[compost_tea] USNOP & Compost Tea

From: Kirk Leonard <kirk_at_oregonatural.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2003 11:25:57 -0700

All -- I got the following note from my USCong contact yesterday. For those
not familiar, the National Organic Standards Board has a subgroup of Crops
Committee, called Compost Tea Task Force, working on tea, which is currently
"not eligible to satisfy" soil fertility rules under the USNOP, though some
certifiers are certifying anyway, pending better sense at USDA, presumably.

> I got a call back from USDA to my inquiry on the status of the compost tea
task force. I skipped calling the National Organic Program this time
because they've done a poor job of responding to our concerns and called the
Office of Congressional Affairs, which is designed to serve members of
Congress and their staffs.

> According to their response, the compost tea task force is making progress
and is "very aggressively deliberating" on the issue. They apparently have
another meeting tomorrow, but they don't have a timetable and plan to "take
as long as they need" to accomplish their mission.

> In other words, while things are moving slowly, the key is that they are
moving and they do seem to be making progress toward issuing
recommendations. Government often moves at a glacial pace, but it least it
moves! <
_________________________

And I replied today:

> Good you heard from somebody, I guess. I'd certainly not call their
efforts
"aggressive," though. More like passive-aggressive... What you got sure
seems to be "spin." There is still no mention of anything happening with
compost tea at NOSB on their web site, even though this has been going on
for well over a year (and they continue to post a negative
recommendation...). If you try to ask a question using the email address
for the NOSB Crops committee on the site, it bounces. If you're a level
above /NOP on the USDA/AMS website, not only can you not find anything about
compost tea, you can't even get a search to identify NOP!!

> Thanks for your note and for sticking with this. I have heard that tea
task
force recommends might come up in the next NOSB meeting in DC, 10/22-24.
Perhaps NOP would deign to confirm that? Something should be in the
Register the minimum ten days ahead.

> A glacial pace is one thing but these guys' lack of communication is
something else. Still appears to me they're simply continuing their efforts
to bury compost tea.

-- Kirk <

And from what seems like eons ago...

Imagine the Glee
At Monsanto and Dow
Picture the Ploys they can Make
Imagine that Sales Force
Set Loose, and Let Free
Empowered to Bash Compost Tea

USDA and USNOP must support compost tea. If they don't, uphill is even more
steep.








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Received on Thu Sep 25 2003 - 18:42:54 EDT

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