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Re: SMALLFARM-MG> Organic Produce

sal wrote:
> 
> On September 18 an environmental group held a press conference and issued a
> report entitled Rising Toxic  Tide.  the report claimed that 1. California
> uses 25 percent of all U.S. pesticides 2. pesticide use in California is
> increasing and 3. that the application of cancer causing pesticides rose
> 129 percent form 1991 to 1995.  And what does the state of Ca. do ?  They
> tax and burden  organic producers . Put a tax on all that sell organic is
> not my idea of reducing pesticides.  Now the USDA wants to lay an
> additional tax on the organic farmers .  Any one selling over $5000 in
> crops will have to pay large sums of money to sell organic and jump through
> even more hoops.  This low number$5000  in this day and age is nuts.  Many
> small organic growers will be burdened with such a tax and may lose their
> life of living and be forced out.
> >>
> >> At 02:21 PM 9/23/97 -0400, Clarence W. Walker wrote:
> >> >Then based upon this reasoning is it to follow that "organic "growers
> >> >should not quadruple their prices to that which the market will bear and
> >> >then transport their wares into an organic market that just happens to
> >> >be in an area of cities wherein the affluent enjoy the privilege of
> >> >being able to purchase ...and afford...that which uses "organic" as a
> >> >vehicle to justify high costs?
> >>
> >> Oh ;now you want to regulate the price I get for my crop.
> >> I sure do not get those prices you are talking about. Is there some kind of
> >> guarantee I have not seen that says we should get quadruple prices .  Who
> >> is giving organic farmers that garentee? Where do I sign up at.  .  all
> >> kidding aside I have many time taken less than commercial farmers because
> >> the organic market was full up of what I was selling.  I never get
> >> quadruple or even double and a most of the time less. .  where do I sign up
> >> at.for that quadruple price?  That price BS is part of the wickedness they
> >> use to justify their high tax on organic growing.  they say we charge more
> >> so they can put an extra tax on us to grow and sell organic .  They need
> >> something like"we are ripping off the public " to justify taxing us for
> >> telling the truth.  I just tell folks how I farm and they put the value on
> >> what I am selling .   No one guarantees me a price every year I worry if
> >> the competition this year will kill  me out all together and I don't need
> >> an extra tax  to add to that. I should not pay one more cent that any other
> >> grower has to pay just because I grow organic.
> >>
> >>   Should "organic" trade shows profit by
> >> >the inclusion of those who can afford booth space whether displaying
> >> >organic wares or not.
> >>
> >> I never could afford to be in or even go to a trade shows so can't tell you
> >> what is going on there.
> >>
> >> Should "organic" be allowed to imply "of greater
> >> >quality" whether or not each item so marketed is tested to verify the
> >> >claim.
> >>
> >> People should be free to chose organic and to some folks it does mean a
> >> greater quality .I know to me it does so what does that mean .
> >>  how can you test every item who wants to eat a item that has just been
> >> tested : >
> >> they can test a item and see if it contains less than 5% of  chemicals that
> >> a non organic farmer can have.  that seem like a fair test after the water
> >> and air have been polluted by USDA approver pesticides,herbicides and other
> >> poisons.  I would say 5% of what non organic farmers see  on a test is a
> >> fair test now but if things keep going the way they are with the USDA
> >> releasing more and more non organic and non controllable things on the
> >> earth there may be no place on earth where one can be  at %5 mark.  .We
> >> have been subsidizing chemical farmers for year cleaning up our air water
> >> and soil from the USDA's approved poisons that commercial farmer are using.
> >>    And anytime you have the money you can test my crop .  Just do not force
> >> me to pay for the test because I know I am organic so if you want to test
> >> buy some of my fruit and test it to your hearts content.
> >>
> >>  Why should "organic" or any other farmers or business activities
> >> >be so subsidized at the taxpayers expense and frequent abuse?
> >>
> >> If the tax payers demand tests they should pay for them .  If the USDA
> >> demand test they should pay for them.  Me I don't need no stinking test to
> >> tell how I farm.  I know I am organic by any definition I have read so far.
> >>  Let those that doubt pay for the test.  As far as frequent abuse I don't
> >> see it. The State of Ca. has taken Hundreds of thousands of dollars from
> >> organic growers and have found little abuse.  the only abuse I know of is
> >> the abuse we organic growers are receiving.
> >> Fraud is fraud .  No one is subsidizing organic growers at least no one has
> >> giving me one darn cent I did not earn. but they should they would save
> >> money not having to take the herbicides out of the drinking water but alas
> >> it is the commercial farmer that gets most all the supsidzing,research
> >> grants etc. and no one is asking for subsidizing I am only asking the Gov.
> >> not to lay an extra tax on my for growing and selling orgnaic. Why is it
> >> far to lay an extra tax me because I grow and sell organic .
> >>
> >> >a marketing tool, a government means of intervention, dicrimination
> >> >against those who do not so believe? If one chooses to produce
> >> >organically, fine and laudable....but at the costs tangible and
> >> >intangible, direct and indirect but not as another boondoggle or pork
> >> >barrel and certainly not as a marketing ploy to rip off the very poor
> >> >that most organic producers are so quick to bewail!
> >>
> >> I do discriminant I will  say I always pick the organic food over the
> >> commercial . thank God I am free to chose. I am not ripping anyone off as a
> >> organic grower and don't want to get ripped off by having the to be  tax
> >> more than any other farmer.  We are not talking about subsidizing we are
> >> talking about not taxing the poor farmer that want to farm and sell
> >> organic.  you want to talk about subsidizing the farmer we can start a new
> >> topic I would love to get into that with you. We can start with the
> >> drinking water that the city can not clean up and that the people have to
> >> drink and bath in.  hummm then their is the cost of spraying insecticide on
> >> miles and miles of land,homes,people,etc to protect the farmer from an
> >> insect.  and   on and on and on and on.  .  Lets get it on.  the argument
> >> is that organic growers and sellers should not get taxed extra for selling
> >> organic because they have not done anything wrong to justify having to pay
> >> more than any  other farmer .   Now I ask you ,do you think that a farm
> >> that only has $35000 in sells is a small farm or not?    What does the
> >> average farm in the US sell in produce and is $35000 in sells small or not?
> >>  Anyone got any numbers.? I don't have any numbers but I am willing to bet
> >> that  that farm would be clasified as  a real small farm in the US and that
> >> farmer is not having an easy time of it organic or not.  And that farmer
> >> does not need an extra tax put on him because of other folks perinoia.
> >>
> >> >> Lawrence
> >> >>
> >> >>  thank you for bring me back to earth.  You are right as usual .
> Sometime
> >> >> oppression of the poor makes me mad and I don't want to see even one
> >> >> organic farmers hurt because he sell organic.
> >> >>
> >> >>  lets look at the  NOSB
> >> >>    B.  SMALL FARMER EXEMPTION
> >> >> It can be found at
> >> >> http://www.cfarm.com/nosb/OrganicCrop/4farmer.htm
> >> >>
> >> >> I think in this day and age where the gov. has raised the mim. wage
> scale
> >> >> that the fact that a . small farm is considered  only $5000 is way to
> small
> >> >> an amount.  CCOF this year raised their min. to $20,000 (still a
> little to
> >> >> small in this day of high property tax and water bills ) a step in the
> >> >> right direction.    I think your number is more reasonable.  If the Gov
> >> >> does not want to burden and drive the poorer organic farmers out of
> >> >> business as Organic growers we should agree that under $35000 should
> be a
> >> >> small farm and not charged for growing and selling organic.  If you
> look at
> >> >> the small farmer exemption this does not mean we do not have to
> follow the
> >> >> law it only show that the Gov. understands that life is not easy and
> people
> >> >> have to have money to live .   the small farmer will still have to
> file a
> >> >> .Declaration form and sign it and will have to  develop an Organic Farm
> >> >> and/or Handling Plan,in accordance with the requirements of the OFPA.
> they
> >> >> will still have to do record-keeping adequate to trace an organic
> product
> >> >> from production site through to sale for consumption. and   Records
> must be
> >> >> kept for five years.And they must allow The provisions of public
> access to
> >> >> the above documents. So the poorer of us can still follow the USDA
> mandate
> >> >> and not be burden for doing the good he knows.
> >> >> Thank you for your voice of reason.
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> If this figure were raised to $35000 (small farmer) it would protect the
> >> >> poor man and his family that still want to raise and sell organic
> food and
> >> >> satisfy the people that are buying organic food.
> >> >>
Exactly WHY I am not in favor of any additional government intervention
in our lives. Thanks for the facts.
-- 

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