Georgia Organics' the Dirt, Spring 2013

The Quarterly Newsletter of Georgia Organics – Fall 2012THE DIRT Spring 2013 We connect organic food from Georgia farms to Georgia families.

THEY'VE GOT A GOLDEN RADISHSchool nutrition directors honored at the Capitol for local food pledge 4

Georgia's Pesticide ProblemOur environment, our bodies, and our future have a problem too.

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In 2009 over 15,000 pounds of chlorpyrifos, an insecticide linked to learning disabilities, were sprayed on our state's conventional peaches.

A quick lesson on the presence of chemicals in our environment: even though it's cold in the Arctic, too cold for crops and definitely too cold for mosquitoes, scientists are still finding the insecticide DDT in the fatty tissues of penguins there.1 The substance has been banned in the United States and most of the develop-ing world since the 1970s, but it's prone to drift and, as a persistent organic pollutant, it breaks down very slowly. So chemicals introduced into the environment decades ago find their way into glacier water, then in the fatty tissue of wildlife hundreds of miles away from the initial applications.

Agricultural pests cause very real problems for growers, and chemical pesticides are one method of curtailing their impact. But a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that pesticides have dangerous long-term impacts on our health and environment. CONtINued ON Page 8

1 Virginia Institute of Marine Science, "DDT persists in Antarctic ice." http://www.vims.edu/newsandevents/ topstories/archives/2008/ddt_ice.php

ADVANCING TOGETHERThe next steps for the Good Food movement 5

HELP STRENGTHEN OUR IMPACTSupport the Georgia Organics Capacity Campaign 6

“In nature nothing exists alone.” —Rachel Carson, Silent Spring

2 THE DIRT SPRING 2013 GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 3

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know who Rachel Carson was.

In high school biology class, I made a papier-mâché doll of Carson, complete with binoculars around her neck, and gave a presentation to my classmates about her stance against the pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, or DDT. (I was already well on my way to being a treehugger.)

Carson showed unprecedented courage back in the 1960s, particularly as a woman. A beloved bestselling author, she was steadfast and used prose, science, and measured reason to raise a warning flag while being vilified by the chemical industry.

She remains my hero. Without her, who knows how long it would have taken us to ban DDT’s widespread use, or whether we even would have?

Last September was the 50th anniversary of the publishing of Silent Spring. It’s a surprise that such a technical book was No. 1 on America’s bestseller list for many weeks. But the allegory of the fictional town, absent of bird song, was powerful, and struck a chord with a public increasingly suspicious of chemical use.

I believe that if Carson were alive today she would be aghast at the chemical wash that is so prevalent in modern agriculture. She would not shun the occasional use of a targeted chemical here or there, but would be a vocal opponent against the indiscriminate use that has become all too common.

While pesticides are used for everything from seed coating to field spraying to storage, the greatest harm may come from the systemic use of a variety of chemicals, not a single toxin. It is the same mentality that leads us to use prescription drugs for treating preventable illnesses, instead of committing to the hard work of prevention. Why work on keeping Humpty Dumpy on the wall when there

is so much money to be made from putting him back together?

When one chemical becomes ineffective against weeds and pests, research is directed to come up with a new one. That is where the money is. Cover cropping, crop rotation, composting, and companion planting doesn’t feed Wall Street’s bottom line.

As a country, we don’t like to talk about pesticides or confront their potential impacts on the environment and our own health. We put too much faith in a government that’s

stretched too thin to guarantee our safety. We adopt a “see no evil” attitude. That suits the agricultural industry just fine. It is difficult to pinpoint links between environmental exposure and our medical diagnoses in the eyes of the courts, regulators, and other institutions, so the commercial industry can continue to bypass the precautionary principle.

The good food community is suffering from its own “silent spring.” We aren’t vocal opponents against chemicals in our food, land, and waterways. We freak out about GMOs and laud “local,” but meanwhile crop dusters fly undeterred across the American landscape.

But we can’t root for change if we are uneducated. Our cover story is an attempt to expose the specifics of chemicals we use on the very food we eat, particularly here in Georgia. If you are reading this but skipped the lead story, I urge you to go back.

We need to understand what organophosphates are and how neonicotinoids are a probable cause of the colony collapses of bees, which are so crucial to pollinating our nation’s crops.

We literally cannot live with the status quo.

Alice RollsexeCutIve dIreCtOr

The Time for Silence Is OverWhen it Comes to Pesticides, What Would Rachel Carson Do?

Letter frOm the dIreCtOr

200-A Ottley Dr.

Atlanta, GA 30324

678.702.0400

[email protected]

www.georgiaorganics.org

BOard OF direcTOrsRashid Nuri, President

Mandy Mahoney, Vice President

Ed Taylor, treasurer

Linda DiSantis, secretary

James Brown Chad CarltonRobert CurreyNaomi Davis Dee Dee DigbyKurt EbersbachCheryl Galway Julia GaskinRoderick GilbertDiane Marie HarrisJenni Harris Connie HayesGina HopkinsCarroll Johnson Melissa LibbyEllen Macht Cashawn Myers Anne Quatrano

Staff donn cooPerFarmer Services Coordinator

erin croomFarm to School Director

suzanne GirdnerConference Coordinator

stePhanie hassMembership & Volunteer Coordinator

Brooke hatfieldCommunications Coordinator

sandy laytonDevelopment Director

alice rollsExecutive Director

emily roseFarm to School Assistant

michael WallPrograms Director

anika WhiteAdministrative Assistant

THE DIRTSpring 2013 • Published QuarterlyGeorgia Organics, Inc. 200-A Ottley Dr., Atlanta GA 30324, Volume 15 Issue #2 Copyright © 2013, Georgia Organics, Inc. All rights reserved.

Nine Piedmont Center • 3495 Piedmont Road, N.E. • Atlanta, GA 30305-1736 • 404-364-7000 60121209-B 03/13 ©2013 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia, Inc.

Here’s to GrowinG a

HealtHy futureAt Kaiser Permanente, we’re committed to helping you achieve total health — both inside and outside the exam room. As a nonprofit health plan, we’ve proudly invested in the total health of the communities we serve for over 25 years and counting. That’s why we’re a proud supporter of Georgia Organics.

kp.org/georgiaKaiser Permanente is dedicated to providing affordable health coverage — and state-of-the-art care from our own, carefully selected doctors — in 29 convenient medical facilities throughout metro-Atlanta, and in Athens.

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The 2014-2015 Local Food Guide is coming!This is the state’s leading consumer, restaurant, and institutional resource for finding food from local organic farms and the restaurants and businesses that support them here in Georgia. We're debuting a new printed version and online interactive version this summer!

Farms, businesses, and restaurants need to be members in good standing for inclusion. Get listed today! For more details, check outwww.georgiaorganics.org/become-a-member-today/local-food-guide, or give Stephanie a holler at 678.702.0400.

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Going Far, TogetherJennifer Owens, Our Outgoing Advocacy Director, on Good Food's Next StepsI learned a lot in my time at Georgia Organ-ics, the most important of which was a re-minder of an African proverb – “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is an exciting time for the food movement in Georgia. Farmers are meet-ing with school nutrition directors, the medi-cal community is promoting farmers markets and chemical-free food, consumers are buying organic products. I truly believe policymakers stand ready to act to improve the regulatory conditions of small farm businesses, farmers markets and school food service. And we have a funnel of innovative, hardworking farmers and entrepreneurs who see a different way for-ward for food and agriculture in this country.

Now comes the heavy lifting. We need to be smart, strategic and engage in public policy. It’s easy to ignore the email asking you to reach

out to your congressman or blow off that city council or county commission meeting. But we have gotten the ball this far down the field and we must finish the drill.

CoLLECTIvE ImpaCT Wonderful region-al food groups around the state are critical—the Savannah Local Food Policy Council, Macon Roots, Federation of Southern Coops, West GA Cooperative, Augusta Food Policy Council, Atlanta Local Food Initiative, Coastal Organic Growers, Urban Food Abundance Network, and Locally Grown chapters, to name just a few. These groups are ground zero for assessing cur-rent conditions and policies and have tremen-dous potential to serve as locally-based centers of power to push for policy changes. These groups must be fostered and supported.

movE bEyonD THE CHoIR It can be uncomfortable, especially if you are the only

one in the room with your viewpoint. But we have to be there. Be respectful and know that you will not change hearts and minds in one meeting. Keep showing up. Make food a part of the conversation whenever you can.

THE non-pRoFIT SECToR Can-noT SInGLE-HanDEDLy CREaTE LaRGE-SCaLE SoCIaL CHanGE Nor can one cause. Collaboration is critical—it’s going to take environmentalists, farmers, public health professionals, entrepreneurs, planners, policymakers, chefs, moms, and on and on. This is the strength of and opportu-nity for the good food movement in Georgia. If we want to go far, we must go together.

Owens is now the Director of Development & Outreach at the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute.

goldenradishthe

On march 5, State School Superintendent dr. John Barge, Commissioner of agriculture gary Black, and georgia Organics Board President rashid Nuri honored georgia school districts for taking the 5 million meals Challenge and pledging to serve more local food in their cafeterias. honored districts are listed above, and the pledge is open until may 25!

Colquitt County Schools

LeaderS whO have takeN the PLedge

Appling County School SystemAtlanta Public Schools

Baldwin County SchoolsBleckley County School District

Burke County Public SchoolsCarrollton City SchoolsCity Schools of Decatur

Clarke County School DistrictCobb County School District

Colquitt County SchoolsCommerce City Schools

Crisp County School SystemDeKalb County School District

Fulton County SchoolsGrady County Schools

Habersham County SchoolsHall County Schools

Harris County School DistrictHart County School System

Jackson County School SystemMadison County School District

Marietta City SchoolsMorgan County School System

Newton County SchoolsPickens County Schools

Rockdale County Public SchoolsSavannah-Chatham County

Public School SystemThomas County Schools

Tift County Schools

5 mILLION meaLS SPOtLIght

Colquitt County Schools' farm to school work was outstanding long before nutrition director Monika Griner took our 5 Million Meals pledge. Colquitt County is a longtime state leader in agriculture production, and Moultrie's own Packer Produce is a distribution hub that processes and packages food from local farmers and sells it wholesale to local school systems.

Credit is also due to people like Griner, who's been at the helm of the school system's nutrition department for a decade and has deepened relationships with local farmers and resources like the Colquitt County High

School agriculture education department. Last year the school system's Norman

Park Elementary School participated in the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Feed My School for a Week program, and for a week featured 75-100 percent Georgia-grown food. Colquitt County High School is also one of 38 pilot agriculture education programs incorporating farm to school in the state.

Like so many in Colquitt County, Griner is proud of what her community has accomplished: a school system where students are eating—and growing— healthy, tasty food.

GoaLS SET aT 2013 FaRm To SCHooL SUmmIT taste test with kale at the school · Start a school garden and bring local farmers to our school · Share information with my farming co-op to extend the movement in west georgia · Purchase more local produce every day

Students in adrienne Smith's horticulture class at Colquitt County high School taste test salad made of organic lettuce and spinach they grew themselves, as well as caprese sticks including basil they also grew.


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Farmer Services Coordinator Donn Cooper, our man in the field.

The cold, wet winter dragged on about as long as anyone can stand.

While spring's arrival will receive a hearty welcome, many farmers are franti-cally catching up in preparation for the big market season. Around the state, heavy, consistent rains have pushed back field work, and late-season frosts have made transplants and early crops a dic-ey proposition. (Not to mention, these chilly, raw days have aggravated a nasty cold that seems to have struck farmers from Hall to Wilkinson counties.)

But that will all soon be behind us. For the farmers and eaters of Georgia's

good food, this is the happy time, when all the exciting possibilities of the move-ment are growing in our minds. The zeal-ous countdown for local tomatoes begins with a little warm sunshine. We're already dreaming of the community and progress that will be forged over fresh fried okra and squash casserole this summer.

At Georgia Organics, we're looking forward to a busy and productive season as well. With the momentum of another great conference behind us, we'll be roll-ing out an array of workshops, farm tours, and events over the next several months. Our 2013 mentoring program will display the remarkable intelligence and diversity of new and beginning farmers in the state. And through our media outlets and new blogs, we'll continue to share resources on important issues to Georgia farmers.

But Georgia Organics can only do so much. The farming community in Geor-gia must also grow itself. Through co-ops, Locally Grown networks, and certification groups, we must continue to be each oth-er's solace and succor throughout the year. Farmers should take advantage of each other's expertise and of the many on-farm educational activities increasingly being held by Georgia's agricultural innovators.

The sun is out. Good yields and high prices are surely ahead.

“I support Georgia Organics because I believe everyone, every single Georgian, should know where their food comes from. Once people are connected to their

food, they will choose healthy, toxic-free food. Georgia Organics exists to help people make these connections so that organic farmers can thrive.” —Matt Gove, Chief MarketinG offiCer, PiedMont hosPital

Lynn PughLong known as “The Grower Who Grows Growers,” organic farmer and educator Lynn Pugh was awarded the 2013 Georgia Organics Land Stew-ard of the Year Award at our 16th annual conference.

As Broad River Pastures’ Cathy Payne said in her introduction, “for over 30 years, Lynn has been a living example of the heart and soul of organic

agriculture.” In 2001, after teaching high school and college, she founded Cane Creek Farm in Forsyth County. For over 13 seasons, Pugh's hands-on, intensive farming and gardening class has trained 155 people in the fundamentals of organic growing, and many graduates have gone on to start their own operations. The Land Steward of the Year Award was created by Geor-gia Organics to honor an individual or individuals who have contributed greatly towards the organic agriculture movement in Georgia.

Helen Dubose Henry County resident and longtime farmer Helen Dubose has blazed trails for over nine decades, and at our conference this year she was awarded the 2013 Barbara Petit Pollinator Award. The first female Afri-can American in the nation to graduate with an agriculture degree (and two subsequent Master’s degrees in agriculture and agriculture econom-ics), she has lived for 32 years on Healing Acres, her 12-acre blueberry farm in McDonough. The farm and Dubose have served as an epicenter of African American agriculture. The Barbara Petit Pollinator Award honors an individual or organization for outstanding community leadership in Georgia’s sustainable farming and food movement.

2013 LaNd Steward Of the year

2013 BarBara PetIt POLLINatOr award

Conference-goers opened their hearts and wallets at this year’s Farmers Feast. Why? Because they know that now is a critical juncture for the good food movement. Georgia Or-ganics launched its first ever capacity campaign at the feast, and we were touched by the envelopes with $2, as well as $5,000, adding up to $38,000 in generous contributions that night. It all counts towards our three-year campaign goal to raise $1.1 million to improve our effectiveness.

For 15 years, Georgia Organics has fought for higher standards for our farms and food and reconnected the pathways from farm to fork. There has never been a better time to make significant prog-ress in growing new growers, expanding farm to school, and influencing consumers to eat local, organic food produced here in Georgia. This has put a lot of pressure on our small but mighty organization. To date, the support of people like you has helped us reach $738,000 towards our three-year campaign goal.

By supporting this campaign, you allow us to build our internal capacity so we can take a more aggressive stance in pursuing our shared goals. There’s amazing potential to strengthen our impact, and this campaign will give us the boost we critically need to work towards our vision that all Georgians eat organic food from local farms, transforming our health, our environment, and our economy.

Please give online by going to www.georgiaorganics.org and clicking “Join/Donate.” Select “Make a Donation” from the drop-down menu and write “Capacity Campaign” in the special notes field. For further information and to participate in our Capacity Campaign please contact Sandy Layton, [email protected].

Support our Capacity Campaign


with other pesticides into new toxic substances. Thanks to the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and scientific non-profits like the Environmental Working Group, we know that pes-ticide residue is found on nearly all conventionally grown food we eat.

Over the last few years, a growing number of studies and medical organizations are voicing concerns about the health impacts of pesticide use:

• A 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics re-port5, as well as dozens of independent stud-ies, link even small amounts of the insecticide chlorpyrifos to learning disabilities and devel-opmental disorders.

• The American Public Health Association, American Medical Association, and the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association have all come out against endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including pesticides.

• A 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics study said "in terms of health advantages, organic diets have been convincingly demonstrated to expose consumers to fewer pesticides associ-ated with human disease. Organic farming has been demonstrated to have less environ-

mental impact than conventional approaches."6 • That same report says there is “robust evidence”

that pesticides are associated with cancer, especial-ly leukemia and brain tumors, lower I.Q., autism, attention deficient disorder, and hyperactivity.

• Neurologists at the University of California, Los Angeles found a link between Parkinson's disease and exposure to a fungicide called beno-myl, which was used for decades on a wide va-riety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts before being discontinued in 2001.7

Labels rarely list a pesticide's inert ingredients, which almost always make up the bulk of a mixture. These can be just as harmful to humans and the envi-ronment as the active ingredients, and some are even the active ingredients in other pesticides. According to a 2000 report from the New York attorney general, more than 200 chemicals used as inert ingredients in pesticides were classified as hazardous pollutants in ex-isting federal statutes.

The EPA has set environmental thresholds for many of these pesticides, but it does not address "the effects of chemical mixtures, synergistic effects, and health ef-fects associated with consistent low-dose exposure."8 The newest EPA regulations, released in 2012, do not account for inert ingredients.

Though data on pesticide use in the state is spotty —more on that later—some of what we do know is cause for concern. Georgia used over 15,000 pounds of the aforementioned chlorpyrifos on conventional peaches that year, according to 2009 data from the National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS).

“Tens of thousands of more pounds have been used on peanuts, corn, and onions in recent years," said Paul Towers, the Organizing and Media Director for Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA). "[Chlorpyrifos] is also a volatile chemical that be-comes airborne and is prone to drift." PANNA is call-ing on the EPA to suspend its use.

According to 2011 NASS data, 24,600 pounds of mal-athion, an insecticide that affects the nervous system and is a possible carcinogen and water contaminant, were applied to our state's conventional blueberries.

The herbicide atrazine is classified as a carcinogen and water contaminant by PANNA, and according to a 2007 EPA report it’s the second most-used pesticide in U.S. agriculture.9

In this special report, we explore the science available on pesti-cides, as well as what we do and don't know about their use in Georgia.

It can be easy to think that pesticides don't affect us. We hope that a better understanding of this issue will lead to healthy choices for our bodies, environment, and communities.

WHaT WE KnoWSo far, one of the biggest agricultural stories of 2013 is the decline of beehives around the world. Polli-nation by bees and other insects account for about $200 billion of agricultural production every year; pollinators are responsible for 70 percent of the crops humans consume.2 For years, it was normal for beekeepers to lose 5 to 10 percent of their hives per year. But in 2005, that percentage jumped to 30 percent. And last year, commercial beekeepers reported that they lost 40 to 50 percent of their hives.

There is no smoking gun, but beekeepers and some researchers now think they finally have a culprit: a powerful new class of pesticides known as neonic-otinoids. From a March 18 New York Times article:

While most pesticides degrade after a few days, neonicotinoids persist for weeks and even months.The European Union has proposed to ban their use on crops frequented by bees. Some researchers have concluded that neonicotinoids caused exten-sive die-offs in Germany and France.

It’s not just the neonicotinoids. Different herbi-cides and fungicides have also been indicted in the hive die-offs. An apiculturist at the University of California Davis has found about 150 chemical resi-dues in beehive pollen and wax.

But let’s back up. Humans have used insecticides for centuries. The earliest on record is a 2,500 B.C.-era sulfur compound used by Sumerians.

Most modern chemical pesticides arose out of World War II, when DDT was developed. It was seemingly a wonder chemical: cheap, effective against pervasive insect-borne diseases like malar-ia, and as far as anyone could initially tell, safe for mammals. (Dr. Paul Muller, who invented DDT, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1948.)

However, as early as 1945, some scientists began to express concern about DDT's impact on biological ecosystems. Rachel Carson, then the editor in chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was one of

them. Her seminal 1962 book Silent Spring linked declining bird populations to DDT use and is wide-ly credited with facilitating a national ban on the substance a decade later.

DDT’s legacy can still be felt today. According to the President's Cancer Panel, women exposed to DDT be-fore puberty are five times more like to develop breast cancer in middle age.3 A 2011 study found that certain organochlorine pesticides, including DDT, are found in 99-100 percent of pregnant women.4 They've been linked to various cancers and neurological damage, among other acute and chronic harms.

Georgia is a particularly difficult place to control pests. Insects like subtropical humid and hot cli-mates, so our fields are especially prone to them, and large swaths of commodity crops are a big incentive for bugs that feed on that crop to run rampant. Plus, we're a transportation hub for the country and the world. We have interstates, international seaports, and airports, so invasive pests from all over the world can make their home here.

Three main types of pesticides are used in Georgia: insecticides, which target insects, herbicides, which target plants, and fungicides, which target fungi. And as they break down over time in the environment, the resulting metabolites can transform and combine

Types of ToxicitiesCarCinoGensA substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue.

endoCrine disruPtorsChemicals that interfere with the systems that produce hormones in the body.

neurotoxinsA substance that damages the nervous system and/or brain, usually by killing neurons.

develoPMental/ reProduCtive toxinsChemicals that are believed to interfere with fetal or child development, or to reduce fertility.

Pollinator toxinsChemicals that kill pollinators like bees and butterflies.

What's on Geor Gia's toP CroPs?Taken from www.whatsonmyfood.org, a project of the Pesticide Action Network that cross-references the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program with data from EPA and other authoritative listings.

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2 Michael Wines, "Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms," The New York Times, March 28, 2013.3 "DDT and Breast Cancer in Young Women: New Data on the Significance of Age at Exposure," Environmental Health Perspectives. July 24, 2007.4"Environmental Chemicals in Pregnant Women in the United States: NHANES 2003–2004." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114826/

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*Pesticide use Estimate from EPA. Sources: Pesticide and Fertilizer Use and Trends in U.S. Agriculture (USDA, 1995); Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage: 2006 and 2007 market Estimates (EPA, 2007)

5"Impact of Prenatal Chlorpyrifos Exposure on Neurodevelopment in the First 3 Years of Life Among Inner-City Children," American Academy of Pediatrics, 2006.6“Organic Foods: Health and Environmental Advantages and Disadvantages,” American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012. 7"Aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibition as a pathogenic mechanism in Parkinson disease," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jan. 8, 2013.8 Beyond Pesticides,"EPA Publishes Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides in Water," April 18, 2012. 9 EPA, "Pesticides Industry Sales and Usage: 2006 and 2007 Market Estimates." February 2011.

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CONtINued ON Next Page


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product list. You may visit our website at www.ABSEED.com

Phone: (770) 775-7826 FAX:(770) 775-7122 E-Mail : [email protected] Jimmy Adams Mail Orders Welcome * Credit Cards Accepted Greg Adams

WHaT WE Don'T KnoW Pesticide data available on the NASS database is limited, and federal reporting is scattershot, so we don't know the true scale of what is used in Georgia. (The only state in the country with a comprehensive pesticide-use reporting program is California, which requires that all monthly agricultural pesticide use be reported to county agricultural commissioners since 1990.)

There isn't any recorded information about appli-cations of many of the pesticides listed in the NASS database. Instead, the majority of columns contain (D), which stands for "Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations."

The EPA and Georgia's Department of Agriculture (GDA) register and license pesticides, but Kelly Prod-ucts, the firm that assists the GDA with pesticide data tracking, only tracks what products are registered for sale within the state. Though some states require pes-ticide sales information, Georgia does not, so there is no definite way to gauge which pesticides are pur-chased and used the most on our crops.

Pesticide manufacturers claim that in the correct quantities their products are safe for humans and the environment. And even though we're still discover-ing the full long-term impact of these chemicals, emerging science suggests that they affect everything from our bodies to our environment to the soil that provides livelihoods for farmers across the state.

"It's soil versus chemicals," says Georgia Organics Executive Director Alice Rolls, "Whereas a sustain-able farmer might spend years building up her soil, in conventional agriculture chemicals are applied before pests even show up. By definition, pesticides are ap-plied prevention, and that prevention has a price."

WHaT SHoULD WE Do?"A hungry pest can decimate a farm’s bottom line,” says Georgia Organics Farmers Services Coordinator Donn Cooper. “Obviously farmers don't apply chemicals to hurt their families or their customers, but at some point in time, most farmers in the state—conventional or organic—will reach for an insecticide." Sometimes organic farming methods may not be enough in the face of an extreme eruption of new and invasive species, according to Julia Gaskin, the Sus-tainable Agriculture Coordinator at the University of Georgia's College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and a Georgia Organics board member.

“Biodiversity, crop rotation, cover crops, and healthy soil are all necessary for good yields," she said. "But in some circumstances, they are not sufficient and grow-ers need tools to deal with outbreaks. This is becoming ever more apparent as we seemingly get a new invasive species that has no natural predators or controls every year—see the Kudzu bug that is creating havoc for organic soybeans, or Asian spotted wing drosophila, which is a new threat to all our berry crops.”

As one of the largest vegetable producing states

Common Health problems Related To pesticide Usefrom www.beyondpesticides.org

CanCer Of the 40 most commonly used pesticides at schools, 28 can cause cancer, and 19 of the 30 most commonly used lawn pesticides are carcinogens or have been linked to cancer.

tYPe 2 diabetesA 2010 Environmental Health Perspectives study linked low dose exposure to some persistent organic pol-lutants to type 2 diabetes.

develoPMental/birth defeCtsA 1996 study of children exposed to chlorpyrifos in utero found extensive and unusual patterns of birth defects, affecting the brain, nervous system, eyes, ears, palate, teeth, heart, feet, nipples, and genitalia.

asthMaPesticides may increase the risk of developing asthma, exacerbate a previous asthmatic condition or even trigger asthma attacks by increasing bronchial hyper-responsiveness.

reProduCtive health A robust body of literature details reproductive deformities in fish, amphibians, and reptiles related to exposure to endocrine disruptors. The study of endocrine disruption is revealing mechanisms that show how specific environmental con-taminants can alter fertility.

in the country, Georgia has tremendous potential to advance the important work of making our food and environment safer.

In a speech at the 2013 Georgia Organics conference, Beyond Pesticides' Jay Feldman noted that Silent Spring "really does lay out guiding principles for us." Carson writes: "We must make wider use of alternative meth-ods that are now known, and we must devote our inge-nuity and resources to developing others."

"So she basically told us 50 years ago that we really needed to work on alternatives, and while she didn't use the word organic per se, what she describes, in terms of attention to complex biological systems, goes directly to the point," Feldman said.

Growing food organically and supporting farms that do is also a part of the solution. In a March 2008 re-port called "Simplifying the Pesticide Risk Equation: The Organic Option," the Organic Center reported that if all fruits and vegetables in the country were grown organically, then the risks of dietary exposure to pesticides would be reduced by 97 percent.

We have to encourage responsible policy in addition to making healthy choices for our own families. Sign up for the Beyond Pesticides and PANNA alerts. Support anti-GMO measures. (As Feldman noted, "genetically engineered crops are wholly dependent on increasing herbicide use.") Share this article with a friend.

There is reason for hope. The last few years have seen an unprecedented increase in consumers who want clean food for their families and communities, as well as farmers who want to grow that food.

It wasn’t so long ago that the world banned lead paint, and the Food and Drug Administration’s stance against using the toxic chemical BPA in baby bottles and children’s drinking cups is proof that public awareness, followed by public outcry, can influence policy shifts that make us all safer.

As Carson wrote 50 years ago, "The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth su-perhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road—the one less traveled by—offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preserva-tion of the earth."

DIG DEEpERWWW.beYondPestiCides.orG beyond Pesticides is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization comprised of experienced scientists, conservationists, and activists. They provide the public with useful information on pesticides and alternatives to their use.

WWW.WhatsonMYfood.orG, iPhone aPP This PAN project links up the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program results with all the information on pesticides that PAN has compiled over many years. The data and search functionality here allow you to see what levels of pesticide residues are on your food, in what combinations, and with what associated health risks.

WWW.Panna.orG Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives.

WWW.eWG.orG The Environmental working Group is the nation’s leading environmental health research and advocacy organization.

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG 13

In THE FIELD Around-the-State Update January–April 2013

pRESEnTaTIonSJan. 25 Georgia Organics Farm to School Assistant Emily Rose presented to Georgia Family and Consumer Science teachers from all over the state at their annual winter conference in Cobb County. She talked about the basics of farm to school and how it can be incorporated into Family and Consumer Sciences classes. They’re already teaching kids how to cook, and can use more fresh, whole foods to teach with. These specialized teachers can also buy locally more easily than cafeterias because they need much smaller volumes and don’t have to follow the same regulations cafeterias do.

Feb. 7 Georgia Organics collaborated with USDA, state agencies, and local economic development representatives to review and finalize the Georgia StrikeForce five-year strategic plan. StrikeForce is a USDA program that aims to relieve persistent poverty in Georgia, particularly in the state’s rural areas.

march 14 As the sole representative of the organic industry, Georgia Organics presented on farm certifications during back-to-back sessions at the Team Agriculture Georgia spring meeting in Fort Valley. Team Agriculture Georgia (TAG) is a cooperative group formed by the USDA Food and Agriculture Council to deliver educational opportunities to small, beginning, and limited resource farmers.

HabERSHam CoUnTy FaRm To SCHooL pILoT pRoGRamIn January, Georgia Organics launched a comprehensive farm to school pilot program in Habersham County in northeast Georgia. Led by Dr. Teri Hamlin, in three months the program has hosted a community meeting, a farmers forum, a kale taste test (pictured above), a teacher training, and a community workshop on home gardens.

my maRKET CLUbThe My Market Club, which Georgia Organics premiered at six pilot farmers markets last Fall, is launching again for Spring!

The program, which incentivizes first-time visitors to a market, attracted over 2,200 new

shoppers and last year Georgia farmers made $12,648 as a result. Participating markets include: the Decatur Farmers Market, the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, the Forsyth Farmers Market in Savannah, the Grant Park Farmers Market in Atlanta, Mulberry Street Market in Macon, and the Mainstreet Farmers Market in Statesboro.

atlanta, Jan. 28At an Atlanta Public Schools Farm to School Food Procurement meeting with School Nutrition Director Dr. Marilyn Hughes, parents came to hear how APS sources their food.

Tifton & Fort valley, Jan. 8 & 10In January, our Farm to School program began partnering with Ag Education teachers in central and south Georgia, leading two workshops on incorporating farm to school principles into agriculture education curriculum. Pilot programs at 23 schools will serve as models for the regions, and 15 pilot schools in north Georgia began incorporating farm to school a couple years ago.

Denotes one of the 29 school districts that have taken the 5 Million Meals challenge. For the full list, see page 4.

2013 ConFEREnCEWith more than 1,300 attendees, the 16th Annual Georgia Organics Conference and Expo united the two communities most responsible for the health of Georgians—growers who farm organically and healthcare practitioners—in what was the largest conference in our history. The conference culminated with a keynote from CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who recognized the importance of uniting good food and good farms. “We’ve eaten our way into a problem, we can eat our way out of it,” he said to a standing-room-only crowd.

2013 FaRm To SCHooL SUmmIT

The 4th annual Georgia Farm to School Summit inspired 260 participants representing a third of Georgia’s school districts to grow their farm to school programs! Over two days, school nutrition staff, teachers, parents, farmers, and more attended 16 educational sessions, four field trips, and one amazing keynote address from FoodCorps' Debra Eschmeyer.

FaRm SUppLy UpDaTEThis winter's farm supply order from Seven Springs Farm helped 38 farmers save almost $4,000. Over 38,000 pounds of products, or over 900 items, were delivered to Athens and Atlanta.

CapaCITy CampaIGnThe Georgia Organics Capacity Campaign has received $738,000 towards our three-year campaign goal of $1.1 million. For more about the campaign, see page 6.

mEmbERSHIpCurrent membership is up to 1,790, a 14% increase since our last update and a 55% increase in membership compared to the same time in 2011. Also, 694 people participated in the Organic Gardening magazine promotion campaign at the end of 2012.

Roberta, march 6On March 6, Georgia Organics trekked to Greenway Farms in Roberta for a meeting of the minds regarding making pastured-poultry processing a reality in Georgia. Many thanks to Kerry and Robin Dunaway for sharing their insight—and for their brilliance, community engagement, and good farming practices. There are some great ideas about making central Georgia—and Crawford County—a poultry hub in the future.

Sparta, march 23Jerry Larson, one of the foremost experts in organic fruit production and an authority on muscadines in Georgia, led a hands-on workshop on successful fruit tree pruning and grafting. The workshop took place on the beautiful grounds of Elm Street Gardens in historic downtown Sparta.

Reidsville, Jan. 26The Southeast Local Food Conference was an information-packed weekend for organic gardeners, modern homesteaders, sustainable farmers, and do-it-yourselfers in south Georgia. Passionate people shared the secrets to kefir, ginger, curing meat, rainbow-colored carrots, growing loofah sponges, solar powering your farm, and so much more.

amakiasu ford-howze of truly Living well leads a Summit session.

Support Our Efforts! Become a member of Georgia Organics today!

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Savannah, Jan. 10-13Georgia Organics exhibited our programs and resources at the 2013 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference. This was a tremendous opportunity to reach out to larger growers outside of metropolitan Atlanta, especially in south Georgia. Thanks to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the South Carolina Peach Council, Georgia Organics was a cooperating sponsor of the conference. Pictured: Georgia Organics member Don Babb.

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as led programs in kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, bird watching, and learning about the conservation initiatives practiced on Little St. Simons Island. Cost is $399 per couple per night. To make reservations call (912) 638–7472.

may 4 implementation-alternatives to Watering Your Garden: stewardship of a Priceless resource, decatur Join Paul Morgan of the rainharvestcompany.com at the Wylde Center as he discusses the costs and logistics of implementing systems that will enable you to collect rain water, grey water, air conditioning condensate and/or ground water for outdoor use. Advanced registration required. $5 Wylde Center members, $10 non-members. To register, go to www.wyldecenter.org

JULy 21 JCt. kitchen attack of the killer tomato festival, atlanta Some of the South’s best chefs, farmers, and mixologists team up to benefit Georgia Organics. The festival will once again be held at JCT. Kitchen & Bar and will spread out over the pedestrian bridge that connects the two sides of Westside Provisions District to feature 35+ chef participants, 14 mixologist participants, and 30+ farmers. The event will also include live music from The Spazmatics and local chef band Five Bone Rack. $55 for general public, $50 Georgia Organic members. Tickets purchased after July 1 are $70 for everyone.

Did you know that you can support Georgia Organics in your company’s employee

giving campaign? You can designate to Georgia Organics through EarthShare of Georgia and have a small donation taken out of your paycheck, which adds up to a significant contribution at the end of the year! Call Alice to enroll: 678.702.0400.

Events Calendar For more information, visit www.georgiaorganics.org/events.

may 2 this is Market, decatur This annual celebration of the farmers markets and local chefs who make up Atlanta’s good food community is coming to Gaia Gardens. Miller Union’s Steven Satterfield will curate local food prepared by a team of the city’s best chefs. Admission is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. (This includes a year membership to Georgia Organics.) VIP tickets are $100 and include a special Happy Hour and a farm tour. For more information, go to www.xorbia.com/e/gao/thisismarket13.

may 15 starting a new food business in Georgia Workshop, tifton University of Georgia Extension faculty from the Department of Food Science & Technology and the National Center for Home Food Preservation and representatives from the Georgia Department of Agriculture and FDA will address topics concerning the food product entrepreneur. The program will conclude with a panel discussion with experts and faculty answering your questions about the challenges in starting, running, and growing a food business in Georgia. Pre-registration is required by May 2. $150. For more information, email [email protected].

may 16 Canning Workshop, statham This hands-on workshop at Lazy B Farm will teach you how preserve your food using a water bath canner and a pressure canner. We’ll discuss the proper way to handle food before it’s canned, can some jam using seasonal fruits and can some soup with meat in the pressure canner. $35. To register, go to www.thelazybfarm.com/workshops/canning.

may 19 seed to table Weekend, little st. simons island Join executive chef and local organic farmer Matthew Raiford, Little St. Simons Island’s organic gardener Amy Schuster, celebrated author Janisse Ray, and Little St. Simons Island Naturalists for a three-day, two-night experience that will include cooking and gardening classes, a reading from "The Seed Underground" as well

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Urban homesteading has never been more popular, and Atlanta is home to a new educational resource that will forge a community around this growing movement. Georgia Organics is proud to be the fiscal partner for The Homestead Atlanta, which offers affordable classes, convenient locations, and expert instructors to help students learn about everything from canning to permaculture. Upcoming classes include:

• May 4: The Home Dairy – Cheesemaking & Beyond (Part I)• May 11: Rainwater Harvesting• May 12: Chef's Kitchen- Vinegar canning

Georgia Organics members get reduced rates for classes!www.thehOmeSteadatL.COm

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Georgia Organics' the Dirt, Spring 2013