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Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and BeyondNumber 89 March/April 2011

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

tainability as a key part of sustainable agri-culture, said Simon. After all, he continued,at the end of the day, you have to be able tomake enough money to do it all again nextyear. Do you want to attract more cus-tomers? Build a mailing list? Increase yourCSA shares? Make this your websites goaland tailor your web content to that end.

continued page 14

By Nicole Muise-Kielkucki,Chatham University

In early February, Simon Huntley ofSmall Farm Central presented a workshop

on online marketing for small farms atPASAs Western Regional Office. SmallFarm Central specializes in online, small-farm marketing, and represents over 400farms nationally.

Online marketing, you ask? Why wouldyou want to market online when you alreadyhave a perfectly functional farm business upand running? That sounds dulland difficult! As it turns out, there are many reasons toturn to online marketing. And it doesnthave to be boring or hard. As Simon will tellyou, online marketing is not a burden, its

an opportunity. He says his mission atSmall Farm Central is to empower farmersto create a personalized marketing systemthat is both fun and easy.

So, why online marketing? For one,reaching customers online is a fast and sim-ple way to build strong relationships withboth potential and existing customers. Yourwebsite can help bring your customers closerto you and your product. Furthermore, yourwebsite, especially when linked to an onlinenewsletter, can be used to educate people

about your operation, as well as explainwhen something goes wrong. Beyond that,having a website can enable you to featuremore interesting or unusual products, justifycharging higher prices, and gain validity,especially among younger customers whogenerally dont trust a business unless theyare online.

Creating a website can also help youachieve your goals. These dont have to, butcan, be economic goals. As someone whogrew up on a small farm that wasnt neces-sarily always profitable, I see economic sus-

Small Farm Central:Helping you make online marketing easy

INSIDE

PASAs Upcoming

Educational Programs

See what events are coming up

this year on pages 16 & 17.

Above: The goal of Small

Farm Central is to empower

farmers to create a personal-

ized marketing system that is

both fun and easy.

Left: Small Farm Central

founder Simon Huntley


2/282

Passages STAFF & OFFICE

Editor: Michele Gauger

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident: Kim Seeley, Bradford County

Vice President: Rita Resick, Somerset 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 CountySusan Miller, Chester County

Jamie Moore, Allegheny CountyBrian Moyer, Berks County

At-Large Board MemberStephanie Ritchie, Maryland

PASA STAFFPASA HeadquartersPhone: 814-349-9856

Brian SnyderExecutive Director

[email protected]

Lauren SmithDirector of [email protected]

Carrie GillespieDevelopment Associate

[email protected] Najjar

Auction [email protected]

Kristin HoyConference Manager/

BFBL Centre County Chapter [email protected]

Michele GaugerDirector of Membership

[email protected]

Ted PaladaMember Communications Assistant

[email protected]

Rebecca RobertsonFarm Based Education Coordinator

[email protected]

Lisa Diefenbach

Human Resources [email protected]

Amy TaylorOffice & Conference Development Assistant

[email protected]

Susan Beal, DVMAg Science Advisor

[email protected]

Dan ZettleBookkeeping [email protected]

Matt SoccioInformation Technology Consultant

[email protected]

Community OutreachHannah Smith

Community Outreach [email protected]

Southeast Regional OfficePhone: 610-458-5700

Marilyn AnthonySoutheast Regional Director

[email protected]

Denise SheehanMember Services Associate

[email protected]

Western Regional OfficePhone: 412-365-2985

Leah SmithMember Services Manager

[email protected]

Alissa MatthewsProgram Assistant for Marketing

[email protected]

Contributing Writers & Photographers

Marilyn Anthony, Susan Beal, Lisa Diefenbach, Gayle Morrow,

Nicole Muise-Kielkucki, Jean Najjar, Ted Palada, Rebecca

Robertson, Kim Seeley, Lauren Smith, Leah Smith, Brian Snyder,

Ruth Tonachel

Note to our Readers If you are moving, please contact

PASA to update your mailing address. Several of our publi-

cations are sent via bulk mail service, which is not forwarded

via the USPS. Contact [email protected] or call 814-

349-9856 to make an update.

Do you have a great article idea for Passages? Want toshare a farming practice with members? Wed love to hear

from you. Please contact the newsletter staff at newsletter@

pasafarming.org.

Reproduction of Newsletter Material please contact the

PASA office before reprinting or distributing materials con-

tained in this newsletter.

Deadline for May/June 2011 Issue:

April 29, 2011

Advertising Sales: Ted Palada

PASA office, [email protected]

Layout: C Factor

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

P.O. Box 419

Millheim PA 16854-0419

Phone: (814) 349-9856 Fax: (814) 349-9840

www.pasafarming.org

PASAs Mission is

Promoting profitable farms which produce healthy food for

all people while respecting the natural 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.

Find Us on Facebook Friend Us on Our New Facebook Page!

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

March/April 2011

1 Small Farm Central

3 PASA Board News

4 Conference Review

6 Directors Corner

7 PASA Board Perspective

8 Sues View

9 Food Alliance

11 Fundraising Update

12 Regional Marketing

15 Buy Fresh Buy Local Update

16 Educational Opportunities

18 Grant from Colcom Foundation

Awarded to PASA Western Region

19 Membership News

22 Business Member Profile

24 PASAOpinion

25 Classified Ads

26 Calendar

27 Membership Form

Educational Opportunities, page 16

Conference Review, page 4

Business Member Profile, page 22


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PASABo

ardNews

clubs that she belonged to while at PennState. Sara joined PASA in 2002 and

both enjoys and benefits from attendingfield days and the PASA conference.I am passionate about sustainable

farming and the important work ofPASA. Our farm is dedicated to PASAsmission and I would be honored to be amember of the board.

Roy D. BrubakerJuniata County

Roy is co-owner andoperator of Blue RoosterFarm, a grass basedlivestock farm in southernJuniata County. Together with his wife and daugh-

ters, Roy raises and direct markets beef,lamb and pork. They use border colliesand draft horses in their farming opera-tions and also produce registered Black Angus cattle, North Country Cheviotsheep and Berkshire hogs for breedingstock.

Roy works for the PennsylvaniaDepartment of Conservation and Nat-

Sara BaldwinAdams County

Sara farms with herfamily, who owns andoperates Oylers OrganicFarms. She is the 6th gen-eration to farm the sameland. Sara and her family

are committed to producing nutrientdense, certified organic food. Their 360acres are farmed with soil and planthealth in mind. They grow 21 acres ofcertified organic apples and have multipleyoung apple and peach varieties planted.Their apples are marketed through aCSA, farmers market, farm sales, and sev-eral wholesale venues. They have 130acres of a polyculture forage and grass-based beef cattle with Rotokawa Devongenetics.

Sara graduated from Penn State Uni-versitys College of Ag Sciences, with aB.S. in Agroecology and minors in Hor-ticulture and Agronomy. Her lifetimeinvolvement with agriculture includes anactive commitment with 4-H and leader-ship positions in two of the agricultural

ural Resources as the district forester forthe Michaux State Forest. Before that, hespent seven years in the Planning andEcological Services Section in Harrisburgworking on statewide forest managementpolicy and planning issues. Roy hashosted PASA field days and has been

involved for the past several years on thePASA Conference Committee. He is par-ticularly interested in enhancing PASAsforestry related offerings.

Id like to serve on PASAs boardbecause I have yet to find a network ofpeople that I am prouder or more enthu-siastic to be a part of. I hope that over thecoming years, PASA can consistently findthat self-renewing sense of communityand conviviality that has empowered itspast, even as it encounters new complex-ity and challenge in its mission.

Melanie Dietrich Cochran(incumbent)Cumberland County

Melanie grew up milk-ing Jersey cows on herparents farm. Shereturned to the farm aftergraduating from Va Tech,and helped to milk while

working off-farm. Her first PASA confer-ence introduced her to cheesemaking,

and in 2001 she began making cheeseand farming full-time.

Melanie, along with her husband andmother, milk 45 registered Jersey cowsand make 21 varieties of aged, raw milkand fresh cheeses, yogurt and chocolatepudding. They sell their cheeses at farm-ers markets in Washington, D.C. andCarlisle, PA and to stores and restaurantsfrom Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. Melanieis a strong supporter of PASAs educa-tional programs and feels that they are agreat resource for farmers. She serves onthe PASA Conference Planning Com-mittee, has been instrumental in develop-ing the Cheese and Value-added Dairytracks, has hosted two field days andteaches a 3-day Beginning Cheesemakingclass. Melanie serves on the board of theFarmers on the Square Market in Carlisleand has served on the Takoma ParkFarmers Market board.

PASA has given us the inspirationand the tools to make positive changes on

Results ofBoard Election Announced

PASAs 2011 Board of Directors election process began at the annual

conference in early February and continued through March 5th with

our absentee balloting system. We are pleased to announce the win-

ners with their biographies included below.

Board members are elected to a three-year term and may serve

three, three-year terms. We also strive to have representation on the

board from all sectors of agriculture and all regions of Pennsylvania, so

that our board truly reflects the diversity of the membership it serves.

For the past few years, PASA has also been developing regional advi-

sory committees made up of members who are very active in the sus-

tainable farming community and help PASA to do the best work we can

in their particular region. It is our hope that most board candidates will

come from these regional committees in the future.

To finalize the slate of candidates, the president of the board selects

the Nominating Committee, which includes at least two members who

are members of the board and at least two who are not. This committee

carefully considers each candidate and makes sure that all procedures

were followed in attempting to find and select candidates for election.

Most importantly, and as determined by our bylaws, all elections are

indeed competitive, because each and every director elected to the

board must individually receive a majority of the vote cast.

continued on page 20


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INDIVIDUALS: Teena and Michael Bailey Chef Willy Benedetto Jo Ann Bevilacqua Lee Bixler Janice and Brian Burger Mary Bar-

bercheck Linda and Tim Blakeley Don Brubaker and Family Sabine and Tom Carey Moie and Jim Crawford Kristin Curtis Family

Ross Conrad Janet Dean Maueen Diaz Flora Eyster Rebecca Francis Lamonte Garber Jo-Ping Lee and Steve Gaskey Family Michele

Gauger Elody Gyekis Gary Gyekis Todd and John Hopkins Susan and Joel Hubler Carl Hursh Greg Judy Rolanda Ritzman and Gary

Kendall Becky and Don Kretschmann Cindy Law David Lembeck Dawn and Don Levan Bobby Hineline and Tom Ljungman Tracy

and Jeff Mattocks Becky and Steve Marks Brian Magaro Maryann and Dennis Mawhinney Diane and Kim Miller Bill and Debbie Mur-

phy Ray and Jean Najjar Joan and Drew Norman Patti Olenick Claire and Rusty Orner Ann Seltzer Pangborn Michael Pollan Eli

Reiff and Family Anthony Rodale Sue and Don Sauter Barbara Kline and Rhanda Shannon Lauren and Ian Smith Louise Schorn Smith Marjorie Smith Paula

and Brian Snyder Leah and John Tewksbury Bob Vernon Barbara and Mike Wahler Sandie and John Walker Lucy and Rob Wood Roz and Jim Yannaccone

BUSINESSES: Aaronsburg Pottery Acres USA Adams County Winery AgGrand Agri-Dynamics Inc American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA)

Brushwood Farm Byler Goat Dairy Chaddsford Winery Cheesetique Chicken Tractor Clover Creek Cheese Cellar Cocalico Cassettes CompostCritter.com

Cottage Rose Interiors CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley Dairyland Sales and Service Demeters Garden/Lost Hollow Honey Dickinson College Farm Dream

Thyme Farm Dripworks Earth Tools East Branch Ginger East End Food Cooperative Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery Effies Common Scents Elk Creek

Caf and Aleworks Farm to Table Farmers Market Coalition Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund Fasta & Ravioli Company Fedco Seeds Fertrell Company

Field and Forest Products, Inc. The FruitGuys Full Circle Farms Games2U Garden Dreams Urban Farm & Nursery Gatski Metal Glynwood Center Green Heron

Tools, LLC The Greenhorns Hahn Natural Foods Hardwick Beef Harrisons Wine Grill and Catering Herwigs Austrian Bistro High Mowing Organic Seeds Holis-

tic Orchard Network The Hotel Hershey House in the Woods CSA Farm Indian Orchards Jamison Farm Jerry Jackson Fine Pewter Johnnys Selected Seeds

Karen Sandorf Fine Art Prints Keswick Creamery at Carrock Farm Kimberton Whole Foods The Land Institute Laurel Vista Farm Leona Meat Plant Longwood

Garden Inc. Marushka Farms McGeary Organics Inc. Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association MAPACA Misty Dell Farm/ Pen and Thread Monogram Centre Moon Kat

Eclectic Designs Moyers Chicks, Inc. The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle Natures Best Organic Feeds/Kreamer Feeds Natures Pantry Neptunes Harvest New Trends

Publishing Nina Planck & Real Food The Organic Mechanics Soil Company, LLC Ottos Pub & Brewery Over the Moon Farm PA Certified Organic PA Chapter

of the American Chestnut Foundation PA College of Technology PA Native Plant Society Palmer Museum of Art The Penn Stater Conference Center and Nittany

Lion Inn Phillips Mushroom Farms Phoenix Organics, LLC The Pipers Peck Plowshare Produce Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living Red Wiggler

Community Farm Rocks and Relics by Lucy Schafer Fisheries Inc Seeds of Change Seedway Vegetable Seed Shared Earth Farm Signature Art Ware Slow Food

Pittsburgh Small Dairy.com SoJourney Farm Solair Energy, Inc. Sonnewald Natural Foods SPIN Farming LLC Spiral Path Farm Spoutwood Farm Center

Steam Valley Fiber Farm Stocks on Second, Inc. Tait Farm Foods Tamarack Farm Theresa Shay Tri-Yoga Turner Dairy Farms Tuscarora Organic Growers Coop-

erative Vollmecke Orchards & CSA Watershed Agricultural Council Websters Bookstore Cafe Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. Whats Organic About Organic?

Whole Foods Market Wild for Salmon Wiscoy Pet Food Co. Wood Prairie Farm Yellow Springs Native Plant Nursery, LLC

creating a wonderful collection of feltedslippers and toys for the auction. Im notsure how many hours these women dedi-cated to this work but I do know thattheir enthusiasm for supporting our Auc-tion fundraiser was a great source ofencouragement and their creativity raisedover $200 for our organization.

The ladies of Shared Earth Farm arenot alone in making auction giving a

4

Conferen

ceReview

Hebert the Hedgehog

O

n the evening of February 3rd,the doors opened in Deans Hallat the Penn Stater Conference

Center and attendees to the 20th annualconference were greeted with an awesomedisplay of PASA-style generosity. In justtwo months, PASA supporters donatedover 180 items for this collection worthover $24,000, raising $25,027 for PASA.It is worth pointing out that the philan-thropic rule of thumb for this type ofcharity auction, is that they typically raisehalf the retail value of the auction collec-tion. Way to go PASA bidders, formatching the generosity of PASA donors

and proving that some rules were meantto be broken!Among the donations were chances to

win big-ticket items like a weekend get-away to the premier Pennsylvania resortdestination The Hotel Hershey. Therewere unique experiences offered at Long- wood Gardens, the Palmer Museum ofArt, and the Chaddsford Winery to name

a few. And in true PASA fashion there

were works of art, beautiful crafts and jewelry, juxtaposed to sturdy farm tools

and supplies. From agricultural productsto beautiful arts and crafts, from vintageBall jars to fresh out of the box Williams-Sonoma dishware, our annual Benefit

Auction was a testimonial of communitywide support.

Auction Stories

Each item in our auction has a per-sonal story that adds value and meaning

to this fundraising event. It is heartwarm-ing and humbling to act as facilitator ofsuch enthusiastic generosity. It is a pleas-

ure to share a few of my favorite stories.Enchanting everyone at the confer-

ence, Hebert the Hedgehog was a

mother and daughter creation fromShared Earth Farm. Hebert made his firstappearance in an email from Amy Leberin mid-January. She and her motherSheila Coulston were in the process of

PASA Gives and Wins!By Jean Najjar, Auction Project Associate

Benefit

AuctionDonors


5/28

Organic Mechanics gear and supplies

were among the fabulous prizes available

in our Bag Auction.

Conference FoodA Program We Can Grow Together!

5

Conferen

ceReview

By Lauren SmithLucky us!Our conference has great food

everywhere! Its an element that many con-tribute to and even more look forward toenjoying. Everything from the organizedFarmers Market Caf where one can shopfor healthy alternatives, to the simple conti-nentals and social hours provided to atten-dees there is food that was raised andprepared with care, in abundance. Ourpopular Thursday Evening Winter Picnichas become one of the favorite meals of theconference and for good reason, and theCheese Tasting is a special time to socializeleisurely with friends.

I wanted to pay homage to those whoraise the food for our meals. PASA broughtin over $20,000 worth of food to the con-ference center this past February, and overhalf of it was donated. Beyond these savings

continued on page 10

with a generous sampling of their rawmilk products. These stories of enthusias-tic giving are not the exception in ourcommunity but shining examples.

A Special Thanks

to Volunteers and Staff

As our donors were leaping tall build-

ings in a single bound, our volunteers were racing locomotives at the speed ofsound. Perhaps that is a bit of an exag-geration, but I cant overstate my grati-tude to the volunteers and staff memberswho jumped in to help make the BenefitAuction work. Moving into Deans Hall,unpacking and sorting the auction items,selling bag tickets, and closing down andpacking up from start to finish volun-teers made it happen. My special thanksto: Effie, Carlos, Becky, Anne, Anna,

Bethany, Zoe, Kevin, Lura, Linna,Gillian, Michele, Leah, Alissa, Dan, Ted,and my wonderful husband Ray.

I also want to especially thank BrianMagaro. Brian is an auction donor whohas volunteered his professional servicesas Auctioneer for many a PASA Live Auc-tion. This year the Live Auction raisedover $6,000. Thank you, Brian! I

family affair. Chef Mike Ditchfield of

Pennsylvania College of Technology,recruited his son to help harvest the woodof an ancient oak tree and craft a beauti-ful coffee table for PASA. They beganthis project months earlier, with our Auc-tion in mind. The result was a gorgeoustable that garnered an amazing bid of$2,400 in the Live Auction. Wow!

And as the auction was coming to a

close on Saturday, and things were start-

ing to get a little crazy, I got a call from James and Darla Byler of Byler GoatDairy. They were trying to deliver theirdonation of raw milk and cheese beforethe close of the Auction. They spent agood part of Saturday stuck in bad weather and traffic and taking detours.They arrived at the Penn Stater just intime with a beautiful green basket filled

Organic Mechanics gear and supplies

were among the fabulous prizes available

in our Bag Auction.

Chef Mike Ditchfield (left) from Pennsylvania College of Technology, and Chef Ken Stout

(center) and Chef Willie Benedetto of the Penn Stater are enthusiastic advocates for fresh

local food. Pictured here, they take a bow during the Friday Banquet.


6/286

Directo

rsCorner

ment would invest what funds it hasavailable for agriculture to pay farmersfor various services that help torestore the environment or make itscitizens demonstrably healthier, andpreferably both.

The question really is, if you believe

these two statements as I do, where do wego from here in assessing our Farm Billstrategy? Or maybe the better question ishow we get from point #1 to #2 withoutgiving up the farm, literally!

Actually, I dont think the answer isall that hard to figure, just awfully hard toaccept and implement. I think we mayneed to give up, at least for now, all theFarm Bill programs aimed at supportingsustainability and concentrate instead ontotally eliminating the subsidies that dis-

tort the free markets we really need forour farms to be viable. To put it another way, we will never be able to redesignthe federal pie as currently formulatedunless were willing to step up first andrenounce our sacred piece of it.

You see, I told you I am often quicklysidelined in national discussions of suchmatters, and now you know why. Andheres something that will make meeven less popular in some of those samecircles: Whenever we do get the shipturned around, and the feds interested in

focusing their largesse on compensatingfarmers for their verifiably sustainablepractices (in accordance with clearlyestablished national goals), I believe wewill be better served by a comprehensivesystem of tax credits as opposed to theissuance of grant monies in response tocomplicated application procedures thatare subsequently followed by protractedpayment schedules.

Think of it maybe well yet see theday when very little federal or stateincome tax has to be paid on sales ofhealthy food provided by farmers directlyto friends, neighbors and other commu-nity members within, say, a 25-mileradius. Or maybe farmers selling prod-ucts more widely distributed can get asimilar deal on food grown on land where the organic matter increases in ameasurable way by a prescribed incre-ment each year.

Some of my friends will still say Imnuts, but if you think about it, can wereally afford to do this any other way? I

subsidy) programs that so many of usdespise.

Such tradeoffs have occurred becausewe do believe that a whole array of con-servation practices are important, as areprograms aimed at supporting beginningfarmers and those doing innovative

things on their farms such as developingvalue-added products and new marketvenues for a whole variety of direct-to-consumer foods and other services. Inshort, were only too glad when the fed-eral government puts its money where itsproverbial mouth is located with regardto saving the planet and getting healthierfoods of all kinds to the general public.

But, can we afford the price of thetradeoffs, particularly when they oftentend to undo, or at least work in a waythat is contrary to the sustainable prac-

tices we hold so dear? To tell you theabsolute truth about whats in my hearton thisI think theres a strong case tobe made that we actually lose groundevery time an apparent gain for sustain-able farming is achieved through theFarm Bill.

Make no mistake, words like this getme quickly sidelined in a lot of policy dis-cussions with my colleagues across thecountry. I even doubt myself sometimes,especially when I see the various sustain-able-related Farm Bill programs comerolling out, often just in the nick of time.Heck, I really dont even know what wewould have done without the SARE pro-gram to support our Farm-Based Educa-tion programs over the years.

Despite the times when federal grantsseem to perform exactly as they wereintended, I always come back in mymind to the underlying reality, however,that we are paying for a lot of unintendedconsequences elsewhere to get the bit ofassistance where/when we want it. It

leaves me thinking there is an unresolvedsustainable paradox at the center of thiswhole Farm Bill debate that goes some-thing like this.

I believe the following two points tobe absolutely true beyond much ques-tion:

1. A truly sustainable system of agricul-ture cannot by its very nature bedependent on outside, governmentfinancial support in order to succeed.

2. A truly sustainably-minded govern-

Tis the season once again, and therecurring nightmare that comesevery five years or so, though doesnt everseem to leave us completely, has returned i.e. the Farm Bill. PASA will be askedto play an important role in determiningthe next version of this most convolutedbut critical piece of legislation, not only

because of the size and effectiveness ofour organization, but also because of ourgeography.

This time around the Farm Billmerry-go-round promises to be moreinteresting than the last two occur-rences, especially since money is short atthe federal level (not to mention justabout everywhere else), and changewith respect to the status quo in agricul-ture does indeed seem to be in the air.But what change we will see is the ques-

tion, which is why I want to pause forjust a moment and ponder the situation. Anyone who has celebrated over the

past decade each time the sustainableagriculture community experiences aFarm Bill win might not be aware thateach of these apparent gains comes at aprice. We have been told in rather indi-rect, though no less certain ways that wewill get our programs through usually with less funding than requested solong as we accept the co-existence ofmany of the commodity support (i.e.

By Brian Snyder,Executive Director

The Sustainable

Farm Bill Paradox


7/287

define the PASA family.Each of you need to personally reflect

on how important you are, for the beliefsyou hold dear and the sustainable workyou do! In the coming year, more needsto be done. Every day new threats andchallenges to our local food systems will

arise, while new opportunities and rela-tionships will sprout and need cultiva-tion.

PASA has survived because of vision,determination, faith and the individual-

PASA has survived because of vision,determination, faith and the individuality

of all of us. Our farms, gardens andbusinesses define us.

PASABoardPerspective

I appreciate all of the positive feed-back I have gotten from so many of youbecause without honest communication,both ways, we sometimes dont knowhow well we serve. Thank you for allow-ing me the privilege of representingPASA while we defend our food systems

On a recent beautiful spring morning,I was reminded to thank all of you forvoting and electing our newest boardmembers (see page 3). Our volunteerboard is a reflection of our entire region,

ity of all of us. Our farms, gardens andbusinesses define us. Our fruits, vegeta-bles and animal by- products nourish us.Our sustainable educators andresearchers honestly present the truth and

consequences of the intricate interactionof living eco-systems from both good andbad farming practices.

Our network of sustainable supportbusinesses, which have chosen to buildsustainable models, need your continued

support as they provide PASA members

with the necessary infrastructure for foodprocessing, availability of farm products,equipment and technical expertise.

As the entire sustainable networkmatures, our communities now recognizeour efforts, and respond to our sustain-

able methodology. What a powerfulvoice we have to speak with, when cumu-latively we show the credible, successful,

healthy models we all can take credit forsupporting.

In the days and months ahead,

remember to encourage newcomers to

attend a Farm-Based Education orregional Master Class event (see page 16).Next time you meet a struggling farmer

or gardener, remind them about PASA,and our broad diversity of grass-rootsknowledge encourage them to join the

organization or perhaps even considerpassing on a gift membership to them.PASA members have proven agricultural

change is necessary, and can be proudthat our organization leads the way to abetter food future. I

with representation of diverse occupa-tions and a multitude of entrepreneurialbackgrounds.

This year we had to replace a fewboard members leaving because of termlimits. The membership, includingmyself, had an extremely tough choice ofchoosing between highly qualified candi-dates. For those running for the firsttime, please know that next year moreterm limits will take effect and the boardLeadership Committee is already reach-ing out to potential candidates for the

2012 election.PASA is a rare example with so many

young leaders accepting their role for thefuture. How different our country wouldbe both politically and corporately if wecould remove stagnant leadership, whichhas been propagated by lack of term lim-its. The laziness and greed could bereplaced by energy and fairness.

Having been involved with plenty oforganizations over my adult life, I am soappreciative to all of you for supporting

PASA throughout the years. Your effortsinclude activism and advocacy, generos-ity with our fundraising needs, andresponsible service to our organizationsmission. As we grow and thrive, PASA isan especially unique group, with unparal-leled human diversity, as well as a strongmoral compass. These traits, combined with the necessary social consciousness,are necessary to protect our world fromthe shortsighted, reckless undermining ofour worlds food, water and air availabil-ity. Your actions and mine are what

As PASA Board President I some-times forget the details of my jobdescription. Recently I reviewed some ofmy previous Board Perspective newslettercolumns and realized I sometimes (often)get personally caught up in defendingdairy farmers, attacks on organic and sus-tainable farmers, and my own farms sur-

vivability against regulators and attemptsto undermine local food systems.

When my parents started our farmstore back in 1962 they could work hardand see rewards at the end of the year.Today the business world has become solegalistic and flooded with unnecessarypaperwork, I find myself struggling tohave enough time to do the real work ofproducing food. The many battles I haveencountered filter through in mycolumns while I serve on the board of

directors. It can be said that our struggleshelp define us. Our reactions show whatwe are made of.

Throughout the time I have been aPASA member, I have become energizedand reconnected with kindred spiritsacross our region. With encouragementfrom many of you, I have becomeempowered to tackle the tough problems,and unafraid of the constant personalchallenges we encounter. The PASA fam-ily stands above all organizations as a sup-port network.

By Kim Seeley,PASA board president

Remember How

Important You Are


8/28

By Susan Beal, DVM

Sues View

From Over Here

8

everyone else. When the earth is healthy

and prospered, man thrived; when the bal-

ance is destroyed, they suffered. So it

made sense, from the traditional Chinese

medicine sense, to enhance the environ-

ment rather than to harm or deplete it.

Same is found in the teachings and life

practice of the Native American culture.Some of the roots of traditional Chinese

medicine grew out of the agrarian way of

life. Man was bonded with the whims and

cycles of heaven and earth, was vulnerable

to nature and hence kept watch.

I propose that some of that link has

been severed as man and farming have

become more and more manipulative and

domineering. We have lost that sense of

right relation.

A little later in the presentation I

talked about the process of how folks

come to realize that they need to make a

change in their way of being and relating,

using my experiences coaching veterinar-

ians who are making the transition from

the conventional paradigm to that of

holistic practice.

These seemingly disparate groups of

people farmers and veterinary clinicians

have much in common, thats for sure,

as they move through this universal pat-

tern of birthing a new way of being (or dis-covering an old way of being) Were not

stuck trying to solve old problems and dis-

contents using the old patterns those

that got us here in the first place.

But, one of those things that can slow

us down is using a yardstick that doesnt

suit their needs and the manner in which

they are working/being. They are measur-

ing new ways with outdated and inaccu-

rate tools.

Lets not fall into that trap, it no longer

serves us.It seems to me that instead of simply

dollars and adoption of best management

practices, our new yardstick needs to be

marked in measures of integrity, energy

investment, environmental repercussions,

water quality and availability, real steward-

ship of resources and habitat, and the

answers to those deep and significant

ponderings about how we want it to be.

Farming, like medicine, is not a one-size

fits all venture. I

and vital soils, forages, plants and stock is

the basis for all which comes after: foods

and crops, meats, nurtured vital families

with a sense of heart felt purpose and

direction, and thriving community bases.

In the very real practice of and partici-

pation in holistic medicine, just as in eco-

logical farming and civil agriculture, folks

actually think differently. Holistic medicine

is a philosophy; a way of thinking and

being that is not defined by a modality or

choice of treatment or particular tool in

the toolbox.

In the holistic paradigm, all things are

related. Not only is everything that might

be happening within/to an individual

body related but everything in that indi-

viduals world in related.

We look at relationships and patterns

in individuals, in situations, over time

food, family dynamics, housing and stew-ardship, air and water qualitythe whole.

Everything that affects the part affects the

whole. Everything that affects the whole

affects the part. There is nothing noth-

ing in isolation. Everything is integral,

everything is integrated.

This sense of the whole extends

beyond the thought process of how one

might view illness or disease, and becomes

part of how one view BeingRelat-

ing

In traditional Chinese medicine, people

see a magical link between man and the

landscape. (This is not unique to tradi-

tional Chinese culture and medical philos-

ophy, but is shared by many cultures.)

The traditional Chinese medicine men

would talk about invasions of wind (which

is why you need to cover the nape of your

neck, since wind (and the other pernicious

evils) can enter here) or damp or heat.

They talk about how organs like to be

how, for example, the spleen (whose Tra-

ditional Chinese medicine function it is to

digest food and to hold organs in theirplace) likes to be warm and dry and does-

nt like being cold and damp. When that

happens, spleen function is compromised

and things droopHence the pear

shaped folks who complain they eat salad

and cannot loose weight, some steamed

veggies and a happy spleen!

Nature reacts to any change and that

reaction resonates in man. The world and

man are considered as part of a sacred

metabolic system in which everyone

pulsed with life. Everything depends on

Spring has sprung. It is always interest-ing and amazing to me to see how there-emergence unfolds. Here in the moun-tains of west central Pennsylvania colts-foot and skunk cabbage preceded thepeepers and now the grass is beginning toget green at the base of the tufts. This iscertainly a time of change and upheaval literal and figurative, local and global.

I had the opportunity to travel to theInnovative Farmers of Ohio meeting lastmonth to make a presentation at theirannual conference: The Business of Farm-ing an Entrepreneurial Approach. Thisis a small group but man, do they havesome collective energy!

Below are some excerpts from myspeech. These snippets seem appropriateas each one of us navigates our world,wondering how something that is so con-

nected can often appear to be filled withsuch disconnect.

[It] seemed appropriate that I talk

about some of my experiences as a holistic

veterinarian and sustainable/thriving

farming coachThe basis of a healthy

farm community lies in the health and bal-

ance of the components of that commu-

nity the soils and the animals, be they

the animals of the farm (two legged, four

legged, winged) or the animals of the

soil/ecologyThis living ecology, vibrant


9/28

Sunnyside Farm Receives Food Alliance Certification for PoultryFood service company incentive program helps cover costs

9

Food Alliance, in partnership withPASA recently announced that it has cer-tified Sunnyside Farm. The certification

sets a precedent for other poultry produc-ers in the eastern U.S.Located in the Interstate 83 corridor

in York County, Sunnyside Farm(www.sunny-side-farm.com), owned andby Dru Peters and Homer Walden, hasbeen around since 2009. Dru and Homerpreviously leased land since 2002, andtoday they run a pasture-based, intensivegrazing operation for poultry (chicken &turkey), beef and pork.

PASA members since 2005, Dru andHomer utilize heritage breeds and only

use GMO-free feed for their livestock.Sunnyside Farm has received Food Alliance certification for their poultryand egg production on a total of 13 acres.

This certification recognizes that weuse heritage varieties of vegetables andbreeds of livestock, as well as our effortsto monitor our native plant and wildlifepopulations, conserve water resourcesand even our community outreach toteach others all we know, said Peters.

Food Alliance certification standards

for farm operations address a range ofsocial and environmental issues includingsafe and fair working conditions, reduc-

tion of pesticide use and toxicity, soil andwater and energy conservation, reductionof waste, and protection of wildlife habi-tat. The certification requires continuousimprovement in social and environmen-tal management practices.

Sunnyside Farm is a current vendorfor the Bon Appetit Management Com-pany (BAMCO). BAMCO recentlyoffered financial assistance to offset thecost of certification for vendors.

According to Peters, BAMCOsincentive was a huge influence in our

decision to pursue certification. Werespect BAMCO and all they do in thefood service market we believe theyare moving standards forward like noother business.

She continued, Although not really well known on the East Coast yet, Ibelieve that those of us who garner FoodAlliance certification early on will serve aschampions. Our established customerbases will help spread the word about thecertification program.

PASA Executive Director Brian Sny-der said, We are excited to have Sunny-side Farm be one of first farm operationsto receive Food Alliance certification inthe Mid-Atlantic. Dru and Homer haveshown dedication to being good stewardsof the land, and also a strong commit-ment to consumer education. Theysurely will be great ambassadors of theFood Alliance label. I

Foo

dAlliance

A D V E R TI S E M E N T

FOOD ALLIANCE CERTIFICATIONSTANDARDS INCLUDE:

Protect and improve soil resources

Protect and conserve water resources

Protect and enhance biodiversity

Conserve energy, reduce & recycle waste

Reduce use of pesticides, and other toxicand hazardous materials

Maintain transparent and sustainablefood supply chains

Support safe and fair working conditions

No GMOs or artificial ingredients

Ensure healthy, humane animaltreatment, with no growth hormones ornon-therapeutic antibiotics

Continually improve practices


10/2810

Conferen

ceReview

the progress of this crop all summer! For

anyone else who would like to grow inanticipation for the conference meals, just give me a call. Depending on your

commodity, we just might be able to plana dish around it! I

to the organization that we are in turnable to pass on to attendees, I wanted tohonor those who have committed to rais-

ing the food. Some is raw ingredients andsome is processed, and all is truly appre-ciated. We gather sustainably, organi-cally, and regionally raised foods fromover 45 PASA members and friends.Please see our list below and thank thesefolks when you see them.

Each fall when we begin to assemblethe ingredients from which to design theconference menus, we regret not reachingout to you producers earlierin thegrowing season! Well we are doing thatnow. In fact this past January when I was

lamenting with Leslie Zuck that I could-nt get the regional fingerling potatoes I was able to in the past, she remarked.How many pounds do you need Lau-ren? How about I plan on growing those

for the PASA conference this summer to

supply you with them next winter. It canbe our PASA potato patch!

And that is exactly what Leslie isdoing. Recently she remarked, I have

the seed potatoes ordered. We can watch

Beiler Family Farm

Spring Mills, Centre CountyGround Beef

Breezy Hill FarmDoylesburg, Franklin CountyRed Beets & Carrots

Country Time Farm

Hamburg, Berks CountyGround Pork

Country View Farm

Spring Run, Franklin CountyWatermelon Radishes

Cow-a-Hen Farm

Mifflinburg, Union CountyCured Ham, Grass-fed Burgers

Delaware Valley College

Doylestown, Bucks CountyFresh-Pressed Apple Cider

Eberly Poultry

Stevens, Lancaster CountyFresh Whole Chickens

Four Seasons Produce

Ephrata, Lancaster CountyOrganic Produceand lots of it!

The FruitGuys

Sharon Hill, Delaware CountySnacking Apples

Furmano Foods, Inc.

Northumberland,Northumberland CountyTomato & Bean Products

Hardwick Beef

Old Lyme, CTPennsylvania Grass-fed Beef

Inn To The Seasons

Canton, Bradford CountyGoat Milk Ricotta

Journeys End Farm

Newfoundland, Wayne CountyMaple Syrup

Kettle FoodsSalem, OregonAssorted Snacks & Peanut Butter

Landisdale Farm

Jonestown, Lebanon CountySweet Potatoes

Leidys Natural PorkSouderton, Montgomery CountyBacon

Leraysville Cheese Factory

Leraysville, Bradford CountyAssorted Pennsylvania Cheeses

Matre Manoeuvre FarmFort Littleton, Fulton CountyWhole-Hog Sausage

McGeary Organics

Lancaster, Lancaster CountyWhole Wheat Pastry Flour

Milky Way FarmsTroy, Bradford CountyrbST-free Milk, Ice Cream, Heavy Cream

Mother Earth OrganicMushroomsWest Grove, Chester CountyOrganic Button Mushrooms

Natural By Nature

West Grove, Chester CountyHalf & Half, Sour Cream, Butter, Whole Milk,Brown Sugar Whipped Cream

Natures PantryState College, Centre CountyNatural Sodas

New Morning Farm

Hustontown, Huntingdon CountyApple Support

Old School Snacks

Cairnbrook, Somerset County

Wild Rice & Sesame Snacks

One Straw Farm

Whitehall, Maryland

Canned Tomatoes

Organic Valley

Family of Farms

LaFarge, Wisconsin

Half & Half, Provolone, Cheddar, Mozzarella,

Cream Cheese, Stringles, Yogurt Beverage,

Summer Sausage

Perrydell Family Farm

York, York County

Ice Cream

Phillips Mushroom Farms

Kennett Square, Chester County

Portabella, Shiitake & Other Exotic Mushrooms

Phoenix Organics

Spencer, West Virginia

Tofu

Porter Farm

Elba, New York

Red and Yellow Onions & Cabbage

Roaring Spring Water

Roaring Spring, Blair County

Drinking Water

Rodale Institute

Kutztown, Berks County

Apple Butter

Seven Stars Farm

Phoenixville, Chester County

Biodynamic Yogurt

Snyders of Hanover

Hanover, York County

Assorted Snacks

Spring Bank Acres

Rebersburg, Centre County

Pennsylvania Cheese

Stone Meadow Farm

Woodward, Centre County

Swiss Cheese

Stonyfield

Londonderry, New Hampshire

Oikos Yogurt

Sunny Ridge Farm

Spring Run, Franklin County

Heirloom Carrots

Tait Farm Foods

Centre Hall, Centre County

Lemon, Herbal Balsamic, Ginger & Raspberry

Vinaigrettes, Assorted Chutneys & Fruit Shrubs

Three Springs Fruit Farm

Aspers, Adams County

Canned Peaches

Tuscarora Organic Growers CooperativeHustontown, Huntingdon County

Bounty from many of their

organic cooperative farms!

Triangle Organic Farm

Aaronsburg, Centre County

Red & Yellow Onions

Village Acres

Mifflintown, Juniata County

Fresh Eggs

Wild For Salmon

Bloomsburg, Columbia County

Wild Caught Salmon

Windy Knolls Farm

Doylesburg, Franklin County

Celariac

2011 CONFERENCE MEAL CONTRIBUTORSThe ingredients for the meals served during the conference were gathered from supportive farmers,

processors and distributors. Please thank these providing farms and businesses.

Conference Foodcontinued from page 5


11/2811

Fundraisin

gUpdate

Grassroots Promotion

Share your link!Success of our auction is dependent

on grassroots promotion. We are askingeveryone with a computer to help us bysharing the link to our GreenGoods auc-tion site with friends, family, and profes-sional contacts. It will only take minutesto send our link in an email or post it ona social network, but every time youshare our link you expand the potentialsuccess of this fundraiser. So help us

Among the festivities planned for

this years Summer FARM START willbe our next GreenGoods Auction.

Our GreenGoods Auction branddebuted last fall with our first online auc-tion and raised $10,000. Now weregoing to use this new fundraising venueto promote Summer FARM START onthe World Wide Web, with an onlineauction focused on family farms, homegardens, local food systems, and greengoods of all sorts.

Build the Auction Donate goods

and services to support PASA!The Summer FARM START Auction

is a great opportunity for web-based busi-nesses and others to promote their greengoods and support sustainable agricul-ture at the same time. Our goal for thisauction is to showcase 100 items rangingin value from $25 to $2,500. Each dona-tion to our Summer FARM START Auction will have its own page withinour site that will include an image anddescription accompanied by the donorlink and logo.

We would love to feature your dona-tion in our Summer FARM STARTAuction. If you are ready to donate, visitour GreenGoods homepage with the linkabove and click on the Donate Itemstabin the left hand column to complete thedonation submission. PASA staff will bein touch with you to confirm your dona-tion and thank you for your support. Ifyou have questions email [email protected]. Shell make this as easy as pick-ing a tomato of the vine!

TREK for PASA! In early April, Steve and his 13 year-old son Randy will climbto Mt. Everest Base Camp, an elevation of 18,500 feet, to raise funds for PASA. At

13, Randy will be one of the youngest people to ever attempt this climb. Steve

and Randy are going to incredible heights for PASA, and for this climb to be a suc-

cess theyll need the support of many sponsors and donors. Please consider

pledging your support today by visiting www.pasafarming.org/trek. You will

have the option of pledging a set amount, or you can trek vicariously with Steve

& Randy by pledging by the foot and really be a part of the climb! We hope

many are inspired to support this incredible journey.

Join the Fundraising Team! PASA Staff & Board Members work diligently

throughout the year on a wide variety of fundraising projects to raise the neces-

sary revenue needed for the Annual Fund. Would you like to lend a hand too?There are tasks of varying sizes that wed like to share with members who might

like to participate. Contact Lauren Smith at PASA headquarters for more details.

Our Annual Fund The PASA Annual Fund is the collective effort to raise unre-

stricted funds for the organization on a yearly basis. The revenue raised through

the Annual Fund impacts nearly every program and service provided by PASA. It

is comprised of direct contributions, general operating grants, monies generated

through special projects sponsored by partnering businesses, and revenue raised

at auctions, fundraising dinners and other special events. To donate visit

www.pasafarming.org/donate.

build support for our Auction and theSummer FARM START with this grass-roots promotion!

Its easy! Our URL is: www.bidding-forgood.com/pasafarming

Log onto your computer and visit our Auction Homepage by using the URLabove. You can also get to our Auction byclicking on the GreenGoods toolbox onPASAs homepage. Once there, you canrefer friends and post our to Facebook,

Twitter, and Linked In.Or simply copy the URL into your

email or post it on your website. Email [email protected] and she will sendyou the jpeg image of our GreenGoodslogo to use as a link.

Join this grassroots fundraising effortby promoting and donating! If you haveany questions feel free to contact JeanNajjar, Auction Project Associate at 814-349-9856 ext.24.

PASAs 3rd annualSummer FARM START Takes Shape

Just a few years old, Summer FARM START has become a season of its own, with

exciting events happening statewide. Starting in May and ending on the Summer

Solstice, it is a celebration of the return of farmers markets and an opportunity

to shine a light on the significance of family farms and local food systems in Penn-

sylvania. The Summer FARM START has a goal of increasing awareness of the

significance of agriculture and local food systems in our region.

This years FARM START events are just beginning to take shape. Members have

been calling the office to get their events slated on the calendar and sponsors are

beginning to step up to the plate and offer their support. For more information

on how the FARM START works and how you might be involved, visit

www.pasafarming.org/farmstart for complete details.


12/2812

The Academy of Natural Sciences and

PASA present a three-part series high-

lighting cutting-edge issues on food and

farming. Whether balancing the needs

for food and energy, finding new ways to

grow more with less, or just getting safe,sustainable food on the table, agriculture

faces a brave new world.

This lecture series entitled Feeding

the Future: Food, Agriculture and Land

Use in Uncertain Times covered the

impacts of Marcellus Shale drilling on PA

Agriculture back in March, where

PASAs board president Kim Seeley

spoke. Other upcoming lectures will be

April 28 Innovative Agriculture for

the 21st Century, which will include a

Food Alliance discussion with KarenLewotsky, certification director, and on

May 23 Local Food-Safe Food: Bring-

ing it to Market, which will feature Brian

Snyder, PASAs executive director as one

of the speakers.

SOUTHEAST REGION

RegionalM

arketing

All programs are in the Auditorium,

Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Ben-

jamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia PA

19102. Programs will start with a recep-

tion and information exchange at 6:00

p.m. and presentations begin at 6:30p.m. For more information, please call215-299-1108 or visit www.ansp.org/environmental.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T AD V E R TI S E M E N T

Materials reviews

QuarterlyOrganic MattersNewsletterWorkshops and field days

Contact us for a free info pack or to speak toone of our certification specialists.

ASSURING the INTEGRITY ofORGANIC PRODUCTS

106 School Street, Suite 201 Spring Mills PA 16875

814-422-0251 [email protected] www.paorganic.org


13/2813

RegionalM

arketing

strengthen our complex food system so itsustains the Greater Philadelphia regionfor decades to come.

The plan is organized around six corevalues farming and sustainable agri-culture, ecological stewardship and con-servation, economic development,health, fairness, and collaboration andoutlines more than 50 recommendationsto improve the Greater Philadelphia foodsystem.

DVRPC also announced nearly$500,000 in grants, made possible withfunding from the William Penn Founda-

tion, and presented the Plate of Distinc-tion Award to seven local organizationsalready working to achieve the recom-mendations laid out in the plan. Theseorganizations are: The Common Market,Fair Food, Greensgrow Farms, Metro-politan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance (MANNA), SHARE, WeaversWay Community Programs and PASA.

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]

Leah Smith

412-365-2985 [email protected]

Southeastern

[email protected]

Denise Sheehan

610-458-5700 x317 [email protected]

Southcentral

[email protected]

Jenn Halpin


NorthCentral/Eastern

[email protected]

Leah Tewksbury


Delmarva Region

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PASADelmarva

Marcellus Shale Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/PASAMarcellus

Out of State discussion group addresses:

States North and East of Pennsylvania

PASAOutofStateNortheast-

[email protected]

States South and West of Pennsylvania

[email protected]

The Delaware Valley Regional Plan-

ning Commission (DVRPC) recentlyunveiled a comprehensive plan tostrengthen the food system that feeds theGreater Philadelphia region andannounced nearly $500,000 in grants tohelp implement the plan.

Eating Here: Greater PhiladelphiasFood System Planis the result of a two-year collaborative effort to identifyopportunities and provide recommenda-tions to increase the security and eco-nomic, social and environmental benefitsof the regional food system.

How we grow, package, transportand distribute our food are significantfactors in the health of our economy, ourenvironment and our community, saidDVRPC Executive Director Barry Sey-mour. This plan is designed to help

DVRPC Unveils ComprehensivePlan to Strengthen Greater Philadephia Food System

Agency Announces $500,000 in Grants, Presents Plate of Distinction Awards

Visit PASA online atwww.pasafarming.org


14/2814

At the workshop, Simon shared someof his strategies that help make marketingsuccessful, fun and easy. Here areSimons five main principles of online

marketing:Be authentic. Simon explains, We

want farmers to love their website, and tosee it as an extension of themselves. Thismeans have fun, be yourself, and dontoverreach and try to become somethingyoure not. For one, its tiring and hardto keep up with. Second, new customerswill see that something is not right, andrepeat customers will see right throughyou. It is much easier and more fun to just be yourself !

Promote! The easiest way to do this isto add your website to your email signa-ture or footer, so that people are encour-aged to check out your website every time

content of your site without having to domuch work! Not only are photos pleasingto look at, but more than likely, yourfarms subscribers visit your website inorder to get to know you better. Showingthem picture helps them to do this. Also,make sure your product lists and contact

information are kept up to date.Your story is interesting! Remember,

most of your customers are not farmers.Many of them subscribe to your CSA orfollow your website to learn about you

and your farm. Things you do on a dailybasis that you think of as old-hat mightbe extraordinary to other people. Tellpeople these stories: your story is interest-ing to strangers and customers alike.

So, ready to start, but not sure how?

Let Simon help you. Sign up for a free,

30-day trial on Small Farm Central.https://sfc.smallfarmcentral.com/scripts/billing/trial/freetrial.php. And be sure tovisit some of their featured websites. I

you send an email. Other ways to do thisare to run sweepstakes on your site, likeholding a drawing for a free CSA share,for example. Also, make sure your farmand website are listed in web-based farmdirectories, such as BuyLocalPA.org andAgMap. Lastly, think about joining social

media outlets, like Facebook and Twit-ter. While these are great ways to reachout and promote to potential customers,remember the fist principal and only do what feels right for you. Otherwise youwill spend too much time and energy try-ing to keep up with something you dontreally like to do, which is notfun.

Clean Navigation. Use navigation words that are common to all websites,like about and contact us so that yoursubscribers know where to go to find cer-

tain types of information on your site.Keep it Fresh. Update often, and

make it easy to do this. Uploading pho-tos is a fun way to noticeably change the

Small Farm Centralcontinued from page 1

A D V E R T I S E M E N T A D V E R T I S E M E N T


15/28

I Fayette & Greene CountiesFay-Penn Economic DevelopmentCouncilChapter CoordinatorsBob [email protected] x227orJessica [email protected] x222(New chapter in 2010)

I Greater Lehigh ValleyNurture Nature CenterChapter CoordinatorLynn [email protected] [email protected] Berks, Lehigh andNorthampton Counties

I Lancaster CountyLocal Steering Committee, withthe assistance of the Local EconomyCenter, Franklin & Marshall CollegeChapter CoordinatorLinda Aleci 717-291-4293or [email protected]

I Northeast Region

The University of ScrantonSmall Business Development CenterChapter CoordinatorMaria Montenegro570-941-7588 [email protected]:Lisa Hall 570-941-7588 [email protected]

Serving Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike andWayne Counties

I Northern TierChapter CoordinatorNorthern Tier Cultural [email protected]

Serving Bradford, Potter, Sullivan,Susquehanna, Tioga and WyomingCounties

I PhiladelphiaFair FoodChapter CoordinatorsChristina [email protected] x106orAnn [email protected] x101

I South CentralCheryl BurnsChapter [email protected] Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin,Franklin, Lebanon, Juniata, Perry andYork Counties

PENNSYLVANIA BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL

How to Plug InThe Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local program has been celebrating the

abundance found in our Commonwealth since 2002, with the aim of mak-

ing it easier for Pennsylvania consumers to find, choose and appreciate

great local foodsand to support the farmers and lands which produce

them. Currently there are 13 active chapters in Pennsylvania. We create

local food guides (both in print and online) and organize events (such asfarms tours or tastings), among other activities. To learn more about

what's going on in your region, contact one of the local chapter coordi-

nators listed below. For information on Buy Fresh Buy Local chapters and

activities outside of PA, visit FoodRoutes.org.

Get on the map at buylocalpa.org

Thousands of eager eaters each month use the map-

based search tools on our website to find local foods

near them in markets, stores, restaurants and direct

from local growers. Shouldnt they also find your busi-

ness there? Even if you have your own website or Inter-

net listings elsewhere, you dont want to turn down the

additional exposure youll get through a profile on our

site the online home of the Pennsylvania Buy Fresh

Buy Local program. Signing up is quick and easy: visit

www.buylocalpa.org/getonthemap.

Be sure your profile is up to date.

If your business is already listed on buylocalpa.org,

check to make sure that your information has been

updated and you are using all the available tools.

What is Buy Fresh Buy Local?

Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) is a national marketing

campaign coordinated by FoodRoutes Network

(foodroutes.org) to connect consumers with locally

grown foods. PASA is working with FoodRoutes to coor-

dinate 13 existing chapters in Pennsylvania. PASA mem-

bers and nonprofit associates coordinate several of

these regional chapters. If you are interested in learning

more, contact the chapter representative in your area

(see box at right).

I Southeastern Pennsylvania(including Chester Countys Chapter)Chapter CoordinatorsDenise [email protected] x317orMarilyn [email protected] x305Serving Bucks, Chester, Delawareand Montgomery Counties

I Valleys of the Susquehanna(including Centre Countys Chapter)

Chapter CoordinatorKristin [email protected] x11Serving Centre, Clinton, Columbia,Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumber-land, Snyder and Union Counties

I Western PennsylvaniaPASAChapter Coordinatorfor Southwest PA:[email protected]

for Northwest PA:[email protected] Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver,Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest,

Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer,Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington

and Westmoreland Counties

I York CountyYork County Agriculture BusinessCouncilChapter CoordinatorBrandi [email protected]

I Statewide ProgramCoordinationContact:[email protected] website support contact:[email protected]

Buy Fresh Buy Local chapters in

Pennsylvania are coordinated by thePennsylvania Association for Sustain-

able Agriculture, on behalf of their

national partner, FoodRoutes Network.

To explore your region's food system

further, hear about upcoming events

and find more ways to get involved,

please visit our website www.buylo-

capa.org or contact one of the folks

listed above.

15

Buy Fresh Buy Local Chapter Updates

Submitted by Ruth TonachelThe Northern Tier chapter coordinators and volunteers

have been working hard on the next edition of their Guide to

Local Foods. They hope to have the print edition back for dis-tribution in early April and will put it online at their website(www.northerntierbfbl.com). It will be at least 16 full colorpages and contain over 130 listings. Also on the website only will be an updated listing of local producers of non-fooditems such as fiber, flowers, soaps and lotions.

The chapter has developed a set of 50 different full colorFood Fact Cards which are currently being used in threeelementary schools in Bradford County in various ways.Each card features a food that can be grown locally and givesinformation about its history, growing needs, storage andother educational tidbits. There is also a list on each card oflocal sources for that food (many of the sources are our BFBL

chapter members). There are photos of the food in its grow-ing state and in a consumable form to help children connectwhat they eat with the plant or animal that is its source. Thechapter has begun selling full sets of the cards to the generalpublic and is looking into additional ways to utilize the cardsin schools and in conjunction with the Northern Tier Guideto Local Foods. To order a set of the cards ($12.75 plus ship-ping & handling), contact Kathy Joyce at the North Coun-try Artisan Center and Store in Towanda (570-268-5055).

NORTHERN TIER CHAPTER

Buy

FreshBuyLoc

alUpdate


16/28

FARM-BASED EDUCATIONWhat are Field Days & Intensive Learning Programs?

Field Days are typically hosted on a farm, include a farm tour and utilize a

farmer-to-farmer teaching model. Events typically run from 10am-4pm and

include a meal. Field Days are listed in the annual Farm-Based Education Calen-

dar and are open to the public.

Intensive Learning Programs (ILP) are statewide educational events that oftenhave a participation limit to facilitate hands-on, focused learning. They are often

hosted at farms, or in a classroom setting. ILPs may vary in length from day-long

to several days, and the fee for participation is driven according to the market,

materials used and experience level of the program.

At press, sponsors, contributors & final details were being added. Visit pasa-

farming.org/farmbasededucation for updated information. Event calendars will

be mailed in April.

16

APRIL

April 15

Hands-on Urban Farming:Sustainability & Profits in Small Spaces

Fairgreen Neighborhood Garden,

Youngstown, OHIn partnership with Grow Youngstown, Youngstown

Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) &

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT);

funds provided by EPA, region III

MAY

May 9

Transitioning to Organic

in an Apple Orchard

ONeills Orchard, Wayne Co.In collaboration with Northeast Organic FarmingAssociation (NOFA); funds provided by EPA, region III

May 2325

Intensive Learning Program

Mob Grazing with Ian Mitchell-Innes

Kananga Farm, Westmoreland Co.In collaboration with the PA Womens Agriculture Net-

work (PA WAgN); sponsored by the North American

Devon Assocation (NADA), the Environmental Fund for

PA, and the PA Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative

May 27

Mob Grazing Workshop for Educators

Spring Wood Farm, Lancaster Co.

May 28

Mob Grazing for Dairy & Beef Farmers

Spring Wood Farm, Lancaster Co.

Sponsored by Organic Unlimited, Inc.

JUNE

June 7

A Goat of Many Uses

Adding Value with Goats for Home-

steaders, New & Beginning Farmers

Always Somethin Farm, Tioga Co.

July 23

Energy Efficient Organic Farming:

A Success Story

Fox Haven Farm, Frederick MD

In collaboration with Future Harvest-CASA

July 28

Exotic Mushrooms from PA Fields &

ForestsQuiet Creek Herb Farm, Jefferson Co.In collaboration with PA Women in Agriculture Net-

work (PA WAgN)

AUGUST

August 3

Mid-Season Business Management:

Am I Having a Good Year &

Where do I go from Here?

Southeast PA, Location TBA

August 11Raw Milk Dairy & Educational Farm

Bookamer Family Farm, Crawford Co.

August 22

Hands-on Specialized Equipment for

Vegetable Production

The Seed Farm, Lehigh Co.In partnership with the Seed Farm; funds provided by

EPA, region III

August 26

Niche Farming in Diverse Times: The

Role of Kunekune Pigs on a New Farm

Black Valley Farm, Bedford Co.

SEPTEMBER

September 8

Sheep: Nutrition, Handling

& Health Concerns

Owens Farm, Northumberland Co.

E

ducationOpp

ortunities

June 15

Field to Fleece to Market:

Incorporating Natural Fiber Products

into Your Operation

Bearlin Acres Farm, Franklin Co.

In collaboration with Future Harvest-CASA

June 28

Growing & Adding Value to Ancient,

Modern & Heritage Grains

Weatherbury Farm, Washington Co.

Funds provided by EPA, region III

June 30

Today's Decisions, Tomorrow's

Successes: Managing Soils, Weeds &

Pests in Organic Cropping Systems

Rock Springs Research Station, Centre Co.In partnership with Penn State University;

funds provided by EPA, region III

JULYJuly 19

Woodlot Pork: Raising Pigs in

their Natural Environment

Forks Farm, Columbia Co.

Sponsored by The Fertrell Company


17/2817

E

ducationOpp

ortunities

OCTOBER

October 7

Soil & Soil Preparation for Fallow Fields

The Rodale Institute, Berks Co.

Sponsored by The Fertrell Company; funds provided

by EPA, region III

October 14 & 15Intensive Learning Program

Home Cheesemaking for Beginners

Quiet Creek Herb Farm, Jefferson Co.

October 17

Profitable Farmer Innovations

Sunnyside Farm, York Co.In partnership with Northeast Sustainable Agriculture

Research & Education (SARE)

What are Master Classes?Organized by PASAs Western and Eastern regional staff,

Master Classes are shorter, regionalized educational and/or

networking events. They typically utilize the expertise of

knowledgeable area producers and local businesses and are

shorter in length than Field Days. Master Classes are typically

scheduled on a month-to-month basis.

April 2 M AS TE R C LA SS

Farmers Market Success: A Workshop for Farmers

Market Managers and Vendors

Presented by PASA and Penn State Cooperative Extension10am1pm (Please Bring a Packed Lunch; Beverages and

Dessert Will Be Provided)Venango County Fairgrounds, Auditorium in Franklin.

Cost: $12.00Pre-Registration Required: contact Leah Smith at 412-365-2985 or [email protected]

April 30 M AS TE R C LA SS

Creative Conservation: Funding Conservation

Practices and Developing a Diversified Farm

10am12noonRed Barn Farm, Greene Co.Pre-Registration required: contact Alissa at 412-365-2987or email [email protected]

Additional events will be scheduled. Visit pasafarming.org/

southeastregion for up to date information.

SOUTHEAST REGION

WESTERN REGION

NOVEMBERNOVEMBER 910

Intensive Learning Program

Intermediate Cheesemaking

Stone Meadow Farm, Centre Co.

NOVEMBER 14

Intensive Learning Program Hands-on Beef Butchery

Jamison Farm, Westmoreland Co.

DECEMBERDecember 3

FarmFutures Program

Chester Co. Economic Development Center

Offices, Chester Co.

September 10

Growing, Harvesting

& Marketing Ginseng

Western PA, Location TBA

In partnership with Shavers Creek Environmental

Center

September 13

Late Season Care for BeesTwo Gander Farm, Berks Co.

Funds provided by EPA, region III

September 28

Briars to Bovines:

Reclaiming Abandoned Farmland

Provident Farms, Tioga Co.

Sponsored by The Fertrell Company




18/2818

PASA has received a $50,000 grantfrom the Colcom Foundation to developaction-oriented tools and trainingsthroughout western Pennsylvania to helpfarmers, rural land owners, and other cit-izens make informed, holistic decisions,understand legal issues, and engage inenvironmental monitoring and organiz-ing efforts related to Marcellus Shale Gasissues within their communities.

PASA, in collaboration with partner-ing organizations and experts, will coor-dinate a series of informative and

empowering workshops entitled Marcel-lus Shale Choices: Information into Action to be hosted in four locationschosen within the main watersheds of western Pennsylvania: the counties of

Grant from Colcom FoundationAwarded to PASA Western RegionPASA to host trainings throughout Western Pennsylvania addressing the

impacts of Marcellus Shale Natural Gas drilling on the agricultural community

Farming for the Future Conferencein StateCollege, PA.

PASA is in a unique position to con-nect agricultural communities with thetools and knowledge they need to movefrom information to action regardingland, water, and community issues

related to deep gas drilling. Farmers andrural landowners are a key groupimpacted by the Marcellus Shale gasdevelopment, and we want to bring theirvoices into the debate and support themas they continue to steward their land inthe complicated environment of Marcel-lus Shale gas play.

The Pennsylvania Association of Sus-tainable Agriculture shares the ColcomFoundations commitment to foster asustainable environment to ensure qual-ity of life for all Americans, and is pleased

to receive the support of the ColcomFoundation for the workshop seriesMarcellus Shale Choices: Informationinto Action. Workshops are anticipatedto begin in May. I

Greene, Allegheny, Jefferson, and McK-ean. Partners in the year-long projectinclude Ross Pifer of the Penn State Agri-culture Law Resource and ReferenceCenter, Byron Shelton, Certified HolisticManagement Educator, the DickinsonCollege Alliance of Aquatic ResourceMonitoring (ALLARM) and the Moun-tains Watershed Alliance, and the Uni-versity of Pittsburgh Center for HealthyEnvironment and Communities. Work-shop topics within the series includeFarm Based Decision Making, Legal

Aspects of Marcellus Shale, Citizen Envi-ronmental Monitoring Training, andCommunity Organizing Training. Asimilar educational series will also bedeveloped for the February 2012 PASA

A D V E R T I S E M E N T A D V E R T I S E M E N T


19/28

TABLE 1. MEMBERSHIP EDUCATION INTERESTSTopics PASA Members are Interested in Learning More About Answer ( n=641)

Agricultural Policy 38.2%

Aquaculture 12.3%

Business Planning & Management 28.7%

Biodynamic Production 22.6%

Canning or other Food Preservation Techniques 39.2%

Chemical Reduction / IPM 17.8%

Community Supported Agriculture 34.3%

Cooking with Local Foods 38.2%

General Dairy 16.7%

Forest Farming/Woodlot Management 25.0%

Fruit Production 38.5%Getting Started Farming/Land Access/Business Planning 22.6%

Health and Nutrition 35.1%

Hoophouses, Greenhouses & Season Extension 49.8%

Livestock: Grazing & Beef 26.2%

Livestock: Pastured Pork 23.1%

Livestock: Poultry 39.0%

Livestock: Small Ruminants 23.9%

Livestock: Horse 7.5%

Marketing Skills 30.6%

Permaculture 24.6%

Regulations ie. On-farm processing, direct sales, wholesale accounts 36.5%

Renewable Energy / Energy Efficiency 54.4%Seed saving 38.1%

Small Grain Production 22.9%

Soils/Compost 52.3%

Succession Planning (Passing on the Farm) 15.4%

Value-Added Dairy 16.2%

Vegetable Production 43.7%

Water Management/Irrigation 22.9%

Weed Management 40.7%

None of the Above 3.4%

Other (please specify) 12.8%

19

Member Education Interests

PASA members have a diverse rangeof education interests. Over half of PASAmembers who responded to the surveyindicated an interest in Renewable

Energy/Energy Efficiency and also Soilsand Compost. Hoophouses and SeasonExtension were also rated highly. Othertopics of interest receiving more than35% of responses include, canning/preservation, weed management, CSA,vegetable production, cooking with localfood, fruit production, health and nutri-tion, regulations, seed saving, and poul-try. See Table 1 below.

MembershipNews

Membership Survey Results

In the fall of 2009, PASA distributedour first biannual comprehensive mem-ber survey, and during the 2010 Farming for the FutureConference we attempted

to gather additional responses. Data col-lection ended in March 2010, as writtenresponses were entered into our surveytool. In upcoming issues of the newsletterand on our website, we will be reportingvarious results of the survey a fullsummary report is available uponrequest. In Passages88 we detailed somedemographic and occupational informa-tion, here we highlight results about ourmembers educational interests.

By Ted Palada,Member Communications AssistantPASA has been active with social

media by using Facebook and mostrecently YouTube to help reach a broader

audience interested in sustainable agricul-ture. Since the launch of PASAs Face-book page in July 2010, as of mid-Marchwe have over 1,960 fans and the numberis consistently rising. Our page hashelped promote education, events, mem-bership, share important news and postlinks. There is also a tab on the page thatlinks to our online membership store so folks can join directly from Facebook.

In February we launched our YouTube channel to share videos andcontinue to help reach a broader audi-ence. PASA will continue to add morevideo content in the future such as the2011 PASA-bilities Leadership AwardSeries, the 2011 Farming for the FutureConference and other videos on educa-tion. So stay tuned!

Membership Renewal Reminder

& Help Us Meet Our Goal!

Just a reminder to all those yet torenew your membership for 2011 please look at your mailing label on theback of this newsletter to recall when

your membership expires. You can renewonline at pasafarming.net/membership,call 814-349-9856 or return the formyou recently received in the mail.

Also PASA staff and board are work-ing toward a goal of 6,400 members bythe end of June 2011. Help us reach thisgoal by considering purchases of giftmemberships for a friends or colleagues,suggest to a friend or neighbor they joinand attend a field day, or just pass ongood words about the organization tohelp us grow our member roster! Most ofour members find us by word of mouth so continue to spread the word andhelp us reach our membership goal!

Moving?

If you are moving, please contactPASA to update your mailing address.Several of our publications are sent viabulk mail, which is not forwarded via theUSPS. Contact [email protected] orcall 814-349-9856 x25 to make anupdate.

PASA Expands into Social Media with Facebook and YouTube


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PASA staff and board would like to welcome these new business and nonprofit members as of March 16, 2011

Agrisystems International

Bangor, PA

www.agrisysintl.com

American Native Nursery

Quakertown, PA

www.americannativenursery.com

Bella Terra Farm

New Ringgold, PA

Beverly Hall Corporation

Quakertown, PA

Brandywine Valley Wine Trail

Lewisville, PA

www.bvwinetrail.com

Center for Eye Care /

Mifflin Co. Community Surgery

Lewistown, PA

Erdenheim Farm LLC

Lafayette Hill, PA

Federation of

Neighborhood Centers

Philadelphia, PA

www.federationnc.org

The Hardler Farm

Honesdale, PA

Jamison Publick House

Zionsville, PA

www.jamisonpublickhouse.com

Kitchen Incubator of CTTC

Carbondale, PA

www.4cttc.org

Land Stewards

Quakertown, PA

Messiah College

Community Garden

Grantham, PA

Mon Valley Initiative

Homestead, PA

Organic EquipmentTechnologies

Byron, NY

Orion Industrial LLC

Okemos, MI

www.orion5000.com

Peace Tree Farm

Kintnersville, PA

www.peacetreefarm.com

Pennsylvania Alpaca

Owners & Breeders Association

Bradford, PA

www.paoba.org

Pennsylvania Service & Supply Inc

Biglerville, PA

Perdue AgriRecycle LLC

Seaford, DE

Pittsburgh Distilling Co.

Pittsburgh, PA

Rotokawa Cattle Company

Hardwick, MA

www.rotokawacattle.com

Sustainable Enterprise Accelerator

Slippery Rock University

Slippery Rock, PA

Thanksgiving Farm/

Center for Discovery

Harris, NY

www.thecenterfordiscovery.org

Welsh Garden

Rixeyville, VA

West Virginia

Food & Farm Coalition

Beckley, WVwww.wvhub.org/

foodandfarmcoalition

20

our family farm and I would love theopportunity to continue serving such adynamic organization.

Susan Miller (incumbent)Chester County

Sue is a first generationdairy farmer milking 80cows with her family atBirchrun Hills Farm. Suemakes raw milk cheesesand direct markets the

cheese through farmers markets, restau-rants and specialty cheese shops. Sue iscommitted to working with farmers topromote educational opportunities insustainability, marketing and addingvalue to their agricultural products.

Sue is a 4-H leader and is a member ofthe Pennsylvania Farmstead and ArtisanCheese Alliance, American CheeseSociety, Pennsylvania Holstein Associa-tion, Chester County Holstein Associa-tion and PA Women in AgricultureNetwork. Like many farmers across

with subsistence farmers and womensgardening cooperatives in Africa. Uponher return, she began organic farmingand direct marketing including: growingand selling heirloom tomatoes for UnionSquare Greenmarket, managing GlasbernInns vegetable garden, interning at the

Rodale Experimental Farm, and manag-ing a garlic farm in the Poconos. Heidi isa graduate of the Pennsylvania RuralLeadership (RULE) Program.

Heidi has presented at past Farming for the FutureConferences. She is Chairof PA Women in Agriculture NetworksSteering Committee and a farmer Direc-tor on the board of the Monroe CountyConservation District. Heidi creditsPASA for providing inspiration, motiva-tion and key relationships that have beencritical to her success.

More than ever communities will beturning to the farming community forleadership; and within that communityPASA provides the vision, voice, andactions critical to guiding the successfulrealization of healthy food for all people while respecting the natural environ-ment. I welcome a chance to serve withsuch a strong grassroots organization. I

Pennsylvania over the past ten years,Sues family farm has found it difficult toearn a fair living in the dairy industry.Through her involvement with PASA,her farm has been able to thrive.

I believe food production is truly apartnership between the farmer, the chef,

the store owner and the conscious eater, with PASA at the center working toorchestrate relationships in food whileguiding farmers to profitable businesses.Farmers who can relate their experiencesand successes to the industry will set anexample for other farmers to make posi-tive changes on their farms; a missionPASA and I both share.

Heidi SecordMonroe County

Heidi Secord, along with her husband, ownsand operates the 48-acre Josie Porter Farm. Usingbiodynamic growingmethods, the farm sup-

ports a 100-member CSA on land leasedfrom a local municipality. Heidi earned adegree in Business Management andjoined the Peace Corps where she worked

Board Election Resultscontinued from page 3

PASA staff and board would like to welcome

these new Lifetime Members as of March 16, 2011

Tracey Coulter & Chip Mefford

Boalsburg, PA

Sloane Six Family

Quarryville, PA

PASA staff and board would like to thank

the following volunteers as of March 16, 2011

Ann Docken

Cristin Mitchell

Anna Smith


21/28



22/28

Grazing in Local PasturesBusinessMemb

erProfile

ket, buy and sell, he says. People saythey want it but they cant afford it. Nomatter how you slice it, grass-fed isexpensive.

Part of this real fascinating dynamicis that the farmer trying to manage rela-tively small herds and processors sched-

ules limits the beef supply. There is also agreat deal of non-premium beef he has tomarket, namely the ubiquitous groundbeef.

Its all about the ground, Santiannisays, explaining that ground beef is typi-cally sold at a loss. You cant targetground beef as the place to make yourmoney. So, hes developed a market forbeef sticks a value-added product thatuses the same hard-to-sell cuts and trimthat usually go into ground.

People are buying them, he says,

adding that he is feeling optimistic but istrying to figure out how to bring costsdown and add more exotic flavors.

But whether its tenderloin or ham-burger, Santianni believes in his farmersand in the quality of their beef.

Its a

passages 89

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