www.montereycountyweekly.com january 12-18, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 19 Dave Chapman knows tomatoes. Since 1984, he’s been growing them in Vermont at Long Wind Farm, perfecting his use of greenhouses to extend the season, from as early as March to as late as December. So he’s enthusiastic about taking measures to make tomato-growing as productive as possible, for as long as possible. Even while adhering to old-school principles as a lifelong organic farmer, Chapman is used to pushing boundaries. But about a decade ago, Chapman saw tomatoes at a regional produce warehouse that confounded him. “They were beautiful, perfect-looking, very mediocre-tasting and very inexpensive,” he remembers. “I thought, who is growing all of these beautiful, perfectly formed, tasteless tomatoes and selling them at such a low price? How can they afford to do that?” So Chapman did a little research, and learned that hydroponic farming—growing crops in water, rather than soil, and adding fertility to the water—was permissible under organic certification standards of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “I was shocked,” Chapman says. “How can this be?” A little research turned into a lot of research. Chapman’s political curiosity took a turn into political advocacy. He found himself unraveling the organic standards, established under advice of the National Organic Standards Board, a 15-member group of people appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture who volunteer to serve five-year terms. Their direction guides the evolution of the National Organic Program, which defines the standards by which food in the U.S. can be labeled as “organic.” It’s a structure that was established in 1990 by the Organic Foods Production Act. Chapman knew in general terms this system existed, and he trusted it. But as he started to peel back the layers, he decided it was time to get involved. “Once hydroponic producers realized they could [use the label] it became hugely profitable for them,” he says. “The foundational belief of organic is, feed the soil, not the plant.” Once it became clear to Chapman that soil was not actually a requirement of USDA organic certification, he and other farmers organized a protest in 2015. During a meeting of the NOSB, which convenes twice a year, farmers rallied with five tractors. The next year, 26 tractors gathered in Vermont, along with elected officials. Then in 2017, with another vote on whether to prohibit hydroponic farming from organic certification, farmers rallied in tractors in 15 locations. And at the meeting itself, Chapman joined about 60 other farmers in Jacksonville, Florida, to weigh in. They were there to deliver the message to the NOSB: Organic should be about healthy soil, and growing crops without dirt shouldn’t count. “We lost. That was the night they drove organic down,” Chapman says. “That moment was a bit of a watershed, a turning point. The corporate takeover of the organic brand became apparent. That was the night it all changed. We realized we weren’t going to succeed through reform.” There was grieving to be done, and about 30 organic Vermont farmers met to share it. But they had an idea: If the National Organic Program was going to pander to corporate interests, it was time to stop fighting a losing fight. Instead, they should create their own label—something that would honor the original spirit of organic, something that would celebrate healthy soil and healthy livestock. That idea for a new label became the Real Organic Project. • To be certified by the Real Organic Project, a farm must first be certified according to USDA’s organic standard. Real Organic comes on top of that, and departs from USDA’s definition in two key ways: Crops must be grown in soil, and animals must not be kept entirely confined. “Organic crops are grown in the soil, in the ground. Organic terrestrial plant production must be a soil-based system in which plant roots grow in healthy, living soil. Biological activity, essential for healthy crops, must be supported by sound soil stewardship,” ROP’s standards read. For livestock, “All individual animals must have daily, year-round access to the outdoors, where the outdoors constitutes at least 50-percent vegetated cover during the growing season.” To Chapman and his co-director of the Real Organic Project, Coloradobased farmer Linley Dixon, these are unremarkable standards—they are the principles that guide most organic farmers. Since launching in 2018, the nonprofit has certified 1,050 farms certified as Real Organic. Dixon Farmers with the Real Organic Project present real ideas for solutions. By Sara Rubin “In order to keep the soil healthy, you need to diversify what you plant,” Javier Zamora says. That comes with a dual benefit: healthy soil, and a diversified cash flow. Above, sugar snap peas are just coming up between blackberries; left, lettuce and tomatoes grow side-by-side. Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
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