July-Aug 2008 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

8/9/2019 July-Aug 2008 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture

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Over 62 Attendees Learn More AboutSmall Fruit and Brambles at Recent Field Day

By Linda Singley, PASA Member & Field Day CorrespondentGrowing brambles in todays local food market may allow the producer to realize higher profits than with

some other crops, but the attention to diseases and short shelf life of these tender fruits are of primary impor-tance. Alternative production methods such as using high tunnels seem to be of value in the long run forincreasing berry yields and lengthening the production season. Transitioning to certified organic bramble production might also give one the advantage in the small fruit market. Through the combined efforts of Penn

State University Agricultural Extension, Pennsylvania Certified Organic and PASA, results of several fieldtrials and years of personal production experience were brought together for the benefit of partici-

pants at the field day held at the Penn State Landisville Research & Education Center in Manheim (Lancaster Co.).

General information on problems in growing bramble crops

Brambles are generally thought of as raspberries and blackberries. Numerous cultivarsexist with a myriad of characteristics, strengths and yields. All are susceptible to a host

of problems ranging from insect damage and winter kill, to rust, mold and gallsSome of these invaders cause systemic damage to the plant and leave plant destruc

tion the growers only option. Simple pruning and destruction of the affectedparts can stop other plant damage. According to Kathy Demchak

Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond

PassagesSustainable Food and Farming Systems

Number 73 July/August 2008

Newsletter of the

Pennsylvania

Association

for Sustainable

Agriculture

Special

Advertising Section

PASABusiness Resources

see page 12

Special

Advertising Section

PASABusiness Resources

see page 12

continued page 4


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July/August 20081 Field Day Small Fruit and Brambles

3 The Spouted Grain Movement

5 Fundraising Update

6 Directors Corner

7 Board Perspective

8 PASA News

10 Farmer Profile

12 Special Advertising Section

17 Regional Marketing

18 Consumer Outreach

19 Conference Update

20 Membership Update

21 Membership Form

22 Educational Outreach

24 2008 PASA Business Members

26 Editors Corner:The Grapevine

28 Classified Ads

30 Calendar

Passages STAFF & OFFICE

Staff Editor: Michele Gauger

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President: Kim Seeley,Bradford County

Vice President: Brian Moyer, Berks County

Secretary: Mary Barbercheck,Centre County

Treasurer: Louise Schorn Smith,Chester County

Melanie Dietrich Cochran, Cumberland CountyJennifer Halpin, Cumberland County

John Hopkins,Columbia County

John Jamison,Westmoreland County

Don Kretschmann,Beaver County

Christopher Lent,Luzerne County

Jeff Mattocks,Dauphin County

Sandra Miller,Cumberland County

Susan Miller,Chester County

Rita Resick, Somerset County

At-Large Board Member

David Bingaman,Dauphin County

Jamie Moore,Allegheny County

PASA STAFF

PASA Headquarters

Phone: 814-349-9856

Brian SnyderExecutive Director

[email protected]

Lauren Smith

Director of Development

[email protected]

Carrie Gillespie

Development Program Assistant

[email protected]

Allison Shauger

Educational Outreach Director

[email protected]

Rachel Schaal

Educational Outreach Associate

[email protected]

Michele GaugerDirector of Membership & Research Assistant

[email protected]

Brandi Marks

Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper

[email protected]

Teresa McFeely

Bookkeeping Assistant

[email protected]

Consumer Outreach

Phone: 412-246-0990

Chris Fullerton

Director of Consumer Outreach

[email protected]

Mia Farber

Consumer Outreach Associate

[email protected]

Southeast Regional Office

Phone: 610-458-5700 x305

Marilyn Anthony

Southeastern Regional Director

[email protected]

Western Regional Office

Phone: 412-697-0411

Greg Boulos

Western Regional Director

[email protected]

Julie Inman

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

PassagesJuly/August 2008 Contributors

Contributing writers & photographers: Greg Boulos,

Mia Farber, Ronald Hoover, Michelle Isham, Thomas

Murphy, Rachel Schaal, Kim Seeley, Allison Shauger,

Linda Singley, Lauren Smith, Brian Snyder, Randy

Treichler.

PASA in the News Have you seen articles aboutPASA in your local newspapers or other media?PASA is active across the state, and wed love to knowwhat coverage we are getting in your area. Please

clip any articles you see on PASA and mail them to ourMillheim headquarters to the attention of MicheleGauger.

Do you have a great article idea for Pas-sages? Want to share a farming practice withmembers? Wed love to hear from you. Please contactthe newsletter staff at [email protected].

Deadline for September/October 2008 Issue:

September 2, 2008

Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,PASA office, [email protected]

Layout: C Factor

Pennsylvania Association

for Sustainable Agriculture114 West Main Street

P.O. Box 419Millheim PA 16854

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

www.pasafarming.org

PASAs Mission isPromoting profitable farms which produce

healthy food for all people while respecting thenatural environment.

PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania land-

scape.We are seasoned farmers who k now 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

Farmer Profile, page 16

Sprouted Grains,

page 3

Educational Outreach, page 22


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By Michelle IshamJanie Quinn didnt set out to be

a crusader. Quinn was working asa marketing professional when,

hoping to improve her ailinghealth, she began looking into thefood industry and nutrition. What she learned convinced hershe had to make a change.

People have fallen off thepath. Convenience and fast foodhave taken over the kitchenthe more Iresearched the state of our food industryI realized somebody or lots of some-bodies needed to do something, saysQuinn.

She changed her diet and her healthbegan to improve. One of the keychanges she made was to begin eatingbaked goods made with sprouted grainflours. She was so thrilled with thechanges in her health following theswitch to eating sprouted grain foods thatshe began telling people about her expe-rience and encouraging them to try it.

When you live in a healthy bodyeverything is affected. The way youthink, the way you feel and the way youperform, Quinn explains.

She went from merely telling peopleher story to writing about it, publishingEssential Eating, A Cookbookin 2001. Shethen opened the Essential EatingLifestyle and Cooking School in Waverly,Pennsylvania (Lackawanna Co.), wherestudents learn about what she calls realfoods simple whole foods that thebody digests easily.

Today, her crusade has grown into what her website bills as a family ofgreen companies including the publica-tion of three books, the school, and with

the opening of the Northeasts onlyorganic sprouted grain flour mill last fall,a line of foods called Essential EatingSprouted Foods.

Unlike refined flour, which is milledonly from the endosperm, the innermostkernel, of the grain, sprouted grain flourincludes the more nutritious bran andgerm, similar to whole-wheat flour.However, unlike whole-wheat flour,sprouting neutralizes phytic acid, a natu-rally occurring substance in all grain,

which inhibits theabsorption of nutri-ents. In essence, aftersprouting, the flour is

digested as a vegetablerather than a grain.The process makes allthe nutrients in thegrain more easilyabsorbed by the body.

For Quinn andother followers of the sprouted grainmovement, this is the key differencebetween refined flour and sprouted grainflours. What good is a nutrient if it cantget into your body? she asks.

According to Quinn, not only is thedigestibility of the flour improved bysprouting the grain, but the flavor isimproved as well. The general feelingabout whole wheat is that it is bitter. Andit is. In sprouted grains the endospermand the germ have transformed itsalmost like it adds the flavor back intoit, she says.

When she first started down the essen-tial eating path, Quinn ordered sproutedgrain flour from a bakery in Ohio. Even-tually, as word about sprouted grain flour

grew, the bakery could no longer keep upwith the demand and had to use all theflour produced in their bread production.

The opening of the Essential EatingSprouted Foods mill was the final step ina process that began in 2001 with thepublication of Quinns first book.

Its one thing to say and write whatfoods [people] should be eating. I realizedabout eight years ago that we needed a

sprouted grain mill, she says.Prior to her entry into the world offood production, Janie was in marketing,working for a company that built luxuryhotels. Through her work and her collegeyears at Cornell, she had been exposed tothe food industry but she had no practi-cal experience with large-scale food pro-duction. Fortunately, she found partnerswho did. Quinn opened the mill last fallwith the help of Peter Eckman, who over-sees the production and marketing oftheir products, and Richard Brandt, who

oversees the milling operations.Im blessed to have terrific partners,

she says.Quinn has also contracted with Shiloh

Farms, an organic foods wholesaler, forproduct distribution. Its a really beauti-ful relationship, Quinn says of herarrangement. Having someone to han-dle the distribution is key to the successof a small business.

At the mill, they have developed aprocess that controls the sprouting,which helps it maintain the nutrients and

the stability of the grain. Quinn and her

Essential Eating offers simple solutions for improving your health and the quality of your life. Some

of the most wonderful foods youll ever eat are baked goods made with sprouted flour. They taste

absolutely delicious the way real flour should taste and sprouted flour digests as a vegetable.

The Sprouted Grain Movement

continued page 4

Author Janie Quinn


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Requirements for transitioning

to organic bramble production

Mike Byers, the Administrative Direc-tor of Pennsylvania Certified Organic,(PCO), offered an introduction to organ-ic bramble production. He described theimportance of thinking ahead when aim-

ing to enter into or to transition into theorganic market. His years of experiencein raspberry plot management were valu-able in answering the variety and numberof questions from the field day partici-pants. He stressed that profits can beincreased when offering certified organicsmall fruits to the consumer. From thediscussion it became obvious that theNational Organic Standards, (NOS),require in-depth documentation andstep-wise adherence to allowed manage-ment practices which may be a deterrent

to some producers. Any material thatcomes in contact with the fruit isrequired to be approved by the OrganicMaterials Review Institute, (OMRI), anda list of those materials can be obtainedfree of charge to PCO clients. I

Editors Note: To learn more about this

field day, please contact Rachel Schaal at

PASA headquarters, 814-349-9856 x 205 or

[email protected]

Senior Extension Associate for PennState, the key to preventing the spread ofthese nuisances is to accurately diagnose

and treat the plantings.Experts in bramble production fromPenn State University and AgriculturalExtension presented photos, tips andhands-on guidance for identifying specif-ic problems in the canes and root regionsof blackberries in the field plot at theLandisville Research and Extension Cen-ter. Elsa Sanchez, associate professor,guided the audience in using the Guide

for Diagnosing Bramble Field Problems, alogical text-based approach to decipher-ing what is causing havoc in the bramble

patch. She also emphasized that to accu-rately determine the problem, a digitalcamera is extremely valuable for commu-nicating with a more knowledgeable per-son via email.

Blackberry cultivars

and their characteristics

Timothy Elkner, Senior ExtensionEducator, summarized the methodologyand findings from a blackberry cultivarfield trial initiated in April of 2005 at theLandisville Center. This trial featured the

varieties of Fort Kent King, Illini Hardy,Kiowa, Apache, Navaho, Triple Crown,Cacanska, Doyles Thornless, Shawnee,Ouachita, Chickasaw, Prime-Jan andPrime-Jim. Participants obtained guid-ance when going to the bramble plot inidentifying cultivars, diseases and pestspresent in the plot. The question andanswers provided a base for much discus-sion throughout the rest of the field day.Topics ranged from pruning, to groundcover to harvest methods, in addition tothe original focus.

Growing brambles in high tunnels

Alternative growing methods forbrambles are a current theme for increas-ing yields. If protecting the plantings inearly spring and later into fall can length-en the growing season, income willincrease. High tunnels, either single width or multiple bays, have proveneffective in increasing primocane-bearingred raspberry production weight by twoto three times those weights obtained infield plantings. Yields in field trials at

Rock Springs, Centre Co., ranged from11,00023,000 pounds per acre in singlebay high tunnels. For blackberries thecultivar Triple Crown produced 28,000pounds per acre on average. Suggestedreasons for better performance in thetunnels are protection from winters dry-

ing winds and temperature moderation.This method has its limitations and

special needs as well. According to Dem-chak, initial cost per acre to establishcanes in multi-bay high tunnels canapproach $30,000 per acre. The varietyand population of certain pests and dis-eases are unique to this method althoughthe general trend is toward less moisture-produced disease in the canes due to lackof direct rainfall on the plants. The plas-tic cover relieves one concern but causesanother. Excess moisture and humiditymust be vented from the structure to pre-vent plant stress. Pests managed by use ofpredatory beneficial insects still maintainthe possibility of viral transmission in thecanes. Soil fertility management mustconsist of soluble nutrient applicationthrough the trickle irrigation network.Trellising, pruning and harvesting meth-ods need to accommodate the plastic cov-ers and adjusted growing season length.

4

Brambles Field Daycontinued from page 1

Sprouted Grain Movementcontinued from page 3

partners have gone to great lengths to ensure thattheir product has the highest sprout action of anyproduct on the market to maximize its nutritionalbenefits.

It fascinates me that were back to a method thatpeople had given up on long ago, she says.

Quinn believes the time is right to launch thesprouted foods business. She is seeing a change in how people relate to food andwhat they understand about whole foods.

She cites her Essential Eating course as an example. When she began offering

classes eight years ago, the course was five weeks long. Thats how long it wouldtake for people to make the connection between what they were eating and theirhealth, Quinn says.

Today, the course has been simplified to a five-hour course that is completedin one day. According to Quinn, the students are arriving at the school with amuch better understanding of the connection between diet and health. She isalso seeing changes in the grocery stores as well, with more organic productsbeing made available as customer demand for those products increases.

Putting more real food on the planet is always a challenge but its veryrewarding, she says. I

Editors Note: Michelle Isham is a writer and PASA member from Bellefonte, PAFor more information on the Essential Eating Sprouted Baking Company, [email protected], call 570-586-1557 or visit www.essentialeating.com.


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Busy Summer and Busy Beesby the Board Fundraising Committee

Across the commonwealth, fields and gardens are alive with

the joys of the summer season. A flash of color, fresh smells, and

local foods and cropscropping up! Look closer and you will

see the important underpinnings honey bees at workdoing their imperative job.Hopefully many of you have had

summer rains to sustain this growth and life and bring

abundance.

In the mythical PASA skep, we are proud to see the

summer bounty filling the hive, thanks to fundraising

efforts involving our members, board and staff,and some

very generous companies.

Special thanks to Whole Foods Market in Devon this

month, for their 5% Day that yielded over $4,400 in

honey. In the coming months, we will have direct

contacts with many in the membership as we work

to fill the hive. We look forward to sharing storiesof both PASA and your farms and families.

Also coming this fall (see inside back cover)

we will have time to enjoy the fruits of our

farming efforts at one of the three Harvest

Celebration Dinners. We hope many of

you will consider coming and inviting a

friend to these special events. If you want

to introduce someone to PASA, dinners

are a great way to do so!

In Search ofSustainable Livestock

Systems in Rural Guyana

-$225,000-

----

200,000-----

175,000-

----

150,000-----

125,000-----

100,000-----

75,000-----

50,000-----

25,000-----

0-

$230,000 Our Goal

$60,036March 26

$79,929April 30

$95,396 June 30

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), dis-

eases,parasitic mites and other stressors

continue to take a devastating toll on

U.S. honey bee populations, but Pennsyl-

vania beekeepers on average fared bet-

ter than their counterparts nationally

during this past winter. A recent survey

by the Apiary Inspectors of America

found that losses nationwide topped

36% of managed hives between Septem-

ber 2007 and March 2008. Pennsylvania

fared better, with losses of about 26%.

Our state's lower overall bee-mortality

rate may be due to greater awareness of

bee health issues and beekeepers' dili-

gence in controlling varroa mites, nose-

ma and other threats.Among the potential triggers of CCD

being investigated are environmental

chemicals.Scientists analyzing pollen,

wax, adult bees and brood (larvae) have

found the presence of dozens of chemi-

cals, including pesticides used by farmers

on crops and by beekeepers to control

hive pests.

"This raises several complicated ques-

tions," says Maryann Frazier, senior exten-

sion associate in entomology. "Some of

these compounds could react with each

other to cause toxic effects or could com-

bine with viruses or poor nutrition to

weaken immunity and cause colony col-

lapse.We also need to do more research

to understand these chemicals' sub-

lethal effects on bees."

Though the role of chemicals in CCD

is still unknown, Frazier notes that bee-keepers need more options for control-

ling varroa mites so they can reduce their

reliance on chemicals. "With the sheer

number of compounds we're finding in

hives, it's hard to believe that pesticides

aren't contributing to the general decline

in bee health,she says.Editors Note:This information was com-

piled from a press release from Penn State

University,visit www.ento.psu.edu/Honey-

BeeResearch.html for more details on their

research.

PASA recognizes our countrys bee popula-

tions have been placed in peril with Colony

Collapse Disorder.We applaud farmers and

beekeepers dedicated to providing healthy

and sustainable environments in which

bees can thrive.In service to the member-

ship, we will continue to deliver news and

research regarding the issue.

Fundraisin

gUpdate

Research Continues on Honey Bee Population Decline


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Offering a comprehensive auxiliarymembership option for non-farmingconsumers.

Installing new information technologysoftware including database, communi-cations, event management and, even-tually, accounting.

Constructing two new websites(www.pasafarming.org, www.buylocal-pa.org).

Sponsoring sustainable certification forfarms and businesses through the FoodAlliance of Portland, Oregon.

Developing a long-term strategic planfor Educational Outreach programs,including the annual conference.

Forming a coalition of Pennsylvaniaorganizations promoting local, sustain-able and organic food and farming sys-tems for the purpose of effectingpositive policy change.

Addressing the potential to utilize pre-served farmlands in heavily populatedareas for sustainable food production.

Building commonsense food produc-tion, processing and distribution net-works on a regional basis.

In addition to all of these immediateinitiatives, we also remain actively inter-ested in expanding the suite of services

available to our members (includinginsurance, which has pretty much been abust so far), and in formulating plans forbuilding a permanent home for PASAsstatewide headquarters somewhere inCentre County.

So, as you can see, the passage of timecontinues to grow rather than shrink ourto-do list as an organization serving notonly its current members, but a wholegeneration of Pennsylvanians who careincreasingly about the specifics of foodproduction in our commonwealth. Theresponsibility involved is indeed daunt-ing, but the will and determination of theboard, staff and volunteers of PASA isfirm in facing it.

As for me, I have never been moreexcited about the future of this or anyother organization before this isindeed PASAs time to shine. But I amequally humbled and grateful to everyonefor the chance to take this opportunity togive my body and soul a little stretchbefore we proceed. I

scope considerably and our Buy Fresh BuyLoca/ activities have added a whole newdimension to work that reaches beyondour traditional membership to a publicthat is hungry for wholesome, locallygrown food.

Most importantly, however, our

impact as an organization has increasedby a similar magnitude. Whether youlook at the milk labeling controversy thispast winter, the ongoing debate on avail-ability of raw dairy products or pendingpolicy initiatives in a number of areas e.g. local food marketing, organic transi-tion, limiting antibiotic use in animalfeed the advice and counsel of PASAhas approached the status of standardprotocol for state policymakers. Whilenot sacrificing our principles, we havemoved from the fringe on many of

these issues to a position as a voice formany farmers and consumers who havefelt disenfranchised by trends in the pre-vailing food system over the last thirtyyears or so.

All PASA staff are proud of what hasbeen achieved in the past several years,building as we did on a solid conceptualfoundation that came before us. But nowthere is so much more to do. As one ofthe more significant sustainable ag organ-izations in the country, we have helped

initiate a national quest for a better foodsystem that is gaining momentum fromits confluence with concerns about cli-mate change, food security and interna-tional conflict management.

With great success comes greatresponsibility. In growing a membershiporganization, you never really reach aplateau where everyone suddenly seemsto be satisfied. A larger membershipmeans a broader array of needs and inter-ests to be served. More voices in the mixleads to a greater variety of opinions thatmust somehow be represented. Maintain-ing more staff and offices requires morefundraising and careful financial manage-ment. Larger issues to address require amore cumbersome process and morepatience to achieve results.

We are very much aware and accept-ing of the challenges that lie ahead of usat this time. Following is a list of justsome of the planning initiatives PASA hasunderway right now to help us meet theresponsibility we have gained:

By Brian Snyder, Executive Director

Directo

rsCorner

I ts hard to imagine, but seven yearshave gone by since I started as PASAsexecutive director and first recorded mythoughts in this section of our newsletter.I am grateful for all the experiences thathave come with this job, and all thePASA members I have met over the years.

But right now Im especially thankful

for a very thoughtful board of directorsthat has made it a priority to give me anextended break this summer. For me themonths of July and August this year are atime to relax, reflect on the years gone byand recharge my batteries for some bigchallenges still ahead.

PASA has indeed experienced muchchange since 2001. The organization hasquadrupled in size in almost every wayyou may choose to measure it in thesize of our membership, budget and staff.

We have even gone from two office loca-tions to three, with a fourth in our sightsfor the relatively near-term future.

Our programs have grown to keeppace with the larger membership. Wenow welcome about double the numberof people to our annual Farming for theFuture conference, which grew from atwo-day affair in 2002 to an extravaganzalasting 5 days earlier this year. Thisnewsletter is now printed six times a yearinstead of quarterly, our EducationalOutreach programs have expanded their

Seventh

Year Stretch


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paper all the news is bad, how did we get onthis road we are travelingall I see iseverything upside downin a world gonecrazy, when I feel like giving up, Im readyto walk awayin the stillness, I can hear avoice inside me say, do somethingdont

just stand there taking up space, dont feel

sorry for yourselfNow is the timeDontwait too long, its not over, its not toolatedig down deep andDo something,even if its wrong, youll feel better knowing

you triedjust DO SOMETHING.The PASA family needs to continue

reaching out with the compassion, vision,and leadership we have all experienced atour annual conference. Our many Farm-Based Education field days are an exten-sion of that conference and a wonderfulopportunity to bring more people intothe circle for the good of all of our com-

munities, cities and ultimately the earth we all call home. Please continue to dosomething!

I am so proud of PASAs work and thecommitment from the very first board ofdirectors to the present. Your board ofdirectors and our expanding staff are inconstant communication, brainstorming,sharing, and listening for all of your com-ments, concerns, and ideas. We wontalways agree on all issues, but we togeth-er, will democratically lead the way in thischaotic world. Dont our children deserve

as much?PASAs Board of Directors represents

you proudly, clearly, and with the com-mitment to our mission statement thatno one can refute. PASA is blessed withleadership in all areas of our organization,from our headquarters office to all theother regions of this great state.

Thank one of our volunteers, nexttime you see one, as they work tirelesslyto promote sustainability. There are somany PASA members doing something!

It becomes contagious, as more is accom-plished, as more members join our ranksto carry the torch which lights the wayfor newcomers to sustainable living.Together the PASA family is doing some-thing collectively to change this worldgone crazy.

What a proud family it is. Dont giveup, dont let godont leave it up, to some-one else. For your honor, for your

prideYou are not ready for the rockingchairjust do something! (the rest of theCD is good too). I

PASABoardPerspective

much is involved in raising food. Theyhave been jolted into the realization thatour industrialized food system is not thepanacea we were told it would be. It usedto be cheap. It is increasinglydangerous.Their excitement is formed when theyrealize local, sustainably produced food

tastes so much better.PASA is being asked every day to helpmore struggling farmers find the answersto survival. These are uncertain times.Last week at the Williamsport GrowersMarket, a well-spoken woman asked meto pray for solutions concerning herdilemma of paying her taxes. She had topay them late because the cost of heatingher home had overtaken her fixedincome. The woman was at the marketbecause she wanted to support localfarmers who she knew were also strug-

gling. She represents an increasing seg-ment of our country.

The current food and energy crisisneeds to be viewed as an opportunity tofinally address and solve the weaknessesof our cheap food and energy policies ofthe past. Food should have never beenallowed to be dumbed down into theoften adulterated, nutrient deficient,smorgasbord of bad choices it hasbecome.

Similarly our energy policies shouldhave been less wasteful and much more

proactive about sustainable choices forcars, public transportation, and innova-tive, conservation minded public and pri-vate buildings. Forgive me but it is hardto feel sorry for companies like GeneralMotors, who have gluttonously glorified,inefficient car and truck designs, whilehandsomely rewarding their leadership,at a time when they could have steppedup and led us to new levels of automo-tive, innovation and design. It is time weall demand leadership, at all levels and

among all sectors of our society.The very worst thing we can possiblydo right now as concerned citizens of asociety in crisis, is do nothing.

Recently I have been listening to theEaglesband latest album called Out ofEden (my sons would tell you overlistening!). One of the songs which hasbecome a favorite is called Do Something,and I wanted to share some of the lyrics,Ive been walking in the fields, and on thestreets of town, trying to make sense of what

you left mewhen I pick up the morning

By Kim Seeley, Board President

The world we live in is looking forleaders. Where will they come from?Many of the brightest leaders in historycame from an agricultural background,where hard work and appreciation of the worlds natural resources were just ascommon as real food and healthy livingonce was.

PASA farm and business members willprovide the training arenas for many newyouthful leaders who are nurtured bytheir families and employers to respectour natural resources while redesigningnew food, fiber production and process-ing systems. PASA has become the veryorganization our founders envisioned.We are now respected for what all of usdo every day promoting sustainabili-ty. Not smoke and mirrors. Not spin.Not unifying with the agricultural status

quo, which worships production at allcosts, while handsomely rewarding thosewho ignore our childrens future. PASAhas become the fresh air needed in a world swirling with natural and man-made disasters.

Recently Ive met people who are rais-ing chickens and pigs, while returning togardening, and in general getting moreinvolved with their families food. Theirexcitement to share this with me is sorewarding. They realize how therapeuticit can be, but they also are reminded how

Looking

for Leaders


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and innovative business planning. I amproud to be one of two founders doingthe heavy lifting on that project for near-ly three years.

Urban Homesteaders also evolvedfrom a consulting company offeringexisting home services and expandingtheir homesteading knowledge to focus-ing on the operation of Blackberry Mead-ows Farm as a model for farm succession,local organic food production, greenbuilding, farmed fuels and Permaculture.Greg, along with his partners: JenMontgomery, wife (and farm boss);Dave Boulos, his brother; and HeathGamach purchased Blackberry Mead-

fuels to regional logistics and nonprofitcompanies. Its evolved as a catalyst forthe local fuel and alternative transporta-tion movement in Pittsburgh, and hasbeen a great model for rapid growth of ayoung nonprofit through social venturing

ect. Asked what interested him in apply-ing for the Western Director position heresponded, The job description read likemy resume. I actually had a friend readthe job description, without telling himthe what or where of the position and hethought I had written it to replace myselfat Blackberry Meadows.

Looking towards the future withPASA, Greg wants to encourage membersin the region to communicate with staff

in the Pittsburgh office. I am very excit-ed about the activities happening in thisregion and I am looking forward to work-ing with the members. Im hoping tosupport more regional potlucks, farmtours and educational programs. Imple-menting strategic pieces to the regionalinfrastructure is both challenging and rel-evant work. Im thrilled to do my part forlocal economic security.

Greg is also anticipating bringing hissocial and business connections from hisprevious work to PASA.

According to Greg, I am looking for-ward to working with our farming mem-bers to solidify their connections withmarkets, engaging more young farmers with assistance and insight into farmtransitions, building membership in the Western region and increasing outreachfor people to know PASA as a valuableresource in making connections tohealthier and safer food.

Contact Greg at 412-697-0411 [email protected].

PASANews

PASA Welcomes Greg Boulos as Western Regional Director

In May, PASA welcomed Greg Boulosto the staff to fill the position of WesternRegional Director. Born in PittsburghsNorth Hills, Gregs interest in the envi-ronment and sustainability began early.

I remember growing up and hearingneighbors talk about leaving the nextgeneration to deal with environmentalproblems and Im convinced we canmake a difference in our lifetime, its hap-pening already, says Greg.

Greg attended the University ofCincinnati from 199496 to study archi-tecture. However the programs narrowarchitecture focus convinced him totransfer to Slippery Rock University ofPennsylvania (SRU), graduating in 1999

with degrees in creative writing and phi-losophy.After college, I traveled across the

United States and Europe for nearly threeyears. As a writer and philosopher, my job was to get into various adventures,he continues. I worked as a handy-manin exchange for food, shelter and travelmoney. A woofer without a farm. It wasa great experience because I met manypeople with similar views of sustainablelifestyles.

In 2003, Greg returned to western

Pennsylvania and enrolled in SRUs Sus-tainable Systems masters program. Dur-ing his years in graduate school Greg wascaretaker of the Macoskey Center andwrote his thesis on biodiesel education.

Since then Greg has embarked on afew entrepreneurial efforts in westernPennsylvania, including founding UrbanHomesteaders and Steel City Biofuels. According to Greg, The idea behindUrban Homesteaders was to offer con-sulting services to individuals to makethemselves and their homes more sustain-able in a variety of ways. We offered serv-ices ranging from energy diagnostics,building performance, landscaping andassistance on how to begin cottage busi-nesses. When Urban Homesteadersbought the farm we moved all thoseservices into a company called Home-steaders Consulting.

In 2005, Greg was also integral in thefoundation of Steel City Biofuels, as abiodiesel educator. Since then Steel Citycontinues to advocate and connect local

I am looking forward to

working with our members

in the region and increasingoutreach for people to know

PASA as a valuable resource

in making connections to

healthier and safer food.

ows from lifetimePASA members Dale& Jack Duff in 2007. Although Greg doesnot have an active day-

to-day role in farmoperations, he serves asa long-range plannerand advisor for thepartnership.

Greg first learnedabout PASA while atSRU in the SustainableSystems program and was also involved onthe advisory commit-tee for the RegionalFood InfrastructureNetwork (RFIN) proj-


9/329

remote, departmental capitol in the Andes as a Community-based Environ-mental Management Volunteer. Duringthis time Mia oversaw the implementa-tion of an integral waste managementplan for a city of 30,000 and assisted thetransition of project management to localresidents, helping to ensure the sustain-ability of the project upon her departure.

Mia Farber was recently hired as Con-sumer Outreach Associate in PASAsoffice based Pittsburgh. Working closely with Christopher Fullerton, Director ofConsumer Outreach, her main duties

will include the coordination of BuyFresh Buy Local activities and consumeroutreach initiatives throughout the state.

According to Western regional direc-tor, Greg Boulos, Were glad to have Miahere in the office, she brings an energeticand knowledgeable perspective to ourimportant work.

Mia is originally from Pittsburgh andis glad to have returned to the area. Sheinitially left to attend Wellesley College,where she worked on a number of farmsoutside of the Boston area, includingLands Sake Organic Farm, Drumlin Farmand with the Chewonki Foundation inMaine.

Before coming to work for PASA, Miaserved 2 and a half years in the UnitedStates Peace Corps in Peru, working in a

In addition to her dedication to inspire asense of environmental conscientiousnessamongst Peruvians, Mia also spent a greatdeal of her time in Peru soaking up theenergy of the open-air markets.

Mia looks forward to her new position with PASA as an opportunity to learnmore about grassroots marketing effortsand community structures, as a comple-ment to her undergraduate studies incommunity-based sociology.

As an avid cook, Mia is excited tolearn more about farming initiatives andthe superb ingredients available in thisarea. Much of Mias enthusiasm derivesfrom the bustling local food climate inPittsburgh, and the communitys ripenessfor the types of messages that her workwith PASA entails. Mia hopes to transferher own enthusiasm for eating fresh andbuying local to Pennsylvanias discerningconsumers.

Contact Mia at [email protected] 412-246-0990.

PASANews

Consumer Outreach Adds New Staff Member

A D V E R TI S E M E N T PASA is sponsoring a farmers market at this event.

To participate contact Michele Gauger at PASA headquarters.

Mia Farber


10/3210

a hiatus from farming, according toRandy.

At this time Randy took a job at Wil-

son College at the Center for SustainableLiving, working to gather information onhow to promote Community SupportedAgriculture (CSA), their history, and tocreate a directory of CSAs on the eastcoast. All of this off-farm work was bene-ficial and inspired the Treichlers torevamp their own CSA program, begunseveral years before.

Since the local farmers markets (andthis was at a time well before the marketboom of the last few years) were not eco-

nomically viable, they began to look atother retail venues. They knew Jim Craw-ford had been participating in a weeklymarket in the Washington DC area(about 100 miles from the farm). So in2001 the Treichlers began selling at theAdams Morgan Farmers Market in DCand relaunched their CSA program.

Today April through December youcan find the Treichlers at the Adams Mor-gan Market, but their on-line, websitefarmers market and CSA sales run allyear long. Each week CSA boxes (or

shares) are pre-planned, while the rest ofthe on-line market is a la carte ordering.Non-CSA customers can also order a boxand add other items. This method ofInternet marketing by a single small farmis still in the development phase,although as of our 5th year we have filledover 12,500 orders, said Randy.

The online store is open for shoppersonly during a 24-hour period from Wednesday at 7am until Thursday at7am. This is because were not reason-ably certain what produce will be readyfor the weekend until Tuesday sometimeand it takes all day Thursday and Fridayto pick, portion, and fill orders, Randycontinued.

Their CSA membership is capped at150, but because customers are allowedto choose when they want their box, thesize and contents, they never really knowhow many CSA shares will be orderedeach week until the store closes on Thurs-day morning. Typically between 4575members order each week.

Farm

erProfile

By Michele Gauger

Since PASA began offering ourFarmer Profile column a few years ago, we have tried our best to showcase ourmany diverse farming members across thecountry. This month is no different andin talking with Randy Treichler of StarHollow Farm in Three Springs, PA(Huntingdon Co.) I realized once againhow innovative and adaptable PASAfarmers could be.

Randy didnt grow up on a farm, butwas exposed to various aspects of agricul-ture as a kid by spending time at his

uncles farm in Pennsylvania. After grow-ing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, heleft to study agriculture at Iowa State andthe University of California Davis. Heearned a masters degree in International Agricultural Development at UC Davisand moved to Colombia (South America)to work for the International Center forTropical Agriculture.

After two years abroad, Randy, hiswife Chris and their two young childrenreturned to the United States in 1991,

initially to continue his agricultural stud-ies at Cornell. I found myself asking if alife in academia was really for me, andone day I went to the ag placement officeand noticed New Morning Farm (inHustontown, PA) was looking forapprentices, said Randy. Chris and Ihad decided to locate somewhere on theeast coast since she had family in south-eastern Pennsylvania, so the south centralarea of the state was a good fit.

I worked with Jim Crawford at NewMorning Farm and it was also during the

from just a few miles away.

Eventually the right farm happenedupon Randy. Jim Crawford had asked ifI could help a friend and neighbor of hismove. Once I saw their farm, I couldntget over how perfect the place was. Theowners used the farm as their seasonalhome and lived in New York the rest ofthe year. Over a long dinner conversationafter the move was complete, I basicallyleft with a handshake agreement to buytheir farm, he continues.

Thus Star Hollow Farm was foundedin 1992 and is now a thriving organic

produce farm. The Treichler familyincludes Chris and three children; Jack, Anna and Sam, all of whom help withvarious farm duties. Randy and the kidsare building a tractor shed this summer, whenever there is a break in the field-work.

The 85-acre woodland farm includesabout 5 acres in active cultivation and anadditional 15 acres in yearly rotation withcover crops (Pennsylvania CertifiedOrganic certifies all the crop acreage).They also have a flock of 100 laying hens,and have inoculated about 100 oak andmaple logs for their first crop of Shiitakeand oyster mushrooms, to be harvestedstarting next spring.

When first starting out, the Treichlerswere marketing their produce via whole-sale (TOG) and direct at a handful ofsmall area farmers markets. We enjoyedthe direct marketing aspect at the farm-ers markets, but after 56 years, we real-ized things werent working outeconomically for us. So in 1998 we took

Chris & Randy TreichlerStar Hollow Farm

time when the TuscaroraOrganic Growers Cooper-ative (TOG) was forming

and they were looking fororganic growers to partici-pate, he continued. Backin 1991 there were greatopportunities for usbecause we had access toreasonably priced land, thecooperative was close-by,and in addition there werefarming neighbors wecould work with and learn


11/32

Sixteen years later we are still here at the farm.It is not an easy life, but we work together as a family,eat well and I like my job! Randy Treichler

continuing to evolve in their operation

by expanding their varieties of vegetables,

incorporating sound forest managementinto their plans, working on innovative

ways to battle the local deer population

and making a few long-term investments

such as a new reliable tractor.

According to Randy, Sixteen years

later we are still here at the farm. It is not

an easy life and the pay isnt what it

should be, but I am home six days a

week, we work together as a family, eat

very well and I like my job! I

and have become accustomed to purchas-ing items via the Internet.

Not all the produce provided in theCSA and online market is produced atStar Hollow Farm. Randy says they sellproducts from TOG and about a dozenother local farms in order to providecheeses, orchard fruits, honey and more.

It has taken us about 14 years tobecome a profitable farm. We are notdebt free, but neither Chris nor I areworking off the farm anymore (Chris pre-viously worked for the TOG Coopera-tive), said Randy. The Treichlers are

11

From past experiences with their CSAprogram, the Treichlers were just too farout of town to make the traditional CSAformat work, where customers come tothe farm to pick-up their box each week. And they learned over the years mostpeople wanted more flexibility when they

got a box, quantity and what other itemsthey could get. So they devised the onlinefarmers market and CSA to fill thatniche.

Customers can also create debitaccounts (a $300 initial fee to join theCSA) where they pre-pay and then spenddown their account as orders are placedin the online store. According to Randy,Our CSA model is targeting 2030somethings in Washington DC that like-ly are in their first job away from home

marketing and it seems to suit us. Im pretty sure that itsonly the success of our retail marketing that has us still in thegame, particularly as we have made the decision to remainvery small-scale and rely mostly on family labor.

Crop shift. One very clear change that has been occurring isthe degree of wildlife pressure on our crops. Woods and crit-ters surround our farm, and they are definitely on theincrease. For years Ive tried to control them usually notvery successfully and have slowly been changing our cropmix to items they dont show much interest in. For example,when we started out, red beets were one of our main crops(grown for the Co-op). We even considered calling ourselvesthe Beet Farm they seemed so important. Now weve givenup growing beets entirely outdoors, as the deer seem to lovebeet tops more than just about anything else. Now wereconsciously shifting to crops the critters dont bother muchwith, always experimenting. This spring we planted our firstJerusalem artichokes about 200 plants. They started offgreat, until the deer found them. Now they are mown offnearly every evening. I guess theyre not going to be a newpest-proof crop for us! Fortunately there are still somethings out there. Our experiment with a third of an acre ofceleriac seems to be working. After a few taste-tests, the deerand rabbits have left it alone. Thank goodness there are

some crops left!

Why did you join PASA?

I attended one of the final planning meetings to create PASAback in 1991, I think up in Spring Mills or Millheim. It wasobvious that there was a good energy vibe going on withinthe organic / alternative ag movement in PA at the time, andfor anyone interested in that sort of thing, it was clearly theplace to be (or organization to be involved with). Its beenpretty amazing to see how PASA has grown and profession-alized, and the PASA conference is one of the highlights ofour year.

What do you see as some of the critical issues concerning

agriculture today?

Profitability. (At least on our farm!) That quick answer sortof surprises me, but I realize that while Im not really think-ing of that when I go out to work every day, it is what drivesour farm, and I have to assume most other farms as well. Iprefer to think about production issues cover crop tim-ing and mixes, cultivating machinery, comparing varietiesand finding new crops, season extension, irrigation improve-ments, and so on but in the end, it all has to be profitable

to keep farmers on the farm where they can work on all theseand other sustainability and land use issues.

What is unique about your farm?

Internet marketing. I cant think of any reason why we werepredisposed to this, but somehow (actually the idea cameover martinis one night) we started marketing over the inter-net about 5 years ago, and now it represents the majority ofour sales, which are still relatively local (Washington DC),but use the internet as a medium to manage and give flexi-bility to our market and CSA customers. Our internet-basedCSA is unique, I think, allowing members to get custom

boxes of varying size and contents, only on the weeks theywant them. Its very customer-friendly, but of course repre-sents a lot of time on our part to pack.

How has your operation evolved?

Market mix.We started out dividing our production aboutequally between wholesale and retail outlets, but over theyears have been focusing more and more on retail, especial-ly since our online Internet marketing has grown. On theone hand Im a little saddened by the reduced role we playas producers for our co-op (Tuscarora Organic Growers),but on the other, we really enjoy and get a kick out of retail

I NT ER VI EW W IT H C HR IS & R AN DY T R E IC HE R


12/3212

Special Advertising SectionFor this special summer issue of Passages we offered

our PASA business members a chance to advertise

products and services they offer to smaller

producers. We hope this special feature will be help-

ful for our members to get to know the businesses

that support PASA and for the businesses to also forge

new partnerships with customers. Check out pages

1316 to learn more!

PASA staff and board would like to thank

the following companies for helping us

with this new endeavor:

Agri-Dynamics Inc.

Harrisburg Dairies Inc.

Milestone Centers Inc. University of Scranton

Small Business Development Center

PASA would also like to thank

our advertorial writing staff:

Michele Gauger

Allison Shauger

Lauren Smith

If you are a business interested in advertising in a

future newsletter issue, contact Michele Gauger at

PASA headquarters. All advertorials, including 14

from our 2007 issue are posted under the Business

Membershiplink on the the PASA website.

15

SPEC IA L A DVERTISI NG SE CTI ON

You j ust donttalk about greenhouses and energyconservation atthesa me time.Thats whatCindyLatchaw heard from the manufacturer of hergreenhouse when shec alled tofi nd out what advancesh adbeenmadein efficiencyinthe nineyearss inceit wasi nstalled. Therehadntbeen any. Energyu se wasnton theirmindsat all.Thatswhyshewas glad to read about Solair Energyin thePASAnewsletter. Latchaw, who began producinghydroponicvegetables at herMercer County Fair Winds Farm in 2002,immediately got on the phone to Pam Denlinger, Solairsfounderand CEO. This initiated an energyaudit process forFairWindsF arm thatcontinuestothis day.Solair Energy provided equipment that L

atchaw used tomeasure energy demand of equipment in herfarmingopera-tion, and generated ideas forre trofittinghero ldgreenhouse toconserve energy. One suggestion was to insulate the bottomwhere heatrailsa re located,s oh eat is reflected inward insteadofbeinglost. Solairdetermined the bestsite on thep ropertyfora potential wind turbine, and estimated costs and benefits oflocating solar panels on top of the packing shed andmarket/auctionh ouse.Helpingc lients exploreo ptionsfor reducingenergyb ills isjustoneo fthe servicesp rovided bySolair,which was foundedbyDenlingeri n1 995.The company,based inL ycomingCoun-ty,travelsthroughout the statetos ervice customerswith renew-able energy,e nergyefficiencya nd sustainable designs olutions.Denlinger,who has worked in the energyconservation fieldsince 1987,fo unded thec ompanyto provide energyconserva-tion services for public utility programs. It was a door ofopportunity to do something I e njoyedand believed in. Soon opportunities cameto venture intos olare nergy, as Solaircon-tracted with the PAEnergyAssociation in2001 to offers tatewide trainingforthePARenewable Energy Pilot Program; thencultivated their own installation crew toperform solar water heating and photo-voltaicin stallations.

Last yearSolair installed a number ofsmall wind systems throughout the state.Pam says, I love providing people withthistechnology.People areo ften excited tofind we are here homegrown, localproviders of renewable energy systems! Ialsol ove beingable to offera two-prongedapproach of reducing customers energyneeds through state-of-the-artenergyc on-servation,a nd providingrenewable energy

LookingTowardsPennsylvanias EnergyFuture

systems forthem.This makesa greatcombinationo fs ervices.Solairisc urrentlyseekingc ustomerswith downhills treamsto venturein to microhydro energy.Itcan bea veryp roductiveenergy system for people who own this resource. Unlike thewind orth es un,a good downhill streamrunsc onstantlyyear-round,so itgenerates electricityforac omparablec ostto ap ho-tovoltaic system ors malls calewind turbine.Beinga small business owneris alwaysa challengeb ut has itsown rewards.All ofus at SolairEnergyfeel good aboutbeingable to make a difference. Business is business, but its notalwaysa boutthe bottom line. Like manyPASAmembers, wehave a missionaryzeal to help people, includingfellowPASAmembers and farmers,to maketh eircornero fth e world am oresustainable place. I

Photoabove:SolairEnergy,Inc.founder andpresident,Pam Den-lingerandinstallerMichaelFisherattherecentPASA conference.

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

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University of Marylands replicated research indicates a 10bushel per acre corn yield increase where tillage radisheswere planted the fall before

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New website with lots of information about growing tillageradishes benefits, growing tips,& the latest research

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For more info and ordering, contact:

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13/32

sale to Paragon Monteverde, whose end purchasers includeEatn Park Hospitality Group, big Burrito Restaurant Group.Paragon has been with us since the beginning of our produc-tion and has been very encouraging, says Bayer.

Elaine Bellin, President of Paragon Monteverde mentionedAbout five years ago Kate approached us about helping Mile-stone and Paragon made a usage commitment that was crucialin the early stages. I believe because of my personal commit-ment and belief in helping to get local agriculture started inWestern PA, the program was born.

In effort to increase their customer base and retail sales,Milestone created a Salad Club. Bayer explains, It is a Com-munity Supported Agriculture (CSA) program for lettuce. A$50 subscription fee covers 13 weeks of lettuce. We offer five

drop-off locations in the Allegheny county area. Bayer alsonotes We are also looking for more caterers and hotels who areinterested in using our lettuce.

In a recent Salad Club members survey, 65% of the sub-scribers noted the social mission of Milestone made a differencein their decision to participate. Our greenhouse not only pro-vides a paycheck to our employees, but also a therapeutic workenvironment to the individuals who need it the most, contin-ues Bayer. This is a specialty service unique to Milestone andwe have receive nothing but positive feedback.

To add Milestone Specialty Produce as part of your menu,contact Kate Bayer at [email protected], 412-371-7391, ext. 116, or visit www.milestonecentersinc.org. I

Milestone Centers, Inc. is a private, nonprofit agencyserving needs of individuals with behavioral and

intellectual challenges throughout western Pennsyl-vania. According to Kate Bayer, Milestones Director of Devel-opment & Marketing, In 1998 many state mental healthfacilities and community homes were closing. Former residentsof those facilities were used to working in greenhouses thatserved as therapeutic work environments. Given the healingnature of this horticultural work, Milestone sought a suitablelocation to develop its own greenhouse enterprise. The nearbyYough River Trail Gardens were a visible site, explains Bayer,based on an economic impact study conducted by the Univer-sity of Pittsburgh and The Progress Fund.

The goal of Milestones hydroponic greenhouse is to employ

people with behavioral and intellectual challenges to produce awide variety of specialty greens for sale to local wholesalers, spe-cialty markets and restaurants, while providing the agency witha sustainable social entrepreneurial business.

In 2001, while investigating a greenhouse operation, wethought it would center on ornamental plant production, con-tinues Bayer. However, after a feasibility study was conducted, which included regional restaurant demand, our consultantshelped develop a business plan around hydroponic lettuce.

Construction of the 3,000 square foot greenhouse was com-pleted in the fall of 2006 with first harvest taking place the fol-lowing year. Milestone is currently producing four varieties oflettuces including bib, Waldmans red and green and Lola Rosa

loose-leaf lettuces. The lettuce is being marketed under thebrand name Milestone Specialty Produce.

At present, the greenhouse is producing approximately2,000 heads of lettuce per week while employing one full-timedelivery driver and one part-time worker in charge of planting,harvesting and packaging.

Milestones production has piqued the interest of manychefs in the region and the agency is currently selling at whole-

13

Salad with a Mission

S P E C I A L A D VE R T I S I N G S E C T I O N

An inside look at the 3,000 square foot greenhouse operation

producing a variety of fresh, hydroponic lettuces.


14/32

time in the dairy industry.So Harrisburg Dairies has come a long way in their 77 years

in business. What started out as a horse-drawn home-deliveryservice employs 150 people today. Chrissie Dewey, Fredsdaughter and fourth generation family member to work at thecompany finished by adding, Our small but mighty sales teamis growing new accounts all the time. We have a real sense ofpride and commitment to keep our company strong. I

Leona Meat Plant, based in Troy, (Bradford Co.) Pennsyl-vania, has been serving the needs of livestock producersaround the region for 44 years. It was established in

1963, when Charles Debach fulfilled his dream of operating abusiness of his own. From its humble beginning as a two-roomfacility, the business expanded in 1967 to offer custom process-

ing and boneless beef to mom and pop grocery stores and wholesale markets. In 1972 a retail store was added, whichremains a popular stop for customers looking for a wide assort-ment of meat products and other goods such as dairy products,frozen seafood, fruits, and vegetables, bread, spaghetti saucesand more.

Charles passed on his invaluable knowledge and butcheringskills to his sons Mike and Charles II (Chick) while building hisbusiness. Today, the two sons operate Leona Meat Plant witheight employees. With business growing and manufacturingincreasing yearly, Leona has expanded its services by preparingand packaging for private labels and has become a certifiedorganic meat handler.

Mike Debach, co-owner of Leona Meat Plant, says, About70 percent of our business is vacuum packaging, which includesa lot of private labeling. We are beginning to see more cus-tomers being conscious of where their food comes from andhow it is raised the whole Buy Fresh, Buy Local idea.

One farmer who has been working with the Leona MeatPlant for over a year now is Bill Callahan, owner of Cow-a-HenFarm in Mifflinburg, (Union Co) Pennsylvania. Bills 100-acreoperation includes beef, pork, turkey, ducks, and geese. I

14

Harrisburg DairiesStrives for Quality


When one meets Harrisburg Dairies owner FredDewey, one immediately gets the idea that theircatchphrase Not your average cow! is more than

just a slogan. They are not your average dairy, either. We aredriven by our customers and our dedication to pleasing themwith a quality product, Fred reported with sincerity.

These folks live and work by this daily credo.All of Harrisburg Dairies milk comes from 45 local farms

(some of them third generation), in a 60-mile radius. They keeptheir farmers happy by paying a premium price for what Har-risburg Dairies believes is a premium product. Weve beenrBST free since our beginning, reports Fred, and not as a

marketing tool as you might see today in the industry. Webelieved, and still do today, that it is better for the animals.Their dairy farms are independent and enjoy a reliable rela-

tionship with Harrisburg Dairies. It gives us pride to see ourfarms be able to invest in capital improvements. We genuinelycare about these people and their future.

On the flip side, Fred admits their customers are the drivingforce. For instance, they are pushing us to be green. I respondto emails from concerned customers who take time to write mepersonally, encouraging us to avoid plastic packaging and stick with biodegradable paper cartons! Being green really hasbecome good for business. Even if you are not philosophicallyinto itwhich we are!

For instance, it takes 8 tractor-trailers to haul the sameamount of plastic bottles as can be transported in one tractor-trailer load of paper cartons. We use paper cartons because ourcustomers want them, and we know it is the right thing to do.

Its not just transportation matters and rBST that makesHarrisburg Dairies milk more sustainable. They are PA Pre-

ferredwith the Department of Ag, and that matters to them.They are proud to be identified as a local company that cares,and cares about local resources.

The Buy Fresh Buy Localconcept has taken over adds Fred.Consumers know and understand this difference, and we servethose customers well. We cant and dont want to complete withthe huge mega-dairies. Our niche and customers have alwaysbeen our neighbors. This works for us. We are a small guy serv-ing a small guy.

Fred goes onto say, Our label-reading customers also wantall natural products too they ask us for it. So we are usingpure cane sugar, not artificial sweeteners in our teas and choco-late milk. We dont use any preservatives either. What we giveup in shelf like, we feel we gain in customer satisfaction.

A satisfied customer in their food service division, JamieMoore of Eatn Park Hospitality adds, Harrisburg Dairies hasbeen an incredible supplier for our company. From being rBSTfree to working on eliminating high fructose from their non-dairy beverages, they are truly innovative and ahead of their

Harrisburg Dairies wishes

to extend special thanks to all the

PASA members for their support

on the milk labeling issue!


15/32

Offering Holistic Livestock Care& Consulting Services for Almost 30 Years

Linking healthy soil, truly nutritious food and profitable, sustainable farming

15


Are you a livestock producerand feed prices getting youdown? Then you may

want to reach out to Agri-Dynam-ics Inc. for some assistance to notonly improve overall herd thrifti-ness but also maximize on-farmproduction of forages.

Jerry Brunetti founded Agri-Dynamics in 1979 to provide nat-

ural products for livestock animals.After years of managing a milkcooperative, I was more interested in working with producers ina consulting capacity, says Jerry. I wanted to offer a whole-farm, holistic approach to management. Agri-Dynamics offersconsulting services and holistic animal remedies for farm live-stock, equine and pets.

Jerry continues, After witnessing devastating results of con-ventional, chemically dependent, grain-based rationed farmingpractices, I wanted to educate and work for farmers who madethe wise choice to transition to ecologically responsible and sus-tainable farming.

Many of the livestock operations Agri-Dynamics currentlyconsults with are dairy farms, which range is size. One suchfarm is David Swartzentubers, soon to be certified organic, 70-head dairy operation in Pennsylvania. We have been using avariety of Agri-Dynamics remedies, both preventative and ther-apeutic, for about two years, says David. I appreciate workingwith Jerry because he knows so much about his products andwe are really pleased with the results.

According to Jerry, since founding the business almost 30years ago he has seen quite an evolution in farm managementpractices. In the 1970s I saw many farmers producing a vari-ety of feed stocks for their herds. Instead of relying on off-farminputs they were growing their own cereal grains, silage and

hay. But a shift came in the 80s and 90s when breeding in thedairy industry moved towards increased volume of production, which often resulted in drops in overall animal reproductiveperformance and longevity. Jerry continued, Now I am wit-nessing a switch back to farmers wanting to learn more aboutgood pasture stewardship and relying once again on home-grown forages. This is coupled with increased knowledge andresearch on the relationship between soils, forage quality andanimal health, as well as a philosophy shifting from productionper cow to profit per cow or acre and animal longevity.

Agri-Dynamics not only provides livestock remedies, butalso offers nutritional consultations, including soil testing andinterpretation. Livestock health and performance are closely

associated with biologically active soils rich in plant diversitythat maximize immunity, resistance to parasites, reproductiveperformance, growth and lactation. Human beneficiaries derivea nutrient-dense and better flavored egg, meat and dairy prod-uct, says Jerry.

Agri-Dynamics line of products has evolved to includeequine, small pet and human health products and services, inaddition to consultations for horticulture, golf course and turfmanagement, viticulture, orchards, and greenhouses. What has-nt changed is their ongoing commitment to the health of thefamily farm and our planet.

I see excitement in livestock farming right now because ofnew high octane forage feed stocks being developed, soilchemistry knowledge, biology, husbandry and a focus onincreasing overall biodiversity, Brunetti commented. I

Agri-Dynamics founder Jerry Brunetti is also a noted lecturer ontopics related to ecological products and services.


16/32

Whether youre in the dreaming stages of starting a farmbusiness or you have an established enterprise, The Universityof Scranton SBDCs Agribusiness and Food Specialty Centersare a resource you dont want to ignore! Offering free consulta-tion to farmers and/or small business owners, the SBDC hascreated a model program to assist with the specific needs offood growers and other farm-based producers. In its first year,funded in part by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Agribusiness Program has served 125 farmer clients rangingfrom new/start up businesses to established enterprises.

With an average of eleven years of experience, three SBDC

Agribusiness consultants are poised to help farmers with a com-prehensive set of resources. Wherever you are in the process ofa business venture, the consultant will guide you through eachstep and personally connect you to the vast array of resourcesavailable. Start up business clients attend a training sessionwhich provides information on regulations for business owner-ship, what to expect in terms of finances, and help with initialpaperwork.

The strength of the SBDCs Agribusiness Program is thereferral network that has been built, establishing connections toresources. After helping you write or review your business plan,consultants will refer you to all of the appropriate networks.

Whether you need labs to do product-testing, banks to secureappropriate loans, insurance providers specific to your needs,resources to design and host a website, or access to a kitchenincubator to develop value-added products, the SBDC willguide you through the process. Their goal is to provide consis-tent support at each step so the client does not get lost in theprocess.

In addition to private one-on-one consultation, The Uni-versity of Scranton SBDC Agribusiness Program offers manyin-depth seminars held at different times to accommodate busyschedules. Seminars offer hands-on experience on a range oftopics including:

How to use accounting software for invoicing, inventory, pay-ments and bookkeeping

ServSafe training, required for all food handlers

Market development: finding your niche and working withregulatory agencies

Payroll and tax preparation training

Food labeling, packaging and pricing

How to write a business plan

In its inaugural year, the Agribusiness Program has assistedfarmers developing CSAs and value-added products, farmerslooking to expand their direct-market sales and retail profits, as

16

well as farmers working in the wholesale sector. Their research

services have even benefited farmers interested in incorporatingalternative energies such as installing wind turbines, and farm-ers seeking information on managing migrant employees.

The University of Scranton SBDC has outreach facilities inthe following eight counties: Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike, Lackawanna, Wyoming and Monroe. TheAgribusiness Centers serve the five counties of Bradford, Lack-awanna, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming. The Center takesreferrals and inquiries from other counties as well. Call themain office (570) 941-7588 to request a free consultation in theAgribusiness program today!

For more information on locating an SBDC near you go towww.PASBDC.org.


Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)Unique Agribusiness and Food Specialty Program Helps Farmers Succeed in Businesses

The University of ScrantonSBDC Agribusiness andFood Specialty Centers

Serving Bradford, Lackawanna,Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyomingcounties with two locations

One-on-one consulting specific toorganic, natural and specialty food issuesand industries

Educational programming gearedtoward farm and food producers includingServSafe Certification

Linkage to USDA, PennTAP, testing labora-tories, trade associations

Assistance with product testing, packaging,labeling and access to capital

CONTACT:

Susan Dillon (570) 724-7703(Bradford/Tioga)

Maria Montenegro (570) 941-7588(Lackawanna/Susquehanna/Wyoming)


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Guests should call or email the book-store to RSVP, all dishes must be pre-pared with local ingredients. Author TimStark will read from/talk about his bookHeirloom, take questions and signcopies. Visit www.ccbmc.com or call610-696-1661.

I Bike Fresh Bike LocalSunday, September 21

This event is organized in collabora-tion with area bike clubs, featuring 25,50 and 75 mile routes through the beau-tiful landscapes of rural Chester County.The ride begins and ends at VictoryBrewing in Downingtown. $35 advanceregistration includes tee shirt, roadsnacks, and a post-ride meal of localfoods and Victory brews!

Proceeds benefit PASA. To registervisit www.pasafarming.org or contactMarilyn Anthony at [email protected].

I PASA Harvest Dinner

at Longwood Gardens

Friday, September 26

Join us for a joyous celebration oflocal foods at the premier horticulturalcenter in America. Hors doeuvres andlocal wines in the Idea Garden, sumptu-ous dinner in the Ballroom, fabulousdesserts in the Conservatory. Seating islimited, so please reserve early. $150 per

person. To reserve your place or a tablefor 10, contact Marilyn Anthony at [email protected].

The tour took place July 26.This was an opportunity for the non-

farming public to connect with farms inthat region that offer the best in healthyfood raised using sustainable practices.The experience provides an understand-ing of how critical local and organic food

systems are to preserving rural and urbanlandscapes.

This year the tour expanded to coverthirteen farms in Allegheny, Washington,and Westmoreland counties; and includ-ed stops at Blackberry Meadow Farms inNatrona Heights, Dillner Family Farm in West Deer, Eichners Farm in McCand-less, Harvest Valley Farms in Valencia, Jamison Farm in Latrobe, Kaelin Farms& Market in Franklin Park, JanoskisFarm & Greenhouse in Clinton,McConnells Farm in Hopewell, MorrisFarm in Irwin, Shenot Farm in Marshall,Simmons Farm in Peters, SoergelOrchards & Greenhouses in FranklinPark and Triple B Farms in Forward.

Anyone interested in being a hostfarm in 2009, should contact the West-ern Regional Office at 412-697-0411.

I Mark Your Calendars!

Buy Fresh Buy Local

Potluck & Book Signing

September 18, Chester County Book

& Music Company,West Chester PA

SOUTHEASTERN

REGION

RegionalMarketing

Denise Sheehan and Yvonne Post ofCookingForReal recently presented aworkshop at Dickinson Farm about theirapproach to educating consumers aboutwhole foods preparation. Their workshopprovided practical information, skills,

and advice to equip other potential edu-cators to do the same. About thirty menand women from surrounding countiesattended their fun-filled and informative workshop. CookingForReal offers pro-grams on whole foods education andpreparation for a wide variety of groupsincluding elementary school children andcorporate employees. Visit www.cooking-forreal.com or call 610-999-0734.

PASAs Western Region recently heldtheir 2nd annual Buy Fresh Buy Local

Summer Farm Tour in Southwestern PA.

WESTERN

REGION

Yvonne Post (left) and Denise Sheehan.

17

Western

NorthCentral/Eastern

SouthcentralSoutheastern

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]

[email protected]

Marilyn Anthony

610-458-5700 x305 [email protected]

Southcentral

[email protected]

Julie Hurst


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]

SOUTHCENTRAL

REGION


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with fresh food, neighbor farmers whogrow it and those markets, grocers andrestaurants that are committed to using

locally grown food in their enterprises.

We want consumers to be able to findand purchase your local farm products!

Please note that all products listed onthis website must be produced by a localfarm and traceable back to that farm.

That means for any value-added productto be listed the main ingredient must beproduced locally and traceable back tothe farm where it was produced.

Be sure to visit www.buylocalpa.org,click on Get in the Guide, and fill in allthe needed information about your farm

or business. Members not having accessto the Internet may contact Mia Farber atPASAs Western Regional Office head-quarters who will send you a paper copy.

New entries are being added daily,so check back often to find sources of

local foods as we assemble our listings. I

Attention PASA members you cannow go to www.buylocalpa.org and applyto have your farm or business included in

the Local Food Guide online, search-

able database. This guide allows PASAmembers and Buy Fresh Buy Local

partners to create a custom entry listingproducts available from the farm/busi-ness, hours of operation and more. Youcan include your logo and link to your

website (if applicable) with your listing.PASA and our statewide partners

will be promoting www.buylocalpa.org toconsumers as part of our Consumer Out-reach efforts. The guide lists Pennsylvaniafamily farms, farmers markets, Commu-

nity Supported Agriculture farms(CSAs), u-pick farms, restaurants, gro-cers, caterers and bakers, bed & break-fasts, and other businesses that sell locallygrown farm products.

The searchable guide is designed tohelp facilitate consumer connections

Consumer

Outreach

Potato, Corn and Tomato SaladSalad6 ears fresh corn, husked

1 pound red-skinned potatoes, 11

2- to 2-inch diameter4 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces12 cup green onion, white and green parts, chopped14 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced12 cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)1 head butter lettuce leaves

Dressing12 cup extra-virgin olive oil3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar14 teaspoon salt18 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook corn in a large pot of boiling water until tender, about 4 min. Remove the

corn and add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until just tender, about12 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool, about 30 min.

Prepare the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in asmall bowl until blended. Set aside.

Cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a large bowl. Cut the corn ker-nels from the cobs and add to the potatoes. Add the tomatoes, green onion andbasil. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture, and gently toss to coat. Arrangelettuce leaves on a platter. Spoon the salad onto leaves, sprinkle with cheese andserve.

Serves 6. Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market

PASA Members AreEncouraged to Get in the Guide

Buy Fresh Buy LocalChapters in PA

The goal of PASAs Buy Fresh Buy Local (BFBL) pro-

gramming is to make it easier for Pennsylvania

consumers to find, choose and appreciate great

local foodsand to support the farmers and

lands which produce them.

I Centre CountyKristin Leitzel (Chapter Coordinator)[email protected]

I Chester CountyClaire Murray (Chapter Coordinator)Inverbrook [email protected] or 610-563-3116

I Greater Lehigh ValleyLynn Prior (Chapter Coordinator)[email protected] or 610-438-3950

Serving Lehigh and Northampton Counties

I Lancaster CountyLinda Aleci (Chapter Coordinator)Local Economy Center,Franklin & Marshall [email protected] or 717-291-4293

I Northern TierRuth Tonachel (Chapter Coordinator)Northern Tier Cultural [email protected] or 570-268-4093

Serving Bradford,Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna,

Tioga Counties

I PhiladelphiaJessica Cronin-Connolly (Chapter Coordinator)White Dog Community Enterprises215-386-5211 x109 or [email protected]

I South Central PASusan Richards (Chapter Coordinator)Capital RC&[email protected] or 717-724-0009

Serving Adams, Bedford,Blair,Cambria,Cumberland,

Dauphin,Franklin,Fulton,Huntingdon, Lebanon,

Perry & York Counties

I Southeast PennsylvaniaMarilyn Anthony (Chapter Coordinator)[email protected] or 610-458-5700 x305

I Valleys of the SusquehannaTrish Carothers (Chapter Coordinator)[email protected] or 570-522-7259

Serving Centre,Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming,

Mifflin,Montour,Northumberland, Snyder and Unionand

Wyoming Counties

I Western PennsylvaniaChapter Coordinator:Volunteers Needed! *

Serving Allegheny,Armstrong, Beaver,Butler, Clarion,

Crawford,Elk,Erie, Fayette, Forest,Greene,Indiana, Jeffer-

son, Lawrence,Mercer, Somerset,Venango, Warren,Wash-

ington and Westmoreland Counties

I Statewide BFBL Coordination* Chris Fullerton, PASA Consumer [email protected] or 412-246-0990

Buy Fresh Buy Localchapters in Pennsylvania are coordi-

nated by PASA, on behalf of our national partner,

FoodRoutes Network (www.foodroutes.org). To explore

your regions food system further, hear about upcoming

events and find more ways to get involved, please visit

our website www.buylocalpa.org or contact one

of the folks listed above.

Our work is made possible in part by funding from the

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and by contri-

butions from individuals and businesses throughout

the state.


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I Planning Committee Hard at Work

Over 25 volunteer conference committee

members are diligently developing confer-

ence workshops and pre-conference tracks,

fine-tuning content, and inviting speakers.

The groups final meeting is in August. Board

members Mary Barbercheck and Brian

Moyer are chairing the committee again thisyear, and we would like to acknowledge and

thank the committee members (see below).

I Partnership with Northeast

Sustainable Agriculture Working Group

(NESAWG)

We are pleased to announce an exciting col-

laboration with NESAWG for the upcoming

conference.They will be hosting their annual

meeting at the conference, as well as con-

tributing to the conference program with

design and implementation of a pre-confer-

ence track and Friday/Saturday workshops.They will be focusing on the topics of

regionalism and advocacy.

I Arias M. Brownback Scholarship Fund

Created in 2001, this scholarship fund is

designed to foster the interest of developing

farmers by providing financial support to

attend the conference. As the fund has

grown over the years, so has the list of peo-

ple who have benefited from scholarships.

Last year fifty individuals received some

form of scholarship.This is double the num-

ber receiving scholarships just two years

ago! If you would like to donate to this

invaluable fund, send a check payable to

PASA with Brownback Scholarshipin the

memo section. Scholarship applications will

be available this fall; more information will

be posted on www.pasafarming.org.

I Photography Exhibit

Back by Popular Demand

Fourteen photographers participated in the

exhibit Loving Your Mother: Farming As If

The Earth Matters,at the February 2008

conference. Some 290 inspiring images were

shown in a continuous loop, and were seen

by some 2000 conference attendees.

Committee volunteer and show curator

Donald Gibbon is bringing this admired

exhibit back to Farming for the Future for

2009. Photographic images from profession-als and amateurs alike are being sought for

the next installment of the exhibit.

Help us showcase small farms, farmers

and their families, farm products, crops and

livestock, and the ups and downs of feeding

us all with locally-produced food.Photogra-

phers are urged to contact Donald at don-

[email protected]. He would like to see

your photographic resume and a couple of

jpeg examples of your work.Anticipate a

deadline around mid-December 2008, for a

maximum of 1012 high-quality images

showing your impressions of what it means

to farm sustainably.Last years exhibit cov-

ered the gamut of emotional states from the

joy of the harvest to the despair of a farm

house going up in flames to the endless

beauty of the fields. Please share your work

with us diversity is welcome!

Assistance in curating the show is being

sought.This exhibit is co-sponsored by the

Silver Eye Center for Photography in Pitts-

burgh.You may see Don Gibbons work at

www.donaldlgibbonphotography.com.

PASAs 18th AnnualFarming for the FutureConferenceFebruary 57, 2009 State College, PA

Announcing the Theme The World

Documents

July-Aug 2008 Passages Newsletter, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture