As closely as shoppers inspect the organic labels in supermarket aisles, they can take solace this winter that organic farmers are likely taking a second gander at the ingredient list on bags of fertilizer they use.
Late last month, the Sacramento Bee reported that a California company used a synthetic substance in its fertilizer over several years, unbeknownst to up to a third of the state”™s organic farmers ”“ and consumers willing to spend extra for fruits and vegetables from those farms.
According to the report, state regulators were informed in June 2004 California Liquid Fertilizer L.L.C. was selling fertilizer whose ingredients included ammonium sulfate, but did not yank the product from the shelves until 30 months later. The newspaper reported that a company pulled a purportedly organic fertilizer in November 2007, which may have sold another 5 percent of the fertilizer needs of organic farmers.
Ammonium sulfate is not considered a toxic additive, but is banned by organic farms due to concerns about the energy required for its production, and concerns of its impact on soils.
According to the report, some of California”™s largest organic farms used the fertilizer, including Earthbound Farm Organic which sells produce in Connecticut markets. The Golden State accounts for about 60 percent of the nation”™s organic food production, according to the Organic Trade Association.
The Stevenson-based Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) holds a winter conference this week in Rochester, at which the emerging situation in California is certain to be a discussion point. NOFA is holding multiple sessions on various environmental techniques for farms.
Several organizations offer various certifications for farms as under the organic label, including farmer”™s associations like NOFA; non-profits like Certified Naturally Grown of Stone Ridge, N.Y.; government agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and private companies like QAI Organic Certifiers, which has its eastern office in South Burlington, Vt.
Three farms in Fairfield County bear the “certified organic” label from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture: Guy”™s Eco-Garden in Shelton, Shortts Farm & Garden Center in Newtown, and Warrups Farm in Redding. At least a half-dozen more local farms have signed the “farmer”™s pledge” published by NOFA.
The Bee report touched off new rumblings in an industry already dealing with proposed dairy cattle grazing rules by the U.S. Department of Agriculture”™s National Organic Program. After reports of cows being confined to areas with little vegetation, NOP has proposed new rules requiring organic herds to obtain at least 30 percent of their vegetative feed directly from pasture grass. That could create a few barriers for dairy farmers in the Northeast, according to Canaan farmer Rick Segalla who testified on the topic last fall at a USDA forum in Auburn, N.Y.
“Basically the operation is we open the gates (and) chase them out into the snow in the wintertime, except for when it”™s icy where the cow”™s going to get out there and do one of them numbers and end up split into a compost pile,” Segalla said. “I think the intent of the rule is to give the animals access to fresh air and sunlight and that could be accomplished in a lot of ways. I mean, you put them on pasture in the wintertime, and the ground is frozen, it”™s basically a barnyard anyway. They”™re not getting anything from it except exercise.”
