Market News
Certified vs. Registered Organic – What's the Difference?
APTOS — When Monica and Jay Gordon shop at the Aptos farmers market, Monica heads toward vendors that have signs posted that read “organic.”
“I have a Blue-Fronted Amazon parrot,” Monica explained. “Parrots cannot take pesticides — no chemicals whatsoever. So I come to the market and buy what I can find for him that's organic.”
For Jay, choosing organic produce over conventional isn't so cut and dried.
“I think organic' is a marketing thing," Jay said. "Not that it's insincere. I just think the term 'organic' is about marketing.
Added Monica, "I would hope that the farmers market verified that the vendors are indeed organic."
While the debate over organic versus conventional farming has been lengthy, comprehensive and often controversial, whether or not a vendor at the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets (MBCFM) has been certified organic should not be an issue for the Gordons or other customers to wonder about.
"Our customers can be guaranteed by our organization that when farmers or their employees at our markets say they are organic that they are," said Catherine Barr, the MBCFM's executive director. "We make sure that all of their paperwork is in order. We check it at least twice a year ”
“I want our customers to know we don't take this issue lightly,” Barr continued. “If our vendors or their employees tell customers they”re organic and we get a complaint, we will investigate. If we dont get satisfaction from the farmer, I'll turn them into the state.”
Barr said that exact scenario has played out before, and the vendor is no longer a member of the MBCFM.
The National Organic Standards Board defined “organic agriculture” in April 1995 in part as "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony."
Independent or private third-party certification agencies will inspect a farm“s fields and processing facilities and its records as well as periodically test soil and water to ensure the standards that have been determined are being met.
Ken Kimes of New Natives in Aptos, known for their selection of microgreens, said his farm was one of the first to be certified in the state.
"We got certified in 1983 and we were the eleventh farm certified in California,” Kimes said. “It was fairly loose back then; everyone was certifying one another. Now, organic is a whole channel of produce. To say you're organic, you need to be certified by a federally licensed certifying agency.”
“You used to be able to call yourself organic and not be violating the law, but there was fraud in the marketplace so people got certified to tell their buyers they were organic," Kimes continued. "Unless you have a gross farm income of less than $5,000 per year, you cannot call yourself organic unless you are certified. The federal government basically owns the term ‘organic.’”
Robin and Nancy Gammons started Four Sisters Farm in Aromas in 1977. The farm became certified organic in 1987 and is known for its kiwi and wide assortment of greens, such as kale, chard, sorrel and New Zealand spinach. The Gammons have been regulars at MBCFM for about 20 years.
“I was selling kiwi wholesale to organic buyers, and they needed some kind of certification,” Robin said. “We have always been an organic farm. We didn’t want to have a lot of pesticides or use a lot of commercial fertilizers that are usually heavily salt-based, which is bad for the soil. Being organic was both an environmental and philosophical decision for us. We did not want to contribute pollution to the soil.”
Like New Natives, Four Sisters Farm is certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), a nonprofit organic certification and trade association based in Santa Cruz.
“I do think my customers care if we're certified organic or not,” Robin said. “A lot of people say ‘Oh, you’re organic’ when they see the CCOF sign and logo.”
“Being registered organic is required by the state,” Robin continued. “Being certified organic is required by the federal government if you want to say you're organic.”
Barr explained that the first step in the process of a farm becoming organic is to register with the state. The farm will be given an organic registration number; however, the farm cannot refer to itself as organic until a third-party agency or the USDA certifies it as such.
As an example, there are 24 vendors who are certified and registered organic while seven are only registered organic at the Aptos market.
“Some farms will just take it to the registration level,” Barr said. “They can call themselves sustainable or pesticide-free if they are, but they cannot call themselves organic.”
For Monica, even organic produce gets a dip in her vegetable wash when it comes time to feed “Captain.”
“I get him red peppers, yams, sweet peas and red grapes at the market,” Monica said. “Anything with Vitamin A. But it’s still dirty,” she continued. “It's still being handled by people. We use veggie wash on everything. Even so, I still will go to a vendor that has posted 'organic' before anywhere else.”
Holiday Shopping at Aptos and MPC Farmers Market
Do your weekly shopping as well as your holiday shopping at the farmers market this season! The 5th Annual Home and Hearth Holiday Fair continues through December 17 at the Aptos Farmers Market. Artists include Liz Lyons Friedman, Evelyn Jenkins Drew, Alena Byrnes, Ann Osterman, Brenda Mills, David P. Salazar, Dawn O'Regan, Jay Topping, Jeanne Manss, John Gavrilis, Karen Hansen and Penny Waller.
Several Monterey artists will also be joining the Monterey Farmers Market (MPC) on December 9, 16 and 23 from 10 am – 2 pm with displays of unique crafts and gift items. Artists and businesses include Greg Magee Photography, Avinu Records, Elkhorn Trading Company, Wylde Wells Soap, Trellis & Vine Jewelry and Luminous Blessings
Good Food Award Highlights Responsible Local Food Endeavors
By GRETCHEN WEGRICH, Santa Cruz Sentinel
SANTA CRUZ – The categories in the 2012 Good Food Awards would create a meal fit for a king – artisanal beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, preserves and spirits. And three local food producers are up for blue ribbons.
The Good Food Awards – a national competition – recognizes people who make food that is delicious, respectful of the environment, and rooted in communities and cultural traditions.
Organizers announced the finalists November 15. Making the cut were Garden Variety Cheese of North Monterey County, and Farmhouse Culture and Chez Pim, of Santa Cruz.
“I think it’s great that their goal is not just to recognize food that tastes good and is high quality, but also that is made in sustainable manner,” said Rebecca King, owner of Garden Variety Cheese.
In the cheese category, King is taking a stand with her Black Eyed Susan and Hollyhock cheeses. Garden Variety Cheese is a small farmstead cheese business outside Watsonville.
To ensure the well-being of her animals and the quality of the cheese, King’s 100 milking ewes graze in organic pastures and are fed organic brewer's grain she gets from the Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Co. It’s a recipe for success that utilizes local resources, an important aspect of the Good Food Awards criteria.
“I spend a lot of time and money to raise my animals organically and to be a part of the local community and economy, so it's nice to be recognized for that,” King about her nomination as a finalist.
Garden Variety Cheeses are available at the Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market and the Aptos Farmers Market, and at New Leaf Community Markets.
Joining Garden Variety Cheeses as a Good Food Awards finalist is Farmhouse Culture in the pickles category. Farmhouse Culture hopes to smoke the competition with its Smoked Jalapeno Sauerkraut.
Read full article >
5th Annual Home and Hearth Holiday Fair
Handmade Christmas ornaments, functional fabric art, handcrafted jewelry, decorative metal signs and holiday cards may not be typical items available at the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets in any given week.
But for four weekends beginning in November, visitors to the Aptos market at Cabrillo College will have an opportunity to peruse the work of 12 Santa Cruz County-based artists.
Working in a wide array of mediums that include jewelry design, photography and stained glass, the artists will showcase their talents at the Fifth Annual Home and Hearth Holiday Fair. Held near the prepared food section, the exhibit and sale will take place from 8 a.m. until noon on four Saturdays: Nov. 26, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.
“Home and hearth to me are words that exude warmth and holidays,” said Liz Lyons Friedman, an Aptos-based traditional printmaker of linocuts and woodcuts. “They are also words that indicate that something is made by hand.”
"Since it’s the holidays, all of the artists will probably be in the holiday spirit and have decorations at their booths," Lyons Friedman continued. “I'm really looking forward to exhibiting with this particular group of artists since we’re all based locally. I'm also looking forward to exhibiting during the holiday season for people in this community who come to the farmers market.”
In addition to the Christmas-themed tiles and note cards she plans to have available, Lyons Friedman will also have on hand plenty of framed and unframed commemorative posters that she designed for the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets' 35th anniversary that was celebrated this summer.
Evelyn Jenkins Drew, an Aptos-based watercolorist who also works in acrylics, is looking forward to participating in the Home and Hearth Fair for the first time.
“To me, the idea of home and hearth makes you feel good about where you live — your comfort, your enjoyment — the heart of where you exist,” said Drew, who specializes in tropical and nostalgic surf themes. "I believe that people who go to the Aptos market really care about quality. Whether it’s what they put into their bodies or bring into their homes, I would think they're very discerning. I think the fair will really kick off the holiday season, which is a time when people are thinking of others and wanting to make them happy.”
Lyons Friedman and Drew will be joined at the fair by fellow artists Alena Byrnes, Ann Osterman, Brenda Mills, David P. Salazar, Dawn O'Regan, Jay Topping, Jeanne Manss, John Gavrilis, Karen Hansen and Penny Waller.
Executive Director Catherine Barr said the annual fair has helped visitors and vendors alike get into the holiday spirit in past years.
“The fair provides a good opportunity to be able to pick up something unique for the holidays as well as keep your business local,” Barr said. "There will be great gift ideas for people of all ages.
“The Home and Hearth Holiday Fair represents a different aspect of what the farmers market can bring you.”
Heirloom Vegetables – Preserving the Past
When it comes to heirloom fruits and vegetables, one thing seems very apparent. Tomatoes have clearly been hogging the spotlight.
Heirloom tomatoes have gone mainstream over the years, even turning up in all their colorful glory in supermarkets and big box stores.
But at the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets, tomatoes are not the only heirloom game in town. While a number of farmers elect to label their heirloom products as such, others leave it off their signs and boxes, choosing instead to inform their customers when asked.
Ronald Donkervoort of Windmill Farm sells six heirloom vegetables; one of which is his best-selling item.
“The spinach is the biggest hit on the table," says Donkervoort, a native of Holland who began selling at the Aptos market in 2005. "It's Bloomsdale, which is a famous heirloom. I also have Early Jersey Wakefield, which is a cabbage variety. The other heirlooms are Detroit Dark Red Beets, Waltham Butternut Squash, Lacinato Kale and Red Russian Kale.”
For Donkervoort, heirlooms — non-hybridized seeds that have often been passed down from generation to generation — are of great importance.
“People are always talking about biodiversity and the extinction of different species," Donkervoort says. “As a farmer, I believe we are losing our food seeds at an alarming rate. Original varieties, which have taken years and years to cultivate, are being lost in a snap of the fingers. You’ve got GMO seeds, hybridized seeds and pure seeds. An heirloom vegetable is a true variety, a pure variety, and if you lose your heirlooms, you'll lose your seed bank.”
Donkervoort points out that while GMO and hybridized seeds can produce crops that are more disease-resistant, more attractive on the shelf and more uniform in regards to size and appearance, taste and flavor may suffer.
“To me, taste from the heirlooms is always better,” Donkervoort says. “You may lose the flavor with the hybrids.”
Over at Thomas Farm, Maria Bell points out the three clearly marked heirloom vegetables on her table.
“One of our heirlooms is the Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato, which is actually a winter squash and doesn't look like a sweet potato," says Bell, who began working at Thomas Farm six months ago. "We have the Waltham Butternut Squash, which is a variety of butternut squash, and the Red Thumb Fingerling, which is flesh-marbled with pink and creamy white coloring.”
Gene Silva of Silva Orchard brought six heirloom apples to the Aptos market on a recent Saturday. Out of the 27 different varieties of apples he grows, Silva estimates that half would be classified as heirlooms.
“Heirlooms can mean old-time or outdated varieties or beyond commercial consumption,” Silva says. “They have unique characteristics, and some are darn good. My favorite apple is an heirloom. It's Winesap and has a taste like red wine.”
Prevedelli Farms also sells heirloom apples while Webb’s Organic Farm often brings heirloom potatoes, green beans and dried beans as well as 10 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes to market.
Executive Director Catherine Barr uses adjectives such as “Grandma” and “hometown” to describe heirloom vegetables.
“Grandma used to grow different kinds of tomatoes,” Barr says.“As the huge farms came into existence, they began to grow the same red tomato that we got used to seeing in the grocery stores.”
“As people came back to the farmers markets, we went back to the crazy kind of colors of tomatoes that Grandma used to grow,” Barr continues. “These tomatoes have always been around, but we just forgot about them. But now, we're coming back to our roots.”
MBCFM Honored As Organization of the Year
The Aptos Chamber of Commerce honored the winners of its annual community awards at a dinner on October 28 at Seascape Beach Resort. The Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets was named 2011 Organization of the Year and received Certificates of Recognition from the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, Senators Joe Simitian, Sam Blakeslee and Assemblymember Bill Monning.
In addition, the MBCFM was presented with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for "invaluable service to the community" signed by Congressman Sam Farr.
“This has been a very special year for our markets,” Catherine Barr, Executive Director acknowledged. “I am very honored to accept these awards on behalf of our California family farmers and to be a part of this awesome community.”
Del Monte Farmers Market Closing for the Season
The Sunday Del Monte Farmers Market at the Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey will be will be closing for the season on Sunday, October 30. The seasonal Carmel Farmers Market and the Del Monte Farmers Market will reopen in May 2012.
The Monterey Farmers Market at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) is open year round, Fridays, 10 am until 2 pm, rain or shine. The Aptos Farmers Market is also open year round, Saturdays, 8 am until 12 pm, rain or shine.
Home and Hearth Holiday Fair 2011
Dread the holiday shopping mall experience? Plan to do your holiday shopping this year at the Aptos Farmers Market! Artist Liz Lyons-Friedman has organized a select group of local artisans for the annual Home and Hearth Holiday Fair. The holiday fair opens November 26, and continues December 3, 10, and 17. Participating artists will be announced in the November newsletter.
In addition, many of our farmers and vendors have specialty items and gift baskets available for the holidays. Need a fruit basket delivered? Check our farmer and vendor listings for more information about products and services available.
Drum Roll, Please!
In the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest, more than 80,000 people across the country cast their votes for the markets they love! Many customers went on to submit comments about why they appreciate their market and what it means for their community.
Here are our results! The Aptos Farmers Market came in 1st place in California as Favorite Farmers Market.
The Aptos Farmers Market came in 9th place in US as Favorite Farmers Market (large farmers markets category).
Additionally, Coastal Living Magazine (August 2011) named Aptos Farmers Market one of “The Coast's Best Farmers' Markets.”
Last month, Edible Paradise, the MBCFM companion recipe blog, was recognized as a Best Site for Seasonal Recipes and Local Food in July by verybestsites.com.
Thank you again for participating in the American Farmland Trust campaigns. Our farmers markets play a critical role in supporting local farmers, which helps keep farm and ranch land from disappearing.
Carmel Farmers Market Closing for Season
The Carmel Farmers Market at the Barnyard Village Shopping center will be closing for the season on Tuesday, September 27.
The Sunday morning Del Monte Farmers Market at the Del Monte Shopping Center, will be open until the end of October. The Monterey Farmers Market at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) is open year round, Fridays, 10 am until 2pm, rain or shine.
Celebrating School Food Festival
Aptos Farmers Market will be hosting the second annual Celebrating School Food Festival, on Saturday, October 8, from 9 am until Noon. Organized by the Central Coast School Food Alliance, this free event will include live music by award winning folk artist, Tom Chapin. Guest speakers will be Congressman Sam Farr, Assembly Member, Bill Monning, USDA Undersecretary, Janey Thornton, and others. Other activities will include food service sampling and tasting booths, interactive art zone for kids and a garden and planting workshop.
For more information about the Central Coast School Food Alliance, please see www.schoolfoodalliance.com. Festival co-sponsors include the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, United Way of Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank, Bay Federal Credit Union, Santa Cruz County of Education, New Leaf Markets, Go for Health, Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust and the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets.
Edible Paradise Selected as a Best Site for Seasonal Recipes and Local Food
Edible Paradise, our companion blog that features recipes from many local chefs and cooking with fresh ingredients from our farmers markets, was recognized as a Best Site for Seasonal Recipes and Local Food in July by verybestsites.com.
Edible Paradise began a couple of years ago as an extension of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets website (www.montereybayfarmers.org). The goal was to have the blog function primarily as a recipe database as well as to be a resource for basic culinary education. Our creative director, Daniel Saenz (formerly part of the creative team at Odwalla, Inc., and founder and president of Daniel Saenz Design and www.artdoor.com), listened carefully to our wish lists and dreams.
“Few people realize what goes on ‘under the hood’ in building custom sites or the specialized coding required for adapting various technologies to make every component function properly. Every project is unique and has its own complexities and requirements,” Daniel explains. In addition to the extensive blog framework he designed, Daniel also set the high standards for the photography, font selection, and polished page layouts. “Consistency is key to good marketing and design and yet it’s almost a subliminal component,” he added.
Annaliese Keller, marketing director for the MBCFM and editor for Edible Paradise, recalls the day Daniel delivered the new blog framework. “I felt like I’d been handed the keys to a Ferrari and didn’t have any idea how to drive it! Initially, I was daunted by the enormity of the project – not only was I challenged to master cutting-edge CMS technology, but also to create enough content to launch the site. Luckily for me, Daniel was a patient teacher. I was very excited to have a searchable database for our recipes and a beautiful site to highlight the dazzling array of produce and ingredients available at our farmers markets.”
Another major contributor to Edible Paradise is our market chef in residence, Andrew Cohen. Every month Chef Andrew writes the Market Fresh section and provides 8-10 new recipes featuring the highlighted produce of the month.
“Andrew is a prolific writer, as well as a detail-oriented teacher. His recipes are full of helpful hints, creative variations, and precise step-by-step instructions that even a novice cook can follow. I especially like his Cooking Basics articles,” Annaliese comments."I think it requires an enormous amount of patience for such an accomplished chef to explain how ingredients work together, to describe specific techniques in minute detail, and to passionately teach the 'how' of cooking to people. He's a born teacher.”
Edible Paradise is a continual work in progress and contains about two thousand recipes, including many from Annaliese’s own recipe collection. “Andrew is the cook. I’m the baker! We make a good team,” she quipped, smiling. This fall, the site will be expanded to include a new section that will feature vintage recipes, stories, and helping people find “lost” recipes. Annaliese enthused, “Food is key to childhood memories, our collective pasts, our families. Think of this new section as your grandma's tin box of recipes!”
Summer Art Exhibit and Sale, August 27 at the Aptos Farmers Market
By Kirsten Fairchilds — When Diane Devine was a little girl, she used to draw in her mother's cookbooks. Those doodles would prove to be a fitting start for the youngster who later found great success as both an artist and a chef.
A renowned watercolorist whose work is on display locally at both Gayle’s Bakery and Wisteria Antiques, Devine worked as a chef in Carmel and Monterey as well as at UC Santa Cruz as the catering coordinator for Robert Sinsheimer during his tenure as Chancellor.
Devine will be joined by three other female artists from Santa Cruz County at the Aptos market on August 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. Liz Lyons Friedman, Brenda Mills Brannan, Karen Nevis and Devine will all be on hand to meet and greet visitors while having their works on display and for sale. Complimentary light refreshments will be served.
The theme of the show involves food, flowers, gardens and nature — a number of concepts that Lyons Friedman often incorporates into her work.
A traditional printmaker of linocuts and woodcuts, Lyons Friedman was in attendance at the Aptos market on July 23 to sign commemorative posters that she had designed for the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets’ 35th anniversary.
Lyons Friedman says she’s looking forward to returning as part of a group of artists that celebrates life through art. “I’ve been coming to the Aptos market for over 20 years,” says Lyons Friedman, who resides in Aptos.
“I’ve done four pieces that feature the market. There’s such a strong sense of community here, and the incredible produce and gorgeous flowers are just so visually appealing.”
“Food is definitely a great subject matter for art, but there is also a renewed interest in sustainable farming, visually appealing food and plating — which has become an art form in itself,” Lyons Friedman continues. “All of that combines to make a meal an occasion.”
A resident of Santa Cruz for 50 years, Devine says she was exposed to good food early on while growing up in San Francisco.
“We went out to dinner all the time when I was growing up,” says Devine, who currently splits her time between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. “All the restaurants were fantastic in San Francisco in the 1940s. The most expensive dinner was about $3.50. You could get filet mignon for $3.50.”
Many of the fruits and vegetables Devine purchases at farmers markets serve double-duty once she gets them home.
“The thing that is most important to me is my simple life,” Devine says. “It includes a lot of gardening, a lot of reading, a lot of painting and a lot of eating.”
“I love to paint food,” Devine continues.“"I paint in my garden in both Santa Cruz and San Francisco. I set up a still life with my items I’ve purchased from the farmers markets. I’ve done a lot of paintings that have a café theme. Almost all of my paintings have food and flowers in them.”
Visit the artists’ websites:
Diane Devine
Liz Lyons-Friedman
Karen Nevis
Brenda Mills-Brennan
Chicks in the City: The Zen of Raising Backyard Chickens
Can You Dig It workshop on August 20 at the Aptos Farmers Market will feature speaker Candice McLaren, Master Gardener and Poultry Guru.
Nothing says “back to the farm” like chickens. They are magical — and the perfect complement to a healthy garden. What other creature will take scraps from the table and worms from the soil and give you the perfect food — eggs! You will learn all there is to know about raising chickens in your city garden while improving the quality of life. Follow the growing stages of your baby chicks as they develop into a loving family pet.
Candice McLaren has lectured on chickens in the home garden at nearly every nursery in Santa Cruz County. Raised around poultry, she is the go-to-gardener for introducing chickens into your garden regime and reaping the benefits.
Please Join Us in Celebrating Our 35th Anniversary!
Enjoy a fun filled day with the whole family! Aptos Farmers Market will be celebrating its 35th Anniversary on Saturday, July 23, starting at 8 am.
Commemorative posters featuring our bustling Aptos farmers market by local artist Liz Lyons Friedman will be for sale. Liz will be available to autograph posters, too. There will be lots of fun activities for kids, too, including Jimmy-the-Balloon-Man with his balloon creations and a face painting station.
The Summer BBQ originally planned for July has been rescheduled for the fall due to the busy summer schedules of many of our farmers.
Cast Your Vote For Aptos Farmers Market!
If you find your local farmers market to be a great source of fresh, organic and locally grown foods, make sure to cast your vote for America’s Favorite Farmer's Market and let the world know why you love the Aptos Farmers Market!
Farmers markets around the country are competing in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest and the Aptos Farmers Market is one of the contestants! There's only one month left for voting, and we’d sure appreciate your vote! If we win, our market will be featured in Epicurious.
Here’s how to vote for the Aptos Farmers Market:
(1) Go to www.farmland.org/vote
(2) Type in “Aptos Farmers Market” and
(3) Click "vote"!
“The America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest is a fun and engaging way for farmers market shoppers to show their pride for their local farmers markets and to directly support their communities,” said Jon Scholl, president of American Farmland Trust. “Farmers markets provide a vital connection from town and city centers to surrounding local farms, supplying fresh and healthy food and an experience that cannot be matched anywhere else.”
USDA Finds in Favor of Grass-Fed Cows
A study by USDA scientists finds that raising cows on grass, instead of in factory farms, produces fewer greenhouse-gas emissions and other pollutants.
By Marian Burros, July 2011 Rodale News, Emmaus, PA
Perhaps a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), entitled “Putting Dairy Cows Out to Pasture—An Environmental Plus,” won’t put an end to the controversy over whether cows raised outdoors on grass are better for the environment than cows raised on grain in confinement. But the USDA’s findings on the matter are all the more remarkable considering that it’s only in recent years that the agency has acknowledged there’s a type of agriculture besides industrial agriculture, and it's called sustainable.
THE DETAILS: Unknown to most of the general public, there have, in fact, been Ag Dept scientists toiling away at experiments that confirm the value of sustainable agriculture, producing reports like “Pecan Growers Boost Revenue by Growing Organically,” and "Organic Cover Crops: More Seeds Means Fewer Weeds.”
Still, the research conducted about dairy cows may be the USDA’s most controversial yet. In fact, both sides continue to argue about which method of raising cattle is better for the environment.
C. Alan Rotz, PhD, an agricultural engineer for the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service at University Park, Pennsylvania, and an adjunct professor at Penn State, was the lead researcher for the dairy cows study. And he says he is “tired of all the criticism” about cows raised on pasture. “There’s a place for grass-fed cows. There’s nothing wrong with grass-based systems, and from an environmental point of view there are a lot of benefits,” he says.
According to the USDA’s Agricultural Research magazine for May/June 2011, Rotz's peer-reviewed study, first published in a research journal in 2009, concludes that “a dairy cow living year-round in the great outdoors may leave a markedly smaller ecological hoofprint than her more sheltered sisters.”
Help Aptos Farmers Market Be America’s Favorite Farmers Market!
American Farmland Trust (AFT) has opened the voting to select "America's Favorite Farmers Markets" at www.farmland.org/vote. The online contest is a nationwide challenge to see which of America's farmers markets can rally the most support from their communities. At the end of the contest on August 31st, one large, medium, small, and boutique sized farmers market will win the title of “America's Favorite Farmers Market” for 2011. Winners will be featured on Epicurious.com, the most award-winning foodsite, and will be honored at local celebrations where they will receive prize packages from American Farmland Trust and its partners.
Farmers markets are a vital link between local farms and their supporting communities, providing fresh and healthy food and an experience that cannot be matched anywhere else. By partnering with farmers market managers, American Farmland Trust is encouraging consumers to consider the importance of farmland and to support local farmers. Market shoppers can cast their vote in support of their region's farmers, community and market.
To vote for Aptos Farmers Market, simply: (1) go to www.farmland.org/vote (2) type in “Aptos Farmers Market” and (3) click “vote”!
“The America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest is a fun and engaging way for
farmers market shoppers to show their pride for their local farmers markets and to directly support their communities,” said Jon Scholl, president of American Farmland Trust. “Farmers markets provide a vital connection from town and city centers to surrounding local farms, supplying fresh and healthy food and an experience that cannot be matched anywhere else.”
Catherine Barr Meets Karen Ross, New Secretary of the California Department
of Food and Agriculture
Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner, Eric Lauritzen, called a special “meet and greet” meeting in May to introduce the new Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Karen Ross. Secretary Ross was appointed in January 2011 by Governor Jerry Brown and has extensive leadership experience in agricultural issues nationally, internationally, and here in California.
Catherine Barr, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets, was invited to meet with Secretary Ross along with representatives from Dole, Ocean Mist, Taylor Farms and others to hear her plan for California's future in farming. Catherine's firm commitment to the integrity of farmers markets caught the attention of the new secretary. Catherine said, “With California’s agricultural budget being cut by $32 million dollars by the end of next year, we have a lot of work we need to do in order to keep our way of life going, not only for our farmers but for our customers as well.”
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