Dairy Farms Go Organic to Survive

>From <www.gristmagazine.com> 4/12/04

FARM AID
Small Farms Turn Organic to Survive

Battered by volatile markets and relentless corporate consolidation,
many family farms are turning to organic cultivation -- and joining
organic cooperatives -- to survive. According to farm advocacy group
Farm Aid, the number of family farms in the U.S. has declined from 8
million to 2 million in the last 50 years; an average of 330 family
farms a week go out of business. Meanwhile, the market for organic
food has grown by 20 percent a year for the last four years; organic
farms now account for 5 to 7 percent of all agricultural cultivation
in the country. Putting two and two together, many family farms are
moving to organic and joining organizations like Wisconsin-based
Organic Valley, the nation's largest organic farm cooperative. The
shift to organic methods can be a substantial effort -- three years
with no pesticides on crops, one year with no antibiotics or hormones
in livestock, and a great deal of paperwork -- but participating
farms enjoy stabilized prices, a growing niche market, and, of
course, a bit of moral and environmental satisfaction. Says dairy
farmer Theresa Westaby, "It's about being healthy and doing the right
thing."

straight to the source: Rockford Register Star, Anna Voelker, 12 Apr 2004
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/cgi-bin/forward.pl?forward_id=2296>
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Going organic saves family farm

By ANNA VOELKER, Rockford (Illinois) Register Star

Two years ago, Theresa and Delmar Westaby struggled to keep the family dairy
farm afloat. Milk prices bounced around so much that the couple couldn't
budget and eventually spent more than they were making.

Something had to change or they would lose the Stockton farm that had been
in the family for 141 years.

One day they saw an ad from a cheesemaker who wanted organic milk. The
Westabys had more milk than the cheesemaker needed, but he directed them to
Organic Valley, the nation's largest farmer-owned organic cooperative, based
in LaFarge, Wis.

After research and a lot of paperwork, the Westaby family joined a growing
trend in the farming industry: switching from conventional to organic
production. Besides being profitable, proponents say, raising organic food
is safer for humans and the environment.

"Being organic is not just about making money for us," said Theresa Westaby.
"It's about being healthy and doing the right thing."

Organic farming is generally defined as raising and processing foods and
fibers without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.
Federal regulations took effect in 2002 that define minimum standards that
producers must meet to be considered organic.

Raising awareness

Certified organic farms represent 5 percent to 7 percent of all agricultural
production. Because of strong consumer demand, the business has grown 20
percent annually for the past four years. The organic dairy industry alone
has grown 27 percent a year.

"Organic is making people more aware of where their food comes from and how
it's produced," said Joe Pedretti, Organic Valley's membership coordinator.
"The plight of the family farm is at the foremost of our minds. We're seeing
a radical change in farming from corporate interest to control food from the
farm all the way through to the retail store.

"It's not a conventional vs. organic thing. It's providing the educated
consumer with a choice."

Fifty years ago, the United States had about 8 million family farms. Today,
there are fewer than 2 million, and the nation loses about 330 family farms
a week, according to Farm Aid, a farm advocacy group in Sommerville, Mass.

Illinois has 1,229 dairy farms today, compared with 2,027 in 1996. Smaller
farms are selling off to larger farms, and younger family members are
choosing not to take over the business.

Jim Fraley, manager of Illinois Milk Producers Association, said organic
products offer another choice but are not necessarily healthier or safer
than conventional farm products.

He said all cows produce hormones, even if they're not given artificial
growth supplements, and all milk is tested for antibiotics and dumped if it
is detected.

"You may feel better buying organic perhaps because of how the animal is
treated or fed, but I don't think we can say one is better than the other.
There's no science to back that up," Fraley said. "I would look at it as an
opportunity for farmers to fill that niche."

The issue of injecting cows with hormones to produce more milk remains
controversial. Organic Valley's Pedretti said only about 20 percent of farms
use bovine growth hormones. He said not enough research has been conducted
to rule out possible effects on humans.

"There's been very little research money put in to look at organic at all.
There's also very little research on the conventional side," he said.

"But it's changing. The USDA is getting more involved with organic farming.
There are a lot of question marks about the safety of our food in the United
States. There's enough concern to warrant more studies."

Going organic

Theresa Westaby knew finances were tight in 2002. The price of milk had
dropped to $9 per 100 pounds, the low end of the volatile market. Less money
was coming in, but expenses remained the same.

"From January to August, we had to borrow $15,000 just to keep it going,"
she said. "We didn't know what we were going to do."

The Westabys milk about 90 of their 210 Holstein cows at a time on their
500-acre farm in northwestern Illinois, about 75 minutes from Rockford. The
cows produce about 600 gallons or 70 pounds of milk a day. (A gallon of milk
weighs 8.6 pounds.)

The federal government surveys cheesemakers and then sets the minimum price
for milk. In March, the price was $11.89 per 100 pounds. For the first six
months of 2003, milk prices dipped below $10 on the market.

Organic Valley pays $18.50 per 100 pounds, a price set by farmers in the
co-op. That prevents the price from fluctuating as much as conventional
prices. The Westabys earn closer to $21, thanks to bonuses for quality of
milk and production, Pedretti said.

The Westabys didn't know much about organic farming when they made the
decision to switch. They assumed they already were organic because they
hadn't sprayed their crops in nine years.

It wasn't that simple. The Westabys also had to stop treating animals with
antibiotics.

For a farmer to become a member of Organic Valley, it must be three years
since the farmer stopped spraying pesticides for the land to be considered
organic. One year must lapse from the time the farmer stops giving animals
antibiotics and artificial hormones for milk to be considered organic.

Members of Organic Valley are certified organic by Oregon Tilth, a nonprofit
research and education organization that certifies organic farmers,
processors, retailers and handlers in the United States and internationally.

"The biggest thing people don't understand is that it's not hard to go
organic," Westaby said. "It's a lot of paperwork, but paperwork won't kill
you."

Products cannot be labeled organic without meeting the government's
standards implemented in October 2002.

Farm Aid, a advocate for family farms, supports organic farming.

"We believe that organic farmers are playing an important role that provides
safe healthful food that doesn't have pesticides," said Mark Smith, campaign
director for Farm Aid. "We strongly support the transition from conventional
to organic, but we support traditional farmers as well."

Jean Smith-Meissen's son, Mat Smith, runs the Winnebago farm that has been
in the family for 100 years.

She said the shrinking number of family farms is "very heartbreaking to all
the farmers."

"If you struggle long enough, you get very tired and you will sell it,"
Smith-Meissen said. "If you love dairy, you will hang in there."

Smith-Meissen, who will be 80 in May, doesn't expect her son will switch to
organic because of low prices for conventional milk. But maybe one of his
four sons might consider it.

"Farming is very hard work, and for what you're able to get out of it, it's
put a lot of people out," Smith-Meissen said.

"Plus, the younger generation sees other things they would like to do. And
that's OK because you shouldn't have to work in something you don't enjoy."

Contact: avoelker@registerstartower.com; 815-987-1346

QUESTION: What is organic food?

ANSWER: Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of
renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance
environmental quality for future generations.

Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are
given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without
using most conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic
ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation.

Before a product can be labeled "organic," a government-approved certifier
inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is
following rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that
handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or
restaurant must be certified, too.

Q: Is organic food better for me and my family?

A: The USDA makes no claims that organically produced food is safer or more
nutritious than conventionally produced food. Organic food differs from
conventionally produced food in the way it is grown, handled and processed.

Q: When I go to the supermarket, how can I tell organically produced food
from conventionally produced food?

A: You must look at package labels and watch for signs in the supermarket.
Along with the national organic standards, USDA developed strict labeling
rules to help consumers know the exact organic content of the food they buy.
The USDA Organic seal also tells you that a product is at least 95 percent
organic.

Single-ingredient foods: Look for the word "organic" and a small sticker
version of the USDA Organic seal on vegetables or pieces of fruit. Or they
may appear on the sign above the organic produce display.

The word "organic" and the seal also may appear on packages of meat, cartons
of milk or eggs, cheese and other single-ingredient foods.

Foods with more than one ingredient: Products with less than 70 percent
organic ingredients may list specific organically produced ingredients on
the side panel of the package, but may not make any organic claims on the
front of the package. Look for the name and address of the
government-approved certifier on all packaged products that contain at least
70 percent organic ingredients.

Q: Will I find the USDA Organic seal on all 100 percent organic products, or
products with at least 95 percent organic ingredients?

A: No. The use of the seal is voluntary.

Q: How is use of the USDA Organic seal protected?

A: People who sell or label a product "organic" when they know it does not
meet USDA standards can be fined up to $10,000 for each violation.

Q: Does natural mean organic?

A: No. Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims,
such as free-range, hormone-free and natural, can still appear on food
labels. Don't confuse these terms with "organic." Only food labeled
"organic" has been certified as meeting USDA organic standards.

Source:U.S. Department of Agriculture,
www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/brochure. html