My
editor said, “Why would you post a negative?” She was referring to my
bio where I state that I failed miserably at organic farming. I
responded, “In a world of contrived presentations of ego, integrity and
truth have no place.” Thus I would like to elaborate.
I
had become entangled in the term “organic.” I is not enough that a so
called “Organic Farmer” is dealing with all the forces of nature to
produce pure unadulterated food, this farmer is also over lorded by a
State and Federal agency that determines or rather licenses’ the use of
the term “Organic.”
Disagreement with the powers that be
is a cost beyond a small farmer. Let us just say that they threaten
your buyers and kill your market. Yes the Feds disallow you and make
you go away.
I then developed a new food label called,
“SWS PURENE VEGETABLES” This stood for “Sun Water and Soil pure
vegetables,” above organic standards. This was an open farm process were
anyone could come and see the growing purity. I also stated that these
were “Bureaucratic Free Vegetables.” Now you have to know what that
means…
Just because you have a food product labeled
“Organic” does not mean it is somehow magically good for you to eat.
Organic standards are flawed in that just because a toxin is a natural
toxin used to kill bugs, it is somehow okay. Another example; cow
manure as a fertilizer is acceptable even though it is laden with
hormones, antibiotics, antifungal compounds and anti-parasite
medications.
Regulation of the label “Organic” is fraught
with complications and corruptions. Organic Farmers just play the game
with the inspectors and then do whatever is in their best interest to
keep their prices high and their food product under the radar. In short
they cheat. I was not interested in exposing all the cheaters and
inane inspectors.
I was black listed at a critical time
and lost my sales channel by threat from the Texas Department of
Agriculture. My vegetables were above organic standards but I was
bureaucratically disallowed.
Just because the label says
it is “Organic” does not mean it is safe. The question really is what
is nontoxic and naturally unfettered?
So did I fail
miserably? Perhaps I failed to fight the bureaucracy effectively but my
growing techniques were a fabulous success. I chose to continue the
fight another way.
Visit “The Bobbie Howe Foundation” at
http://bobbiehowe.org click on the research button and then click on
agriculture and read about organic definitions.