Planned food safety rules rile organic farmers [Obama wages war against farmers]

Los Angeles Times ^ | February 22, 2014 | Evan Halper

[grundle]

Now, farmers are discovering that the FDA's proposed rules would curtail many techniques that are common among organic growers, including spreading house-made fertilizers, tilling cropland with grazing animals, and irrigating from open creeks.

Suddenly, from small family operations nestled in the foothills of Appalachia to the sophisticated organic-grower networks that serve Los Angeles and San Francisco, the farms that celebrity chefs and food-conscious consumers jostle to buy from are facing an unexpected adversary.

They're fighting back. Even though full enforcement of the rules is still years away, they are warning customers that some farms would have to close.

"They are going to drive farms out of business," said Dave Runsten, policy director for Community Alliance with Family Farmers in Davis, Calif.

"The consumer groups behind this don't understand farming," Runsten says. "They talk out of both sides of their mouth. They demand these one-size-fits-all regulations, then say, 'I don't want to hurt those cute little farmers at the farmers market. I shop at the farmers market.' It is frustrating."

[Jane Long]

Hey Organic Farmers....

You only ‘CRY FOUL’ when ‘Obama’s Boot is on Your Neck’

[familyop]

To avoid potential health problems, anyone using manure from cattle for fertilizer should plow it in during the fall before planting in the spring. There are resources around the Net from studies and farmers on the topic. Cow manure is great fertilizer if old enough and used properly.

“Humanure?” It takes a couple of years in the soil for that to be safe, unless it’s properly composted for the required duration at the required minimum temperature or frozen for days at lower than -20 Fahrenheit (roundworms—toughest hazardous organism in human manure). There are also resources on the Net for that. Personally, I’ll leave using that stuff to Asians and California hippies. ;-)

[fella]

Laws against nature almost always fail. Even with the use of “the frog in the pot” ObamaCare style implementation.

[fella]

"Stalin also knew that self-sufficient peasants had to be eliminated."

Something that a few living Ukrainians remember all to well. However since LBJ our own government, federal and state, have succeeded in driving our landed poor off of their land and on to the dole through high property taxes and oppressive regulations.

[maine yankee]

You only ‘CRY FOUL’ when ‘Obama’s Boot is on Your Neck’

---

Many of us have been in this fight since the first Bush was in office.

It was during that era when M. Taylor first went from Monsanto to the FDA.

[miss marmelstein]

Doesn’t this stuff have to “mature”? I thought if it came straight from horses it would burn the soil.

I find it ironic that so many small organic farmers (like those in Vermont) are flaming libs.

[piroque]

Doesn’t this stuff have to “mature”? I thought if it came straight from horses it would burn the soil.

Yes,,,, my $___ has matured from 1-15 yrs.
The raw stuff is good for starting vegetable seeds ,use under the potting mix for the heat it generates.
BTW/ have to be careful with all manures is the salt content so don't over do it.

http://thebayougardener.com/smf/index.php?topic=577.0

Manure nutrient chart « on: February 01, 2010, 03:06:21 AM » ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Manure Type Dry Matter % Ammonium-N Total N P K ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swine, no bedding 18 6 10 9 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swine, with bedding 18 5 6 7 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Beef, no bedding 52 7 21 14 23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beef, with bedding 50 8 21 18 26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dairy, no bedding 18 4 9 4 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dairy, with bedding 21 5 9 4 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sheep, no bedding 28 5 18 11 26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sheep, with bedding 28 5 14 9 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poultry, no litter 45 26 33 48 34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poultry, with litter 75 36 56 45 34 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey, no litter 22 17 27 20 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey, with litter 29 13 20 16 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Horse, with bedding 46 4 14 4 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Poultry compost 45 1 17 39 23 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dairy, compost 45 <1 12 12 26 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mixed compost Dairy/Swine/Poultry 43 <1 11 11 10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources: Livestock Waste Facilities Handbook 2nd edition 1985

[piroque]

hmmm ,,,,A lot different than the preview,,,hmmmm

[Iron Munro]

Buy "First Lady Brand" Arugula

[miss marmelstein]

Oh, I’m hopeless at gardening. I have some seeds here which I hope to kill in a few weeks.

[piroque]

Don’t I know that feeling, gardening a lot different that farming (over 40+ yrs.)Retired. Still love that smell of fresh dirt in the spring.

[miss marmelstein]

As a suburban child, I loved the smell of the earth right before the rain.

I have a small garden - I’m successful with herbs; but herbs are easy to grow.

[piroque]

We do a lot herbs,dried, kept in pint jars on the back of the stove.