc.

Phoenixville, PA www.adminservice.com

Barebags

Pottstown, PA www.mybarebags.com

Bocktown Beer & Grill

Pittsburgh, PA www.bocktown.com

Chester Co. Agricultural Development Council

West Chester, PA http://dsf.chesco.org/agdev

HAHIA Foundation

Manchester, CT

Hotel Hershey

Hershey, PA www.thehotelhershey.com

Keystone CollegeLaPlume, PA www.keystone.edu

Metz & Associates

Sewickley, PA www.metzltd.com

New Holland Farmers Market

New Holland, PA

Paradocx Vineyard

Landenberg, PA www.paradocx.com

Subarashii Kudamono

Coopersburg, PA www.wonderfulfruit.com

Sunny Bridge Natural FoodsMcMurray, PA www.sunnybridgenaturalfoods.com

State College High School Culinary Arts

State College, PA

Sugarbush Nursery

Mohnton PA www.sugarbushnursery.com

Wood Street Bread Company

Pittsburgh, PA www.woodstreetbread.com

Tricia Borneman

Greg Bowman

Terry Brett

Annmarie Butera

Gary Cox

Jackie & Joe Detelj

Edie & David Griffiths

Suzanne Milshaw

Tom Murtha

Patti Olenick

LuAnn Potter

Catherine & Al Renzi

Stephen Socash

Mark Shryock

Ruth Steck

Mary Whittam

PASA Staff and Board Would Like to Welcome

Our Newest Business Members

PASA Staff and Board Would Like to Thank

the Following Volunteers as of June 29, 2009

The PASA Office Has Moved!

As of August, the PASA Headquarters office has moved to

a new location, still in Millheim (Centre Co.). Once staff

has organized our new abode we plan on hosting an

open house in the coming months, so stay tuned for

more information!

Our email addresses, phone & fax numbers, and website

address will not change.

PASAs postal address (for letters & other correspon-

dence) will continue to be:

PASA

PO Box 419

Millheim, PA 16854-0419

However, our physical address has changed. Use this

address for shipping via UPS, FedEx, etc.:PASA

104 North Street

Millheim, PA 16854

We thank you in advance for your patience

during this transition.

Stay connected!Visit PASA online at www.pasa farm ing. org


16/3216

10 Arts by Eric RipertPhiladelphia PA215-523-8000 x4188

320 Market Cafe /Sunshine Farms IncSwarthmore PA610-328-7211

Accokeek Foundation ~National Colonial FarmAccokeek MDwww.accokeek.org

Accomac Catering IncWrightsville PAwww.accomaccatering.com

AdminService IncPhoenixville PAwww.adminservice.comSee page 19

AgrAbility for PennsylvaniansPatton PAhttp://agexted.cas.psu.edu/agrab

AgRecycle, IncPittsburgh PA412-767-7645

Agri-Service LLCHagerstown MDwww.dairyheritage.comSee page 19

Agricultural SystemsInternationalLandisville PAwww.agri-chix.com

The Ahimsa Alternative, IncBloomington MNwww.neemresource.comSee page 19

Alba Advisors LLCGlen Mills PAwww.albaadvisors.com

Alberts OrganicsBridgeport NJwww.albertsorganics.com

Allegheny College CEEDMeadville PAhttp://ceed.allegheny.edu

American Culinary Fed.,Laurel Highlands ChapterExport PA724-925-4251

American Farmland Trust

Washington DCwww.farmland.org

American Livestock BreedsConservancyPittsboro NCwww.albc-usa.org

American Organic Seed Co.Warren ILwww.american-organic.comSee page 19

American Pastured PoultryProducers Assn. (APPPA)Boyd WIwww.apppa.org

Amsterdam ProduceMechanicsburg PA

717-691-3531

Animal Welfare ApprovedPittsboro NCwww.animalwelfareapproved.org

See page 19

BarebagsPottstown PAwww.mybarebags.comSee page 19

Basis Holdings LLCNew York NYwww.basisfoods.com

BCS America LLCFactoryville PAwww.bcsamerica.comSee page 19

Bella Sera & Grecos GourmetCanonsburg PAwww.grecos-bellasera.com

Benton Farmers MarketBenton PA570-925-2690

big Burrito Restaurant GroupPittsburgh PAwww.bigburrito.com

Bocktown Beer & GrillPittsburgh PAwww.bocktown.com

The Book SquirrelCarlisle PA717-386-9825

Boyertown Farmers MarketBoyertown PAwww.boyertownpa.org/farmersmarket

Buckingham Twp. Civic Assoc.Buckingham PA215-348-8471

Bucks Co. Foodshed AllianceNewtown PAwww.buckscountyfoodshedal-liance.org

Butterfly Hill AlpacasLincoln University PAwww.butterflyhillalpacas.com

Camp Hill GardensLaughlintown PA724-238-3883

Camphill Village ~Kimberton HillsPhoenixville PA

www.camphillkimberton.org

Center for Rural PennsylvaniaHarrisburg PAwww.ruralpa.org

Certified Naturally GrownStone Ridge NYwww.naturallygrown.org

Charles Chrin CompaniesEaston PAwww.chrin.org

Chatham UniversityPittsburgh PAwww.chatham.edu

Chesapeake Bay FoundationHarrisburg PA

www.cbf.org

Chester Co. AgriculturalDevelopment CouncilWest Chester PA

http://dsf.chesco.org/agdev/

Chester County EconomicDevelopment CouncilExton PAwww.cceconomicdevelopment.com

Chilly Philly Corp.Philadelphia PAwww.chillyphilly.com

The Christian W. Klay Winery IncChalk Hill PAwww.cwklaywinery.com

Clearwater ConservancyState College PAwww.clearwaterconservancy.org

Colchester Farm

Georgetown MDwww.colchesterfarm.org

Commission on EconomicOpportunityWilkes-Barre PA570-208-7010 x352

Common Market PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia PA215-275-3435

Community Partnership RC&DLewistown PAcpartnerships.com

Concerned Citizensof the Nippenose ValleyJersey Shore PA570-745-3644

Conshohocken Farmers MarketRosemont PA610-308-7725

Cooking For RealGlenmoore PAwww.cookingforreal.netSee page 19

Countryside ConservancyPeninsula OHwww.cvcountryside.org

Cowgirl Creamery EastWashington DCwww.cowgirlcreamery.com

Creekside Mushrooms Ltd.Worthington PAwww.creeksidemushrooms.com

Cromwell Valley ParkBaltimore MDhttp://cvcsa.org

Curious Goodsat the Bake Oven InnGermansville PAwww.eatcuriousgoods.com

Dairyland Sales and ServiceTroy PA570-297-4128

Deep Grass NurseryGreenwood DEwww.deepgrassnursery.com

Delaware NatureSociety/Coverdale FarmGreenville DE

www.delawarenaturesociety.org

Delaware Valley CollegeDoylestown PAwww.delval.edu

Dickinson College FarmBoiling Springs PAwww.dickinson.edu/story/sisa

Dosie DoughLititz PA717-626-2266

Earth Tools IncOwenton KYwww.earthtoolsbcs.com

East Park Revitalization AlliancePhiladelphia PA

www.epralliance.org

East Penns Valley CoopMillheim PA814-349-8147

Eatn Park Hospitality GroupPittsburgh PAwww.eatnpark.com

Eating Fresh PublicationsBala Cynwyd PAwww.eatingfresh.com

Eberly Poultry FarmsStevens PAwww.eberlypoultry.com

eBioExpress International LLCLaurel MD301-498-1073 x 010

Edge of the Woods Native PlantNursery, LLCOrefield PAwww.edgeofthewoodsnursery.com

Emmas Food for Life, IncSelinsgrove PAwww.emmasfoodforlife.com

Environmental Fundfor PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia PAwww.greentreks.org/efp/index.asp

eOrganicBurlington VThttp://eorganic.info

Expressly Local

Lancaster PA717-951-0054

Farm Fresh ExpressLansdowne PAwww.farmfreshexpress.com

The Farm SchoolAthol MAwww.farmschool.org

The Farmhouse RestaurantEmmaus PAwww.thefarmhouse.com

Farmers Market CoalitionMartinsburg WVwww.farmersmarketcoalition.org

FarmStartGuelph Ontariowww.farmstart.ca

Fertrell CompanyBainbridge PAwww.fertrell.comSee page 20

Field to Fork CateringDrexel Hill PAwww.fieldtoforkcatering.com

Filtrexx International LLCGrafton OHwww.filtrexx.com

Flint Hill FarmCoopersburg PAwww.flinthill-farm.orgSee page 20

Food Alliance

Portland ORwww.foodalliance.orgSee page 20

Food MatrixShinglehouse PAwww.food-matrix.org

Foodshed AllianceBlairstown NJwww.foodshedalliance.org

The Food TrustPhiladelphia PAwww.thefoodtrust.org

Forestry for the Bay(Alliance for the Chesapeake Annapolis MDwww.forestryforthebay.org

Four Seasons Produce IncEphrata PAwww.fsproduce.com

Frankferd Farms FoodsSaxonburg PAwww.frankferd.comSee page 20

Frecon FarmsBoyertown PAwww.freconfarms.com

FrenchPress, TABLE MagazinePittsburgh PAhttp://tablemagazine.com/

FRESHFARM MarketsWashington DCwww.freshfarmmarket.org

See page 20

Freys Commissary /Meals on WheelsMontoursville PA570-368-2377

Frick Art & Historical SocietyPittsburgh PAwww.frickart.org

Future Harvest CASAFairplay MDwww.futureharvestcasa.org

The Garden Clubof Allegheny CountyPittsburgh PA

These PASA member farms, businesses and organizations are committed to working with

other progressive members of the business community in the struggles to protect & preserve

farmers and farmland. It is our pleasure to publish this full list of Business Members on an annual basis.

PASA Business Members and Permanent Business Partners are important members of the organization. We encourage all members to

take advantage of the myriad of services offered by this diverse group of supporters!

BUSINESS RESOURCE LISTING


17/32

Garden DreamsUrban Farm & NurseryPittsburgh PAwww.growpittsburgh.org

Glasbern InnFogelsville PAwww.glasbern.com

Good Eatz Green CafeWest Reading PAwww.goodeatz.org

Goodwill at Homefields FarmMillersville PAwww.homefields.org/goodwill

Grace Growers,Grace Tabernacle ChurchPottstown PA484-300-1410

Greater PittsburghCommunity Food BankDuquesne PAwww.pittsburghfoodbank.org

Green Gables RestaurantJennerstown PAwww.greengablesrestaurant.com

Green Light Plants LLCLandenberg PAwww.northcreeklnurseries.com

Green Organics & Health LLCCarnegie PA412-200-2247

Greener PartnersMalvern PAwww.greenerpartners.org

GreenmarketNew York NYwww.cenyc.org

Griffis LumberFriendsville PArtgriffislumber.com

Grove City County MarketGrove City PA724-458-8636

Grumblethorpe HistoricHouse & GardenPhiladelphia PA215-843-4820

H. Rockwell & Son IncCanton PA570-673-5148

HAHIA FoundationManchester, CT973-698-6959

Hain Pure Protein Corp.Fredericksburg PA

www.freebirdchicken.com

Harris SeedsRochester NYwww.harrisseeds.com

Harrisburg Dairies IncHarrisburg PAwww.harrisburgdairies.com

Health by Choice Education &Research IncNew Enterprise PAwww.healthbychoice.net

Heifer International Northern Program OfficeBrooklyn NYwww.heifer.org

Herbruck Poultry RanchSaranac MIwww.herbrucks.com

High Mowing Organic SeedsWolcott VTwww.highmowingseeds.comSee page 20

Historic Lewes Farmers MarketNassau DE302-644-1436

Homestead Nutrition IncNew Holland PAwww.homesteadnutritioninc.com

Horizon OrganicBroomfield COwww.horizonorganic.com

Hotel HersheyHershey PAwww.thehotelhershey.com/

Hotel State College & Co.State College PAwww.hotelstatecollege.com

Indian Valley Farmers Market

Telford PA215-723-6627

Indiana County Officeof Planning & Dev.Indiana PA724-465-3870

Innovative Farmers of OhioRichwood OH937-348-2633

The Inn at Turkey HillBloomsburg PAwww.innatturkeyhill.com

International Relief &DevelopmentArlington VAwww.ird-dc.org

IPM Laboratories IncLocke NYwww.ipmlabs.com

J. Soif, IncChester Springs PAwww.ybwines.com/

Johnnys Selected SeedsWinslow MEwww.johnnyseeds.com

Josephine Porter Institute forApplied BiodynamicsWoolwine VAwww.jpiBiodynamics.org

Juniata CollegeHuntingdon PA

www.juniata.edu

Just FoodNew York NYwww.justfood.org

Keystone CollegeLaPlume PAwww.keystone.edu

Keystone Community ResourcesClarks Summit PAwww.keycommres.org

Keystone Development CenterFlinton PAwww.kdc.coop

Kings AgriSeeds IncRonks PA717-687-6224See page 20

The Kitchen PotagerPipersville PA215-766-7825

Kochs Turkey FarmTamaqua PAwww.kochsturkey.com

La Femme GourmetBala Cynwyd PA

www.lafemmegourmet.com

Lady Moon FarmsChambersburg PAwww.ladymoonfarms.com

Lake Erie CreameryCleveland OH216-961-9222

Lakeview Organic GrainPen Yan NYwww.lakevieworganicgrain.com

Lancaster Ag ProductsRonks PAwww.lancasterag.comSee page 20

Lancaster Farmland TrustStrasburg PAwww.lancasterfarmlandtrust.orgSee page 20

Landis Valley Museum /Heirloom Seed ProjectLancaster PAwww.landisvalleymuseum.org

The Lands at Hillside FarmsShavertown PAwww.thelandsathillsidefarms.org

Lansdowne Farmers MarketLansdowne PAwww.lansdownefarmersmarket.com

LegumePittsburgh PAwww.legumebistro.com

Leidys Pork ProductsSouderton PAwww.leidys.com

LeRaysville Cheese FactoryLeRaysville PA800-859-5196

Lionville Natural Pharmacy &Health Food StoreLionville PAwww.lionrx.com

Longwood GardensKennett Square PAwww.longwoodgardens.org

Lower Eastern Shore SustainableOrganic Network (LESSON)

Quantico MD410-677-0788

Main Street Farmers MarketWashington PAwww.washpa.net/farmersmarket

Manatawny Creek WineryDouglassville PAwww.manatawnycreekwinery.com

Martindales Natural MarketSpringfield PAwww.martindalesnutrition.com

Maysies FarmConservation CenterGlenmoore PAwww.maysiesfarm.org

McGeary Organics IncLancaster PAwww.mc

july-aug 2009 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

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