Santa Cruz Sentinal, Santa Cruz California January 27. 2006 Nearly 1,200 organic farmers turn out for Pacific Grove conference
By TOM RAGAN SENTINEL STAFF WRITER More than 1,000 farmers, organic and conventional, showed up at the 26th annual Ecological Farming Conference on Thursday to brainstorm different methods of growing and meet their agricultural equivalents. A plethora of professors, farmers and researchers talked in depth about the biological alternatives to the controversial and ozone-depleting methyl bromide, the pending 2007 farm bill, managing pests, and contemplated the problem of the high prices of organic food and how to rein them in without having to compromise the end product. But perhaps the most enlightening of the dozens of lectures that took place on the Asilomar Conference Grounds was that of Marion Nestle, a nutrition expert with an assortment of degrees and the author of numerous books on the politics behind the food industry. In a PowerPoint presentation to hundreds, she walked the audience through grocery store aisles and pointed out how several cereal companies misrepresent their products. Even though it would appear that some of them have the backing of the American Diabetes Association, the reality is some cereal companies merely endorse the association, and in return for their financial contributions receive the privilege of using the sticker even though the amounts of sugar within would be more of a detriment to diabetics. But the bottom line, she said, is that obesity is a big problem in the United States and there's a reason behind it: Bigger portions are available in a world of Big Gulps and super-sizing, and it benefits the food industry, which invests billions of $36 billion annually in advertising. "The deep dark secret is that the United States has an overabundant food supply," said Nestle, who couldn't help but pitch her upcoming book, "What to Eat," which will be published in May. It was these kinds of speeches, combined with a common goal among many in the audience to produce quality food grown organically that has made the conference a success. It attracts participants from the four corners of the country and beyond. And then there were the locals like Jen Griffith and Johnny Wilson, Santa Cruz residents and former UCSC agricultural apprentices. At a time when large corporations are co-opting the word "organic" and capitalizing on the nutritional value associated with the term, the pair said it's important to make sure organic growers live by the book, and follow what Griffith referred to as the "original spirit of the movement. "Everything should be community-based," she said. "The food should be grown locally, and everything in the end should be socially just and environmentally friendly." Wilson hopes to start an educational gardening program behind Waldorf School in Santa Cruz, where he and a pair of like-minded friends will teach the children how to grow and eat from the garden, while Griffith will attend Camp Joy, an organic farm in Boulder Creek. ______________________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
