Passages
Sustainable Food and Farming Systems
Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond
Number 63
The Conference is Coming!
16th Annual
Farming for the Future
Conference
Cultivating Excellence —
Farming to Serve the Common Good
Feb. 1–3, 2007, State College, PA
By Heather House
Oddly enough, I love it when people
complain about the conference. I can’t tell
you how many people have said to me, “I’m
stuffed! There’s just too much good food!” or
“There’s not enough time to meet all these
great people!” Or my all-time favorite com-
plaint, “There are just too many amazing
workshops to choose from!”
PASA’s 2007 Farming for the Future con-
ference, February 1–3, 2007 at the Penn
Stater Conference Center in State College is
going to be no different. The line-up of
workshops our planning committee pulled
together is astounding! Our theme, Culti-
vating Excellence: Farming to Serve the Com-
mon Good motivated us to strive for
excellence in the program and gave us the
vision to think of farming as something
more than just a means for creating food.
The committee developed a workshop
program that offers both technical produc-
tion information and inspirational tips for
living well. Without question, PASA’s annu-
al conference remains one of the single most
important investments you can make in
achieving your educational and networking
goals. You will be receiving your conference
brochure soon, if you have not already, but
here’s a glimpse of what to expect.
PRE-CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Now in its fourth year, the pre-confer-
ence program continues to expand and
Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania
Association
for Sustainable
Agriculture
November/December 2006
Don’t miss out on the 2007 Farming for the Future conference coming up February 1–3, 2007 in State Col-
lege, PA. The conference is your chance to network with other farmers and consumers, learn new skills,
learn from noted experts, eat great food and meet sustainable businesses. Register today at www.pasa-
farming.org or request a brochure.
improve! On Wednesday, we are offering the • Introduction to Equipment Maintenance
opportunity for novices to learn to operate and Repair with Shane LaBrake
tractors and other machinery through • Apple Growers Intensive with Michael
hands-on learning in the Supplementary Phillips
Basic Machinery Operation Course. Also
• The Art of Cheese featuring Margaret
on Wednesday, we will open the two-day
Morris, Peter Dixon, The Cowgirl Cream-
Strategic Business Planning workshop with
ery girls and more!
Lee Hargrave. Participants have the oppor-
tunity to submit their current business plan • Seedsaving with Miguel Alteri, Brett
for review by this world-renowned consult- Grohsgal, William Woys Weaver and many
ant in advance of the course. Contact more!
Heather House at PASA for details. • The Secrets to Successful Marketing with
Choosing from our other Thursday Pre- John Ivanko, Lisa Kirivist, Janet Chrzan
Conference Tracks might be one of the hard- and special appearance by Joel Salatin
est things you do this winter. Here’s a list of • New and Beginning Farmers with Mara
titles to whet your appetite: and Spencer Welton, Robert Herr, Cliff
• The Link Between Nutrition and Hawbaker, Kim Miller and a special
Agriculture with Arden Andersen and appearance by Joel Salatin
Jerry Brunetti continued page 3
 Pennsylvania Association
Nov/ Dec 2006
for Sustainable Agriculture
1 Cover Story:
114 West Main Street The Conference is Coming!
P.O. Box 419
Millheim PA 16854 5 PASA Fundraising
Phone: (814) 349-9856 • Fax: (814) 349-9840
Website: www.pasafarming.org
6 Director’s Corner

7 President’s Corner
Passages STAFF & OFFICE
Staff Editor: Michele Gauger 8 Regional Marketing
Layout: C Factor
Advertising Sales: Michele Gauger, 10 Educational Outreach
PASA office, michele@pasafarming.org
13 Business Member Profile
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Kim Miller, Westmoreland County 14 Farmer Profile
Vice President: Kim Seeley, Bradford County
Secretary: Lyn Garling, Centre County 16 Agricultural Plastic
Treasurer: Chris Fullerton, Huntingdon County Recycling Opposrtunities
Mary Barbercheck, Centre County
David Bingaman, Dauphin County 18 PASA News
George DeVault, Lehigh County
Jennifer Halpin, Cumberland County 20 Editor’s Corner:
Mena Hautau, Berks County The Grapevine
John Hopkins, Columbia County
John Jamison, Westmoreland County 21 Classified Ads
This year's conference image is a pastel painting by Alice Kelsey,
Don Kretschmann, Beaver County
22 Calendar a full time artist whose work focuses primarily on landscapes in
Brian Moyer, Berks County
central Pennsylvania. Alice is a founding member of the Farm-
Anthony Rodale, Berks County
23 Membership & land Preservation Artists, a group of artists that promotes and
Contribution Form supports farmland preservation through their work. For more
PASA STAFF
information about the upcoming conference, see the cover story.
Headquarters
To see the beautiful full color rendition of Round Bales/Bright
Brian Snyder Sun, come to the live auction at the conference where this
Executive Director
brian@pasafarming.org donated piece will be available for sale!
Lauren Smith
Director of Development
& Membership Programs
lauren@pasafarming.org
Heather House
Director of Educational Outreach
heather@pasafarming.org
Michele Gauger
Membership & Research Assistant
michele@pasafarming.org
Brandi Marks Passages November/December 2006 Contributors
Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper Contributoring writers and photographers: Sam Cantrell, Aimee & John Good, Maria Graziani, Sandy Guzikowski,
brandi@pasafarming.org Mena Hautau, Heather House, Lyla Kaplan, Pat Little, Kim Miller, Gayle Morrow, Charlie Scheidler, Lauren Smith,
Conference Registration Staff Brian Snyder, Alice Varon.
Will Wise
Conference Registration Coordinator PASA’s Mission is… PASA in the News
will@pasafarming.org Promoting profitable farms which produce Have you seen articles about PASA in your local news-
Allison Shauger healthy food for all people while respecting the papers or other media? PASA is active across the state,
Conference Registration Assistant natural environment. and we’d love to know what coverage we are getting
allison@pasafarming.org PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania in your area. Please clip any articles you see on PASA
Western Regional Office landscape. We are seasoned farmers who know that and mail them to our Millheim headquarters to the
Phone: 412-697-0411 sustainability is not only a concept, but a way of life. attention of Office Coordinator Brandi Marks.
We are new farmers looking for the fulfillment of land
David Eson
Director of Western Programs stewardship. We are students and other consumers, Do you have a great
david@pasafarming.org anxious to understand our food systems and the
article idea for Passages?
Julie Speicher choices that must be made. We are families and chil-
Want to share a farming practice with members? We’d
Marketing Manager dren, who hold the future of farming in our hands.This
love to hear from you. Please contact the newsletter
julie@pasafarming.org is an organization that is growing in its voice on behalf
staff at newsletter@pasafarming.org.
Sarah Young of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond. Our mission is
Program Assistant achieved, one voice, one farm, one strengthened com- Deadline for January/February 2007 Issue:
sarah@pasafarming.org munity at a time. December 30, 2006

PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider and Employer. Some grant funding comes from the USDA and complaints
of discrimination should be sent to: USDA Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC 20250-9410.
Passages is printed on recycled, chlorine-free paper

2
Conference is Coming!
continued from page 1
An additional pre-conference track,
entitled Sustainable Ag in the Classroom
is supported by a grant from the Depart-
ment of Environmental Protection. If
you, or someone you know, is a Pennsyl-
vania certified K–8 teacher, you may have
the opportunity to attend the conference
for free while earning Act 48 credit hours!
Watch for details in the conference
brochure, or contact Heather House at
PASA to learn more.
MAIN CONFERENCE PROGRAM
While it’s great to spend a day in a
Thursday track concentrating on one
subject, it’s even more fun to choose from
the smorgasbord of workshops on Friday
and Saturday. In selecting workshops for
this program, the committee aimed to
offer at least one workshop every session
on thirteen different themes. So in every
workshop session, you’ll find something
on typical production themes like vegeta-
bles, fruit, and livestock, but also con-
sumer-interest topics like energy, health,
and activism. The program is balanced,
but that doesn’t make deciding which
workshop to attend any easier, does it?
n Livestock Production
Fred Provenza is offering two back-to-
back sessions on the Plant/Herbivore
Relationship to help you understand why
animals choose to eat what they do.
Euguene Fychte offers solutions for Pro-
tecting Your Livestock from Predators and
Doug Gunnink offers amazing insights
into Raising Choice Grass-fed Beef.
n Fruit/Vegetable Production
Early bird gets the worm!
Register by December 29, 2006 and
save $10. Also any farmer who derived
at least 75% of their annual income
from farming is eligible to take a $5
discount on registration fees on
Friday & Saturday only.
Product (And Yourself ) for Farm Markets.
Or perhaps you’ll consider Tapping into
Ethnic Markets with Sandra Miller. We’re
especially fortunate to have two butchers
with us for the conference this year: Mike
DeBach will give his perspective on get-
ting your meat From Farm to Market and
Nils Bailes guarantees you will increase
customer satisfaction when you Under-
stand the Butchering Process.
n Health
John and Dana Eisenstein will present
Lactofermented Beverages and Katherine
Sherif will explain the role of Omega-3
Fatty Acids in Health and Disease. Charis
Landrooth will help you protect your
health with Medicinal Herbs, while
PASA invites you to participate in our
FREE Ride and Room Share program for the
Farming for the Future conference
Have room for an extra
passenger in your car?
Or are you looking for a ride
to the conference?
spaceShare
Help make Farming for the Future
Farming for the Future Carpools!
greener by traveling with your neigh-
bors. What a great way to build com-
Michael Phillips will teach defense strate-
gies for Living in these Viral Times.
n Policy, Activism,
and Engaged Citizenship
Feeling a little overwhelmed? Deb
Habib and Ricky Baruc have ideas for
Living Lightly in this Heavy World. Sam
Fromartz will give you a history lesson in
Organic Inc., while Aloma Dew plans to
empower with tips for Creating Demand
for Local Food.
n Other Fun Stuff
Learn What to do with those CSA Sur-
prises when Kitty Leatham and Annmarie
Butera give a cooking demo, bring your
compost for a Hands-On Clinic with Tom
Richard, and learn how to make money
with Jodi Verbanic in Cut Flowers in The-
ory and Practice.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
With over 100 workshops, 150 presen-
ters and four days of learning, network-
ing, and rejuvenation, the Farming
for the Future conference will ready you
for another season of Cultivating
Excellence! n
replacing cars with community.
Encourage Green Travel

*Conference ride,
munity and conserve gasoline!

room & flight match*

Lee Reich is returning with more
*Carpools to cultural events & rallies*
promising tips for raising marketable No You can also be more efficient with

*College rideshare systems*

Spray Fruits. We’ll also get a progress your lodging.

Your nonprofit can use our tools

report from Robert True and Howard Find a roommate to share a hotel
Zuses in Ten Years of Blueberry Gardens. room or be a local hero and offer a to recruit at festivals
Technology for Communities
And hoophouses or no, Brett Grohsgal guest room in your nearby home.

*Nonprofit membership networking*

has tips for Winter Cropping.
*Custom database & web devel.*
Visit the PASA website to save money,
n Marketing
*Community websites*
share space, and conserve fuel.

Tell us your technology dreams

Looking to diversify or get a better
PASA is excited to make this network
price for your product? PASA members
available, creating one more way to or woes and we may be able to help
Gary and Bonnie Schubert volunteered Join us! Tell event organizers about us!
www.SpaceShare.org/newsletter
be sustainable.
to teach us how to Make Your Farm a
Vacation Destination and Rob Amster- www.pasafarming.org
dam is giving a lesson on Valuing Your

3
 ADVERTISEMENT

Pennsylvania
Sustainable
Gifts
for the Holidays
The Buy Fresh, Buy Local Collection
pasa’s Buy Fresh, Buy Local (bfbl) campaign is part of a
national movement to strengthen marketing opportunities for
farmers, while enhancing aware-ness about the importance of
supporting local and sustainable agriculture. This collection his is our fourth year
includes an 8” x 10” bfbl framed print, a set of six bfbl
note cards and a bfbl T-shirt. It all comes packaged in a
gift box with a festive ribbon. (Please specify T-shirt size when
ordering — S, M, L or XL).
T offering gifts in collabo-
ration with the Pennsylvania
$34.95
Association for Sustainable
Agriculture (PASA). The food
Pennsylvania Cheese Box collections include an enclosure
Pennsylvania is blessed with some of the finest dairy farms
and cheese makers in America and is emerging as a leader in that introduces the partici-
cheese making. We have assembled a delicious sampling of 6
cheeses ranging from an aged artisan sheep’s milk Romano pating family farms. These are
to a variety of cheddars. Included are: Keswick Creamery
Cheddar and Dragons Breath Jack (slightly spicey), Otter-
great gifts for friends, family
bein Acres Sheep Milk Pecarino Romano, Stone Meadow
Farm Cheddar, LeRaysville Smokey Delight and Spring
and neighbors for the holiday
Bank Acres Tomato Basil Cheddar. season. Tait Farm will donate
$59.95
15% of the proceeds from the
The Pennsylvania Pantry and Market Tote
This roomy organic cotton tote bag is
sale of these gifts to PASA.
adorned with a big red tomato and the words
Buy Fresh, Buy Local. We have filled it with
seven delicious value-added farm products To order, call Tait Farm at:
that are pantry staples, as well as a wonderful
seasonally inspired cookbook. Included in
800-787-2716
the tote are: the Simply in Season Cookbook,
Macneal’s Maple Syrup, Spiral Path Pasta or order online by visiting:
Sauce, Mad Mex Salsa, Vollmecke Apple
Sauce, Tait Farm Foods Ginger www.taitfarmfoods.com
Vinaigrette, Demeter’s Raspberry Jam
and Cooke Tavern’s Barn Raising
Vegetable Soup Mix.
$84.95
PASA Fundraising
Bringing Our Fruit to Fruition
By Mena Hautau Purchases of the lovely PASA holiday gifts sponsored by Tait
Chair, PASA Fundraising Committee Farm (see page 4) will contribute to the 2006 Annual Fund. Sending
Members and friends — here are my thoughts as we bring extra contributions with your membership dues in the last months
2006 to a close, on the Annual Fund progress and a tally on the of this year will also help to fully grow our tomato plant.
beautiful red fruit I so enjoy! It’s been an exciting year for the PASA Let’s all help our board identify the last $46K needed to reach
Annual Fund. I so much appreciate those of you who’ve attended our goal. As we look to wrap up this exciting year of supporting
the Harvest Dinners, participated in the conference auctions, this organization we all value, I want to thank each and every one
shopped at Whole Foods Market on our 5% day and/or mailed of you for your efforts and contributions. Now, in gratitude, let us
contributions directly to the office. enjoy the fruits of our labors! n
We are now further ahead than ever before as we go into the
final two months of the year. We have also made great strides this
PASA Staff and Board Would Like
year in helping our Annual Fund become a very significant source
To Thank the Following Volunteers
of revenue for the organization. PASA once depended almost entire-
Eileen Clark Kate Hunter Katherine St. Onge
ly on restricted grants & contracts for operating revenue; that catego-
Anne Quinn Corr Lyla Kaplan Matthew Shockey
ry now comprises a little less than half our total income — once an
Bill Dietrick Cathy Kelley Ian Smith
aspiration and now achieved! This allows our staff, board, volun-
Lauren DeMartini Saskia Madlener Louise Schorn Smith
teers, and members the flexibility to grow the organization with
Phoebe Faden Liz Miele Chef Christopher
our collective priorities leading the way.
Sotkovsky
Chris Farber Abby Morgan
Leah & John
Becky & Steve Sue Walker-Moyer Tewksbury
Our goal Forman Tom Murphy Jay Totman
$150,000 — Steve Frey Claire Murray Gary Truckenmiller
Carrie Hahn Michelle Niedermeier Holly Tyson
—
John Haviland Judy Olinski Chris Wahlberg
Rose Hoberman Flory Perez Mary Whittam
—
PASA Welcomes Our Newest Business Member
—
Solair Energy Inc.
Ralston, PA
—
Editor’s Note: In our last issue we made an omission in our Lifetime
Membership listing and would like to acknowledge the following
$100,000 — Lifetime Members:
$104,529
NOV. 3 $101,529 David & Lilly Smith
— SEPT. 25
Doug & Valerie Lafferty
Springfield Farm
— Sparks, MD

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Illustration courtesy of Phyllis Kipp

5
Director’s Corner
The “Golden Age” to Come
By Brian Snyder
Lately here at PASA we have been
thinking a lot about the future, both in
terms of our organization and the people
we serve. I identify the folks we work
with more generally as “people” in this
context rather than as “farmers” specifi-
cally because our membership is made up
not only of those who farm, but also
many who wish to farm, even if only in
their own backyards.
In fact, it has occurred to me that the
real purpose of PASA with respect to the
long-term future is to make sure that
within our reach, anyone who wishes to
farm can always do so successfully, as
long as they are willing to put in the nec-
essary work.
It is sobering to realize there is really
nothing we can do to make farming easy
for anyone. There will always be the
vagaries of weather, disease and pests,
fluctuating prices, stiff competition and
other unpredictable factors to confront.
But why shouldn’t it be that anyone with
the patience to deal with such factors, in
addition to possessing a vision and a
strong back, could be a successful farmer
wherever they choose to apply the craft
and work very hard?
My sense is we may be on the verge of
at least partially realizing such a dream in
this country. Public interest in knowing
and understanding the sources of food is
on the rise everywhere these days, despite
what you might hear from the industrial-
ists who wish this were not the case.
Every misstep of our industrialized food
supply increases this trend and creates
more demand for food that comes with
the “face” of the farmer emblazoned
upon it — just look at what happened
with the spinach scare earlier this year. In
the last issue of Passages I also reported on
a transformation occurring in the dairy
industry with regard to the use of artifi-
cial hormones. Indeed, almost no week
goes by when there is not an event, a
series of articles, an editorial or published
This is why there is no occupation
nobler than that of “farmer,” and
why every bite of food brings with
it the flavor of those who raised it,
prepared it and delivered it to
our tables.
study that trumpets the emergence of a
new food paradigm…positive change is
finally at hand!
I was thinking about all of this recent-
ly as I toured with some of my colleagues
the urban gardens and small farms that
have sprung up on vacant lots in
Holyoke, Massachusetts. The inner city
of Holyoke is home to some of the poor-
est neighborhoods in America, inhabited
by Puerto Rican immigrants who make
up about 40% of the city’s population.
What an inspiration it was to see the
enthusiasm, hope and actual farm prod-
ucts (we enjoyed roasted pork from one
of those farms!) that have been inspired
by Nuestras Raíces (meaning “Our
Roots”), a mostly Latino organization
with goals similar to PASA’s. I’ve seen the
same kind of spirit in other cities around
Pennsylvania and other parts of the coun-
try, and even in Havana, Cuba when I
traveled there three years ago.
You see, the coming change in the way
our society views food and farming sys-
tems is not merely a rural revival, but a
celebration of what it means to be human
in relation to our environment, our com-
munities and the rest of the world,
regardless of the circumstances that must
be overcome.
6
Food is fundamental to life, farming is
fundamental to the production of food
and, despite all the automation that is
commonplace on many farms today, peo-
ple are fundamental to the operation of
any agricultural endeavor, no matter
what size and where it is located or how
it is managed. Therefore, food provides
sustenance to us in more ways than
one…it is a sacrament, a reminder of our
commonality and responsibility relative
to all other human beings.
This is why there is no occupation
nobler than that of “farmer,” and why
every bite of food brings with it the flavor
of those who raised it, prepared it and
delivered it to our tables. It’s also why we
can no longer tolerate food that does not
inform us of, relate us to and reward fair-
ly the people who stand behind it.
The Golden Age of farming is indeed
ahead of us, not behind as some would
say, and it will teach us more about our-
selves than anyone can imagine. This is
why, when some of our more cynical
detractors say “They’re just trying to
restore the past,” I like to think to myself,
if not proclaim out loud, “Let it be so!” as
I am thinking back a bit further than they
might imagine. n
President’s Corner
By Kim Miller
Farmland affordability is an issue that
continues to trouble aspiring farmers.
Farmland that is reasonably priced is usu-
ally several hours from even a modestly
populated city. Often farms of more than
100 acres are simply not available at any
price. Yet a farming system that empha-
sizes fresh and local production of food
requires that farmers raise food in close
proximity to cities.
Interestingly, the desire of Americans
to move to the suburbs has dealt a crip-
pling blow to both cities and farm com-
munities. As urbanites and farmers
became suburbanites over the last fifty
years, the price of farm real estate has
forced farmers further and further from
population centers. Of course the engine
that has offered this choice and driven
the move is cheap oil.
Seemingly unlimited cheap oil gave us
fast and easy ways to grow more crops on
worse soils than ever before. It allowed us
to fight pests on the cheap too. It encour-
aged the farming of larger and larger
tracts of land as a way of combating
diminishing marginal profit. And, due to
the negligible cost of transportation, we
could do all of this further and further
from our urban centers.
Because the price of all the farms near
development is established by the price of
those few farms that actually are devel-
oped, farming further from urban centers
only made short-term economic sense.
This helps to explain why there are often
undeveloped tracts of former farmland
near urban centers that are both vacant
and no longer farmed.
Any development in a particular loca-
tion causes all of the local landowners to
value their land according to the price
paid for the developable acreage. This has
the perverse effect of causing farmland
that is not developable to be priced
beyond its economic value as farmland,
thereby forcing farmers further from
their customers in search of reasonably
The Necessity
of Urban Viability
Farmland affordability is an issue
that continues to trouble aspiring
farmers.
priced farmland and fostering a greater
dependence on cheap transportation.
I believe that another negative effect
on farming of this “run up in the price of
land” was a great disruption in the trans-
ference of farms from one generation to
the next. As farmland in the suburban
belt has become “worth a fortune” the
older generation has become more reluc-
tant to pass it on to their children. Con-
currently, society’s prevailing attitude is
that the “highest and best” use of land is
for something other than farming.
Meanwhile our cities, created at the
convenience of industry, largely unlov-
able and unloved, saw a mass exodus for
the suburbs and concomitant falling of
urban real estate values. Seemingly any-
one who could move did move, leaving
behind the disenfranchised to pay for
services they could not afford as they
watched their real estate assets disappear
and level of taxation increase.
In the stampede out of town we failed
to see that there is much to appreciate
about the city. The city is where a resi-
dent can have access to restaurants that
are not franchises, stores that are one of a
kind, great libraries, theatre, musical per-
formance, universities, developed parks,
neighbors, ethnic variation, farmers’ mar-
kets and all within walking distance. In
fact work might well be within walking
distance and, if not public transportation
is generally available.
Will increasingly expensive energy
help us to view the city through a new
pair of glasses? Will we begin to see an
exodus from the suburbs and into cities
7
as a move up? If our cities rebuild as liv-
able communities in the service of resi-
dents, it seems inevitable that the suburbs
will lose some of their appeal. The sub-
urbs simply cannot offer the level of
amenity that is possible in the city. Ask
yourself if you would rather spend the
evening walking to the theatre or walking
behind the lawn mower?
The kinds of folks who are the new
urbanites are exactly the same people
who demand fresh and local food. Fla-
vorful and nutritionally dense food is an
integral part of the healthy and energetic
lifestyle that these folks want. And they
are willing to pay for it. Though conven-
tionally raised, nutritionally vacant food
that is hauled across the country can soon
be expected to cost just as much as supe-
rior local food.
If cities are allowed to rebuild as cen-
ters for livability (this assumes the gov-
ernment will be little involved) then we
can expect to see downward pressure on
the price of real estate in the suburban
belt. And this is exactly what will be
required for the development of a new
agriculture that emphasizes the fresh and
local production of food and value added
products. Affordable farmland will move
us toward a system where the countryside
feeds the urban center that it surrounds.
This is how the new agriculture will
feed the world. By producing nutritious
food and delivering it to customers near-
by, in a way that serves the needs of both
the city and the country, while respecting
the new reality of expensive oil. n
Regional Marketing
SOUTHEAST REGION
“Down to Earth” — a functional
art show benefiting the Chester County
Buy Fresh, Buy Local Campaign
Michael Littlewood Biddison, woodworker, and son Mason looking on at Willi Wingleon's wood-
fired pottery displayed Scott Work's natural edge oak table.
By Lyla Kaplan
Claire Murray, of Inverbrook Farm in
West Grove, gallery owner Ben Gall of
the Arts Scene in West Chester, and
myself, a studio potter in Downingtown,
held the first annual “Down to Earth”
exhibit October 6–8 with the intent to
celebrate the intrinsic value of eating
locally grown food using handmade art
and to build community by introducing
the community to local farmers and
artists.
It was our hope that by presenting
food and functional work together in a
vibrant gallery setting, with music and
film to boot, the experience of communi-
ty, eating and art would be enhanced. As
Robert Yellin puts it, “If we use objects in
our daily life that move the heart and help
us transcend our daily routines and ways of
thinking, we may be able to lift our spirits
to a plane that will incorporate caring for
the earth as part of existence (Japan Times:
Sept. 17, 2003, www.e-yakimono.net).”
15% of proceeds and $5 ticket entry
donations went directly to the Chester
County division of the Buy Fresh, Buy
Local campaign (www.buylocalpa.org)
Artists invited to “Down to Earth”
had to be within a 100-mile radius and
make art intended for food. This includ-
Claire Murray pouring Victory Brewing Com-
pany’s Hop Devil Ale into a salt fired pitcher
by Terry Plasket.
ed functional pottery, tables or cabinets.
Willi Singleton, of Kempton, PA, had a
special place in the exhibit because of his
focus on using primarily local materials
such as clay dug from the mountain
where he lives and slips made from clay in
his creek bed combined with ash from his
wood stove or corn stalk ash. He also
recently published an article in Studio
Potter’s 2006 April issue devoted to local
clays and sustainability entitled “Slow
Clay” in which he draws an analogy
between his approach to clay with the
international “Slow Food” movement.
Slow Food focuses on “defending bio-
diversity in our food supply, spreading
the education of taste, and linking pro-
8
ducers of excellent foods to consumers
through events and initiatives,” including
being an organizational sponsor for the
Down to Earth event. Willi states, “I see
successful potting, like great cooking, as a
collaboration. You have to start with
good ingredients to come up with a satis-
fying result. The result isn’t just a concep-
tual construct, but a thing to be savored
and enjoyed that can nourish and satisfy
on multiple levels.”
Local producers donated food, wine
and beer that were available throughout
the weekend. Victory Brewing Compa-
ny’s beer surreptitiously found itself being
poured from a few pitchers from the
show. Highland Farm Artisan Sheep’s
Cheese and Natural by Nature cheeses
made their way onto serving platters and
disappeared faster than they could be cut.
A member of North Star Orchards point-
ed out to me the lovely combination of
their Asian pear, sheep cheese and
Stargazer’s Pinot Grigio. A natural foods
chef who specializes in seasonal cooking,
Lydia Chaudry, provided dips and hors
d’oeuvres. As people enjoyed the local
food, they could view pottery by 16
artists displayed on tables and cabinets
made by four local woodworkers and one
metal artist and placed throughout the
6,000 square foot gallery space.
Over the course of the weekend, sev-
eral films about farming and pottery were
shown including local film maker Rich
Hoffman’s “Fridays at the Farm” and
Willi Singleton’s “Wild Clay, Ancient
Fire.” Topping the weekend off was a per-
formance by Cowmuddy, a Philadelphia-
based band lead by singer/songwriter
Michael McShane who also interns at
Maysie’s Farm and Conservation Center.
Michael’s personal treatise is to create the
perfect synthesis of music, food, and
color — which made Cowmuddy the
ideal addition to the “Down to Earth”
exploration of food and art.
Farmers and artists both work with
the earth: they nurture, create, and trans-
form what the earth provides to nourish
our bodies and our souls. It is our hope
to turn “Down to Earth” into an annual
tradition, where folks can come enjoy
some of what the earth and spirit can
provide. n
Lyla Kaplan works at her home studio in Down-
ingtown, PA. She can be contacted at 610-
873-1771, lyla_kaplan@hotmail.com
Regional Marketing
NORTHCENTRAL REGION
PASA Farmers Travel to Europe
to Study Organic Material Recycling
By Sandra Guzikowski
PASA member farmers Dave Albert
(Lycoming County), Ned Foley (Mont-
gomery County), and I (Bucks County),
recently traveled through Germany and
Austria on a study tour to learn how these
countries recycle organic material, partic-
ularly food scraps and yard trimmings,
for compost and renewable energy. We
were part of a diverse group organized by
Penn State Extension Specialists Dr.
Richard Stehouwer and Dr. Robert
Graves. The others in the tour group
included Penn State Extension educators,
community recycling coordinators, a soil
scientist, an environmental scientist from
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, public works directors, and an
environment engineer for a landfill.
While composting and recycling of
organic material is common for practi-
tioners of sustainable agricultural in the
state, Pennsylvania currently still lets far
too much valuable organic material sim-
ply rot in our landfills. By failing to recy-
cle this material, we are wasting
enormous amounts of valuable resources
that are needed for agriculture, landscap-
ing, soil remediation, and renewable
energy.
For more than a decade, Germany and
Austria have banned recyclable organic
material from entering landfills. Today,
they have what are considered to be
model systems for handling and recycling
organic material into compost and
renewable energy. Farmers have a vital
role in the success of these systems.
Municipalities routinely collaborate with
individual farmers and farmer coopera-
tives to receive the community’s food
scraps and yard trimmings and manage
composting operations on their farms. In
some cases, the organic material is first
processed through an anaerobic digester
to capture valuable gases, such as
methane, to be used for producing heat
and electricity. The compost is used on
the farms (both organic and convention-
al) and extra compost is often sold, pro-
viding opportunities for both soil
improvement and a lucrative additional
farm business.
Over the course of 10 days, we toured
nearly 20 recycling facilities and farms.
At each site we observed the processes
and learned from the key people respon-
sible for the operations. Both Germany
and Austria design their recycling pro-
grams to fit local or regional needs, as
opposed to a standard, one size fits all
approach. Through legislation, ongoing
public education, and a community
focused approach, Germany and Austria
have succeed in developing organics recy-
cling programs which are keeping these
resources out of landfills, building the
nutrients and organic matter in their
soils, producing renewable energy, and
providing additional revenue streams for
family farmers.
Now safely back on Pennsylvania soil,
the study tour group has the challenge of
using the experience to develop strategies
that will substantially improve organic
materials recycling in the state. This will
mean shifting away from a predominant-
ly waste disposal approach, to a resource
recycling approach that fosters mutually
beneficial relationships between munici-
pal and agricultural sectors, in ways that
enhance the environmental and econom-
ic sustainability of both.
This strategic effort will take place
over the course of about two years. A sec-
ond study tour with a new group of par-
ticipants is planned for spring of 2007.
Farmers are encouraged to apply. Details
and an application can be found online at
http://environmentalsoils.cas.psu.edu n

REGIONAL CONTACTS & DISCUSSION GROUP ADDRESSES

Discussion groups are open to PASA members only to join and discuss issues related to sustainable agriculture.
To join the group in your region, send an email to the appropriate address provided.
Western
PASAWestern-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
David Eson
NorthCentral/Eastern
412-697-0411 • david@pasafarming.org

Southeastern
PASAsoutheast-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Brian Moyer Western
610-944-9349 • brianm22@aol.com
Mena Hautau
610-378-1327 • mmh10@psu.edu Southeastern
Southcentral
Southcentral
PASAsouthcentral-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Julie Hurst:
717-734-2082 • royjulie@pa.net Out of State discussion group addresses:
NorthCentral/Eastern States North and East of Pennsylvania
PASAnorthcentralEast-subscribe@yahoogroups.com PASAOutofStateNortheast-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Leah Tewksbury States South and West of Pennsylvania
570-437-2620 • tewks1@aol.com PASASouthandWest-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

9
Educational Outreach
Certified Naturally Grown —
The Grassroots Alternative to Certified Organic
By Alice Varon,
www.naturallygrown.org
When the National Organic Program
(NOP) was implemented in 2002, the
word “organic” took on a specific legal
meaning. Most farmers were forbidden to
use the words to describe their produce
unless they became certified organic by a
USDA-accredited agency. Small-scale
organic farmers were faced with a diffi-
cult decision: refrain from calling their
produce and livestock “organic” — even
if they had maintained impeccable organ-
ic practices for years – or become Certi-
fied Organic by a USDA-accredited
certifying agency. For many farmers, nei-
ther choice was attractive.
Certification through the NOP
requires a detailed amount of record
keeping — a paper trail of everything
that happens from seed to sale. This is
certainly appropriate for large farms that
grow a few types of vegetables and sell in
bulk or processing plants. But for many
diversified small farms that may grow
upwards of 200 varieties of vegetables,
herbs, flowers and fruits, the mounds of
paperwork have been prohibitive. Even
setting aside the paperwork, the high cost
of certification fees puts the USDA
organic label beyond reach for many
small-scale organic producers.
Many farmers decided it just wasn’t
worth it. As Melanie and George
DeVault of Pheasant Hill Farm in
Emmaus, Pennsylvania explain, “Our
customers know us and how we farm.
Many have walked our fields and
scratched our pigs’ ears. These people
aren’t looking for a stamp of approval
from the USDA. We think they trust
farmers a whole lot more than they trust
the government these days. Certified
Naturally Grown (CNG) was created by
farmers who wanted the benefits of certi-
fication without having to buy into the
USDA program.” The DeVaults dropped
their organic certification in 2005.
Organic growers who opted not to
participate in the NOP were not author-
ized to describe their produce as organic.
They lost a very valuable marketing tool
at a time when more and more people are
becoming aware of the environmental
and health benefits of organic growing
methods. Farmers needed a simple way to
describe their growing practices to cus-
tomers.
CNG was created specifically for
small-scale, direct marketing, organic
farmers, by organic farmers who antici-
pated that the NOP would be better suit-
ed to large-scale agribusiness than to the
local farmers who had first started the
organic movement.
CNG began as a regional marketing
program in New York State, but as
national media publicized the program
more broadly, CNG quickly expanded to
include farms around the country. Today
nearly 400 farmers from 46 states —
including the DeVaults — have enrolled
to use the Certified Naturally Grown
label. As one farmer talks to another
about the program, participation contin-
ues to grow.
How is Certified Nat- You may begin seeing fresh lettuces like these labeled “Certified
Naturally Grown” at a market near you.
urally Grown different
from Certified Organic?
For starters, producers
are exempt from the
high fees and paperwork
requirements associated
with the National
Organic Program. CNG
runs on a free-will dona-
tion basis. Farmers are
encouraged — but not
required — to con-
tribute $50 or more to
cover the basic costs of
running the program.
10
The online application can be completed
easily in half an hour, and a five-page
paper application is available for farmers
without internet access.
Unlike the National Organic Pro-
gram, CNG is not subject to agribusiness
pressure to water down the certification
standards. Because it’s an independent
program, CNG can and does maintain
higher standards above and beyond those
defined by the NOP. As a farmer-driven
organization, CNG strives to provide a
credible certification alternative that is
tailored for small-scale direct-market
farmers.
While Certified Naturally Grown
presents itself as an alternative to the
National Organic Program, it doesn’t by
any means oppose the NOP or intend to
slight certified organic farms.
The National Organic Program has an
important role to play in helping to cre-
ate a food production system that is good
for people and the environment by defin-
ing organic standards that are observed
for many thousands of acres of farmland
in this country — acreage that, without
such a program, would be much more
likely to be farmed conventionally. CNG
stands behind the farmers and advocates
who strive to ensure the integrity of the
NOP program, and joins them in the
effort to build and strengthen the organ-
ic movement by providing a certification
program to those smaller, direct-market
farms for which the USDA program is
not particularly well-suited.
Another unique feature of Certified
Naturally Grown is that it does not rely
on third party inspectors. CNG’s certifi-
Educational Outreach
cation model is defined and recognized
by the International Federation of
Organic Movements (IFOAM) as a “Par-
ticipatory Guarantee System.” Instead of
third party inspectors, CNG relies on
volunteer farmers to inspect other farms.
To discourage fraudulent “trading” of
inspections, you are not allowed to
inspect the farm of the farmer that
inspected yours. So it always takes three
farmers to finish an inspection round:
Farmer A inspects Farmer B, Farmer B
inspects Farmer C, and Farmer C
inspects farmer A. Neighboring farmer-
inspectors who are more likely to regular-
ly and randomly visit their neighbors,
and are intimately familiar with pest pres-
sures in their region, can be more aware
of cheating — and thus serve as better
deterrents — than professional inspectors
who may be from far away and typically
see a given farm only a few hours a sum-
mer — at pre-scheduled times no less!
Certified Naturally Grown also stands
apart when it comes to transparency. All
the certification documents required for
every farm are available to the public.
Farmers accepted into the program have
publicly-available profiles, organized by
state, on our website at www.naturally-
grown.org. Each farm’s profile includes a
Grower Declaration signed by the farmer
stating she or he will abide by Certified
Naturally Grown’s standards, the farmer’s
Inspection Report, and the farmer’s
online application, which includes details
about his or her growing practices.
Over time, more and more customers
have come to recognize the colorful Cer-
tified Naturally Grown label. Most of this
recognition comes by word of mouth or
its presence at farmers markets and farm
stands. Like any true grassroots move-
ment, CNG has grown because of the
many people who are committed to the
ideals of organic agriculture and the
health of our communities. If you’re a
farmer, consider becoming Certified Nat-
urally Grown (apply online at www.natu-
rallygrown.org). If you’re someone
looking for organically grown produce
and wanting to support small farms in
your community, just look for the CNG
label. You can trust it’s grown right, and
right nearby! n
For more information, visit www.naturally-
grown.org, write to info@naturallygrown.org or
call toll free 877-211-0308
On-Farm Research &
Cover Cropping
Rye is one of the easiest cover crops to grow, as it establishes quickly, even when planted in late
fall. It develops a dense root system that holds soil in the field, gathers nutrients from the soil pro-
file making them available to succeeding crops and provides competition with unwanted weeds.
By Michele Gauger
PASA and Penn State’s On-Farm
Research program offers producers an
opportunity to conduct research on their
farms, directly benefiting producers by
answering questions that may improve
the sustainability of their farms. The
overall goal behind the process is for
farmers and researchers to work in collab-
oration to design a research trial geared to
serve the interests or questions of the
farmers. The research design is planned
to be uncomplicated and easily adaptable
to changing situations on the farm.
The partnership between PASA and
Penn State first began in 2002/2003 as
former PASA Farm-Based Education
Coordinator, Kate Gatski surveyed the
PASA membership to find out potential
research interest areas. Overall results
showed interest in three broad topics —
cover crops, animal parasite control and
methods to improve soil fertility.
In early 2004 Ron Hoover, Penn State
On-Farm Research Coordinator and I
took this information one step further by
targeting the topic of cover crops. Cover
crops are considered to be essential for
the success of many sustainable farming
systems. Grown for a myriad of benefits,
cover crops are used to provide soil cover,
to suppress weeds, build soil fertility,
improve soil structure, reduce insect pests
and prevent erosion. Cover crops are also
a popular area of research. Over the last
several years research has focused on best
planting schedules, methods for incorpo-
11
rating or killing cover crops, selection of
appropriate species and optimum seeding
rates for local conditions and grower
needs.
We began on-farm trials in 2004 at
two farms and received additional fund-
ing for our work in 2005 under a North-
east Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education (SARE) Partnership grant.
The purpose of the grant is to increase
farmers' knowledge of cover cropping
and challenge them to manage these
crops more intensively. Improved man-
agement of cover crops can result in large
impacts on weed population dynamics,
soil quality, yield of cash crops and ulti-
mately farm sustainability. Through on-
farm research, this project will address
questions concerning improved produc-
tion and profitability when cover crops
are used in specific situations.
Currently we are working with four
PASA members to conduct trials on their
farms — Bob Keller of Penn Valley Farms
in Lititz (Lancaster Co.); John & Linda
Shenk of Shenk’s Berry Farm in Lititz
(Lancaster Co.); Steve Misera of Misera’s
Organic Farm in Butler (Butler Co.); and
John & Aimee Good of Quiet Creek
Farm in Fogelsville (Chester Co.). Begin-
ning in the next issue of Passages, Janu-
ary/February 2007 we will detail each of
these farms and trials — so stay tuned!
If you are interested in participating in
the On-Farm Research Program, please
contact Michele Gauger at PASA head-
quarters. n
Membership Update
A Great Time of the Year
for Gift Memberships
By the PASA Membership Department
For those of you who may not realize
it, PASA is a membership-based organi-
zation — meaning we are always looking
for new individuals, families, students,
and businesses to join our organization
— both in Pennsylvania and beyond.
As PASA works toward our year-end
goal of 4,032 members, we encourage
current members to consider purchasing
a gift membership in PASA for friends,
family, coworkers and businesses this hol-
iday season.
A gift membership is a great way to
introduce others to PASA and for them
to take part in our upcoming events. You
can purchase gift memberships via our
website at www.pasafarming.org or by
contacting Michele Gauger at PASA
headquarters. The recipient will receive a
letter acknowledging who purchased the
gift membership in addition to PASA
materials. What a great gift!
Also a reminder to current PASA
members — you should have already
received your annual membership renew-
al form in the mail. We encourage you to
renew your membership for 2007 as soon
as possible to limit the added costs PASA
will incur for additional mailings. You
can also renew online or by calling PASA
headquarters.
The only way we will be able to reach
the goal of 4,032 members is with a little
help from each of you. Remember PASA
is your organization, you tell us what pro-
gramming you would like to see, you tell
us who you want to hear from at the con-
ference and you tell us what issues are
important to you.
We are asking for each of you to help
bring in members for PASA this year and
into the future.
Contact the Membership Department
if you have any questions about member-
ship or if you have someone in mind you
would like us to send PASA introductory
materials. n
12
PASA Board
Election Reminder
A reminder to all PASA members who
may be awaiting our usual mailing of the
biographies of candidates for the PASA
board of directors’ election that takes place
at the Annual Meeting at the conference.
Due to a change in PASA’s organizational
bylaws (passed at the Annual Meeting at
the 2006 conference), elections for the
PASA board of directors from this year for-
ward will be determined using absentee
balloting.
As usual, PASA members and associates
attending the annual Farming for the
Future conference and annual meeting on
Friday, Feb. 2, 2007 can cast their ballots at
that time. For all other PASA members and
associates NOT attending the conference,
you can contact the PASA office directly to
request a ballot to be mailed to you. With
this new system in place, we expect the bal-
loting to take place over a 2 week period
after the conference. Election winners will
be announced after that time.
If you have any questions on this new
balloting procedure, please contact the
PASA office at 814-349-9856. n
Business Member Profile
Way Fruit Farm — way good!
By Gayle Morrow
Get out your pie pans and turn your
oven on — you might just be in the
mood to roll out a crust and fill it full of
apples. Or peaches. Maybe cherries. A
chat with Brooks Way can have that
effect on you.
The Way family has been growing
fruit in Centre County for over 125
years; Brooks Way, with his wife, Sharon,
represents the fifth generation of farmers.
He’s been back on the farm for 24 years.
The Ways are Quakers, he says. The
family came from England in 1815 and
lived for a time in Kennett Square and in
1829 moved to Centre County. Way says
his great, great grandfather gave his chil-
dren the gift of apple trees. Those trees
started producing fruit in 1875.
Today the 50 acres of trees on Way
Fruit Farm provide 28 different varieties
of apples. Way’s current personal favorite
is early season Honey Crisp. He is also
partial to Gala. Customers seem to prefer
Red Delicious at the moment — he says
he grows more of that variety now than
any other. “But that will change,” he pre-
dicts, as farming is wont to do.
At Way Fruit Farm, change is part of
the picture. They’ve added apple vari-
eties; they’ve also added strawberries,
sweet and tart cherries, apricots, peaches,
corn and pumpkins (for Jack-O-Lanterns
rather than pies). They still wholesale
some apples but the bulk of their sales are
direct (the marked disparity between the
store’s profit and the grower’s may have
had something to do with that particular
change). They have a farm stand and “a
truck on the road four days a week.”
Some of their produce is “you pick,” and,
as apple season winds down, the farm has
a “you sort” apple bin. It is a proven fact
that apples, which are not perfectly
round and blemish-free still make great
pies, cider, crisp, and applesauce.
They’re also hoping to be organic in
the future, and are working toward that
goal. They now use an integrated pest
management system; Way says he tells
customers who question him about not
being organic that he probably eats more
of his own fruit than anybody and “why
would I want to poison myself?”
“If the bugs or the fungus are not
bothering me, I tend to just ride it out,”
he says.
Way would also like to see a change in
the way farmers relate to one another.
“None of us is right and none of us is
wrong. We have to pull together to feed
the nation and make a living. We’re down
to less than 2 percent of people farming.
We all just have to find our niche, find a
way to work together and not fight
amongst ourselves. I would rather feed
the world than fight about it. We need to
all be partners.”
Sharon Way (right) and her father Walter DeArmitt at the State College farmers’ market.
You can find Way Fruit Farm in Port
Matilda at 2355 Half Moon Valley Road,
where the Way family grows apples and
other fruit at 1,700 feet above sea level
and where they have a bird’s-eye view of
Beaver Stadium.
Q. What is unique about your business?
A. We’re a family operation with hands-
on management and labor. You can talk
to the guy who actually grows the fruit. I
take care of the outside crew. (The “crew”
at Way Fruit Farm is Brooks and Sharon
Way, five or six year-round employees,
and as many as 20 other workers during
the height of picking season.)
Q. Why did you join PASA? A. We were
working on looking at different avenues
for marketing, and working in the direc-
tion of organic. We were trying to get the
message out about buying and selling
local — it was part of our fit. It’s been a
good fit for us. I love reading the maga-
zine.
Q. How has your membership been a
13
benefit to your business? A. We had a
tour of the farm (this summer) and it was
a beautiful thing! We didn’t have tons of
people, but it was the first year. Now
more people will get to know us and talk
to us. We did make a connection with a
market in Lancaster (as a result of the
tour).
Q. What does the term “sustainable”
mean to you and how do you incorpo-
rate that into your business? A. It means
a little different to me than to the “nor-
mal” member (of PASA). Sustainable is
making it to the fifth generation, to the
seventh generation. It is growing a prod-
uct I can sell to customers and make a liv-
ing, a good living. What I want to see is
farmers continuing. But I don’t want to
hurt the soil — part of the business is to
keep it healthy.
Q. What do you see as some of the crit-
ical issues facing ag and ag-related busi-
nesses today? A. Labor costs and
employee productivity. We have the tech-
nology to grow (the product) but there
are a lot of issues there (with labor).
You’ve got to figure out how to pay them
and still make a living. You have to be
more efficient — but that’s agriculture.
We have the technology to do just
about anything, but we have to be able to
market it profitably. Today we are pro-
ducing four times as many apples on half
the land.
Q. What do you see as the connection
between sustainable ag and the con-
sumer? A. Seeing as we just got over $3 a
gallon gas, it is proximity to the market.
Ninety percent (of our product) goes out
the door at our own stand here. n
Farmer Profile
Healcrest Urban Community Farm
By Michele Gauger
What is the best way to supply urban
areas with fresh, local produce? How
about growing it right down the street?
That is what Maria Graziani is attempt-
ing to do on a few city blocks in the Pitts-
burgh, Pennsylvania area.
In 2002, Maria began growing herbs
in small garden plots, about 50 square
feet of land, behind her rented house. She
also grows vegetables for family and
friends. After beginning her own herbal
products business, she now sells items
such as salves, powders and soaps mainly
at local festivals and by word of mouth.
According to Graziani, “After attend-
ing a PASA conference my interests grew
to consider a larger urban farming proj-
ect, maybe starting with an herb school.”
She was extremely interested in increas-
ing the quality of fresh food available to
those in urban environments. Today, she
hopes to make urban agriculture work, as
she has founded Healcrest Urban Com-
munity Farm and is in the process of pur-
chasing 14 of 19 abandoned city lots. “In
2004 I started buying property and now
currently own four pieces and have
secured three more. We are also in nego-
tiations with the city of Pittsburgh and
the Urban Redevelopment Authority to
acquire more land,” she says.
“No one had interest in developing
the lots, which were mostly under absen-
tee ownership,” she continues “With
some help I have formulated a plan to
Maria Graziani (center) with area high school interns, as they take a break for a photo.
piece together the lots and buy them all
in the next 5 to 6 years.”
But there is still work to be done
before this land is suitable for growing
fresh, local produce — mainly soil reme-
diation. The lots Graziani hopes to devel-
op into gardens were used as illegal
dumps in the past. Students from Slip-
pery Rock University are using this area
as a test site for urban soil health. Previ-
ous soil tests have shown high lead levels
and detectable levels of arsenic.
Raised beds have been established in
the areas where there was no trash, while
contaminated areas are undergoing reme-
diation in a variety of ways, including
using principles Graziani learned at a
PASA workshop on the soil food web and
microbes. “We are using concepts I
learned to help remediate the soil with a
microbial solution, turning the soil,
adding compost, topsoil, leaf mulch and
now planting spring cover crops (red
clover and oats), which are taken out by
the roots and put in the trash for landfill
disposal. I have been using these princi-
ples the last 2–3 years and the lead levels
have declined,” she says.
Graziani has found allies at the Uni-
versity of Pittsburgh’s Public Health
Department, as well as the Bloomfield
Garfield Corporation, and Slippery Rock
University. Further development of the
city lots into urban gardens will come via
small grants. One of which will be used
for the University of Pittsburgh’s School
Volunteers help to build a bamboo fence around some of
the garden plots.
14
of Engineering to put in a water source
for the six raised beds currently in use. A
grant through the Allegheny County
Health Department and an Action Hous-
ing Savings Grant is allowing further
development the site. She will be seeking
funding to create a large-scale rainwater
collection system in the future. In the
meantime a hoop house is being con-
structed to collect water.
“In 2005 about seven community
members helped grow vegetables in sever-
al garden plots and we were able to hold
several workshops on topics ranging from
urban farming, composting, native plants
and soil health,” continues Graziani.
“It is my hope to use the urban gar-
dens as primarily an education center,
possibly adding a market and gather local
community members to ‘grow’ together,”
she says. A large portion of the commu-
nity in Garfield is working class on fixed
incomes. “This is a great opportunity to
teach people about fresh food,” Graziani
said. She continued, “It has been slow
getting out all the information about the
farm, but with attending different com-
munity events and having articles in the
local newspaper, we are beginning to hear
positive things from the community! As
we grow and offer more services, more
produce and more gardens, I know more
people will come aboard.” n
For more information about Healcrest Urban
Commmunity Farm, contact Maria Graziani at
412-362-1982 or mothermoobeam@aol.com.
Q&A with Maria Graziani PASA Sponsored Insurance Options
continued from previous page In cooperation with Midlands Management Corporation

PASA: What do you see as some of the critical issues Sustainable Insurance
concerning agriculture today? for Farms and Other Businesses
Maria Graziani: One of the most significant issues for agri-
culture is the urban dwellers lack of knowledge of the food Property, Casualty and Products Liability
system. We are plagued with a myriad of issues ranging Markel Insurance Company, Richmond Virginia
from contaminated water and soil, growth hormones and Available in the following states:
California, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New York,
antibiotics in food, cost of transporting food from far-off
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont,
places, monopolization of food sources, not too mention, Washington, Wisconsin
racist policies that make up food system standards which • Targets small, local farms practicing sustainable agriculture
affect who has access to certain types of food and who is
• Community Supported Agriculture operations acceptable
making decisions about our food.
• Aggregate limits 3 times the occurrence limit
The lack of education of some urban dwellers only con-
• Products liability including direct sales to consumers
tributes to the loss of the family farm and standards of
healthy food. That is why urban farming is a critical issue. • Limited loss of income coverage
The urban farm serves as not only a food source but also a For more information
Visit www.sustainablefarminsurance.com, or contact:
catalyst for learning about food. Connecting the city, the
Roger Park at Midlands Management
largest sectors of food consumption, with farmers and farm phone 800-800-4007; email sustainableag@midman.com
issues brings our whole society to a new level of under-
standing, tolerance, inclusion, collectivity and sustainability. Workers Compensation
Eastern Alliance Insurance Group, Lancaster PA
PASA: What is unique about your farm? Bill Krug, 888-654-7100 ext. 1665
MG: In Pittsburgh, like other rustbelt cities, the inner city Coverage available in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware
urban environment is being abandoned for a life in the sub-
urbs; therefore, urban settings are becoming dilapidated
and plagued by decay. There are often a lack of facilities ADVERTISEMENT
available to those who continue to reside in urban settings,
in particular are grocery stores that provide access to fresh,
healthy foods. Urban gardens and farms are cropping up to
address a myriad of social problems affecting the urban
community. One of the highest costs in urban gardens/
farms, as the gardens grow, is the cost of using city water for
plant watering. That is why we are looking at rainwater col-
lection systems.

PASA: How has your operation evolved over the years?

MG: We started with a series of empty urban lots that were
covered in trash. Our workdays were chaotic- just putting
out calls for volunteers — we weren't even able to build any
gardens because of invasive overgrowth and trash. This
coming year we will be putting in new garden spaces and
our levels of toxins and heavy metals have already gone
down due to cover-cropping, beneficial micro-organism
use, raised beds and organic amendments. It is just begin-
ning to turn into the Eden I hoped for and we are hoping for
one of our largest grants this year — to build a sustainable
rainwater collection and purification system. We hope to be
a model for urban farmers — that your operation can be
healthy, sustainable, affordable and a true learning center
for urban dwellers about health, food security, nutrition,
environment and farming.

PASA: Why did you join PASA?

MG: PASA has provided a huge portion of the education
needed to get the sustainable farming part going in the
gardens. We are dealing heavily in urban development
issues but PASA’s many programs such as the conference,
field days, newsletters and other resources have helped me
manifest an urban farm.

15
Agricultural Plastic Recycling
Opportunities In Pennsylvania
Several years ago, few agriculture plas-
tic recycling options existed. As a result,
millions of pounds of agriculture plastics
were thrown away. Now, a number of
Pennsylvania (PA) companies are provid-
ing agriculture plastic recycling options.
A summary of PA companies accepting
this material and contact information is
provided below.
Concord Plastics, Inc., West Hazleton
(570-453-0803); Cougle’s Recycling,
Inc., Hamburg (610-562-8336); Sam
Esh, Rebersburg (814-349-8646 ext.#4);
Zook’s Plastic Recovery, Leola (717-656-
4422). Agriculture plastics accepted by
these companies include plastic mulch,
ag. bags, ag. films, bale wrap, silo liners,
silo covers, salt and mineral bags, plastic
twine, net wrap and tape. All of the men-
tioned agriculture plastics should be kept
as dry and clean as possible. These com-
panies sort, consolidate and ship the agri-
culture plastics to end users.
Fruit program info: 717-677-4184 or www.shaponline.org • Vegetable program info: 717-694-3596 or www.pvga.org
Waste Not Technologies, LLC located
in the Saylorsburg area (570-992-7041)
only accept specific types of agriculture
plastic. The company accepts plastic vita-
min buckets, plastic horse feed buckets
and polypropylene coated animal feed
bags. Also, HPDE pots are accepted in
the following colors: red, yellow, brown,
clear and white. They use these agricul-
ture plastic materials along with other
recyclable plastics to manufacture post
rail fencing.
Other PA manufacturers have been
evaluating the use of agriculture plastics
as a raw material substitute. Through the
work of the PA Department of Agricul-
ture and the farming community, agricul-
ture film plastics were located for Pandya,
Inc., a manufacturer in Johnstown (814-
535-5467). After completing a successful
agriculture film trial, the company has
started accepting this film plastic at their
facility.
ADVERTISEMENT
16
Two PA start up companies are also
interested in using certain types of agri-
culture plastics to make future products.
Michael McNamara, President of a start
up company called Innovative Rail Solu-
tions, LLC (610-788-2267) is interested
in using agriculture plastic films as a raw
material ingredient to manufacture their
composite railroad ties. Estimated yearly
waste plastic needs are 29,640,000
pounds. Tom Lotterman of New Genera-
tion Recycling, LLC (570-676-0676)
another start up company, is interested in
processing and using some agriculture
plastics as well.
If you generate any agriculture plastics
and would like to recycle your materials,
please contact any of the mentioned
companies directly. They can provide you
with their acceptance procedures and you
can arrange to drop off your materials at
their facility location. If you have any
other questions, please contact Robert
Meneses with the Recycling Markets
Center at 717-948-6719 or Charlie
Scheidler with the Commonwealth of PA
at 717-787-0115. n
 ADVERTISEMENT

Fertrell Company
P.O. Box 265 • Bainbridge, PA 17502
800-347-1566
www.fertrell.com
Dealer Inquiries Invited
“Where Quality Comes Naturally”

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“Do the Easy Thing First,

Use Fertrell Minerals”
— Joel Salatin
PASA News
FarmAid 2006
By John and Aimee Good,
Quiet Creek Farm
In early September Aimee and I came
home tired and dirty after another ten-
hour day in the fields at our eight-acre
farm. We went through our daily ritual of
checking the farm answering machine
only to discover we had a message from
Brian Snyder. We both immediately
perked up and said, “Brian is PASA’s head
honcho; we should call back right away
and see what this is all about!”
When we reached Brian he asked us if
we would be willing to represent PASA at
the Farm Aid 2006 pre-concert press
event in Camden, NJ. Farm Aid was
looking for young farmers to be members
of a panel discussion with the Farm Aid
board of directors; Willie Nelson, Neil
Young, John Mellencamp, and Dave
Matthews. They had asked PASA if they
knew of anyone who could fill that role.
Needless to say, we were delighted to help
out. Coincidently, Brian’s call had hap-
pened to come on my birthday. I’m not
sure if at thirty I still qualify as a young
farmer, but it was a great birthday sur-
prise nonetheless.
On September 30, Farm Aid concert
day, Aimee and I spoke to over 200 mem-
bers of the local and national media
addressing today’s challenges that face
young family farmers. We addressed two
primary issues that have enabled us to
succeed; operating our farm as a certified
organic 130-member CSA on land leased
from the Rodale Institute, and the value
of having a dynamic organization like
PASA forming a supportive community
for family farmers.
Operating our farm as a CSA has
enabled us to succeed by allowing us to
market all of our produce directly to con-
sumers. We have a relationship with our
eaters, they know us and we know them.
Because of our relationship, they are
more understanding of the difficulties of
farming. When the weather is challeng-
ing their primary concern is how we are
doing and, secondly, how the crops are
faring. We get to hear firsthand from our
eaters how much they appreciate our
work and the food we provide for their
families. They value knowing where their
food comes from. This connection with
our consumers gives us a great sense of
pride and dignity in the work we do and
the food we grow.
Although we love what we do, it does
have its challenges. Farming is not a reg-
ular job. You never get away from it. The
crops are always in our minds, and our
office is in our home. We have to be not
only good farmers, but also have to fill
the roles of mechanic, handyman, mar-
keting manager, bookkeeper, etc. And
our work and yields are entirely subject to
the whims of nature. By this time of year
we are exhausted, and after working a full
season of long hours under often adverse
conditions we sometimes ask the ques-
tion: Are we really going to do this again
next year?
But thankfully we get a winter’s rest,
and we get to go the PASA conference. It
is a rejuvenating, inspiring, and always
18
Left to right: Dave Matthews, Aimee & John
Good address the crowd at the Farm Aid press
conference in Camden, NJ.
educational experience. The greatest
thing about PASA is the people. We are
immersed in a community of positive,
active people working for the same cause.
There is a collective sense that by helping
each other we are working towards the
common goal of rebuilding a local, sus-
tainable food system.
With the widespread decline in family
farms, the support network of neighbor-
ing farms and farmers is disappearing. In
this business, with its many challenges, it
is essential to have this community of
support. When we are having hard times,
it is wonderful to be able to talk to other
PASA farmers in our region, to get ideas
or even just commiserate. We feel very
lucky to have an organization like PASA
in our home state. They are making con-
nections from farmer to farmer, through
the conference, farm tours and field days.
PASA is also working to rebuild the link
between farmers and consumers, so eaters
know where their food is coming from
and farmers know where their food is
going. We all need each other, especially
if we want a healthy and safe regional
food system.
In the press event, Dave Matthews
defined Farm Aid’s role as “shining the
spotlight on our family farmers.” During
the press conference host Ann Cooper
mentioned, “I am sick of celebrity chefs.
What we need are celebrity farmers.”
Aimee and I began joking with Dave
Matthews that we needed to start a Farm-
ing Network to shine the spotlight on
family farmers. Dave turned to us and
said, “That’s a good idea.” He was so
taken with the concept that when it came
his turn to speak we were in deep conser-
vation about our plans for the farming
network and we had to alert him that it
was his turn to speak.
He was caught off guard and defend-
ed himself with the event’s first media
sound bite. “I’m working over here. We’re
riffing. We’re going to start the farming
network. It will be 24/7 farming. So I was
busy, working with these people here.”
For one day at least, Dave Matthews,
Farm Aid, and PASA shined the spotlight
on two lucky young farmers. n
ADVERTISEMENT
Editor’s Corner
You can also access these publications on

The Grapevine the Agricultural Alternatives web site at:

http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu.

Smithsonian Soils Exhibit

by Michele Gauger The Soil Society of America (SSSA) is working
with the Smithsonian Institution’s National
Museum of Natural History (NMNH), the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and others to plan a
New Book Available soils exhibit as part of the Forces of Change pro-
Real Food: What to Eat and Why gram at the NMNH, located in Washington DC.
The projected opening for the completed soils
Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese and heart
exhibit is 2008 or earlier, depending on funding.
disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Fast Food
Initial plans for the exhibit include 2 sections:
Nation and Supersize Me make clear what we shouldn’t eat, but what one featuring state soil monoliths and the other
are the alternatives? Should we look to the food pyramid? Should we an interactive component featuring educational
avoid animal fat and protein? Should we cut out carbs a la Dr. Atkins? displays, exhibit panels, artifacts, videos, activity
Nina Planck grew up on a vegetable farm in rural Virginia. At her tables, experiments and interactive games to
parents’ table she learned how to eat right: fresh fruit and vegetables, help visitors understand how soil is intricately
whole grains, eggs, meat and whole milk — what she calls real food. linked to the health of humanity, the environ-
ment and the planet. According to Paul Kamps,
In REAL FOOD: What to Eat and Why, Nina reveals why traditional
Development Officer of the Smithsonian Soil
foods are not only tasty but actually good for you, and how the con-
Exhibit, it is expected to include much informa-
ventional wisdom of the last thirty years — that low fat is best and saturated fat is deadly —
tion on sustainability and respecting natural
had led to the triple epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The experts are right:
environments. Visit www.soils.org/smithsonian
diet does matter. The real killer is industrial food — not bacon & eggs. for more information.
In chapters on Real Fruit and Vegetables, Real Milk, Real Grains, Real Meat, and Real Fish,
Nina describes the best foods, tells us why traditional foods are more nutritious, and illus- Consider Predator Friendly® Certification
trates how diet and health have been affected by trends and fads in the last 100 years. She Predator Friendly® products come from ani-
explains how ancient foods like beef and butter have been falsely accused, while industrial mals raised by ranchers and farmers who do not
foods like corn syrup and soybean oil are the real culprits behind the triple epidemic of obe- kill native predators on their land — coyotes,
foxes, mountain lions, bears, hawks, eagles or
sity, diabetes and heart disease. Goodbye margarine, and hello, sweet cream butter.
wolves. Predator Friendly® growers reduce the
If you long for days when tomatoes had flavor, when grass-fed cows weren’t a novelty,
risks of livestock losses by using guard animals
when you could butter your bread (or simply eat bread!) without thinking twice, Real Food
such as llamas, dogs, and burros and by using
will be a welcome reprieve.
pasture management strategies to minimize
Nina Planck created farmers’ markets in London and Washington D.C. and ran New York confrontations between their animals and pred-
City’s famous Greenmarket. The daughter of Virginia vegetable farmers, she wrote The Farm- ators.
ers’ Market Cookbook and hosted a British television series on local foods. In 1991, a group of ranchers, conservation-
ists and clothing manufacturers began to certify
woolgrowers who agreed, in writing, to a strict
New and Revised Agricultural Alternatives research, regulations, establishing an attractive set of criteria to qualify for Predator Friendly®
Publications Now Available market, and how to keep customers coming status. In 2003 they turned over the certification
The Small-scale and Part-time Farming Pro- back among others. task to Predator Conservation Alliance, a non-
ject at Penn State would like to announce that The revised publications are “Cantaloupe profit wildlife conservation organization based
the new Agricultural Alternatives publications Production,” “Red Deer Production,” “Red Rasp- in Bozeman, Montana.
“Apple Production,” “Peach Production,” “Devel- berry Production,” and “Financing for Small- According to the Predator Conservation
oping a Roadside Farm Market,” and “Garlic Pro- scale and Part-time Farmers.” The topics Alliance, more and more growers are choosing
duction” are now available in print through the included in the cantaloupe and red raspberry positive, sustainable alternatives to shooting,
Publications Department at Penn State. The publications include: marketing, production trapping and poisoning native predators. By
publications outline the steps involved in start- considerations, harvesting, risk management, choosing to become Predator Friendly® certi-
ing a small apple or peach operation and start- and budgeting among others. Topics covered in fied you are sharing the rewards and risks of sus-
ing a roadside farm market. Topics covered in the red deer publication include: marketing, tainable agriculture in America.
the apple, peach and garlic publications include: facilities and equipment, breeding, and budget- To learn more about Predator Friendly® cer-
marketing, site selection, planting, harvest and ing among others. The financing publication tification, contact Janelle Holder, 406-587-3389,
storage and budgeting among others. Topics includes topics such as: business climate and email at janelle@predatorconservation.org or
covered in the market publication include: obtaining a farm loan. visit www.predatorconservation.org.

20
Classified Ads
Employment
ASSISTANT FARM MANAGER — for Atlas Farm,
Deerfield, MA — 12 mi. N. of Amherst. Farm grows
a variety of certified organic vegetables, herbs,
flowers; selling via farmers’ markets & wholesale
grocery stores & growers co-ops. Contact
Gideon@atlasfarm.com or mail to: Gideon
Porth/Atlas Farm, 8 Pine Street, South Deerfield,
MA 01373.
DAIRY FARMER WANTED — for start-up opera-
tion in Northeast PA. The Lands at Hillside Farms,
a not-for-profit conservation organization
formed to promote organic and sustainable agri-
culture, is seeking an experienced dairy farmer to
develop and operate a 50 cow dairy located in
Shavertown, PA. Salaried position, but lease
option is possible. Visit www.thelandsathillside-
farms.org www.thelandsathillsidefarms.org. To
apply, send letter of interest with description of
your dairy background/experience to bpetruc-
ci@mindspring.com.
ORCHARD ASSISTANT — needed for 30-acre fruit
farm in Berks & Lehigh Counties. Applicants
should be responsible, motivated, and hardwork-
ing.Through fall, duties will primarily include har-
vesting blueberries, peaches, pears, and apples.
Pay commensurate with ability. www.clorchard.
com. Contact Todd Smith, todds@enter.net 610-
756-6411.
SEEDWAY, LLC — seeks qualified individual to
coordinate various aspects of seed sales to com-
mercial organic producers of both agronomic
crops and vegetables. Responsibilities include
market analysis & forecasting, development of
sales initiatives including literature, website,
direct mail & company representation at trade
shows. Contact Seedway, LLC, Don Wertman,
C.O.O., dwertman@seedway.com, 800-836-3710
or PO Box 250, Hall, NY 14463.
FARM MANAGER & INTERNS NEEDED — for start-
up Inn and Farm Market, located less than 1 hour
from New York City. Salary based on qualifica-
tions and experience. Please send inquiries &
resumes to Tom Nepola, jurancon@hotmail.com.
ORGANIC FARM MANAGER — Rodale Inc. is cur-
rently seeking an Organic Farm Manager based
at their Working Tree Center in Emmaus, PA.
Duties include ongoing maintenance of the
grounds, supervision of maintenance staff work
& ongoing communication with the Rodale fam-
ily, company & the community. For a full position
description visit www.rodale.com .
For Sale
FOR SALE — Peanut & corn roaster, 75 lb. capaci-
ty, propane heated, portable — $1,500. Call Jere-
my Jackson at 814-876-0282.
FOR SALE — Free-range Khaki Campbell ducks.
11 females and 1 male. Hatched in April and have
just started laying. Call Laurie at 610-683-6418.
FOR SALE — Cider press. It has been on our prop-
erty for decades and could have some historical
value to someone. It is quite large, enclosed in its
own shed at our property in Paxinos, Northum-
berland Co. It is in need of repairs. Contact
dean@amaincpa.com or 570-847-5040.
GOATS — One Nubian Doe (full-bred, with
papers) and one Nubian Wether, both 1 ? years
old. Doe — $100, Wether — $50. Located in
Wrightstown, PA (near New Hope). Please contact
Tali 215-598-1519, talyon@juno.com.
FOR LEASE — Juniata County farmland, in Mif-
flintown, PA, approx. 55 acres tillable. Most has
been farmed for hay & spray free for the last 5
years. There is water available for approx. 20
acres. Terms are negotiable. Contact Kevin Kauff-
man, 565 South 100 West, Rupert, ID 83350, 208-
436-1217, kevinedgarkauffman@yahoo.com.
FOR SALE — Tamworth breeding stock & feeder
pigs. Excellent for outdoor operations. Contact
Eric Levengood, Borderline Farms in Canton, PA at
570-673-8030.
LAND FOR SALE — 6 arces with free natural gas
hookup for sale off of a paved road. This piece of
land is in the country yet only a few miles off I-
79,close to both Greenville, Mercer, and
Meadville. Photos can be seen at www.landand-
farm.com contact David 724-253-2453
dswartz1@yahoo.com.
FOR SALE — Reducing flock located in Mif-
flinburg. Bluefaced Leicester cross and Cotswold
cross breeding stock and June lambs for sale. Call
Peggy Lauver, 570-966-3464 or e-mail sheep-
eg@aol.
FARMLAND FOR LEASE — Farming family seeks
those interested in leasing 10 to 20 acres of farm-
land in southern Bucks County, PA. Also possible
collaboration with existing fruit orchard, agritain-
ment and farm education business. Contact
jonathansnipes@hotmail.com.
FOR SALE — First and second clip kid mohair.
White. First clip clean. Contact Evelyn at 717-567-
9720 or 717-787-0120.
FOR SALE — Heritage pigs, excellent Tamworth
stock. First time boar & sow produced 12 piglets.
Very good mother. Available mid December. Call
immediately for Boar breeding stock. They will
soon be castrated. Contact Charlie & Barbara Ger-
lach, gerlach@epix.net, 570-924-3019.
FOR SALE — Reg. Belted Galloway Heifer, born
June 2005, grass-fed only. If you have any ques-
tions please feel free to ask! Marc & Jenny Shear-
er, Swissland Acres, 10618 N Main St Ext., Glen
Rock, Pa, 17327, 717-227-9271 or swisslan-
dacres@msn.com.
FOR SALE — Farm / Land 50+ acres Greene Coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, partially fenced, no bldgs., good
springs. Will trade for land in Washington County
Pennsylvania. 724-745-6705 or email:
mr_trot@hotmail.com
21
Wanted
FARM SOUGHT — We are looking for an 80–100
acre farm that is a mix of pasture and woods with
a pond, to relocate our New Hampshire grass-
based, diversified family farm. Interested in the
southcentral region of PA. Contact Caroline &
David Owens, Pelham NH, www. owensfarm.com,
603-635-8553, daowens@erols.com.
HOUSEMATES SOUGHT — Farm couple seeks
housemates for large farmhouse in southern
Bucks County, PA. $350 to $625. Close to public
transporation, easy commute to Phila, Trenton,
NJ, and New York. Contact jonathansnipes@hot-
mail.com.
DESTRUCTIVE GEESE? — Older, safe hunter look-
ing for a landowner in Central PA who is having
problems with destructive geese. I usually hunt
on Saturdays through December. I will gladly
offer a portion of my catch to the landowner.
Please call Daniel Murdock at 717-315-6195.
WANTED — BARNS — We buy & dismantle old
barns, warehouses, log homes & similar wood
buildings, as well as barn beams already disman-
tled. We are fully insured and experienced. Call us
before it’s too late. Keith 724- 763-2175
POSITION SOUGHT — Energetic young woman
with 9 years experience in sustainable ag seeks a
position in Philadelphia. Interested in community
gardening, agricultural education, and sustain-
able agriculture advocacy. Contact Trista at
farm2table@hotmail.com or call 540-987-8312.
FARM SOUGHT — Farming family from NE seeks
80-100 acre farm in Cumberland Co. to relo-
cate/expand our grass-based livestock opera-
tion. Pond, house,outbuildings, big pluses.
603-635-8553 or info@owensfarm.com .
SMALL FARM WANTED — beginning farmer look-
ing for small farm within a 75 mile commute to
Pittsburgh, PA. Call or write Mark & Patty Pender,
214 Moe Place, Pittsburgh, PA; 412-481-2375.
LAND WANTED — Farm couple seeking 12–30
acres to lease, buy or transition from an older
farmer in PA or NJ within 2 hours of Philadelphia.
We are planning to start an organic CSA with a
small grass-based livestock operation. Contact
Jeff Tober & Rebecca Free, 31 Maple Street,
Belchertown, MA 01007, 413-323-6165,
info@brookfieldfarm.org
LAND WANTED — 50+ acres of open land in Cen-
tral PA area (Hershey, Harrisburg, Lebanon or sur-
rounding areas) to build a horse farm. Call
717-821-3723.
LOOKING FOR HUNTING LAND — I live in Balti-
more, MD and I am looking for some private
hunting land for lease of approximately 25–100
acres. Anywhere in MD, WV, VA, or PA. I am a very
respectful hunter and extremely safe. I can help
out around your farm/home if necessary. Please
contact Brent at huntman10mm@aol.com or
410-686-4218.
Calendar
December
Dec 7–9
2006 Acres U.S.A. Conference: Reinventing Your
Eco-Farm, St. Paul, Minnesota. Each year, Acres
U.S.A. presents an information-packed confer-
ence for organic/sustainable farmers covering
all facets of ecological soil, crop and livestock
management to help you take your farm to a
new plane of resiliency, production quantity and
quality, and profit.To register and for details, visit
www.acresus.com, phone 800-355-5313, or
email info@acresusa.com.
Dec 11–13
Vegetable Production: From Greenhouse to
Market, a three-day farmer-to-farmer workshop
for vegetable farmers. United Methodist Church,
corner Henning & 5th Avenue, Saratoga Springs,
NY. Presented by the Sustainable Farmers Net-
work. Contact Sandy Arnold, 518-638-6501 or
arnold3@capital.net.
January
Jan 11
11th Annual Vermont Grazing Conference, Ver-
mont Technical College, Randolph Center, VT.
Featuring keynote speaker Mark McAfee,
founder & manager of Organic Pastures Dairy
Co., an innovator in organic & raw dairy foods
marketing. Contact Jennifer Colby, VT Pasture
Network Outreach Coordinator, 802-656-0858,
jcolby@uvm.edu, or www.uvm.edu/~pasture.
Jan 17–18
Pennsylvania Women in Agriculture Workshop
— Adding True Value: An Introduction to Cheese
Making, Keswick Creamery, Newburg, PA. Add
value to your dairy operation with an introduc-
tion to cheesemaking. Contact Ann Stone at
814-863-4489 or 717-582-3858 for more info.
Jan 31– Feb 1
Pennsylvania Women in Agriculture Workshop
— Hands on Heavy Metal: An Equipment
Practicum, PASA Pre-Conference Track, Penn
State Ag Arena, State College, PA. Add confi-
dence & knowledge necessary to maintain and
operate large farm equipment. Contact Ann
Stone at 814-863-4489 or 717-582-3858 for
more information.
February
Feb 1–3
PASA’s 16th Annual Farming for the Future
Conference, with the theme of Cultivating Excel-
lence: Farming to Serve the Common Good, at the
Penn Stater Conference Center, State College,
PA. Keynote addresses by Joel Salatin, James
Kunstler and Michael Ableman. Visit pasafarm-
ing.org.
Feb 7–8 This workshop presents the concept of con-
2007 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, Lancaster
Host Resort, Lancaster PA. Call 814-355-1912 for
more information.
scious and mindful living made practical
through a day-to-day approach to life on and off
the farm. Contact Ann Stone at 814-863-4489 or
717-582-3858 for more information.
Feb 14–16
Organic Livestock Health & Management Con- May 11–12
ferences, sponsored by NOFA–VT & Cornell Uni- 5th Annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation
Conference, Penn Stater Conference Center
versity. Workshops will focus on the
Hotel, State College,The Pennsylvania Land Con-
comprehensive nuts and bolts of organic live-
servation Conference is Pennsylvania’s annual
stock production and will take place in two loca-
training, networking and inspirational event for
tions within the Northeast: February 14–16, those involved with private and public land con-
2007 at Alfred State College, Alfred, NY and servation. Learn more at http://conserveland.
March 6 –8, 2007 at University of New Hamp- org/conferences/2007
shire, Durham, NH. For additional information,
contact Lisa McCrory, Project Director, at 802-
434-4122 or lmccrory@together.net or Linda
Tikofsky at 607-255-8202 or lg40@cornell.edu.
Feb 21–24
Mid-Atlantic Direct Marketing Conference
(MADMC), Holiday Inn Select, Solomons Mary-
land. Discount registration & rooms before
1/21/07. For more information visit www.
madmc.com or contact 410-822-1244.
March
Mar 6–8
Organic Livestock Health & Management Con-
ferences, sponsored by NOFA–VT & Cornell Uni-
versity. Workshops will focus on the
comprehensive nuts and bolts of organic live-
stock production and will take place in two loca-
tions within the Northeast: February 14–16,
2007 at Alfred State College, Alfred, NY and
March 6–8, 2007 at University of New Hamp-
shire, Durham, NH. For additional information,
contact Lisa McCrory, Project Director, at 802-
434-4122 or lmccrory@together.net or Linda
Tikofsky at 607-255-8202 or lg40@cornell.edu.
Mar 21–22
Pennsylvania Women in Agriculture Workshop
— Building Financial Sustainability: A Plan for
Continued Success, Victoria Inn & Suites,
Pittston, PA. Participants will have an opportuni-
ty to undertake the business planning process,
develop a written business plan, and address
key marketing and financial management issues
within the context of their farm business. Con-
tact Ann Stone at 814-863-4489 or 717-582-
3858 for more information.
May
May 4–5
Pennsylvania Women in Agriculture Workshop
— Living in Balance: A Centered Approach to a
Farming Life, One World Environmental Camp,
Spring Mills, PA.
22
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 to enhance the positive social and economic impact of agriculture and food systems
in Pennsylvania. We work with farmers, consumers, and those concerned with the ecological well-being of our environment and natural
resources. PASA works to increase the number of farms and the economic viability of existing farms in Pennsylvania, maximize consumer aware-
ness and access to safe and healthy food that is locally grown, and develop a strong constituency for preserving farms, farmers, and a thriving agrarian
culture. Everyone is invited to be a member of PASA. We all have a stake in making sure agriculture has a healthy future — Be a part of PASA!
About You

PASA Memberships
Name $ 15
Student

Company/Farm Individual $ 45

Family/Farm Please complete field below $ 60

Address
Nonprofit Please complete field below $ 100
City State
Business Please complete field below $ 150

ZIP+4 County
SUBTOTAL $
Home Phone Work Phone
Family/Farm Membership
Please list all names for this Family/Farm membership. You may include
E-mail children between the ages of 14–22, and also multiple generations
directly involved in the farm.
Web Address

Are you farming: NO YES — how many acres: Nonprofit or Business Membership
Please list up to two additional people associated with your business to
How did you learn about PASA: receive individual membership privileges.
Donations

Payment

Consider lending extra support to these two PASA funds. The

Annual Fund supports PASA’s basic operations, and the Arias M. Check Make check payable to PASA Total amount due
Brownback Scholarship Fund helps those wishing to learn about Credit Card Complete below $
sustainable agriculture attend the annual conference regardless of
financial position. Card No.

Annual Fund Exp. Date

VISA MasterCard
One-time contribution
Cardholder Name
$ 50 $ 100 $ 250 $ 500 $ 1,000
Other $ ........................ Signature

On-going contribution by credit card

PASA, Please bill my credit card $ .................... Monthly
PASA, Please bill my credit card $ .................... Quarterly
You will receive a statement on each billing cycle.

Arias M. Brownback Scholarship Fund $ .......................

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

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 $ 45 ability than to place such confidence in the value and viability of PASA
itself.
extras Family/Farm
Lifetime Sustaining Member
$ 60
$ 900 Sustaining Lifetime Member $ 900
Please complete field below
SUBTOTAL $ SUBTOTAL $
Name(s)
Sustaining Lifetime Membership
Address Please list all names for this membership. You may include children
between the ages of 14–22, and also multiple generations directly
City involved in the farm.

State ZIP+4

Telephone E-mail
 n OUR FIFTH ANNUAL
CHARITY AUCTION
We are busy organizing our triumvirate
of auctions to be held at the upcoming
conference. Through our members’
generosity, we will showcase over 120
items, featuring original artwork, crafts,
gift baskets, books, farm tools, antiques,
and more. Come ready to peruse and
leave with something new! If you have
contributions for the auctions, please
contact the PASA office by January 5,
2007. We are looking for items in all
price ranges.
n ARIAS M. BROWNBACK
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
n FOOD DONATION PROGRAM
When asked, “What one thing about
the PASA conference should not be
changed?”— our conference attendees
responded…the food!
The Farming for the Future conference is
renowned for its extraordinary meals,
made possible by farmers and produc-
ers, manufacturers and distributors
throughout the region. All donations
are acknowledged in a special program
detailing the menus and donors. Please
consider joining PASA in this unique
venture in community — food contri-
butions are important to Farming for
the Future and help demonstrate the
PASA mission in a very special way. If
you are interested in getting involved
in the meal program at the PASA con-
ference, contact Lauren Smith at PASA
headquarters.

n FRIENDS OF THE CONFERENCE

The scholarship expresses PASA’s com-
mitment to providing educational
Let’s make friends! At the Farming for the Future conference we learn, laugh,
opportunities for those wishing to
talk with and listen to interesting people, eat well, and gather new ideas for
learn sustainable agricultural tech-
implementing in the field whether on a farm or in other arenas. The 2007
niques and methods regardless of
event will foster an extensive network of friends and continue the tradition of
financial circumstances. Please consid-
supplying the PASA membership with a high quality program. We want to
er donating to this worthy cause.Those
ensure that those who want to join in this friendship can, by keeping the reg-
who wish to contribute to the fund, or
istration fees affordable. Please consider becoming a Friend of the Conference
who wish to apply for a scholarship,
with your tax-deductible gift of $100. You will be gratefully acknowledged at
should contact Allison Shauger at PASA
the conference and in the PASA newsletter. We are fortunate to have a grass-
headquarters or visit the website for
roots community of individuals who, by becoming Friends,
additional information.
enable the PASA conference to be accessible and to flour-
www.pasafarming.org
ish. Please contact Will Wise at PASA headquarters for more
information or to become a Friend.

Non Profit Org.

Pennsylvania U.S. Postage
Association for PAID
Sustainable Agriculture State College, PA
Permit No. 213
PO Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854-0419