Om spring15 web 2

Pennsylvania Certified OrganicQuarterly NewsletterSpring 2015

Pigs on Pasture page 2Farming the Forest page 5FarmFest 2015 page 10

certification program was managed byvolunteers. Little did she know when shewas hired as PCO’s second full-timeemployee in 2001 that her career wouldbe strictly organic for more than a decade.I am personally grateful for Penny’s manyyears of devotion to PCO’s mission and Iwish her well as she continues on herorganic journey to work for the NationalOrganic Program in Washington, DC.

See you in AugustSave the date of August 7, 2015, for

PCO’s Annual Meeting and Member Dayat the 4th Annual Pennsylvania OrganicFarmFest in Centre Hall, PA. This year’smeeting promises to be an annual meetinglike no other! Guest speaker Russell Red-ding, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agricul-ture, will present awards to ouroutstanding members. We have movedand expanded our annual meeting to pro-vide more time and opportunities formembers to engage in discussions aboutorganic issues. We invite you to bringyour questions, ideas, suggestions andopinions to contribute to the conversa-tion. You may also bring your family andfriends to experience the Organic Farm-Fest, which will be happening at the samelocation along with our annual meeting.There will be fantastic educational activi-ties for all ages and interests. See page 10for information on how you or your busi-ness can participate.

Organically Speaking

The celebration of spring!Spring is such an inspiring time. As I reflect on the past year and gear up for the new

certification and growing season there is much to celebrate.2014 truly was a banner year for PCO. We received more than double the number of

new applications (145) over the previous year, resulting in a 14 percent increase in certi-fied organic members. This high growth rate has continued through the first two monthsof 2015 with a 70 percent increase in new applications over the same time last year. We

already issued 16 new certifications in the first two months of this year, up from only five in the same period last year! See Certifica-tion Update, page 18. Organic food production is clearly a strong trend in our region.

Organically Speaking

www.paorganic.orgOrganic Matters • Spring 2015

Organic folks working in HarrisburgPerhaps in support of that trend, Penn-

sylvania Governor Tom Wolf appointedRussell Redding as Secretary of Agricul-ture. Secretary Redding most recentlyserved as President of Delaware ValleyCollege, whose campus gardens are certi-fied by PCO. In turn, Secretary Reddingnamed Hannah Smith-Brubaker of PCO-certified Village Acres as a Deputy Secre-tary of Agriculture. We have alreadynoticed much more open communicationon organic topics and PCO will activelyengage with the new administration tosupport and promote organic food pro-duction in the Commonwealth.

Hannah Smith-Brubaker stands besidePennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Rus-sell Redding as he announces her appoint-ment as Deputy Secretary of Agricultureduring the PASA conference in February. Penny Zuck

Above: Penny Zuck, Leslie Zuck and Joni (Zuck) Arrington. Penny recently joined the National Organic Program staff after a nearly 14-yearcareer with PCO. Joni also worked for PCO as its first bookkeeper and certification reviewer in 1998-1999.

1 “Organically speaking” in Spanish

Hablar organicamente1If that’s not enough to celebrate, PCO

completed its National Organic Programaudit with no “findings,” or non-compli-ances. Perhaps due to our exemplary sta-tus, PCO was selected to host a delegationof Mexican organic officials to demon-strate US certification, inspection andaccreditation processes as part of ongoingequivalency discussions between theUSDA and Mexican organic programs.

End of an eraThroughout PCO’s entire history I

have had the incredible opportunity towork side-by-side with my sister, Penny.On PCO’s first day of existence, February4, 1997, Penny volunteered to work atour debut PASA conference exhibit andassisted a steady flow (a crowd, really) offarmers interested in organic certification.Penny continued to volunteer by coordi-nating our certification and standardscommittees in the early days when PCO’s

columns13 Dear Aggy

14 Produce Perspectives

17 President’s Message

18 Organic Updates

Certification

Legislative

Materials

Standards & Policy

New Faces

23 Recipe Corner

24 New Members

25 Organic Marketplace

26 Employment Opportunities

31 Calendar

32 PCO Order Form

Organic MattersSpring 2015

OFFICERS

INTERIM PRESIDENT/VICE PRESI-DENTDebra DeisSeedway, LLC

TREASURERTony MarzolinoMarz Farm

SECRETARYJulie HurstBlue Rooster Farm

MANAGING BOARD CHAIRBryan LuceReliance Capital Partners

ADVISORY BOARD

Chris FirestoneDCNR, Bureau of Forestry

Clifford HawbakerHamilton Heights Dairy Farm &Emerald Valley Farm

David JohnsonProvident Farms

Brian MagaroIndependent Organic Inspector

Mathew MooreAg Choice Farm Credit

Melissa Piper-NelsonWriting Resources/Farm NewsService

Cadie PrussEwe Win Farm

Ken RiceOrganic Unlimited

Charlie WhitePenn State University

STAFFLeslie ZuckExecutive Director

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMDiana UnderwoodDirector of Operations

Elizabeth LeahStaff Accountant

Lia SandovalAdministrative Assistant

CERTIFICATION TEAMKyla SmithCertification Director

Reva BayletsProgram Assistant

Heather DonaldCertification Specialist

Sandie ElderProgram Assistant

Stephen HobaughCertification Specialist

Marissa PyleCompliance Manager/Certification Specialist

Adam SeitzCertification Specialist

EDUCATION & OUTREACH TEAMLee RinehartDirector of Education and Outreach

Nicole Lawrence McNeilMembership & Development Specialist

April FixPublic Relations Coordinator

INSPECTIONS TEAMLiz AmosInspections Manager

Amanda BirkStaff Inspector

POLICY TEAMJohanna MirendaPolicy Director

Sabine CareyMaterials Specialist

QUALITY TEAMMatthew BogdanQuality Systems & IT Manager

OUR MISSION: To ensure the integrity of organic productsand provide education, inspection, and certification serv-ices that meet the needs of our members. PCO providesservices to operations based in Pennsylvania, Delaware,District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York,Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

features stories

Cover: A spring lamb. Photo: Sabine Carey

www.paorganic.org Organic Matters • Spring 2015 1

6 Growing PA’s Organic FarmsFarmers, advocates introduce new all-organic winter conference

12 PCO Welcomes 2015 BoardMembersOrganic ag experts join advisory board

Mail: 106 School Street, Suite 201Spring Mills, PA 16875

Phone: 814-422-0251

Fax: 814-422-0255

Email: [email protected]

Web: paorganic.org

facebook.com/PAorganic

twitter.com/PAorganic

2 Pigs on PastureConversations with Tom Frantzen &Rodale’s Coach Smallwood

5 Farming the ForestGrowing native, medicinal plants in asustainable & profitable way

8 FARMDATAAn Internet-based records manage-ment system for produce farms

10 FarmFest 2015Special deals for sponsors & vendors

www.paorganic.org2 Organic Matters • Spring 2015

nutrient distribution. Pigs will make amoonscape if you let them, so rotate!

4) Provide space for wallowing, shade,and enough water for animal demand.

5) Calculate your pasture in cost of pro-duction. Pasture is not free, so considerrent, soil improvement, reseeding, andfencing.

6) As animals get bigger, they can utilizemore roughage in their diet. This is afunction of the size of their stomachsand their need for energy. For pigs 40to 150 pounds keep roughage to lessthan 5% of diet. For 150 to 240pounders keep it to 30% of the diet,and for 200 pound pigs keep roughageto no more than 50% of the diet.

7) Always provide appropriate lysine,vitamin, and mineral supplementa-tion... particularly calcium, phospho-rus, salt, and trace minerals.

As innovative organic farmers, PCOmembers understand the importance ofdiversity in an organic system. Diversity iskey to an agricultural system that we canconfidently call sustainable, and lastDecember I had the opportunity to takepart in the Growing PA Organic FarmsConference to learn from Tom Frantzenabout organic pastured pork as a farmdiversification opportunity that is slowlygaining traction in Pennsylvania.Frantzen is a certified-organic farmer,

noted speaker, and organic advocate fromNew Hampton, Iowa, where he operatesFrantzen Family Farm, a 335-acre farrow-to-finish pork-on-pasture operation. Anactive member of Practical Farmers ofIowa and featured in SARE’s ProfitablePork publication, Frantzen is a HolisticManagement practitioner and has beencertified organic since 1995.

Tom Frantzen’s 8 steps to profitable pastured pig productionSo maybe you’ve decided to add pigs to

your operation. Frantzen offers a fewthoughts to keep in mind when you areplanning that can greatly help you achieveyour goals, especially if you have no priorexperience with pastured pigs.

1) Choose your pastures well. Ensure theyare well drained with perennial buffers.Choose a pasture mix of diverselegumes, forbs, and grasses.

2) Manage appropriate stocking rates.This means 15 wean-to-finish pigs peracre or 4 sows per acre on annual for-ages, and 15 to 30 wean-to-finish pigsand 6 sows per acre for perennial pas-tures.

3) Rotate pastures and manage forregrowth, cover, parasite load, and

Pigs on Pasture: Conversations with Tom Frantzenand Rodale’s Coach SmallwoodShould a pig be allowed to express its pig-ness?

Lee Rinehart, Director of Education and Outreach

8) Remember, for profitable production apig’s energy needs cannot be met withgrass alone. Corn and soybeans are bestfor providing concentrated nutrients.

Some thoughts on facilities and marketing…

Frantzen uses deep-bedded facilitiesthat provide comfort, sanitation, odorreduction, and efficient manure handling.Once a year he transfers the material to acompost pack, then applies on cornfields.The bedding pack is used in hoop houseswith straw and corncobs, and maybe eggshells, with a concrete floor underneath orperhaps a limestone base. A 30’ x 72’ facil-ity can house 110 finishing pigs, anddeep-bedded facilities can also be inte-grated with individual feeding of gestatingsows.According to Temple Grandin, a live-

stock behavior consultant and professor atColorado State University, reducing stress

The Frantzen Family Farm raises about a thousand hogs and sixty Angus cows on 335organic acres in northeastern Iowa. Tom Frantzen is pictured here with his son James intheir sow pasture. Photo: c2015 David Nevala for Organic Valley.

describes some of the factors, as under-stood by chefs and grocers, that are driv-ing the enthusiasm for pastured pork,notably consumers’ awareness and con-cern about the conditions under whichlivestock are raised and evidence thatsome consumers are more willing to payhigher prices for meat produced on pas-ture.To address this demand and provide

research opportunities and outreach toorganic farmers, the PCO-certifiedRodale Institute, which operates the old-est organic research and education farm inthe country, has begun an organic pas-tured pork operation in Kutztown, PA.Coach Mark Smallwood, Executive

Director of the Rodale Institute and PCOboard member, describes the institute’srobust organic pork operation as “settingthe standard for best practices in raisinghogs” in a January 15, 2015, blog post.Through the project they have learnedthat organic hogs are difficult to source,the demand for organic pork exceeds cur-rent supply, and underutilized, marginalland can be an optimum foundation forstarting a profitable organic hog herd.Rodale raises its hogs on pasture with

shelter and open access to the outdoors,focusing on heritage breeds adapted topasture. According to Coach, the tech-niques and practices “can be scaled up forfarmers who wish to have a large-scaleoperation, but also scaled down for farm-ers who wish to have just a few animals.”

So you want to pasture some pigs…

The GrassWorks Grazing Guide(2010) lists some characteristics that pas-

during animal handling will improve pro-ductivity. Frantzen has adopted the prin-ciples that Grandin suggests for hisloading chutes and has found that theygreatly facilitate ease of handling and low-ered stress in the pigs. Some of Grandin’srecommendations include:

1) Solid sides on chutes will reduce agita-tion and excitement.

2) Noise should be kept to a minimumbecause animals have sensitive hearing.

3) Pigs are herd animals and isolation of asingle individual should be avoided.

4) An animal’s previous experience withhandling will affect its reaction to han-dling in the future.

5) Animals which have had frequent gen-tle contact with people will be lessstressed during handling.

6) Feed rewards will facilitate training.

A well-thought-out handling and load-ing system is a must for a pig producer ofany scale. It need not be expensive, justfollow some of the design ideas thatGrandin suggests and you can eliminatestress and the physiological changes thatcan occur during stressful handling.Lastly, Frantzen notes that carcasses are

complicated and direct marketing is time-consuming. For small producers directmarketing is often the best outlet and youshouldn’t short change your efforts by notpaying attention to the end product.“Meat is perishable,” says Frantzen, “andfrozen is much easier to manage thanfresh.” Regarding fresh and frozen meats,there is some misinformation that resultsin uncertainty among consumers. This is adichotomy that Frantzen interestinglycalls the “fresh vs. frozen land of confu-sion.” Frozen meat is a really good option,as fresh meat looses nutrients as it getsolder. But because frozen meat decaysmore slowly, it can have more nutritionthan fresh if it is frozen quickly and effi-ciently. These are some good talkingpoints for a direct marketer selling small-scale niche locker pork.

A Niche OpportunityThe demand for organic and pastured

pork has grown recently, as evidenced byrecent media buzz. For instance, in a Jan-uary 2014 a New York Times article continued on page 4

tured hog operationsgenerally have. Cer-tainly one feature islower feed costs (if thepasture is well managedand diverse). You canalso expect weight gainand feed efficiency sim-ilar to confined opera-tions. Lower costs forcapital improvementshowever can be offsetby higher labor costs.Pastured hogs, likegrassfed ruminants, canhave reduced animal

health problems, especially respiratory dis-eases and greater leg soundness, but therecan be a greater potential for parasiteproblems. Top these off with an increas-ing demand for organic, humanely raised,pastured pork and the possibility of aprofitable pastured hog operationbecomes more tangible.Livestock are a natural part of a farm

operation. “Humans evolved for 7,000years with the cow,” notes Frantzen. Con-sider the rumen that takes fibrous carbo-hydrates from forages that are notdigestible by humans and turns them intomilk, meat, and hide. In the same way,pigs lived off waste and surplus from thefarm and completed the circle of sustain-ability while generating nutritious prod-ucts. Then came the concentration ofagriculture and processing. Soybeansmeant we could take pig nutrition fromthe diversified farm to the grain-basedprocessing industry, breaking the bondsthat substantiated farm viability.In a pastured hog operation, nutrition

need not be a reliance on the industrialmodel. But you still need to pay particularattention to the nutritional requirementsfor pigs at all growth stages to preventdeficiencies. Frantzen tells the story of anorganic vegetable operation that incorpo-rated 20 feeder pigs on vegetable waste(sounds like a good idea, right?) that led todisasters, not necessarily because theywere making their own feed, but becausethe farmers overlooked salt and Ca/P inthe diet. “If you are going to have a nichehog operation you’ve got to pay atten-tion,” says Frantzen. “Feeds and feedingare complicated so follow good advice and

A happy hog at Frantzen Family Farm. Permanent pastures,rotating strip pastures and cropland offer Frantzen a plethora ofoptions for feeding pigs, including having them “hog down” —or self-harvest — crops. Photo: c2015 David Nevala for Organic Valley.



care. And I believe there is no better wayto raise pigs and produce high qualitypork than on pasture. Fresh forages, ade-quate supplementation, room to wallowand “be a pig,” and access to sunlight andair are the solution to the industrial foodsystem, which, as Joel Salatin notes, neverasks the question: ‘Should a pig beallowed to express its pig-ness?’”

check your sources of information.”Pigs will eat to meet their nutritional

needs, so feed energy-dense feeds, withproteins balanced for lysine… don’t feedjust crude protein. Denser diets arecheaper and produce more product (byimproving dressing percent) in a shorterperiod of time, producing ultra-lean pork.And pigs can get a lot of vitamins andminerals and some energy and proteinfrom the pasture, but pigs are not rumi-nants and it is important to rememberthat the absorption of essential nutrientstakes place in the small intestine. Formonogastric animals like pigs, roughagesare digested in the cecum, which comesafter the small intestine. Curious andinvestigative, pigs will pick out energydense diet of grains, seeds, roots, tubers,and insects, but productive pigs cannotrely solely on pasture for meeting all theirnutritional needs.Integrating pigs into an organic opera-

tion can add diversity and bolster the bot-tom line, if done thoughtfully and with

Franzten utilizes deep-straw bedding facilities that provide warmth and exercise for the ani-mals and produces a pack of solid waste that is easy to handle and spread on crop fields.

For further readingFor more detailed information on inte-

grating pigs into your operation I recom-mend a look at the 101-page Iowa StateUniversity publication Niche Pork Produc-tion (2007). It can be accessed online atipic.iastate.edu/publications/IPICNPP.pdf. Paper copies are available from the PCOoffice by request.

Pigs on Pasturecontinued from page 3

direct response to the high demand andlow supply of naturally grown, certifiedorganic medicinal plants. It aims to rectifythis imbalance, while simultaneously revi-talizing native plant populations. Herbalcompanies like Mountain Rose Herbs arealready lined up to purchase the highquality plants verified under the ForestGrown program. Funding to offset theverification costs for Forest Farmers haseven been provided by groups like UnitedPlant Savers.Burkhart and PCO hope the program

will serve as a new model for growers andsellers of native medicinal plants, com-plete with a third-party verification systemrun by PCO. Research supporting the via-bility of farming the forest becomes more

In the second-to-last lecture of apacked conference week, Eric Burkhart,Plant Science Program Director at PennState’s Shaver’s Creek EnvironmentalCenter, and PCO’s own Adam Seitz,PCO Certification Specialist, captivatedPASA-goers attention. Their topic? Grow-ing native forest plants in a profitable andsustainable way through PCO’s ForestGrown program.Discussing the “deep market for native

medicinal plants,” Burkhart’s passion tochange the status quo for the plants andtheir growers was clear. Many such plantsare currently at risk due to the over-har-vest of wild populations. Further, thosethat are grown commercially are oftenproduced artificially under shade-cloth invast monocultural and chemical intensiveswaths. These production systems are notalways profitable, and produce a finalproduct with diluted quality that couldeven be tainted by the unnatural produc-tion practices. However, Burkhartexplained that there is an alternative; it ispossible to manage medicinal plants intheir native forest habitat to benefit theplant, producers, and consumers alike.The PCO Forest Grown Program

Burkhart and Seitz explained, seeks to uti-lize nature as the model. Plants like gin-seng, goldenseal, and wild ramps haveadapted to life in our East Coast forests,and Burkhart contends that we shouldcontinue doing things the way natureintended. In a market filled with con-sumers who are beginning to questionwhere their supposedly natural medicineis coming from, the Forest Grown Pro-gram seeks to provide a consistent andviable standard for these naturally man-aged products.The new Forest Grown initiative is a

Farming the Forest?How PCO’s “Forest Grown” program and Eric Burkhart are teaming up to champion growing native, medicinal plants in a profitable and sustainable way.

Nicole Lawrence McNeil, PCO Membership & Development Specialist

available every day as forest farmers suc-cessfully conserve medicinal plants by cul-tivating them in their natural forestenvironment. If you are interested inlearning more about the PCO ForestGrown Program, supporting this initia-tive, or even becoming a verified groweryourself, you can contact Adam Seitz atPCO.

For more information:

[email protected]

814-422-0251

106 School Street, Suite 201 Spring Mills, PA 16875



issues led by speakersfrom universitieswith accomplishedorganic research pro-grams, successfulcertified organicfarmers, and farmindustry representa-tives dedicated toorganic production.Among the topicscovered were animalhealth, dairy, pas-tured livestock,fruits, vegetables,soil health, pest con-trol, and transition-ing to certifiedorganic production.Leslie Zuck, Executive Director of

PCO, engaged the audience in a delight-fully picturesque keynote address entitled“Farming from the Heart, ” followed byan in-depth discussion on Realizing theBenefits of Soil Microbiology by RodaleInstitute’s Chief Scientist Dr. KrisNichols. Hubert Karreman, VMD, also ofthe Rodale Institute presented options forOrganic Animal Health Management, andDr. Jim Travis, of Travis Organics offeredguidelines for Growing Organic Peaches.Tom Frantzen of Frantzen Family

Farm in Iowa led participants in a discus-sion on Organic Swine Production, andKeith Waldron of Cornell Universityoffered insight on Organic Fly Control thatWorks. Dr. Jim Travis continued his con-tributions to the conference by presentingtimely information on Growing OrganicApples, and Risk Management options wasdelivered by Gene Gantz, a Crop Insur-ance Specialist with USDA.The conference continued with a dis-

cussion of Organic Grain & Field CropProduction by Thor Oeshner of OeshnerFarms. Next, PCO staff and certifiedfarmers offered a forum for Transitioning

The implements have been put away,the fields sleep in cover crops, and theseed catalogs come out. So begins a seasonof reflection, planning, and holidays… atypical northeast winter that, in our area,allows time for farmers to get together andlearn, visit, share, and re-energize. Agri-cultural folk have many opportunities tolearn and engage during the wintermonths with the various meetings andworkshops that dot the calendar, fromsmall producer meetings in fire halls toPASA’s Farming for the Future Confer-ence. There’s something for everyone withthe number of activities that are availableeach year. But in 2014, we have seen theadvent of something new… a two-daygathering of the best minds to facilitate in-depth discussion specifically, and only, oncertified organic production at the firstannual Growing Pennsylvania’s OrganicFarms Conference.Held December 9–10, 2014, at the

Sheraton Hershey-Harrisburg, the all-organic event was the idea of Darlene Livingston, Executive Director of Penn-sylvania Farm Link. Darlene broughttogether a group of visionary leadersincluding Gwendolyn Crews of the Natu-ral Resources Conservation Service, JaredGrissinger of Pennsylvania Department ofAgriculture, Jim Travis of PCO-certifiedTravis Organics, Lee Rinehart of PCO,Jeff Moyer, Maria Pop, and Coach MarkSmallwood of the Rodale Institute, andPeter Miller of CROPP/Organic Valley.The group put together an event dedi-cated to providing in-depth and advancedknowledge of production practices to ben-efit the organic community and take ourindustry to the next step.The conference sessions provided com-

prehensive discussions on organic farming

Growing Pennsylvania’s Organic FarmsFarmers, advocates introduce new all-organic winter conference

Lee Rinehart, Director of Education and Outreach

to Organic Production.As always, Troy Bishopp, the “Grass

Whisperer,” provided an energetic andinspiring look at developing functionalGrazing Plans for Beef & Stocker Produc-tion, and Successful Organic Vegetable Pro-duction & CSA’s was the topic ofPCO-certified Mike & Terra Brownbackof Spiral Path Farm. Jeff Moyer, FarmDirector at the Rodale Institute, offeredinsight on Conquering Weeds on theOrganic Farm, and shared successfulmethods from more than 30 years oforganic research conducted at the Insti-tute’s farm in Kutztown.The sessions at this all-organic confer-

ence set the tone for what the plannershad intended, to offer advanced knowl-edge from expert practitioners to helpPennsylvania farmers take organic to thenext level. Please join us next Decemberfor the second annual Growing PA’sOrganic Farms Conference; more infor-mation on the dates and location will beforthcoming later this year!

PCO members Jim Travis, Terra Brownback, and Mike Brownback,pictured with PCO Executive Director Leslie Zuck, gave presenta-tions at the first annual Growing PA’s Organic Farms Conference.

Are you an organic grainfarmer interested in using

cover crop mixtures?Are you interested in collaborating with a team of Penn State

researchers on cover crop research on your organic grain farm?We are planning to conduct research on the effect of farm char-acteristics (soil organic matter, soil fertility, years in organicmanagement) on the performance of a five species cover cropmixture of cereal rye, canola, peas, crimson clover, and redclover. We are looking for farmer/collaborators who will plantcover crops after harvesting small grains in the summer and ter-minate them in the following spring before planting crops. Wewill provide cover crop seed and compensation to offset the costof land and equipment use. We are targeting up to 10 farmsacross the mid-Atlantic. You would plant and manage the covercrops and we would collect and synthesize data and provide areport that describes how mixtures affect weeds and nitrogeninputs to future cash crops at your farm and across all farms inthe study.

If you are interested or need more information, you can con-tact us at: Jim LaChance, by phone (814) 863-4258, or by [email protected]. Or, visit http://agsci.psu.edu/organic/research-and-extension/cover-crop-cocktails

Please note that this work is contingent on success in fund-ing of a proposal to the USDA in March 2015. Cover crops wouldbe planted in summer 2016 or 2017 if funding is secured.



ing the need to make paper notes to bedigitized at a later time. Multiple users canmake live updates to the database simulta-neously, and growers can search their pro-duction records from the field, desktop, orany Internet connected device. Eachgrowers’ database is password protectedand only accessible by registered users thatthe grower can delete or add at any time.During new account setup, growers canchoose to include or edit pre-loaded crop,seeding and spray material information.Farmers can also reconfigure FARM-DATA “on the fly” to hide features thatthey aren’t currently using, and to showpreviously hidden features as needed.For organic growers, FARMDATA

contains many features designed to facili-tate easy annual inspections and report-ing. Our project team partnered withPCO to optimize FARMDATA to meetthe needs of certifiers – these special fea-tures include easily viewed comprehensivefield records, compost accumulation andmanagement logs, and plantings linked toseed orders for verification of organic seeduse. Lee Rinehart, PCO’s Director ofEducation and Outreach, estimates thatFARMDATA will cut annual farminspection time and headache down by atleast one third.Users can run reports on stored data

from the field or desktop at any time.Reports are designed to be sorted by daterange, by crop, by field, or by other spe-cific info, and can be easily downloaded toMicrosoft Excel for further analysis. Manyreports include summary informationsuch as total yield, yield per row foot, totallabor, and more. FARMDATA alsographs harvest and sales figures.For the more complicated data entry

forms, FARMDATA saves the user timeby performing many of the necessary cal-culations. For example, on the “TractorSpray” input form, the user chooses fields,number of beds sprayed, and selects from

All produce farms can benefit frombetter record keeping — good records canimprove farm efficiency and profitability.Organic growers need to be especially dili-gent with recording crop productioninformation in order to meet certificationstandards. Digital records are highly use-ful, since they can be easily copied,searched, and analyzed at the touch of abutton. Unfortunately, digitizing farmrecords at the end of a growing season canbe painstaking — and dealing with lostrecords or incompletely logged informa-tion makes the task even more difficult. Afive year partnership between the Dickin-son College Farm and the Dickinson Col-lege Department of Mathematics andComputer Science has resulted in anexciting, effective solution: FARMDATA.FARMDATA is a smartphone enabled

Internet-based record keeping systemdesigned and field tested by producefarmers. Focus areas include field andgreenhouse plantings, harvest, pack,inventory, distribution, e-invoicing, labortracking, fertilizers, compost, cover crops,tillage, irrigation, scouting, spraying, andseed orders. The goal of FARMDATA isto replace clipboards and paper recordsacross the produce farm, from the field tothe packing house and beyond. Moreimportantly, FARMDATA is designed tosave growers valuable time both duringthe busy growing season and in the winterwhen planning for the coming year. FAR-MDATA improves record keeping byusing “smart” data entry forms that mini-mize user errors, perform calculationsautomatically, and store useful crop pro-duction information. Growers and theirstaff can rapidly input valuable produc-tion data from the field when and wherethe recordable activity takes place, avoid-

FARMDATA: An Internet-based smartphone-compatiblerecords management system for produce farms

Matt Steiman, Dickinson College Farm Assistant Manager

a list of spray materials and specific sprayrates. FARMDATA then does the calcula-tions and displays recommended amountsof spray materials and water to use for thisinstance. In practice, our field testingteam has found that these input formssave valuable time by negating the need toperform calculations or look up field sizesand spray rates in the farm office. Oncethe data are entered, growers (and certi-fiers) can query the records for total spraymaterials used per season or per crop, aswell as comparing them with recordedinsect or disease scouting information.FARMDATA has been field tested at

the Dickinson College Farm (DCF) forthe past two growing seasons, and wasbeta tested in 2014 by three other Penn-sylvania organic farms. Some pages arevery thoroughly used and debugged, whileothers are admittedly works in progress.Favorite pages at DCF include planting,harvest, digital harvest list, compost,scouting, sprays, cover crop seeding, seedorder, and sales / invoicing. Best resultsoccurred when data entry was delegated tomultiple members of the farm crew. Wehave found significant time savings in

growers to work with a programmer tocustomize and extend FARMDATA tomeet their own needs, and to contributeimprovements back to the community.Discussions with a farm web services firmfor commercial hosting of FARMDATAare in progress — the software will alwaysbe free, but having a host that provides

using FARMDATA to capture theserecords, and have made managementdecisions in our crop plan based on les-sons learned from the data we collected.Thanks to public funding from the

USDA’s Northeast Sustainable Agricul-ture Research and Education program(NE-SARE), FARMDATA is available forfree downloads to your farm website. Weinvite interested users to take a guest tourof the working DCF site at:farmdata.dickinson.edu/guest.php — tosee the most interesting data, set reportdates to 2014. A free training video will beavailable soon. To install FARMDATA,you need to download the free softwareand add it to your existing farm website orto a new, dedicated website — which willlikely require some help from your webmaster or another contact who is handywith web development. The downloadpage: sourceforge.net/projects/farmdata/has a discussion forum, bug tracking anda wiki with a user’s manual (includinginstallation and configuration instruc-tions). FARMDATA is an open sourceproject — the download site has the fullsource code for the system, and we invite

tech support will simplify things for newfarmer users.For more information or to be added

to a FARMDATA contact list, pleaseemail Matt Steiman at [email protected] or Tim Wahls at [email protected].

A harvest report on the desktop version of FARMDATA.



Looking for an opportunity to

engage your customers or members?

Consider partnering with Pennsylvania

Certified Organic and be a part of the

4th Annual Pennsylvania Organic

FarmFest. Held on August 7 from

9:30am–10:30pm and August 8 from

9:00am–8:00pm at the Centre County

Grange Fairgrounds in Centre Hall, PA,

FarmFest is a fun, community-building

event that fosters knowledge of organic

agriculture and sustainable living

through educational opportunities,

local foods, lively entertainment and

interactive family activities. And best of

all, it is free to the public.

PA Organic FarmFest 2015offers special deals forsponsors and vendors

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

EVERY sponsor receives a base packageof:

• An indoor 10’x10’ exhibit space

• Recognition in PCO’s weekly e-news

• Listing with link on the FarmFest web-site

• Access to the hospitality tent

Sun Sponsor ($1,500) — base package,plus your company’s brand associatedwith a major FarmFest area. Contact usfor current availability, including ExhibitHall, Food Court, Keynote Speakers,Media Package and more. Includes 1/4page Organic Matters ad and a PCOBusiness Membership.

Soil Sponsor ($1,000) — base package,plus your company’s brand associatedwith an event/area/band of your choice.Contact us for current availability,including bands, Landscaping Plants, ArtShow, Natural Health Symposium andmore. Includes 1/4 page Organic Mat-ters ad and a PCO Business Member-ship.

Water Sponsor ($500–$999) — basepackage, plus festival banner sponsoredin your name and 1/8 page OrganicMatters ad.

Seed Sponsor ($250) — includes basepackage.

VENDOR/EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES

Food Court VendorsTempt hungry festival goes with yourmade to eat on-site food items at a10’x20’ space at the outdoor OrganicFood Court.Food Court Space: $100 deposit, plus10% of sales

Craft & Farm VendorsFarmers: market your business, sell yourfarm products and advertise your CSAand farmers market hours. Artists: dis-play, sell and demonstrate your artisancrafts. Reserve your space at the Home-made & Homegrown Market!Outdoor Market Space: $40Indoor Market Space: $50

Commercial VendorsSell your wares and get your name infront of your target audience with a10’x10’ booth in our Exhibit Hall or out-doors.Outdoor Commercial Space: $75Indoor Commercial Space: $100

Non-Profit OrganizationsGet the word out about your organiza-tion, reach out to potential members,increase your mailing list and sell yourorganizational merchandise at a 10’x10’booth. Non-profit Exhibitor Space: 25%discount on commercial vendor spaces

Sponsor FarmFest and get your companyname on one of the famous Vamos LionPedicabs!

Visit farmfest.paorganic.org or email [email protected] to sign up today!

Other options include a contribution tothe Silent Auction. Increase your companyor organization’s visibility when you donateitems or services to the Silent Auction, coor-dinated by our partners at the PA FarmersUnion. If you are interested in this opportu-nity contact Lee at [email protected] 814-470-9734.

FarmFest also welcomes “in-kind” con-tributions of advertising, organic foods, fes-tival equipment, expertise, etc. in exchangefor equal value of sponsorship. And wecouldn’t make FarmFest happen withoutour volunteers. Contact Lee [email protected] to join this year’screw! Whether you’d like to lend yourexpertise in merchandising, grounds decora-tions, or directing parking, there are manyways to be involved and make a difference.

Throughout the event festival goers,vendors, musicians, and sponsors canperuse the Homemade & Homegrown Mar-

ket, featuring an organic food court andcraft artisans. Or take in the Kids’ Activitieswith hands-on demonstrations and funactivities including a farm animal pettingzoo, art projects, children’s parade, haystackjumping, a kids’ concert, and more. Freeeducational workshops are slated forfarmers, gardeners, and community mem-bers featuring expert presenters.

Run, walk, or cheer the crowd at the 5KRun & 1-mile Fun Run/Walk, where par-ticipants start their Saturday with a run onour Grange Fair-grounds 5K or 1-mile course. And ofcourse there’s livemusic, where festi-val goers can cele-

brate and dance at three live music stagesincluding the Kids’ Stage, the Homegrown &Homemade Market stage, and the MainStage.

Whether you’re a farmer, food vendor,commercial business, or an organizationlooking to partner in a fantastic public rela-tions experience, visit our website at farm-fest.paorganic.org or contact Lee at814-470-9734 or [email protected] more info on these opportunities! Wehope to see you at FarmFest!



Animal Production and Masters of Agri-culture in Grazing/Pasture Science fromPenn State in 1985 and 1994, respec-tively. Dave began working for Penn StateExtension in 1985 with a fixed termappointment in Cumberland County.Following that he accepted a position ingeneral agriculture at the ColumbiaCounty office of Penn State Extension,where he is still based. His work hasincluded various aspects of field crops,livestock, and 4-H programming. Daveowns a small farm and is currently devel-oping a grass-finished beef enterprise. Heand his wife Lisa have two daughters whoare both students at Penn State.

Jeff MoyerRodale Institute, PCO-CertifiedKutztown, PA

Jeff Moyer is anexpert in organic cropproduction systemsincluding weed man-agement, cover crops,crop rotations, equip-ment modification and

use, and facilities design. He has helpedcountless farmers make the transitionfrom conventional, chemical-based farm-ing to organic or sustainable methods. Jeffhas brought a farmer’s perspective andapproach to issues in organic agriculture.He is a past chair of the National OrganicStandards Board, which assists the USDASecretary of Agriculture in developingstandards for materials to be used inorganic production as well as advising on

Jeff MattocksThe Fertrell CompanyBainbridge, PA

Jeff has over 20years’ experience work-ing with the organicand sustainable farmingcommunity. He isactively involved in dietformulation for all types

of livestock and poultry for organic andsustainable farmers. Jeff also assists andeducates farmers with better managementpractices increasing animal health, pro-ductivity and return income from poultryand livestock. The education includeslocal farmer meetings, speaking at confer-ences, hosting field days and conductingfield trials on controversial feeding meth-ods. Over the past few years Jeff has repli-cated soy vs. no soy broiler feeding fieldtrials to compare isoflavone levels andgrowth differences. Field trials have alsobeen conducted on pasture-raised swine.He is always striving to learn and under-stand more about how to keep poultryand livestock healthy, productive andprofitable.

Dave HartmanPenn State Extension

Bloomsburg, PADave was born and

raised on a farm inMontour County nearwhere he currentlyresides. He received aBachelors Degree in

PCO Welcomes New 2015 Board MembersOrganic livestock, crop production and farmer training experts join PCO Advisory Board

other aspects of implementing theNational Organic Program. He is also amember of the Leonardo Academy’s com-mittee on sustainability, board member ofOrganic Farming Research Foundation,and a founding board member of Penn-sylvania Certified Organic.

Coach Mark SmallwoodRodale Institute, PCO-CertifiedKutztown, PA

As Executive Direc-tor of Rodale Institute,Coach has focused hisefforts on training anew generation oforganic farmers. Inpartnership with Dela -

ware Valley College, the Institute hosts aone-year organic farming certificationprogram designed for military veterans. Inaddition, Coach began the Agriculture Supported Communities (ASC) programat Rodale Institute, which brings fresh,high-quality organic food to underservedcommunities and provides an intensivetraining program for new or establishedfarmers. �Coach has expanded researchefforts at Rodale Institute to explore the connection between soil, food andhealth. He brought heritage livestock backto Rodale Institute’s 333-acre farm, cre-ated a Honeybee Conservancy to trainand steward backyard bee keepers, andlaunched “Your 2 Cents,” a national cam-paign to support and promote neworganic farmers.�

Returning board members include include Chris Firestone ofDCNR Bureau of Forestry; Cliff Hawbaker of Hamilton HeightsDairy Farm & Emerald Valley Farm; David Johnson of ProvidentFarms; Bryan Luce of Reliance Capital Partners; Brian Magaro,Independent Organic Inspector; Tony Marzolino of Marz Farm;Mat Moore of AgChoice Farm Credit; Cadie Pruss of Ewe WinFarm; Ken Rice of Organic Unlimited; and Charlie White ofPenn State University.Advisory board members serve a 3-year term, with a limit of 2

consecutive terms. Our policies require that no more than half theboard members can be PCO-certified (or related in a way thatviolates the conflict of interest provision in the NOP regulations).

That allows us to have a maximum of 7 certified producers on theboard, plus a minimum of 8 others who are independent.For the non-certified seats, we can invite organic producers

who are certified by another agency, someone from Penn State AgExtension or NRCS, another non-profit ag organization, con-sumer or environmental group, a college, ag supply company,consumer, veterinarian, inspector, etc. Nominations can also bemade by PCO members and PCO advisory board members viamail, email, and phone. PCO will solicit nominations in the fallof each year but you can submit a nomination anytime by con-tacting Diana Underwood, Director of Operations, [email protected] or 814.422.0251.

Dear Aggy,

I just heard about Avian

Flu being tracked out west.

I have a small flock of lay-

ing hens, and my brother

has a broiler house. We

always let our chickens out

during the day, but are wor-

ried about exposing them to

avian flu. What can we do

to protect our birds while

staying in compliance with

the organic requirements?

— Poultry Producer

• Keep your distance — Isolate yourbirds from visitors and other birds.

• Keep it clean — Prevent germs fromspreading by cleaning shoes, tools andequipment.

• Don’t haul disease home — Also cleanvehicles and cages.

• Don’t borrow disease from your neigh-bor — Avoid sharing poultry equip-ment with neighbors.

• Know the warning signs of infectiousbird diseases — Watch for early signs toprevent the spread of disease

Report sick birds — Don’t wait. Ifyour birds are sick or dying, call your localcooperative extension office, your veteri-narian, or the State Veterinarian or Stateanimal/poultry diagnostic laboratory. Orcall USDA toll free at 1-866-536-7593,and they’ll put you in touch with a localcontact who can help you.If Federal or State animal health

authorities determine that more prescrip-tive actions are required, organic produc-ers could be required to adhere to thoseactions.The organic regulations provide for

emergency confinement measures underparagraph 205.239(b) of the LivestockLiving Conditions section. This section

Dear Poultry Producer,The United States Department of

Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed sev-eral findings of highly pathogenic avianinfluenza (HPAI) in the Pacific flywaysince mid-December. The Pacific flywayis a major migratory bird route thatincludes California, Idaho, Oregon andWashington. These are the only states inwhich HPAI has been confirmed by theAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Serv-ice (APHIS). There is no public healthconcern at this time.Avian influenza (AI), or “bird flu,” is a

virus that infects domestic poultry, such aschickens, turkeys, quail, and geese, andwild birds such as shorebirds and water-fowl.HPAI spreads quickly by direct, bird-

to-bird contact. The disease can alsospread indirectly, for example, when birdscome in contact with contaminated sur-faces or materials. Poultry producers,whether large-scale commercial scale, orbackyard flock owners, should be familiarwith biosecurity measures and implementthem in their operation. Here are someexamples:

provides for the temporary confinementof organic livestock because of conditionsunder which the health, safety, or well-being of the animals could be jeopardized.The National Organic Program (NOP)also published a Policy Memorandumaddressing producers concerns specificallyregarding the confinement of organicpoultry flocks due to potential outbreaksof avian flu and the impacts such confine-ment would have on organic certificationof those flocks. If it is determined thattemporary confinement of birds is neededto protect the health, safety, and welfareof organic flocks, then producers and cer-tifiers may work together to determine anappropriate method and duration of con-finement of organic poultry flocks with-out a loss of organic certification. Themethod of temporary confinement usedmust be approved by the certifying agentand should provide the necessary protec-tion to the birds while meeting theremaining requirements of the NOP stan-dards. Continuous total confinement ofany animal indoors is prohibited.

More information can be found at:• healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov• usda.gov/birdflu• USDA’s Veterinary Services 1-866-536-7593

SPRI

NG MILLS

PA 1 6 8 7

5

Dear Aggy

Avian Flu and Organic Poultry

Got a question for Aggy?•Mail to PCO:106 School Street, Suite 201Spring Mills, PA 16875

•Email to: [email protected]

• Fax to: 814-422-0255



FertilitySweet corn is a heavy feeder. To grow

organic sweet corn you will likely need tostart a year ahead. Plant a leguminouscover crop to grow your nitrogen.At New Morning Farm sweet corn ide-

ally follows either peas and oats or vetchand rye. Peas and oats are a good covercrop for early corn. They are easier to killand work into the ground early withoutan excessive number of tillage passes. Forlater corn successions they follow vetchwhich provides more nitrogen than peas.Generally they also apply about five tonsof poultry manure per acre but this willvary depending on their soil test results.“It takes two years to grow successful

sweet corn,” explains Jean-Paul Courtens,Roxbury Farm. Their farm had a historyof high phosphorus from manure applica-tions before they bought it. In order to

Tianna DuPont, Penn State Extension Sustainable Agriculture Educator

Successful Organic Sweet Corn without WormsThree expert growers share their secrets

Produce Perspectives

provide nitrogen without over applyingphosphorus Jean-Paul grows a year ofcover crop before sweet corn. He plantsred clover with an oat nurse crop. Aftercombining or mowing off the oats he hasa beautiful clover cover crop which fixesnitrogen to provide to next year’s sweetcorn. “The rotation builds up sufficientnitrogen to successfully grow the sweetcorn crop,” Jean-Paul explains.John Gill prefers winter killed cover

crops to build soils before sweet corn,which prevents barley yellow dwarf in thesweet corn. With over-wintering covercrops there is a ‘green bridge’ which allowsinsects to move the virus from the covercrop to the sweet corn.

Transplanting or Direct Seed?The first time I heard of a grower

transplanting sweet corn I thought he was

Not long ago we would have said thatyou could not grow organic sweet cornwith no worms. No more! Three expertgrowers shared their systems at wintermeetings this year. I am convinced. YouCAN grow high quality organic sweetcorn.Jim Crawford owns New Morning

Farm producing forty acres of certifiedorganic vegetables on one-hundredtwenty acres in Hustontown, PA. Theystart their sweet corn early in order to pro-duce 16-17 weeks of continuous sweetcorn per year.Jean-Paul Courtens grows vegetables,

herbs and grass fed pork, lamb and beeffor over 1000 shareholders in KinderhookNY.John Gill’s twelve-hundred acre family

farm recently became part of the HudsonValley Farm Hub, a regional center forfarmer training, agricultural research anddemonstration of innovative farm tech-nologies. John continues as the farm’smanager.

Variety Selection: The First Key to Success

At New Morning Farm Jim uses supersweets with SH2 genetics and diseaseresistance (of three genotypes of sweetcorn, popular types are sugary (SU), sugarenhanced (SE) and supersweet orshrunken (SH2)). Modern SH2 varietiesmaintain high quality. With good post-harvest handling, after five days in storagethe quality is higher than other varietiesNew Morning has tried, even when thosevarieties have been in storage much lesstime. This means they can harvest at peakmaturity and quality and hold corn instorage for a day or two instead of rushingto harvest the day before market.

Early sweet corn sprouting at New Morning Farm. Transplanting early sweet corn instead ofdirect seeding adds eight weeks to their season, which allows them to transplant five toseven plantings. Photo: New Morning Farm.

field to make sure you are getting goodclosing,” John warns.

Weed controlFor good organic weed control in

sweet corn manage your fertility, and getthe timing right. “If you are not gettinggood canopy your fertility is likely notenough,” Jean-Paul reminds us. The rightcultivation equipment is also critical.At New Morning Farm the “tine

weeder is the star.” At the white threadstage, before the weeds have even emergedJim’s field manager Pearl makes the firstpass. At this point the corn has developedat least an inch of root but often not yetemerged. The rake-like tines of the weederflick the tiny weeds onto the surface wherethey will desiccate. One or two morepasses with the tines is required, ideallymaking three total passes. Later cultiva-tions are done with belly mounted sweeps.“Make sure you get that first pass beforethe weeds are even up,” Pearl reminds us.Roxbury also uses an in-row cultivator.

The finger weeder has steel cone wheelsrotated by ground driven spikes whichpush ‘fingers’ just below the soil surfacereaching into the row. The fingers cansafely uproot small weeds while not dis-turbing corn which has strong stems androots. Later passes are with a set of sweepson a lilliston cultivator which hills the

the ground before they get too large (14-18 days). If they get to be 21 days old theyare too root bound and won’t transplantsuccessfully. She also chooses varietieswith three different days to maturity inorder to help meet the early window. Forexample she starts with the seventy-oneday variety 2171 from Johnny’s SelectedSeeds. Her later seedings are Xtra Tender378A and 282A.Standard Supersweets have a shrunken

(SH2) gene. This gene raises the levels ofcomplex sugars and extends their flavor byslowing the conversion to simple sugarsand finally to starch. Moisture is alsoretained longer in this type and their shelflife is remarkably long. The kernel textureof this type is noticeably crunchier andfirmer than the other genetic types.You can also get beautiful stands from

direct seeding. John Gill at the HudsonFarm Hub seeds directly into well pre-pared fields. After mowing the cover cropand waiting a few days he discs to cut thecover crop up. After a few more days hediscs again. Then he uses a roller harrowor perfecta harrow to create a seedbed.John seeds on rows spaced 30 inchesapart. The first few plantings he plants alittle deep, about 1” so that if there is afrost the growing point is protected andthe crop will emerge. Precision seeding isimportant. “Get off the tractor and getyour adjustments right on the edge of the

crazy too. But the season extension andinsect management benefits might makeyou change your mind.“A lot of problems with organic sweet

corn happen before it reaches six inches,”Jean-Paul Courtens at Roxbury Farmreminds us. Without a fungicide seedtreatment organic sweet seed can rot incool spring ground, leaving a patchystand. By growing his sweet corn fromtransplants Jean Paul avoids seed cornmaggot and seed rots. To make sweet corntransplant production a bit more efficienthe uses a flat filler to quickly fill 128 win-strip trays which they seed 2 seeds per celleither with a sliding plate seeder or byhand. Unfortunately, new shrunken seedvarieties are not uniform enough for theplate seeder and require hand seeding.This process is intensive, and takes about6 hours to hand seed 50 trays that willplant a half-acre. On the other hand, Rox-bury’s Lanta carousel seeder saves sometime on transplanting (1.5 hrs for threepeople to transplant a half acre) comparedto a water wheel transplanter.At New Morning Farm Jim adds eight

weeks to their season by transplantingearly sweet corn, which allows them totransplant five to seven plantings. Hisfield manager Pearl explains that theygrow sweet corn transplants one seed percell in 200 cell trays. Corn transplantsgrow quickly and you have to get them in continued on page 16

Organic Matters is the quarterly newsletter of PennsylvaniaCertified Organic, a non-profit organization serving grow-ers, processors and handlers of organic products. Issuescontain articles on the latest news and research in theorganic industry, often highlighting our certified members.

Approximately 1,000 copies ofeach publication are distrib-uted directly to members andthose requesting informationabout organic agriculture, andmade available to the publicat conferences, exhibits andeducational programs in theMid�Atlantic region.Contact the PCO office for

details: 814-422-0251.

PCO relies on its out-standing volunteersto help with organicoutreach and educa-tion. Volunteers haveassisted by partici-pating in one ofPCO’s committees:Finance, Standards,staffing an exhibit,

FarmFest; and much more. Support Pennsylvania Cer-tified Organic by volunteering to contribute to ourorganization’s mission; email: [email protected] orcall 814-422-0251 for more information.

Interested in Volunteering at PCO?

Advertise in Organic Matters



corn borer and corn earworm. They alsomake sure to keep an eye on alerts fromPenn State’s Pest Watch system, pest-watch.psu.edu. For corn borer they releasea beneficial wasp once a week (from IPMLabs). Right before tasseling a thoroughscouting of the center whorl will showwhat pressure there is. It is almost alwaysnecessary to make one spray of Dipel* orEntrust with the boom sprayer at aboutrow tassel, and another application in afew days if the pressure is high. Becausethe pressure from corn earworm variesfrom year to year they make sure to mon-itor with ‘Heliothis’ traps (from GreatLakes IPM). If the number of mothscaught is above the threshold they apply asmall amount of oil with BT** or Entrustright into the silks as they start to drydown with a special tool called the “Zea-later.” The timing is critical. If it is madetoo early the oil can affect proper pollina-tion. Too late and the worm will haveburrowed down into the ear. This is atime consuming task, but they don’t haveto do it for every succession. It costs aboutsix people hours, or about eighty dollars,

corn a bit and covers even the one inchweeds that escaped the first cultivation.John Gill uses a heavy duty tine weeder

called an Einbock set to cultivate only thetop ¼.” Benefits to the Einbock are it iseasy to adjust and the tines can be aggres-sive. The timing is critical. John’s firstpass is usually 4 to 5 days after planting. Aweek later he will tine weed again. Latercultivation is done with sweeps on an I&Jcultivator.

Control those Worms!Seed corn maggot, corn borer, and

corn earworm are the main insect pests insweetcorn. Roxbury Farm and NewMorning Farm escape seed corn maggotby transplanting their crops. To controlcorn borer and corn earworm they rely onbeneficial insects, timely scouting, andorganic sprays when necessary.At New Morning Farm Jennifer

Glenister is the IPM manager. She haslures and traps on site to monitor both

to do a 0.4 acre patch but since that patchis high quality, certified organic sweetcorn worth approximately $3,000 theyfeel it is worth the investment.In the Hudson Valley Roxbury Farm

employs a similar strategy. For Europeancorn borer the beneficial wasp Tri-chograma ostriniae does the trick. But theyscout as well. Because the wasp attacks theeggs and not the worms, they look for pin-holes to see if they need to also use a sprayof spinosad (such as Entrust) when theplants are at 50% and 100% whorl. Jean-Paul uses a hollowcone spray nozzle at 45GPA and 120 psi to make sure he getsgood coverage. John Gill’s operation is abit larger and so he also takes into accountthe economics when he decides whetherto use the Trichogramma wasp or whetherhe sprays.

* There are several different versions of Dipel;some are allowed and some are prohibited. Besure to use allowed materials by looking them upin the current PCO Materials List or by contact-ing your certification specialist.

** Be sure to use non-GMO BT.

Organic Sweet Corncontinued from page 15

President’s Message

Why is it so easy for us (me) to findfault in things that people do, but to beslow to give praise for a job well done.Well I want to take this opportunity togive a big Thank you from the PCOBoard of Directors to the PCO staff for ajob well done coming through theNational Organic Program (NOP) midterm accreditation audit with no non-compliances! That is quite an accomplish-ment. This is a great example of the timeand the attention to detail that the staff atPCO put into their work. Thanks!!!!

With spring here, there is change inthe air. I would like to see the grass again.

The thing I look forward to most is thatfirst day when you turn the cows out onpasture. If you haven’t heard, my familyand I are moving to south central Mis-souri in early April. We are looking forgreener pastures. The grass is alwaysgreener on the other side of the fence. Mywife and I would like to be able to helpour children get started in farming. Mis-souri has a longer grazing season, cheaperreal estate, and cheaper taxes. There are several Amish families from

Pennsylvania moving out to Missourialso. They will be starting a church districtin the Grove Springs area of South Cen-tral Missouri, not very far from were wewill be located. I believe there is a very biguntapped opportunity for organic dairy

Giving Praise When Praise Is Due

Andrew Batdorf, PCO Advisory Board President

farms in this area and will be involved inhelping to start this. So with much regret I have decided it

would be in the best interest of the PCOBoard that I resign from the PCO Boardand as President. PCO has a very dedi-cated Board and staff. I’ve enjoyed gettingto know all of you. The staff at PCO livesand breathes Organic 24/7. I will missyou. I want to thank the PCO Board foreverything you have done for me and tofurther the Organic industry throughPCO. I have made friendships that willlast a lifetime. I feel blessed to have gottento know you, especially the ExecutiveCommittee. Thanks for everything. Andrew Batdorf

The Annual meeting starts at 9:30amand concludes with PCO awards anda keynote presented by PA’s Secre-tary of Agriculture Russell Redding.Educational programs begin at1:30pm.

Members can take advantage of allFarmFest activities including kids andfamily activities, local food, TheWool Village, demonstrations,exhibits, a farmers market, and more!

If you or your organization is inter-ested in exhibiting and/or sponsoring

our Annual Meeting or contributingproducts for our goodie bags, pleasecontact Nicole for more informationat 814-422-0251 or [email protected].

The Pennsylvania Organic FarmFestis a free family-oriented eventfocused on organic farming, goodfood, and sustainable living through awide variety of educational events,local foods, lively entertainment, andinteractive family activities.

Secretary Redding to Keynote PCO Annual MemberMeeting at 2015 PA Organic FarmFestAugust 7, 2015 • 9:30am–1:30pm Centre County Grange FairgroundsCentre Hall, PA

Russell Redding, PA Secretary of Agriculture, to keynote PCO Annual

Member Meeting.


135180

283

102 77142

72 65123

66 60 44

566580

665

154 169 193

750784

900

Info PacksSent

Applications

Received

New Certifications

Issued

Non-renewals/

Surrenders

Main Operations

Certified

Contracted Operations

Certified

Inspections

Completed

PCO Continues to GrowKyla Smith, Certification Program Director

2014 Year in ReviewPCO certified 665 main operations and 193

contracted operations, for a total of 858 in2014, which is a 14% increase over 2013. Thisincrease is due to a significant increase in thenumber of applications received and new certi-

fications issued in 2014 as well as a decrease in the number ofnon-renewals/surrenders.

Certification Update


Organic Updates

Certification byCategory — 2014

Certification Comparison

n 2012 n 2013 n 2014

Dairy operations continue to represent the type of operationwe certify the most of, coming in at 30 percent. However, PCOsaw the most growth in the percentage of handling, crop andpoultry operations we certified in 2014 compared to 2013.The Certification Team continues to play an integral role in

one of the organization’s strategic goals, which is to increasemarket share in our region by 10 percent over the next 3 years.We are off to a great start in 2015 as we are seeing a steady flowof new applications and have already certified quite a few newapplicants!

Some examples that will not be allowed:

• Renting land at a neighbor’s farm, with the neighbor manag-ing the land including harvesting hay and the PCO-certifiedoperation purchasing the harvested hay from the uncertifiedoperation.

• Contracting with an uncertified operation to process yourapple cider at the uncertified operation’s premises.

• Contracting with an uncertified operation to grow organic lay-ers for you on its farm.

• Contracting with your uncertified organic neighbor to growseedlings for you at the neighbor’s farm.

All of the allowed situations listed above, must be fully described in the PCO certified operator’s OSP. All rented/leased landand facilities must be available for inspection.If you have any of the above situations, or a similar situation, please contact your certification specialist immediately to dis-

cuss your unique situation and how this could impact your certification.1 NOP 4009: Who Needs to Be Certified

Some examples that will be allowed:

• Renting land at a neighbor’s farm, with the neighbor manag-ing the land including harvesting hay and the PCO-certifiedoperation receiving the harvested hay as part of a writtenrental agreement or lease.

• Renting a cider press from an uncertified operation and pro-cessing the apple cider yourself at the uncertified operation’spremises. The rental of the facility must be documented by alease/rental agreement.

• Renting the land and facilities at an uncertified operation andemploying the operator to grow organic layers for you on hisor her farm. The rental of the land and facilities must be doc-umented by a lease/rental agreement.

• Renting the greenhouse at your uncertified neighbor’s farmand employing the neighbor to grow seedlings for you at theneighboring farm. The rental of the greenhouse must be doc-umented by a lease/rental agreement.

Who Needs to Be CertifiedPCO revised its policy on certification requirements for contracted operations in response to an instruction document1 pub-

lished last year by the National Organic Program (NOP).This new policy means that PCO can no longer allow a certified operation to have an uncertified operation (contracted oper-

ation that does not hold its own certificate) included or covered under its organic certification. PCO will work with our certi-fied operations to ensure all operations are in compliance with this new policy by November 30, 2015.

Handling18% Crops

34%

Livestock48%

Material Review Status ChangesJohanna Mirenda, Policy Director

Please note the following status changes for materialsreviewed by PCO for use by certified operators.

PROHIBITED — Operators must immediately discontinueuse of these products unless otherwise indicated.

• BioSentry BioPhene Disinfectant (Neogen Corp.) prohibitedas livestock drinking water line cleaner and equipment cleaner

•Natur’l Oil (Stoller Enterprises) prohibited as crop produc-tion aid and pest control for crops and livestock

• Protex AFP (American Farm Products) prohibited as live-stock medical treatment

• Stand Up (American Farm Products) prohibited as livestockmedical treatment

Biodegradable Biobased Mulch FilmsThe National Organic Program (NOP) recently added

biodegradable biobased mulch film to the National List ofAllowed Substances for use as weed control. However, there arenot currently any brand name mulch film products that areapproved for use. Most if not possibly all of the currently mar-

Materials Update

Organic Updates


USDA’s Organic Producer Survey is Under WayJohanna Mirenda, Policy Director

Survey forms for the 2014 Organic Producer Survey wererecently distributed to approximately 17,000organic producers nationwide, including certi-fied operations, transitioning operations, andexempt operations.The Organic Producer Survey serves as a

census of all organic operations, as directedunder the 2014 Farm Bill. The agriculture industry and all lev-els of government use the information to prepare a wide varietyof organic agriculture-related programs, economic models, leg-islative initiatives, and market analysis and feasibility studies.For example, the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA)

uses the data to evaluate and establish crop insurance programsfor organic producers. In addition to gathering importantorganic crop production information, the survey asks whetherorganic producers have suffered economic losses due to unin-tended presence of genetically modified organisms.If you received a survey, please respond! Your operation is a

valuable part of the agricultural industry and should be counted!If you need more information or need help completing theform, contact 888-424-7828 or visit agcensus.usda.gov.Content adapted from USDA Census of Ag publications.

Legislative Update

continued on page 20


biobased requirement for brand name mulch film products. Thememo instructs reviewers to verify that all polymer feedstocksare biobased. Biobased materials include all plant and animalmass derived from carbon dioxide recently fixed via photosyn-thesis, per definition of a renewable resource. Biobased feed-stocks are composed of biological products or renewableagricultural or forestry materials. Biodegradable mulch film thatcontains non-biobased synthetic polymer feedstocks, such aspetrochemical resins, does not comply with the USDA organicregulations.So far, it appears that this requirement might preclude any

brand name mulch film products from being approved for use.Most if not all currently marketed biobased mulch films containsome petrochemical feedstocks and would not be allowed.

Instruction for Enforcement of the Organic RegulationsThe NOP published an instruction for certifiers regarding

enforcement policies, including an updated penalty matrix. Thedocument provides instructions for certifiers when takingenforcement action against certified operations that violate theUSDA organic regulations. Its purpose is to promote consistentenforcement when evidence confirms that a noncompliance hasoccurred.

Full versions of the documents referenced here are available elec-tronically on the NOP website (ams.usda.gov/nop) or in hardcopy by contacting the PCO office.

Organic Updates

keted biobased mulch films contain some petrochemical feed-stocks, and the feedstocks are typically less than 50% biobased,which does not meet the NOP requirements. It is unlikely thatany biodegradable biobased mulch film products will beapproved for use this year. See the Standards Update below fora more detailed explanation.

Attention Manufacturers!Manufacturers that would like to advertise products as

approved for use in organic production are encouraged to regis-ter products with the Organic Materials Review Institute(OMRI) (www.omri.org, 1-541-343-7600). Suppliers of live-stock and processing products can use the PCO Discount CodeAPP410346 to receive both a free OMRI Application Kit and a15% discount off their first product application fee. (Cropmaterials are not eligible for this program.)

Johanna Mirenda, Policy Director

Clarification of Biodegradable Biobased MulchFilm RequirementsThe NOP published a policy memo to clarify how certifying

agents and material evaluation programs should review the

Standards & Policy Update

Materials Updatecontinued from page 19

Matthew BogdanQuality Systems & IT ManagerMatt joined the PCO team as the Quality Systems and IT

Manager in January of 2015. Born and raised in State College,Matt always had an appreciation for agriculture, but his firsthands on experience did not come until he became a crop scoutintern during one summer in college. Prior to relocating toCentre Hall, PA, Matt lived in Southern California for nearly adecade working in regulatory compliance roles in both thefinancial and electric utility industries. Matt has his Bachelor’sDegree in Economics from Indiana University in Bloomington,IN and his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Univer-sity of Southern California. In his spare time he enjoys running,skiing, hiking, and reading.

Nicole Lawrence McNeilMembership and Development SpecialistNicole Lawrence McNeil joined the PCO team in January

2015 as a Membership and Development Specialist. Afterobtaining an undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and aMaster of Arts from Penn State University, Nicole worked withnon-profits across the country, specializing in marketing, com-munications, and brand development. She is passionate aboutorganic products and food and is excited to (finally) align herlove of all things organic with her day-job! When not helpingPCO spread the word about its amazing programs, Nicoleenjoys cross-country skiing, being near the ocean, discoveringnew foods, and most especially, spending time with her hus-band, Casey, and puppy, Oephilia.

Stephen HobaughCertification SpecialistStephen, who is from Kutztown, PA, joined the Certification

Team in January 2015. He studied Labor Studies and Employ-ment Relations at the Pennsylvania State University. Followingthe completion of his undergraduate degree Stephen worked forJade Family Farm and Quiet Creek CSA, both CertifiedOrganic vegetable farms in Pennsylvania. In addition to his veg-

Organic Updates

New Faces etable experience he also managed a flock of layer chickens andhelped raise goat kids. Stephen enjoys various physical andhomesteading activities including biking, rock climbing, soccer,baking bread, carpentry, and food preservation. Beluga is hissmall, grey cat.

A Fond Farewell…

Penny Zuck Penny Zuck is now serving as

an Accreditation Manager for theUSDA National Organic Program.Penny was PCO’s second fulltimeemployee way back in 2001. Shehas created and held nearly everyjob at PCO including Office Man-ager, Certification Director, Ad -min istrative Director, TrainingCoordinator, Processing Certifica-tion Specialist and Inspector. She

will now be putting that enormous amount of experience togood use with NOP’s Sound and Sensible program.

Joshua BrockJoshua Brock is now working

for AccuWeather as a MacintoshTechnician. Joshua served asPCO’s Technology Coordinatorfor more than four years, andplayed an integral part in thebehind the scenes operations,including but not limited to thecertification database, website,online meetings, and phone sys-tems. Joshua is excited to expand

on his Mac skill-set, as well as work with Tom Carey, of FullCircle Farms, who he’s always considered a Mac-mentor and fel-low Farmer.PCO extends a hearty thank you to Penny and Joshua for

their consistent hard work and dedication. Best wishes on newendeavors!

PCO welcomes new staff Stephen Hobaugh, Certification Special-ist; Nicole Lawrence McNeil, Membership & Development Spe-cialist; and Matthew Bogdan, Quality Systems & IT Manager.

Welcome to the world Blake Caroline Leah, Juniper OraRyan-Seitz, Leddi Belle Lopez, born on August 2, 2014,November 8, 2014, and January 11, 2015 respectively. Con-gratulations to Elizabeth Leah, Adam Seitz, Lia Sandoval andfamilies!

New PCO Staff Babies!



RECIPE CORNER Debra Deis, PCO Advisory Board Vice President

ArnabitGrowing up in eastern Pennsylvania, near Allentown, we had excellent Syrian restaurants and I “grew up” trying torecreate my favorite foods from these restaurants. One of the “small plates” usually served as an appetizer in Syr-ian and Lebanese restaurants is fried cauliflower with a tahini dressing. Since cauliflower doesn’t really absorb oil itis also on the healthy side, easy to make, and tastes amazing.

Ingredients1 small head cauliflower

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

salt

1 Tbs olive oil, optional

¼ cup tahini

1 lemon

water

parsley

Shallow oil for fryingI use equal parts olive oil and avocado oil

Directions

n Cut the cauliflower into bite-sizedchunks. Usually that means cutting afloret into four pieces, lengthwise.Make sure it is totally dry.

n I use a mortar and pestle for thetahini sauce, but you can also use ablender. A blender is no faster butharder to clean! Smash the garlic withsome salt until it is a paste. You mayneed to add a spoonful of olive oil or alittle of the oil that comes to the top ofthe tahini jar. Using a fork and a spat-ula, stir in the tahini, and, when

smooth, add the juice of one lemon. Itwill likely look curdled. But then slowlystir in cool water until it has a nice dip-able texture. The color lightens whenyou add the water. Taste to make surethe lemon juice and salt are balanced.Top with some chopped parsley.

n Heat about ½” of oil in a cast ironpan and fry the cauliflower, turning fre-quently, until lightly browned. Saltlightly and serve, using the sauce as adip.

Serves 4 to 6.


PCO Welcomes 1st Quarter New Members!

NEW CERTIFIED MEMBERS

Root 162 Farm & ProcessingSprakers, NY

Dr. Harvey’sAtlantic Highlands, NJ

Eli FisherE & F OrganicSprakers, NY

Enos L. MillerClyde, NY

Everette ShankBridgewater, VA

Fresh Roasted Coffee LLC/Positively Tea LLCSelinsgrove, PA

Gerald DetwilerLittle Falls, NY

Home Food Services dbaAgostino FoodsBristol, PA

J&B Herb & Plant FarmsRoxboro, NC

Jacob LappAllenwood, PA

Jeffrey SadlerMeadow View FarmThompsontown, PA

John and Martha NoltKreamer, PA

Just Skin FoodCape May, NJ

Lancaster Fine FoodsLancaster, PA

Levi BylerByler FarmRomulus, NY

National Freight IndustriesHarrisburg, PA

Nelson’s Creamery, LLCRoyersford, PA

Netherland Bulb CompanyEaston, PA

Norm & Lucinda NoltFairview GardensLititz, PA

Oakshire Naturals, LPAvondale, PA

Protein-A BakeryTurtle Creek, PA

Penn State ROSE GroupUniversity Park, PA

Red Mill Farms LLCMoosic, PA

Samuel K. EshRebersburg, PA

Steel Cup Coffee Roasters,LLCMurrysville, PA

Wayne MastWalhonding, OH

NEW TRANSITIONING MEMBERS

Brian BrickerEphrata, PA

David K. SuckowPotsdam, NY

Dennis NoltMountain Dew Organic SupplyPine Grove, PA

John SensenigWatsontown, PA

Joseph ConklinConklin FarmsNewville, PA

Justine DenisonSchaghticoke, NY

Luke ShirkDundee, NY

Quarry Hill FarmHarleysville, PA

Virginia BriggsVail, CO

Wayne HerringSerenity Lane FarmSchuylkill Haven, PA

NEW BUSINESS MEMBERS

Genesys Specialty GroupMorrison, IL

White Wave Foods Broomfield, CO

NEW ADVOCATE MEMBERS

Emelie SwackhammerMacungie, PA

Donald E. StonerLandisville, PA

FOR SALECROPSCentury Grass Farms 1st and 2nd cutting balageand 1st cut dry hay for sale. Reasonable pricing.Trucking available. Contact Steve. 4125809692/[email protected]. WashingtonCounty.

Certified Organic Hay. Are you planning for your2015 hay needs? Order your 2nd/3rd cuttingnow…

• Small square bales: 1st cutting $3.50 per bale or$185 ton; 2nd/3rd cutting $4.50 bale or $235ton

• Large square bales (3’µ3’µ7’): 1st cutting$72.50 bale or $185 ton; 2nd/3rd cutting $90bale or $235 ton

All square bale hay is stored in doors. Foragetests will be available for all products. We shipthroughout the country and have multiple deliv-ery quantities available or pickup at the farm.Free samples. Located in NY Southern Tierbetween Binghamton and Ithaca, Tioga County.Contact Tony Marzolino: 607-657-8534 farm,315-378-5180 cell, or [email protected]. marzfarm.com. Marz Farm, 3624 WilsonCreek Rd., Berkshire, NY 13736

Organic Mixed Hay for Sale. 6 to 8 years old.Approx. 1500 Small Bales @ $2.00 each. Youhaul. 814-754-8271. Lambert Mtn. Acres. Somer-set County.

Organic alfalfa/grass round bale balage, 4’µ4’,pre-cut, some very good quality. Forage tested.near Milton, Pa. 570-412-3094. Montour Co.

REAL ESTATEHistoric 1847 brick home in rural Juniata Co. sitson 14 PA Certified Organic acres! Features woodfloors, 4 bedrooms, 6 fireplaces, front & rearstairways, open foyer. Some TLC still needed —potential for lg family or a B&B! $249,900.MLS#10253973 http://3857rt35s.c21.com Askfor Kristen 717.994.6627

Juniata Co. farmette— 21.5 PA Certified Organicacres. Home needs brought back to life but is aclassic. Outbuildings include 72x46 barn.$229,900. MLS#10254025 http://3876route -35s.c21.com Ask for Kristen 717.994.6627

FARM FOR SALE — 69 acre certified organicgrass fed beef farm. Owners are looking forsomeone to pick up the soul of this farm andimprove on it as only a younger person/s can do.Lots of potential here.Included is a 23.5 KW Solar system, a full line

of farm machinery, and a closed herd (for 20

years) of 55 beef cattle that have been accli-mated, bred, and thrive on this farm. Third party certifications on this farm are PCO, AWAand AGA.A five bedroom brick/frame house, barn and

out buildings are situated on this Central Penn-sylvania Conservancy preserved farm.Owner financing as well as mentoring can be

negotiated, so that this farm can continue to pro-vide nourishing food to a growing group of loyalcustomers. Owners make hay on some 80 acresof certified organic hay fields nearby for winterforage. Contact: [email protected] or 717-536-3618Perry County.

SERVICESFor Hire — Agricultural trucking services by JimWeiss Trucking. Flatbed, lowboy and van trailerservices. Custom hauling or regular deliveries.Equipment or any ag commodities. Reasonablerates, great service, and always on time. 30+years experience in the ag industry. Call anytime607-725-1760.

Organic Marketplace

TO ADVERTISEContact the PCO Office for information

on advertising in the Marketplace. Call 814-422-0251 or email [email protected]


n Pennsylvania Organic FarmFest CoordinatorPennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is seeking a FarmFest

Coordinator to serve on our Education and Outreach Team.The part time contracted position will be responsible for plan-ning and management, with support from the PCO staff, of thePennsylvania Organic FarmFest, held annually on the firstweekend of August at the Grange Fairgrounds in Centre HallPA. This year’s event is scheduled for Aug 7–8, 2015. PCO is aprivate non-profit organization that works to ensure theintegrity of organic products and provide education, inspection,and certification services that meet the needs of our members.The successful contractor will possess strong organizational

and time management skills with demonstrated work experiencein event and volunteer management. We seek a highly compe-tent individual with proficiency in soliciting/securing sponsors,vendors, and exhibitors and the use of databases, computer net-works, volunteerism, and social media. To apply for this paidposition, please access the request for proposal form by visitingpaorganic.org/jobs." as second to last sentence of PennsylvaniaOrganic FarmFest Coordinator listing. Please refer to our website at www.farmfest.paorganic.org

when completing this proposal.

n FarmFest Administrative Coordinator InternPennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is seeking a part-timenon-paid FarmFest Administrative Coordinator Intern who willbe responsible for duties associated with successfully running aSummer festival attended by over 3500 people. The intern willperform all duties listed below with support from the PCO staff,to facilitate this year’s FarmFest, held August 7–8 at the GrangeFairgrounds in Centre Hall PA.

www.paorganic.org

Come join the PCO Team!Want to work with people committed to ensuring the integrity of organic products? For a full description of duties and qualifications, visit www.paorganic.org/jobs.

Employment Opportunities

26 Organic Matters • Spring 2015

n Certification SpecialistPCO announces a job opening for Certification Specialist.

The ideal candidate will have education and / or experience inthe following areas: familiarity with regulatory compliance andorganic certification, knowledge of organic standards and foodscience/processing. We are looking for a well-organized and self-motivated person to join our team-oriented environment inSpring Mills, Pennsylvania. Remote consideration will be givento applicants with previous certification experience.This is a full-time, exempt position. Salary range: $38,000 to

$48,000, depending on experience. Benefits: health, dental,vision, disability and life insurance; Simple IRA, generous holi-day, vacation and paid time off.

n Information Technology SpecialistPCO announces a job opening for an Information Technol-

ogy (IT) Specialist. The ideal candidate will have education,training and/or experience in the following areas: technologysupport for office staff and end users, knowledge of Mac work-stations and Apple iOS, and familiarity with FileMaker andWordPress. We are looking for a well-organized and self-moti-vated person to join our team-oriented environment in SpringMills, Pennsylvania.This is a full-time, exempt position. Salary range: $40,000 to

$48,000, depending on experience. Benefits: health, dental,vision, disability and life insurance; Simple IRA, generous holi-day, vacation and paid time off.PCO is a growing non-profit organization that works with

organic farmers and food producers in the Mid-Atlantic region.PCO provides organic certification services to more than 600operations and employs 20 office staff and 15 field inspectors.Our staff is dedicated to our mission of ensuring the integrity oforganic products in the marketplace.Positions will remain open until filled. To apply, please send

resume and cover letter to [email protected]

n Interested in volunteering?PCO relies on its outstanding volunteers to help with organic

outreach and education. Volunteers have assisted PCO by par-ticipating in one of the following areas: PCO Committees,staffing an exhibit, FarmFest; and much more. Support Penn-sylvania Certified Organic by volunteering to contribute to ourorganization’s mission; email: [email protected], call 814-422-0251, or visit paorganic.org for more information.

How to apply for Certification and IT Specialist jobs:Please submit a resume and cover letter to

(electronic submissions preferred):Lia Sandoval • [email protected] • 814-422-0251

Employment Opportunities

• Plan and conduct pre-event activities (attend parades, farmersmarkets, festivals to publicize FarmFest and plan volunteerwork parties)

• Event set-up, schedule, and cleanup coordination

• Report progress to PCO FarmFest Manager weekly

Responsibilities• Recruit, coordinate, schedule, and manage volunteers

• Obtain sponsor, vendor, and exhibitor commitments

• Manage annual FarmFest timeline and tasks

• Work collaboratively with partner organizations to plan vari-ous FarmFest areas including but not limited to: FamilyArena, Wool Village, 5K, and Silent Auction

• Update and maintain FarmFest website and social media out-lets

• Report progress to PCO FarmFest Manager weekly

n FarmFest Event Coordinator InternPennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is seeking a part-time,non-paid, FarmFest Event Coordinator Intern who will beresponsible for duties associated with successfully running aSummer festival attended by over 3500 people.

Responsibilities• Work closely with FarmFest Manager to accomplish annualFarmFest timeline and tasks

• Work collaboratively with partner organizations and volun-teers to execute various FarmFest areas including but notlimited to: Family Arena, Wool Village, 5K, and Silent Auc-tion

• Develop site maps and layout, vendor/exhibitor/sponsorassignments, staff/volunteer scheduling, venue and grounds,etc.

These non-paid internships can be taken for credit over thecourse of the Spring 2015 and Summer 2015 semesters. Fullinternship descriptions available at paorganic.org/jobs. Toapply, please send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].



Box 361, 119 Hamilton PlacePenn Yan, NY 14527315-531-1038

Certified Organic Feed, Seed & Livestock Products from Northeast organic farmers

for Northeast organic farmers❖

www.lakevieworganicgrain.com



How to Improve Soil with Grazing Field Day with Ian Mitchell-Innes, World-Renowned Mob Grazing ExpertJune 30, 9:00am–4:00pm • John Mulenberg Farm662 Puseyville Road • Kirkwood PA 17536

Calendar

RegisterNow!

Mayn MAY 2Heritage Pastured PigsKutztown, PArodaleinstitute.org610-683-1500

n MAY 30Spring Walk in the Organic OrchardOyler’s Organic Farm andMarketBiglerville, PA717-677-8411

Junen JUNE 6Farming with BeneficialInsectsKutztown, PArodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1500

n JUNE 18PCO Adopt-a-HighwayCentre Hall, PApaorganic.org/events814-422-0251

n JUNE 24Pastured Swine & Dairy Nutrition

Rodale Instituterodaleinstitute.org 610-683-1500Reg. deadline: June 15$50 registrationFREE for PCO Transitioning Members!

n JUNE 28PASA’s Bike Fresh —Allegheny CountyAllison Park, PApasafarming.org814-349-9856

To register:

$75 per person, $60 foreach additional personfrom same household

To preregister: Mail check payable toLancaster County Graziers to 1142 GapRoad Kinzers, PA 17535.

Include name, address,phone number, andnumber attending.

Preregistrations dueJune 20. Registrationsafter June 20 are $100.

?s: text, call or email717-278-1070,[email protected]

Field day topics include:

• Increasing milk production with grazing techniques

• Maximizing theamount of energy consumed by the animal through vegetative growthmanagement

• Managing soil surfaceand stocking density toward sustainedgrass growth

• Understanding andmanaging soil life

• Realizing fungal/bacterial relationships

Organic FarmFest

& PCO AnnualMeetingAugust 7 & 8

Grange FairgroundsCentre Hall, PASee page 17

for more details on Annual Meeting and page10 for more details on

FarmFest.



106 School Street, Suite 201

Spring Mills, PA 16875

Non-Profit Org

US POSTAGE PAID

CENTRE HALL, PA

PERMIT NO. 33

Documents

Om spring15 web 2