sept-oct 2009 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

8/9/2019 Sept-Oct 2009 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

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ket. Today, the list of things that the Noels cangrow or produce themselves is remarkably shortTheir product list includes pasture-raised poultry, organically grown produce, whole grainbaked goods and bread, coffee roasted on thefarm, and a variety of specialty products such aspelt flour pancake mix and vinegar. In additionto a regular rotation of farmers markets anddeliveries where Eden View Organics sell, thefarm has a Harvest Shak where patrons can pur-chase products.

As Eden View Organics grew, the Noe joined PASA. According to Cindy, networkinwith other farmers keeps them current with newtechniques and gives them encouragementMeeting other people and talking to other people provides so much support. I also think ihelps you to dream a little bit bigger because youhear about what all the other people are doing.

The bounty comes from a remarkably smal

plot of land. Eden View Farm is comprised ojust 10 acres, two of which are planted in vegetables. Cindy said shecould think of only one other farmer at the farmers market theyattend who is growing on a similarly sized farm. You have to bereally wise to make a living off just a couple acres of land, she said.The pair is constantly looking for ways to improve the efficiency oftheir operation and produce more within the climate and space con

By Michelle Isham, PASA Member

Cindy and Eric Noel could be described as accidental farm-ers. Six years ago they were living on a small parcel of landadjacent to Cindys parents farm in Tyrone when they

began toying with the idea of growing their own food. As theylearned more about the benefits of eating a diet of organically grownwhole food, they became more committed to nutritional self-suffi-ciency. So the couple made a decision to begin growing as much oftheir own meats and vegetables as they could in order to avoidprocessed and treated food. What they couldnt grow and makethemselves they would buy from thoroughly vetted vendors.

It caused us to completely look at the food we need to purchase.Were so much more selective about what we purchase and wherewe purchase now, said Cindy.

Fortunately for the Noels, they already had experience with gar-dening and farm animals. Cindy grew up on a farm and Eric hadalways done small-scale gardening on his own. He has a total loveof the outdoors, said Cindy of her husband. So they expanded thevegetable plot and bought some chickens. As they talked to friendsabout their experiment with self-sufficiency, people expressed aninterest in buying vegetables, eggs, and chicken from them.

Before we knew it, [the farm] just kind of happened, saidCindy.

The couple expanded their garden again and almost immediately

began selling produce and poultry at the Boalsburg Farmers Mar-

FARMER PROFILE

continued on page 8

Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and BeyondNumber 80 September/October 2009

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

Eden View OrganicsEden View Organics

2009 BEEF COOK-OFF WINNERSSee page 3

Eric & Cindy Noel at their farm in Tyrone (Huntingdon Co.)


2/2422

1 Farmer Profile

3 Beef & Beef Cook-Off Improve with Age

4 Conference Update

6 Directors Corner

7 PASA Board Perspective

9 Consumer Outreach

10 Business Member Profile

12 Education Outreach

14 Fundraising Update

15 PASA News

16 Regional Marketing

17 Book Review:Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmsin the Age of Agribusiness

19 The Grapevine

21 Classified Ads/Employment

22 Calendar

23 Membership Form

24 Upcoming PASA Field Days

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] RunkleOffice 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, Lisa Diefenbach, Peggy Eppig,

Chris Fullerton, Michelle Isham, Kristin Leitzel, Gayle

Morrow, Rachel Schaal, Kim Seeley, Lauren Smith,

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 to

make 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 November/December 2009 Issue:

October 30, 2009

Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,

PASA office, [email protected]

Layout: C Factor

PASAs Headquarters Office has Moved!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!

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

September/October 2009

Page 10

Page 13


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By Marilyn AnthonyGrass farmers, skilled butchers, and

thoughtful eaters all know that beef getsbetter with age. For the sell-out crowd

who attended PASAs 2nd Annual 100%Grassfed Beef Cook-Off on Sunday August 2nd, we know now that theBCO (short for Beef Cook-Off) canimprove with age too.

Our second BCO maintained manyof its original features. It was graciouslyhosted and sponsored by the GlasbernInn in Fogelsville (www.glasbern.com).Thirteen farmer contestants submittedDelmonico steaks for judging, groundbeef and stew meat for a lunch buffet. Adistinguished panel of chefs, food profes-

sionals and food writers worked hardthrough a 90-minute blind tasting todetermine which beef was the best. Mas-ter of Ceremonies Kim Miller kept us toa brisk pace and conducted a spirited liveauction. In the end a Grand ChampionTrophy and ribbons were awarded to theproud winners.

Well divulge those names in a minute(if the suspense is too great, you can seethe winners listed on page 18) but firstlets describe what innovations shapedthis years BCO.

An important and dramatic differencethis year was the addition of a FarmersTasting Table. All the farmer contestantsgathered at their own table and took partin a blind tasting of each entry simulta-neously with the panel of judges. Thefarmers followed the same rating systemas the judges, and awarded their FarmersChoice Blue Ribbon to the top scoringsteak. As farmer Marvin Moyer put it, Ihave new respect for the work of thesejudges. Tasting all that beef is hard work theyre all so darn good. I came intothis event wanting to take first place, butafter tasting all these great steaks I donteven care about winning anymore. Imjust glad I came.

Spurred on by longtime PASA mem-ber and Glasbern owner Al Granger, thisyears event also added a full plate of edu-cational pasture walks and talks in theafternoon, coordinated by veterinarianand PASA science advisor, Susan Beal.

Key event sponsors included Agri-Dynamics, The Fertrell Company,

3

Special thanks to Patti and Carl whohelped us make the BCO a Nearly ZeroWaste event. They set up easily under-stood composting and recycling stations,and at the end of the day carted off a sur-prisingly small number of bags headedfor a nearby farm composting operation.

Kudos to the Glasbern staff who keptus all comfortable and dry under spacioustents, to Rodale Chef Mike Van Pelt,PASA volunteer Kate Hunter who keptthe steaks sizzling off the grill for the judging, and to the fabulous BrittonBrothers who moved under the tent foran entertaining afternoon of music.

Our heartiest congratulations to eachof the BCO winning farms shown belowand to our dedicated tasters, judgesEdible Chesapeake publisher Renee Cat-acalos, cookbook author Tara Desmond,

Chef Shawn Doyle, Lancaster Farmingeditor Anne Harnish, farmer and PASAboard member John Jamison, meat buyerLarry McGreal, culinary instructor SusanRoth, Chef Royer Smith, and Chef SeanWeinberg.

Chef Weinberg, owner of RestaurantAlba in Malvern PA, spoke for many ofthe judges when he remarked, Im soimpressed by the quality of every one ofthese steaks. Its amazing to me howmuch better grass fed beef in Pennsylva-nia has gotten in the last five years.

Kings Agriseeds and Leona Meats gener-ously contributed time, money andexpertise to this years event. Behind thescenes, Mike and Chick Debach from

Leona not only processed much of thecontestants meat, but did an amazing job of making sure all the beef entriesarrived at Glasbern safely and on time.

Jeff Mattocks and Orin Moyer fromThe Fertrell Company presented a pas-ture talk on what multi-species grazingadds to the farm ecology. Dave Wilsonfrom Kings Agriseeds led a Looking atPasture walk, observing what was grow-ing in the fields. Jerry Brunetti from Agri-Dynamics gave a lively talk onLearning to Look for Healthy Soil.

Ridge Shinn from The Rotokawa CattleCompany led the final pasture walk ofthe day. Whimsically entitled, A FieldStudy on Self Propelled Solar Har-vesters, Ridge used the animals at Glas-bern as live illustrations, pointing outwhat to look for in stock to build yourgrass based herd and your meat supply.

In addition, the gurus of composting,Patti Olenick and Carl Hursh from DEP,gave an entertaining presentation on suc-cessful tips for home composting andsent one lucky participant home with a

free composter.

Beef and Beef Cook-Off Improve with Age

From left: 2008 Cook-Off winner Rich DiFebo of Harvest Home Meats, Northampton; Marilyn

Anthony, PASA Southeast Regional Director; Mike Smuckers, Smuckers Meats, Mount Joy, who

accepted the 2009 Grand Champion Trophy on behalf of Larry Herr, Cressbrook Farm, Lancaster;

Todd & John Hopkins, 2009 Red Ribbon winners, Forks Farm, Orangeville; and Dianne & Kim Miller,

Kananga Farm, Ligonier, who took both White Ribbon and Farmers Choice honors. Photo by Diana

Morse.

continued on page 18


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Lisa M. Hamilton

Conference Theme & OverviewAs February approaches, the conference program is shap-

ing up to bring together a strong selection of pre-conferenceintensive tracks and workshops that will cover topics likepastured poultry, season extension in unheated greenhouses,preserving food, seed saving, flower production, cheesemak-ing and value-added dairy, sustainable forest management,the Farm Bill and legislative issues, and methods for mar-keting your farm. Whatever your interests may be, you will

find something to intrigue and instruct! Our educationalofferings will be detailed in the conference brochure and onour website in late November.

Keynote Speakers

Michael Reynolds is an architect out of Taos, New Mex-ico who speaks the language of dirt and garbage. For overforty years he has been designing and building homes thatheat and cool themselves, are built from natural and recycledmaterials, produce their own electricity, collect their ownwater, treat their own sewage and grow their own food. Thistheory of building and living is called Earthship Biotechture.

Earthship n. 1) passive solar home made of natural andrecycled materials. 2) thermal mass construction for temper-ature stabilization. 3) renewable energy & integrated watersystems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little tono utility bills.

Biotechture n. 1) the profession of designing buildingsand environments with consideration for their sustainabil-ity. 2) A combination of biology and architecture.

Michael Reynolds is a world leader in sustainable housing.

He is the author of seven books, the initiator of three off-grid

communities, subject of the documentaryGarbage Warrior

and travels with his team around the world demonstrating

Earthship/sustainable principles. Recent international proj-

ects include a teahouse in the Netherlands, a sustainable

home in Nicaragua, an eco resort in Jamaica, hurricane relief

in Mexico, tsunami relief in India, a residence in France and

demonstrations in England, Scotland, Norway, Spain, Japan,Bolivia, Bonaire and Honduras.

Lisa M. Hamilton is a journalist based out of San Francisco,

CA who focuses on agriculture, particularly the stories of

farmers and ranchers.

Hamilton has a knack for discovering and uncovering

those stories that need to be told about the farmers and

ranchers, butchers and bakers, anyone who has stepped out-

side of the norm of food production and giving them a

voice through word and image. Through her work, the

future of agriculture can be heard in an inspiring and

thought provoking way.As a writer and photographer she has traveled from sacred

rice paddies in Japan to castration time on a Wyoming sheep

ranch, and her work has been published in The Nation,

National Geographic Traveler, The Christian Science Monitor,

Orion and New Farm. She is the author of Deeply Rooted:

Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness(Counter-

point, 2009). To read a review of her book, see page 17.

ConferenceUpdate

19th Annual

Farming for the Future Conference

The Sustainable Challenge: Providing for a Livable Tomorrow

February 4, 5 & 6, 2010 State College, PA

4

Michael Reynolds Lisa M. Hamilton


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Pre-Conference Tracks

Once again, PASA will bring you anumber of unique and in depth full dayintensive tracks. We will repeat the HighSchool track, open to 9th through 12thgraders only, as well as the SustainableForestry two-day track, which will build

on last years program to explore ingreater detail ways to cultivate forestproducts for profit.

Other track subjects will includeunheated greenhouse production, begin-ning value-added dairy, intermediatecheesemaking, pastured poultry, buildingsustainable relationships, food preserva-tion & storage, and more.

Scholarship Fund

The Arias M. Brownback ScholarshipFund expresses PASAs commitment to

provide educational opportunities forthose wishing to learn about sustainableagriculture techniques regardless of finan-cial circumstances. Please consider donat-ing to this fund to enable more new andbeginning farmers access to the confer-ence as an important educational experi-ence. If youd like to apply for ascholarship, please check www.pasafarm-ing.org in late November for informationand the short application.

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 numberand diversity of businesses and organiza-tions associated with the conference arenotable, through sponsoring, exhibiting,advertising, auction donations and vari-ous ways of being involved. This fall theconference staff will distribute the Busi-

ness Opportunities Prospectus, which willoutline the options available. If you havenot received these materials in the pastbut would like to be on the mailing listfor 2010, 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 2009

event, we were proud to showcase origi-nal works of art, crafts, gift baskets,books, farm tools, vacation getaways, andmore. We raised over $30,000 for theorganization and the Scholarship Fund!Please contact Carrie Gillespie at PASAheadquarters if you are interested indonating for 2010. Our popular Silent

Auction, Bag Auction and Live Auctionneed a variety of items in all price rangesand we value our members offerings.

Photography Exhibit

Back by Popular Demand

Photographers are wanted for partici-pation 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. Todate, over 34 photographers have partici-pated from across the state and region inour show. These are elegant images, cho-sen to represent your idea of what itmeans to farm sustainably its joys andsorrows, triumphs and tragedies, beautiesand ugliness. Submit a few sample imagesin 300Kb jpeg format to Donald Gib-bon, exhibit curator, and hell make surewere all on the same (or similar) wave-length(s)! Your ultimate submission willneed to be submitted on computer diskin December, 2009. Gibbon will curate

the show and make it flow. Contact him

with your sample submissions, or ques-

tions at [email protected].

Board Nominations in Progress

PASA has revamped its procedures for

nominating and electing members of the

board of directors in recent years, mostly

with an eye to making sure our increas-ingly large and diverse membership is

well represented.

Each year the Nominating Commit-

tee looks at a variety of information in

determining the best nominees to bring

forward. This includes such factors as

past service on the board, balanced

regional representation and, just as

importantly, a balance of skills and

expertise in various sectors of agriculture.

Nominations are usually completed by

the committee in December of each year.If you are interested in serving on the

PASA board of Directors, please contact

the coordinator of your Regional Advi-

sory Committee. The names of coordina-

tors are always listed in Passages, and can

be found on page 9 of this issue. If you

are unsure of the region in which you

reside, check with our Director of Mem-

bership, Michele Gauger, at

[email protected] or 814-349-

9856 x207.

ConferenceUpdate

5

NOMINEES FOR AWARDS SOUGHT

Every year at the Farming for the Future conference, PASA presents awards to

those who have led the way in the sustainable agricultural community with their

innovative ways, outreach, and influence.

The Sustainable Agriculture Leadership Award and the Sustainable Agriculture

Business Leader Award honor those individuals and businesses that are the most

notable sustainable ag leaders and promoters in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Past winners of the Sustainable Ag Leadership 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, Joel Salatin, Lucy

& Roman Stoltzfoos, Kim Tait, Linda & Don Weaver.

Past Sustainable Ag Business Award winners include:

East End Food Cooperative, The Fertrell Company, Kimberton Whole Foods, Lady

Moon Farms, White Dog Caf.

The Executive Committee looks to the PASA membership for recommendations

of worthy award winners. If you know a person or business that you believe should

be considered for an award, please contact any member of the committee (Kim

Seeley, Mary Barbercheck, Louise Smith), or pass the suggestion through PASAs

Human Resources Coordinator, Lisa Diefenbach at [email protected].


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By Brian Snyder, Executive Director

Editors note: This is the first of amulti-part series on some of theopportunities, challenges and limita-tions of local food systems.

Beyond Local:

Part 1

6

instance, it is not efficiency and meati-ness that matter so much as flexibility

and hardiness, and a similar point can

probably be made for fruits, forages, veg-

etables and grains.

I am currently most familiar with

sheep production, where product quality

(taste & nutrition), multi-use strategies(meat, milk, fiber, etc), grass produc-

tivity, labor reduction (e.g. with hair

breeds), parasite resistance and with adefinite eye to the future severe cli-

mate tolerance are the traits most real

farmers are talking about and trying to

secure. Such qualities are certainly not

rewarded at county fairs today, and

worse, they are not even being presented

to 4-H and FFA kids as serious ideas.

Meanwhile, many farmers who wish

to make money the old-fashioned way through good management and market-

ing decisions are looking not only out-

side their home counties, but in many

cases to other farmers around the world

to find qualities in their livestock and

other crops that will help them meet the

demand for high quality, locally and sus-

tainably raised food in both the immedi-

ate and long-term future.

This idea of what local means bindsus as advocates for sustainability to other

farmers, wherever they may be, who also

wish to serve their own communities. It

also challenges us to understand their

issues and advocate for their wellbeing

and financial success as farmers in any

way possible, for their viability is inex-

orably linked to our own.

My personal inclination has been tolook locally first for the experiences and

influences my own children will need to

make good decisions in their own time.

Sometimes, however, the most local

experiences are not geared so much to the

local common good at all.Unfortunately, most fairs in rural

areas all around our country are not the

places where innovation occurs first, as

one might otherwise hope. But I doexpect that when the changes now occur-

ring in agriculture are reflected in the

competition and celebration that exists at

this very local level, we will know for sure

that the new food system we have worked

so hard to achieve has finally reached its

full potential. I

many areas of the country.There may be a bigger problem

though, which has nothing to do withfood miles or the number or capacity ofsmaller farms serving local markets. Oncethe ball started rolling, the popularity oflocal food came so quickly that few if any

of us who spend most of our wakinghours promoting local food systems wereable to attain a solid understanding of what local really means. If we are tomaintain the momentum gained in thepast few years, a consensus on such a def-inition will need to be a priority.

I write these words while sitting at thelocal county fair where my family showssheep each year. In the background I canhear the announcements from the markethog show, just a couple hours before thelambs have their turn. County fairs

reflect the best of what local usuallymeant in the past hundred years or so,though they currently bear little resem-blance to the corresponding events ofonly a generation or two ago. Oh, youcan see the produce of local farms on dis-play, including some of the newly popu-lar heirloom varieties, but the foodoffered for actual human consumption atlocal fairs is, for the most part, reminis-cent of the factories from whence it came.

And its no wonder. Listening to theintelligent and well-meaning judges of

each show, you hear talk of a modernagricultural ideal that exists only in theminds of exhibitors animals that grow with maximum efficiency and full ofmuscle, or vegetables as uniform as possi-blejust as the big processors would want them. Of course the reality forfarmers serving local markets is quite dif-ferent now and will be even more differ-ent in the years to come. Because of howfar our society has moved toward thehighly touted ideals of modern agricul-

ture, however, such farmers have very fewlocal resources available to help themmeet the new demand for a less industri-alized food supply.

The most innovative farmers today arelooking longitudinally to take the best ofwhat the past century had to offer for usein the future. They are also lookingbroadly across the latitudes for the best ofwhat exists right now across the countryand around the world. They do not pur-sue a specific ideal of any kind, but diver-sity of all kinds. With livestock, for

Directo

rsCorner

With the release this year of themovie Food, Inc., the advance-ment of significant food safety legislationin Congress and a host of popular writers

calling for reform, the year 2009 may beremembered decades from now as themost significant turning point in thefight to reclaim our food system since1906, when Upton Sinclairs book TheJunglewas first published. If so, it comesnot a moment too soon, and leaves onewondering what lessons can be harvestedfrom an entire century that fell betweenthese two pinnacles of public outrage.

This time around, the solution itseems everyone is talking about couldhardly have been envisioned a centuryago, because they never imagined backthen that local food would be as rare asit is today. But now the idea of eatinglocally, even from ones own backyard, ison the agenda of every public or privateentity with a stake in the matter, from the White House and Wal-Mart to neigh-borhood grocery stores and elementaryschools. But in spite of this apparent suc-cess, we immediately have to face thewidely anticipated problem that demandfor local food is far outstripping supply in


7/24

Recently I saw a marquee in front of aveterinary clinic asking Pray forDairy to Recover. I agree as to the powerof prayer, unfortunately prayer is notgoing to solve this mess. When bovinegrowth hormone (rGBH) was approvedfor dairy, I had several heated conversa-tions with other farmers and our veteri-

narian about the long-term economicdevastation that would ultimately follow.All I heard was, Synthetic growth hor-mones are just another tool for dairyfarmers to be more efficient and to makemore profit. I am not glad I was right.

The quickest solution to the dairydilemma would be to immediately ban allsynthetic growth promotants. Wouldntit be a powerful statement to our finan-cially abused dairy farmers if someone inWashington or Harrisburg, stood up and

said enough is enough? Will it happen? Ihavent even heard it mentioned at anylevel of political discussion.

The use of rBGH is on the declineonly because of grassroots, public senti-ment about the long-term safety issues.Why arent our dairy support folks, whoare finally hurting from the dairy crisis,i.e. veterinarians, not asking for morethan prayer?

In the last few months I have listenedand shared with countless dairy farmfamilies who are struggling. As I drive

7

months. Look how long that relationshiplasted between farmers and Hershey.Now that we know so much about grass-fed milk fats, how many of you could cre-ate some recipes for local sale or beyond?

Another dairy friend is having troubleconvincing his college trained partners to

try grazing as a way to reduce their farmsexpensive total mixed ration (TMR), which costs more per month than themilk check can support. I suggested hetake a 6-acre field, which currently isused for heifers to exercise in, and turn itinto his first controlled grazing trial.

In this plot, he could subdivide into 6lots, for a small cost of around $300, andhis own labor. In this small experiment,the family could overcome their fear offailure, and learn how to graze. Theirinexperience would be turned into confi-

dence and success. This inexpensive, sim-ple trial could then convince the wholefamily to transition more of the farm andcows into a sustainable lasting agronomicsolution. Harvesting grass, every year for1020 years, on a $.50 per acre invest-ment, is a solution anyone can starttoday. Go to a PASA field day and learn.

Recently we hosted a field day andshowed how to graze standing immaturecorn. The crowd was amazed and morethan one farmer commented they neededto try this next year. This summer option

is one of the most overlooked opportuni-ties for feeding beef or dairy cows duringthe summer slump. It only takes about 4acres, per 60 cows, for 34 weeks ofcheap supplemental feed.

These are a few suggestions that Ihope can be utilized on your farms.Reach out to others who have made sus-tainable changes. PASA farmers are con-stantly trying new things and sharing theinformation. During a crisis we shouldstick together and help each other. We

must square our shoulders for the pur-pose of keeping every farmer on the land,not devising curriculums about how tosoften the exit from farming forever.

Sustainable agriculture would meanthat farmers would receive prices thatwould sustain their costs of production.This isnt happening for many reasons.What can be done? For those of you whodont farm, but want to help, please writeto your state and federal, Attorney Gen-erals office, and demand a stop to the

PASABoardPerspective

around observing the lush grass and volu-minous corn crop, I wonder how farmerscan be so efficient, successful and still losetheir farms. The sad reality is we aregoing to lose more farms.

Our goals should be to solve what wehave done wrong and to create farm

models that stop the exodus and bringour children back home. We come backto that increasingly manipulated termsustainability.

For the farmers among us, we need tolook at our operations and develop astrategy for survival. There are successstories to be studied, many of whichinvolved desperate situations, solved byfarmer-driven ideas and ingenuity. All ofus can relearn the power of a diversifiedoperation. Farming with a nickel, whenyou think you need a dime, is a concept

successful farmers have mastered.Many months ago I had a conversa-

tion with a farmer in Harrisburg who hada purebred dairy herd, which he plannedto sell. It wasnt easy for his family tomake that decision after years of breedingcattle. I suggested he keep his genetics,and reprogram his herd to once a daymilking so that in the afternoon he couldconcentrate more on his grain operation, which was causing the family to workvery late at night. He was bewildered toeven hear such a thought. As we talked,

he was intrigued by how these methodscould solve stresses in his family life. Healso saw the potential for his dairy farmto survive until some prosperity returns.

This is an idea that was more com-mon. Once a day milking is not a prob-lem for dairy cows, and can fit perfectly within a families other responsibilities.Those of you in the organic program,who are being asked to cut back, couldconsider this and realize some free timeto concentrate on other endeavors on

your farm.Adding value is another option. Thereare many products you can make to cap-ture the real value of your milk. I keephaving this thought about the originalHershey Candy operation, which startedwith a milk processing plant in 1896. Inthose days, most of the milk was grass-fedand seasonal. What a perfect solution forlocal farmers to harvest inexpensive for-age into milk, and have a candy companymanufacture a storable product forincreased value later in the fall and winter

By Kim Seeley, Board President

Can We Save OurNations Dairy Farm

Infrastructure?



8/24

straints of their land. Cindy also hasplans to do more with the Harvest Shakand hopes to reclaim a disused orchard

on their land.The farms product list reflects thepairs interests and eagerness to experi-ment with food production techniques.Ill think of something like the vine-gar and wonder if its something I canmake myself, explained Cindy. Fewother farmers are currently offering sucha wide variety of products. While suchdiversity can be hard to manage, it has itsadvantages such as a continuous flow ofproducts outside the growing season.Some days we think were really crazy

for doing thatits been really beneficialfor us at the winter markets, said Cindy.

Cindy also believes that its an advan-tage for their customers as well. Sometowns in their area, such as Altoona,dont have many small-scale farmers sell-ing at farmers markets so Eden ViewOrganics is their one stop shop. I

8

Farm

erProfile

Eden View Organicscontinued from page 1

Top: Views of the certifiedkitchen on the farm to pro-duce value-added productssuch as vinegars & more.

Right: Eden View Organics islocated on a parcel of afourth generation familyfarm. In 2011, they will be

part of a Century Farm!

I N TE R V IE W W I T H

C IN DY & ER IC N OE L

What do you see as some of the critical issues concerning

agriculture today?

One of the critical issues concerning agriculture today is the

desire of our friends, neighbors, customers, and of course

ourselves to have a safe and transparent food regulatory sys-

tem. This really is a balancing act! We all want the FDA to pro-

tect our food shed, but we also demand the right to make

certain decisions on our ownsuch as raw diary, and a more

recent concern being HR 875 and S 425. It will be interesting,

and possibly disastrous to watch and see how these issues are

resolved. Our hope is that wisdom will win out over fear!

What is unique about your farm?

We believe a few things make us unique: 1) we offer whole

grain specialty breads and desserts made with organic flours

sprouted spelt and wheat, with mostly local ingredients, 2)

we offer many non-seasonal products from our kitchen to

include vinegars, granola, trail mix, kombucha, pancake mix,

coffee roasted on our farm and sprouts, 3) we support 15 local

farmers/producers by either making their products available to

our Harvest Share members or using their products in our

kitchen, 4) we offer easy online ordering for all of our products

with three different delivery/pick up options.

How has your operation evolved?

Our operation was built out of both necessity and a desire to

simply live a simpler and healthier lifestyle. Our initial plan wasto simply grow our own healthier produce, eggs, and meat. As

our friends found out what we were doing, they encouraged us

by being first customers. From there, as we were picking up

some garden supplies from Patchwork Farm, we were

prompted by Scott to apply for membership in the Boalsburg

Farmers Market with little or no idea as to what we were

getting ourselves into! After a few weeks at our first summer

market, we saw that this was actually a way that we could both

make a living and enjoy our workdays. The transition started

out with Eric transitioning from a real full time job to a part

time job, and part time farming, which in a very short time tran-

sitioned to full time farming. Cindy worked the kitchen with a

full time job for the first couple of years, but has recently tran-

sitioned to a part time real job and full time in the kitchen.

The rest as they say is history!

Why did you join PASA?

The reason we joined PASA is simple education and net-

working! The lessons we have learned from the annual confer-

ence, as well as through the field days have helped us to better

our operation and better serve our ever-growing customer

base. And as far as networking what we have gained from

the friends and other like-minded farmers could possibly be

the most beneficial aspect of our membership.


9/249

Consumer

Outreach

I Centre County

Kristin LeitzelChapter Coordinator

[email protected]

814-349-9856 x211

I Chester County

Claire Murray

Chapter Coordinator

Inverbrook Farm

[email protected]

610-563-3116

I Greater Lehigh Valley

Lynn Prior

Chapter Coordinator

[email protected]

610-438-3950

Serving Berks, Lehigh and

Northampton Counties

I Lancaster County

Janna Weil

Chapter Coordinator

[email protected]

717-380-7280

or

Linda Aleci

Chapter Coordinator

[email protected]

717-291-4293

PENNSYLVANIA BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL How to Plug InThe Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local program has been celebrating the abundance found in our Commonwealth for the past seven years,

with the aim of making 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 11 active chapters in Pennsylvania. We create local food guides (both in print and online)

and organize events (such as farms tours or tastings), among other activities. To explore your regions food system further, hear about

upcoming events and find more ways to get involved, please visit www.BuyLocalPA.org or contact one of the folks listed below.

I Northeast Region

Elaine TweedyChapter CoordinatorU. of Scranton SBDC [email protected]

Serving Carbon, Lackawanna,Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkilland Wayne Counties

I Northern TierRuth Tonachel

Chapter CoordinatorNorthern Tier Cultural Alliance

[email protected]

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

Counties

I PhiladelphiaImane Hanine

Chapter CoordinatorFair [email protected] x106

I South Central PASusan Richards

Chapter CoordinatorCapital RC&[email protected]

717-724-009

Serving Adams, Cumberland,Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon, Juniata,

Perry and York Counties

I Southeastern Pennsylvania

Kendra Anderson

[email protected]

610-458-5700 x317

orMarilyn Anthony

[email protected]

610-458-5700 x305

Serving Bucks, Delaware and

Montgomery Counties

I Valleys of the Susquehanna

(including Centre Countys Chapter)[email protected] or

814-349-9856 x211

Serving Centre, Clinton, Columbia,

Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northum-

berland, Snyder and Union Counties

I Western PennsylvaniaMia Farber

Chapter [email protected]

412-697-0411

Serving Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver,

Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie,

Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jef-

ferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset,

Venango, Warren, Washington andWestmoreland Counties

Coming Soon:

New Local Chapters in York County

and Fayette County!

I Statewide BFBL Coordination

Chris Fullerton

PASA Consumer Outreach

[email protected]

412-246-0990

PASA coordinates Buy Fresh Buy

Local programming in Pennsylva-

nia on behalf of our national part-

ner, FoodRoutes Network.

For regions not covered by a local

chapter, contact PASAs Director of

Consumer Outreach, Chris Fullerton

(see above).

For questions about or assistance

with the BuyLocalPA.org website,

email: [email protected].

For information about Buy Fresh

Buy Local Chapters and activities

outside of Pennsylvania, visit

www.FoodRoutes.org.

nearby local food sources. Technology

allows the rewards to be completely cus-

tomized, including geographically, so

that a consumer who registers on the site

will have access only to rewards available

in their local region.

Any business that sells locally grown

foods in Pennsylvania (or products madeusing locally grown ingredients) can par-

ticipate in the Local Food Rewards pro-

gram, and get their offer directly in front

of the members of our growing Good

Food Neighborhood community. Just

contact us through [email protected]

and let us know of your interest.

A reminder: annual membership in

the Good Food Neighborhood (a $30

value) is FREE to any PASA member in

good standing. If you havent received

information on how to claim your freemembership, let us know by sending a

note to [email protected].

assured of a safe and secure shopping

experience. Additionally, all Good Food

Neighborhood members receive 10%

off every order. If this store proves popu-

lar, PASA may look into partnering withother Pennsylvania businesses to offer

other products of interest to local foods

shoppers, cooks and eaters, such as books

and videos or kitchen tools.

A second new feature on the website is

the launch of our Local Food Rewards

program for members of the Good Food

Neighborhood. Beginning in Septem-

ber, local foods businesses listed on Buy-

LocalPA.org have begun to create special

offers for Neighbors only. Ranging

from complimentary dessert samples todiscounts or freebies for first-time shop-

pers, the rewards program offers incen-

tives for consumers to explore their

Two new features went live on www.BuyLocalPA.org during the latesummer months of 2009.

First, in late August, the online mar-

ketplace finally opened its doors (virtu-ally, that is). Managed by KevinsWholesale, a family-owned printing andpromotional company in Scranton, PA,the webstore offers an easy way for BuyFresh Buy Local supporters statewideto show their support for local foods.

Products offered include bumperstickers and fridge magnets, tee shirts,caps, tote bags and aprons, all embla-zoned with vibrant Pennsylvania BuyFresh Buy Local graphics (and ALLmade in the U.S.A.). The webstore,

linked directly to BuyLocalPA.org butoperated by Kevins, offers encrypteddata transmission and proudly displays aVeriSign SSL certificate, so that users are

Updates to BuyLocalPA.org Website



10/2410

BusinessMemb

erProfile

By Gayle MorrowThough theyve known each other

since Methacton High School in Mont-gomery County in 1973, Victory Brew-ing is Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchetsfirst business venture together notcounting Junior Achievement.

It seems, however, to be a successfulpairing a bit like hops and barley

It was a typical business start-up,says Covaleski, one that involved borrow-ing capital from friends and family andsecuring the blessings of our wives. Heexplains that Barchet had worked for atime with Baltimore Brewing, and thenwent to Germany for brewing training atthe Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan. His departure left aspace at Baltimore Brewing, whichCovaleski filled. The two put together abusiness plan in 199394, following up

with the opening of a 150-seat restaurantand microbrewery in a Downingtownfacility, which had been home to a Pep-peridge Farm bakery. Use of that build-ing was the ultimate in recycling,Covaleski says, and a move, which thetwo feel very good about. Downing-town is a former paper mill town, he con-tinues, so we have the waterinfrastructure. As for the restaurant endof things, neither one of us had a lot ofrestaurant experience, but we felt it was acritical component. The original menufocused on hearth-baked pizza and realhickory-smoked barbeque (naturals withbeer!) but has evolved and expanded overthe years.

And now? Award-winning VictoryBrewing bottles six beers yearlong andaugments its flagship brands (beers likeGolden Monkey, Moonglow Weizen-

bock, and Old Horizontal) with seasonalbrews. There are 20 taps in the restau-rant, with the beers changing on a weeklyand bi-weekly basis.

There is definitely a schedule and aplan to how the beers roll out, saysCovaleski. It is exciting to our audi-ence.

We are conscientious of the seasonand what our customers want, says Bar-chet.

The product is a European qualitybeer, so some of the raw ingredients arenot sourced locally. The beers largest sin-gle ingredient, the water, is, and VictoryBrewing is working with some regionalhop growers in PA and NY to developmarkets here. For the restaurant, the twohave made a concerted effort to buyfresh, buy local. The pork and chicken isfrom Pennsylvania, the eggs are local, andthey are integrating local produce intothe menu.

As consumers are learning the benefits

Victory Brewing Companys

Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski.

Time for a Cold One!


11/24

and values of food that is regionally pro-duced and sold, so are they learning thesame about their favorite pint.

People can bring in their growlers tobe refilled, says Covaleski, adding thatcustomers are appreciative of their prox-imity to local, fresh beer.

We produce high-quality beers onsite, backed up with locally sourcedfood, he says. It is a winning combina-tion. We feel very fortunate we are where we are. We are part of the fabric ofChester County. We encourage people totry more locally produced beers. Thefreshness and diversity of flavor will winthem over.

For more information about VictoryBrewing, check out www.victorybeer.com or call 610-873-0881. I

11

What is unique about your business? We make uniqueand flavorful beers of all natural ingredients in an industrywhere 95% of sales are industrial products. Only 5% ofthe nation cares about what we do (craft beers). In order tosucceed we must make both our products and our story

resonate with the local community in which we operate.Its a fun challenge and we have been rewarded with anadventurous and loyal audience. We are challenged toservice this audience over large footprint (28 states and theUK) and in many unique environments, like our own 300seat restaurant. Meanwhile, our revenues return to ourhome of Chester County allowing us to grow our businessin a manner that most benefits our local community.

Why did you join PASA? We share the ideals that PASAand its members manifest.

How has your membership been a benefit to your busi-

ness? PASA membership has provided us with a tangiblelink to the others who are endeavoring to uphold sustain-ability in their business practices. We gain encourage-ment, insight and camaraderie from our fellow membersand that sustains our drive to excel.

What does the term sustainable mean to you and how

do you incorporate that into your business? Sustainabil-ity will remain specific to each individual operation. Forinstance, our investment in an energy-efficient brew housethat recovers 75% of the primary energy requirements is ahuge step in the energy-demanding business of brewing

that would not capture such dramatic results for a differ-ent business. We have also raised our energy efficiency andconservation standards to minimize our carbon footprint.So we look at the big picture of carbon emissions andresource preservation and we take the practical steps toeventually reach the larger goals.

What do you see as some of the critical issues facing ag

and ag-related businesses today?We are fortunate to be

in Chester County where locally produced products havefound an enthusiastic audience. This proximity to a largeconsuming audience brings with it the competition forland as an agricultural resource. Intelligent land manage-ment remains the most critical issue in assuring that ourfoods can remain locally grown. As a brewery, we havealways been behind stewardship of the local watershedand we see this issue increasing as a potential impact toall stakeholders. We also see challenges convincing hopfarmers to grow the lower-yielding but higher-qualityaroma hops that are essential to our beer. Many farmersthink their risks are lower if they grow bittering hops,which are sold as a commodity, where quality is a sec-ondary consideration.

What do you see as the connection between sustainable

ag and the consumer? Oxygen feeds the body and mindmore than any foodstuff can. Therefore, productive openspace contributes to consumers well being in a criticalmanner. Consumers need to appreciate and nurture theirrelationship with their territory. Flavorful local productscan help make that connection in the mind of consumers who might never have thought about local value beforethey had that taste.

I NT ER VI EW W IT H R ON A ND BI LL

Interior view of Victory Brewing Company

in Downingtown (Chester Co.)


12/24

Educational

Outreach

20% protein.Sam targets 1,500 lbs of seed per acre,

but having to share the bounty withgroundhogs, white tail deer and flocks of

blackbirds, the actual yield is usually less.To keep weeds down, he double-crops toshade the ground and to provide hisfields with a green manure crop after har-vest and over winter. Sunflowers are bigusers of potassium, said Berks CountyExtension Educator Mena Hautau, Soiltesting is important as is rotating theseheavy feeders. You dont want sunflowerson a field year after year. A three yearrotation at minimum is best.

Why did Sam decide upon sunflow-ers? Why not corn or soybean or otherbiofuel options? Some fuels requireusing natural gas to finish, for instance,which cancels out the benefits to plant-based fuels by using dino-fuels in theprocessing. Or they may use tremendousamounts of water to process such as corn,which requires four gallons of water forprocessing for every gallon of finishedethanol. Many green fuels use moreenergy in their processing than they gen-

town. The Festival, which has grownsteadily in attendance and scope, reflectstheir commitment to the practice of liv-ing sustainably while educating a largeand growing audience of folks interestedin renewable energy.

Selecting non-GMO black oilseed

sunflower for its impressive 40% oil con-tent, Sam with his neighbor Tim, worktogether to plant and harvest the crop. Atwo-row corn planter accommodates thelarge seeds with plates supplied by Lin-coln Ag (www.lincolnagproducts.com).To harvest the field-dried sunflowers inSeptember, Tim runs his combine grainheader several feet off the ground to col-lect the tall seed heads. After further dry-ing and cleaning, the seed is ready topress, which Sam does on site with a Ger-man-made KOMET plant oil press. Theraw oil is stored in 55-gallon drums forfurther processing in the filtering room.Three or more ounces of oil can beextracted using a plant oil press perpound of cleaned dry oilseed resulting inimpressive yields. The finished oil is usedon the farm to power a tractor and thefamily cars. All have all been converted ormodified by Sam for vegetable oil use.The extruded press cake or meal is usedas well. These highly nutritious pellets areused as livestock feed, containing up to

By Peggy Eppig, Field Day ReporterIn late July as-yet-unopened sun-

flower heads were already tracking themorning sun in Sam Yoders fields, eventhough thickening clouds hid the sunitself. With the promise of rain by after-noon, the humid summer air and soft

light filtering through a low cloud deckenhanced the deep greens and yellows ofthe sunflower fields, giving the river val-ley a radiant glow. Glowing too, were thefaces of PASA guests as they disappearedinto tall, crowded rows of black oilseedcrop. Sams growing fields of open polli-nated sunflowers held a promise beyondthe rain, a future harvest of fuel and food.

Sam and his wife Annemarie operateSilver Maple Veterinary Clinic in Kutz-town, Berks County and manage theirsustainable 88-acre river valley farm. Thefarm reflects their passion for self-suffi-ciency and sustainability from the boun-tiful organic vegetable fields andorchards, to the wind turbine, solar pan-els and fields of oil-rich sunflowers,which supply their energy needs.

The Yoders helped found the Mid- Atlantic Renewable Energy Associationand they are busy preparing for the 5th Annual Pennsylvania Renewable Energyand Sustainable Living Festival, was inSeptember at Kempton, north of Kutz-

Sowing and Growing A Future in EnergyIndependence with Native Sunflowers

PASA field day host Sam Yoder described

how sunflower oil is used to power diesel

vehicles.

The German-made KOMET plant oil press

used at Sam Yoders farm in Kutztown

(Berks Co.)

12



13/2413

Educational

Outreach

1. Really Hands-on Beekeeping

2. Milky Way Cows grazing Standing Green Corn

3. Soil Sampling: Getting the Dirt on Soil

4. SPIN Farming: Sub-acre Farming for Profit

5. Hands-on Scouting & Soil Evaluation

6. Farm Tour at Steam Valley Fiber Farm

The 2009 Educational Outreach season has been a success so far.

We wanted to share some images with our readers highlightingthese past events, as we look forward to our remaining learning

opportunities in October and November, while working towardsthe 2010 Farming for the Future conference in February.

1

2

3

4

5

6


14/2414

Fundraisin

gUpdate

This year our Annual

Fund growth is being

tracked in a new way.

Weve created our Pas-

sages Farm, and wellunveil a bit more of

the seasonal operation

with each issue of the

newsletter. Our Annual

Fund meter is a stack

of farm crates, which

will fill with the abun-

dance of gifts from the

land as we reach for

the $250,000 goal!

Illustration courtesy of

Warren Leitzel.

Harvest Crates Fill as Summer Wanes

$250,000

$200,000

$150,000

$100,000

$55,908April 30

$74,327June 30

$90,603

August 30

$30,901Feb. 28

By the Board Fundraising CommitteeThe summer farming season has brought us many gifts

from the land this year, and our members generosity hasrewarded the organization with bounty as well. The PASAboard fundraising committee would like to thank everyone

who has contributed to our Annual Fund successes so farthis year. From staff and volunteer organizers, to you folksin the field contributing, our Annual Fund meter climbs with the financial wealth that helps PASA prosper andgrow. Its exciting to know that there is more to come!

Its been rewarding to watch our Passages Farm harvestthe bounty to fill our crates towards our goal. Our Annual

Fund stands at $90,603 and we have fields yet to harvest,as a result of our upcoming fundraisers: Harvest Celebra-tion Dinners and the Bike Fresh Bike Local event. Thosefunds will be reported in the November/DecemberPassages. Our farm crates currently, however, have the ben-

efit of funds raised at PASAs second Beef Cook-Off atGlasbern Inn on August 2rd. (See front page for a fullreport.)

We will engage in more fundraising activities this fallincluding our fall appeal, and visits and calls with many ofyou. Thank you for inviting PASA into your lives as youshare your wealth with this worthy organization.

erate in the end. Sunflowers are a nativeplant, adapted to local conditions andbred traditionally from their wild cousinsacross the country, and need little in theway of additional processing beyond fil-tering. For use here on the farm and inour vehicles, its a good choice.

The Yoders are clearly practicingenergy conservation and reducing theirenvironmental impacts. The use of sun-flower oil as part of a bigger plan toreduce overall consumption requires theynot just swap dependence on fossil fuelsfor an alternative that may also have seri-ous environmental consequences. Work-ing towards sustainable living using avariety of energy sources such as wind,solar and sunflowers allows for a healthy

measure of creativity and innovation, which also draws on power of commu-nity.

If you want to grow your food andfuel, you need to invite your communityto become involved. I strongly suggest aco-op model, so that farmers and com-munity members can work together toaddress local energy needs. Its win-winfor everybody. I

Energy & Sunflowers

continued from page 12


15/2415

PASANews

The PASA Board & Staff Thanks

These Volunteers as of August 28, 2009

Elizabeth Alakszay

Don Albertson

Heather Albertson

Kat Alden

Paige Arthur

Lyndsey Aulmiller

Beth Bailey

Salina Barnard

Alf Bashore

Eileen Clark

Steve Conway

Michelle Czolba

Molly Diefenbach

Joanne Dornich

Suzan Erem

Sharon Fraizer

Lora Gauss

Dorothy Habecker

Arielle Hesse

Todd Hopkins

Heather House

Kate Hunter

BriAnne Hutchinson

Derek Kalp

Gary Kendall

Jeff Kurtz

Kelli Lambert

Lar Leese

Linda Leitzel

Michele Marchetti

Vera Mark

Andy Mazur

Mary McMurtrie

Dianne & Kim Miller

Kirstin Miller

Mischa Moschera

Roxy Naydan

Katie OHara Krebbs

Patti Olenick

Yuri Plowden

Katie Poppiti

Emily Schmidlapp

Chris Shabanowitz

Caitlin Smith

Ian Smith

Paula Snyder

Jeff Storms

Bill Torretti

Dave Wrestler

Karen Yanak

Phil Yanak

Effie Zuck

Members please keep in mind that

annual memberships will expire in

December 2009. Our annual Member-

ship Renewal Campaign for 2010 will

soon be underway, so stay tuned to your

mailboxes (in early November) for your

annual renewal letter and form. Also feel

free to visit the website or call the head-

quarters office to renew your member-

ship for 2010 at any time!

David Berg Center for Ethics &Leadership, Katz Graduate School

of Business, University

Pittsburgh PAwww.business.pitt.edu/berg/

French & Pickering CreeksConservation Trust

Phoenixville PA610-933-7577

Horn Farm Centerfor Ag Education

York PAwww.hornfarmcenter.org

Local PasturesWallingford PA

www.localpastures.com

Saint Gabriels HallMitchell Program

Audubon PA610-666-7970

PANGEAPittsburgh PA412-621-3152

Simon Pierce RestaurantWest Chester PA

610-793-0949

The Wildflower CafPhoenixville PA

www.thewildflowercafe.org

THE PASA BOARD & STAFF

WELCOMES THESE NEW

BUSINESS MEMBERS

Business Listing Correction

We regret a website error that wasprinted in our last issues businessresource section. Garden DreamsUrban Farm & Nursery is availableat www.mygardendreams.com.

PASA Membership ReminderMembers please keep in mind that annual memberships will expire in

December 2009. Our annual Membership Renewal Campaign for 2010 willsoon be underway, so stay tuned to your mailboxes (in early November) foryour annual renewal letter and form. Also feel free to visit the website or call theheadquarters office to renew your membership for 2010 at any time!

Stay connected!Visit PASA online at www.pas afarming .org

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



16/2416

Leah Smith was recently hired asMembership Services Coordinator forPASAs Western Region, based in Pitts-

burgh. Working closely with Greg Bou-los, the Western Regional Director, hermain duties will include developing andsupporting programs which enhance theviability of sustainable agriculture in Western Pennsylvania and providingtechnical assistance to PASA members.Not sure how to get your value-addedbusiness off the ground? Looking for ways to connect with other farmers inyour region? Leah explains, My job isreally to respond to members questions

and interests, and help connect them tothe resources they need to get answersand continue developing their businesses.The exciting thing about working withPASA is that the greatest resources wehave are one another. I hope to createmore opportunities for members in the Western Region to connect and get toknow each other.

Leah is originally from northeastOhio, but her interest in sustainable agri-culture has taken her far and wide. Shegained experience in agricultural produc-

tion and marketing as an intern andapprentice on several organic Commu-nity Supported Agriculture programs in

I Leah Smith Welcomed as New

Member Services Coordinator

WESTERN REGION Ohio and Con-necticut, and asan agriculturalextension vol-unteer with thePeace Corps inWest Africa. As

Program Direc-tor for thePoughkeepsie

Farm Project in New York, she devel-oped community programs and worked with youth to build a more sustainablefood system in the Mid-Hudson Valley.In 2007, Leah returned to Ohio to pur-sue a Masters degree in Rural Sociologyfrom The Ohio State University. She ismost proud of her work over the last twoyears creating a very special neighbor-hood garden with Somali refugees in her

community.Now getting settled in Pittsburgh,

Leah is thrilled to be working for PASAand inspired by the committed farmersshe has met and the vibrancy of the localfood system in Pennsylvania. She looksforward to working closely with thePASA members of Western Pennsylvaniato learn together and develop programsthat continue to build a more sustainablefood system in the region. Feel free tocontact Leah any time and let her know ifyou have ideas and suggestions on how

PASA can serve you better!Contact Leah at leah@pasafarming

.org or 412-697-0411

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]

I Regional Seed Exchange

& Potluck

Friday, October 30, 6pm

Dickinson College

(The Depot corner of High & Cherry

Streets)RSVP to Jennifer Halpin (halpinj@

dickinson.edu or 717-243-5996)Farmers and gardeners in the South

Central region are invited to bring seedsfor a seed exchange. Please bring a sea-sonal dish to share. We will also have apotluck dinner to celebration the harvestseason.

I

Northern Tier Buyer-Vendor DaySaturday, October 26

Penn Techs North Campus near

Wellsboro

The Northern Tier Cultural Allianceteamed up with the Northern TierRegional Planning & Development andthe PA Wilds Artisan DevelopmentWorkgroup to offer a networking eventfor retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers,schools, hospitals, etc. to meet artisans,crafters, growers and producers in theregion.

Visit www.ntculturalalliance.org orwww.northerntierbfbl.com for details orcall 570-265-7544.

NORTH CENTRAL REGION

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION



17/24

Review by Katie PoppitiPASA Membership Department InternIf I could have picked a history book

to study 20th century America in highschool, I would have learned much moreabout the connections between capital-ism, economics, industrialization, agri-culture, and many of the currentsituations we are facing now, simply byreading author Lisa Hamiltons latest

non-fiction novel, Deeply Rooted.In our countrys growing state of envi-

ronmental consciousness and the con-stant questioning of the American foodsystem, Hamiltons latest non-fictionnovel brings a unique perspective tonational issues by seeking answers fromthe people who actually produce ourfood. In Deeply Rooted Unconven-tional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness,Hamilton profiles three farmers andoffers their unique perspectives on thecurrent state of American agriculture and

its future. Through each profile, Hamil-ton illustrates the idea of a new, 21stcentury agricultural revolution throughthe farmers that have already begun thechange or perhaps the return to the rootsof our agriculture practice.

Harry Lewis, a dairyman from Texasshares his story of the creation of a localdairy cooperative and his relationshipwith corporate agribusiness. As you readHarrys story and opinions on the state ofthe dairy industry, Hamilton provideshistory of the industry along the way,beginning with the start the unlimiteddairy industry in southern California justprior to WWII. The reader will findHarrys answer to the future of farming ispasture. Pasture is godliness, explainsHarry. Pasture is not simply grass, butthe natural order of things, the unadul-terated food chain (pg. 44). In organicwe are just trying to get back to the wayit was (pg. 45).

Virgil Trujillo, a tenth generationrancher in Abiquiu, New Mexico,

Deeply Rooted: Uncoventional Farmsin the Age of AgribusinessBy Lisa Hamilton

BOOK REVIEW

17

(pg. 227). Hamilton notes that whenDavid describes the agricultural systemhe is working towards he doesnt use the word organic or sustainable. He prefersthe term enduring, a word that describesthe kind of farming that will last beyondthe next season and beyond ones life-time.

Deeply Rootedultimately tells the storyof rural America. Hamilton describes thetransition from subsistence agriculture tocommodity agriculture through the expe-riences and changes firsthand throughthese three farmers and their generationsof farming. Deeply Rooted forces you tothink about the effects of industrializa-tion and its ability to force things forwardbut also how to go forward now, we mustreverse our processes. The industrial rev-olution has made America what it istoday but the history and discussionthrough these farmers stories remind usof what America was before and how inorder to correct our food system and ourunderstanding about our food, we mustbring farmers back to the table.

For more information about authorLisa M. Hamilton please visit her web-site, http://lisamhamilton.com.

To see pictures from her journey inthe writing ofDeeply Rooted, visit http://lisamhamilton.com/slideshows/DR_slideshow.html. I

describes his struggle to keep agriculturein his community that shares a uniquecultural history and connection to theland. Hamilton describes the transitionaway from the land dating to the end ofthe 19th century when the new capitalisteconomy required cash forcing familiesto become dependent on incomes from

jobs in mining or logging industries andmen to have to leave home for six monthsof the year. As a range manager and over-seer of a land grant, Virgils shares hisstory of reinvesting people in his commu-nity through the land, to in turn re-createthe community and its identity.

The third story is of the Podoll familyin North Dakota and their departurefrom industrial, mono-cultured Ameri-can agriculture, to more sustainablefarming practices and the re-introductionof variety into their fields. David Podollfirst set out to prove organic agriculturewrong back in the 1970s but since haschanged his relationship to organic farm-ing. Sure if you take it from the stand-point of human labor efficiency, there isnothing more efficient than Americanagriculture, David explains (pg. 227).When it comes to human labor, it is themost efficient agriculture the world hasever seen, by far. But from the standpointof energy, there is nothing more ineffi-cient. It cannot endure past the oil age

Lisa Hamilton will be the closing

keynote speaker at the annualPASA conference in February.

To read more about her,

please see page 4.


18/2418

A round of thanks and grateful recog-

nition to Friends of the BCO whose

donations helped make this a successful

fundraiser for PASA The Lands at

Hillside Farms, Ian & Lauren Smith,

Snyders of Hanover, Stoudts Brewery,

and Wegmans of Allentown.

Lest we forget, the BCO is not just

about taking home a trophy or a ribbon.

First time farmer contestant Cathy

Pomanti from Sugarhill Farm summed

up her experience in a few choice words,

I really enjoyed the event! That was a lot

of fun and (it was) good to meet other

farmers. Look for details for the 3rd

Annual BCO, coming in 2010!

Grand Champion Trophy Winner

Larry Herr; Cressbrook Farm

Breed: Irish Blacks

Farmers Choice Blue Ribbon

Dianne & Kim Miller; Kananga Farm

Breed: Devon

Second Place Red Ribbon

Todd & John Hopkins; Forks Farm

Breed: Angus

Third Place White Ribbon

Dianne & Kim Miller; Kananga Farm

Breed: Devon

Hudson Valley Farm

Beginnings Program Launched

Hawthorne Valley Farm Learning Center is excited about a new program

that will be offered beginning in October 2009, called Hudson Valley Farm

Beginnings. This program will include nine classroom sessions in on-farm

goal setting, strategic and business planning, marketing, and financial manage-ment, for those interested in developing or expanding farming enterprises.

Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings is farmer led and farmer taught so partici-

pants will gain access to many local and regional farmer-mentor colleagues dur-

ing the classroom sessions and during four additional field days at local,

sustainably managed farms. After completing a fully articulated and written

business plan, participants will be able to have the plan reviewed by a farmer-

mentor of their choosing.

Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings is based on curricula developed by the Land

Stewardship Project and Angelic Organics Learning Center, programs which

have graduated over 500 farm entrepreneurs in past years. Through this course

they hope to bring apprentices, new farmers, current landowners and future

farm entrepreneurs together to help them all work toward making their agricul-tural dreams a reality.

For information visit www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org or call 518-672-5700.

Special thanks to all our contestants. To

view more complete profiles of each farm

and their beef operation, visit our web-

site, www.pasafarming.org and click on

BCO Farm Profiles.

I Birchwood Farms

Newtown, Bucks County

I Buck Run Land & Cattle Co., LLCEast Fallowfield, Chester County

I Cressbrook Farm

Lancaster, Lancaster County

I Forks Farm

Orangeville, Columbia County

I Glasbern Inn

Fogelsville, Lehigh County

I Harvest Home Meats

Bangor, Northampton County

I High Point Farm, LLC

Trumansburg, NY, Tompkins County

I JuJo AcresLoysville, Perry County

I Kananga Farm

Ligonier, Westmoreland County

I Rex Farms

Slatington, Lehigh County

I Spring Mountain Farms

Lehighton, Carbon County

I Sugarhill Farm

Hummelstown, Dauphin County

I Twin Brook Farm

Owego, NY, Tioga County

2009 Beef Cook-Offcontinued from page 3

Chapter Updates

The Centre County Buy Fresh BuyLocal campaign hosted a successful 4th Annual Central PA Farm Tour onAugust 8, 2009 as the culminating eventfor this years Local Foods Week in Cen-tre County.

The Farm Tour had record participa-tion with approximately 1,000 indi-viduals visiting at least one farm and

nearly 3,000 farm visits recorded alto-gether throughout the four-and-a-halfhour event.

Visitors to farms were able to try theirhand at blacksmithing, hold baby farmanimals, learn how cheese is made andsee up close where and how food is raisedin a sustainable manner in their commu-nities. At a time when our society isincreasingly concerned about food safetyand security, its nice to know and cele-brate how blessed we are in CentreCounty to have this kind of agriculturaldiversity at our fingertips!

A special thanks to HomegrownHappy Valley (http://homegrownhappy-valley.org) for running kids activities atsome of our markets and for hosting thetour at Tait Farm. Also, thank you toVoices of Central PA (www.voicesweb.org) for their help at area marketsand for hosting the farm tour atJulian Woods. I

CENTRE COUNTY

manipulation of dairy pricing by the car-tels which control supply and distribu-tion. There are proposals by U.S. SenatorBernie Sanders(VT) and others for thisvery investigation and a grassroots lettercampaign could be the very catalyst thatis needed to ignite the fire.

Remember, it is always time to keeppraying, but this is a manmade problem. We must demand sustainable solutions.You and I must stand up first!I

Consumer Outreach

continued from page 9

Dairy Farm Infrastructurecontinued from page 7


19/2419

Edito

rsCorner

I SPIN-FARMING Guide on

4 Season Marketing Now AvailableA new guide that details three initia-

tives farmers can use to grow their busi-nesses has been added to theSPIN-Farming, Philadelphia, onlinelearning series on sub-acre farming. It canbe purchased for $19.99 for immediatedownload at www.spinfarming.com.

The SPIN 4 Season Marketing guidehelps farmers get beyond the typical threeseason thinking to achieve higher levelsof income, says co-author WallySatzewich. Expansion initiatives detailedin the guide include selling throughoutthe winter at an indoor market, microgreens and shoot production and devel-oping a craft product line.

According to Roxanne Christensen,co-author of the SPIN-Farming onlinelearning series, more and more people

around the world are using SPINs fran-

chise-ready system to enter the farmingprofession. By using front lawns, back-yards and neighborhood lots as their landbases, they are recasting vegetable farm-ing as a small business in a city or suburband helping to accelerate the shift back toa more locally-based food system.

SPIN (S-mall P-lot IN-tensive)Farming (www.spinfarming.com) is anon-dogmatic, non-technical, easy-to-understand and inexpensive-to-imple-ment farming system that makes itpossible to generate significant income bygrowing common vegetables on sub-acreplots of land. It is organic-based and canbe practiced on a single plot or multi-sited on several residential backyards inurban or peri-urban areas, or as part of alarger acreage in the country.

The Grapevineby Michele Gauger

I Resource for Marketing

The website is just getting started, butthere is a free e-book that can be down-loaded with information on marketing(provide your email and they send alink): http://farmmarketing.switchweb-sites.com/ebook.

I Connecting Farmers/Gardeners

with Food Pantries

Visit www.ampleharvest.org if youhave an excess of fresh produce this year.

I Planet Whizbang Wheel Hoe

Free How-To Instructions

Herrick Kimball ([email protected])recently launched a website with freehow-to instructions for making a PlanetWhizbang wheel hoe with an 8 oscillat-ing stirrup blade. Visit www.planet-whizbang.com.

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 MattersNewsletter

Workshops 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



20/2420

I Educational Videos for Vegetable Farmers

The University of Vermont Extension is offeringDVD & VHS copies of these instructional videos:

DVD only ($15) High Tunnels: Using Low-Cost Technology to IncreaseYields, Improve Quality & Extend the Season

Vegetable Farmers & Their Sustainable Tillage Prac-tices

DVD ($15) & VHS ($5)

Vegetable Farmers & Their Weed Control Machines

Farmers & Their Horticultural Marketing Strategies

Farmers & Their Ecological Sweet Corn Production

Farmers & Their Innovative Cover Cropping Tech-niques

To order send your name, mailing address, and phoneor email along with payment to University of VermontExtension, Center for Sustainable Agriculture, 106 HighPoint Center, Colchester, VT 05446.




The Grapevinecontinued from page 19


21/24

LOOKING FOR LAND I am looking to findsomeone who has extra land or who would bewilling to lease me about 2 acres at a low price!I am responsible and trusting, have great refer-ences, and will only farm [email protected].

FARM FOR SALE 38+/- acre farmland andfarmhouse with irreplaceable charm in Colum-bia County. Send email to (Thomas Miller)[email protected] or call 814-466-7295 evenings(or leave message). Serious inquires only. Askingprice $289,500.

FOR SALE Dickey Incubator & Hatcher willhatch everything from Geese to Quail. In excel-lent condition. Has forced air circulation, Autoshelf turner, automatic humidity system, digitalthermometer and hygrometer. 3 trays with eggcups for turkey or chicken or ducks. and ahatcher tray on the bottom. Dickey is still inbusiness and has all parts that might be

needed$400. Used DICKEY HATCHER Exactlylike above incubator. EXCEPT, shelves do notturn and there are 5 shelves not three. Can beused as a still incubator. $350. 814-683-4756.

FOR SALE Hydroponic and GreenhouseEquipment. ESS Sprayer (Model# 2512TRG)usedwith organic products only, 3 Priva CO2 burners(ea. covers up to 30,000 sq.ft.), commercial walk-in cooler 126 W x 29 L x 96 H, 5 rolling prun-ing/harvest carts, 2 cases Tomato TrussSupports, assorted Solo sprayers & parts, 6 Dis-infecting Foot Bath mats, (1) 55 gal. Rollingnutrient barrel, 1,000 Flower/Basil sleeves,Assorted Kee Klamps and Galvanized Pipe andHat Channel Materials for Bench building. Callfor complete detailed list of equipment & digital

pictures. Cindy @ 814-673-0221.

FOR SALE 15-acre broiler farm for sale nearElizabethtown. Many possibilities for CSA,horses, market stand, greenhouses, etc. Beauti-ful home. Visit: www.myfarm.homestead.com.

FOR SALE Economy Round Hay Bales: $20.Sunbury PA. We have an ample supply of small(500 lb) mixed grass hay round bales, first cut-ting, string-wrapped, made in June 2009. Theytested at 9.3% protein, although I would saythey are steer quality not milk cow qualitybecause they did get a little moist during thehaymaking process. We are selling them for $20a bale, and/or would like to trade some for smallsquares for our horses. We are located between

Sunbury and Danville. Caroline and DavidOwens 570-286- 5309, cell 570-898-6060.

FOR SALE Pilgrim Goslings. 2 males/2females. Brothers and sisters. Born in late May.Also reducing flock of Midget White Turkeys:Breeding hens available closed flock since 1991Wonderful and healthy birds. Various ages.Contact: Bill or Dayna Yockey, 814-683-4756.

FREEZER BEEF Happy, grass-fed freezerbeef. No chemicals or hormones. Selling by thehalf. $2.50/lb., on the hanging weight. Pricereflects basic cuts, including cut/wrap/freeze.Available early August. Contact Ken & Nan Gar-ber, [email protected], 717-367-2369.

F OR RENT/ LEASE/AVAILABLE/DISCOUNT

21

FARM WORKER WANTED on Organic dairyfarm in Western PA (Mercer county) Possiblehousing. Duties include milking and care forcows, barn cleanup repairs etc. Other outdoorwork. Maybe some butter and cheese making.Experience helpful, but will train the right per-son. Hours will vary, mostly part time with somelonger days. Pay rate will also vary dependingon ability and hours worked. winter months

may be slower and less work. Perks include allthe fresh organic milk you can drink, beef, gar-den space, free natural gas heat, high speedinternet available more about our farm:www.localharvest.org/farms/M19343.

LOOKING FOR SHARED LAND We aresearching for a place to start a small farm to livesimply, locally, and in line with the needs of ourfuture global community. Steve and CourtneyByers, 603-630-3682 or [email protected].

WANTED farm partnership, transition oppor-tunity/farms for sale. I am looking for an existingGrass Fed Cattle, Hay, Grain operation in theDelmarva area ( Delaware, Maryland , Virginia). Iam an extremely capable, competent, and con-

fident young man who is driven beyond belief! Ihave a marketing plan that will Blow the DoorsOff the East Coast Beef market/ image and amready to implement. Blaine Tewell, 443-597-3443, or [email protected].

EXPERIENCED FARM HAND SEEKS OPPORTU-

NITY seeking paid employment on a sustain-ably run farm (organic vegetable production ormixed farming w/grass based livestock). Over 7yrs experience in ag work & studied permacul-ture. Currently working for the farm program atLandis Valley Museum & Lancaster Farm FreshCo-op. Resume and references available upon

request. Contact [email protected].

GOAT DAIRY FARM HELP Shellbark HollowFarm, two positions available, weekdays &weekends. Contact Pete Demchur, West ChesterPA, [email protected] or 610-431-0786.

FARM REHABILITATION MANAGER lookingfor someone to have use of our 6-BR farmhouseat no charge (we only occasionally visit theproperty), while in exchange, re-habbing andmaking ready 54 acres of streamside pasturesand wooded hillsides for an organic farm opera-tion. The property was once an old dairy farmand the owners are looking to start Old SchoolFarm that will focus on sheep, dairy goats,berries, along with some vegetables and poul-try. Contact [email protected].

INTERN/ASSISTANT FARM WORKER SmallCSA in S.E. Pennsylvania looking for an assistantto the farmer throughout the growing season.Contact [email protected].

FARM APPRENTICE & GENERAL FARM WORK-

ERS WANTED White Rose Farm, a 132-acrebiodynamic farm near Gettysburg, PA seekshelp to live at the farm. Farm experience, physi-cal stamina, & ability to be a positive part of thefarm community required. Biodynamic experi-ence a plus. Room, board, stipend. Go towww.whiterosefarm.com & apply, [email protected] or 410-756-9303.

EMPLOYMENT

FOR SALE Rotokawa Red Devon Bulls & Black

Angus Cows (bred to Red Devon Bull). 100%grass fed. John McCormick, 814-472-7259.

FOR SALE/LEASE 4 Jersey cows second lac-tation for lease/sale. From 100% grazing herd.

Please call Vince at 570-709-2889.

FOR LEASE 1865 farmhouse with garage on

1.5 acres, http://loc

sept-oct 2009 passages newsletter, pennsylvania association for sustainable agriculture

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