Passages

Sustainable Food and Farming Systems

Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania
Association
for Sustainable
Agriculture

Number 43 Spring 2003

Director’s Corner
By Brian Snyder, Executive Director Read about the
Conference, page 6
An Excursion through Cuba: how central the concept of sustainable agri-
A Clue to Our Future? culture has become in Cuban society, and
likely were equally stunned afterward in
returning to face the reality of our situation
in this country. It is worth noting, however,
I know that the world is weak (www.foodroutes.org), as part of a dynamic that not all of Cuba’s success in this regard
And must soon fall to the ground, group of about ninety food and farming has been by design; historical consequence
And, then, midst the quiet profound specialists from all over the United States, has played a significant role.
The gentle brook will speak. Latin America, and the Caribbean on a Following the Revolution that was com-
— José Martí, 1891 study tour of Cuban agriculture. The trip plete at the beginning of 1959, Cuba was
was organized by the California-based Food pushed into a mostly exclusive trading rela-
Our air-conditioned bus was a haven of First/Institute for Food and Development tionship with the Soviet Union and other
comfort, in a land where few of the “com- Policy (www.foodfirst.org), and took place socialist countries by the U.S. trade embar-
forts of home” as we know them exist. The over a two-week period bridging February go, now more than forty years old. Despite
well-cushioned seats reclined to allow for an and March of this year. the embargo, or “blockade,” as it is called in
occasional and much needed nap along the To put it bluntly, I think most if not all Cuba, this arrangement worked pretty well
route, but instead I usually sat leaning for- of us on the trip were stunned to find out Continued on page 3
ward, my attention riveted out the window.
The contrasts of metropolitan Havana Cuban farmers' market, multiple generations at your service!
are difficult to describe without pictures,
many pictures really. Most residential build-
ings remain in sorry shape, even as those
structures more important for drawing
tourists (hotels, museums, historic land-
marks, etc.) undergo thorough restorations
everywhere.
There is much poverty in Cuba, for sure,
but there are also signs of promise that kept
my eyes glued to the oncoming landscape
outside the bus. For amid the substantial
ruins of a society that has faced tremendous
adversity, there is agriculture—agriculture
everywhere—agriculture that the high
priests of corporate agribusiness have told
us can never be possible in our own coun-
try.
As part of what has been called the
“largest ever fact-finding delegation des-
tined for Cuba,” I was joined by Penn State
IPM specialist and PASA board member
Lyn Garling and Tim Bowser, executive
director of the FoodRoutes Network
 Contents Spring 2003

1 An Excursion through Cuba: A Clue to Our Future?

4 PASA-tively Speaking: Board President’s Corner
Pennsylvania Association
for Sustainable Agriculture 6 2003 Farming for the Future Conference Wrap-Up
114 West Main Street 9 A Triumph at the First Silent Auction
P.O. Box 419
Millheim PA 16854 10 Farming for the Future Conference Sponsors and Friends
Phone: (814) 349-9856 • Fax: (814) 349-9840 11 Farming for the Future Conference Food Donors
Website: www.pasafarming.org
12 Scholarship Winners Return Home Inspired;
Passages STAFF & OFFICE
2003 Conference Tapes Order Form
Guest Editor: Dan Brannen Jr. 13 Founder’s Fund
PO Box 345, Aaronsburg, PA 16820
Phone: 814-349-8212 14 Regional Marketing—Southwest
Email: newsletter@pasafarming.org
15 Regional Marketing—Southeast
Layout: C Factor
Advertising Sales: Lauren Smith, 16 Farm Based Education
PASA office, lauren@pasafarming.org 17 For Streams and Wallets, Forested Buffers are Best
18 Let Pigs Be Pigs
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
3rd Annual Sustainable Hog Farming Summit
President: Kim Miller,Westmoreland County
Vice President: Kim Tait, Centre County 19 The Junior PASA Page
Secretary: Lyn Garling, Centre County 20 Soil Fertility Management at Roxbury Farm
Treasurer: Chris Fullerton, Huntingdon County
26 Business Member Profile: Nature’s Best Organic Feeds
Mary Barbercheck, Centre County
28 The Compost Heap: Editor’s Corner
David Bingaman, Dauphin County
George DeVault, Lehigh County 30 Opportunities
Mena Hautau, Berks County 32 Calendar of Events
John Hopkins, Columbia County
33 Classifieds
John Jamison,Westmoreland County
Dave Johnson,Tioga County 35 PASA Membership/Contribution Form
Brian Moyer, Berks County 36 2003 Business Members
Anthony Rodale, Berks County
Don Kretschmann, Beaver County
Kim Seeley, Bradford County
Passages Spring 2003 Contributors
PASA STAFF WRITERS: , Dan Brannen Jr., Jean-Paul Courtens, David Eson, Diane Halverson , Kate Gatski, Kathy
Headquarters Lawrence, Amanda E. Lee, Kim Miller, Gayle Morrow, Virginia Phillips, Sally Roe, Kim Seeley, Ben Sim-
Brian Snyder mons, Lauren Smith, Brian Snyder, Ruth Sullivan, Mark Urycki, David Wise. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Pat Lit-
Executive Director tle, Brian Snyder, David Wise.
Lauren Smith
Director of Development PASA’s Mission is… PASA in the News
& Membership Programs Have you seen articles about PASA in your local
Promoting profitable farms which
Brandi Marks produce healthy food for all people while newspapers or other media? PASA is active
Office Coordinator/Bookkeeper across the state, and we’d love to know what
respecting the natural environment.
Regional Offices coverage we are getting in your area. Please clip
PASA is an organization as diverse as the Penn-
Ruth Sullivan any articles you see on PASA and mail them to
sylvania landscape. We are seasoned farmers
Director of Southeast Programs our Millheim headquarters to the attention of
who know that sustainability is not only a con-
Phone: 717-917-3731 Office Coordinator Brandi Marks.
cept, but a way of life.We are new farmers look-
Lamonte Garber ing for the fulfillment of land stewardship.We are
Southeast Project Associate Do you have a great
students and other consumers, anxious to
Phone: 717-394-5102 article idea for Passages?
understand our food systems and the choices
David Eson Want to share a farming practice with members?
that must be made.We are families and children,
Director of Southwest Programs We’d love to hear from you. Please contact guest
who hold the future of farming in our hands.This
Phone: 412-997-2343 editor Lauren Smith at (814) 349-9856 or email
is an organization that is growing in its voice on
lauren@pasafarming.org
behalf of farmers in Pennsylvania and beyond.
Our mission is achieved, one voice, one farm, Deadline for Spring Issue: June 18, 2003
Passages is printed with soy inks on recycled, chlorine-free paper one strengthened community at a time.

2
 An Excursion through Cuba: A Clue to Our Future?
Continued from page 1
for the growing Cuban economy for about
thirty years, until the collapse of the Sovi-
et Union beginning in 1989. Cuban
exports during this period were mostly
sugar, tobacco, and nickel, which they
traded for fuel, food, medicine, and the
necessary equipment and supplies to sup-
port large-scale conventional agriculture.
The seeds of agricultural change, how-
ever, were present throughout the thirty
years following the Revolution. We were
reminded on the trip that agrarian reform
had always been a priority of the Cuban
socialist regime, and many of us were left
with our jaws hanging open to hear the
story that in 1963, Fidel Castro attended
graduation ceremonies at the Universidad
Agraria de la Habana (Agrarian University
of Havana) and personally handed each
graduate a copy of a newly published
book, Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson.
From the beginning, the Revolution
had sought to guarantee adequate food for
every man, woman, and child in Cuba as
a birthright, and the desire had been to
supply as much of this food as possible
Intensive vs. Extensive Agriculture
Of the many interesting perspec-
tives gained from listening to farmers
and other agricultural specialists in
Cuba, one of the most intriguing was
the concept of “extensive agriculture.”
Cubans use the term “intensive” to
describe industrialized systems of agri-
culture that are very familiar to us in
the United States, like confined live-
stock feeding operations and mono-cul-
tural cropping practices that depend
heavily on chemical inputs.
But in describing the alternative,
Cubans talk about “extensive” systems,
which consist of vast networks of sus-
tainably run, smaller plots of ground
that emphasize cooperative labor, local
marketing, farm-based enterprises, and
a farm’s inherent responsibility to the
social fabric of its community.
In contrast to intensive agriculture,
extensive agriculture represents an
altogether different philosophical orien-
tation. Cubans use the word “exten-
sive” to emphasize how big their plans
for establishing sustainable food and
farming systems really are.
Urban farmer in Havana deals with a problem familiar to all produce farmers: lettuce that has bolt-
ed.Though work horses are somewhat rare in Cuba, the country now has nearly half a million trained
oxen, which provide power in place of the fuel-hungry tractors of the past. Note the factory building in
the background; this farm is located on a rejuvenated industrial site.
through production using fewer chemicals
on smaller farms or farm cooperatives
located close to where people actually live.
The large industrialized and foreign-
owned farms that previously exported for
the profit of absentee corporate owners
were nationalized, and the priorities of
production changed. Exports continued,
but were considered mostly a necessary
evil to obtain the goods not immediately
available within the confines of this island
nation.
But with the fall of the Soviet Union,
Cuba was plunged into a desperate food
crisis almost overnight, which dramatical-
ly quickened the pace of agricultural
reform. The United States, perhaps sens-
ing an opportunity to bring about a new
capitalist counterrevolution, tightened the
embargo with legislation in 1992 (Torri-
celli) and again in 1996 (Helms-Burton),
making things even worse for the Cuban
people.
Throughout our travels, speaker after
speaker emphasized with considerable
emotion the impact of the historical one-
two punch of Soviet trade evaporation
and U.S. legislation, but somehow each
person avoided sounding bitter in retro-
spect. Instead, they expressed pride in
what they have achieved in the face of
overwhelming circumstances.
Lacking the feed concentrates, fertiliz-
ers, pesticides, and other chemicals that
used to come through trade, the people of
this society, with the support of their gov-
ernment and universities, launched a mas-
3
sive campaign to make widespread, diver-
sified, well-distributed organic agriculture
a reality. The results are amazing, if not yet
complete, and provide convincing testi-
mony to the enduring power of the revo-
lutionary spirit still apparent in Cuban
culture.
One major strategy to ease the crisis
was to implement urban agriculture, with
folks farming their backyards, or bringing
new life to abandoned lots or defunct
manufacturing sites. Today there is
enough organic produce grown within the
city limits of Havana to feed each of the
city’s 2.5 million residents a minimum of
300 grams (about 10 ounces) of fruit and
vegetables each day.
Some of the urban farmers we met had
left very stable professional careers to
engage in agriculture for the first time. For
instance, we met a couple, a former veteri-
narian and chemist respectively, who had
originally switched to farming to feed
their children. Because of free-market
incentives established by the government
in response to the crisis, they now make
considerably more money farming than
they did in their former careers.
Another strategy has been to divide the
large, state-owned farms into smaller
cooperatives, or Basic Units of Coopera-
tive Production (UBPC), as they are
called. Our group visited one that
employed fifty-five farmers farming a total
of about eight acres, with each of the
farmers earning approximately four times
Continued on page 5
 Qué PASA? What’s up with your organization?
The current state of hysteria in
this country helps me to appreci-
ate a collateral loss suffered as the
result of sixty years of farm policy
based on cheap food. The direct
losses include soil tilth, the nutri-
tional value of food, the economic
viability of family farms, water
pollution, air pollution, and more;
the kinds of things we generally
concern ourselves with at PASA. We are
well aware of the problems associated with
these losses, but what about the indirect
costs?
One collateral loss for which we are
now paying is the loss of our farming cul-
ture. Cheap food policy has changed this
country from one in which most of its cit-
izens grew up on a farm to one in which
less than one percent do. What is so great
about growing up on a farm and why does
it matter to a nation? Let us count the
ways.
People who grow up on a farm know
how to work. We know that work doesn’t
get done in bed or sitting on the porch.
We know that work is not finished, but
goes on with each new day and is part of
the fabric of life. It is not done simply for
the money; meaningful work adds value
to life, and it makes us better people. Bet-
ter than who? Better than our own selves
if not working. Work is not to be avoided;
rather it is to be done more effectively.
And we can do lots of different jobs:
horticulture, animal husbandry, business
management, construction, machine
operation, equipment maintenance, and
weather prognostication are just some of
the skills that each farmer has. When new
skills are needed, a good farmer is not
overcome with the fear of the unknown;
he becomes a student. Farmers are self-
reliant too. Self-reliance is the ability to
recognize when it is time to ask your
neighbor for help. And so a farmer is a
good and helpful neighbor, a person who
understands that we succeed together.
When we have a bunch of people like
community is the result. And so
PASA-TIVELY SPEAKING: it comes down to family farms
again.
Board President’s Corner Yet our cheap food policy is
By Kim Miller directly responsible for the
demise of the family farm. Farms
have become larger and larger
Farm Culture until there is but one farmer
where there used to be ten or
more. This has left rural com-
this in one place, we have a stable and civil munities without enough farmers to sup-
community, or what may be termed a port their businesses, and so they have
Farm Culture. withered. And we, as a nation, have lost
There is a steadiness in Farm Culture our Farm Culture and its benefits.
and a certain unflappability that we are To restore the Farm Culture, we must
sorely missing just now. Common sense, a have more families on farms. To have fam-
staple of Farm Culture, is in short supply. ilies on farms, farming must be economi-
Can we really believe that the Iraqis are cally viable. We must not ask again: How
the source of our troubles? Would all of will this make food cheaper? Our agricul-
this administration’s fear-mongering be so tural policy at every level must answer a
easily swallowed by a nation with a strong new question: How will this policy help to
Farm Culture? Would our economy be so sustain more farm families? As we answer
debilitated with more farm-raised workers this question, food will likely become
in the work force? Can a Farm Culture more reasonably priced, as opposed to
abide bosses making millions while work- unreasonably cheap. And, by putting ten
ers make thousands? In a Farm Culture, farmers on land now farmed by one, we
people are cognizant of their interdepend- can expect to solve many of the problems
ence and are modest as a result. resulting from the direct losses created by
To maintain a Farm Culture there are our failed current policies. We have not
certain requirements. This is an oversim- any more time to waste on our failed poli-
plification, but there must be enough cies. Let us all, the USDA, the PDA, the
farmers within a given area to support a land grant universities, the agricultural
town. The farms must be economically community, and the food eating citizens
viable so that they can pay for the town of this great country begin to answer this
services that they need. When these question: How will what I do help to sus-
requirements are met, a healthy rural tain more family farms?
26110 Nanticoke Rd, Salisbury, MD 21801
Ph/Fx: 410-546-8480 • Cell: 410-603-6553 •Email: ubuubok@dmv.com
Connie & Pat Dolbey
• Growers of quality vegetable & herb transplants for market gardeners
& large scale growers since 1985.
• Ability to custom-grow your variety choice for your planting date.
Ideally suited to start-up CSAs.
• Certified organic by MD Dept. of AG.
“Flying Mother Nature’s Silver Seed To A New Home In The Sun.” Neil Young, after the goldrush
4
 An Excursion through Cuba: A Clue to Our Future?
Continued from page 3
the national average monthly wage. They
achieve this despite the fact that such
farms must first provide, as part of their
social obligation, food for local schools,
hospitals, and nursing homes before sell-
ing on the open market.
The key to the success of urban agri-
culture in Cuba is that the farms are locat-
ed in the same neighborhoods as their
customers. For instance, the UBPC men-
tioned above maintains a modest roadside
stand that attracts between four and five
thousand customers each day. This partic-
ular farm has also diversified its operation
to include several value-added products
through both nursery sales and a process-
ing kitchen.
Success in achieving sustainability of
Cuban livestock production lags behind
that achieved with vegetables and fruit. It
is impressive, though, that pork and poul-
try production, now occurring in more
diversified systems on small farms, have
reached levels that existed before the crisis,
when most all animals were raised in con-
ventional confinement facilities. And uni-
versity research conducted in Cuba, using
sustainability indicators they have devel-
oped, has concluded that a 20-cow dairy
provides the maximum level of efficiency.
We cringed when told that Cuban
authorities hoped to import more chicken
(some is already exempted from the
embargo), buying from what they
acknowledged to be industrialized farm-
ing operations in the southern United
States. They tried to comfort us that such
a strategy will only be a temporary meas-
ure, until more sustainable systems can be
implemented in Cuba on a larger scale.
Still, we struggled with this, and several of
us remained skeptical that Cuban society,
even with the resolve for sustainability,
will be able to hold off the low-priced,
industrial competition that is sure to
come—only time will tell.
Throughout the tour, on every stop
and around every corner, we found evi-
dence of an innovative spirit that was rem-
iniscent of, well, a tour of PASA farms.
The big difference, however, in comparing
what Cuba’s farmers have achieved with
the uphill battles we often face in our own
country is most basically a matter of gov-
ernment and institutional support. In
light of the crisis faced since 1989, Cuban
Customer at a bustling Havana farmers’ market.
Most booths are managed by people hired
directly by farmers to market their products.
Prices are in pesos, which are currently
exchanged at the rate of 26 per $1 U.S. This
produce is considered expensive by most
Cubans.
officials put it this way: “Sustainable agri-
culture has become an integral part of our
national defense…a ‘war’ of the people,”
and “Our soils are a strategic natural
resource.” Now, how long will we wait
before we hear such statements from our
own officials?
One question we all asked each other
repeatedly on the trip: “Will it take a cri-
sis of similar proportions in the United
States before our people understand?”
One credible though partial answer is that
we are already in a crisis, one that most
people have not yet noticed or acknowl-
edged. In many ways we are in a period
similar to Cuba of the 1970’s and 80’s,
with burgeoning industrial systems of
agriculture that are “working” in the sense
that most people are fed, even too well,
despite the environmental and social dam-
age that goes unacknowledged.
Likewise, we have our own blockade to
deal with, and as with Cuba it is mostly
political in nature. Ours, however, is not a
restriction on goods and services, but a
blockade of disinformation that restricts
the impact of research, ideas, and, most
importantly, leadership that would other-
wise result in more sustainable food and
farming systems. Much potential innova-
tion in our own country is literally
blocked by legislation and official policy
that favors corporate profits over the wel-
fare of people and communities.
For the Cuban people, the biggest
changes occurred when they realized they
had to go it alone, or starve, beginning
what the Cuban government now official-
ly and euphemistically refers to as the
5
“Special Period in Peacetime.” Few if any
of us who advocate for sustainable agricul-
ture in this country would wish to swap
our own government or economic cir-
cumstances with those found in Cuba.
But given the pace at which the United
States has chosen in recent years to isolate
itself from other countries, and the omi-
nous trend of current economic indica-
tors, we may be ready to enter our own
Special Period sooner than anyone thinks.
Here in Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in
this country, there are farmers who have
boldly demonstrated the economic, envi-
ronmental, and social success of sustain-
able systems. One of our challenges at
PASA, I believe, is to accumulate the
resulting information, ideas, and leader-
ship, and to have these resources at the
ready when they are desperately needed.
Individuals or groups interested in host-
ing a more detailed presentation, including
slides, of PASA’s participation in the Food
First delegation to Cuba, please contact
Brian directly at brian@pasafarming.org.
Sustainable Ag in Cuba
The following list was presented to
the Food First delegation by Luis Gar-
cía, an agronomist who is director of
The Center for the Study of Sustainable
Agriculture at the Agrarian University
of Havana. Entitled “The Cuban Model
for Sustainable Agriculture,” the list
reflects challenges facing Cuba’s farm-
ers since the beginning of the current
economic crisis, but serves also as a
pretty good menu of priorities for sus-
tainable farmers anywhere.
• Integrated Pest Management
• Organic fertilizers and biofertilizers
• Soil conservation and recuperation
• Animal traction and alternative
energy
• Intercropping and crop rotation
• Mixing crops and animal production
• Alternative mechanization
• Urban Agriculture and community
participation
• Alternative Veterinary Medicine
• Adjusting to local conditions
• Reverting rural emigration
• Increasing cooperative use of land
• Improving agrarian research
• Changing agrarian education
2003 Farming for the Future
Conference Wrap-Up
Conference Looks at Security “If you destroy small farms in a great
nation,” Ritchie observed, “you’ll be vul-
from a Food and Farm Perspective nerable to outside attack.”
Ritchie listed our primary food securi-
ty problems to include lack of genetic
By Dan Brannen Jr. found strength in yeoman farmers provid-
Members of the PASA conference diversity, oil dependent transportation,
ing local security. When farms got big in
planning committee could hardly have and the ecological enabling of animal and
Italy and North Africa on the backs of human diseases. The antibiotic Cipro,
predicted it a year ago when they chose slaves, small farmers went under, moved
“Local Food Systems, Local Decisions— Ritchie told the audience, is the last line of
to Rome, and were minimally fed and human defense against much disease, yet a
In Search of True Security” as the theme
amused by a bread and circus policy until cousin of Cipro used to fatten industrial
for this year’s event, but Farming for the
the empire collapsed. Continued next page
Future 2003 took place under a rare, fore-
boding “Orange Alert” status as deter-
mined by the new federal Department of Mark Ritchie explores the connection between national security and sustainable agriculture.
Homeland Security.
That fact, and a surprise snowstorm on
the night before the conference, perhaps
made the event more poignant, and PASA
members as happy as ever to be together.
Whatever the circumstances, the issue
of security has not been far from people’s
minds since the conference was held on
February 7 and 8 at the Penn Stater Con-
ference Center in State College. And as
the conference made clear, many PASA
members have a different perspective on
security than what our government might
be encouraging.

Mark Ritchie Frames the Issue

Opening keynote speaker Mark
Ritchie, who is president of the Institute
for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Min-
neapolis, planted seeds of hope with an
address that linked the very survival of our
country to the widespread success of sus-
tainable agriculture.
“The question of security has become
one of the dominant questions in every-
day life,” Ritchie said in his opening
remarks. “Food security is part of that.
The march to war for oil brings our food
system’s dependency on oil front and cen-
ter.”
Ritchie gave conference attendees a
whirlwind tour of the history of sustain-
ability, reaching all the way back to the
Roman Empire, which he said originally
6
 Continued from previous page
chickens is weakening Cipro’s effective-
ness by developing resistance to it.
Ritchie said it is knowing people like
PASA members who are working for true
food security that gets him up in the
morning. He praised his listeners for
working on the triple bottom line: ecolog-
ical, economic, and social. He also urged
PASA to stay the course of refuting the lie
that industrial agriculture is inevitable,
and assured the audience that advocates of
sustainable agriculture across the country
have noticed the progress on policy issues
made in Pennsylvania over the past year.

Cheryl Tevis Notes Optimism

Speaking to a crowd ready to mourn
the end of another PASA conference, clos-
ing keynoter Cheryl Tevis, who is Farm
Issues Editor for Successful Farming maga-
zine, brightened spirits with observations
about the growth of sustainable farming,
which she called “new agriculture.”
“I’ve enjoyed the warmth and hospital-
ity of so many wonderful people since the
start of this conference,” Tevis began,
adding that she was impressed with the
“optimism, enthusiasm, and energy of
members. Too many times, frustration
and discouragement saturate the atmos-
phere of farm conferences.”
Noting that the northeast is providing
innovative leadership with regard to agri-
cultural practices, Tevis remarked that
most of the people who were in the room
for her speech are among the trailblazers
of the current movement. In neighboring
Maryland, for example, more than 20% of
farms are headed by women, compared to
9% nationwide.
And the evidence says the movement is
growing: 39% of consumers choose some
organic foods; numbers in traditional
farm groups are dropping while PASA’s
numbers rise; small- and mid-sized seed
companies are sprouting; consumers are
rejecting irradiation, even in the face of
increased meat contamination; and chick-
en farmers are decreasing antibiotic use.
Tevis argued that for new agriculture to
make further progress, national food poli-
cy must come in line with reality.
“The notion that people don’t know or
care where food comes from is dead
wrong,” Tevis said. “Farmers too care
about food security. The question for gov-
Kathy Lawrence, Director of the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, shares insights on farm
policy in the U.S. and consequences of foreign trade strategies.
ernment is, if consumers and farmers sup- lege of Ag Science’s Department of Agri-
port sustainable agriculture, why do gov- cultural Economics and Rural Sociology.
ernment policies go the other way?” Speaking next of Bentz, Garber remarked,
“Lee was always a strong advocate for lis-
Awards Emphasize Continued on page 8
Pioneering Spirit of PASA
Midway between the keynoters in the
conference schedule, the Friday night
Awards Banquet sparked cheers and tears
as conference attendees celebrated the
good food and good people of sustainable
agriculture in Pennsylvania.
Three of PASA’s staff leaders, past and
present, opened the festivities with a trib-
ute to Carolyn Sachs and Lee Bentz, who
together are the first to reach the term
limit for service on the board of directors.
Executive Director Brian Snyder noted
“it feels like we’re pulling away from the
dock” in emphasizing the significance of
the event. Past director Tim Bowser and
Lamonte Garber, former interim director,
then shared memories of working with the New PA Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff
two retirees. welcomes the record crowd, with participants
“Carolyn was the voice in the wilder- from 22 states, to this year’s Farming for the
ness,” said Garber of Sachs, who was one Future conference. Wolff pledged to work on
of Garber’s teachers in the Penn State Col- behalf of all Pennsylvania farmers.

7
2003 Farming for the Future Conference Wrap-Up
Above left: Lee Bentz and Carolyn Sachs (2nd and 3rd from left) are honored for their longtime service on the board of directors by (l to r) Tim Bowser,
Brian Snyder, and Lamonte Garber. Lee and Carolyn are the first PASA board members to reach their term limits.
Above right: Accepting the 2003 Sustainable Ag Leadership Award is PASA’s former executive director,Tim Bowser (left), who is now executive director of
the FoodRoutes Network in Millheim. Tim is congratulated by Kim Miller (right), president of the board, with Lee Bentz (center) holding the commemora-
tive plaque.
William C. Butler, (1951–2002) former dean of
the School of Hospitality at the Penn College of
Technology in Williamsport.
Continued from page 7
tening to people of all stripes at the table
of sustainability.”
Bowser, now director of the
FoodRoutes Network in Millheim, then
got his own turn in the limelight as the
recipient of this year’s Sustainable Ag
Leadership award. Introducing Bowser,
PASA President Kim Miller called him
“the founder. The guy whose ideas have
brought us to where we are today, and one
of the first to know this organization is
not just about agriculture.”
In characteristic fashion, a surprised
Bowser acknowledged the award by
applauding the crowd: “One opinion
that’s provided more confidence and com-
fort than any other is the collective confi-
dence in this room. I cannot imagine a
greater honor. Thank you very much.”
Before turning the festivities over to a
contra dance band, Brian Snyder got up
once more to present a new award—the
Pioneer Award—to the family of the late
William C. Butler, former dean of the
School of Hospitality at the Penn College
of Technology in Williamsport.
Snyder explained that PASA will give
this award, though not necessarily every
year, to worthy individuals who, acting
from positions of authority, demonstrate a
willingness to risk the action necessary to
advance the cause of sustainable agricul-
ture in general and of farmers in particu-
lar.
Butler, who had been slated for the
award this year before his untimely death
a few weeks before the conference, was
selected because of his leadership in bring-
ing locally and sustainably grown food
into Penn College’s dining halls. The
plaque PASA presented to Butler’s family
reads:
8
In recognition of his innovative spirit
and tireless efforts on behalf of stu-
dents and local farmers, in bringing the
two together for the sake of improved
education, quality of life within the
community, and economic viability of
sustainable farms. May his contribution
be the seed others will cultivate and bring
to maturity.
Snyder recalled meeting Butler shortly
after becoming PASA’s Executive Director
and asking him, “What can I do for you,”
to which Butler responded, “No, what can
I do to help you.” PASA board member
and Bradford County dairyman Kim See-
ley remembered Butler too:
How many people do we all come in
contact with in this world? It is an
occasional time, in life’s journey, when
you have the opportunity to meet a
person who leaves a lasting mark on
your life. Bill Butler did just that
for Milky Way Farms. His risk taking
and vision is the reason we are a proud
food supplier to Penn College of
Technology.
Perhaps nothing at this year’s confer-
ence so poignantly emphasized the chal-
lenge of creating a safe food system and
security for our nation’s farmers as this
brief, yet powerful tribute to the success
and necessity of true leadership.
 A Triumph at First Silent Auction
By Lauren Smith
PASA’s first annual Silent Auction, held recently at the 12th
Farming for the Future Conference, was a great success. The gen-
erosity of our donors not only helped make this event possible,
but set the stage for a successful Silent Auction tradition.
We are proud and excited to report that the auction raised over
$7,000 of revenue! These proceeds, exceeding our goal, will go a
long way towards PASA’s programs and mission, aiding the organ-
ization greatly.
The auction tables generated much excitement, allowing
guests to enjoy lively bidding on a unique array of items, includ-
ing: original art and crafts, weekend getaways, creative food pack-
ages, gift certificates, books and autographed cookbooks, farm
and garden equipment, and more. We also had a CSA subscrip-
tion compliments of Maysie’s Farm Conservation Center, and a
PASA Lifetime Membership compliments of Schorn Construc-
tion Company and Louise Schorn Smith. Well over 75% of the
items brought a price at or above their fair market value!
“Every aspect of the Silent Auction was a real pleasure,” said
Ian Smith, Auction Coordinator, “From working with the donors,
to designing the displays, to watching the bidding process, where
each bid was a heart-warming experience for me and I hope for
the bidders. I very much look forward to working with the mem-
bership next year, doing it all again!”
The featured item this year was a timber frame donated by
Hugh Lofting of Hugh Lofting Timber Framing, Inc. It was con-
structed on-site through a special hands-on workshop offered to
pre-registered conference attendees. Building on the timber frame
workshops at the winter conference and summer field days last
year, the overwhelming response to this workshop showed that
members have a keen interest in sustainable structures.
“Talking to the membership for two days about timber fram-
ing was fantastic,” Hugh Lofting said afterwards. “There is a real
interest as well as understanding in these structures. It was great.”

A BIG THANKS TO
THE SILENT AUCTION DONORS:
Jean Bentz Maysie’s Farm
Bob and Nancy Bernhardt Conservation Center
Nature’s Best Organic Feed
Sabine & Tom Carey
Nittany Heath Center
Gene Chenoweth
PA Dept. of
Christian W. Klay Winery Environmental Protection
Common Ground Farm PASA
Karen Daystar Penn Stater
Jean Downing Conference Center Hotel
Dripworks Rohrer Seeds
Effie’s Common Scents Roylance Environmentals
Schorn Construction
Fertrell Company
Company, Inc.
Ben Gatski Louise Schorn Smith
Rob Haney Woodworking Slow Food Pittsburgh
Hugh Lofting Ian & Lauren Smith
Timber Framing, Inc Tait Farm Foods
Carl Hursh Bonnie Tatterson
Jerry Jackson Fine Pewter Bob Vernon
Kencove Farm Fence Wegmans Food Markets
Lidia’s Pittsburgh White Dog Cafe

9
 FARMING FOR THE FUTURE 2003 CONFERENCE SPONSORS

Patrons of Sustainability
Lady Moon Farms
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Rodale Institute
Platinum Key Sponsors Gold Key Sponsors Silver Key Sponsors
Fertrell Company Albert’s Organics American Farmland Trust
Nature’s Best Organic Feed Eberly Poultry Farms Indian Rock Produce
Penn State University, Organic Unlimited Moyer’s Chicks, Inc.
College of Penn College of Technology Natural Dairy
Agricultural Sciences Pennsylvania Certified Products Corp.
Pennsylvania Department Organic PennFuture
of Agriculture Spiral Path Farm Vermont Milling Ltd.
Tuscarora Organic Growers Waterkeeper Alliance
Cooperative

Bronze Key Sponsors

Animal Welfare Institute Greater Pittsburgh Orner Farms
Community Food Bank
Center for Rural PA Retail Farm Market
Pennsylvania IPM Laboratories, Inc Association

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Keystone Development Rohrer Seeds

Dairyland Sales and Service
Environmental Fund
for Pennsylvania
Center Slippery Rock University
King’s AgriSeeds Tait Farm Foods
One of the favorite Youth Program activities is
Le Raysville Cheese Factory Western PA Chapter OCIA spotlighting the conference theme by painting the
M. S. Bio-Ag White Dog Cafe Foundation annual mural.
NC+ Organics Wiscoy Pet Food Co.

FRIENDS OF THE
CONFERENCE 2003
Amsterdam Produce Enterprises, Inc.
Contra dance band Bruce Young’s Family
Mary Barbercheck
Band gets the crowd kicking up their
heels at the Friday Awards Banquet. Lee & Jean Bentz
Bob & Nancy Bernhardt
Carl Callenbach & Linda Homa
Gene Chenoweth
Jim & Moie Crawford
George & Melanie DeVault
Chris Fullerton
Lyn Garling
Gary Gyekis & Loanne Snavely
David Hiebert
Bernie & Ingrid Hoffnar
Todd & John Hopkins
Matthew Hora
Leo Horrigan & Margery McIver
John & Sukey Jamison
Steve & Becky Marks
Ken & Beth Marshall
Sally & Karl Meyer
Kim & Dianne Miller
Jim & Paula-Goetting Minesky
Carolyn Sachs
Nancy Shorsher
Ian & Lauren Smith
A happy crew with the finished timber frame. Left to right: Sam Brenna, Hugh Lofting, and Hugh Loft-
Brian & Paula Snyder
ing Jr., of Hugh Lofting Timber Framing Inc., plus (front) Kim Tait and Bob Anderson, proud purchasers.
Rear: Ian Smith, Silent Auction Coordinator. Glenn Vernon & Claudia Albertin
10
 CONFERENCE FOOD DONORS
The ingredients for the meals served during the conference are gathered from sup-
portive farmers, processors, and distributors. Please thank and support these generous
businesses.
Albert’s Organics Keswick Creamery Seven Stars Farm
Bridgeport NJ Newburg PA Phoenixville PA
Applegate Farms Kettle Foods Spring Wood Farm
Branchburg NJ Salem OR & Ohio Kinzer PA
Beech Grove Farm Lady Moon Farms Spring Creek Natural Foods
Trout Run PA Chambersburg PA Spencer WV
Cherry Tree farms & Punta Gorda, FL Sunny Ridge Farm
Cherry Tree, PA LeRaysville Cheese Factory Spring Run PA
Common Ground LeRaysville PA Sunnyside Farm
Organic Farm Long Lane Farm Nichols NY
Spring Mills PA Coburn PA Tait Farm
Country Lane Poultry Mad Mex Restaurant Community Harvest
Leola PA Centre Hall PA
State College PA
Danda Farms Tait Farm Foods
Manheim PA
Milky Way Farms
Centre Hall PA
Troy PA
Dane’s Eggs Tuscarora Organic
Troy PA Natural Dairy Products Growers Coop
West Grove PA Hustontown PA
Eberly Poultry Farms
Stevens PA New Morning Farm Vermont Milling Ltd
Hustontown PA Potts Grove PA
Elk Creek Fish Hatchery
Rebersburg PA Niman Ranch Village Acres
San Jose, CA Mifflintown PA
Forks Farm
Orangeville PA Old School Snacks Vollmecke Orchards & CSA
Cairnbrook PA Coatesville PA
Frankferd Farms Foods
Saxonburg PA Phillips Mushroom Farms Wil-Ar Farm
Kennett Square PA Newville PA
Full Circle Farms
Spring Mills PA Provident Farms Willful Cedar Farm
Liberty PA New Columbia PA
Hares Valley Growers
Mapleton PA
Help From Above Farm
Three Springs PA
Highland Farm
Coatesville PA
Indian Rock Produce
Quakertown PA

Shon Seeley of Milky Way Farm in Troy

addresses the conference on behalf of
agriculture students who are working to
initiate a Sustainable Agriculture Club at
Penn State University.

Jo Robinson, author of The Omega Diet and

Why Grassfed Is Best, explains how animals
Daniel Salatin of Polyface Farm shares tips for
raised on a pasture-based diet are better for
young farmers starting niche businesses on
human nutrition.
their family farms.

11
2003 PASA CONFERENCE TAPES ORDER FORM

Scholarship Winners
Return Home Inspired
By Kate Gatski
The Arias M. Brownback Scholarship allowed over twenty peo-
ple, including seven youth, to attend this year’s Farming for the
Future conference. The scholarship recipients, who otherwise could
not have joined us in February, showed significant interest in learn-
ing and eagerly sought specific skills, contacts with peer farmers,
and inspiration to continue their sustainable pursuits.
Feedback from the scholarship recipients indicates they got what
they came for, so we declare the program a real success. A special
thanks to all those who contributed to the scholarship fund. Your
donation made this possible.
We would like to share some of the feedback with you. It is
exciting to see the impact the conference can have on people’s lives,
particularly for those who are in a transition or developing a new
farming business.
In many cases it was the small bits of information and direction
that mattered. Here is what one recipient had to say about attend-
ing a few vegetable workshops. “After hearing Alex Hitt emphasize
the importance of a farm plan (even if you don’t stick to it), we came
home and promptly made one. After hearing Jean-Paul Courtens’ lec-
ture on soil management, we ordered our soil test so it won’t slip
between the cracks. At some point [Sam Cantrell] mentioned that he
has his CSA members pick their own green beans and cherry tomatoes.
This is the perfect solution for our green bean dilemma.”
For others it was the sum of all experiences that was so impor-
tant: “Seeing examples of farms where the weeds are controlled, the
books are organized, and the organic matter in the soil is maintained
gives me hope that some day (in the future) our farm will also achieve
those goals.”
Another recipient needed a bit of inspiration. Here is how it
happened: “Previous to the conference, we had thought very little
about next season. I returned energized and within a week, we had
started all of our onion seedlings, made an 8-year crop rotation for our
farm, and formulated a weekly seeding chart for the entire season. In
this time of national uncertainty, it is important for us, as starting
farmers, to be encouraged to continue on with our learning, and this
conference serves that purpose perfectly.”
Among the scholarship recipients were seven youth considering
their own future plans. Here’s what a group of 4-H’ers had to say:
“Although 4-H members all have experience in raising livestock and
gardening projects, they learned a different approach to thinking about
these projects. One of the most eye opening lectures was probably “Hogs:
Genetically Designed With Your Health in Mind,” where members
realized that perhaps the way they are trying to raise their animals and
choose grand champions might not really be what the industry is actu-
ally looking for. This conference was a great educational experience for
the youth attending and a real enlightenment on the importance of pro-
ducing healthy and safe food products for the consumer public.”
All in all, then, this year’s scholarship program satisfied many
needs: informational, financial, and inspirational. Again, a big
thanks to all who made it possible. Please keep the program in
mind next year when it is time to make a contribution or to encour-
age a neighbor farmer or friend to apply for a scholarship.

12
 Ardath Rodale
Kutztown, PA

Founder’s Fund
A Lifelong Commitment to Sustainability
Anthony & Florance Rodale
Kutztown, PA
Carolyn Sachs
State College, PA
Ben & Sondra Simmons
Hershey, PA
All of us at PASA are proud of the growing roster of lifetime members. Contributions for lifetime mem-
Roy & Hammer Sletson
bership will be managed with care as part of the PASA Founder’s Fund, sustaining both ongoing member- State College, PA
ship as well as the long-term future of PASA.There are few things a member could do to symbolize their
Brian & Paula Snyder
lifelong commitment to sustainability than to place such confidence in the value and viability of PASA itself. Centre Hall, PA
It is our pleasure to list all new lifetime members in each issue of Passages, and to print the entire list (on Barbara Songer
an annual basis.) Following is the complete list of PASA Lifetime Members as of April 1, 2003. Clarion, PA
Debbie Swettenam
& Linda Humphreys
Claudia Albertin Jack & Dale Duff Jeff & Tracy Mattocks Family Sarver, PA
& Glenn Vernon Natrona Heights, PA Middletown, PA
Phyllis & Mark Terwilliger
Loganton, PA Chris Fullerton Kim & Dianne Miller Family Honesdale, PA
Robert Amsterdam & Susan Hustontown, PA New Alexandria, PA
Joan S. & Dennis W.Thomson
Richards Family Brian Futhey & Debra Heller Ted W. Mitchell Warrioirs Mark, PA
Mechanicsburg, PA Woodward, PA Levittown, PA
Ruth Tonachel
Judy & Henrik Berger Family Nancy Gabriel Babs Mumma Towanda, PA
Huntingdon, PA Ithaca, NY Mechanicsburg, PA
Chris & Nan Uhl
Tim & Linda Blakely Lamonte Garber Anne & Eric Nordell State College
Elgon,WV Lancaster, PA Trout Run, PA
Jodi & Evan Verbanic
Martin Boksenbaum Lyn Garling
Drew & Joan Norman Pittsburgh, PA
& Janet Goloub Rebersburg, PA
White Hall, MD
Treichlers, PA Karen & Jan Vollmecke,
Bill & Jeanie Hass
Bear Creek, PA Cass Peterson Jeff Beyea
Preston & Wanda Boop Family
Flanders, NJ Coatesville, PA
Mifflinburg, PA Mena Hautau
& Steve DeBroux Dan Reinhold Beth Whiteman
Timothy Bowser Boalsburg, PA
Barto, PA Mill Hall, PA
Millheim, PA
Michael & Terra John Heinz
Brownback Family Upper Black Eddy, PA MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME
Loysville, PA Bobbie Hineline & Tom Ljunman Two years ago, the PASA board of directors established the
Greensburg, PA
Dick & Jane Burlingame Founder’s Fund not only to hold monies contributed for life-
Russell, PA Leo Horrigan & Margery McIver
Baltimore, MD time memberships, but also for gifts given in memory of spe-
Mike & Virginia Byers cific individuals. Funds contributed as memorials will be used
Spring Mills, PA Joel & Susan Hubler
Slatington, PA for special projects in the future as determined by a two-
Gene Chenoweth
John Ikerd thirds vote of the board. During 2002, memorial gifts were
Mifflinburg, PA
Columbia, MO contributed by the following individuals:
Jim & Moie Crawford
John & Cindy Irwin In Memory of James Patrick Madden
Hustontown, PA
Pequea, PA By:Timothy Bowser
Barbara Crosby
Wes Jackson Rex Warland
Portageville, NY
Salina, KS
Jonda Crosby
Rose Marie Kendall MEMORIAL LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
Helena, MT
Hookstown, PA
Andrew Crowley A new memorial option was recently created in response to
Don & Becky Kretschmann Family
Glendale, OH Rochester, PA a generous gift from one of PASA’s newest members. In this
Bill Deitrick & Family option, a “Memorial Lifetime Membership” may be purchased
David Lembeck
New Columbia, PA State College, PA in honor of individuals who will then be inscribed on PASA’s
Dan Desmond Steve & Becky Marks Family membership list in perpetuity. We are very grateful to have
Lancaster, PA Bloomsburg, PA received the following contribution in 2002:
George & Melanie DeVault Allen & Martha Matthews Memorial Lifetime Membership
Emmaus, PA Burlington,VT In Honor of Dale W. & Mary Anne Eson
David Dietz Family Dave Mattocks By: David & Wendy Eson Family
York, PA Bainbridge, PA

13
 Qué PASA? Regional Marketing — Southwest
Pittsburgh Restaurant
Hosts Parley for Chefs
and Farmers
By Virginia Phillips
Executive Chef Craig Richards of
Lidia’s Pittsburgh and David Eson of the
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable
Agriculture (PASA) chose January—the
quietest time of year for restaurants and
farmers alike—to convene a meeting of
Pittsburgh chefs and the farmers, mainly
organic or sustainable, who supply them.
Richards saw the January 27 parley as a
chance for the area’s top chefs and western
Pennsylvania’s specialty growers to meet
face to face, hear about new products,
convey each others needs, and to do so in
advance of the growing season.
The guest speaker was Lidia Bastianich
herself (see photo above), who stressed the
importance of a restaurant seeking out tal-
ented farmers and superior products.
“Our job is to exalt the product. It is the
chef ’s job to re-find the flavors it has been
given by nature. It is unthinkable that
chefs wouldn’t do that.” Bastianich said a
similar chef-to-farmer effort is underway
at Lidia’s Kansas City.
Chef Craig said, “As a chef, I am only
as good as the product I have in my
hand.” He urged chefs to press farmers for
what they want. “I stood in line at the
farmers’ market to get Art King’s tomatoes
and arugula. I had to have those tomatoes.
I did this until I convinced Art to deliver
them to my restaurant.”
King took the podium to describe his
delight at a visit by Lidia’s Pittsburgh’s
sous-chefs to his Harvest Valley Farms in
Valencia. He urged other chefs to do the
same.
Chefs represented more than a dozen
restaurants: Isabela, Bruschetta, Lucca,
Dish, Big Burrito’s Casbah, Soba, Kaya,
Mad Mex, and Mountain View among
them. They met and mingled with 40
western Pennsylvania farmers, including
members of Pennsylvania Local Organics
Works!, an organic marketing coop head-
ed by CSA farmer Don Kretschmann.
Also represented were members of Penn’s
Corner Farm Alliance, longtime suppliers
to restaurants, and Farmers at the Fire-
house, a farmers’ market in the Strip, both
groups headed by organic farmers Pam
Bryan and Doyle Freeman.
Chefs were seen tucking away for later
“testing samples” of pork chops carried in
a cooler by one new farmer, and talking
with growers about issues from delivery
Southwest “In the Works”
PASA’s Southwest Regional Marketing program
includes the following counties: Allegheny,
Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene,
Indiana,Washington, and Westmoreland. Check
this listing quarterly for projects ‘in-the-
works’!
n Cooperatives — The Penn’s Corner
Farm Alliance and Pennsylvania Local
Organics Works, LLC are two cooperatives
PASA is assisting in southwestern Pennsylvania
to supply restaurants, farmers’ markets, a CSA
project, and wholesale markets.
n Buy Local Project — Helping consumers
support farmers by disseminating information
on where to buy locally produced products.
The Project is partnering with community
groups, local media, and area governments.
n Grass-Based Networks — Organizations
and farmers are networking together to
increase the number of grass-based producers
in southwest Pennsylvania. Farmers will
receive direct marketing assistance, grazing
education, and technical assistance. Consumers
will ultimately benefit by receiving information
on where to buy pastured eggs, meat, and
dairy products.
14
logistics to process-
ing
encountered
problems
by
small-scale poultry,
lamb, and beef sup-
pliers, to burdens
on small farmers
posed by increasing
federal regulation.
Richards and
Eson will be planning a field day visit for
chefs at Harvest Valley Farms this sum-
mer. The public will be invited. Farmers
interested in advice on selling to restau-
rants may contact Richards at Lidia’s Pitts-
burgh, 412-552-0150, or Eson at PASA,
412-997-2343 or david@pasafarming.org.
[Ed. note: This article is based on a
shorter version from the Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette and is printed with kind permis-
sion.]
n Farmer to Chef Networks — Local
farms are working with local chefs to provide
fresh menu possibilities for chefs and prof-
itable marketing opportunities for farmers.
n Local Foods Project — Helping Slippery
Rock University purchase at least 10 percent
of its food from local sources.
Let’s Work Together
We’re eager to hear from you. Please contact:
David Eson,
Director of Southwest Programs
412-997-2343 • david@pasafarming.org
PASA Southwest Needs Office
Space — For the last seven months,
PASA Southwest has been loctaed in
the regional director’s home. Now we
are ready for the big time! Does any-
body know of space we might use to set
up our southwest office? We will enter-
tain suggestions for shared space with
another nonprofit, empty space on a
farm, or a variety of creative thoughts.
Ideally, we’d like the office to be near
Pittsburgh. If anyone has space for us, or
suggestions about who might, please
contact David Eson.
 Qué PASA? Regional Marketing — Southeast
Grass-Farmers Wanted
for New Directory
By Ruth Sullivan
Are you raising animals on grass in
southeast PA? Do you want to sell your
products to local customers? Then I want
to include you in PASA’s forthcoming
directory of pastured products in south-
east Pennsylvania. The directory will cover
Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancast-
er, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery,
Northampton, and Philadelphia Coun-
ties. (If I get a lot of requests, I might be
persuaded to enlarge this area.)
I am interested in including all types of
meat, poultry, and dairy products raised
on pasture. This includes (but is not lim-
ited to): beef, pork, lamb, veal, poultry,
goat, rabbit, cheese, eggs, milk, and what-
ever value-added versions of these prod-
ucts you sell. The directory will include
your contact information, which products
you sell, any special notes about your pro-
duction practices, and where customers
can purchase your products (i.e., at the
farm, farmers’ markets, CSAs, retail out-
lets, etc). There will be some photos, a
Southeast “In the Works”
PASA’s Southeast Regional Marketing program
includes the following counties: Berks, Bucks,
Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh,
Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia.
Projects “in the works” include:
n Sustainable Meat Marketing — We will
be pulling together a comprehensive project
that addresses supply, demand, transportation,
and processing of sustainably-produced meat,
poultry, and dairy products. As the first step,
we’re putting together a directory of pasture-
based products. In collaboration with the
southwest region, we are also pursuing
research into the changing structure of Penn-
sylvania’s meat packing and processing industry
and its effect on Pennsylvania livestock pro-
ducers.
map showing approximately where each
farm is located, and a brief description of
the benefits for consumers of buying local,
pasture-raised products. Of course, the
listing will be free. I hope to finish the
Pastured layers enjoy mid-March sunshine on Inverbrook Farm in Chester County. PASA is compiling a
directory that will list products from pasture-based systems like this one in southeastern PA.
n Marketing Infrastructure — We will
support marketing infrastructure in the south-
east, including buying clubs, cooperatives, farm-
ers’ markets, CSA’s, and farmer networks.
PASA has already begun work with the South-
east CSA Network to provide outreach and
press kits for this group. In addition, we are
exploring opportunities to develop a farmer-
to-chef network in several of the counties in
the region.
n Partnership Development and
Capacity Building — Establishing a regional
office gives PASA the unique opportunity to
focus on building partnerships with local
organizations and agencies, such as county
economic development offices. In addition, our
regional director is hosting a series of potluck
15
directory by fall.
So if your farm lies in these counties, or
if you market your products in this region,
please contact me at (717) 917-3731 or
ruth@pasafarming.org. Let me know
where you are located and what you are
producing. I would also be pleased to
receive a note with a copy of your
brochure sent to: Ruth Sullivan, Pastured
Products Directory, PASA, PO Box 419,
Millheim, PA 16854. I look forward to
hearing from you.
events in each county to build relationships
with, provide services for, and get feedback
from PASA’s 300 regional members.
n Buy Local Campaign — This project is
helping consumers support local farmers by
giving them information on where to buy
locally produced products. PASA and its part-
ners — the Philadelphia Fair Food Project,
Greensgrow, and Farm to City — will be
launching their first campaign in five neighbor-
hoods in Philadelphia in the Spring of 2003. In
addition, we will be working with other com-
munities to expand the campaign to other
areas of southeastern PA.
Let’s Work Together
We’re eager to hear from you. Please contact:
Ruth Sullivan
Director of Southeast Programs
717-917-3731 • ruth@pasafarming.org
 Qué PASA?
Farm Based Education Update
By Kate Gatski
As winter turns to spring, there’s noth-
ing like PASA’s Farm Based Education
program to get you out of the house, out
of your routine, or out of an unwanted
rut.
We’re planning another full schedule of
Field Days for the 2003 season that will
introduce participants to innovative sus-
tainable ag practices and businesses. The
schedule in the accompanying box (right)
contains dates to put in your calendar and
basic information to whet your appetite.
Members will receive mailed invitations to
each to each event. If you are not a mem-
ber, perhaps consider joining to receive
such announcements.
Host an Event?
We would like to invite readers to par-
ticipate more actively in PASA’s educa-
tional program. If you are willing to have
guests at your farm and would like to
share what you’ve learned about sustain-
ability, please contact me. As a host, you
will be in the unique position of getting a
group consultation, as participants often
provide hosts with valuable feedback. It is
an informal, exciting, and friendly envi-
ronment for farmer-to-farmer learning all
around.
As our educational program grows, we
believe it is important to have opportuni-
ties at places other than farms too. We will
consider, for example, field day hosts who
are processors or restaurant owners. Our
goal is holistic: to promote enterprises that
serve and depend upon sustainable agri-
culture.
We’re very excited to see and meet you
in the fields, pastures, and processing
rooms this season. If you have ideas for or
feedback on this program, please feel wel-
come to call me at 570-387-6327.
For current information on
Farm Bassed Education events visit:
www.pasafarming.org
Farm Based Education
Sneak Preview of 2003
Spring FBE Events
n Friends Farm Field Day
Thursday, May 1
10:00am – 3:00pm
Friends Farm,Williamsburg (Blair Co.)
Join PASA and Friends Farm for an
exciting day of learning about practical
and sustainable building for the farm, as
well as about small-scale vegetable pro-
duction and marketing.
n Cove Mt. Pasture Walk
Come feel the energy at our farmer field days
Wednesday, May 7 management for Solanaceous crops, gar-
10:00am – 2:00pm lic varieties research, and an equipment
Cove Mt. Farm, Mercersburg demonstration.
(Franklin County)
Join PASA and Franklin County Graziers n Planning to Succeed
for a pasture walk and discussion on Thursday, May 22
grazing strategies for the 2003 growing 10:00am – 3:00pm
season. Maple Hill Farm, Lincoln University
(Chester County)
n Cost-Share Programs for Graz- Join PASA and Maple Hill Farm in learn-
ing and Riparian Buffer Systems ing about how to make best use of your
Friday, May 9 growing season, using season extension,
10:00am – 3:00pm special vegetable varieties, and savvy
Steve Letterman Farm (Centre County) marketing strategies.
Join PASA, PA Association for Conserva-
n Raising Hogs
tion Districts and the Natural Resources
on Pasture Field Day
Conservation Services for a day of
Friday, June 6
learning about government programs
10:00am – 3:00pm
available to help landowners establish
Spring Water Farm, Paradise
grazing systems, streambank fencing and
(Lancaster County)
riparian enhancement.
Join PASA and Spring Water Farm for a
n High Tunnel Field Day daylong event on how to raise healthy
Friday, May 16 hogs in a pasture-based system. At
9:00am – 4:00pm Spring Creek, they farrow and raise Tam-
Ag Research Station, Rock Springs worth hogs outdoors.
(Centre County) Members will receive mailed invitations to
This event will include updates on bram- all FBE events. For more information on any of
ble production, annual early spring cut these events, please call Project Contractor,
Kate Gatski at 570-387-6327.
flower production, bio-control pest
16
 Qué PASA?
Continued from previous page
For Streams and Wallets,
Forested Buffers are Best
By David Wise,
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Pennsylvania farmers wrestle with
important decisions that require them to
balance priorities and know the value of
good information. Whether to use stream-
side areas carefully for production or to set
them aside for conservation or income
supplementation is one of these decisions.
Some well-intentioned articles by Mid-
west writers, including one in PASA’s
summer 2002 newsletter (“Managed
Grazing and Stream Ecosystems,” Passages
No. 40, p. 10), suggest that grass cover,
even if grazed, protects streams better than
forest cover. Whether this is accurate in
prairie regions is debatable, but it clearly is
not the case in Pennsylvania.
Stream life here in “Penn’s Woods” is
adapted to woody cover and depends on it
completely. Trees provide the vast majori-
ty of the usable food energy in streams.
Stream insects are highly specialized and
show strong preferences for some types of
tree leaves over others, while starving on
plants that commonly grow in sunny
Before (left) and after (right) photos show three month improvment when Berks County dairy farmer removed livestock from streamside.
Farm Based Education
meadows.
Trees also alter the amount and quality
of light, dampen temperature extremes
(summer and winter), and even shape the
stream channel itself. Streams with forest
cover are generally twice as wide and shal-
lower than meadow streams. This gives
twice the living area for organisms that
remove pollutants. It should not surprise
livestock producers that living things,
whether bugs in a creek or cows on a pas-
ture, will thrive more when given lots of
their preferred feed and twice the space.
Researchers ranging from the Smith-
sonian Institute to Penn State have shown
that forested buffers are distinctly better
than grass buffers for keeping excess nutri-
ents, sediments, and other pollutants from
reaching streams in the first place. The
Stroud Water Research Center, which is
internationally known for its 35 years of
basic and applied stream research and is
home-grown in southeastern Pennsylva-
nia, advises that grass buffered streams are
not as effective as forested streams at pro-
cessing pollutants that actually reach the
17
channel. In the same way that healthier
livestock are more productive, healthier
streams (those with forest cover) are more
productive at processing pollutants for us
all.
Many landowners deciding how to
manage streamside areas will think about
stream health along with the many other
considerations involved. Knowing that
forested buffers are best for streams can
help. Knowing about the generous finan-
cial incentives available for installing
forested buffers can help too. To get such
information, contact your county office of
USDA’s Farm Service Agency and ask
about forested buffers via CREP or CRP,
or contact the Chesapeake Bay Founda-
tion at 717-234-5550.
For more information, check out the
USDA’s “Livestock Grazing and Riparian
Areas in the Northeast” by Noel Soto, Graz-
ing Lands Specialist for PA NRCS. It is
available at www.info.usda.gov/nrcs/
eregion_tech/index.htm. Select “livestock
grazing” along the right side, then “publica-
tions,” then select the icon “grazing and
riparian.” Or call the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation at 717-234-5550 for a hard
copy of this and other buffer information.
For more information on Stroud Center,
visit www.stroudcenter.com.
 Public Policy Partnerships
Let Pigs Be Pigs
By Diane Halverson
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)
was founded in 1951 to reduce the pain
and fear inflicted on animals by humans.
To this end, AWI has turned to the mar-
ketplace to give consumers an alternative
to purchasing the products of cruel animal
factories.
In 1989, AWI developed the first
USDA-approved label for identifying
meat from family pig farms that complied
with our humane standards. The label,
called Pastureland Farms, was applied to
the products of a Minnesota farm for a
test market in Minneapolis-St. Paul. AWI
eventually relinquished the label for use
by dairy farmers in Minnesota.
In 1997, AWI began collaborating on a
husbandry program with Niman Ranch, a
major marketer of quality meats. Niman
Ranch is the first American company to
embrace the humane pig husbandry stan-
dards of an animal welfare organization
and to require adherence to AWI’s stan-
dards by the farmers from whom it buys
pigs. (See www.awionline.org and
www.nimanranch.com.)
In 2002, AWI began to work with a
Wisconsin family farm that possessed an
independent label for marketing its pork
in food-coops, natural food shops, restau-
rants, and farmers’ markets. AWI stands
ready to work with farmers in Pennsylva-
nia and elsewhere who want to market
pigs with an independent label. We also
support the growing interest in Pennsylva-
nia for marketing through Niman Ranch.
AWI’s Humane On-Farm Pig Hus-
bandry Standards are neither novel nor
difficult for farmers to satisfy. They reflect
the tradition of many generations of
American farmers: let pigs be pigs. Our
criteria require that pigs be allowed to
behave naturally. The Institute recom-
mends well-managed pasturing of pigs.
When animals are sheltered in barns, they
must be given straw or other suitable
materials to serve as bedding and to allow
for expression of instinctive behaviors.
Like her wild ancestors, the domestic sow
is biologically driven to isolate herself and
build a nest when it is time to give birth.
AWI requires that sows be given materials
and space with which to do so.
Our standards respect pig biology and
behavioral characteristics and enable
farmers to avoid the routine use of sub-
therapeutic antibiotics, preserving the effi-
cacy of antibiotics in human and animal
medicine.
Only independent family farms can
qualify for AWI’s program. AWI defines
an independent family farm as one on
which an individual or family owns the
pigs, participates in the daily physical
labor of caring for the animals and man-
aging the farm, and depends for its liveli-
REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2003
SUSTAINABLE HOG FARMING SUMMIT!
The Third Annual Water-
keeper Alliance Sustainable
Hog Farming Summit will
take place Saturday, June 7,
2003, at the Eisenhower Inn
and Conference Center in H·O·G
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The Summit will begin with
SUMMIT
registration from 7:00 to
8:30a.m. and conclude at
2003
9:00p.m. after a keynote address by the
president of the Waterkeeper Alliance,
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
A full program of events and registra-
tion materials for the Summit are available
online at the Waterkeeper website
(www.waterkeeper.org, click “events”), or
by calling Jeff Odefey at the Waterkeeper
office, 914-674-0622. The registration fee
is $35 for the full day. Rooms are available
at the Eisenhower Inn at the special con-
ference rate of $94/night by calling 800-
776-8349.
18
hood. The latter requirement does not
prohibit off-farm employment, since
increasingly, many farm families find they
must work “off the farm” in order to stay
“on the farm.” It does, however, require
that farming be essential to the economic
well-being of the farmer or farm family.
AWI’s Humane On-Farm Pig Hus-
bandry Standards were recently endorsed
by GRACE Factory Farm Project, Water-
keeper Alliance, Chefs Collaborative,
Earth Pledge Foundation, Slow Food
USA, and Public Citizen. These groups
recognize the fundamental role humane
husbandry plays in protecting the quality
of our water, air, and food.
The Animal Welfare Institute is devel-
oping humane standards for other species
of animals used for food. For more infor-
mation about AWI and its program,
please visit our website at www.awion-
line.org, e-mail us at halversonawi@aol
.com, or write us at P.O. Box 3650, Wash-
ington, D.C. 20027.
As a co-sponsor of this
event, PASA will host a
Farm-Based Education field
day on Friday, June 6, at
Spring Water Farm in Lan-
caster County. To register
for this field day, please call
814-349-9856 ext. 6 by May
30. A registration fee of $10
for PASA members and $15
for nonmembers will be collected at
Spring Water Farm.
Those who are attending the Hog
Summit and/or PASA field day are also
invited to attend a BBQ Pig Roast on Fri-
day night from 7:00 to 11:00p.m. at the All-
star Pavilion, located directly behind the
Eisenhower Inn in Gettysburg. The theme
for the night is local fare, including food,
drink, and music, featuring a bluegrass
band. A suggested donation of $12 per
person for the meal and entertainment
will be collected at the door.
 How can you train your dog, or
even your chickens, to obey you?
How can you grow your own fresh
flowers to bloom in February? How
would you butcher a chicken? All of
these questions and others were
answered at the 2003 PASA Chil-
dren’s Conference, and some of you
know the answers because you were
there!
On February 7 and 8, forty of you
joined your parents and the other
PASA conference attendees in
State College, Pennsylvania. Not
only did forty young people age five
to thirteen attend the conference,
but six toddlers did too, ably cared
for by PASA volunteers. We really
appreciated the assistance of six
volunteers from the Sigma Alpha
Professional Agricultural Sorority
at Penn State as well.
Some of the junior PASA atten-
dees were also presenters during
one segment of the junior program
at which young people presented
displays about life on their farms.
During that session kids were able
to see a young chicken farmer
butcher a chicken, and displays by
young vegetable, goat, and other
farmers.
As usual, one of the favorite
sessions was swimming. Actually,
swimming was available twice, and
very well attended. On Friday, young
people had the chance to decorate
clay pots in preparation for Satur-
day’s potting of Narcissi bulbs. If
you have been keeping them in a
cold, dark place, you might want to
Answers to last issue’s puzzle: drizzle, sleet, hail, snow, rain, stratus, cumulonimbus, cumulus, cirrus.
Spring is upon us! What will you be growing in your garden this year? Let us know! Also, do you have any great jokes?
Send them along with your gardening ideas to:The Junior PASA Page, c/o Sally Roe, RD3 Box 44,Troy, PA 16947.
To stretch your vocabulary and remind yourself of
some of the products and inhabitants of Pennsylvania farms,
see if you can match the following:
Feline relating to dogs
Ovine relating to horses
Bovine relating to cats
Canine relating to goats
Equine relating to sheep
Caprine relating to pigs
Porcine relating to cows
check them. If a few weeks have grownup attendees, we collected
gone by and healthy shoots have “birthday pennies” at the Friday
appeared, bring them to a warmer, night banquet to raise money for
slightly sunnier part of your home the Food Bank—$266.88 in all.
and water them as needed. Then, During the “Comedy Hour,” young
enjoy! people shared some favorite jokes.
The last session of the youth In the spirit of that session, here’s
program was presented by “Paws a recent favorite at our house:
with a Cause” and included a four-
footed presenter as well as his Knock, knock.
trainer. We learned how the trainer
Who’s there?
prepared her charge for life as a
service dog, using, among other Will you remember me in an hour?
things, a clicker. We also had the Yes.
opportunity to “clicker train” one of Will you remember me in a day?
our fellow attendees in order to Yes.
understand a little of what it is like Will you remember me in a year?
for a dog going through training. Yes.
We also decorated birthday
cards and birthday bags for the Knock, knock.
State College Area Food Bank as a Who’s there?
service project. To involve the You forgot me already!
19
 Soil Fertility Management
at Roxbury Farm
Roxbury Farm is a 148-acre, 750-mem-
ber CSA in Kinderhook, NY. Jean-Paul
Courtens and his partner Jody Bolluyt man-
age the farm along with four apprentices
and two seasonal workers.
Courtens has over twenty years of
farming experience. He graduated in 1985
from Warmonderhof, an agriculture school
that specializes in biodynamic farming and
gardening. Courtens came to the United
States in 1986 and founded Roxbury Farm
in 1990.This article contains excerpts from
one that Jean-Paul presented on soil fertili-
ty management at PASA’s Farming for the
Future conference in February 2003.
By Jean-Paul Courtens
To evaluate the fertility level of our soils,
there are four different characteristics to
distinguish.
1. Chemical fertility
a. Hayfields:
Hayfields are generally self-sufficient in
nitrogen provided there are plenty of
legumes as part of the hay mix. You might
see your neighbors using generous
amounts of nitrogen fertilizers on their
hayfields, and in Holland they practice
this as an indirect weed-killer. The only
plants that do well with an oversupply of
nitrogen are the grasses. Grasses have a
great ability to choke other plants given
that they are supplied with lots of water
and nitrogen. High nitrogen levels also
reduce the uptake of nitrogen through
mychorrhizae that live in symbiosis with
the roots of the legumes.
The best improvement in a hayfield is
to make it part of a rotational grazing sys-
tem, in which cows are allowed to graze
for very short periods (1 to 3 days). In
alternate years, the field is hayed, which
still allows for a fall grazing period. The
most productive hayfields are usually the
ones with the greatest number of species,
considering the time an alfalfa field is out
of production for reseeding purposes.
The annual potash requirement for the
hayfields averages around 80–110
lbs./acre. Roots and microorganisms can
extract some potash out of the rock con-
tent of the soil or draw some from the
subsoil, provided the soil has no hardpan.
An annual gift of 14 tons of cow manure
provides 110 lbs. of potash.
The annual need for phosphate is
around 25 lbs./acre. Three tons of manure
would cover that (based on average
manure samples). Most manure contains
relatively high amounts of phosphate
caused by the grains fed to the animals.
b. Vegetables:
All vegetables have different nutritional
requirements. A rule of thumb is that:
• Most vegetables have a relatively low
need for phosphorus.
• Leafy greens have a higher than average
need for potassium.
• Most recently developed vegetable vari-
eties do well with high levels of nitro-
gen.
• Most vegetables need a pH between six
and seven.
Average uptake from vegetables is:
• 81 lbs./acre nitrogen
(available in +/- 8 tons of compost)
• 31 lbs./acre phosphate
(available in +/- 4 tons of compost)
• 122 lbs./acre potash
(available in +/- 10 tons of compost)
Compost or manure releases only
about 40% of its nitrogen the first year,
with the remainder being released in the
following two to three years. When we
spread the manure in the fall, losses of sol-
uble nitrogen are high and we can only
utilize 20% in the following year.
Nitrogen from cover crops, when
plowed under, is released over a very short
amount of time and care should be taken
to avoid losses. Most of the nitrogen from
cover crops consists of ammonia (highly
volatile). The nitrogen in manure consists
of about half ammonia with the other half
in nitrate, and in good compost, all
ammonia is converted to nitrate.
A soil test will give some indication of
the state of your soil. But besides giving
20
accurate numbers for pH and Organic
Matter, it rarely allows for a good predic-
tion of what the yields will be in an organ-
ic system. I have seen many instances
where good soil health (good structure,
good biological diversity, and good physi-
cal qualities) overrides its chemical con-
tents.
The reality is that hay would do very
well with an annual gift of 2 to 3 tons of
cow manure to the acre, while vegetables
need more than what the numbers from
a chemical analysis suggest in order to
produce a competitive yield. Vegetables
do not support structural and biological
fertility and their roots rarely extract
minerals from the rock content of the
soil.
2. Physical fertility
There are about 250 acres under Rox-
bury’s management. What crop is growing
on each acre is a direct result of the soil
type we are working with. The presence of
large rocks, steep slopes, or poor drainage
makes some of this land unsuitable for
vegetable crop production (including
leased land.)
Good vegetable land has:
• A high carrying capacity (to carry the
weight of equipment without creating
irreversible compaction)
• Good drainage
• Good access to irrigation water
• A deep A horizon (topsoil) that is free
from stones
• Slopes that do not exceed 2%
• A long season micro climate
• Good exposure to sunlight
• Good air drainage to avoid late frosts
• Good access to farm roads
At Roxbury Farm, out of the 100 acres
that are suitable for vegetable crop pro-
duction, only thirty are planted in cash
crops each consecutive year. Forty acres
are planted in soil improvement crops,
with the remaining thirty rented out to a
neighbor for hay. Almost all of the veg-
etable land is rated category I or II
Continued on next page
 Continued from previous page
(Occum, Unadilla, Knickerbocker, and
Hoosick). The remainder of the land is
rated lower and divided between hayfields,
pastures, woods, or wetlands. They are
still important in providing a broad biodi-
versity to the whole farm.
When we assess the physical quality of
our soils, we determine its physical
strength and limitations. Working with
land is not unlike working with a horse.
First, we need to know what horse we are
dealing with. Is it a workhorse or a riding
horse? Each has different qualities. We
will not try to pull a heavy load with a rid-
ing horse.
Within this analogy, a sandy soil has
qualities of a riding horse. Although it has
its usefulness, we cannot get a lot of work
out of it. It might pull a plow but it lacks
the persistence of a workhorse to complete
the task. Sandy soils are great in the early
spring since they drain well and warm up
quickly. This allows us to work these fields
earlier than others. But in the summer,
they easily dry out, and can only achieve
good yields with a good drip irrigation
system. A workhorse, on the other hand,
keeps moving, albeit at an initially slower
pace, but with much greater resilience. A
heavier soil, like a silt loam, resembles a
workhorse. It warms up a little later in the
spring, but its ability to hold nutrients
and water gives it a great advantage during
the summer months.
Nutrition is another analogy between
horses and soils. Feeding a horse too much
makes it fat and unhealthy. Adding too
much compost to alter the physical char-
acteristics of your soil results in excessive
amounts of soluble minerals, which can
cause high disease, insect, and weed pres-
sure.
Starting with a good soil is the best
investment a vegetable grower can make.
Altering the state of the soil is hardly ever
cost effective.
3. Structural fertility
The way soil-particles are connected
and organized in relation to each other
reflects structural fertility. We evaluate
how the soil particles are spaced and how
many and how large the spaces are in
between them. By the use of tillage tools
and the compaction of tractors, the soil
aggregates are broken. When the soil is
worked too hard, it will not stand up to a
21
heavy rainstorm and will collapse and
erode. Soils with stable aggregates are
more stable. Some soils do not have the
physical characteristics to create stable
aggregates. In that case, the only remedy is
adding organic matter.
A stable structure will have:
• An equal distribution between mineral
particles and pores
• Good ability for roots to penetrate
• Good ability to hold water
• Good ability to drain excessive water
Hayfields and pastures are in general
self-sufficient in creating good soil struc-
ture. Their root system supports many
microorganisms that feed directly on plant
matter or live off the conditions created by
the roots during growth as well as decay.
In general, most grasses create a surplus of
carbonaceous materials, and the organic
matter content of the soil increases. This
will help connect the soil particles into
stable aggregates. Microorganisms feed on
the decaying organic matter and together
with the extensive root system of the
grasses help the way in which the soil par-
ticles are ordered. They leave many pores,
Continued on page 22
Soil Fertility Management at Roxbury Farm
Continued from page 21
which will provide drainage and capillary
action in times of drought.
Vegetable crop production, by its
nature of exposing the soil and introduc-
ing equipment, does not maintain soil
structure self-sufficiently. Besides, unlike
most grasses, most vegetable crops do not
have well developed root systems.
Strategies to support good structure
are:
• Supply high amounts of organic mat-
ter that contain humus formative par-
ticles
• Add calcium as building block for clay
soils
• Avoid breaking up the soil beyond nat-
ural breaking points
• Increase root activity by using soil
improvement crops
• Increase root activity by using Biody-
namic preparation 500
• Frost as an action to fracture compact-
ed soil
To help determine how we treat the
soil during the season, the tillage tool
should not fracture the soil more than
when we drop a clump of soil from a
height of three feet. It is ideal to use tillage
equipment that has an action similar to
that of a hand-fork. A hand-fork fractures
the soil at its own breaking points. A
spade damages the aggregates where it
slices the soil. The coloration at the back
of the spade is an indication of smeared
soil particles. The aggregates that order
the soil have come apart.
Three different purposes of tillage:
• Aeration of the soil. (Depth anywhere
between 8 and 18 inches)
• Incorporation of organic material.
(How deep do you want to put your
organic material?)
• Creating a seed- or plant-bed. (How
smooth and level does this have to be?)
Conventional equipment rarely com-
bines all three tasks. Only a spading plow
with secondary attachments will accom-
plish this, and it will aerate at the same
depth as it puts the organic materials.
For primary tillage, a Chisel plow is
used to aerate the soil. In order to incor-
porate cover crops with this tool, the use
of a shredder or flail-mower is necessary.
The chisel plow does not turn the soil and
leaves a lot of plant matter on the surface.
After the primary tillage, a Perfecta II
Cultivator is used to smooth out the field.
This tool consists of a combination of sev-
eral “S” tines, a leveling bar, and a set of
crumbling rollers. It leaves the soil level
and smooth enough to plant: cover crops,
Cole crops, potatoes, squash, and even let-
tuce-plugs.
For crops that have small seeds and
that require extremely level ground with
no clumps or stones on the surface, a
Buckeye bed former is used. This tool
leaves a trench every 72 inches, creating a
soil surface that resembles raised beds. The
planting surface of the bed is 54 inches
wide and allows for three rows 18 inches
apart. The trenches have proven to be very
successful in allowing the crops to stay dry
much longer during periods of heavy rain.
The combination of better drainage and
the level plant bed prevents bottom rot
and creates conditions for successful
mechanical weed control.
4. Biological Fertility
Here we recognize three areas of
importance:
• The cycles in nature, which includes
decay and decomposition of organic
matter
• The creation and maintenance of soils
• The nutritional value of cultivated
plants
At Roxbury Farm this is addressed
with the following measures:
A. Applying compost and incorporat-
ing soil improvement crops increases soil
fertility.
Fresh organic matter is important to
add to the soil because:
• It feeds the microorganisms
• It keeps the nutrients in a cycle
• It creates a better structure of the soil
by acting like glue to the soil particles
(Fungi)
Ultimately a good soil transforms this
organic matter into:
Humus, the most stable form of
organic matter, which:
22
• Has the ability to absorb both nutrients
and water. Humus compared to clay
can hold up to four times as much
water, and the nutrients in humus are
available to plants but cannot be
washed out by excessive rainfall.
• Increases the structure of the soil.
Compost: Roxbury Farm works closely
with the company Earthworks. This com-
pany was formed with help from the state
of New York to research the possibility of
keeping organic materials out of landfills.
Earthworks collects produce from super-
markets, horse bedding from farms, and
pulp from canneries. These materials are
mixed with a Sandburger compost turner
and carefully monitored for temperature
and moisture. This machine is also uti-
lized to make compost from cow manure
to be used at Roxbury Farm.
The process of making
compost at a biodynamic farm:
During the winter, the cows are usual-
ly kept in a free stall setup. In this method,
the hay is fed in the form of round bales
inside the stall and placed on top of the
packed manure. The cows are kept off the
manure by applying bedding on a regular
basis. This can consist of old hay, straw,
and wood chips. If an adequate source is
available, rock dust, like Basalt meal, can
be added to the manure pack.
After six months, the packed materials
are about three feet deep. In May, the
manure is removed with a bucket loader.
The pile is built with a manure spreader,
with its final shape created by the turner.
The biodynamic preparations are inserted
into the pile by pushing a long stick two
feet into the pile. Only small amounts are
needed in each hole to prepare a pile.
A variety of materials in a manure-pile
allow it to be mostly self-sufficient in the
process of transformation. A pile that has
a variety of materials in it develops a com-
bination of aerobic and semi-anaerobic
bacteria. The piles heat up 120° to 160°
Fahrenheit and stay at that point for quite
a few weeks. A specially designed cover is
placed over the pile to shed it of any exces-
sive rain and to keep the moisture in. The
cover functions like a skin. It protects the
pile from the elements without restricting
it from breathing. A pile behaves like any
other organism on the farm: it breathes,
consists mostly of water, and has body
Continued on next page
 Continued from previous page
warmth, except it will not break any
fences. The piles are turned when neces-
sary, and water can be added. The whole
process of composting takes about 6 to 12
weeks.
The compost, when applied, is not fin-
ished, but will have lost most of its odor.
The ideal time of application is on a
cloudy day with plenty of rain in the fore-
cast. After application, the ground is chis-
eled or spaded. Manure handling can be
the weakest link in the farm’s fertility
cycle. At a biodynamic farm, it is impor-
tant to keep nutrient losses as low as pos-
sible.
Fibers play an important role in the
composting process. Most fibers are “used
up” at the end of the composting process.
Hay and straw are good examples of being
good energy providers for the microorgan-
isms. Their presence is vital in the process,
but it is important to include materials
that contain lignin. They take a longer
time to break down, and this kind of car-
bon compound is not readily available as
an energy source for the microorganism.
But at the end of the composting process,
they contribute to the formation of
humus at a much higher rate than fibers
do.
All carbonaceous materials have a dif-
ferent ability to become humus. The
materials with high lignin fractions, like
peat moss, sawdust, and leaves, have what
we call a high humification co-efficient.
They alone cannot provide the microor-
ganisms with enough energy to start the
decomposition, and hay, straw, or green
material need to be added to the pile to
jump-start the process. The manure con-
tributes nitrogen and other building
blocks that are used by the microorgan-
isms to grow and multiply. By adding soil
or rock dust to the manure, we create con-
ditions that can occur only under ideal
circumstances in very good soil. The
humus can transform into a clay-humus
complex. This aggregate represents the
most stable soil component, which has a
very high capacity to hold nutrients and
water.
The eventual goal in applying good
compost to the land is to increase the
overall health of the soil. Compost is also
very effective in raising the Organic Mat-
ter level of our soils.
B. Soil improvement and cover crops
The benefits of cover crops and soil
improvement crops are:
• Reduction of soil erosion: A crop of rye
seeded in September and plowed under
in April is able to keep the soil from
eroding away over the winter months.
Rye and hairy vetch as a mix are very
effective, as they will add to soil-life.
Although the humification co-efficient
can be very low, soil life is greatly bene-
fited by the mere fact that the ground is
not left exposed. The roots of the cover
crops after breakdown form the very
important capillaries for drainage as well
as water uptake.
• Increase of pores in soils and breaking up
hard pans: Sweet clover is known for its
deep penetration of the soil and breaking
of hard pans. But any established grass
will greatly increase the amount of pores
in the soil.
• Increase in soil life activity: Soil particles
Continued on page 24

M S Bio-Ag
Soil and Livestock Health and Nutrition
For the 21st Century

Maurice Sinan
General Manager
Phone: 724-733-2594
E-Mail: msinan@surfbest.net
Formulating Feed Rations for:
Dairy and Beef Cattle
Hogs, Poultry, Sheep, Goats & Horses
Speciality Products Include:
All Milk Replacers & Calf Pellets
Silage Preservatives & Manure Management
Soil Analysis & Consulting
Certified Organic Soil & Livestock Products

23
Soil Fertility Management at Roxbury Farm
Continued from page 23
are held together by soil life activity,
especially the group of fungi. The cover
crop roots provide microorganisms with
the needed air and carbon for the fungi’s
activity. Without the air and carbon,
very little soil life would exist.
• Increase in Organic Matter content
through carbon intake: Grasses are
known for their excellent ability to fix
carbon out of the air. For greatest uptake
of carbon in one season, Japanese millet
and sorghum-Sudan are favorites.
• Fixation of Nitrogen by legumes: Mych-
orrhizae, which exist in symbiosis with
the roots of the legumes, fix nitrogen out
look for a new home. As we increased
our acreage in grains and legumes, our
problems with thrips and leafhoppers
increased. One solution is to have anoth-
er crop available (besides the vegetables)
for the insects to migrate to and never to
mow all the cover crops at once.
• Another detriment from too much raw
organic material is the residual activity
in the soil, which can have the same
effects as fresh manure. Many diseases
and pests, like aphids, increase when too
much raw fertility is applied. Lawrence
D. Hills of the Henry Doubleday Soil
Association once said, “Plowing under
increased yields of cash crops in fields that
adopt rotations.
In organic agriculture, we should not
only rotate within the plant families of
our cash crops but also include grasses and
legumes in our rotation mix. Grasses and
legumes fix decent amounts of organic
matter and introduce a broad spectrum of
soil life to the farm. They can also form a
habitat for beneficial insects. They are a
neutral crop in our rotation since they
rarely host diseases that affect our cash
crops. Proper incorporation and time to
let the soil digest the plant matter is
important. Too much raw organic matter
Continued on next page
W
R OWE R’
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
G R O E R’
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012

S S
cover crops is not unlike throwing a few
of the air and form ammonia. Look at fish in a pond filled with crocodiles.” 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
the roots of the legume to find out if Crocodiles are a beautiful metaphor for G
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
nitrogen is being fixed. If the roots have soil life. 1234567890123456789012
nodules that are red or pink colored 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012

L SL S
D IDS I S
inside, it has active mychorrhizae. If the 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
What we seed in different months in 1234567890123456789012
roots do not show nodules, find out if New York: 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012

B EB E
the soil pH is too low or if the particular 1234567890123456789012
• April and May: Oats with sweet Clover, 1234567890123456789012

C C
mychorrhizae is in your soil. Many Red Clover, Rye with Dutch white O 1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
A
1234567890123456789012
legumes live in symbiosis with different
mychorrhizae.
clover on head lands (the Rye will not
OUNT L
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
1234567890123456789012
• Weed management: Many crops are able
form a seed head), Dutch white clover
in between plastic UNT LA
to choke out other weeds. By frequently
• May and June: Buckwheat after spinach
mowing our cover crops, we reduce the
or other early crop, Sweet clover, red
Labels for direct
number of weeds going to seed.
• Plant disease management: Most cover
clover over-seeded in the sweet corn
and Winter squash
marketing
Labels and
for direct
crops do not host the plant diseases
found in cash crops. • July: Japanese Millet or Sorghum-Sudan value-added
marketing and
with Hairy Vetch mixed in
• Overall farm diversity: Most insects feed
off the pollen of the grains and grasses. • August: Oats and Peas products
value-added
In some instances, the cash crop acts as a
beneficial host. The pollen of the sweet
• September: Rye with Hairy Vetch, Oats
and peas
products
We design and print labels
corn is a good example. For that reason, • October and November: Rye for flowers, honey, fruit,
parsnips can be left in the ground to We design and print labels
flower in the spring. The flowers that are
vegetables, sprouts, milk,
C. Crop rotation: for flowers, honey, fruit,
formed in the following spring provide a yoghurt, cheese, meat,
vegetables, sprouts, milk,
habitat for the trichogramma wasp. Dill, Within the vegetable land we have a eggs, nuts —
which is another Umbelliferea, serves the
yoghurt, cheese, meat,
system of permanent sections, which each labels for almost anything!
same function. After the dill is cut, the contain eight beds. Permanent sections eggs, nuts —
plants remain alive and produce flowers allow for keeping records of where the labels for almost anything!
at a time when the parsnips have gone to crops have grown and aid in exact plan-
SERVING GROWERS
seed. ning. There is no guesswork in finding SINCEGROWERS
SERVING 1975
where last year’s crops were planted. The
Disadvantages of cover crops: harvest lanes also serve as a means to reach SINCE
request 1975
a free catalog
easily to the cash crops, a place to pull in
• Sod can provide a cover for the eggs of the irrigation reel, and a habitat for the request a free catalog
1-800-693-1572
many insects. Flea beetle and carrot-fly bees (since the lanes contain white mostly
take advantage of this environment over clover). 1-800-693-1572
the winter. Grains and Alfalfa host thrips Crop rotation is a tool used to break
and leafhoppers. Once the grain is com- growersdiscountlabels@tds.net
insect, weed, and disease pressure in the
bined or the alfalfa cut, the many insects vegetable fields. There are many reports of growersdiscountlabels@tds.net

24
 Continued from previous page
can greatly affect the health of our cash crops in a negative way. Intro-
duction of bare fallow periods in “neutral” years are effective in break-
ing up both weed cycles and incorporation of large amounts of plant
matter.

At Roxbury, the different plant families are:

• Apiaceae or Umbelliferae: carrots, parsnips, parsley, celery, dill, etc.
• Asteraceae or Compositae: all the lettuces, escarole, and certain cut
flowers
• Brassicaceae: all the Cole crops including broccoli, arugula, turnips,
etc.
• Chenopodiaceae: all beets, chard, and spinach
• Convolvulaceae: sweet potatoes
• Cucurbiticeae: all cucumbers, melons, squashes, etc.
• Fabaceae or legumes: peas and beans
• Liliaceae or Alliums: all the members of the onion family
• Poaceae: all grains, including sweet corn
• Rosaceae: strawberries
• Solanaceae: all nightshades, including eggplant, peppers, tomatoes,
etc.

A few vegetables, herbs, or cut flowers are adopted in another family

because they are relatively insignificant. A rule of thumb in any crop
rotation is that no family follows itself in less than four years. Another
guideline is to have plants with opposite nutrient requirements follow
each other. And crops that see weed pressure more in the spring or fall
alternate crops that show great weed pressure in the summer. This is
done to offset the cycle in which those plants go to seed.

D. Mulches:

Living mulches have become an important tool at Roxbury Farm to

help create a good environment for our cash crops. The use of Dutch
white clover in between the rows of plastic mulch has reduced Alternar-
ia infections in tomatoes and keeps fruit clean in peppers, eggplant,
cucumbers, melons, and squash. Over-seeding of red clover in sweet
corn and winter squash allows for nitrogen fixing for next year’s crop.
We used to apply a lot of dead mulch like straw and leaves, but the
dust and discomfort to our workers have limited the use of this to straw-
berries and garlic. As an alternative to straw, the beds with garlic can be
covered with about six inches of leaves. Six inches is a sufficient amount
if you do not like to weed at all the following year. The garlic pops right
through in the spring, so this system works quite well if perennial weeds
are not a problem.

Show your support with a

PASA FARM LANE SIGN
Created exclusively for PASA Members and available in two sizes.
The “farm lane size” measures 182 X 242, and the “farm mar-
ket size” (great to post at any business!) measures 102 X 142. Both
are heavy gauge white aluminum with the bright PASA three-color
logo in yellow, purple and green. Embellished on both sides so folks
will get your message coming and going. Prices are $28 for the small
and $58 for the large. Please include $4 for shipping, and send your
check or credit card info to PASA, P.O. Box 419, Millheim, PA 16854.

25
 PASA Business Member Profile

Nature’s Best Organic Feeds

By Gayle Morrow organic market,” says Eriksson.
Organic is definitely one of the Most of their “raw material”
“new farming” buzzwords, with comes from certified organic
growers and consumers both real- growers in Pennsylvania and New
izing the importance and potential York.All the facilities used for feed
profitability in this expanding mar- production, including storage, are
ket. separate from the other process-
“It’s a very interesting field (no es, so the consumer is assured of
pun intended!),” says Julie Eriksson, a truly organic product.
organic market director at “We have quite a following of
Nature’s Best Organic Feeds, a small, backyard farmers,” says
division of Kreamer Feed. Eriksson. While many of Nature’s
Eriksson’s father, George Best’s customers are in the east,
Robinson, came to Kreamer in Eriksson says she’ll ship anywhere,
Snyder County from the Sarasota, “If they don’t mind paying the
New York, area and founded shipping fees.”
Kreamer Feed in 1947 with his She believes there is room for
brother. The business was actually growth in the organic market in
one of the largest Purina feed deal- Pennsylvania. Further, she says it
ers on the East Coast at one time, has “been a joy working in this
Eriksson says. kind of industry,” and dealing with
There are now two divisions of Steve Smelter (left) and Dale Smeltz at the company's main those who are “like-minded and
plant in Kreamer, PA, discuss a popular organic mix for layers.
Kreamer Feed, one of which is future-oriented.”
Nature’s Best Organic Feeds. About a dozen years ago, they In 2003, Kreamer Feed and, of course, Nature’s Best Organic
began using the original mill to produce bulk organic layer feed, Feed, remain family owned and operated. Eriksson’s brothers,
and have since moved on to broiler feed.And, through BJE Farm Billy and Ed Robinson, are president and vice-president, respec-
Contracting, they also contract for organic and specialty (live) tively. The business employs 35-40 full-time and part-time staff.
bird markets. For more information, call 1-800-767-4537 or go to
“Our dealer/bagged market is almost 25 percent of our www.kreamerfeed.com.

What is unique about your business?
We’re still a family business concerned
about our farmer partners. Over the past
55 years our mill and poultry operation
has become known as specializing in niche
markets. Because of our past expertise in
poultry and feed manufacturing, we were
approached to manufacture organic feed.
We’ve been making it now for over 12
years. For the past three years we have
been marketing our product through dis-
tributors, dealers, as well as small farm
dealers. We also offer UPS and common
carrier shipments across the U.S. where
there are no dealers yet.
Why did you join PASA?
Because of our history, we’ve belonged
to many organizations, many of which are
now funded by large-scale operations and
multi-national corporations. We joined
PASA because we saw how the industry
needs an organization such as this that
helps the small farms continue to thrive.
The majority of our customers are small,
sustainable operations.
How has your membership been a
benefit to your business?
It has helped educate us as well as help
us reach more customers who don’t know
about our product. The Farming for the
Future conference offers our employees
chances to learn more about organic and
sustainable agriculture. I would say net-
working and education are two major
benefits we have derived. Another is the
knowledgeable, helpful staff. If I have a
customer looking for products we don’t
carry, I can refer them to PASA and per-
haps another member may be able to help
them.
What does the term “sustainable”
mean to you and how do you incorporate
that into your business?
To us, sustainable means economically
viable. It doesn’t mean large or small,
organic or conventional. When we pur-
chase organic ingredients to put into our
feeds, we are helping that farmer sustain
his family farm while keeping his soils pes-
ticide-free and usable for his children’s
future on that farm. By not using the pes-
ticides, they are not sterilizing the soil and
are leaving more nutrients in it to be used
again without added chemicals and com-
mercial fertilizers.
What do you see as some of the criti-
cal issues facing agriculture and ag-relat-
ed businesses today?
For us, it’s certification and legislative
Continued on next page

26
 Continued from previous page
issues and trying to keep the integrity of SPECIAL THANKS TO THESE RECENT PASA VOLUNTEERS
organic products where it should be. There Jean Bentz Rob Haney Ann Seeley Bonnie Tatterson
are big commercial farmers who don’t want Bob Bernhardt Bernie Hoffnar Dane Seeley Bette Toth
to play by the rules and want to claim prod- Nancy Bernhardt Anna Hopkins Shon Seeley Heather Treaster
ucts as organic when they’re not. (She recom- Travis Boop Emily Hopkins Joann Sengle Bob Vernon
mends going to www.ota.com to check on Dan Brannen Jr. Todd Hopkins John Sengle Barbara Wahler
the status of federal legislation regarding a Terra Brownback Heather House Ben Simmons
Katherine Wahler
push by some producers to use the organic Sam Cantrell Grace Kretschmann Ian Smith
Michael Wahler
label without having to use organic ingredi- Paul Capan Hugh Lofting Louise Smith
Janna Weil
ents, i.e. feed. “It totally blows everything the SabineCarey Brian Magaro Paula Snyder
Connie Wenger
Tom Carey Kristen Markley Brent Stapleton
organic industry has been working towards.”) Alma Wynne
Nicole Carmen Seth Marks Debbie Stapleton
We need to ensure that when a consumer Members of the
Gene Chenoweth Judy Marti Matt Steiman
buys organic meats, eggs, produce, and, yes, David Stutzman
Penn State University
Averie Clark Thom Marti Lion Ambassadors and
even feeds, that they are receiving a truly Joy Stutzman
Eileen Clark Allen Matthews Sigma Alpha Profession-
organic product, not something that just says Mike Tabor al Agriculture Sorority
Alison Clarke Martha Matthews
organic but was sprayed with chemicals or Jeff Mattocks
Kelly Coleman Gene Chenoweth celebrates his 70th birthday
fed feeds that are not certified organic. Tom Maurer
Barbara Corson while volunteering at the PASA headquarters.
Jim Crawford Tara Merenda
What do you see as the connection Moie Kimball Susanna Meyer
between sustainable agriculture and the Crawford Dianne Miller
consumer? Bill Deitrick Kirstin Miller
Multi-national corporations don’t care if Melanie DeVault Sarah Moore
the small farmer is economically viable. We Melanie Dietrich Gayle Morrow
do, and consumers do. The consumers like Mike Ditchfield Claire Murray
the confidence of knowing exactly where Glen Drake Justin Naylor
their product comes from. They want to Susie DuPont Eric Nordell
Myron Elliott Patti Olenick
know they are supporting agriculture and
Danielle Gelston Claire Orner
helping to ensure their own children’s food
Paul Hails Sally Roe
supply is pure and natural, from a farmer or
Jan Halpin Tom Roe
a mill they can trust.

27

The Compost Heap:
Editor’s Corner
RODALE INSTITUTE®
LAUNCHES NEW FARM
ORGANIC PRICE INDEX™
In February, the Rodale Institute®
launched the world’s first wholesale price
index of certified organic foods—The New
Farm Organic Price Index™ (OPX™). Using
OPX free of charge at www.newfarm.org,
farmers can market their organic fruits, veg-
etables, grains, and dairy, as well as premium
quality naturally raised meats, by comparing
the prices of similar goods, both organic and
conventional, in their geographic area. Price
data is compiled from government and pri-
vate sources in the Pacific Northwest, Mid-
west, and the Northeast, and updated
weekly.
Since OPX was launched, it has become
the most popular page at the New Farm
website. “Our strong email response shows
us that readers really want this information
and more—additional items, historical analy-
sis, more detail,” says Chris Hill, executive
editor of NewFarm.org. “We’ve already
responded by creating the OPX Plus listing
of weekly organic items. There are different
thoughts on the best way to list grain prices,
a dialogue that I’m sure will go public when
we get our online discussion forum up and
running.” For more information, contact Hill
at 610-683-1414, chris.hill@rodaleinst .org,
or 611 Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown PA
19503-9320.
GOT MILK? MAKE ICE CREAM!
By Ben Simmons
Fred Mazzoli was Milton S. Hershey’s per-
sonal dairy chef for many years before start-
ing Mazzoli Ice Cream in 1956. Today the
company manufactures and markets frozen
desserts to restaurants, grocery stores, car-
By Dan Brannen Jr.
nivals, and retail dip shops in central Penn-
sylvania.
Henry Doughty, owner of Mazzoli Ice
Cream in Hershey, stopped by the PASA
Farm Show booth in January and asked if
farmers might be interested in making and
selling ice cream. He offered to provide tech-
nical advice, recipes, and marketing strategies
for individuals or a group of small dairies
clustered together geographically. For more
information, contact Henry at 717-533-2252
or Mazzoli Ice Cream Co., 72 W. Governor
Rd., Hershey, PA 17033.
FEDERAL SUSTAINABLE AGRI-
CULTURE PROGRAM PRIMER
By Kathy Lawrence
Have you been looking for concise infor-
mation about federal sustainable agriculture
programs? Check out the National Cam-
paign for Sustainable Agriculture’s website
(http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/prime
r.php), where you’ll find detailed information
on over 30 sustainable agriculture farm and
food programs that deal with Marketing and
Rural Development, Conservation, Organics,
Community Food Security and Nutrition,
and Equity and Justice.
This Federal Sustainable Agriculture Pro-
gram Primer compiles basic information on
programs and policies that the National
Campaign and its partner organizations have
helped to conceive, develop, promote, and
get funded. The Primer provides a program
description and tells who administers it, how
to access the program (including application
deadlines and criteria for eligibility), how the
program is funded, where to go for more
information, and what, if any, citizen advoca-
cy is needed.
28
CALL FOR CATTLE
The New England Livestock Alliance
(NELA) is looking for cattle that meet their
Pasture Perfect criteria. NELA works with
Stafford Enterprises, a slaughterhouse in
Stafford Springs, Connecticut, that has been
renovated specifically to serve small farms
and the demand for high-quality meat.
Except for ground products, each carcass is
traced throughout processing and identifi-
able back to the individual animal’s farm of
origin. For more information about the Pas-
ture Perfect program or NELA’s work to link
livestock producers with profitable markets,
contact NELA at P.O. Box 225, Hardwick,
MA 01037, 413-477-6200, www.nelivestock-
alliance.org.
STUDY: KIDS EATING
ORGANICS HAVE LOWER
PESTICIDE EXPOSURE
By Mark Urycki,
Great Lakes Radio Consortium
A new study published in the Journal of
the National Institutes of Environmental
Health Science finds that children who eat
organically grown fruits and vegetables
appear to have less exposure to pesticides.
Researchers at the University of Washington
compared urine samples from children who
ate conventional produce to those from a
group who ate mostly organic fruits and veg-
etables. They looked for a residue of pesti-
cides. What they found was that children
who ate conventional produce had about six
times higher concentration of the chemicals
than those who ate mostly organic food.
And that, wrote the authors, suggests
that children can reduce their exposure to
pesticides from above the U.S. EPA guidelines
to below, by switching to organic foods. But
the authors could not determine the toxici-
ty of the pesticides. And officials from the
pesticide industry noted that the study could
not determine whether the children had
eaten the full strength chemical or merely
the by-product after the pesticide had
already broken down. [Ed. note:Whew!]
PENNSYLVANIA
BIODIVERSITY LISTSERVE
SOLICITS PARTICIPANTS
The Pennsylvania Biodiversity Partner-
ship (PBP) is pleased to announce the estab-
lishment of PABIODIV, a moderated listserve
focused on biodiversity issues in Pennsylva-
nia. PABIODIV is intended to promote a full
and open discussion of all topics related to
Pennsylvania’s biodiversity, including scientif-
ic and technical issues, legal and public policy
dimensions, education, land stewardship, and
information exchange.
All viewpoints are welcome. Messages
will be reviewed by the moderator, Dr. Ken
Klemow, Professor of Biology at Wilkes Uni-
versity and Chair of PBP’s Bioinformatics
Task Force, to ensure that they are pertinent
to the topic of Pennsylvania biodiversity and
do not contain commercial content or inap-
propriate material. Messages are limited to a
maximum of ten per day. You can subscribe
to the list by sending a message to majordo-
mo@webmail.upb.pitt.edu with “subscribe
PABIODIV” (no quotations needed) on the
first line of the body of the message. If you
have any questions about the listserve or the
activities of PBP, please contact PBP at 16
Terminal Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1209;
412-481-4100; pbpinfo@pabiodiversity.org.
CHESAPEAKE BAY
FOUNDATION PUBLISHES
GUIDE FOR FARMERS
The newly published Guide to Conserva-
tion Funding Programs in Pennsylvania is a
field guide for farmers and landowners look-
ing for financial support for farmland con-
Certified by PCO
servation practices. Effective conservation
improves local water quality and soil quality,
prevents water runoff in times of drought,
limits flooding in times of excess precipita-
tion, reduces nutrient and sediment pollu-
tion in local streams and rivers, and aids in
the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay’s
ecosystem. For your copy, contact Melinda
Downey in CBF’s Pennsylvania office at (717)
234-5550 or mdowney@cbf.org.
PENNSYLVANIA
CSA LIST UPDATED
By Amanda E. Lee,
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
The Pennsylvania Department of Agricul-
ture, PASA, and the Robyn Van En Center for
CSA Services have partnered to update
Pennsylvania’s list of CSAs on the national
web-based directory maintained by the
Robyn Van En Center.The directory now lists
54 CSAs serving Pennsylvania, (3 of which
are not in Pennsylvania). Outreach to pro-
mote CSAs includes distribution of the list
to over 100 natural food stores in Pennsyl-
vania and circulation of news releases to
over 70 print news organizations.To locate a
29
CSA near you, go to www.csacenter.org and
choose “directory.” If you do not have access
to the Internet, contact the Robyn Van En
Center at 717-264-4141, ext. 3352.
NORTHEAST SARE
GRANT PREPROPOSALS DUE
The Northeast Region Sustainable Agri-
culture Research and Education (SARE) pro-
gram, which funds research, education, and
professional development grants, is calling
for preproposals for the next SARE funding
cycle.A preproposal is a brief, one-page sum-
mary of key project themes and results, and
is part of the SARE selection process. Only
those whose preproposal has been approved
can go on to develop a full proposal.
This year, there is specific interest in proj-
ects that address sustainable livestock pro-
duction, dairy economic viability and
profitability, the sale of foods to local institu-
tions, farm labor management, and the tran-
sition to a new farm enterprise. For more
information, visit www.uvm.edu/~nesare or
call 802-656-0471. Preproposals must be
postmarked by May 16, 2003.

Opportunities
Orchard Production/Retail Sales Help
Wanted Full-Time — Diversified retail
fruit farm located in Chester Co. seeks a full-
time employee to start in late spring 2003.
Must have basic hort. skills and a strong
interest in retail selling at farmers’ markets.
This is a long-term opportunity. Pay nego-
tiable. For details, call Ike at 610-486-6235 or
e-mail NorthStarOrchard@aol.com.
Vegetable Farm Help Wanted — Want
to farm, but worried about hardships or
risks? Don’t reinvent the wheel—join us!
We’re an organic, direct-market family veg-
etable farm in Huntingdon County with a 30-
year reputation for innovation and quality.
Prof. position available, which can provide a
solid family income with benefits and poten-
tial to grow. Modest experience, talent, and
motivation are the only requirements; skills
can be learned. Contact moiec@hotmail
.com or 814-448-3904.
Farm Worker/Apprentice Wanted —
Small start-up organic produce farm looking
for motivated people to help out with all
aspects of farm operation in Oley Township,
Berks Co. Available March through Novem-
ber. General farmwork and retail farm mar-
ket stand. Reasonable pay, room, and board.
Hard working applicants should have a sin-
cere interest in learning, and a desire to par-
ticipate in the development of this young
operation. Call 610-689-9835 or email oley-
organic@yahoo.com.
Apprentices Wanted — Looking for
energetic people to work on a small-scale
organic farm in Juniata Co. for the 2003 sea-
son. We market 3–4 acres of vegetables and
herbs through TOG Cooperative, meat
chickens in movable coops on pasture, and a
couple of steers. Innovative rotation system
with pasture management experiments with
PSU learning to attract beneficial insects for
our crops. Call 717-527-2831.
Internship at Biodynamic/Organic
CSA—Ten acres of vegetables, berries,
herbs, and flowers and chickens; 200 mem-
ber households. Housing and stipends
offered. Interns should be interested in bio-
dynamic methods. Kimberton is thriving
anthroposophical community, including a
Waldorf school, several biodynamic enter-
prises, and many other initiatives. Education
opportunities abound. Call 610-933-8339.
The Rodale Institute Seeks Farmer—
Manage established CSA at the Rodale Inst.
Farm in Kutztown, PA, for the 2003 growing
season. Contact jeffmoyer@rodalinst.org or
610-683-1420.
Beginning Farmer Wanted — Beginning
farmer for small farm in Centre Co. Market-
ing opportunity through CSA or grower-only
markets. Two acres ready for vegetable pro-
duction. Six acres for potential grazing. Small-
scale pasture poultry operation established.
Call 814-349-8244.
PT Education Coordinator — Maysie’s
Farm Conservation Center (www.maysies-
farm.org) in northern Chester Co. Assist
with implementation of a Growing Greener
Grant including emphasis on non-point
source pollution. Initiatives oriented towards
both adults and children in ag. and suburban
settings. Duties: organize and present work-
shops to a variety of audiences; create writ-
ten and printed materials; conduct ecological
living campaigns within membership;
research and present to schools and sport
complexes, and more. Call 610-458-8129 or
email sam@maysiesfarm.org.
Organic CSA Farming Internships—
Available starting June 2003 in Glen Rock,
York Co. We deliver to over 80 households
in York, PA and Baltimore, MD.We serve the
earth and human community by providing
high quality super-fresh organic produce and
experience-based education to adults, fami-
lies, and children. Internships provide hands-
on training in methods of sustainable
agriculture and biointensive farming. Room,
board, and stipend provided. Contact spout-
wood@supernet.com or 717-235-6610.
Farm Assistant Needed—Diversified
small farm operation at a nonprofit thera-
peutic community serving adults with mental
illness. Farm includes dairy and cheese mak-
ing operation, field work, poultry, swine, and
a beef herd. 3–5 years farming exp. with good
knowledge of farm equipment operation and
maintenance, humane animal husbandry, and
organic practices needed. Exc. communica-
tion skills and a patient attitude are essential,
and the capacity to lead variably skilled
adults according to their ability. Modest
salary, full room and board, and excellent
benefits. Contact humanresources@gould-
farm.org or 413-528-1804 ext. 25.
30
The PSU BugMobile Has Three Work-
Study /Internships Available—Work in a
non-formal educational setting. Duties
include traveling, working with adults and
children, and learning and teaching about
Integrated Pest Management. Contact egra-
jotte@psu.edu or 814-863-4641. Outgoing
with good organization skills a plus!
DC Area Market Openings—The Wash-
ington, DC, area producer-only farmers’
markets below have openings for producers
this season. Each market requires that the
producer’s place of production be less than
125 miles from the Washington, DC Beltway,
Rt. 495.
• Takoma Park Farmers Market, Old Town,
Laurel Ave between Carroll and Eastern Ave,
Takoma Park, MD 20912, Sundays 10 am–2
pm, fees $10 per market day. For more infor-
mation, contact: Emily Zaas, 410-374-1179,
ezaas@prodigy.net; Hana Newcomb, 703-
259-2109, jonahana@aol.com; Ned Atwater,
410-789-8890, nedsbread@aol. com.
• Mount Pleasant Farmers Market, Mt. Pleas-
ant Street at Lamont NW, Washington, DC
20010, Saturdays 8 am–12 noon, fees
$20–$80 per market day, based on sales,
Nina Planck, 202-232-6042, planckn@earth-
link.net.
• Georgetown Hyde School, between O & P,
NW, Washington, DC 20004, Saturdays 8
am–12 noon, fees 6% of sales per market day,
Bernie Prince, 202-362-8889, bernie @fresh-
farmmarket.org.
Northeast Pennsylvania Farmers and
Producers Wanted—The Rural Urban
Board Invites Economic Success
(R.U.B.I.E.S.) seeks farmers and local food
producers for the 2nd annual farmers’ mar-
ket in Nay Aug Park, Scranton. Season runs
from June 14 to November 15. Market is on
Thursdays, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturdays 10
a.m. to 1 p.m. Fees are $50 for one day for
season, $75 for both days for season. For
information contact Sheryl Youngblood
(youngblood@ac.marywood.edu; phone
570-348-6211, ext. 2351) or Judy Smeltzer
(harford@epix.net).
The Gesundheit! Institute Community
in WV—Now accepting applications for
volunteers. Receive room, board, and the
opportunity to participate in our land-based
community learning about healthy living.
Come work in our 1/4-acre organic veg-
etable garden and help steward or 250-acre
forest. Contact Aaron, Volunteer Coordina-
tor, at 304-653-4338, or Andrew, Eco-Educa-
tion, at treefaust@juno .com.
Vegetable Grower Needed for Estab-
lished CSA—Organic and biodynamic farm
in a beautiful valley, produces a wide variety
of high quality vegetables for its members.
Position requires some experience in all
aspects of vegetable production, the ability
to manage a crew, and willingness to work
cooperatively toward long-term farm sus-
tainablity. On-farm housing, food, and salary
offered. Also needed: someone to do haying,
composting, cover-cropping, equipment
maintenance, etc. Contact Susan Thompson,
845-373-8010, stillpt@bestweb.net.
Farm Camp Counselors Needed—For
girl campers who are adventuresome, ani-
mal-loving, ages 8–12, primarily urban/city,
and eager. Mifflin Co. We’re looking for
adventurous and animal-loving 21+ females
who are safety conscious, non-smoking,
enjoy answering questions, easy to laugh,
flexible, curious, and creative. Program dates:
mid-June to mid-August. Salary negotiable,
based on experience. ALSO WANTED —
Summer Farm Intern—For 100-acre,
seasonal milking Ayrshire dairy, rotational
grazing; small flock of Jacob sheep; Alpine
goats; and a hennery of Rhode Island Reds,
Barred Rocks, Araucanas, and Crevecouers.
Should be self-motivated and self-directed;
safety conscious; gentle around animals; have
some knowledge of equipment (tractor, skid-
steer, rake, brush hog, etc) and maintenance
thereof; non-smoking; enjoy answering ques-
tions. Stipend, room, & board. Scheduled
time off weekly. Contact agrodgers@
acsworld.net or 717-667-3731.
Living History Job Opportunity — If you
are between the ages of 18-25, a resident of
PA, reside in Lancaster, Lebanon, Berks,
Dauphin, or Chester County, and enjoy his-
tory and the outdoors, consider working at
Landis Valley Museum as a Pennsylvania Con-
servation Corps member.The Living History
program provides training in museum inter-
pretation, historic trades, historic farming,
and more. Contact 717-569-0401 ext. 255.
Opportunity For Several Hard-Work-
ing Individuals—Small and highly diversi-
fied certified organic 70 acre veg. and fruit
farm of 20 years near Pittsburgh. 500+ sub-
scriber CSA plus greenhouse and wholesale
market. Crops vegetables to apples, straw-
berries, and fresh herbs. Farm production
experience desired, but more important is
motivation, versatility, and creativity.
Salary/benefits dependent on experience
and commitment. Get a peek of our farm at
http://users.stargate.net/~kmann. Contact
kmann@usaor.net or call 724-452-7189.
Small Grass-Based Farm Looking For
Live-In Helper—Learn all aspects of rais-
ing and direct marketing pastured poultry,
eggs, beef, heifers, honeybees and more.
Usual farm mix of animal care, hay making,
maintenance, construction, and livestock
chasing. Beautiful location in Centre Co. with
vibrant sust. ag. local community, farmers’
markets, and other opportunities for learn-
ing. Room, board, and small stipend based on
profit sharing. Female preferred but nego-
tiable. Contact 814-349-2697 or lyn@over-
themoonfarm.com.
Emmaus Farmers’ Market—Operating
during the 2003 season as an open-air, pro-
ducer-based market in the parking lot of
Keystone Savings Bank, 235 Main Street,
Emmaus. This location is in the heart of an
active residential and commercial shopping
district with excellent frontage on a major
roadway and adequate customer parking. For
information on selling here or helping the
Friends of the Emmaus Farmers’ Market,
please call Teri Madison at 610-965-6279.
Part-Time Marketing Job/Internship
Available — Penn State Cooperative Exten-
sion is offering an excellent opportunity to
develop and use your direct-to-consumer
marketing skills. Working with Community
Farmers’ Market managers, the successful
candidate will assist with consumer educa-
tion, special events coordination, promotion,
and other duties in an effort to enhance
direct-to-consumer marketing of local farm
products at several Producer Only Farmers’
Markets in southeast Pennsylvania. Flexibility
and innovation on our part, and yours, is a
component of this job.The position has been
funded at approximately 24 hours per week
for 13 weeks, during late spring and summer,
for $10.00 per hour. There is office space
near Allentown with markets being served in
Telford, Skippack, Coopersburg, Allentown,
and Easton. For more information, please
contact John Berry at 610-391-9840 or
jwb15@psu.edu.
AmeriCorps Farming/Teaching Posi-
tions—Phillies Bridge Farm near New Paltz,
NY, seeks 3 AmeriCorps Members. Full time
positions, late April–early November. 60%
time working as apprentices on a biodynam-
ic & organic CSA farm, 40% time teaching
school children, summer day campers, and
low income families who visit the farm.
$218/week, $2,362.50 educational award,
benefits, 845-256-9316, mcheo@hvi .net.
Organic Fruit and Vegetable Farm
Since 1972—Work opportunities to learn
the basics of raising and selling healthy grown
31
produce in low and moderate income urban
neighborhoods. Located in Needmore, Ful-
ton Co. One position is part-time organizing
around corporate hog farming in the region.
The other opportunity is a minimum 3-year
commitment culminating in helping manage
the farm. Quals. include good physical condi-
tion, non-smoker, valid driver’s license, and
vegetarian diet while on farm. Room, board,
and salary range from $525–$1000/mo, plus
profit share. Ideal opportunity for person
wanting to test their skills at operating a
farm without the need for a cash investment.
Fax resume to 301-587-7535, or call 301-
587-2248 for more info.
Grow Biointensive Internship—This
apprenticeship is an opportunity to learn
“Grow Biointensive” gardening in Los Andes
mountains, Patagonia, Argentina. The host is
CIESA, a teaching, research, and production
center of sustainable agriculture in Chubut
Province. A student at CIESA will have the
opportunity to: learn and perform Grow
Biointensive sustainable mini-farming tech-
niques 51⁄ 2 days a week; share knowledge
and culture with other students from around
the world; learn to speak Spanish (at CIESA
we also speak English); eat wonderful organ-
ic food; sell vegetables from the farm at the
market; learn how to teach and help other
people; have most weekends free; take one
month vacation annually; live in a beautiful
location with lakes and mountains. And
CIESA is a short 7km from El Bolson, a beau-
tiful town with a large number of artists, arti-
sans, and people from all over the world.
Cost is $1800 per year, including food from
the garden and lodging. For information visit
CIESA at www.proyeectociesa.com.ar or
contact max@intermax.net.
Intern Sought—Help share work and
resources on small historic farm in southern
York Co. Not a CSA, but potential exists to
participate with local farmers’ markets.
Responsible for small farm chores, including
gardening, small grain production, and animal
care (horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry), and
possible opportunity to work with draft
horses and oxen. Contact 717-787-8808 ext
214, or email Hoofprints18c@cs.com.
Apprenticeship opportunities at
diverse Lycoming Co. farm — Grazing
goats, sheep, 14 A veggies, flowers, herbs &
orchard. Fiber arts classes, tours and shows.
Great opportunity, loving family environ-
ment. Contact svmfiber@uplink.net or 570-
998-2221.

Calendar of Events
APRIL 23 — Land Planning and Fenc-
ing Pasture Walk, Mainesburg, PA. Layout
of an efficient and effective grazing system
(including water and fencing) at Rocky Trail
Farms from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch provid-
ed). Sponsored by Northern Penn Holistic
Management Network. For more informa-
tion contact Jim Weaver at 570-724-7788.
APRIL 24 – 26 — Ohio Barn Confer-
ence IV, Chillicothe, Ohio.Trade Fair, Educa-
tional Exhibits, Barn Tour, Demonstrations &
Workshops. Contact
http://ohiobarns.osu.edu/ or 740-702-3200.
MAY 1 — Friends Farm Field Day. See
page 16 for details.
MAY 2–3 — Organic Beekeeping
Workshop, The Pfeiffer Center, Chestnut
Ridge, NY.A workshop for active beekeepers
as well as beginners, including a hands-on
session. For more information, email Carol
Rosenberg at beework@pfeiffercenter.org
or call 845-352- 5020, ext. 20.
MAY 3 — Grass-Fed Cattle Event. The
New England Livestock Alliance is looking
for Grass-Fed Cattle in Pennsylvania. Join
others interested in learning more about this
opportunity at David Collier’s Hill Farm in
Armstrong County. The field day is from
10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Call Laurel Hoffman at
the Armstrong Conservation District for
more info 724-545-3628.
MAY 3 — Annual Manada Conservan-
cy Native Plant Sale in PA east of Harris-
burg. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information call
717-566-4122 or download order form at
www.manada.org. Plants average $3.50 and
discounts are available for larger orders.
MAY 7 — Cove Mt. Pasture Walk. See
page 16 for details.
MAY 9 — Cost-Share Programs for
Grazing and Riparian Buffer Systems.
See page 16 for details.
MAY 16 — High Tunnel Field Day. See
page 16 for details.
MAY 22 — Planning to Succeed. See
page 16 for details.
JUNE 6 — Raising Hogs on Pasture
Field Day. See page 18 for details.
JUNE 7 — Waterkeeper Alliance’s
Third Annual Sustainable Hog Farming
Summit, Gettysburg, PA. “Creating Mean-
ingful Solutions.” This year’s event focuses on
the role sustainable hog farming plays as a
successful and promising solution to the
social, environmental, and moral concerns
raised by industrial hog production. Cost
$35. To register or get more information,
contact Jeff Odefey at 914-674-0622 or
jodefey@waterkeeper.org.
JUNE 15 — Buy Fresh/Buy Local Cam-
paign Launch. Yards Brewery, Philadelphia,
PA Sponsored by PASA, Phila. Fair Food Pro-
ject & Farm to City. Come celebrate the
kickoff of this exciting project. Food and
refreshments. For more info contact
ruth@pasafarming .org or (717) 917-3731.
JUNE 25 — Monitoring Pastures to
Improve Management Field Day, Liber-
ty, PA. What are the important indicators in
a pasture system? How you know when and
what to monitor will be addressed. Soil qual-
ity will be highlighted with NRCS soil quality
testing. Event will be held at Provident
Farms. Sponsored by Northern Penn Holis-
tic Management Network, Endless Mts.
RC&D, and PASA. For more information
contact Jim Weaver at 570-724-7788.
AUGUST 7 – 10 — 29th annual NOFA
Summer Conference. Hampshire Col-
lege,Amhearst, MA Featuring Sally Fallon. For
more info contact www.nofamass.org or
978-355-2853
AUGUST 9–13 — Five Day, Functional,
Hands-on Community Supported
Agriculture Workshop, Sunflower Fields
CSA (www.sunflowerfieldscsa.com), Post-
ville, Iowa. For people who are determining if
a CSA farm might be in their future and for
those who are ready to begin their opera-
tion. The workshop is based on hands-on
experience and includes a mix of discussion
and information sessions along with a
healthy dose of real-time farm work. Please
contact Michael or Solveig at Sunflower
Fields CSA for more information:
sunspot@netins.net or 563-864-3847.
AUGUST 27 — Drought Management
in a Grazing System Pasture Walk,
Mansfield, PA. What can we do to maintain
32
our pastures through the summer slump? By
following our grazing plan we develop strate-
gies for timing livestock moves, plus alloca-
tion and budgeting of forages.Will be held at
KTS Farms from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch pro-
vided). Sponsored by Northern Penn Holis-
tic Management Network. For more
information contact Jim Weaver at 570-724-
7788.
OCTOBER 22 — What Worked &
What Didn’t? Pasture Walk.The Holistic
Management perspective of farming in the
Northern Tier. How can we improve the
planning and monitoring of on-farm activi-
ties, including financial and grazing
planning. Will be held at Jimmy Cracker’s in
Mansfield, PA from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch
provided). Sponsored by Northern Penn
Holistic Management Network. For more
information contact Jim Weaver at 570-724-
7788.
FEBRUARY 5–7, 2004 — PASA’s 13th
annual Farming for the Future Conference,
State College, PA. Newly expanded to
three days! Stay tuned for details!
Passages
Ad Rates and Policy
Advertising Inquiries: Please call or
write the PASA office for a full advertising
package and rate card. Special rates avail-
able for PASA Business Members and mul-
tiple advertising packages. Contact the
PASA office.
Display Ads Rates: Full page $150; Half
page $90; Quarter page $60; Eighth page
(business card) $40. All rates based on
camera-ready copy. Contact PASA office
for complete rate card.
Classified Ads: $5 for first 30 words, and
$.20 per word over 30. PASA members
receive one free 30-word ad per year.
Opportunities & Calendar Listings:
PASA is pleased to offer these listings at no
charge as a service to our members. Please
limit entries to no more than one para-
graph.
Advertising Disclaimer: PASA cannot
investigate the products or claims of
advertisers and we don’t necessarily
endorse any products advertised in Pas-
sages. However, we encourage you to sup-
port the companies that support PASA.We
reserve the right to accept or reject any
ad.
Back Issues: Are available from PASA.
 Classifieds
Composting Pigs—Trained team of young work hogs ready to turn your
compost. Fed certified organic grain. Weigh 150-200 lbs. each. Call Anne
and Eric Nordell, 570-634-3197.

For Sale—Powell/Cole 12 MX planter, single row, new, $700 OBO; JD#45

Front Loader Fits 2 cyl. John Deere, $350 OBO. Contact
villageacres@pa.net or 717-436-9477.

Fruit Trees, Berries & Vines—Dwarf and semidwarf apples. Heirlooms:

Spitzenburg, Roxbury Russet, Golden Russet, Golden Noble and 40 more.
Maincrop apples: Gala, Mutsu, Mclntosh, Fuji, Spies, Fortune & more. Cider
varieties: Kingston Black, Bulmers Norman, Binet Rouge, Ellis Bitter, and 35
more. New cherry varieties. Prune-plums; Japanese plums; hardy pears;
peaches & apricots. Blueberries, raspberries, thornless blackberries. Cum-
mins Nursery, 4233 Glass Factory Bay, Geneva, NY 14456. Website:
www.cumminsnursery.com. Email jnc1@localnet.com. Phone 315-789-
7083.

For Sale—1962 Dodge Power Wagon, includes 1 ton PTO winch, 8 ft.
snowplow, 9 ft. step side. Farm tag & use. 318 V-8, 4-speed, very solid.
$5000. Contact friendsfarm@worldnet.att.net or 814-793-9379.

For Sale—4 foot, flat bed, plastic mulch layer, $400; Water wheel trans-
planter 3 pt. hitch, 2 transplanter wheels, extra tray holders, used 2 sea-
sons/stored in shed, $900; Large floral cooler, $450; 1900 Lady’s Phaeton
(buggy), excellent condition, new upholstery, $3000. Beech Creek, Clinton
Co., 570-962-3586.

Common Ground Organic Farm—Certified organic transplants this

spring: onions, leeks, celery, parsley, basil, lettuce, chard, kale, broccoli, brus-
sels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,
okra, cucumbers, squash, melons, and pumpkins. Custom ordering. Contact
for future buying programs: commongro@aol.com or 814-364-9171.

For Rent—Alternative homesteaders looking for kindred spirit(s) to rent

mobile home, share organic garden space in rural southern PA. Commut-
ing distance to York and Lancaster, PA, and Bel Air, MD. Beautiful hiking trails
and Susquehanna River nearby. Contact 717-862-1737 or 657 E. Posey Rd.,
Airville, PA 17302.

• Broiler & Layer Chicks

• Ready-to-lay Pullets
• Equipment/Incubators
• Fertile Eggs
266 E. Paletown Road
Quakertown, PA 18951
Phone: 215-536-3155 • Fax: 215-536-8034
www.moyerschicks.com
orders@www.moyerschicks.com

33
 PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Are you looking for a more sustainable way of life?

Hundredfold Farm is a unique, agriculturally-based co-housing community
in south-central Pennsylvania recognized for its innovative design, use of passive
and active solar power, and incorporation of water conservation strategies.
Patterned on successful co-housing communities in the West, Hundredfold Farm is one of a growing num-
ber now developing in the mid-Atlantic region. In fact, Hundredfold is the one of the most affordable in the
region with single-family homes starting at $135K. Hundredfold Farm is a multigenerational community of
households who have come together from across the mid-Atlantic region. Our members are united by a
vision of a more ecologically sound, cooperative pattern for living. Hundredfold Farm Community will break
ground in Spring 2003 for the construction of 14 homes. Currently, eight sites are available.

80 acre property in spectacular setting, Single-family homes offer

8 miles west of Gettysburg, PA • Option of designing your own floor plan
• Site features woodlands, fields, pond, walking paths, hills. • Passive solar design and southern site orientation
• 180o view of surrounding area • Finished home cost ranging from $90-$140K
• Several barns and outbuildings • Land and infrastructure costs of $45K per household
• Working Christmas tree farm (based on 14 households)

• Community vegetable & flower

gardens Houses and site plan
• Community Supported Agricul- incorporate eco-friendly design
ture (CSA) onsite • Grant funding available for photo-voltaic (solar) panels
• Under 2 hours from Baltimore/ Washing- • Superb, energy-efficient construction
ton, DC metro area
• Innovative water treatment and recycling system
• Built-in water collection and conservation systems
Community-friendly site design
• Planned in cooperation with the American Home Builders
• A village concept of 14 homes,
Research Center, and the Adams County Planning Com-
(designed for both privacy and social interaction)
mission.
• Green way between the homes
• Convenient parking at perimeter
• Existing 8-room, 2-bath common house with wrap-
around porch
• Designed for both privacy and interaction.
• Vision for site includes gazebo, sauna, meditation
spots, and other communal gathering spaces

You are invited for a visit to tour our site and attend our weekly meetings.
To contact us or find out more go to www.hundredfoldfarm.org, e-mail
rhubarb@cvn.net or call (717) 334-9426 to talk with Bill or Sandy.
Perhaps you know someone else who might like to know about Hundredfold?
Please help us spread the word!

34
Membership Application
Please clip this application and return with payment to: PASA Membership, PO Box 419, Millheim, PA 16854.

About You A. Student or Individual Membership

Name Please list one name for this membership level.

Company/Farm

B. Family/Farm or Sustaining Lifetime Membership

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

ZIP+4 County

Home Phone Work Phone

E-mail

C. Nonprofit or Business Membership

Web Address Please list up to two additional people associated with your business to
receive individual membership privileges.
Name
Are you farming: NO YES — how many acres:
Address
How did you learn about PASA:
City

Membership Category State ZIP+4

Student Please complete Field A $ 15

E-mail
Individual Please complete Field A $ 35
Are you farming: NO YES — how many acres:
Family/Farm Please complete Field B $ 55

$ 100
Would you like to receive mailings from PASA: NO YES
Nonprofit Please complete Field C

Business Please complete Field C $ 150

Name

SUBTOTAL $
Address

Sustaining Lifetime Membership City

Your contribution as a lifetime member will be managed with care as part State ZIP+4
of our Founder’s Fund, sustaining both your ongoing membership and
the long-term future of PASA. E-mail
Sustaining Lifetime Member Please complete Field B $ 700
Are you farming: NO YES — how many acres:
SUBTOTAL $
Would you like to receive mailings from PASA: NO YES
Gift Memberships
In addition to your own membership, you may give PASA membership to D. Gift Membership
a good friend, family member, business associate or other worthy recip- Name
ient on an annual or lifetime basis…a gift that keeps on giving!
Please complete Field D Address
Student $ 15
City
Individual $ 35
State ZIP+4
Family/Farm $ 55

Lifetime Sustaining Member $ 700 Gift from:

SUBTOTAL $

Donation Payment
Tax-deductible donation to Annual Fund SUBTOTAL $ Total amount due Check Make check payable to PASA
$ Credit Card Complete below

Card No.

$
Exp. Date
Total Amount Due VISA MasterCard
Cardholder Name

Signature
 2003 PASA Business Members
Agri-Dynamics Consulting Cromwell Valley Park
Easton, PA Baltimore, MD
Agro Pro, LLC Dairyland Sales and Service
Lewisburg, PA Troy, PA
Albert’s Organics Delaware Valley College
Bridgeport, NJ Doylestown, PA
Alice Ferguson Foundation Delaware Valley
Accokeek, MD Farm Study Center
Upper Black Eddy, PA
Allegheny College — CEED
Meadville, PA DeVault Enterprises
Emmaus, PA
Alliance for
Earth’s Best/Hain
the Chesapeake Bay
Celestial Group
Camp Hill, PA
Eugene, OR
American Farmland Trust
East End Food Coop
Dekalb, IL Pittsburgh, PA
Animal Welfare Institute East Penns Valley Coop
Northfield, MN Millheim, PA
Blue Ridge Center Eberly Poultry Farms
for Environmental Stewardship Stevens, PA
Purcellville,VA
Endless Mountains RC & D
Center for Rural Pennsylvania Towanda, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Environmental Fund
Center for for Pennsylvania
Sustainable Agriculture Philadelphia, PA
Burlington,VT
Fertrell Company
Bainbridge, PA
Centre County
Conservation District FoodRoutes Network
Bellefonte, PA Millheim, PA
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Foodshed Alliance
Harrisburg, PA of the Ridge & Valley
Chester County Blairstown, NJ
Development Council Frankferd Farms Foods
Exton, PA Saxonburg, PA
Chilly Philly Corp. Friends of Ohio Barns
Philadelphia, PA Burbank, OH
Citizens Involved Fulton Center
in Sustaining Agriculture for Sustainable Living
Amherst, MA Chambersburg, PA
Clean Air Council — Gary Gyekis Woodworking
Spring Mills, PA
PA Wind Campaign
Philadelphia, PA
Goodville Mutual Insurance
New Holland, PA
Community Environmental
Legal Defense Fund Goodwill Industries of SE PA
Chambersburg, PA Millersville, PA
Concerned Citizens Gould Farm
of Nippenose Valley Monterey, MA
Jersey Shore, PA
Greater Pittsburgh
Cornell Cooperative Extension Community Food Bank
New York, NY Duquesne, PA
Countryside Conservancy Gut Essa
Peninsula, OH Millheim, PA
H. Rockwell and Son, Inc.
Canton, PA
Hacienda Shiloh
Gettysburg, PA
Homestead Nutrition Inc
New Holland, PA
Hopewell
Mesopotamia, OH
Indian Rock Produce
Bronx, NY
IPM Laboratories Inc
Locke, NY
Jamison Farm
Latrobe, PA
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Winslow, ME
Keystone Development Center
York, PA
King’s AgriSeeds
Ronks, PA
Lady Moon Farms
Chambersburg, PA
Lakeview Organic Grain
Pen Yan, NY
Lancaster Ag Products
Bird-In-Hand, PA
Lancaster Farmland Trust
Lancaster, PA
Laurel Valley Soils
Avondale, PA
Le Raysville Cheese Factory
Le Raysville, PA
Lionville Natural Pharmacy
& Health Food Store
Lionville, PA
Lydia’s Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Maysie’s Farm
Conservation Center
Glenmoore, PA
McGeary Grain, Inc.
Lancaster, PA
Mountain Watershed
Association
Melcroft, PA
Moyer’s Chicks, Inc.
Quakertown, PA
M. S. Bio-Ag
Export, PA
N. S.Troutman & Sons
Freeberg, PA
Natural Acres Red Hill Farm CSA
Millersburg, PA Aston, PA
Natural Dairy Products Corp. Red Wiggler Foundation
West Grove, PA Clarksburg, MD
Nature’s Best Organic Feed Rodale Institute
Kreamer, PA Kutztown, PA
NC+ Organics Rohrer Seeds
Lincoln, NE Smoketown, PA
North Branch Land Trust Skyview Laboratory
Trucksville, PA Jennerstown, PA
North Union Farmers Market Slippery Rock University
Shaker Heights, OH
Slippery Rock, PA
Organic Approach
Spiral Path Farm
Lancaster, PA
Loysville, PA
Organic Gardening Magazine
Emmaus, PA Sustaining Greene County
Waynesburg, PA
Organic Unlimited
Atglen, PA Tait Farm Foods
Centre Hall, PA
Orner Farms
Rockton, PA The Aaronsburg Inn
Aaronsburg, PA
Penn Ag Industries
Harrisburg, PA The Chapman Agency,
Erie Insurance Group
Penn College of Technology Mifflinburg, PA
Williamsport, PA
Townline Farm Poultry Reserve
Penn State Extension
Linesville, PA
Urban Gardening
Philadelphia, PA Tuscarora Organic
Growers Cooperative
Penn State University,
Hustontown, PA
College of Ag Sciences
University Park, PA Union County
PennFuture Conservation District
Lewisburg, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Pennsylvania Certified Organic Union County Industrial
Centre Hall, PA Development Corp
Lewisburg, PA
Pennsylvania Dept.
of Agriculture Upper Mt. Bethel EAC
Harrisburg, PA Mt. Bethel, PA
Pennsylvania Dept. Vermont Milling Ltd.
of Environmental Protection Potts Grove, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Waterkeeper Alliance
Pennsylvania Tarrytown, NY
Horticultural Society
Philadelphia, PA Western PA Conservancy
Pittsburgh, PA
Pennsylvania Hunger
Action Center Western PA Chapter OCIA
Harrisburg, PA Sandy Lake, PA
Philadelphia Fair Food Project White Dog Café Foundation
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA
Phillips Mushroom Farms, L.P. Wiscoy Pet Food Company
Kennett Square, PA State College, PA
Quiet Creek Herb Farm Woods End Research Lab
Brookville, PA Mt.Vernon, ME

Non Profit Org.

Pennsylvania U.S. Postage
Association for PAID
Sustainable Agriculture State College, PA
Permit No. 41
114 West Main Street • PO Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854