Passages
Sustainable Food and Farming Systems
Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond
Number 48
Innovative opportunities for Pennsylvania
farmers and landowners: agroforestry,
forest farming and American ginseng.
By Eric Burkhart & Mike Jacobson,
School of Forest Resources, the Pennsylvania
State University
We live in Pennsylvania which, as many
of us were taught in grade school, literally
means Penn’s Woods. Yet, while we may be
aware of this namesake, how many of us
have actually considered the important roles
that trees play as part of our regional ecosys-
tem? Covering 60 percent of the Common-
wealth’s land area, forests serve a variety of
essential functions in sustaining our lands
and waters. However, conversion of forest-
land over the past three centuries has altered
nutrient cycling, soil and water quality and
biological and landscape diversity. To cor-
rect some of the more undesirable conse-
quences brought about by land conversion
in what was once a largely forested land-
scape; consider what might be gained from
working with trees and other woody vegeta-
tion.
Trees and shrubs can be tended for fruit,
nut and timber production; creation and
maintenance of wildlife and pollinators;
water quality, soil erosion and pollution
control; or just for appreciation. Today, the
term agroforestry is being used to describe
the deliberate integration of woody plants
into croplands or pastures. It is true that
trees improperly introduced onto farmlands
and pastures can impair crop and livestock
production and performance. For this rea-
son, it is always important to carefully con-
sider and plan agroforestry practices before
implementation. With forethought, howev-
er, the possible beneficial arrangements and
applications of these practices are limited
Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania
Association
for Sustainable
Agriculture
May/June 2004
only by one’s imagination, com-
mitment, patience and some
consideration.
Types of agroforestry prac-
tices that are being used and pro-
moted include windbreaks,
riparian forest buffers, silvopas-
tures, and alley cropping. These
largely focus on the introduction
For many Pennsylvania forest owners, American ginseng
of trees into non-forested land-
husbandry is an excellent opportunity to diversify income.
scapes and efforts to increase
landowner adoption are represented in should be considered as part of an overall
Pennsylvania by programs such as PA forest management plan. The principal goal
Stream ReLeaf, which encourages the use of in forest farming is to identify and manage
riparian forest buffer practices. Another a forested area for habitat favorable to the
agroforestry practice, called forest farming, growth of desired plants or fungi. Examples
however, is different in that it is an arrange- of forest farming candidates in Pennsylvania
ment where economically viable plants are include edible plants (ramps), specialty
introduced or encouraged in the understory mushrooms (e.g., morel, chanterelle,
of existing woodlands. This is done in a bolete) and ornamental plants (lady’s-slip-
manner that is ecologically sensitive and Continued on page 14
FARM-BASED EDUCATION 2004:
It’s Time for Field Days!
By Heather House
From May through October, PASA will be offering an array of educational events
designed to instruct and inspire both farmers and consumers. Just as the name indi-
cates, Farm-Based Educational (FBE) programs take place on farms and are geared
toward farmers and consumers seeking instruction about specific farm-related prac-
tices. PASA’s 2004 FBE program is made up of seventeen field days and three intensive-
learning programs all aspiring to the standards of excellence long expected from PASA.
A full calendar listing with detailed descriptions of scheduled FBE events was mailed to
members and is available on our website, www.pasafarming.org.
The primary purpose of PASA field days is to facilitate farmer-to-farmer exchange
Continued on page 3
 May/June 2004
Pennsylvania Association
for Sustainable Agriculture
3 Farm-Based Education
114 West Main Street
P.O. Box 419
Millheim PA 16854 4 Director’s Corner
Phone: (814) 349-9856 • Fax: (814) 349-9840
Website: www.pasafarming.org 5 President’s Corner

6 Regional Marketing
Passages STAFF & OFFICE
Staff Editor: Michele Gauger 8 Sugar, Sugar
Layout: C Factor
Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger,
10 9 Consumer News
PASA office, michele@pasafarming.org
10 Educational Outreach

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 12 Business Member Profile

President: Kim Miller, Westmoreland County
Vice President: Kim Tait, Centre County
13 On the Passing of a Dear Friend:
Secretary: Lyn Garling, Centre County
Christine Beddard
Treasurer: Chris Fullerton, Huntingdon County
16 Junior PASA Page
Mary Barbercheck, Centre County
David Bingaman, Dauphin County 17 Board of Directors Announce
George DeVault, Lehigh County 12 Annual Fund Goal
Mena Hautau, Berks County
John Hopkins, Columbia County
19 Hosting A Farm Tour —
John Jamison, Westmoreland County
my experience
Dave Johnson, Tioga County
Don Kretschmann, Beaver County
13 20 Calendar

Brian Moyer, Berks County 21 Editor’s Corner: The Grapevine

Anthony Rodale, Berks County
Kim Seeley, Bradford County 22 Classified Ads & Opportunities

23 Membership Contribution Form

PASA STAFF
Headquarters
Brian Snyder
Executive Director
brian@pasafarming.org Passages March/April 2004 Contributors
Lauren Smith
CONTRIBUTORS: Phylleri Ball, Eric Burkhart, George DeVault, David Eson, Michele Gauger, Ron Hoover,
Director of Development
& Membership Programs Heather House, Michael Jacobson, Kim Miller, Gayle Morrow, Brian Moyer, Eric Nordell, Virginia
lauren@pasafarming.org Phillips, Sally Roe, Phyllis Rubin, Lauren Smith, Brian Snyder, Leah Tewksbury, and Mary Whittam.
Heather House
Director of Educational Outreach PASA’s Mission is… PASA in the News
heather@pasafarming.org Have you seen articles about PASA in your local news-
Promoting profitable farms which produce healthy
Michele Gauger food for all people while respecting the natural envi- papers or other media? PASA is active across the state,
Membership & Research Assistant ronment. and we’d love to know what coverage we are getting
michele@pasafarming.org in your area. Please clip any articles you see on PASA
PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania
and mail them to our Millheim headquarters to the
Brandi Marks landscape. We are seasoned farmers who know that
attention of Office Coordinator Brandi Marks.
Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper sustainability is not only a concept, but a way of life.
brandi@pasafarming.org We are new farmers looking for the fulfillment of land
stewardship. We are students and other consumers, Do you have a great
Regional Office anxious to understand our food systems and the article idea for Passages?
choices that must be made. We are families and chil- Want to share a farming practice with members? We’d
David Eson love to hear from you. Please contact the newsletter
dren, who hold the future of farming in our hands.This
Director of Southwest Programs staff at newsletter@ pasafarming.org.
is an organization that is growing in its voice on behalf
Phone: 412-997-2343
of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond. Our mission is Deadline for May/June Issue: June 25, 2004.
david@pasafarming.org
achieved, one voice, one farm, one strengthened com-
munity at a time.

PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider, and Employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to:
Passages is printed with soy inks on recycled, chlorine-free paper
USDA Office of Civil Rights Washington, DC 20250-9410.

2
Farm-Based Education 2004
FARM-BASED EDUCATION 2004
Continued from page 1
around sustainable agriculture produc-
tion practices that provide alternatives to
conventional methods. Creation of the
2004 schedule relied on feedback from
evaluations filled out by attendees at the
2003 field days and the 2004 Farming for
the Future conference. Participants cited
three important characteristics of field
days: 1) an opportunity to learn directly
from farmers, 2) a chance to participate in
hands-on activities or witness in-field
demonstrations, and 3) the occasion to
work in small, focused learning groups.
The schedule this year covers topics
from organic crop production to post-har-
vest handling, as PASA strives to cater to
many interests, while covering Pennsylva-
nia’s geographic regions. Other highlights
include whole farm design and herb pro-
duction, hi-tunnels and flower produc-
tion, and organic soy, corn and milk
production.
Intensive-Learning Programs
PASA is pleased to offer three intensive
applied-learning clinics: Raw-Milk Cheese-
PASA CONFERENCE NEWS
14th Annual
FARMING FOR THE FUTURE Conference
February 3, 4 & 5, 2005 • Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA
n Conference Planning Committee —
The conference planning committee is
responsible for developing the workshop
program, coordinating the Thursday pre-
conference, identifying and contacting
qualified presenters, and approaching
potential sponsors for the conference.
This volunteer group meets three times
beginning mid-June, and finalizes details
by early October. PASA Board Members
Mary Barbercheck and Brian Moyer will
co-chair the committee
Stay tuned to this
this year. Those interest-
column year-round
ed in serving on the
for the latest news
committee should con- and facts on the
tact Heather House at PASA Conference.
PASA Headquarters.
making, Farming with Draft Horses, and
Care and Breeding of Heritage Turkeys.
These clinics are longer, allowing ample
time for thorough coverage of important
information. Limited registration ensures
participants will have plenty of hands-on
opportunities, one-to-one contact with
the instructor, and plenty of time for ques-
tions. Register for these clinics as you
would other field days, either by calling
the PASA office (814-349-9856) or online
ATTENTION EDUCATORS: Over the
years we have had a number of
requests to offer PASA events for Act 48
credit, which is a mandatory program
of professional development for teach-
ers.We are pleased to announce that all
of our educational programs now qual-
ify for Act 48 credit, including field days,
intensive learning programs, and the
Farming for the Future conference.
Teachers should contact Heather
House at PASA headquarters prior to
the event they would like to attend for
Act 48 credit.
n Food! Food! Food! — As many know,
the fabulous meals served at Farming for
the Future are organized around contri-
butions from the membership and other
regional friends. Dreaming has already
commenced for the meals to be served
in February 2005! PASA farmers — we
welcome your involvement! When plant-
ing, raising and brewing this summer
2005 season and your thoughts turn to
sharing your bounty with an appreciative
audience, contact Lauren Smith at PASA
Headquarters to chat about how you
might participate in the conference food
program. Over forty-eight farms and
companies were involved in the 2004
conference meals!
3
at our website www.pasafarming.org.
Costs associated with offering FBE
events vary, depending on the topic and
the sources of funding for the event.
Therefore, registration fees also vary. By
charging a registration fee, PASA can
ensure that the host farmer(s) receive fair
compensation for their time spent prepar-
ing and presenting the day’s activities.
Registration fees also cover basic PASA
operating expenses, such as postage,
printing, materials, and staff time. PASA is
committed to providing workshops for all
financial circumstances, so please call us if
you’d like to discuss alternative payment
arrangements.
Thanks to a generous grant from the
Environmental Protection Agency, PASA is
able to offer at a reduced rate five field
days related to reducing the use of pesti-
cides. Likewise, we’ve received support
from the Department of Environmental
Protection’s Growing Greener grant pro-
gram to offer a field day about alternative
energy systems for farms. The remaining
field days are offered in direct response to
members’ requests for information on
specific topics. n
See Field Day Calendar on back cover
n Youth Program — Volunteers are
being sought to help organize the youth
program for the 2005. This group has
only one face-to-face meeting early sum-
mer, then communicates via email and
telephone. Teens and parents are encour-
aged to apply. This is a fun activity for
anyone interested in children and organ-
ized youth activities. Those interested
should contact Dianne Miller at 724-668-
8600 or diannemiller@alltel.net.
n Teen Track — The teen track commit-
tee is responsible for coordinating pre-
senters to deliver educational &
entertaining programs that will keep our
PASA teens engaged and learning.
George Vahoviak of Shaver’s Creek Envi-
ronmental Education Center and Claire
Orner of Quiet Creek Herb Farm will
serve as the 2005 co-chairs. Those inter-
ested in serving on the committee
should contact Heather House at PASA
Headquarters.
Director’s Corner
In for the Long Haul
By Brian Snyder
Recently I joined PASA Treasurer
Chris Fullerton and David Eson, our
Southwest Program Director, in attend-
ing the Nonprofit Summit 2004 in Pitts-
burgh, where the theme was “Social
Entrepreneurs: Driving Social and Eco-
nomic Change.” The keynote speaker
was Bill Shore, who is the founder and
director of Share Our Strength in Wash-
ington, D.C., and author of The Cathe-
dral Within and Revolution of the Heart.
I will never forget one of Mr. Shore’s
opening points, he said “Don’t settle for
the idea that your organization is lean
and mean, that for you a little bit goes a
long way.” Instead, he insisted that we all
are facing some very big problems these
days, and “in reality, the only thing that
goes a long way is a LOT of resources.”
One of the “very big problems” we all
face together is the need to have reliable
information in front of us. This is not a
problem of quantity of information, but
of quality. Witness a column that
appeared in the March 2004 issue of
American Agriculturalist magazine, enti-
tled “Profit Planners.” In the column, a
question is posed to a panel of experts
that represent various regions of the
Northeast, and their individual respons-
es are recorded. The question in March
was “Will a CSA pay its way?” followed
by a few clarifying questions, including
“Is there still potential for Community
Supported Agriculture businesses where
farmers sell shares of farm-grown foods
directly to consumers?”
The first panel member to address
the question of CSA viability was a busi-
ness services manager from the Pennsyl-
vania Farm Bureau, whose answer I
quote in its entirety below as an illustra-
tion of my point:
In more than 26 years, I’ve never even
spoken with a farmer involved with a
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
contract. In my experience, they’re very rare
or simply don’t exist in Pennsylvania.
It’s easy, however, to address their poten-
tial. For many years, all the state hospitals
operated farms (a form of CSA). While
profitable or nearly profitable, things went
along great. But once the inefficiencies of
small size and the cost of labor changed the
profit picture, they were shut down rather
quickly.
That’s exactly what I would expect
would be the fate of a CSA. Few commu-
nities would be willing to subsidize a farm
operation for very long.
Niche market farming many times car-
ries with it the dream of a return to a sim-
pler (and more profitable) time. This never
has been true.
Farms must be profitable on their own
to survive, and not rely on government or
other payments.
I’m not sure where to even start in
analyzing this answer, and perhaps I
needn’t say much at all. As a person who
has been associated with CSAs in the
past, as well as being a former intern at a
state hospital in my home state of Indi-
ana, I am appalled at the misconceptions
portrayed here of both types of business
activities. The information given here is
not only bad, it is damaging.
A more carefully reasoned and
researched answer would have revealed
that one of the earliest CSAs in the
country was started in the 80’s by PASA
members Barbara and Kerry Sullivan in
Kimberton. And the CSA model contin-
ues to flourish here in Pennsylvania and
elsewhere, usually as part of a diversified
approach to revenue generation. One of
the more successful operations today,
also run by a PASA farmer, maintains
over 600 members who are willing to
pay $500 or more upfront for an entire
season of fresh produce.
You do the math, that’s serious
money that in no way should be consid-
ered a “subsidy,” but payment in
advance for goods delivered. The most
4
common complaint heard from CSA
members these days is “I got more food
than I expected.”
Even a cursory effort at researching
an answer would have found that Penn-
sylvania is host to a national center for
promotion of CSAs, the Robyn Van En
Center at Wilson College in Chambers-
burg (www.csacenter.org), and that
innovative CSA models now include
meat and dairy products, as well as “win-
ter harvest” options in northern climes.
I think we can forgive the designated
“expert” for not knowing as much as any
PASA member would about CSAs, and
for perhaps being short of time to do the
proper research. But I am really troubled
by the more subtle messages that come
through his answer, indicating an almost
willful effort to misinform his reader-
ship. Such familiar themes as “inefficien-
cies of small size” and “dream of a return
to a simpler time” indicate his desire to
actually discredit any effort to discuss
the value of CSAs or other farming
methods not consistent with the indus-
trial status quo.
We run into this attitude all the time
these days. In fact, there seems to be an
aggressive effort right now, backed by
significant industry funding, to establish
larger and more concentrated farming
operations as the norm. The big corpo-
rations have their hired guns, people
who profit by going about the country
to speak and write about the inevitabili-
ty of industrialization…you know who
they are, I needn’t even name them.
This is why all of us at PASA must
think bigger than we ever have before,
toward building an organization that can
rise to meet the challenge of providing
reliable and high quality information to
those who need it, and to answer those
who would love to see the vast majority
of this nation’s farmers fail in fulfillment
of the industrial maxim, get big or get
out.
To be more precise, as an organiza-
tion we must bet bigger, not for the sake
of getting “big” itself, which is part of
the problem we face, but so that we can
think about and act on longer-term solu-
tions for our farmers, our rural commu-
nities and our food systems. In the end,
sustainability is nothing if it is not all
Continued on page 17
President’s Corner
The Challenge
of Sustainability
By Kim Miller
Spring is in the air and there is much
to feel good about. Warmer days,
drenching rains and greening grass
remind me of the wonder of the natural
cycle; also of how much work there is to
do and how little time. So it is with sus-
tainable agriculture; much to feel good
about, but so much work to do. The sea-
son of conferencing is over and I find
myself motivated to do better. And do
better we must.
As the demand for sustainably-raised
food grows, as we learn about and imple-
ment better farming practices, and as the
numbers of producers and eaters
involved in this grassroots movement
increase (as evidenced by the increase in
PASA membership) it is easy to take
some satisfaction in the job we are
doing. And so I was feeling a bit smug
when I attended a recent conference at
Wilson College in Chambersburg. That
is until I heard Wes Jackson speak. Ever
the prophetic voice, Wes really takes the
Sustainability Movement to task for its
shortcomings. The thing of it is, it is
hard to disagree with him.
The gist of Jackson’s case against the
Sustainability Movement is that we are
spending our energy trying to do better,
a way of producing food that is funda-
mentally flawed. In his opinion it does
not help very much if we raise wheat, for
example, organically rather than conven-
tionally. We are still plowing the soil and
exposing the earth to erosion while using
up the finite reserve of trace elements
that have been providentially supplied
over millennia. At best we are just using
our finite supply more judiciously. Now
organic wheat may be safer for immedi-
ate consumption and provide more
nutrition for today’s eater, but the kind
of agriculture that is based on annual
grasses rather than perennials cannot
last. We need thinking for the longest
haul and the biggest picture.
Now I do take some solace in my
farming practices since I do no tillage,
but raise only grass for cattle and chick-
en feed. I have, however, been known to
eat a slice of bread from time to time and
even use it as a “pusher” to get those veg-
etables onto my fork. So there is land
We must feed ourselves today while
reinventing our agricultural system for
the generations to come
tilled on my behalf. The larger point that
Wes makes is that only nature can be
relied upon to show us the way of sus-
tainability. And in nature there is no
tillage. The most fertile land on this
planet, the Midwestern United States,
was covered with perennial grasses. If
this perennial grass model is not the one
upon which we base our system of agri-
culture then we will never achieve sus-
tainability, but continue to use up the
available credit on the credit card of
trace elements. When the available cred-
it is gone so will we all be. At the recent
Pennsylvania Land Conservation Con-
ference I heard Randall Arendt make a
statement about zoning that might apply
to farming. He said, “A thing that is not
worth doing is not worth doing well.”
Maybe we just can’t do tillage well
enough to overcome the fact that it is
not worth doing.
I believe that is the point that Wes
makes so well. It does not matter how
well we till the soil. We should not do it
at all. Of course the no till contingent
will jump in with a big “That’s what
we’re talking about!” But nature does not
show us a model that is dependent on
herbicides nor does nature give us an
example of any organism that contains
genetic material from an unrelated
organism. This is not meant to bash no-
5
till farming, but to point out that the
current methodology is as flawed as
tillage farming. We are all a little right
and a whole lot wrong in our approach.
In all humility we need, through
hybridization of the perennial species
that are now extant, to develop a new
agricultural system that can last forever.
Frankly, the fact that the Prophet
does not give the Sustainable Communi-
ty a pat on the back does not much con-
cern me. After all, prophets are not
generally known for dispensing “atta
boys.” Nor are they known for their
practicality. But it does point out for me
the need to keep the larger picture in
front of us. This movement is not just
about getting better access to markets,
providing cleaner and more nutritious
food to eaters, lessening off farm inputs,
and making a better living. All of these
things matter for now, but we dare not
get bogged down in the day-to-day
problems at hand. We need to keep in
mind, on a daily basis, that our system of
agriculture is fundamentally flawed.
Otherwise we will fail to change the sys-
tem before we use up all of the available
credit. We must feed ourselves today
while reinventing our agricultural sys-
tem for the generations to come. To do
less is just not sustainable. n
Stay
connected!
Visit PASA online at
www.pasafarming.org
Regional Marketing
Northcentral/Eastern
Western
Southcentral
SOUTHWEST REGION
Growers and Chefs
Plan for Those Twenty
Wonderful Weeks
By Virginia Phillips
With the growing season approach-
ing, more than 100 food professionals
— 45 farmers, 22 chefs and others
including purveyors and specialty mar-
ket owners — put their heads together at
Lidia’s on a recent Monday for a business
dialogue. It was the second such annual
meeting hosted by PASA, the Pennsylva-
nia Association for Sustainable Agricul-
ture.
Participants were there to “streamline
the way homegrown bounty gets from
area fields to Pittsburgh kitchens,” PASA
regional coordinator David Eson said.
Participants heard Boston chef Chris
Moore, owner of Icarus restaurant and
founding member with Alice Waters of
Chefs Collaborative, tell how the
national chef network promotes sustain-
able cuisine by helping restaurants devel-
op smooth supply relationships with
local producers.
Panel discussions focused on Pitts-
burgh’s learning curve in building farm
to restaurant business. Fielding ques-
tions were Lidia Executive Chef Craig
Richards, big Burrito Executive Chef
Bill Fuller, Moore and Thomas Culick of
Backdoor Café, Johnstown, along with
Margie Dagnal of Penns Corner Farm
Alliance growers’ co-op, Art King of
Harvest Valley Farms, John Jamison of
Jamison Farms, Latrobe, and Mindy
Schwartz of Garden Dreams, Wilkins-
burg.
A question to the panel, “How organ-
into home kitchens. McGinnis’s
$10,000 gift, with matching funds from
the Pennsylvania Department of Agri-
culture, will fund two area projects, a
consumer directory, “Farm Fresh Prod-
ucts,” and advertising aid for individual
farm stands.
“Our stores will have more local ven-
dors this year,” Campbell said, “includ-
ing organic beef supplier Ron Gargasz
Southeastern and pork from Wil-Den Farms. For us it
is ‘Grow me more. How can I help
you?’”
ic do the products have to be?” received Fuller saw this year’s parley as “more
this answer from Richards: people, more chefs involved, with a
“Whether organic or not,” Richards whole different chemistry. Farmers are
said, “Pittsburgh chefs would rather getting better at selling, chefs are better
have it from here and in season, rather at using the products. It’s no longer chefs
than from California. Local is the most saying, ‘Oh, I love the farmers.’ It’s ‘Let’s
talk details: sizing, cleaning, delivery.’
important word to me.”
“More people are able to make it
Specialty market owner Noreen
work in a business sense.”
McGinnis Campbell of McGinnis Sis- Reprinted with permission by the
ters said her store would sponsor PASA’s author and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign, a Original article appeared in the March 8,
statewide effort to get local produce 2004 edition of the Post-Gazette.
“In-The-Works”
n Western Regional Meetings: With the help of PASA volunteers,
we have begun to plan for the first PASA sectional meeting in the west-
ern region. The north section (everybody living north of PA Rt. 422) will
have its first meeting on Saturday, July 10 at 5:00 p.m. We will be look-
ing into meeting sites and will let everyone know the committee’s deci-
sion. PASA members in the north section of the western region, get that
date on your calendar!
News about the sectional meeting for the south section (everybody
living south of PA Rt. 422) will be coming shortly.
n Buy Fresh Buy Local: The logo for the PASA’s Western Region Buy
Fresh Buy Local campaign is in its final draft. Thanks to all of you who
provided input on the first draft of the label. If you are interested in
using the label as part of your farm’s, business’s, or farmers’ market’s
advertising, please contact David Eson at (412) 997-2343.
n Farm to Chef: In early March we held our second annual Farm-to-
Chef meeting at Lidia’s Pittsburgh.The meeting was a success with over
100 people in attendance. There were over 40 farms and 20 restaurants
represented. If your business would like to start using or expand your
current use of local farm products, please contact David Eson at (412)
997-2343.
6
Regional Marketing
NORTHCENTRAL/EASTERN
REGION
Northcentral/
Eastern Region Potluck
By Leah Tewksbury
PASA members and friends from the
Northcentral/Eastern tiers gathered
together in March for a delightful
evening of potluck, fellowship, and
learning. This was the third potluck for
the region, as nearly 80 people attended
the evening hosted at Jeremiah’s in
downtown Williamsport. Being all
about food, PASA members and friends
brought so many delectable choices that
we had to add a couple of tables to the
buffet line!
Brian Snyder was our special guest for
the evening, presenting to the audience
his educational slide show on Cuban
agriculture. The show enlightened many
attendees to the possibilities of urban ag
endeavors, by highlighting how urban
dwellers have returned farming plots to
the city of Havana. This “new” system
promotes a healthy ag model by creating
abundant local, sustainable food-grow-
ing operations.
Everyone enjoyed a wonderful
evening of networking, interesting con-
versation and adventure-telling, and
divine food. With such turnout, our
potluck is slated to be an annual event.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
n Clip articles in your local
newspaper that feature PASA or
sustainable ag. Send them to
Michele Gauger at PASA.
n Volunteer to work at the
PASA booth at AgProgress Days,
August 17–19 in State College.
Contact Michele Gauger at PASA.
n Be a Field Day reporter
and receive a free field day registra-
tion in return for writing a full
report on the field day you attend.
Limit one reporter per event, one
event per reporter. Offer does not
apply to special events or inten-
sive-learning programs. Contact
Heather House at PASA.
SOUTHEAST REGION sumers who don’t usually think twice
about the food they purchase.
n Chester County Farmers’ Market
Southeastern Happenings Alliance. Claire Murray has been sacri-
By Brian Moyer ficing some valuable farming time to
n New Listserv for Southeast mem- help create a Farmers’ Market Alliance in
bers. Keep up on all the lastest progress Chester County to unite producer-only
and news in the Southeast region. To Farmers’ Markets in Chester County for
join the list send a blank message to: their common benefit.
PASAsoutheastsubscribe@yahoogroups.
com. Southeast Region Potluck
By Phyllis Rubin
n PASA potluck. Thanks to Emily & PASA’s Southeast Region held a
George McNulty for hosting our second potluck dinner meeting on March 30,
annual Berks County PASA Potluck on hosted by Chester county volunteer
April 27. This year we are encouraging Mary G. Whittam. Pre-dinner social
members to bring a friend as a way of time was enjoyed in the Whittam’s com-
growing our membership. fortable home while the dinner and
n PASA surveys. We recently fin-
meeting were held next door in the old
Copeland Schoolhouse, a township
ished a survey for the Southeast region
landmark near West Chester.
farmers. We received about 125 surveys
Executive director Brian Snyder,
out of the 200 that were sent. Thanks to
arrived with ample time to peel apples
all for taking the time to fill them out.
for the apple crisp dessert. Later, 13
We are currently entering the data and
PASA members arrived; a few with their
will let you what we find. We hope to
entire family. Farmers ranged from new
use this information to better surve the
farms beginning their second season to
farmers who surve the region. A very
multi-generational operations. Products
special thank you to Claire Murray for
included vegetables, poultry, eggs, spe-
handling the survey returns.
cialty fruits, and goat cheese, sold via on-
n “Food For Thought.” Brian farm markets, remote farmer markets,
Moyer has been giving his SARE grant CSAs, and restaurants. Also present were
presentation intitled “Food For members who are marketers and sup-
Thought” to many organizations in portive eaters, all from Chester, Berks,
Chester, Montgomery and Lehigh Lancaster and Montgomery counties,
Counties. The presentation is a discus- enjoying the wide variety of dishes punc-
sion about our conventional food sys- tuated with a delicate Chester County
tem, what the alternatives are and the wine. After sharing the good food, Brian
benefits to a community that has a local updated the group about recent state
food system. The presentation is intend- and regional developments, which
ed to be an outreach to everyday con- sparked lively discussions.
The Board and Staff Wish
to Thank These Recent Volunteers
Bob Ambrose Ron Gargasz Tom Streble
Kathy Bell Mike Koch Martin Thomas
Georgia Berner Suzy Meyer Nancy Thompson
Noreen Campbell Virginia Phillips Karin Welzel
Eileen Clark Craig Richards William Wise
Jack Duff Paul Sarver Eric Van
Bill Fuller Ian Smith Rebecca Vines
7
Consumer News
Sugar, Sugar
By Michele Gauger
Low carb, no carb — these are the
slogans heard more and more these days
as the newest diet frenzy. As America’s
struggle with obesity continues, the food
industry during the past 20 years has
increased size and number of processed
food products. During that timeframe
over 2,800 new candies,
desserts and snacks have
entered the market, as com-
Today Americans consume
pared to just 230 fruits and
vegetables. nearly 3 times more corn
One of the most notorious
carbohydrates is sugar. Back in the form of corn sweet-
in 1966 sucrose (table sugar)
was the number one sweeten- eners than they do in every
er, derived from a costly refin-
ing process from sugar cane
and sugar beets. Then as busi-
other form.
nesses generally do, there was interest in
finding a cheaper alternative to table
sugar. During the 1970’s, sugar derived
from corn — high fructose corn syrup
(HFCS), fructose, dextrose, dextrine and
corn syrup all gained popularity as a
low-cost alternative.
At about a 20% difference in cost
compared to table sugar, food manufac-
turers love HFCS, not only for cost but
increased shelf life and transportation
ease. The difference in price is correlated
in part to federal corn subsidies and
trade policies that entice U.S. farmers to
grow more corn. In a recent broadcast by
ABCnews (Obesity in America: How to
Get Fat Without Really Trying www.abc-
news.com) Marion Nestle, a professor of
nutrition, food studies and public health
at New York University says, “We have
government subsidies that promote
overeating from the beginning to the
end of the food chain.”
Corn subsidies enhance overproduc-
tion, driving prices lower, while encour-
aging farmers to grow more for the same
price. Farmers plant nearly 80 million
acres of corn each year and in the last 5
years, they got an average of $5.5 billion
in federal subsidies. Author Michael Pol-
lan in a 10/31/2002 article in the Chris-
tian Science Monitor accused the corn
industry of wreaking havoc on every-
journalist Greg Critser, author of Fat
Land: How Americans Became the Fattest
People in the World, says, “HFCS is the
commercially preferred taxpayer sup-
ported sugar of choice.”
thing from public health to foreign poli- As Pollan puts it, “ We are subsidizing
cy. Pollan says, “The U.S. possibly with- obesity. We are subsidizing food safety
out realizing it, is a nation saturated in problems associated with feedlot beef
corn.” [10 million bushels of corn feed live-
Who benefits from this seemingly stock annually] — it’s an irrational sys-
endless, cheap supply of corn? Food tem. The people who worry about
processors and agricultural corporations public health don’t have control over
such as Cargill and Archer Daniels Mid- subsidies. The USDA isn’t thinking
about public health, they are
concerned with getting rid of
corn.”
Nutritionists and other sci-
entists have begun to target
HFCS as a factor in increased
obesity and health related ill-
nesses. Its increased use in many
products accounts for $4.5 bil-
lion in annual sales. HFCS is
showing up in everything from
breads to soft drinks, even so-
land. The corporations get access to corn called “health products” like protein bars
surpluses that create lucrative export and “natural” sodas.
opportunities. Some farmers do gain, It is the chemical composition of
but most corn subsidies end up in the HFCS that is generating concern. The
pockets of agribusinesses. Double Danger of High Fructose Corn
U.S. corn exports have increased, Syrup, by Bill Sanda of the Westin A.
especially to Mexico thanks to the North Price Foundation www.westonaprice.org
American Free Trade Agreement Continued next page
(NAFTA), by three times
since the 1990’s. In 2000,
government payments for Junk Food Out of Schools
corn subsidies were $10 bil- Organic Bytes #30 3/29/2004
lion, which is ten times With the Bush Administration’s reduced
greater than the total Mexi-
funding for education, many school districts
can agricultural budget. Even
have been forced to seek other sources of
after exports, tons of surplus
corn remain that is turned income, including widespread installation of
into everything from junk-food vending machines. School districts
biodegradable plastic, vita- can make up to $100,000 per year under these
min C, ethanol, livestock contracts, but as a result of increased access to
feed and of course — sweet-
unhealthy foods, the childhood obesity and dia-
ener.
betes epidemics are on the increase. In response,
Today Americans con-
sume nearly 3 times more two dozen states are now considering banning
corn in the form of corn junk food vending machines in schools. The
sweeteners than they do in National Soft Drink Association is contesting this
every other form. This trans- ban, claiming that high levels of junk food con-
lates into 62.6 pounds of
sumption are okay, and placing the blame on
HFCS. This cheap ingredient
schools for not teaching the kids to exercise
allows larger portions for low
costs, which is why fast-food more. www.organicconsumers.org/school/obesi-
chains can offer “super-size” ty031904.cfm
meals for pennies. Health
8
Consumer News
Seasonal Recipe Seasonal Fruits
& Vegetables Available Now
EASY ELEGANT ASPARAGUS
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home Asparagus ......................................................................April to June
Tomatoes — greenhouse...................April to July, Oct. to Dec.
1 pound asparagus
Lettuce ..............................................................................May to Oct.
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 1⁄2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts Peas...................................................................................May to June

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar Rhubarb .......................................................................May and June

Spinach.................................................May and June, Aug. to Nov
Wash asparagus; break off and discard tough ends.
Steam or cook in small amount of boiling water 3-6 Cauliflower..............................................June to July/Sept to Nov.
minutes, until bright green and just tender. Meanwhile, Celery ................................................................................June to Feb.
toast nuts in dry skillet or hot oven several minutes, Greens, Collards, Kale, Mustard................................June to Oct.
tossing often. Mix melted butter and vinegar in small Squash-summer............................................................June to Oct.
bowl. When asparagus is ready, drain, drizzle butter
Tomatoes.........................................................................June to Oct.
sauce on top and sprinkle with nuts.
Makes 3–4 servings. Tomatoes — cherry .....................................................June to Oct.
Strawberries .................................................................................June
Recipe reprinted with permis- Raspberries/Blueberries .............................................June to July
sion from From Asparagus to
Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh
Seasonal Produce, from the
Madison Area Community
Supported Agriculture
Coalition, www.macsac.org

Continued from previous page
details it can be manipulated to contain
equal amounts of glucose and fructose or
up to 80 percent fructose and 20 percent
glucose. Greater fructose composition is
a red flag to many researchers who say
fructose is metabolized differently by the
body.
Fructose is also found in healthy
fruits, but the additional presence of
fiber slows metabolic breakdown. How-
ever fructose in HFCS, without the pres-
ence of fiber, heads straight to the liver.
Enzymes in the liver then send signals to
store it as fat. This direct process does
not trigger a sensation of being “full”,
increasing tendency to overeat.
Research has also indicated elevated
amounts of fructose in the form of
HFCS to interfere with mineral absorp-
tion of magnesium, copper and chromi-
um. Fructose consumption has also been
linked to increased triglyceride levels in
men and decreased chromium levels —
which is linked to Type 2 (adult onset)
diabetes.
However, other researchers and food
industry representatives call HFCS “just
another sweetener” and blame increased
obesity on lack of exercise, not only calo-
ries in foods. And obesity starts young,
which has prompted the food industry
to begin blaming schools (see: Junk Food
Out of Schools).
In a statement from the Corn Refin-
ers Association, Inc. (CRA) (www.corn.
org/web/). “We oppose any ban on
foods in schools or other public places.
Prohibiting food choices, even through
the sale of vending machines could have
an adverse effect on making such food
items more attractive. If children do not
face ‘real world’ choices in school, they
are less likely to make intelligent choices
outside of school and into adulthood.”
One must begin to see the intercon-
nectedness of food/farm subsidies and
impacts on public health. The relative
low cost of corn sweeteners enable the
food industry to create larger portion
sizes, which is not only feeding overeat-
ing but the pockets of large agribusiness.
Billions of dollars spent on corn subsi-
dies are not only robbing farmers and
other countries of fair prices for their
products but produce unhealthy, cheap
food. Cheap food can be costly in so
many ways, which is enough to leave a
sour taste in your mouth. n
Sources:
Sweet but Not So Innocent?
By Sally Squires
Washington Post
March 11, 2003
www.washingtonpost.com
The Double Danger of High Fructose
Corn Syrup
By Bill Sanda/The Westin A. Price
Foundation
www.westonaprice.org

9
Educational Outreach
PASA PREMIERES NEW CAMPAIGN
Pigs Really
Do Fly…
By Heather House
PASA’s Farm to College program
recently launched a campaign to encour-
age college dining service directors and
student groups to host an event featur-
ing locally grown food. Farm to College
(F2C) aims to increase the amount of
food purchased directly from farmers by
college dining services. Ideally, farmers
and dining services will form mutually
beneficial, long-term relationships.
However, there is a tremendous amount
of education that must take place before
local food initiatives become common-
place among colleges and universities. “Pigs Really Do Fly…and train,
Students and dining service directors are ship, and truck. In fact, most food
travels an average of 1500 miles
largely ignorant of the implications of from the farm to your table.”
Continued next page

ON-FARM RESEARCH: approximately one inch during the ini-

Weed Control in Small Grains tial cultivation, but were reset to be shal-
lower during the second and third
By Ron Hoover, Penn State On-Farm ers are designed to disturb the root zones passes. Oats were not emerged prior to
Research Coordinator of weed seedlings while they are in the the first cultivation, but were about 1.5
Options for controlling weeds in very delicate “white thread root” stage, and 4 inches tall during the later opera-
organic small grains are limited. Farmers which often results in seedling desicca- tions. Damage from the weeder to the
have relied on crop rotation, tillage tion and death. Twelve plots were drilled oats during the second cultivation was
before planting, and the ability of the into a conventionally tilled field on April minimal, but was much greater when
small grain to establish quickly and grow 16. Cultivations with the weeder were the oats were taller. Weed and crop den-
vigorously to create a competitive advan- conducted on April 19, 25, and 30. This sity and biomass will be measured twice
tage over weeds. Recent reports of favor- study will be presented and discussed prior to crop maturation, and oat grain
able results from growers who have during the June 3 PASA field day. yields will be measured from the com-
experimented with shallow broadcast The weeder tines penetrated the soil bine. n
cultivation with flexible tine weeders in
small grains has spurred the initiation of
Tim Bock cultivating with a flexible tine weeder.
a replicated experiment designed to
compare the frequency of weeder usage
on weed control in oats.
PASA members Tim and Anne Bock
(Wills Daal Farm, Kutztown, PA) are
conducting the experiment in consulta-
tion with PSU Extension’s On-Farm
Research and PASA’s Farm-Based Educa-
tion programs. The study is comparing
the weed control and oat grain yields
after single, double, or triple cultivations
with a flexible tine weeder. These weed-

10
Educational Outreach
Continued from previous page nature of modern food production and
our globalized food system. The first distribution, 2) introduce diners to the
objective for F2C is to make more con- idea of supporting local farmers, 3)
sumers aware of the economic and envi- begin the process of relationship build-
ronmental implications of long-distance ing between food service directors and
transportation of food before presenting farmers, 4) highlight the array of prod-
local purchasing as a solution. ucts from area local farmers, and 5)
Hosting a local food dinner is a great build support for a long-term farm-to- Stewart O. Deland says,“Get Vocal. Ask for Local.”
way to 1) educate diners about the college project. While organizing local
food dinners can be an extremely
Slippery Rock University (SRU) hosted the Good Food Lunch on March 25.The lunch, featured local- rewarding process for students and din-
ly produced dairy, hydroponic tomatoes and lettuce, and pastured pork and chicken, was the sixth
event of its kind on SRU campus. About 250 students, staff and faculty turned out for the lunch. ing service directors, it can also be a lot
of work. To save organizers time and
energy, F2C has made available online
ready-to-use advertising and informa-
tion tents to promote local food events.
The themed materials feature a funky
rooster, Stewart O. Deland, who encour-
ages students to “Get Vocal. Ask for
Local.” Students and dining service
directors can customize these table tents,
posters, and a cookbook for use at their
local food event, saving their valuable
time and energy for connecting with
local farmers. Check out the new mate-
rials on our website at www.pasafarm-
ing.org! n

11
Business Member Profile What is unique about your business?
I guess one is the size — we are by no
means the largest — and are still inde-
pendent. It is a challenge in that we’re
vulnerable because we don’t contract.
Some of the other hatcheries of our size
are filled with lots of local commitments.
We are at the beck and call of Canadian
hatcheries. But we generally try to say
yes to anything, and then we may have
to scramble to get it done! Then we may
have to contract with someone else to
hatch.
By Gayle Morrow Because of our heavy reliance on the
Like many businesses on PASA’s membership roster, Moyer’s Chicks is a Canadian connection we have a narrow
family-owned operation with its beginnings, and success, stemming from niche available to us, but we appreciate
someone’s desire to do things a little differently than everyone else (we call it the smaller markets, too. We can have
niche marketing today). 1.75 million eggs under incubation at a
time, and so rely heavily on the large
Leon Moyer explains that his father started the hatchery in 1946. He had
orders.
grown up in a farm family, was a conscientious objector during the war, and
Why did you join PASA?
had been doing what Leon terms “public service” in some impoverished areas I believe in what they stand for, and
of the world. He ultimately felt a calling to be involved in a church in the I’m excited about what they’re doing.
Quakertown area, and served there as a lay pastor for a Mennonite. It was John Ikerd (a PASA Farming for the
rural and quite “backwoods” then, says Leon, with most of the folks earning Future conference speaker) was a big
a living off the land. His father decided he wanted a small business and inspiration. He knew a lot about the lia-
thought a hatchery would serve the purpose. The other hatcheries around bilities of what large-scale farming
him were seasonal; he opted for a year-round operation and in the first year stands for. PASA members want to do
of business hatched 60,000 chicks. things in a healthy, regenerative way in
Year-round evidently was the ticket. By 1976 the business had been trying to make a living. They have an
expanded 15 times. Leon says that in the late 70s they were hatching 10 mil- integration of the ethical and the practi-
cal. I get inspired when we all get togeth-
lion chicks a year; in 2002 that number was 16 million.
er.
Today Moyer’s Chicks is owned and operated by Leon and his siblings.
How has your membership been a
They have 25 employees, and regular customers from as far away as Canada, benefit to your business?
Long Island, Rhode Island and Virginia. The majority of their market is for I certainly feel that through our pres-
broiler-type, but they do offer layer hens as a niche market. ence at the conference and our ads that
“We’ll sell only pullets that have been grown on the floor,” says Leon, it gets the word out we’re available to
explaining that they have natural immunities not found in caged birds. provide service and product. I feel that
The majority of their market the Lord has blessed us, and so we want
is Canadian. The poultry indus- to give of our time and intellectual
try there is tightly controlled and resources.
there is seldom the problem of What does the term “sustainable”
overproduction. Rather, growers mean to you, and how do you incorpo-
rate that into your business?
consciously slightly underpro-
Continued on page 15
duce, so when they need more
“they come to us.”
Moyer’s does its own ship-
ping in sophisticated, climate-
controlled trucks, but customers
can also receive their orders via
the mail, or come right to the
hatchery to pick up chicks. For
more information, call Moyer’s
Chicks at 215-536-3155 or 800-
669-3772.

12
 On the Passing of a Dear Friend
By Lauren Smith
This past March, as winter
stubbornly persisted in the mid
Atlantic region, Christine Bed-
dard, wife and partner of Tom
Beddard of Lady Moon Farms
in Chambersburg, was tragical-
ly killed on an icy highway
while going about her regular
afternoon business. Many
painfully miss her and I’d like
to pay tribute to this special
friend.
The steadfast support, com-
mitment and love the Beddards
have shown PASA, and sustain-
able & organic agriculture in
Pennsylvania and beyond, has
been significant. This passion has been
around since PASA’s inception, as Tom
& Chris were at the first ever meeting to
form PASA. Chris was in fact the first
Board Secretary, serving on the Execu-
tive Committee for several years. “It was
a privilege and great fun to have worked
with her. She brought tremendous
insight and a delightful wit to the Board.
It is hard to imagine a world without
her,” commented Tim Bowser, former
executive director of PASA.
Leslie Zuck, executive director of
Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO),
said “Chris participated in our first orga-
nizational meeting when we chose our
new name, wrote our mission statement,
drafted Articles of Incorporation and
appointed officers. Personally, it is a
touching memory for me because Chris
offered to grow all my vegetable
seedlings for me (free of charge) so I
could concentrate on getting PCO up
and running that spring. As if she didn’t
have enough to do. Super mom, super
wife, super businesswoman, super per-
son. I am thankful to have had even a
small part of Christine Beddard’s life
touch mine. We miss her.”
Tom & Chris continued to give gen-
erously to PASA in recent years — Lady
Moon Farms was the sole sponsor of our
first annual Harvest Celebration in
Williamsport last summer. All of you
who attended that dinner may recall the
Beddards were unable to attend that
Christine Beddard and husband Tom.
evening (due to farm commitments you
know), but they greatly facilitated all of
us attending! They have also given
tremendous support to the Farming for
the Future Conference, first as Gold Key
Sponsors, and recently Patron of Sus-
tainability Sponsors for the past two
years.
Tom Beddard said he and Chris built
their farming business starting with one
acre. “We were two city kids who loved
the country, drawn to the country
through the idealistics of the 1960s.
Chris was vivacious, vibrant, full of life
and full of love,” he said. “We’re devas-
tated. She was the heart and soul of the
whole deal. We’ll miss her forever.”
Christine Beddard was an energetic
business partner to Tom, as together
they grew a 22-acre farmette in the
Selinsgrove area into a major certified
organic vegetable operation, which has
reached new levels on the east coast and
is making an impact nationwide. Lady
Moon Farms now encompasses 900
acres in Pennsylvania and Florida com-
bined, and Tom is in the process of
adding an operation in Georgia — one
that Chris helped with the planning and
hiring for this past winter.
Tom said his wife was an amazing
human being. “After 19 years of mar-
riage, I stood in awe of her” he said. “I
learned how selfless someone can be,
how absolutely loving someone can be
toward other people and how someone
13
can be so nurturing.”
I had the pleasure of meet-
ing Tom & Chris at my career
previous to PASA, when I was
selling certified organic pro-
duce in Pittsburgh’s Strip Dis-
trict. Getting some of their
greatly sought after produce
into my inventory more than
made my day; getting to know
them as people was equally
rewarding. One quickly real-
ized that Tom & Chris were
more than soul mates and part-
ners building an organic
empire east of the Mississippi.
They were, in a word — one.
In recent years, when I phoned
the farm I would always allow an extra
10 minutes for the call. Because I knew
I would learn not only the latest Lady
Moon news, but also news of their life
together. And I ALWAYS got loads of
news about the kids, the youngest now
16 and the oldest in Iraq.
Tom & Chris cherished their “grow-
ing business” not only for the success,
pride and promise it brought them, but
mostly for the fact that it gave their fam-
ily an idyllic life together. When I spoke
with Tom after the 13th annual confer-
ence this past February, teasing him
about not being there, Tom replied “You
know Lauren, you need to schedule the
conference on a different weekend,
because it always overlaps with our kid’s
spring break. And what can I say — they
want to go to the beach.”
Friends and acquaintances say besides
her successful business, Chris Beddard’s
main focus was on her family, including
three children: Ellis, 21, who is serving in
Iraq with the U.S. Army Intelligence;
Carla, 20, a sophomore at American Uni-
versity and Anais, 16, living at home and
attending High School. Also part of the
family are daughter-in-law Marianna
and granddaughter Madeleine. Memorial
contributions may be sent to Planned Par-
enthood of Central Pa., Hanover Center
Square, Center Building, Hanover, Pa.
17331, or the Cumberland Valley Animal
Shelter Inc., 2325 Country Road, Cham-
bersburg, Pa. 17201.
Innovative opportunities for Pennsylvania farmers and
landowners: agroforestry, forest farming and American ginseng.
Continued from page 1
who import an estimated 95% of the lent opportunity to diversify income,
ginseng root from North America, forest maintain the integrity of forest ecosys-
per orchids, trilliums). Native medicinal
grown ginseng is most esteemed. tems, and increase appreciation for
plants traditionally collected for market
Though it is difficult for those unfamil- Pennsylvania’s wild resources.
perhaps represent some of the most
iar with the plant and its root to appre- If all of this sounds too good to be
attractive candidates for forest farming.
ciate, forest cultured ginseng is quite true, it must be said that there are many
The best example of these is American
different in appearance (and perhaps challenges to growing ginseng. An indi-
ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), a native
other qualities) from field-grown root. vidual plant may take ten or more years
plant with international appeal.
Thus, although ginseng may be grown to attain marketable size and quality in
Collection and cultivation of Ameri-
efficiently and successfully under field the forest understory and many difficul-
can ginseng from forestlands are activi-
conditions, there nevertheless is greater ties are certainly possible during such a
ties with a long and rich history in the
value and appreciation for ginseng root long period of time. One of the princi-
Commonwealth. Wild ginseng is col-
that originates from forestlands—-where ple difficulties is that ginseng does not
lected and/or reported from every coun-
fluctuating conditions produce a distinc- take well to crowded conditions; there
ty in the state and was almost certainly
tive, as opposed to a more uniform, are many fungal diseases that emerge
much more numerous three centuries
product. This difference in product under intensive production, requiring
ago, prior to the start of international
quality translates to a substantial pricing the frequent application of fungicides.
trade, than it is today. Agricultural bul-
disparity with field-grown root fetching Consequently, low intensity, so-called
letins from 100 years ago represent some
$15–25 per pound and forest grown wild-simulated arrangements are best, in
of the first efforts to encourage various
root garnering anywhere from $100-650 which natural conditions are mimicked
forms of ginseng planting and hus-
per pound in the wholesale marketplace. to the greatest extent possible. Other
bandry on private lands. This was done
The fondness for forest grown gin- challenges to ginseng culture, however,
both to alleviate pressure on wild plant
seng root by the East Asian consumer, include herbivory by deer, seed preda-
populations and to provide landowners
coupled with a growing market for such tion by turkey, and poaching by man.
with alternative sources of income. Over
root by Americans and others around Such challenges, however, continue to
the past century very little has changed,
the world, provides a unique opportuni- ensure that only a certain variety of
establishment and encouragement of
ty for small-scale production of ginseng farmer or landowner will become
ginseng on forestlands is still necessary
on forestlands. Many farmers have some involved in forest farming and ginseng.
to produce marketable quantities of root
woodland on which cultivation of gin- This, in turn, supports a strong future
and seed while simultaneously conserv-
seng might be feasible. Similarly, private market.
ing the resource. Similarly, ginseng con-
forestland owners also have good For further information about agro-
tinues to be an excellent alternative crop
prospects for success. The demand for forestry, forest farming, and ginseng, you
for landowners interested in diversifying
woods-grown ginseng actually favors less can visit the Penn State’s School of Forest
income and operations.
intensive production methods over Resource’s web page (www.sfr.cas.psu.edu/)
Today, most commercial ginseng root
intensive ones. Consequently, for many the USDA National Agroforestry Center
is produced intensively in fields under
Pennsylvania forest owners, American (www.unl.edu/nac) and the Pennsylvania
shade created by lath or shade-cloth.
ginseng husbandry represents an excel- Department of Conservation and Natural
However, among East Asian consumers,
Resources (DCNR) (www.dcnr.state.pa.us
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) /forestry/wildplant/ginseng.aspx).
On July 24, PASA will be co-sponsor-
ing a field-day at Pennsylvania Mountain
Ginseng (PMG), a privately owned and
operated forest farming operation located
in Cambria County. Participants of this
workshop will be introduced to American
ginseng biology, ecology and horticulture
through observation and discussion in
PMG’s forest classroom. Also covered will
be marketing, regulatory, and conservation
considerations. Our guest speaker will be
Eric Burkhart from the Penn State School
of Forest Resources. He will be joined by
David Thompson and Bud Bollinger of
PMG.

14

Business Member Profile: Moyers Chicks
Continued from page 12
To me, it is something that is continual-
ly renewable and can be kept alive because
of good, sound practices rather than being
exhausted because of poor stewardship. We
try to follow those practices and be con-
scious of being good stewards of our com-
munity and land and the resources we use
to make our product.
What do you see as some of the critical
issues facing ag and ag-related businesses
today?
I think it is critical to connect with the
consumer. We have seen, because of [verti-
cal] integration, a lot more decision-making
being made by fewer and fewer people. I am
appalled at the emphasis on consumption.
We have a moral obligation as producers
and marketers to help build strong families
and communities. I think a lot of what gets
sold is driven by the dollar.
What do you see as the connection
between sustainable agriculture and the
consumer?
The assumption has been that the con-
sumer doesn’t care, but some do. The new
generation of farmers seems to be more
involved with all aspects [of farming].
They’re paying attention to all these details
— like marketing. The word has to get out,
Superior Performance from Superior Products
You make the effort to feed your
animals organically. Shouldn’t you
be feeding them an organic product
that works for your farm too?
Increased egg production, healthier
animals, better balanced feeds.
We’ve got over 50 years of animal
nutrition experience. Compare our
CERTIFIED ORGANIC FEEDS
to the others. You’ll know what
you’ve been missing.
Compare quality & experience!
Manufactured by Kreamer Feed, Inc., Kreamer PA
CALL Toll Free 1-800-767-4537 for a Dealer near you or visit www.organicfeeds.com
DEALERS & DISTRIBUTORS WANTED!!!
that’s for sure. Each sustainable agriculture
family has to be doing their part. We need
to make consumers aware of superior nutri-
tion, that there are things you should be
critically aware of when you’re buying pro-
duce or meat. You hear producers talk
about how much people enjoy coming to
the farm — if you go to someone’s farm and
there is a real, live person out there doing
things, it makes the whole picture come
together. n
PASA WELCOMES OUR
NEWEST BUSINESS MEMBERS
CURA Hospitality, Inc. • Orefield, PA
Gryphon Café • Wayne, PA
JG Press, Inc. • Emmaus, PA
Paragon Monteverde •
Pittsburgh, PA
Pennsylvania Culinary Institute •
Pittsburgh, PA
Stone Soup Market •
State College, PA
Urban Nutrition Initiative •
Philadelphia, PA
Weavers Way Cooperative Assoc. •
Philadelphia, PA
Is your feed missing something?
Quality: Consistent feed mixes using
quality proven ingredients.
Service: Custom blends, prompt bag or
bulk delivery.
Expertise: We are organic farmers with
experience in dairy, beef, lamb, goat, hog
and poultry production; marketing and
processing.
Products: Full line of feeds. From broilers
to horses, game birds to calves. Complete
feeds or concentrates.
Corn, Soybean Meal, Oats, Barley, Hay and
Compost, Started Pullets available!
15
Carolyn Knapp and Doyle Freeman
To Become Rural Leaders
Carolyn Knapp of Ulster, PA and Doyle Free-
man of Cherry Tree, PA are two of 27 Com-
monwealth participants who are striving to
enhance their leadership skills and improve
their communities through enrollment in the
Pennsylvania Rural Leadership (RULE) Pro-
gram. RULE is dedicated to developing com-
munity leaders who have the skills and
resources to meet the challenges of the
changing rural communities of Pennsylvania.
Participants admitted to the two-year leader-
ship development course attend ten study
institutes. Graduation is planned for May
2005 in State College, PA.
USDA-ARS Looking for
National Garlic Survey Participants
Gayle Volk at the USDA-ARS is looking for
participants for a national garlic survey. "We
are conducting a survey to determine which
characteristics of garlic types tend to be con-
sistent at various locations throughout the
U.S. If you grow garlic, you are urged to join in
this study. The packet is available for the ask-
ing by e-mailing Dr. Volk at the address
below: Gayle Volk, Plant Physiologist USDA-
ARS National Center for Genetic Resources
Preservation
1111 S. Mason St.
Ft. Collins, CO 80521
gvolk@lamar.colostate.edu
Junior PASA Page
By Sally Roe
Spring has arrived and as you spend more time out-
doors, you might enjoy exploring your yard and neighbor-
hood for signs of new life returning. Take a walk with your
parents and look for your returning neighbors. You might
want to make a list of places (ecologists and naturalists
call these “habitats”) and the creatures you find living
there. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Around ponds and marshy areas — Look for “tunnels”
in the grass around the pond. We have found quite a
few of these around our own pond. After talking with my
father and using my Audubon Field Guide, I found out that
the makers of these trails are probably field mice — more
correctly known as:
M V
————— ————.
2. Also around ponds, listen for “peepers”, properly
called S — — — — — Peepers. These little
fellows are hard to find but they’re wonderful to listen to
as they peep their high-pitched song through the spring
evenings. Soon, if you’re near a wet area with trees and
brush nearby, you should be able to hear them.
3. As you walk about the pond, look in the water along
the edges. Soon, if you look carefully, you should be
able to see something unusual at the bottom. Smooth,
dish-shaped depressions, which may have a fish swimming
nearby look, like nests and in a sense that is what they
are. As fish get ready to lay their eggs, they sweep an area
clean to receive the eggs. In our pond, we often see “sun-
nies” doing this. The correct names for the two kinds in our
pond are P— — — — — — — — — — and
B— — — — — — — .
4. Looking out my kitchen window, at the flower border
with some birdseed left on the ground, I saw some
common feathered friends cleaning up — one plump tan
and cream colored bird sings a soft low “coo-ing” song.
She is known as a M — — — — — — —
D— — — —. The aggressive blue and white bird with
a crest on its head is a B — — — — J — — —.
Nearby a small sparrow sized bird, grey and white, is a
J— — — —. In the middle of our lawn, are my
favorites, R— — — —. Their grey backs and brick-
red tummies make them easy to recognize.
16
5. You may also be able to find some birds nests.
R — — — — — (see above) build their nests
in trees, of mud, twigs, and grass. The blue-green eggshells
are sometimes found on the ground beneath the nest.
We often find M — — — —— — — —
D — — — — (see above) nests on deep among the
branches of the evergreen trees on our lawn. The nest is
made of sticks and twigs and the eggs are white. In our
barn, another bird likes to make its nest on a ledge. She
has forked tail, is blue above and creamy tan below, and
makes a lot of noise when you come near her nest, which is
made of mud, grass and feathers. She lays white eggs with
brown spots and is known as the B — — —
S— — — — — — .
6. In the spring, snakes awake from their winter
hibernation. One of the most common around here
is a slender, small snake with brown, yellow, and greenish
stripes running along the length of him. He eats worms,
frogs and other small creatures. We know him as a
G — — — — — S — — — —.
W — — — — — S — — — — — live near
our pond. Sometimes we see these dark brown and grey
mottled snakes lying near the pond — looking for lunch. He
enjoys small fish, frogs, and other small creatures. On cool,
sunny days in the spring, you may find him baking on some
nice warm rocks.
7. Speaking of rocks, if you turn one over you may find
very small creatures living there. Ants, and other
insects make their home there. Be sure not to disturb
these animals and all the others you discover. They are
more likely to remain and provide lots more opportunities
for observation if you leave them alone!
An enjoyable spring project might be to create a note-
book with lists and drawings of each of the animals you
discover. Perhaps you could list your discoveries by type —
a page for birds and another for fish and another for
insects and so on. If you are a good artist, you might enjoy
drawing the creature too!
In the next issue, I’ll tell you the names of the animals
above. Here are the names of the birds from the last
Junior PASA Page (Passages #45): 1. Osprey 2. Peregrine
Falcon 3. Least Bittern.
Happy Spring and if you’d like, write and let me know
about any of the interesting animals you find in your own
backyard!
Write: Sally Roe, c/o PASA 114 W. Main Street, PO Box
419, Millheim, PA 16854
 Board of Directors
Announce Annual Fund Goal
By Chris Fullerton, Treasurer
Over the past several years, PASA’s
annual fundraising appeal to members
has raised thousands of dollars in
much-needed revenue — an average
of about $20,000 per year. This year,
PASA’s board of directors established a
three-year plan for fundraising that
draws a link between unrestricted
monies raised and core expenses
involved with keeping the doors open
at PASA. The goal of the three-year
plan will be to provide necessary
resources to operate through 2006
and create a contingency fund for the
lean times that will occasionally come
to any organization.
The goal for the first year (2004),
has been set at $100,000 and will
include proceeds from all direct mail
and personal solicitations, the silent
auction and other fundraising activi-
ties occurring at our conference and
other special events. An ambitious and
Certified by PCO
$100,000
necessary goal as PASA continues to $90,000
grow, while seeking financial inde-
pendence and revenue diversity. As
everyone in agriculture knows, greater
$80,000
independence allows for more respon-
sible stewardship, while greater diver- $70,000
sity leads to more stability and
resilience.
To reach our goal, we will need the
➡
$62,000
$60,000
$50,000
generous support of all our members.
The good news is we are more than
half way there based on generous
$40,000
donations from Rodale, Inc. and the $30,000
Rodale family, totaling $50,000. Thanks
also to those who have already
responded to our direct mail appeal, $25,000
$20,000
we have raised over $62,000.
To track our progress toward the
$15,000
$100,000 goal for this year, we are $10,000
using the pole bean graph shown
here. We will show this graph in each $5,000
issue of Passages to show you how we
$1,000
are doing and serve as a reminder of
the need for your ongoing assistance.
Graphic courtesy of Phyllis Kipp.
In for the Long Haul…
Continued from page 4
about thinking long term in making decisions.
And believe me, the politicians, state bureaucrats and university
administrators are beginning to listen more carefully to us now
because we are growing, we are diversifying our resources and pro-
grams, and they figure we are here to stay — it’s an accountability
thing. When as an organization, we live from one grant to the next
or depend too much on “outside” funding, it hurts out credibility
on the issues most important to us right here in Pennsylvania.
So, you will be noticing in the coming months and years that
PASA will be asking for money more often, sometimes charging
fees that will make our popular Farm-Based education field days
more viable, and looking for ways to improve the economics of our
largest program activity, the annual conference. Every one of our
programs will be run with the parallel goals of 1) building our
strength as an organization, 2) increasing our influence over deci-
sion making statewide and 3) improving services to our members.
Most importantly, in doing this it is not our intention to leave
any of our members behind or create financial difficulty for anyone
who wants to participate. As in the past, we will do everything pos-
sible to make sure price is not a barrier for any of our members —
just let us know.
Of this you can be certain…with your help, we will ensure that
PASA is in for the long haul, bringing an earnest, informative and
rational voice to the table in determining the food and farming sys-
tems of the future. n
17
 Growing
Organic Seed
for the Future
• Corn, Soybeans, Alfalfa,
Red Clover & Sorghum
• Independent GMO Testing
• Convenient Ordering and Delivery

207 18th St. N

Grand Junction, IA 50107
www.ncorganics.com
for ordering info call: 1-800-370-7979

POULTRY MAN
Eli M. Reiff 570-966-0769
922 Conley Road • Mifflinburg, PA 17844

Scalder — (above center) 42 gallon rotary, gas fired with auto con-
trol temp timer. 60,000 BTU, all stainless steel.
3
Mechanical Plucker (above right) — ⁄4 HP motor, motor totally
enclosed. 10:1 Gear reduction, 27” diameter, stainless steel with
shower.

ALSO AVAILABLE
Manual Scalder — Hand dunk birds. 42 gallon, 45,000 btu.

18
 Hosting A Farm Tour — my experience
By Phylleri Ball, PASA Member
Holding a Farm Tour is a wonderful
way to advertise your farm and products,
whether you are selling livestock and
wool or flowers and produce. Besides the
publicity, the educational outreach of a
tour can inspire awareness of the con-
nection between farm products and the
consumer. Does your warm wooly
sweater come from a lamb that lives
down the road? Did you know that a
Mohair sweater came from the fleece of
a goat and an Angora sweater came from
rabbit’s wool? Learning the origins of
their clothing and food can give con-
sumers greater awareness when deciding
to make a purchase. Perhaps their next
sweater will come from local yarn raised
on a sustainable farm.
It was a cool, damp day, but the rain
held off during Steam Valley’s Annual
Spring Tour held back in April, at the
farm north of Trout Run, Pennsylvania.
Visitors came to view Jacob lambs, Col-
ored Angora and Nubian goat kids.
What fun to watch a child’s face light up
when they petted a spotted lamb or a
wooly goat kid. “It’s so soft!” they would
exclaim. Laughter would erupt when my
eleven-year-old son would crouch on all
fours so his pet Angora goat kid would
jump on his back to go for a ride. Shar-
ing our love for just watching these crit-
ters play was one motivator for holding
our spring farm tour.
Educating others about our unusual
fiber producing livestock was another. As
a group of visitors toured the goat barn
or observed the sheep pen, history and
characteristics of the breed were
explained. Both the curious observers
and experienced fiber folk attended. A
group of spinners from Bradford Coun-
ty came with notepads, pencils and loads
Phylleri's son, Star Pais, shows off one of the
newborn lambs.
people to sign the registry and filling
their bowl with hot stew. The food was
enjoyed by all and gave visitors time to
share with each other.
If your farm needs a little sprucing up
around the edges, hosting a Farm Tour
can motivate you to sweep the cobwebs
out of the rafters. My youngest son even
washed the barn windows! Signs for
parking and registration were posted,
but they were ignored when it got busy.
My neighbors knew the tour was sched-
uled, so they were accommodating with
the traffic and roadside parking.
We also had demonstrations to show
the uses for wool from the sheep and
Mohair from the goats. PASA member,
Sue Ripley of Wellsboro, shared her
knowledge of felt making. Her beautiful
felted items and puppets were on display
as well as her work in progress. Sue, an
excellent teacher, kept visitors enchanted
with watching her hands while she made
wool felt and explained the process. Sue
raises Shetland sheep and teaches the
fiber arts through the Artist in Residence
Program.
Dianna Smith of Lawerenceville,
kept her spinning wheel whirling while
visitors exclaimed over her exquisitely
handspun, hand crocheted shawls and
hats. Dianna makes one of a kind items
using her handspun yarn. Some of her
yarn is spun from two Angora goats,
which she purchased from us. These
supporting artists made the day a very
educational event for people unfamiliar
with the Fiber Arts.
Considering the variety of people
that attended the Farm Tour on a less
than perfect spring weather day, the
Tour was a success. Visitors certainly
went home with something new to talk
about.
“Did you see the horns on that sheep,
or was it a goat? There were four of
them!”
“Your goats look like sheep and your
sheep look like goats.”
“Why do they have spots on them?
They look like a cow.”
“What do you do with all that wool
and Mohair?”
If you would like an answer to that
last question, we have summer work-
shops where we will gladly teach you (see
calendar). For more information visit
www.steamvalleyfiber.com.
Editor’s Note: Shepherdess, Phylleri
Ball will be discussing sustainable hus-
bandry for small ruminants at a PASA
Field Day scheduled for August 25th.

26110 Nanticoke Rd, Salisbury, MD 21801

of questions. I love to talk about my live-
stock, so their inquiries could keep me
chatting all day. If they gleaned a little Ph/Fx: 410-546-8480 • Cell: 410-430-8100
husbandry information that helps them Connie & Pat Dolbey
with their stock, then it was a day well • Growers of quality vegetable & herb transplants for market gardeners
& large scale growers.
spent by all.
• Ability to custom-grow your variety choice for your planting date.
Ideally suited to start-up CSAs.
Snacks were available to warm folks
• Certified organic by MD Dept. of AG.
up on this chilly day. Neighbors brought
over a bowl of freshly baked cookies. My “Flying Mother Nature’s Silver Seed To A New Home In The Sun.” Neil Young, after the goldrush
sister Wendy was the hostess, guiding

19
Calendar
ducers:Bucky Ziegler: organic production, more information, becoming an exhibitor
June feed and nutrition; Eli Reiff: producer and or to register, visit www.panla.org or con-
marketer, broilers, egg layers and ducks; tact Scott Martin at srmartin@epix.net.
JUNE 5 & JULY 30 | Beginning Spinning
John Hopkins: grass fed meat producer,
Wheel Workshop, Steam Valley Fiber Farm,
Trout Run, PA. For more information con-
tact Phylleri Ball at 570-998-8197.
processor and marketer; Phil Glatfelter:
broiler and heritage turkey producer;
July
Brian Moyer: producer, marketer and APPA JULY 7 | PASA Field Day: Appropriate
board member. Contact John Hopkins at equipment for small vegetable opera-
JUNE 6 & JULY 31 | Dyeing Wool Work-
570-683-5820. tions, New Morning Farm, in Huntington
shop, Steam Valley Fiber Farm, Trout Run,
Co. Contact PASA at 814-349-9856 or
PA. For more information contact Phylleri
JUNE 26–JULY 3 | Natural Building Collo- www.pasafarming.org for more informa-
Ball at 570-998-8197.
quium — East. For: Designers, owner- tion.
builders, architects,…permaculturalists,
JUNE 8-10 | Farm Days, Lancaster, PA. Held
educators & everyone interested in creat- JULY 24 | PASA Field Day: Ginseng pro-
by Lancaster County Extension office and
ing natural buildings & sustainable living duction with Eric Burkhart, Pennsylvania
Master Gardeners.
practices.” Workshops on Natural Build- Mountain Ginseng, (Cambria Co.). Contact
ing: Architecture & Design; Permaculture: PASA at 814-349-9856 or www.pasafarm-
JUNE 9 | PASA Field Day: Patchwork Farm,
Natural Building as a Movement; Appro- ing.org for more information.
Aaronsburg, PA (Centre Co.). Compare,
contrast organic vs. nonorganic methods priate Technology Expo. Hosted by Peace-
Weaver’s Thunder Mountain, Bath, NY. JULY 30–AUG 1 | 3-Day Workshop — Dye-
in greenhouses. Contact PASA at 814-349-
Registration Forms & info. Visit: www.gaia- ing Wool & Yarn and Advanced Spinning.
9856 or www.pasafarming.org for more
tecture.com or www.peaceweavers.com. Steam Valley Fiber Farm, Trout Run, PA.
information.
Weekend workshops on the farm include
JUNE 26 | Lancaster County Farm Tour & fiber arts classes, organic meals & partici-
JUNE 13 | Buy Local Season Kick off Cele-
Berry Picking 9:00 am–4:00 pm. Meet at pation in Steam Valley's farm life. For more
bration at Yards Brewery (in the Kensing-
the White Dog Café for coffee and pastries information contact Phylleri Ball at 570-
ton neighborhood in Philly), 1:00–5:00
and board the bus for Lancaster County, 998-8197.
pm. Join Fair Food and Farm to City for a
day of locally grown food, live bluegrass PA. $35 includes coffee,& pastries, box
music, a brewery tour, a raffle, and deli- lunch, transportation by school bus & tax.
cious Yards Brewery beer. $10 adults/$5
kids includes food, drinks, tax and enter-
Space limited. Call for Reservations (215)
386-5211 or email ann@whitedog.com.
September
SEPT 24–25 | Passive Solar Greenhouse
tainment; Please RSVP (215) 386-5211 or
JUNE 29 | PASA Field Day: Harvest Valley Workshop: design, construction and year
bridget@whitedog.com.
Farms, Butler Co. Learn post harvest han- round production, Spring Grove, PA.Work-
dling methods for CSAs, farm markets, shop will be taught by Steve Moore, with
JUNE 18 | PASA Field Day: Hidden Springs
restaurants and grocers. Contact PASA at 20+ years of farming and greenhouse
Farm, (Bedford Co.). Elk farming with Clair
814-349-9856 or www.pasafarming.org experience. Space is limited to 25, organic
Rhoads. Contact PASA at 814-349-9856 or
for more information. lunches, breaks and free dormitory style
www.pasafarming.org for more informa-
housing available at Sonnewald Natural
tion.
JUNE 30–AUG 1 | Pennsylvania Natural Foods. Contact Steve & Carol Moore for
Living Association Conference at Albright details, 717-225-2489 or e-mail sandc-
JUNE 21–23 | 34th Annual BioCycle
College in Reading, PA. For a brochure, moore@juno.com.
National Conference. Composting, organ-
ics recycling & renewable energy: tapping
the profits and potential, Philadelphia, PA. Penn State, PDA Offering Help to Agriculture Innovators
Register now at 610-967-4135 or visit
Help is on the way for innovative Pennsylvania agricultural producers looking
www.biocycle.net
beyond the gates of their farms for increased revenue from “value-added” prod-
ucts and community-based local sales and marketing. The Keystone Agricul-
JUNE 22 | Pasture Poultry Workshop, 6-8
tural Innovation Center (KAIC) — a joint program offered by Penn State’s
pm Forks Farm in Orangeville, Columbia
College of Agricultural Sciences and the Pennsylvania Department of Agricul-
Co. Sponsored by Project Grass with sup-
ture (PDA) and funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of
port of PASA and APPPA. For beginning to
Agriculture — is open for business. Pennsylvania was one of just 10 states
experienced poultry graziers to discuss
selected by the federal agency for the initiative, which was announced in
hooding, pasturing, processing and mar-
November and is part of the 2002 Farm Bill. Satellite offices will be opened in
keting, breeds and types of poultry (broil-
Blair, Cumberland and Lebanon counties. Editor’s Note: PASA Executive Direc-
ers, egg layers, turkeys, ducks, and geese)
tor, Brian Snyder serves on the KAIC Board.
— featuring an experienced panel of pro-

20
Editor’s Corner
The Grapevine
by Michele Gauger
New SARE Publications Available
n Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide
to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and
Rural Businesses. This 280-page wire-bound
workbook is available for only $14. Preview
online at www.sare.org/publications.
n Opportunities in Agriculture: Transition-
ing to Organic Production. This free 32-page
color bulletin is available at www.sare
.org/bulletin/organic. It is available at no
cost to agricultural educators.
n The Organic Crops Workbook and
Organic Livestock Workbook tells how to
develop a system compliant with the
National Organic Standard, including guide-
lines for selecting the most sustainable
operations. Call 1-800-346-9140 or visit
www.attra.ncat.org to order these and other
ATTRA resources.
n New SARE notecards include a series of
full-color cards available to support the sus-
tainable marketplace. Each notecard fea-
tures beautiful agricultural photography
and an inspirational message that encour-
ages consumers to support farmers markets,
organic farms and other sustainable prac-
tices. Will you help us distribute them? SARE
will provide free notecards to you organiza-
tion to sell or give away. Each card will have
room on the back for a logo. To learn more
and view a prototype, go to www.sare.
org/redesign/coreinfo/notecard.htm or con-
tact Valerie Berton at sare_comm@sare.org
or 301-504-5230.
President Bush’s ’05 Budget Cuts
Bush’s fiscal year 2005 budget was
released on February 2 and is set to reduce
funding for sustainable agriculture pro-
grams. Cuts cover various programs includ-
ing USDA’s SARE Program from $12.3 to $9.2
million, Organic Transition Research, Educa-
tion & Extension Program from $1.9 to $ 0.5
million, ATTRA from $2.5 million to $0,
among others. The National Campaign for
Sustainable Agriculture and the Sustainable
Agriculture Coalition announced on March 1
that restoring funding to these key pro-
grams would be among their top priorities.
For further details and information about
these important sustainable agriculture pro-
grams, please call 608-238-1440 or e-mail
Margaret Krome at mkrome@inxpress.net.
New & Updated
Publications from ATTRA
ATTRA and the National Sustainable
Agriculture Information Service of the
National Center for Appropriate Technology
(NCAT) are pleased to announce the addi-
tion of the following new and updated pub-
lications.
n IP244 Converting Cropland to Peren-
nial Grassland
n CT171 Edible Soybeans. IP039 Princi-
ples of Sustainable Weed Management for
Croplands
n IP228 Organic Livestock Systems
Workbook
NCAT has more than 230
ATTRA publications on sus-
tainable and organic agri-
culture available free to
American farmers and
ranchers and those who
serve them. To order publi-
cations or request free
research services, call toll-
free, 800-346-9140 (Eng-
lish) or 800-411-3222
(Spanish), or go to the
National Sustainable Agri-
culture Information Ser-
vice Web site,
www.attra.ncat.org
21
Fish Facts
Organic Bytes #30 3/29/2004
www.organicconsumers.org
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has released new safety guidelines for fish
consumption, due to ever-increasing levels
of mercury contamination. Fish containing
the highest levels of mercury are: shark,
swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. The
guidelines suggest eating up to two meals a
week (totaling 12 ounces) of fish that are low
in mercury such as shrimp, canned light
tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish.
Organic Concept for Food Services
Acres U.S.A January 2004
By and large, the U.S. food service indus-
try depends on the same generic food
used by most chain restaurants, making it
virgin territory for a clever organic market-
ing effort. Which is more or less what food
service giant Sodexho USA and its new part-
ner, United Natural Foods of Dayville, Con-
necticut, intend to accomplish. UNFI will
supply natural and organic products to the
6,000 institutional food service facilities —
including colleges, corporate and hospital
cafeterias — operated by Sodexho, an inter-
national concern with U.S. headquarters in
Gaithersburg, Maryland.
In keeping with the American tradition
that anything can be industrialized, Sodexho
and UNFI plan to roll out a new concept with
a name that refers to Buddhist meditation
practice. Developed by Wild Sage Foods of
Mill Valley, California, the format is called Her-
b’n Farm — Om Style Cooking. The term pays
homage to the union of body, mind and spir-
it. The menu will include made-to-order sal-
ads, wraps, soups, pasta and pizzas, all made
from scratch. About 85 percent of the food
will be organic, the other 15 percent a sacri-
fice to keeping prices down for the college
market.
Organic Vegetable
Production Is Explored
in New Workshop Proceedings
The Natural Resource, Agriculture and
Engineering Service is offering Organic Veg-
etable Production, NRAES-165, the proceed-
ings of a three-day series of meetings held in
January 2003. This report covers twenty pre-
sentations by both university and farmer
speakers, all experts in their fields. Papers are
divided into three sections by topic — soil
and nutrient management; weed manage-
ment; and insect and disease management.
This 162-page book is available by contact-
ing NRAES, Cooperative Extension, PO Box
4557, Ithaca, NY 14852-4557; (607) 255-7654;
e-mail NRAES@cornell.edu; www.nraes.org.
Classified Ads WANTED — Your seasonal organic heifers to
raise on contract on my certified
pasture/hay. Centre Co. Call 814-777-3341.
ASSISTANT FARMER POSITION — Spout-
wood Farm CSA in Glen Rock, PA.The 26-acre
CSA farm attempts to define and demon-
strate the concept of sustainable living. The
assistant farmer would work closely with the
lead farmer to incorporate biodynamics into
the CSA. Contact Rob Wood, 717-235-6610,
e-mail spoutwood@supernet .com.
NATURAL FARMING INTERNSHIP PRO-
GRAM — Two summer (May – October)
intern positions are available that would
include room plus stipend at Spoutwood
Farm. Spoutwood is a 26-acre CSA farm and
intern duties would include field work,
research, organizing work parties, operating
various farm tools, researching recipes and
much more. Contact Rob Wood, 717-235-
6610, e-mail spoutwood@supernet .com.
AVAILABLE — Certified organic dairy has
eggs available from pasture-raised hens.
Farm fresh produce in season, including
heirloom tomatoes, Candy onions and red
potatoes. On farm sales. Green Valley Organ-
ics, 279 Maple Shade Road, Christiana, PA
17509 or call 717-529-2898.
SUMMER APPRENTICE — Phillies Bridge
Farm Project, New Paltz, NY seeks an appren-
tice/educator for mid-July–Mid-August. Call
Peter Brady at 845-256-9108 for more infor-
mation or e-mail pbfarm@ulster.net.
SUMMER FARM CAMP EDUCATOR —
Phillies Bridge Farm Project, New Paltz, NY
seeks a summer (mid-July-mid-August) farm
educator to develop, coordinate, plan and
teach summer day camp programs on the
farm.The camp serves 21 children 6-13 years
of age for 3 weeks in late July to early-mid-
August. Contact Martha Cheo at 845-256-
9316 or e-mail mcheo@hvi.net.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE & EDUCA-
TION VOLUNTEER POSITIONS — available
at Heifer International’s Overlook Farm in
Rutland, MA: Heifer International is a non-
profit that works to end hunger through sus-
tainable agriculture and community
development. Stipend starts at $250/month.
Housing and some food provided. Work 6
days a week with livestock and/or in our
organic gardens (3 acres), and leading group
tours and education sessions about hunger
and poverty issues in the US and around the
world. Contact Sue Collette at susan.col-
lette@heifer.org, or call (508) 886-2221.
AVAILABLE — Purebred Barbados Blackbel-
Passages Ad Rates and Policy
ly newborn ewe and ram lambs. Ready to go
Advertising Inquiries: Please call or write the
late May. $150 each or $275 for a pair. 10% PASA office for full advertising package and rate
discount on 3 or more lambs. Located in SW card information. Special rates available for
PA, 25 miles NE of Pittsburgh. Photos of PASA Business Members and multiple advertis-
some of the lambs appear on website, black- ing packages. Contact Michele Gauger at the
berrymeadows.com. Contact Jack or Dale PASA office, 814-349-9856 or michele@pasa-
Duff at 724-224-8140 or email us at black- farming.org for more information.
berrymeadows1@comcast.net.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED — The Citizen’s Net-
work for Foreign Affairs (CNFA), nonprofit
based in Washington, DC is currently recruit-
ing vegetable producers for three week vol-
unteer assignments to Ukraine, Belarus and
W
R O E R’
Moldova. CNFA volunteers help people
1234567890123456789012
around the world make new contacts and 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
gain insights into agriculture that they can
G
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
S
use at home. All expenses are covered from 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
air fare, translation services, food & lodging. 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
Contact Eric Wallace at ewallace@cnfa.org or 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
call toll-free 1-888-872-2632 or visit 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
LS
DIS
www.cnfa.org for more information.
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
WANTED — Husband & wife team or single 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
BE
man wanted for 650-acre certified organic 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
C
farm in upstate New York. Diversified farm O
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
includes 100 acres of vegetables, livestock,
hay & grains. Also includes 250 member CSA,
UNT LA
looking to expand with right person. Appli-
cants need to be energetic, self-motivated,
mechanical ability a plus! Housing available.
Contact Mike Porter, PO Box 416, Elba, NY Reap profits
14058.
from direct
APPPA — (American Pastured Poultry Pro-
ducers Association) is seeking an Executive marketing with
Director. This is a part-time position that
eventually could be full time. For more info our labels!
contact Jim McLaughlin at jrmclaughlin
@juno.com or 607-334-2833.
We design and print labels
NO GREEN THUMB? That’s o.k. — you can for berries, vegetables,
help build a strong regional agriculture and sauerkraut, soap, lip balm,
never get your boots muddy. We’re looking yoghurt, cheese, meat, eggs,
for a smart, energetic, creative person to join pastured poultry —
our marketing team at Tuscarora Organic labels for almost anythingg!
Growers Co-op, serving 20 owner/member
family farms, and headquartered in Hunting-
don County. Experience with produce mar- SERVING GROWERS
keting, warehouse management, and
computers is particularly attractive to us; but SINCE 1975
all you really need is an enthusiastic attitude,
attention to detail, and the ability to lift
boxes up to 50 lbs. We need help immedi- request a free catalog
ately for the 2004 season, contact Chris
Fullerton, TOG Manager. E-mail (preferred):
chris@tog.coop or phone: (814) 448-2173. 1-800-693-1572
www.tog.coop
FOR SALE Black locust lumber for posts, growersdiscountlabels@tds.net
decking, etc. Custom cutting available. Call
Wade at 814-571-8540.
22 PASA 1/4 hor. page Ad 1 2/9/04, 2:09 PM
PASA Membership Please clip this application and return with payment to:
PASA Membership, PO Box 419, Millheim, PA 16854
& Contribution Form or join online at pasafarming.org

P
ASA is a nonprofit membership based organization working

About You
Name

á
to enhance the positive social and economic impact of agri-
Company/Farm
culture and food systems in Pennsylvania. We work with
farmers, consumers, and those concerned with the ecological well- Address

being of our environment and natural resources. PASA works to City State

increase the number of farms and the economic viability of existing

ZIP+4 County
farms in Pennsylvania, maximize consumer awareness and access to
Home Phone Work Phone
safe and healthy food that is locally grown, and develop a strong
constituency for preserving farms, farmers, and E-mail

a thriving agrarian culture. Everyone is invited Web Address

to be a member of PASA. We all have a stake
in making sure agriculture has a healthy join today! Are you farming: NO YES — how many acres:

future — Be a part of PASA! How did you learn about PASA:

Donations
Consider lending extra support to these two PASA funds. The
PASA Memberships

Student $ 15 Annual Fund supports PASA’s basic operations, and the Arias M.
Brownback Scholarship Fund helps those wishing to learn about
Individual $ 35
sustainable agriculture attend the annual conference regardless of
Family/Farm Please complete field below $ 55 financial position.

n Annual Fund
Nonprofit Please complete field below $ 100
$ ...................

n Brownback Scholarship Fund $ ...................

Business Please complete field below $ 150

SUBTOTAL $ PASA is a registered 501 (C) 3 organization and contributions are tax exempt.

Family/Farm or Sustaining Lifetime Membership

Please list all names for this Family/Farm membership. You may include
children between the ages of 14–22, and also multiple generations
directly involved in the farm.
Payment

Check Make check payable to PASA Total amount due

Credit Card Complete below $

Card No.
Nonprofit or Business Membership
Please list up to two additional people associated with your business to Exp. Date
receive individual membership privileges. VISA MasterCard

á
Cardholder Name

Signature

Gift Membership Lifetime Membership

In addition to your own membership, you may give PASA membership All of us at PASA are proud of the growing roster of lifetime members.
to a good friend, family member, business associate or other worthy Contributions for lifetime membership will be managed with care as
recipient on an annual or lifetime basis…a gift that keeps on giving! part of the PASA Founder’s Fund, sustaining both ongoing member-
ship as well as the long-term future of PASA. There are few things a
Student $ 15
member could do to symbolize their lifelong commitment to sustain-
special Individual $ 35 ability than to place such confidence in the value and viability of PASA
itself.
extras Family/Farm
Lifetime Sustaining Member
$ 55
$ 700 Sustaining Lifetime Member $ 700
Please complete field above
SUBTOTAL $ SUBTOTAL $
Name(s)

Address

City

State ZIP+4

Telephone E-mail
 A full detailed
calendar is av
ailable
from PASA.
FIELD DAY CALENDAR
2004 SUMMER SEASON
May 6 — Women in Agriculture Network
with Gay Rodgers, Hameau Farm, Mifflin Co.
May 15 — Gardening for Adults and Children
with ADD/ADHD with Amy Stein, Historic Bar-
tram’s Garden, Philadelphia Co.
June 3 — Small Grain Production and Whole
Farm Design with Tim Bock, Will Daal Farm,
Berks Co.
June 9 — Organic and IPM Methods for
Greenhouses and Fields with Scott Case,
Patchwork Farms, Centre Co.
June 18 — Elk Farming for Meat and Antler
Velvet with Clair Rhoads, Majestic World
Farm, Cambria Co.
June 29 — Post-Harvest Handling for Pro-
duce Marketing with Art King, Harvest Valley
Farm, Butler Co.
July 7 — Equipping the Family Vegetable
Farm with Jim Crawford, New Morning Farm,
Huntingdon Co.
July 9 — Integrated Systems for Organic Beef
with Ron Gargasz, Ron Gargasz Organic
Farms, Lawrence Co.
July 24 — Ginseng Production with Eric
Burkhart, Pennsylvania Mountain Ginseng,
Cambria Co.
WANTED: FIELD DAY REPORTERS
Receive a free field day registration in
return for writing a full report on the field
day you attend. Limit one reporter per
event, one event per reporter. Offer does
not apply to special events or intensive-
learning programs. Contact Heather
House at PASA headquarters.
Pennsylvania
Association for
Sustainable Agriculture
114 West Main Street • PO Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854
Farm-Based Educational (FBE) programs take place on farms and are geared toward farmers and consumers
seeking instruction about specific farm-related practices.
July 28 — Innovations in Hog Production
with Kermit Moyer, Moyer’s Family Hog Farm,
Montgomery Co.
August 9 — Hi Tunnels, Herbs and
On-Farm Education with Claire and Rusty
Orner, Quiet Creek Herb Farm, Jefferson Co.
August 25 — Small Ruminants: Niche
Marketing and Natural Parasite Control with
Phylleri Ball, Steam Valley Mountain Fiber
Farm, Lycoming Co.
August 27 — Organic Soy and Corn Crops
for Exceptional Organic Milk with Kore Yoder,
Bev-R-Lane Farm, Union Co.
September 14 — Mock Organic Certification
Inspection with PCO, Delaware Valley College,
Delaware Co.
September 16 — Afternoon Vegetable and
Herb Farm Tour with Keith Stewart, Keith’s
Farm, Westtown, NY
September 23 — Sustainable Energy
Systems on the Farm with Darrell Frey,
Three Sisters Farm, Mercer Co.
September 29 — High Tunnel and Field Pro-
duction of Cut Flowers and Vegetables with
George and Melanie DeVault, Pheasant Hill
Farm, Lehigh Co.
October 11 — Special Small Group Tour for
Interns with Anne and Eric Nordell, Beech
Grove Farm, Lycoming Co.
INTENSIVE LEARNING
PROGRAMS QUICK REFERENCE
June 22 — Raw Milk Cheesemaking with
Trent and Rachel Hendricks, Hendricks Farm,
Montgomery Co.
June 23 — Raw Milk Cheesemaking with
Trent and Rachel Hendricks, Hendricks Farm,
Montgomery Co.
June 24 — Raw Milk Cheesemaking with
Trent and Rachel Hendricks, Hendricks Farm,
Montgomery Co.
September 10–11 — Draft Horse Farming
with Kathy Fields, Flint Hill Farm, Lehigh Co.
October 1 — Raising Standard Turkeys for
the Holiday Market with Frank Reese, Bill
Yockey and American Livestock Breed Con-
servancy, Townline Farm Poultry Reserve,
Crawford Co.
October 2 — Your Best for Breeding: Criteria
for Choosing Breeder Turkeys from Your Flock
with Frank Reese, Bill Yockey and American
Livestock Breed Conservancy, Townline Farm
Poultry Reserve, Crawford Co.
Non Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
State College, PA
Permit No. 41