Passages Sustainable Food and Farming Systems - PASA

Passages 

Sustainable Food and Farming Systems 

Newsletter of the 

Pennsylvania 

Association 

for Sustainable 

Agriculture 

Serving the Community of Sustainable Farmers, Consumers and Businesses Throughout Pennsylvania and Beyond 

Number 94 January/February 2012 

PASA’s signature event — 

the Farming for the Future Conference 

was a success in early February. Widely 

regarded as the best sustainable agri - 

culture gathering in the East, this diverse 

4-day spectacular brought together an 

audience of over 2,000 from 28 states 

and 5 countries. Those in attendance 

included over 242 scholarship recipients, 

as well as over 1,100 farmers. 

SAVE THE DATE! 

PASA’s Annual Meeting 

Saturday, March 24, 2012 

10am–3:30pm 

Registration begins at 9am 

Harrisburg Area Community 

College’s (HACC), Wildwood 

Conference Center, Entrance #4 

Details on page 17

Passages STAFF & OFFICE 

Editor: Michele Gauger 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

President: Kim Seeley, Bradford County 

Vice President: Jennifer Halpin, Cumberland County 

Secretary: Mary Barbercheck, Centre County 

Treasurer: Louise Schorn Smith, Chester County 

Sara Baldwin, Adams County 

Roy D. Brubaker, Juniata County 

Jerry Brunetti, Northampton County 

Melanie Dietrich Cochran, Cumberland County 

John Jamison, Westmoreland County 

Jeff Mattocks, Dauphin County 

Susan Miller, Chester County 

Jamie Moore, Allegheny County 

Brian Moyer, Berks County 

Rita Resick, Somerset County 

Heidi Secord, Monroe County 

At-Large Board Members 

Dave Mortensen, Centre County 

Stephanie Ritchie, Maryland 

PASA STAFF 

PASA Headquarters 

Phone: 814-349-9856 

Brian Snyder 

Executive Director 

brian@pasafarming.org 

Lauren Smith 

Director of Development 

lauren@pasafarming.org 

Cassie Marsh-Caldwell 

Development Associate 

cassie@pasafarming.org 

Jean Najjar 

Auction Associate 

jean@pasafarming.org 

Kristin Hoy 

Conference Manager/ 

BFBL Centre County Chapter Coordinator 

kristin@pasafarming.org 

Michele Gauger 

Director of Membership 

michele@pasafarming.org 

Ted Palada 

Member Communications Assistant 

ted@pasafarming.org 

Megan Epler 

Business Outreach Coordinator 

megan@pasafarming.org 

Rebecca Robertson 

Farm Based Education Coordinator 

rebecca@pasafarming.org 

Lisa Diefenbach 

Human Resources Manager 

lisa@pasafarming.org 

Amy Taylor 

Office Manager 

amy@pasafarming.org 

Susan Beal, DVM 

Ag Science Advisor 

susan@pasafarming.org 

Dan Zettle 

Bookkeeping Associate 

dan@pasafarming.org 

Community Outreach 

Hannah Smith 

Community Outreach Coordinator 

hannah@pasafarming.org 

Eastern Region 

Phone: 610-458-5700 

Marilyn Anthony 

Southeast Regional Director 

marilyn@pasafarming.org 

Ann McGinnis 

Eastern Region Program Assistant 

ann@pasafarming.org 

Billy Templeton 

Member Services Assistant — Northeast 

billy@pasafarming.org 

Western Regional Office 

Phone: 412-365-2985 

Leah Smith 

Member Services Manager 

leah@pasafarming.org 

Alissa Matthews 

Western Program Assistant 

alissa@pasafarming.org 

January/February 2012 

3 PASA Conference Review 

6 Director’s Corner 

7 PASA Board Perspective 

8 Conference Photographs 

13 Buy Fresh Buy Local Update 

14 Fundraising 

16 Membership Update 

19 The Story of Jeff Biddle 

Grass Farming and Raw Milk 

on the cover… 

PASA honored outgoing 

(due to term limits) Board 

President Kim Seeley, 

pictured here with his 

grandson Jack, at the 

conference. Quotes from 

speeches and writings 

during Kim’s time as 

president, including the 

one pictured on the 

cover, adorned the halls. 

Thank you for your 

service, Kim! 

Contributing Writers & Photographers 

Zach Hawkins, Kristin Hoy, Ann McGinnis, Kenneth Mulder, 

Sylvia Onusic, Rebecca Robertson, Kim Seeley, Hannah 

Smith, Lauren Smith, Leah Smith, Brian Snyder. 

Conference Photo Credit: Pat Little 

Note to our Readers — If you are moving, please contact 

PASA to update your mailing address. Several of our publi - 

cations are sent via bulk mail service, which is not forwarded 

via the USPS. Contact michele@pasafarming.org 

or call 814-349-9856 to make an update. 

Do you have a great article idea for Passages — Want 

to share a farming practice with members We’d love to 

hear from you. Please contact the newsletter staff at 

newsletter@ pasafarming.org. 

Reproduction of Newsletter Material — please contact 

the PASA office before reprinting or distributing materials 

contained in this newsletter. 

Deadline for March/April 2012 Issue: 

March 9, 2012 

Advertising Sales: Ted Palada 

PASA office, ted@pasafarming.org 

Layout: C Factor 

Passages is printed on recycled paper 

PASA is lucky to work 

with Chef Ken Stout 

(pictured left) of the 

Penn Stater. Chef Stout 

helps design our con - 

ference meals utilizing 

regional ingredients. 

Chef Mike Ditchfield 

of the Pennsylvania 

College of Technology 

brings culinary program 

students annually to 

provide additional 

support and labor. 

22 Food Alliance 

24 The Case for Human-Powered 

Agriculture 

26 Education Opportunities 

28 Regional Marketing 

32 Editor’s Corner 

33 Classified Ads 

34 Calendar 

35 Membership Form 

PASA-bilities Main 

Speaker and Radical 

Homemaker Shannon 

Hayes asked each 

attendee to produce 

something — food, 

music, art, writing, etc 

— to reclaim a piece 

of self-reliance. 

Zach Hawkins, Conference 

Program Associate, gets his 

well-worn copy of Eat Here 

signed by Brian Halweil. 

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture 

P.O. Box 419 

Millheim PA 16854-0419 

Phone: (814) 349-9856 • Fax: (814) 349-9840 

www.pasafarming.org 

PASA’s Mission is… 

Promoting profitable farms which produce healthy food for 

all people while respecting the natural environment. 

PASA is an organization as diverse as the Pennsylvania landscape. 

We are seasoned farmers who know that sustainability is 

not only a concept, but a way of life. We are new farmers looking 

for the fulfillment of land stewardship. We are students and 

other consumers, anxious to understand our food systems and 

the choices that must be made. We are families and children, 

who hold the future of farming in our hands. This is an organization 

that is growing in its voice on behalf of farmers in Pennsylvania 

and beyond. Our mission is achieved, one voice, one 

farm, one strengthened community at a time. 

Find Use on Facebook 

pasafarming.org/facebook 

Now on Twitter 

@pasafarming, @goodfoodhood 

And YouTube 

youtube.com/pasafarming 

PASA is an Equal Opportunity Service Provider and Employer. Some grant funding 

comes from the USDA and complaints of discrimination should be sent to: USDA 

Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC 20250-9410. 

2

Conference Review 

We Salute Our Conference Volunteers 

PASA staff and board would like to thank our dedicated volunteers who helped make the 21st Annual Farming for the 

Future Conference a success. Numerous volunteers are needed to put the conference together throughout the year. We 

appreciate all of the people who donated their time and labor in the weeks leading up to the conference, as well as at the 

conference center during the event. Below is a list of folks who did just that, and helped staff get the conference going at 

the Penn Stater. 

Thanks to these conference volunteers! 

Scott Case 

Erin Dugan 

Mark Engle 

Max Engle 

Zach Engle 

Bob Fox 

David Fox 

Greta Haney 

Jeff Hawkins 

Kira Lace Hawkins 

Sarah Kelsen 

Eric Long 

Todd Hopkins 

Kevin Spencer 

Bonnie Tatterson 

Dallas Tyree 

The conference programming is put 

together by PASA Staff with the help of the 

Educational Programming Advisory Committee. 

Sara Baldwin 

Mary Barbercheck 

Susan Beal 

Roy Brubaker 

Peter Burns 

Sabine Carey 

Melanie Dietrich 

Cochran 

Jenn Halpin 

T Marshall Hart 

Mena Hautau 

Kristin Hoy 

Jeff Mattocks 

Brooks Miller 

Johnny Parker 

Lee Rinehart 

Maggie Robertson 

Rebecca Robertson 

Kim Seeley 

Hannah Smith 

Leah Smith 

Charlie White 

If you are interested in learning more about 

this committee or would like to suggest topics or 

speakers for future conference programs, please 

e-mail Kristin at kristin@pasafarming.org or 

call 814-349-9856 x 11. 

PASA values all of the volunteers that help out before, during and after the conference. 

We couldn’t pull off our annual event without you! Pictured here volunteers 

help insert meal tickets into conference attendee folders. 

Special thanks to Greener Partners 

(greenerpartners.org) for helping to coordinate 

the kids program. 

FRIENDS OF THE CONFERENCE 

Those listed here have made a “friendly” donation, which helps offset overall conference costs, 

ensuring an affordable conference experience to all who wish to attend. 

Marilyn & John Anthony • Sara & Bruce Baldwin • Mary Barbercheck • The Barnhart Family — Prairie Grass Farm • Nancy & 

Bob Bernhardt • Blue Rooster Farm • Jerry Brunetti • Moie & Jim Crawford • Dancing Hen Farm — Don Hess & Joan Miller • 

Lisa & Duane Diefenbach • Melanie & Mark Dietrich Cochran • Pat Eagon & Jim Stafford • Four Paws Farm & Vineyard • 

Michele Gauger & Kevin Spencer • Glasbern Inn • Meg Gleason • Kathy & Wes Gordon • Jenn Halpin & Matt Steiman • Kristin 

& Steve Hoy • Sukey & John Jamison • Mary & Aaron Kolb • Gretchen Ludders • Beth & Ken Marshall • Cassie Marsh-Caldwell 

& Scott Caldwell • Matthews Family • Tracy & Jeff Mattocks • Ann McGinnis & Michael Lane • Milky Way Farms • Sue & Ken 

Miller • Jamie Moore • Dave Mortensen • Holley & Brian Moyer • Jean & Ray Najjar • Patty Neiner & Lyn Garling • Northern 

Tier Sustainable Meat Coop • One Straw Farm • Rita Resick • Melissa & Thomas Reynolds • Stephanie Ritchie • Louise Schorn 

Smith • Heidi Secord & Gary Bloss • Hannah Smith & Debra Brubaker • Lauren & Ian Smith • Leah Smith & Alberto Cirigo • 

Paula & Brian Snyder • Rick Stafford • Karen Styborski • Judy Styborski • Sandie & John Walker • Lucy & Rob Wood • Wyebrook 

Farm • Anonymous Donor 

Conference CDs, DVDs and MP3s are available! 

Farming for the Future Keynotes and Workshops are audio recorded courtesy of: 

Cocalico Audio • 187 East Church Street #205 • Stevens, PA 17578 • Phone: (717) 336-4179 

Cocalico offers nearly all conference workshops and pre-conference programs on 80-minute audio CDs and MP3s. Not all 

recordings will be available in MP3 format until after the conference. Not all programming is recorded. A select number of 

workshops are also offered on DVD. To purchase CDs or DVDs, please contact Cocalico to place an order. 

3


Scholarships Support Many 

to Attend the Conference 

The Arias M. Brownback 

Scholarship Fund 

Arias M. Brownback was raised on his 

family’s farm in western Perry County 

and from an early age expressed an interest 

in farming. He attended his first 

PASA conference at the age of 18. Seeing 

fellow farmers dedicated to sustainable 

practices was a great inspiration to Arias. 

In his honor, PASA established the Arias 

M. Brownback Memorial Scholarship 

Fund. Formed in 2001, this memorial 

fund is intended to aid young and/or 

developing farmers in reaching their full 

potential by helping them attend the 

Farming for the Future conference. The 

scholarship expresses PASA’s commitment 

to providing educational opportunities 

for those wishing to learn 

sustainable agriculture techniques and 

methods regardless of financial circumstances. 

PASA would like to thank all 

who have contributed to the Fund, furthering 

this vision and dream. 

Through the generosity of our members 

and conference attendees, the 

Brownback Scholarship Fund continues 

to grow. This year, the scholarship fund 

awarded full or partial conference fees to 

45 individuals. The fund is now receiving 

applications from more people than it 

can support, but we don’t want financial 

reasons to prevent anyone from being 

able to attend. In addition to what the 

fund could cover, PASA extended support 

to 7 more people. With the help of 

sponsors who did not use all of their 

complimentary registrations, an additional 

16 people were able to attend. 

Thanks to sponsors Stonyfield, Harvest 

Market, Nutiva, Johnny’s, Dairy Connection, 

Albert’s Organics and Mid 

Atlantic Alpaca Association for helping 

PASA bring more folks to the conference. 

For those able to put hours towards the 

conference, PASA’s WorkShare program 

benefited 35 individuals. 

Additional Conference Funding 

The Southeast PA Agriculture Industry 

Partnership, an initiative of the 

Chester County Workforce Investment 

Board and the Chester County Economic 

Development Council (CCEDC), 

with grant funds received from the Pennsylvania 

Department of Labor and Industry, 

offset costs to attend the Farming for 

the Future Conference. This fund supported 

56 individuals and PASA would 

like to thank the CCEDC for helping to 

bring more farmers and food activists to 

the conference. 

Each year we learn of agencies or individuals 

offering their own financial support 

to attendees, here are a few we 

wanted to acknowledge this year — 

FRESHFARM Markets offered eight 

$500 scholarships and the Historic Lewes 

Farmers Market in Delaware offered five 

$500 scholarships. 

Editor’s Note: This is a reprint of the speech given by PASA 

member Anton Shannon of Lehigh County detailing his conference 

experience, which was made possible by the Brownback 

Scholarship Fund. 

I was asked to say a few words about what this conference 

means to me, and more specifically about the Arias M. 

Brownback Scholarship Fund. As I thought about these 

things I began to think of my generation, my class of farmers. 

Many of us in this room, and many eating out of coolers 

and crock-pots in their hotel rooms, are first generation 

(or first in a while) farmers, many landless. So many of us 

young and beginning farmers are desperate to make our 

farms work — desperate to re-learn skills almost gone, desperate 

to re-build communities almost gone, to re-tool 

economies almost gone. To re-love a world almost gone 

between climate change and fracking, brought and paid for 

ag policy and GMOs, sometimes it feels like we are farming 

in the end times — though that never makes for a very popular 

conference title. 

But I say almost because at the very same time in so many 

small places across PA and beyond, there are another group 

of farmers who have these skills and are using them to live 

and work in cooperation with their place, its people and its 

resources. I say almost because they too are desperate. Desperate 

to pass on the skills, knowledge, culture and soils 

they’ve spent their lives learning and are still learning. 

Anton Shannon of Good Work Farm 

in Center Valley, PA was one of 

this years’ Brownback Scholarship 

recipients. 

PASA, to me, is a great 

gathering of these two 

groups of farmers and 

everyone in between. 

This conference allows us 

to come together to share 

with, learn from, inspire, 

and challenge each other. 

To remind us of past 

ways and invent new 

ways to love ourselves, 

each other, our work and 

our farms. 

The Brownback 

Scholarship seems to me, 

to be the height of this 

sharing. Everyone who 

supports this scholarship 

recognizes that those for whom this conference is most 

needed are exactly those who can least afford it. 

I started Good Work Farm with my business partner 

Sarah Edmonds just about one year ago. We run the ubiquitous 

“small-scale diversified vegetable farm” that seems to 

be the start-up of choice for many beginning farmers these 

days. We run a 50, soon to be 75, member CSA in the 

Lehigh Valley, we do a small farmers market and a few 

continued on page 12 

4


PASA’s Annual Leadership Awards 

Sustainable Food Leaders Honored at Conference 

PASA was proud to present our annual Sustainable Ag Leadership and Sustainable 

Ag Business Leader Awards to Mary Seton Corboy of Greensgrow Farms and Frankferd 

Farms Foods, respectively. 

The awards were presented as part of the PASA-bilities Leadership Award Series, 

sponsored by Kimberton Whole Foods, at the conference. 

“PASA is proud to present these awards to a farm manager and a business proprietor 

who exemplify the spirit of sustainability in agriculture and food systems,” said 

Brian Snyder, PASA’s Executive Director. “This year’s honorees embody the versatility 

and resilience required of those leading the way to a sustainable food future.” 

Mary Seton Corboy 

Sustainable Ag Leadership Award 

Mary Seton Corboy of Greensgrow 

Farms in Philadelphia, PA, winner of the 

Sustainable Ag Leadership Award, started 

growing small plantings of gourmet lettuce 

in 1997. Today, Greensgrow Farms 

is made up of a nursery, a farm stand and 

a 600-member Community Supported 

Agriculture program, all housed on one 

acre in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, 

the former site of a galvanized 

steel plant. 

Corboy is quick to point out that 

Greensgrow is not the result of “big 

thinking.” Corboy was unable to attend 

the conference, but farm manager, Ryan 

Kuck accepted the award on her behalf 

and shared a written speech from Mary. 

“Today, a lot of seedlings, many 

miles, sore backs, tears, dollars, relationships, 

struggles, joys, successes and failures 

later I still find myself trying to 

explain what we do. Greensgrow has 

been on the receiving end-deserving or 

not-of many awards and a fair amount of 

recognition in the last 15 years and I’d 

like to say right here right now that we 

have appreciated it all. But this PASA 

award carries with it a weight that others 

have not. Recognition from our peers in 

the most important work there is — 

feeding our community and, being stewards 

of this great asset we simplistically 

call the environment — is particularly, 

both personally and professionally, moving, 

yes moving, and I thank those 

responsible for making this award possible 

from the bottom of my usually cynical 

cryptic heart.” 

PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS INCLUDE: 

Sustainable Ag Leadership Award Winners 

Preston Boop 

Tim Bowser 

Terra & Mike Brownback 

Hope & Roy Brubaker 

Jerry Brunetti 

Herbert Cole 

Moie & Jim Crawford 

Ron Gargasz 

Sheri & Steve Groff 

Paul Keene 

Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens 

Kim Miller 

Cass Peterson & Ward Sinclair 

Robert Rodale 

Joel Salatin 

Lucy & Roman Stoltzfoos 

Kim Tait 

Linda & Don Weaver 

Anne & Eric Nordell 

T. Lyle Ferderber accepted the PASA-bilities Sustainable 

Ag Business Leader Award presented 

to Frankferd Farms Foods. Pictured (L to R) Brian 

Snyder, PASA Executive Director; Terry Brett, 

owner of PASA-bilities sponsor Kimberton 

Whole Foods; T. Lyle; Brian Moyer, PASA Board 

Member. 

Sustainable Ag Business Leader 

T. Lyle Ferderber accepted the Sustainable 

Ag Business Leader Award on 

behalf of his company, Frankferd Farms 

Foods. Ferderber and his wife, Betty, left 

college to return to the family farm in 

Saxonburg, PA, where they began grinding 

flour in the farmhouse with a small 

gristmill. 

“We bought small lots of grain from 

other people and started grinding them,” 

said Ferderber. “All of the sudden, we 

went from having one flour to three or 

four flours to pancake mixes to having a 

bit of a fledgling business.” 

Thirty years later, the Ferderbers head 

a thriving farm, flour mill and natural 

foods warehouse. 

“When we were young, holding a kid 

in our arms, we made deliveries to people 

with kids in their arms,” said Ferderber. 

“Now 25 or 30 years have passed, and 

we’re selling to the children. That’s 

rewarding. It gives us pause to reflect.” 

“We are excited to provide a platform 

for these leaders to share their stories,” 

said Snyder. “There’s a good chance that 

future award winners will be sitting in the 

audience. We hope the PASA-bilities 

series will send them back to their farms 

and businesses with a renewed sense of 

inspiration.” 

Past Sustainable Ag Business Award Winners 

big Burrito Restaurant Group The Fertrell Company 

Natural by Nature 

East End Food Cooperative Kimberton Whole Foods 

White Dog Café 

Lady Moon Farms 

Kimberton Whole Foods now makes 

the Sustainable Ag Leadership Award 

Series possible through its role as 

PASA-bilities Sponsor. 

5

Director’s Corner 

Standing on the 

Shoulders of Giants 

By Brian Snyder, 

Executive Director 

If you have been following my recent 

columns, you probably noticed that 

I’ve been a bit grumpy lately. Maybe 

“grumpy” is not the right word, but let’s 

just call it my “persistent uneasiness” for 

now, and I can assure you there are 

plenty of good reasons for all of us to be 

feeling this way. 

There is otherwise much cause to be 

celebrating right now, including the 

achievement of twenty years of PASA as 

an organization, and the growth of the 

sustainable food movement in general, to 

the point where sustainability itself is 

now a mainstream idea. But there are 

storm clouds just ahead that we would do 

well not to ignore. 

I’ve talked in various contexts about 

an increasing, and in some ways necessary 

divergence of worldviews that now dominates 

our public discussions about food 

and farming. I have likened that chasm to 

the scientific dispute over whether the 

Sun revolves around the Earth, or vice 

versa, that once took about 300 years, 

and not just a little violent persecution, 

to resolve. In our case the central conflict 

is over the role of nature in our farming 

systems…is it a friend or foe 

For PASA members, it’s almost 

unthinkable that anyone would consider 

nature as the enemy of farming, but 

that’s pretty much the status quo attitude 

with the dominant, industrial paradigm 

that now governs most of our food production. 

Nature always seems to get it 

wrong, and must be supplemented with 

various chemicals, trampled by ginormous 

machinery and even manipulated 

at the level of genetic structure in order to 

make it do what we want. And then all 

too often it adapts, and ends up dashing 

our best intentions anyway…at least 

that’s how the industrialists understand 

the world. 

Of course, we know different. We 

know that the tendency to diversify and 

adapt is exactly the thing that nature does 

right, and that we would do well to emulate 

it in that regard. We know that by 

observing very carefully what happens on 

our farms and in the different ecological 

systems in which our farms are situated, 

we can minimize the hazards and maximize 

the benefits of our farming practices 

to the economic, environmental and ethical 

contexts in which we operate. We 

know that within all life forms resides the 

capacity not only to survive, but to prevail, 

and even to heal when things do not 

go as we had planned. We know that the 

most successful farms will adhere to 

nature, not try to defeat it. 

But I have some bad news. With all 

the progress we’ve seen over the past two 

decades, we are not currently winning the 

day. We are losing ground, and the reason, 

I believe, is twofold. 

First, we are aiming at a moving target. 

Whether we are talking about economics, 

the environment or the health 

and welfare of our people — especially 

when considered on a global scale — 

things are getting worse, and by some 

estimates, there is not much time to turn 

the ship around. This is not a new idea to 

PASA members, or anyone who has been 

coming to our conferences over the years, 

because a host of keynote speakers have 

reminded us over and over again what’s 

really at stake. And as full as the conference 

center generally is, there are just not 

enough farmers hearing this message 

from us, or anywhere else. 

The second, and to me more ominous 

reason, is that the other side — that is, 

the forces of industrialism that benefit 

from the status quo — are getting more 

organized in their efforts to avoid change, 

or at least to resist change that will come 

quickly enough to make a real difference. 

I have written before about the formation 

of an industry-led group called the 

USFRA, which stands for the US Farmers 

& Ranchers Alliance, that burst onto 

the scene this past summer pledging to 

spend $30M/year “to lead the dialogue 

on how food is grown and raised in 

America” according to Bob Stallman, 

who chairs the USFRA and is also president 

of the American Farm Bureau Federation. 

As you would no doubt surmise, this 

new group was formed to answer the criticisms 

leveled at industrial farming coming 

from within the sustainable food 

system movement. You would also not be 

surprised to find that the effort is largely 

being funded by commodity checkoff 

dollars — some of which are contributed 

by our members — as well as hefty donations 

from Monsanto and other corporate 

players. So in other words, if you are 

paying into a checkoff system, you are 

potentially also helping to support messaging 

that works against the marketing 

of your own, sustainably-raised products. 

This helps to reinforce the impression 

many of our farmers get that the commodity 

checkoff system is actually a legalized 

form of organized crime. 

And if that doesn’t get your attention, 

maybe hearing about what the USFRA 

advises farmers to say to consumers will. 

In a training presentation acquired by 

some friends and forwarded to me, I was 

astounded to find that this new organization 

is advising farmers to talk with the 

public regarding just about everything 

except for how they farm. One slide in 

particular advises them to avoid what 

they called “language landmines” and 

technical “process-oriented” language. 

That same slide is specific in recommending 

that farmers not use words like 

Technology, Innovation, GMOs, Antibiotics, 

Hormones, Pesticides, Fertilizer and 

Nitrogen. On another slide they talk 

about ditching the technical talk and, 

instead, using language that is more “natural,” 

including words like preventing, 

nurturing, resilient, healthy and — this is 

the kicker — better tasting. They recommend 

that farmers not talk about big, 

lofty ideas like feeding the world anymore, 

and also emphasize the need to adopt a 

strategy of continuous improvement, 

which is something they rather directly 


6

PASA Board Perspective 

It Will Be 

Life Changing 

are too long and the pay not as good as 

industry. 

At that time, CEO’s weren’t paid the 

obscene amounts as today. The culture 

was still mostly honest and there were 

many available jobs. Today we have 20- 

year-old billionaires and corporations 

pretend that purchasing robots is a better 

decision than employing and educating 

young people to perform real work. 

I have never regretted that I returned 

to our farm. Our brief detour down a 

road of unsustainable dairy production 

I have never regretted that I returned to our 

farm. Our brief detour down a road of unsustainable 

dairy production was turned around 

after coming to my first PASA conference. 

By Kim Seeley, 

PASA board president 

Editor’s Note: This is a reprint of Kim’s 

speech given at the recent Farming for the 

Future Conference in early February. 

Our conference every year is a showcase 

of world-renowned talent. As I 

walked around and observed the friendships 

reunited, the intense conversations, 

and the positive spirit that this group 

exudes, I can only conclude that PASA 

has become one of the most diverse, fairly 

balanced member organizations to be 

found anywhere. 

Why is it possible that Ann and I, and 

Jess and Jack, could spend four days here 

for the first time since joining PASA 

Because my son has gained the knowledge, 

developed the strength, and 

focused his determination to sustain our 

farm while we are gone. Shon is covering 

many bases at home right now managing 

250 dairy and beef animals, facilitating 

our milk and meat deliveries to Penn 

College of Technology, a customer of our 

farm for 12 years, and overseeing our 

store. His job would be better described 

as full time with mandatory overtime. 

My mother still works full time every day 

as well, cooking, serving, and bookkeeping 

at 87. She would call it part time, 

because it is only 40 to 50 hours a week. 

Shon and Jess, and our youngest son 

Dane, and many of your children, have 

ducing food. Chemically contaminated 

food starting sometimes at the farm and 

continuing throughout the processing 

sector, is undermining the intelligence 

and well being of anyone who doesn’t 

understand sustainable eating. Jerry 

Brunetti recently shared a quote with me 

from Ghandi, “A society can be judged 

by evaluating the manner in which they 

feed their animals.” How will our society 

be judged when future scientists study 

the way we fed our kids 

My explanation for anyone who has 

never made the pilgrimage to a PASA 

conference is, “it will be…life changing”. 

PASA is your organization for trustworthy, 

honest information and knowledge, 

for farming and living sustainably. PASA 

members stand together every day to 

educate, provide leadership and foster 

relationships that sustain our communities. 

Our member successes are being 

used as case studies for sustainable solutions 

about feeding the world with food, 

fit for our kids. You and I, as PASA 

members, can be proud that our animals 

and children are being fed in a manner 

that will sustain future PASA members. 

I started doing my undergraduate 

courses 56 years ago, when I was born on 

a dairy farm and rode on my mom’s hip 

and my dad’s shoulders, as they showed 

me how to work hard, treat people fairly, 

have reverence for nature and encouraged 

me to get an education. They also told 

me not to be a farmer because the hours 

grown up in the undergraduate program 

of the PASA family for sustainable learning. 

What a proud moment it is for me to 

look at this amazing group of young leaders. 

Our organization is sustainable 

because of them and you. We have 

among our membership the necessary 

human chemistry to lead the way to protecting 

world sustainability. Youth cannot 

learn right from wrong unless they 

have real examples in their lives. The 

biggest reason our country is in such a 

mess is our compromised values for prowas 

turned around after coming to my 

first PASA conference. That is when our 

family farm joined the PASA family graduate 

studies program. Over the years, I 

have been lucky to have met many of you 

personally and your inspirations and 

teachings have made our farm what it is 

today and where it is headed in the 

future. 

I am forever indebted to the founders 

of PASA for their insight into the future 

of what our food systems would become, 

without common sense factored into the 

food chemistry experiment our agricultural 

leaders condoned and funded. Lessons 

learned from our hardest problems 

become the fiber and fabric of life which 

builds our character. 

I want to remind you all about the 

PASA Annual Meeting on March 24 (see 

details page 14). I encourage all of you to 

make it a priority to come to that meeting. 

We will have important votes about 

by-law changes. This brings me to an 

interesting observation about different 

opinions in our membership. Currently I 

can poll a cross section of our members 

and get a different answer about the need 

for PASA to engage in policy work and 

on fundraising. I hear from members that 

we spend too much time on these. As a 

long time farmer, I have seen enough 

failed farm policies and too much lobbying 

money buying improper influence. 

As President of the Board, I have always 


7

In the Youth in Farming 

pre-conference track, students 

from Radnor Middle School 

examine a jar of mixed beans 

that speaker Tim Mountz of 

Happy Cat Farm inherited 

from his grandfather. 

During the design clinic, which was part 

of the Permaculture pre-conference track, 

speaker Dave Jacke of Dynamics Ecological 

Design illustrated the day’s lessons for attendees. 

Speaker Byron Shelton, of Landmark 

Diversified, helped attendees 

plan for success in the two-day 

Holistic Financial Management 

pre-conference track. 

An enthusiastic student gains hands-on 

experience with safe operation techniques 

during the Tractor Operation & 

Maintenance pre-conference track. 

The Hands-On Poultry pre-conference 

track held at Poultry Man LLC in 

Mifflinburg, Union Co, gave attendees 

practice at processing chickens. 

Speaker Daniel Salatin of Polyface 

Inc offered additional guidance. 

Attendees gather outside of the mobile 

processing unit as they prepare to see 

chicken processing 

step by step.

Former board member John Hopkins spots a bid on the one-of-a-kind conference 

image quilt donated by PASA member Ellen Tyree. This priceless item 

was part of our annual Live Auction during the Friday banquet. 

Brian Snyder helps drum up bids for the Frankferd Farms Foods (PASAbilities 

Award recipient) flours and mixes offered in the Live Auction. 

Proceeds from these items went to the Brownback Scholarship Fund. 

A packed house listens to Keynote Speaker 

Brian Halweil at the opening plenary. 

Keynote speaker Brian Halweil 

takes attendees on a journey of 

hope — from Africa to Long Island 

— and encourages everyone to 

take community supported agriculture 

to new levels to change the 

face of our food system. 

Our Future Farmers program got the kids 

thinking about their dream farms. Greener 

Partners coordinated the programming 

for the Sprouts and Seedlings groups. 

Thank you for all the hard work! 

Warren Leitzel of Ecosophy Farm, located in 

Woodward, Centre Co, answers questions 

about his micro-farm following a workshop 

on growing food where we live.

Conference sponsor Purple Mountain Organic’s booth in the TradeShow 

was prepared to equip attendees for the growing season. 

Jennifer Kurian, of sponsor Wild for 

Salmon, is pictured here with her Silent 

Auction winnings, a beautifully painted 

chair donated by Beverly Crow. 

Chefs attending the Sustainability 

in the Food Service Industry 

pre-conference track compare 

pasture-raised and grain-fed 

meats. 

A hit during the new Discussion Sessions 

offered at the conference, Green Market 

hosted a regional small grains tasting. 

Speaker and sponsor Mary-Howell Martens, 

of Lake View Organic Grain helped to guide 

tasters through the variety of grain products. 

Look for more grain programming as 

PASA partners with a number of regional 

ag groups on an OREI grant. 

Hoots ‘n Hellmouth provided lively music entertainment during 

the Thursday Winter Picnic, pictured here is Rob Berliner. 

The Lexicon of Sustainability took attendees on a visual exploration of the words we use 

to describe our vision of agriculture. This project by Douglas Gayeton and Laura Howard- 

Gayeton was brought to the conference by FloreAnt Projects — Sustainability through 

the Art of Photography.

PASA board member and conference sponsor Jerry 

Brunetti of Agri-Dynamics LLC detailed the connection 

between nutrition and cancer. 

In the Building a Regional Staple Foods System discussion 

session, attendees divided in to geo-regional 

groups to discuss strategies for increasing local production 

of staple foods. 

Homer Walden (third from left) of Sunnyside Farm in Dover, York Co, 

showed attendees his farm layout and some equipment he utilizes. 

Speakers Faye Burtch of Burtch Body 

Works, and Grace Lefever of Sonnewald 

Natural Foods, urged farmers and gardeners 

to consider a practical use for 

those nutrition-dense “weeds” they 

work so hard to eliminate — eat them 

or even sell them! 

Karl Leitzel of the Farmland 

Preservation Artists passes the 

time with tunes. A portion of the 

proceeds from the show went to 

support PASA and the Centre 

County Farmland Trust. 

In addition to sharing knowledge, 

attendees used the Seed Swap to 

share their favorite regional varieties. 

In its second year, interest 

has grown significantly in the 

swap. Plan your garden so you can 

bring some seed to share for 2013!

Anton Shannon’s Speech 

continued from page 4 

restaurant sales. Coming from a non-farming background I 

feel I am always playing catch-up with the once traditional 

knowledge and ways of farming. 

With so many experienced farmers retiring, I feel under 

the gun to learn as much as I can from the farmers at this 

conference and the growers in my area. First, they serve as 

an example that it can be done and done profitably. Second, 

they graciously offer up their farms and their experiences of 

how to do it. The specifics don’t always fit my farm but 

most often their wisdom and thought process are what help 

to inform, inspire and refine my work. 

Now farmers don’t generally accept charity very well. 

The decision to apply for scholarship was not one I undertook 

lightly. I thought how can I ask for funds from an 

organization like PASA, when I know there are farmers in 

this state who lost their whole crop, or worse, in the flood 

and drought of this year. How do I solicit funds when my 

enterprise is relatively out from under the boot of government 

regulation, like say real milk dairies How do I solicit 

funds when there are folks trying to make a go of farming 

that are discriminated against institutionally and personally 

because of their race, their culture, their gender, or their sexual 

orientation And yet the truth is that I wouldn’t be here 

without the financial support of the scholarship. The truth 

remains that now, when money is tightest, in these first 

years of my farm, this is when I need this conference the 

most. 

Farmers may not accept charity well but they often 

accept a helping hand from a member of a community they 

feel a responsibility to, and in turn give it back when able. 

I’m beginning to feel that responsibility to this extended 

community. I can’t wait to take the things I learn here, go 

home, make my farm more profitable year after year, then 

come back here and sit where you are, and overbid at an 

auction to support this great cause. Thank you! ■ 

A D V E R T I S E M E N T 


Visit PASA online at 


12

Buy Fresh Buy Local Update 

What is Buy Fresh Buy Local® 

Buy Fresh Buy Local® (BFBL) chapters in Pennsylvania 

are coordinated by PASA, on behalf of our national partner, 

FoodRoutes Network. To explore your region’s food system 

further, hear about upcoming events and find more ways to 

get involved, visit buylocalpa.org 

Be Sure You are Listed — 

get on the map at www.buylocalpa.org 

Thousands of eager eaters each month use the map-based 

search tool on www.buylocalpa.org to find local foods near 

them in markets, stores, restaurants and direct from local 

growers. Shouldn’t they also find your business there 

Even if you have your own website or Internet listings 

elsewhere, you don’t want to turn down the additional free 

exposure you’ll get through a profile on our site — the online 

home of the Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local program. 

Signing up is quick and easy: visit www.buylocalpa.org/ 

getonthemap 

Already on buylocalpa.org 

Be sure your listing is up to date! 

If your business is already listed on www.buylocalpa.org, 

check to be sure that your information has been updated and 

you are using all the available tools. Consider uploading a 

picture of your business to further personalize your profile. 

PENNSYLVANIA BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL® 

How to Plug In 

The Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local® program has been celebrating the 

abundance found in our Commonwealth since 2002, with the aim of making 

it easier for Pennsylvania consumers to find, choose and appreciate 

great local foods…and to support the farmers and lands which produce 

them. Currently there are 13 active chapters in Pennsylvania. We create 

local food guides (both in print and online) and organize events (such as 

farms tours or tastings), among other activities. To learn more about 

what’s going on in your region, contact one of the local chapter coordinators 

listed below. For information on Buy Fresh Buy Local® chapters and 

activities outside of PA, visit FoodRoutes.org. 

■ Fayette & Greene Counties 

Fay-Penn Economic Development 

Council 

Chapter Coordinator 

Devan Grote 

devang@faypenn.org 

724-437-7913 x 222 

■ Greater Lehigh Valley 

Nurture Nature Center 


Lynn Prior 

info@BuyLocalGreaterLehighValley.org 

610-703-6954 or 

Serving Berks, Lehigh and 

Northampton Counties 

■ Lancaster County 

Local Steering Committee, with 

the assistance of the Local Economy 

Center, Franklin & Marshall College 


Linda Aleci 717-291-4293 

or 717-380-7280 

linda.aleci@fandm.edu 

■ Northeast Region 

The University of Scranton 

Small Business Development Center 

Chapter Coordinators 

Maria Montenegro 

570-941-7588 or 

montenegrom1@scranton.edu 

or 

Lisa Hall 570-941-7588 or 

lisa.hall@scranton.edu 

Serving Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike and 

Wayne Counties 

■ Northern Tier 


Ruth Tonachel 

ruth@ntculturalalliance.org 

Kathy Joyce 

info@ntculturalalliance.org 

570-265-7455 

Serving Bradford, Potter, Sullivan, Susquehanna, 

Tioga and Wyoming Counties 

■ Philadelphia 

Fair Food 


Christina Dowd 

215-386-5211 x106 

christina@fairfoodphilly.org 

or 

Annemarie Vaeni 

215-386-5211 x111 

annemarie@fairfoodphilly.org 

■ South Central 

Cheryl Burns 

cburns@capitalrcd.org 


scbfbl@capitalrcd.org 

717-241-4361 

Serving Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, 

Franklin, Lebanon, Juniata and Perry 

Counties 

■ Southeastern Pennsylvania 

(including Chester County’s Chapter) 



marilyn@pasafarming.org 

610-458-5700 x305 

Serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware 

and Montgomery Counties 

■ Valleys of the Susquehanna 

(including Centre County’s Chapter) 


Kristin Hoy 

kristin@pasafarming.org 

814-349-9856 x11 

Serving Centre, Clinton, Columbia, 

Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, 

Snyder and Union Counties 

■ Western Pennsylvania 

PASA Chapter Coordinator 

for Southwest PA: 

pasawest@pasafarming.org 

for Northwest PA: 

nwpabfbl@gmail.com 

412-365-2985 

Serving Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, 

Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, 

Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, 

Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington 

and Westmoreland Counties 

■ York County 

York County Agriculture Business 

Council 


Kim Gross 

yorkbfbl@yahoo.com 

717-814-8141 

■ Statewide Program Coordination 

Contact: 

Megan Epler 

megan@pasafarming.org 

For website support contact: 

info@buylocalpa.org 

Buy Fresh Buy Local® chapters in 

Pennsylvania are coordinated by the 

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable 

Agriculture, on behalf of their national 

partner, FoodRoutes Network. To 

explore your region’s food system further, 

hear about upcoming events and 

find more ways to get involved, please 

visit our website — www.buylocapa.org 

— or contact one of the folks listed 

above. 

13

Fundraising 

Ways to Give 2012 

Get Involved! 

From your own backyard to the top of 

Mount Everest, the ways to give to PASA 

are endless! PASA members continue to 

surprise us with their creativity in raising 

funds for the organization. Recent highlights 

have included dinners in member’s 

homes, movie screenings, sales of promotional 

items, a listing on a wedding registry, 

a portion of a business award, and a 

yoga fundraiser. What can you add 

Steve and Randy Marks 

during the 2011 climb 

Top Three Reasons Why the Ways 

to Give Program is Important to PASA 

1. Each and every contribution is needed 

and goes a long way in maintaining and 

growing our programs. 

2. These are opportunities for our members 

to be hands on and involved in our 

success. 

3. Ways to Give events can help educate 

consumers, grow membership and 

increase community building. 

Want to get involved 

Contact Development Associate 

Cassie Marsh-Caldwell at 814-349-9856, x12 or 

cassie@pasafarming.org. 

● Johnson Matthey Coulour 

Technologies in Downingtown, PA 

recently made PASA the partial beneficiary of an 

award amounting to $1,100. Johnson Matthey 

(JM) is a specialty chemical company focused on 

precious metals, fine chemicals and process 

technology with over 30 sites in the United 

States and over 100 sites worldwide. When JM, 

Downingtown, received the Sustainability of 

People Site Award in December as a result of 

their carbon footprint and life cycle analysis 

training that they provide their employees, they 

chose to donate a large portion of the award 

proceeds to PASA — recognizing PASA as an 

organization that shares their mission to promote 

sustainability. It is evident when speaking 

with the employees of JM that they take pride in 

encouraging one another to practice more sustainable 

choices both at work and in their personal 

lives. 

PASA is honored by this partnership and 

offers a very special thank you to our friends at 

continued next page 

● Trek for PASA 

They are at it again! Steve and his 14 year-old son Randy are climbing Mount 

Everest for the second year in support of PASA. Last year they successfully 

climbed to an elevation of 18,500 feet and this year they are setting their 

sights even higher with the goal of reaching 21,000 feet. For this fundraiser 

to be successful, they will need the support of you! Please support Steve, 

Randy, and PASA by becoming a sponsor, friend or supporter today! 

How You Can Help 

• Become a Climb Champion ...................................................................... $500 

• Become a Summit Sponsor ...................................................................... $250 

• Become a Friend of the Trek .................................................................... $100 

• Be a Supporter and pledge a flat rate or per 1,000 feet 

All Friends and Sponsors will be publicly acknowledged and all donors 

will be given up to date information. 

Visit www.crowdrise.com/trekforpasa or contact Cassie Marsh-Caldwell 

for more details at at 814-349-9856, x12 or cassie@pasafarming.org. 

14

Fundraising 

continued from previous page 

Johnson Matthey, Downingtown for this gift. Watch for their 

employees to continue their work by volunteering in the community, 

engaging with local students about sustainability 

applied to science, and on their bikes once again in support of 

PASA at this year’s fifth annual Bike Fresh Bike Local event! 

● Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering 

While PASA members and supporters 

traveled into State College for the 21st 

Annual Farming for the Future Conference, 

Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering of 

State College, decided to take part by 

donating 20% of meal proceeds when 

patrons mentioned PASA. As a result of 

their generosity, this fundraiser 

brought in over $200 in funds for 

PASA. We give a special thank you to Harrison’s for their continued 

and loyal support! 

● Slow Food Philadelphia 

PASA’s Eastern Regional staff partnered with Slow Food® 

Philadelphia in December to host a seminar at The Restaurant 

School. The Slow Food movement was founded in 1989 to 

counter the fast food trend. This educational organization is dedicated 

to the stewardship of the land, food production, the revival 

of the kitchen and table and of the education of consumers on 

their food choices. Slow Food agreed to share 50% of the proceeds 

of the evening resulting in a $390 donation to PASA. 

Fifth Annual 

Bike Fresh Bike Local 

Sunday, September 23, 2012 

SAVE THE DATE! 

Registration available soon at pasafarming.org. 

PASA Harvest Celebration 

Benefit Dinner 

Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 5:00PM 

John J. Jeffries Restaurant, Lancaster, PA 

Consider joining us for a festive 

reception and four-course meal 

featuring regional ingredients. 

We are proud to hold our Benefit 

Dinner at the John J. Jeffries 

Restaurant — their unique 

approach to dining is based on 

a dedication to a sustainable 

and local food-based economy. 

Our featured speaker, Terry 

Brett of Kimberton Whole 

Terry Brett 

Foods, has been involved in sustainable agriculture since 

the early 1980’s. Today, Kimberton Whole Foods is a leading 

natural and organic food retailer, with four locations 

and a loyal following of customers. Terry and Kimberton 

Whole Foods are committed to sustainability from the agricultural 

perspective, as well as from the economic perspective, 

and operate on the notion that their actions send 

out a ripple effect on the local economy. 

Purchase tickets early, 

seating is limited! 

• Table Partner (includes 8 tickets) .................................. $1,500 

• Individual Tickets available on a limited basis 

For complete info and to purchase tickets — contact Cassie 

Marsh-Caldwell at cassie@pasafarming.org or 814-349- 

9856, x12. All proceeds benefit PASA and a portion of the 

ticket price is tax-deductible. 

Development Dashboard 

PASA 

entered its new fiscal year on July 1, 2011 and we are tracking meaningful statistics on our fundraising 

successes to share with our members. Watch this chart develop through the year until our fiscal year ends on 

June 30, 2012. The below figures were calculated December 31, 2011. 

Sponsorship Revenue Annual Fund Revenue Number of Donors 

GOAL 

$136,000 

GOAL 

$300,000 

GOAL 

#445 

$ 1 3 0 , 6 5 0 

$ 2 0 2 , 8 3 5 

# 2 1 9 

Last Fiscal Year: $123,405 Last Fiscal Year: $250,445 Last Fiscal Year: 445 Donors 

PASA’s Fiscal Year is July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012

Membership Update 

NEW! Member 2 Member Programs 

Member 2 Member 

Benefit Program 

This program is designed to increase the benefits 

of PASA membership while giving our business 

and nonprofit service providers additional exposure. 

Offering a Benefit is a great way to encourage 

the trial of a product or service, offer discounts and 

special promotions to fellow PASA members and 

grow your business! For more information please 

contact Business Outreach Coordinator Megan 

Epler, megan@pasafarming .org, 814-574-9077. 

Thanks to these PASA business members for 

offering the following special offers exclusively 

to fellow PASA members: 

Member 2 Member Referral Program 

Help Us Grow Our Membership and 

Receive A Reward! 

Share the benefits of PASA membership with your 

friends and neighbors, and help build our network. PASA 

would like to offer our current members an opportunity 

and small gift to thank you for assisting the organization 

in recruiting new members. With a verified referral 

and dues payment by the referral (new member), you 

will be contacted by PASA for acknowledgement and 

coordination of your reward! Details of this program were 

recently mailed to members, to learn more visit 

www.pasa farming.org/referral. 

● NEW! — We are proud to launch our PASA 

Print Barn, in partnership with Small Farm 

Central & FrontEnd Graphics. This service is 

designed to provide our members access to create, 

customize & print marketing materials you 

may need for your farm or business. To take a 

look visit http://usa.netprintmanager.com/pasa 

to browse the catalog! 

● LP Bio Ag 

lpbioag.com, 724-421-1211 

– $25 off a 5-gallon pail of Petrix BXi 

– 10% off all Nature’s Promise horse feed 

– 15% discount on 34% Calf Pellet 

● The Organic Mechanics Soil Company 

organicmechanicsoil.com, 610-380-4598 

– PASA members can purchase products 

direct, paying wholesale prices. Pick-up at 

the Modena location or receive full pallet 

shipments. 

● Solair Energy Inc 

solairenergy.com, 570-995-5747 

– 5% off product or service 

Visit PASA online at 


DON’T FORGET! 

Take a look at the back of this newsletter 

at the top of your address label to 

remember when your PASA membership 

expires. If yours expired on December 

31, 2011 — please renew today by 

calling 814-349-9856 or visiting pasafarming.org 

16

Membership Update 

PASA’s Annual Meeting 

Saturday, March 24 

10am–3:30pm 

Registration begins at 9am 

Harrisburg Area Community College’s 

(HACC) Wildwood Conference 

Center, Entrance #4 

Harrisburg, PA 

Spend a day learning more & giving 

input about YOUR organization! 

The Board of Directors decided to 

move the Annual Meeting to a separate 

venue other than the conference to allow 

more time for discussions and feedback 

from — you — our members. Please be 

sure to join us to have a voice in PASA’s 

policy positions, Board Director elections 

and more. And don’t forget it is another 

great opportunity to network with fellow 

PASA supporters. 

All current PASA members are cordially 

invited to join your Board of 

Directors at our Annual Meeting. This is 

a free event, unless you opt to purchase 

lunch at the Conference Center (see 

details at right). 

Luncheon speaker Ben Hewitt 

The Agenda: 

• Learn more about PASA’s policy positions 

including: 

– food safety 

– nutrient management & watershed 

protection 

– Marcellus Shale 

– GMOs & the Farm Bill 

• Find out about progress regarding 

PASA’s strategic plan 

• Hear from nominees for the 2012 

Board of Directors election & acknowledge 

departing directors — Mary Barbercheck, 

Brian Moyer & Kim Seeley 

• Vote on organizational bylaw amendments 

• Review financial reports & activities 

Pre-registration for this meeting is 

encouraged. RSVP at pasafarming.org 

annualmeeting 

The Luncheon: 

Ben Hewitt, author of Making Supper 

Safe and The Town That Food Saved will 

be our special luncheon speaker. 

Bring your own lunch or purchase a 

meal at the Conference Center. If you 

choose to purchase your lunch, the buffet 

available will include soup, salad, sandwich, 

dessert and beverages for $16.55 — 

payable at the conference center. 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

RSVP at pasafarming.org/ 

annualmeeting 

P A S A S T A F F A N D B O A R D W O U L D L I K E T O W E L C O M E 

T H E S E N E W B U S I N E S S M E M B E R S A S O F J A N U A R Y 2 7 , 2 0 1 2 

American Grassfed Association 

Denver, CO 

americangrassfed.org 

Carolina Farm 

Stewardship Association 

Pittsboro, NC 

carolinafarmstewards.org 

FodderTech 

Sandy, UT 

foddertech.com 

Furyworks Productions 

Bluemont, VA 

furyworks.com 

FreshaPeel Hummus! 

Lancaster, PA 

freshapeelhummus.com 

Golden Valley Farms 

Coffee Roasters 

West Chester, PA 

goldenvalleyfarms.com 

Heritage Conservancy 

Doylestown, PA 

Heritageconservancy.org 

Living Hope Farm 

Harleysville, PA 

livinghopefarm.org 

Meadow Creek Organics LLC 

York, PA 

meadowcreekorganics.com 

MOM’s Organic Market 

Bowie, MD 

momsorganicmarket.com 

National Ag Library — 

Start2Farm 

Beltsville, MD 

start2farm.org 

Swissland Acres 

Glen Rock, PA 

swisslandacres.com 

Trickling Springs Creamery 

Chambersburg, PA 

tricklingspringscreamery.com 

Slippery Rock University 

Slippery Rock, PA 

sru.edu 

P A S A S T A F F A N D B O A R D 

W O U L D L I K E T O T H A N K T H E 

F O L L O W I N G V O L U N T E E R S 

A S O F J A N U A R Y 2 7 , 2 0 1 2 

JoAnn Bevilacqua 

Amanda Birk 

Tracey Coulter 

Elly Engle 

Barbara Gerlach 

Cynthia Iberg 

Jeff Kurtz 

David Lembeck 

Irene Miller 

Claire Murray 

Ray Najjar 

Caroline Owens 

Chris Treichler 

Interested in Volunteering 

PASA often needs volunteer assistance at 

events, in our regional offices, aiding with 

special projects and more. We recognize 

how important our volunteer base is to our 

operation and we invite you to get 

involved! Sign up to volunteer at pasafarming.org/get-involved/volunteer 

today! 

17

Director’s Corner 


ripped off from the language of sustainable 

certification. 

So here is the gist of the good advice 

for farmers from the USFRA…don’t talk 

to consumers about what you’re doing 

on your farms; ask them how they feel 

about their food. 

You might be wondering how I’m 

able to have any optimism about the 

future at all. Sometimes I wonder that 

too. But it’s really not all that difficult to 

maintain hope in the face of dire global 

circumstances and an organized, industry-fueled 

disinformation campaign… 

because every day on this job I get to talk 

with farmers who are proud as can be to 

talk about what they’re doing on their 

farms! Now, isn’t it nice that we belong 

to a community that likes to talk about 

their farming practices At PASA, we 

realize that every conversation counts, 

and we encourage you to use process-oriented 

language whenever possible. 

My other reason for optimism is that 

every day we find more giants in this 

community on whose shoulders we can 

stand in order to see a brighter future 

coming. Sitting among us today are 

many examples of the giants I am referring 

to. We have featured such individual 

farmers and businessmen and women 

over the years as speakers and award winners, 

and we have had several on the 

PASA board of directors. We will once 

again be honoring a couple leaders of this 

caliber tomorrow as part of our PASAbilities 

award series. But today, I’ll just 

give you two other very current examples. 

Nearly a year ago, our retiring president 

Kim Seeley was in Philadelphia to 

speak with an audience on the effects and 

potential dangers of drilling for gas in the 

Marcellus Shale. On his way home the 

next morning he got a call that his family’s 

farm store and dairy processing plant 

was engulfed in flames, and of course all 

he could do was continue the trip home 

to see what was left. Today, they are 

nearly ready to fully reopen in a much 

improved, more sustainable type of facility, 

and this July, Milky Way Farm will 

celebrate 50 years of being in business. 

No one would have blamed them to shut 

down permanently, and take their farm 

in other directions, but it was their concern 

for the community they live in that 

counted most — “Where will they buy 

their dairy products” is a question I 

heard repeatedly as they considered how 

decisions would affect their customers. 

Here’s another example. Just last fall, 

our good friends at the Rodale Institute 

hosted their inaugural Organic Pioneer 

Awards banquet, and among the very 

first award winners were PASA members 

Drew and Joan Norman, who operate 

One Straw Farm in Whitehall, MD. 

They can be very proud of that achievement, 

and also proud to be operating one 

of the nation’s largest and most innovative 

CSA operations. But that’s not 

enough for them. Just last week they voluntarily 

surrendered their organic certification, 

because the NOP has so far 

refused to approve the mulch product 

they use on the farm that is made of 

100% biodegradable, non-GMO, cornbased 

material. You see, they just couldn’t 

stand to continue filling their local 

landfill with dumpster loads of the petroleum-based 

plastic they had used with 

NOP approval in the past. For them, this 

is a matter of principle…they are not 

willing to just accept the status quo, even 

of the organic program, and instead are 

willing to lead the way in insisting on 

continuous improvement! 

Those of you who are just beginning 

to farm, or are hoping someday soon to 

be farming, would do well to take heed of 

the example set by many PASA members 

who have come before you. Yes, there 

will be many hardships involved in running 

your farms…nature may be our 

“friend,” but due to our unfortunate 

prior negligence, this friend is becoming 

more erratic and demanding all the time. 

And there’s nothing easy about selling 

your products once you’ve figured out 

how to produce them. All of us in this 

organization commit ourselves to helping 

PASA Annual Meeting 

Saturday, March 24 

10am–3:30pm 

Wildwood Conference Center 

Harrisburg, PA 

RSVP & details at pasafarming.org 

you as best we can with these parts of the 

process. 

But the really hard part will come 

when it’s your turn to make the tough 

decisions that will take this entire community 

into places we’ve never been 

before, and help us break down the barriers 

to a more sustainable future that are 

being erected every day by the defenders 

of industry and the status quo. We will 

be with you then, too, but you will be 

leading the way. 

One of the biggest challenges we will 

face is the one I alluded to at the beginning…how 

to get the word to all those 

farmers out there who have not had an 

opportunity to hear it, or have so far 

refused to listen. I believe it’s true that 

PASA, and other organizations like this, 

are already speaking publicly on behalf of 

at least 80% of the farmers in this country, 

even though most of them do not 

know it, and may not understand just 

how much trouble they are in. We must 

work hard to inform them, and to welcome 

them into this community, because 

without a faster pace of change, we will 

all fail in our endeavor to head-off catastrophe 

in economic and environmental 

terms, and in our efforts to serve the 

needs of a fast-growing world population. 

You, the farmers of the future, are 

engaged in the process of creating a new 

food system with every bold action you 

take, sometimes running with, and at 

other times against, the prevailing current 

of laws and regulations. In this 

PASA family, we all stand on the shoulders 

of the giants who have come before 

us, and with that special opportunity 

comes the equivalent responsibility to 

farm not just for today, but to cultivate 

the versatility and resilience that will 

make farming for the future, and even 

the future itself, a PASA-bility for our 

children and grandchildren to enjoy. ■ 

18

A PASA member since 2005, Jeff Biddle’s milking 

herd includes a variety of breeds, among them 

Ayrshires, Jerseys, Guernseys and Holsteins. 

By Sylvia P. Onusic, PhD, 

PASA Member 

It is near milking time at Bear Meadows 

Farm near Boalsburg just under the 

Tussey Mountain in Central PA, not far 

from the Penn State Campus. The cows 

are coming down from the pasture to the 

paddock outside the parlor, occasionally 

bellowing a long moo, which says its 

milking time. I stand outside with the 

owner of the place and tell him that the 

cows look beautiful, and that I especially 

like the white one. Farm owner, Jeff Biddle 

says, “Yeah, it’s all pasture, and that’s 

Elsie May, an old girl.” In fact, he knows 

each cow by name, as well as their personality 

and habits. Nearby three farm 

cats are lined up closely together in silhouette, 

along with Jeff’s two guinea 

hens, anticipating that something good is 

about to happen. 

Until 1948, farm fresh milk (raw 

milk) and pasteurized milk coexisted 

PASA Member Finds 

Success and Happiness in 

Grass Farming and Raw Milk 

Production: 

The Story of Jeff Biddle 

legally. But in 1948 a federal mandatory 

pasteurization law ended national access 

to fresh milk. Now it is up to the individual 

states to determine if fresh milk is 

legal. In Pennsylvania we are fortunate to 

be able to purchase raw milk at the farmgate 

and in specific shops. In Virginia 

purchase of raw milk by consumers is illegal 

unless you own part of the cow, as in 

“cow-shares.” In several other states, raw 

milk is sold as “pet food.” The website 

realmilk.com lists the status of raw milk 

in the fifty states. 

According to the Federal government, 

there are about 15 million raw milk 

drinkers in the U.S. and the number continues 

to grow. When people are asked 

why they drink raw milk, the majority 

proclaim, ‘the taste.’ And Jeff’s milk is 

long and creamy, its distinctive taste 

determined ultimately by the soil and 

what is growing in it, something that the 

French call terroir. The plants and grasses 

growing on Jeff’s fields and nourishing 

his animals are the products of this terroir, 

which ultimately translate into tasty 

milk. 

Another major contributor to the taste 

of raw milk is the amount of butterfat it 

contains. Cow breeds vary in the amount 

of butterfat in their milk with Jerseys 

being high fat producers. Jeff’s herd is a 

variety of breeds, among them Ayrshires, 

Jerseys, Guernseys and Holsteins, which 

contribute to the ultimate taste of the 

milk product in the bulk milk tank. 

Among his herd are four Holsteins, 

which he adopted from industrial dairies. 

He says that they are good milkers. 

The types and number of bacteria it 

contains also influences the taste of the 

milk. 

We know that bacteria can be friendly 

and good for digestive health, as well as 

useful, helping us prepare fermented 

dairy products like yogurt and kiefer 

(probiotic) or unfriendly (pathogenic) 

which can make us ill. Pasteurization 

destroys some pathogens but more so the 

friendly probiotic lactobacillus bacteria, 

enzymes and healthful substances which 

raw milk contains, like lactase, the 

enzyme which enables digestion of the 

lactose in milk. Pasteurization renders the 

lactase inoperable. But because the raw 

milk still contains its lactase, many people 

who are lactose intolerant and cannot 

drink pasteurized milk, can drink raw 

milk, says raw milk safety expert, Ted 

Beals, MD. 

Jeff’s milk is the only raw milk that I 

buy in the area, which I could successfully 

“clabber” or sour. Clabbering was 

done in my grandma’s day by putting a 

covered container of raw milk in a warm 

place, such as on the back of a counter or 

in a cupboard, for a few days depending 

on the time of year and temperature of 

the room, then used for drinking, cooking 

and baking. Clabbered or sour milk is 

a popular traditional beverage in Eastern 

and Central European, as well as Middle 

Eastern countries, especially during summer 

months. It has a refreshing smooth 

rich taste with an acid finish. 

Sour is not the same as spoil. Pasteur- 


19

The Story of Jeff Biddle 


ized milk will not sour, but it spoils 

because undesirable bacteria in the milk 

continue to grow during the refrigeration 

process. Pasteurization does not kill all 

bacteria, molds and fungus. But in raw 

milk, the probiotic bacteria multiply 

retarding spoilage, and give the milk a 

smooth, rich taste with a tangy, refreshing 

flavor, which means that the probiotic 

bacteria are of high quality and 

intact. Jeff said that off-flavors in the 

milk are caused by the “wrong kind of 

bacteria present where it shouldn’t be.” 

Important factors in preserving the 

taste of the milk are proper chilling of the 

milk and holding at a specific temperature. 

The second reason people give for 

drinking raw milk is for the health benefits. 

In the early 1900s, the ‘raw milk 

cure’ was successfully used at the Mayo 

Clinic for a host of diseases. Up until 

World War II, many studies compared 

the use of raw vs. pasteurized milk in animals 

and children, and most results 

favored the use of raw milk. After the 

mandatory pasteurization act came in, 

these studies ceased. 

Raw milk contains many nutritional 

and immune enhancing properties. Pasteurization 

affects the nutritional quality 

of the vitamins C, B12, B6, A and D in 

the milk by reducing, inactivating, 

degrading or destroying the vitamin or its 

carrier proteins. In fact, artificial forms of 

A and D are added to pasteurized milk. 

Heat also denatures the protein in the 

milk, inactivates minerals, destroys the 

healthful probiotics and the lactoferrin, 

which is necessary for absorption of iron. 

Lack of iron causes anemia in children, a 

serious condition which affects growth. 

Lactoferrin also kills a wide range of 

pathogens. 

Local athletes are also interested in 

Jeff’s milk because of it health benefits. 

Tim Argiriadi, General Manager of Victory 

Sports and Fitness in State College, 

recommends raw milk to his clients. At 

Victory Sports, he says they see a variety 

of athletes from professional to high 

school. Tim explains, “Nutritional protein 

is pivotal in the body’s ability to perform, 

and a great source of protein is raw 

milk. The pasteurization and homogenization 

process denatures the protein 

and it loses its constituent nutritional 

quality making the protein no longer as 

effective or bioavailable.” 

He says that he has been drinking raw 

milk for about three years, since one of 

his trainees brought some in to the gym. 

He is lactose intolerant, but tried raw 

milk and now views it as “a good staple in 

a nutritional regimen,” it “brings a lot of 

value, and packs a nutritional punch.” 

Tim is especially interested in the 

CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) content 

of the milk. CLA is important for athletes 

and plays an important role in protein 

synthesis and muscle repair. 

We know that milk which is produced 

from cows on pasture is much higher in 

CLA than milk produced from grain and 

corn fed cows. Research from Europe 

shows that CLA and Omega 3 fatty acids 

are high in raw milk from cows on pasture 

and alpine grasses. Tim says Jeff Biddle 

knows a lot about raw milk and 

educated him about it. 

The government requires frequent 

testing of raw milk to ensure that it is safe 

for human consumption, which means 

that it does not contain organisms, which 

are harmful to health. Milk safety is an 

ultimate goal in raw milk production. 

In connection with milk safety, Penn 

State researchers are conducting a USDA 

(U.S. Department of Agriculture) funded 

study of permitted raw milk dairies in 

PA. Veterinarian Ernest Hovingh, PhD, 

http://vbs.psu.edu/directory/eph1, from 

the Veterinary and Biosciences Department 

in the College of Ag Sciences, is 

heading the raw milk part of the study. 

About 40 of the approximately 90 Pennsylvania 

raw milk dairies with permits, 

including Bear Meadows Farm, were 

recruited to participate in the study, 

which is part of a larger project entitled 

“Milk Safety Improvements for Milking 

Equipment and Raw Milk Production.” 

Researchers take samples of raw milk 

from the participating dairies over a set 

time period for analysis. Dr. Hovingh 

explained that, “We are looking at the 

efficiency and effectiveness of bulk milk 

cooling, and monitoring the milk fat, 

milk protein, somatic cell count, standard 

plate count, preliminary incubation 

count, lab pasteurization count, Salmonella, 

Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. 

coli. Although not directly related to the 

objectives of the project, we are also providing 

participants with a ‘bulk milk 

mastitis pathogen analysis’ every month. 

This consists of culturing for, and reporting 

on, common mastitis pathogens such 

as Strep agalactiae, coagulase-negative 

staphylococci, and others.” 

He said that he is also planning a twopart 

confidential survey of Pennsylvania 

consumers. Questionnaires will be distributed 

by mail to purchasers of raw 

milk from participant dairies, and to a 

random selection of PA consumers, without 

regard for what milk they drink, if 

any. Results from the study will be available 

at the end of 2012. 

More About the Farm 

Jeff is a very distinguished looking 

man who could be a doctor, lawyer or 

Indian chief, but he chose to be a farmer. 

Although he grew up on his parents’ 

farm, he didn’t come to this profession 

early on. He chose to become a master 

carpenter with a state of the art workshop 

and lucrative business in the local community. 

I met Jeff when I was looking for 

a mantel for my fireplace. During the 

course of the creation of the mantel I got 

to know him a bit. At our last meeting, 

when he was affixing the mantel to the 

wall of my fireplace, he told me he that 

he just wanted to be a farmer and hang 

out with cows. He seemed very serious 

about his new vision. I didn’t see him for 

about 6 years after that, and thought he 

was still hammering away until I visited 

the Bear Meadows Farm recently. 

When I first turned into the long 

driveway framed by fields, and made my 

way down the farm road, it was like a step 

back in time. The spring house was on 

the left, then the farm house set on top 

20

the hill with crisscross curtains gently 

blowing on the lines below it. I had to 

creep along so that I wouldn’t take out a 

couple of Jeff’s prime layers, some plump 

Rhode Island Reds ambling along. But 

they picked up to a strut when the wheels 

of my car came too near and veered off 

sharply out of the way. The duck and her 

ducklings made for the pond on the right 

and nipped into the water. Then slowly I 

continued down to the barn, paddock 

and milking parlor. In the paddock a 

number of young cows stared curiously at 

me but shortly went back to their business 

of wagging their tails to knock off 

the flies. The farm dogs, Susie and 

Beauty, gave me a barking escort, all the 

way to the milking parlor 

Inside the milking parlor, Jeff maintains 

a consumer bulletin board, which 

educates his customers about the types of 

bacteria in milk and the testing procedures 

required by various state and federal 

agencies. He pointed out his 

laboratory test papers, which were displayed 

with explanations. The scores 

were good, in fact, exceptional — some 

of the best scores in the state it seems. 

In Pennsylvania there is a set testingprogram 

for farmers who sell raw milk, 

and now he has his milk tested every two 

weeks. Jeff advised me to always ask to 

see the lab work when I buy raw milk. 

Every six months the state also performs 

ring tests for brucellosis, and the 

Federal inspector may inspect annually, 

including sampling about 40 of the his 

co-op members’ farms at random. A 

score of 88 on the Federal inspection and 

above is acceptable. Jeff has scored 100 

on many occasions. 

The barn and sheds were immaculate 

white, clean, with just a scent of ‘eau de 

cow.’ As he filled my containers from the 

bulk tank Jeff told a little about how he 

came back to the farm. When Jeff and his 

parents made an agreement that he could 

farm the land and raise cows, he started 

out using conventional methods. But 

then came the milk glut and Jeff and 

many other farmers were in serious trouble. 

He admits that he was very hesitant 

to start with raw milk, maybe fearful 

even, but after three months, there was 

no turning back. 

When he decided to produce raw 

milk, one of his first tasks was to rehabilitate 

the pastures, which were damaged 

from conventional farming. He has about 

177 acres, 44 of those in pasture. He had 

seen farms where the damaged pastures 

could not be rehabilitated in a lifetime 

they were in such poor shape from years 

of pesticide use. He used cow manure, 

chicken manure and planted Italian ryegrass, 

three different kinds of orchard 

grass, two kinds of clover and four kinds 

of chicory to start the process. In fact his 

“salad bar” pasture today is home to 

about 28 milking cows, and alive with 

many different plants. In periods of dry 

weather he has a pasture planted with 

sorghum and Sudan grass, which is 

extremely high in energy and grows fairly 

well during those times. But sometimes, 

he says, his cows just prefer dandelion or 

leaves from his chestnut trees. 

Jeff observes his cows, and he says, 

“unlike humans, they know what they 

should eat.” He told me that they are 

selective and sample many plants. One 

day Elsie May will eat clover while on the 

next day she prefers orchard grass. There 

are trees bordering on the pastures and 

sometimes a cow will wander over and 

munch on some of the leaves, getting 

some tasty minerals. 

When he first started the cows on pasture, 

he supplemented them with a bale 

of hay every day. But gradually he 

noticed that they weren’t finishing the 

hay, and preferred the pasture. Now they 

eat only grass during most of the year, 

from mid-April through mid-December. 

His cows love the snow, he says. Last 

year, they were on pasture most of the 

year. He pastures them in the winter in 

the field where he will grow corn the next 

spring. Daily he supplements with a 

round bale of hay and what they don’t 

eat, they stomp into the ground and what 

they do eat comes out as manure to fertilize 

the field. 

Jeff milks his cows twice a day. But, he 

says, cows like to be milked 2.4 times a 

day, according to dairy studies. He averages 

160 gallons a month, and sells about 

40 gallons of raw milk weekly for $3.00 a 

half gallon. The remainder of the milk is 

sold through a local co-op. Raw milk is 

about 13% of his milk sales, which provides 

about 1 ⁄ 3 of the farm income. 

Selling raw milk is a “no brainer,” he 

says, considering the price of his feed 

(pasture), health of his cows, acceptable 

price paid for the milk, and the satisfaction 

he and his family get from producing 

an excellent product. 

It was clear that Jeff was in awe, 

pleased with the complexity yet simplicity, 

of the master plan. It was plain to see 

that his cows were healthy and so was the 

milk, according to the lab reports he gets 

every month. He told me that he works 

very hard to produce great milk — but 

his customers are pleased- they bring him 

gifts that they make with his milk to 

show their appreciation. One customer 

uses lactose from the milk to make beer. 

He says that his customers are great. 

He does not advertise but “word gets 

around” and gradually the customers 

come. One family buys 11 half gallons a 

week. I suspect, many of them also come 

to have a good chat. Jeff is a good listener. 

To show his appreciation, Jeff 

hosts a “customer appreciation day” in 

September with live music, down-home 

food, great company (including the farm 

dogs, cats, and guinea hens) and raw milk 

which kicks off with a farm tour. 

Jeff is just happy with the way things 

are going, and plans never to go back to 

conventional dairy farming. He says that 

grass farming and producing raw milk is 

“just fantastic.” He has succeeded in 

hanging out with cows. 

New customers get the first half gallon 

free, so come on out! 

Additional Resources 

on Raw Milk 

● Farm to Consumer Legal Defense 

Fund, ftcldf.org (Raw Milk Food 

Safety Resources and much more) 

● Real Milk, realmilk.com/real-milkpathogens.html 

(Those Pathogens 

You Should Know, speech given by 

Ted Beals, MD, at the Third International 

Raw Milk Symposium 2011. 

● Weston A. Price Foundation, 

westonaprice.org 

● Third International Raw Milk 

Symposium, farmtoconsumerfoundation.org/rawmilksymposium 

Blogs: 

● The Bovine: Freedom of Choice 

for Raw Milk Drinkers 

http://thebovine.wordpress.com 

● Hartke is Online: http://hartkeisonline.com 

21

Food Alliance 

Recent Food Alliance Certifications 

Barbour’s Fruit Farm 

Located on 132 acres in the Quaker 

Valley region of Adams County, Barbour’s 

Fruit Farm (www.barboursfruitfarmandmarket.com) 

has been family 

owned and operated since 1963. 

Stephanie & Lee Welty are fifth generation 

farmers who took over management 

of the farm in 2008 and continue to grow 

a wide variety of apples, peaches, cherries, 

pears, small fruits and vegetables. 

Barbour’s joins Three Springs Fruit 

Farm in Aspers, PA and Red Jacket 

Orchards in upstate New York as the 

third orchard in the Mid-Atlantic region 

to achieve the esteemed Food Alliance 

certification. Barbour’s Fruit Farm & 

Market has certified their apples, pears, 

peaches, plums, strawberries and cherries 

as well as their market garden/CSA production. 

Dickinson College Farm 

Dickinson’s 50-acre farm program in 

Boiling Springs has been certified by 

Food Alliance. Food Alliance Certification 

requires on-site inspection and compliance 

with rigorous standards, 

including minimized use of pesticides, 

soil and water conservation practices, and 

biodiversity and wildlife habitat protection. 

The College Farm, which is also 

USDA Certified Organic, cultivates an 

agricultural landscape that supports biodiversity, 

promotes sustainable land management 

practices and grows healthy 

food for the Dickinson College community. 

The farm’s Food Alliance Certified 

fruits and vegetables are available through 

their Campus Supported Agriculture 

(CSA) program, campus dining as well as 

for sale at Carlisle’s producer-only farmers 

market. 

FOOD ALLIANCE 

CERTIFICATION 

STANDARDS INCLUDE: 

• Protect and improve soil resources 

• Protect and conserve water 

resources 

• Protect and enhance biodiversity 

• Conserve energy, reduce & recycle 

waste 

• Reduce use of pesticides, and other 

toxic and hazardous materials 

• Maintain transparent and 

sustain able food supply chains 

• Support safe and fair working 

conditions 

• No GMOs or artificial ingredients 

• Ensure healthy, humane animal 

treatment, with no growth 

hormones or non-therapeutic 

antibiotics 

• Continually improve practices 


22

PASA Board Perspective 


encouraged support for these two important 

issues. For PASA to have an impact 

we must delve into well chosen policy 

debate. As for fundraising, if we want to 

continue the excellent work that our 

members demand, we must reach out to 

the benevolent among us. 

Why do we sometimes need to focus 

our efforts on policy changes When 

issues arise like freedom to choose a diet 

of your choice, let’s pick a basic food 

which has been around a few centuries, 

like raw milk Or another example would 

be, do we want to eat an heirloom vegetable 

or an unlabeled, genetically modified, 

chemically fumigated variety How 

about another example, when will we 

demand an intelligent global energy policy 

Protecting the water we drink and 

the foodsheds we cultivate must always 

be our first priority. The energy industry 

has not demonstrated fairness with land 

owners. They have not been open and 

honest about what they want to do on 

our farms. I live in the middle of the 

invasion. PASA must be the voice of reason 

to convince our legislators that more 

information is necessary and more safeguards 

must be mandated. In addition, 

PASA intends to draft a Marcellus Shale 

drilling policy statement, based on input 

at the Annual Meeting. Our board of 

directors needs member input for an 

intellectual discussion about PASA’s policy 

statement. Members unable to attend 

the Annual Meeting in March, can submit 

comments on Marcellus Shale 

drilling to marcellus@pasafarming.org or 

mailed to PASA, Attn: Marcellus Comments, 

PO Box 419 Millheim PA 16854. 

We are a member organization, and 

your input is important for democratic 

representation. 

Why is it so important for us all to 

stay connected as an organization Independently 

and individually, we live to 

fulfill our human need to survive, but 

collectively we accomplish what is necessary 

for our civilization to survive. The 

PASA members stand together 

every day to educate, provide 

leadership and foster relationships 

that sustain our communities. 

success of PASA members guarantees 

more attacks on local, sustainable, 

organic farmers by industry funded 

power brokers. We must stand together 

with all organizations who want a sustainable 

future for their children. We 

must quietly and clearly tell our stories. 

We must demand policy change for our 

children’s sake. We must always be ready 

and willing to fight for social consciousness 

and for healthy food. 

If we stay committed to the PASA 

mission, if we stay connected as PASA 

members, and if we continue to make 

sustainable decisions, we build a foundation 

that you and I can be proud of! 

I relish the opportunity to work with all 

of you today and tomorrow, for the 

betterment of our children’s food and 

watersheds. ■ 



23

Former GMC student Evan Dale cultivating 

our version of the three sisters — squash 

and corn with an undersown pea cover 

crop. 

By Kenneth Mulder 1 , 

Green Mountain College 

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two part 

series on human-powered agriculture. Production 

details of their system will be provided 

in the companion article to this one, 

to appear in the March/April issue of this 

newsletter. 

The Case for 

Human-Powered 

Agriculture 

Figure 1. Total Energy Inputs into the US 

Food System.10.3 quads in to get 1.4 quads 

in food energy out. (Heller 2000) 

The early warning bells regarding the 

potential collapse of our agricultural system 

centered on the loss of our top soil. 

Later, there emerged concerns regarding 

the use of toxic chemicals, perhaps the 

leading factor in the birth of the modern 

organic movement. Starting in the 

1970s, further unease arose regarding our 

reliance upon non-renewable resources, 

most notably petroleum. This led to a 

flurry of research on energy issues with 

scientists such as David Pimentel clearly 

demonstrating the heavy reliance of our 

agricultural system upon fossil fuels. Two 

decades later, such fears have been augmented 

by a changing climate, yet our 

food system is more energy and carbon 

intensive than ever. Although agriculture 

is no different than many other sectors of 

our economy in this regard, eating is less 

optional than most of our other consumptive 

endeavors. 

The fix will not be easy. Figure 1 

shows recent levels of fossil inputs into 

the US food system. 2 The current system 

is grossly energy inefficient with 7.4 calories 

of energy going in per calorie of food 

energy produced. Agricultural production 

alone operates at an energy loss 

meaning more useable energy enters the 

farm boundaries than leaves them. Of the 

2.2 quadrillion BTUs (quads) of energy 

used annually for agricultural production, 

approximately one third is utilized 

Energy Intensity of Nutrients 

Based on data in Biocycle magazine, commercial compost requires 

1097–8878 MJ per ton depending on process. This implies that for 

us to cover one 100’ bed with ½” of compost requires a minimum 

of 450 MJ of energy. According to our research, the total energy for 

a season to manage 20100’ beds was only approximately 350 MJ, 

meaning we would increase our energy budget 2500% to apply 

compost to all of our areas at that rate. 

just to produce fertilizers. 3 The problem 

is clearly systematic, and the solution will 

require fundamental changes in how we 

farm. Thinkers such as Richard Heinberg 

and Miguel Altieri have argued that at a 

minimum we will see a shift toward 

smaller farms managed by a greater number 

of farmers with a heavier reliance on 

natural systems. 

However, much of the current impetus 

on this issue is not concerned so 

much with reducing the amount of 

energy going into agriculture as it is with 

1) making agriculture a producer of nonfood 

energy and 2) switching over to 

renewable energy sources. Thus, we see 

significant funds coming from the USDA 

for biofuels and wind farms as well as the 

development of solar and biomass systems 

to run farms. But none of these 

efforts address the systematic nature of 

the problem, leaving the conventional 

paradigm largely untouched. It is also 

arguable that modern organic agriculture 

also fails to address the systemic roots of 

the problem. Although it uses up to 50% 

less energy for crop production 4 , it generally 

features a heavy reliance on energyintensive 

machinery and imported 

nutrients. Indeed, any reliance on 

machine-intensive inputs such as seeds or 

manure comes at a significant energy cost 

(see below). 

The problem is a familiar one to 

organic farmers, and we hear about it frequently 

from our critiques. How do we 

feed an increasingly hungry world and 

yet be sustainable We are running out of 

land and farmers. Just forgoing chemicals 

Brinton, W.F., 2008. What’s your compost energy index. Biocycle, Jan/Feb 2008, pp. 53–54. 

24

and GMOs makes us idealists at best and 

even villains to some. Despite such constraints, 

I would argue that at least a part 

of the solution lies in converting much of 

our agricultural production to human 

powered production and that this can be 

done efficiently 5 . Human labor is frequently 

seen as a move backward, to a 

time when we were less knowledgeable, 

less secure, and physically discomfited. 

However, human power has several 

advantages, and thanks to the work in 

this country of pioneers like John Jeavons 

of Ecology Action and Eliot Coleman, we 

have the tools and knowledge to grow 

vegetables with human power in ways 

that are not laborious and have the 

potential to break our addiction to oil. 

Indeed, our production experience 

and research with human-powered vegetable 

production at Green Mountain 

College demonstrate that not only are 

such systems not arduous, but that they 

can be economically, energetically and 

land efficient. 

The Green Mountain College 

System 

Green Mountain College (GMC) is a 

private liberal arts college in Vermont 

nationally recognized for its curricular 

and institutional endeavors in sustainability. 

Cerridwen Farm at GMC is a 

diverse educational and research farm 

with a strong focus on renewable- and 

low-energy production systems. Humanpowered 

vegetable production is the primary 

production system utilized at the 

farm though we are also conducting 

research in oxen-powered vegetable and 

hay production and renewably-poweredseason 

extension systems. In particular, 

the Long Term Ecological Assessment of 

Farming Systems (LEAFS) research project 

is collecting data assessing the land, 

labor and energy efficiency of human-, 

animal-, and machine-powered vegetable 

production. 

Our vegetable production system has 

several guiding values. Besides being 

human powered, it is important to note 

that our vegetable production system is 

also very low input in order to conserve 

the energy embodied in such purchased 

amendments as compost (see side box). 

Minimal tillage, permanent beds, high 

planting density, and high diversity are 

other key characteristics. Our guiding 

values are as follows: 

• Make use of appropriate and efficient 

technologies: Most data on human-powered 

production come from agricultural 

systems utilizing tools similar to those 

developed hundreds of years earlier. My 

grandma’s multipurpose hoe does not 

make the cut in our operation. My goal 

for each job is to find the right tool that 

lets me achieve my goals efficiently and 

pleasurably, and these tools exist in 

increasing diversity and specialization. 

• Maximize diversity: Our number one 

advantage in using human power is the 

flexibility needed to maximize diversity. 

In a quarter acre plot, I would hope to 




25

Education Opportunities 

April 12 

Greenhouse Troubleshooting 

M&M Robertson Farms 

Sligo, Clarion Co. 


FARM-BASED EDUCATION 

What Are Field Days & Intensive Learning Programs 

Field Days are typically hosted on a farm, include a farm tour and utilize a 

farmer-to-farmer teaching model. Events typically run from 10am–4pm and 

include a meal. Field Days are listed in the annual Farm-Based Education Calendar 

and are open to the public. 

Intensive Learning Programs (ILP) are statewide educational events that 

often have a participation limit to facilitate hands-on, focused learning. They are 

often hosted at farms or in a classroom setting. ILPs may vary in length from 

day-long to several days, and the fee for participation is driven according to the 

market, materials used and experience level of the program. 

For more information or to register visit www.pasafarming.org or contact 

Rebecca Robertson, 814-349-9856 x20 or rebecca@pasafarming.org. 

The full 2012 calendar is still being compiled, below are dates scheduled thus 

far. A full listing will be mailed to PASA members soon and will be posted on 

pasafarming.org 

April 27 

Food Alliance Certification Program 

Overview & Mock Inspection 


Boiling Springs, Cumberland Co. 

May 8 

INTENSIVE LEARNING PROGRAM 

Hands-on Small Ruminant Health: 

FAMACHA & Parasite Management 

Steam Valley Fiber Farm 

Trout Run, Lycoming Co. 

May 20–23 


High Stock Density Grazing & Holistic 

Management 

Rotokawa Cattle Company 

(western location) 

Ligonier, Westmoreland Co. 

July 10 

IPM for Vegetable Producers: Insect & 

Disease ID, Prevention & Treatment 

PSU Southeast Research and Extension 

Center 

Manheim, Lancaster Co. 

July 13 

Intro to Value-Added Meats Processing 

North Mountain Pastures 

Newport, Perry Co. 

August 18 

Dirt, Worms & Dinner: A Hands-on Field 

Day for Youth 



September 17 

Bioshelters: Managing Your 

Greenhouse as an Ecosystem in 

Year-Round Production 

Three Sisters Farm 

Sandy Lake, Mercer Co. 

Additional dates will be announced 

soon! 

What Are Regional 

Master Classes 

Organized by PASA’s Eastern and 

Western Regional Office staff, 

Master Classes are shorter, regionalized 

education and/or networking 

events. They typically utilize 

the expertise of knowledgeable area 

producers and local businesses and 

are shorter in length than Field 

Days. Master Classes are typically 

scheduled on a month-to-month 

basis and are announced to members 

in those specific regions and 

posted on www.pasafarming.org 

EASTERN REGION 

April 14 

The True Cost of Production 

Time TBD 

Chester County Economic Development 

Council 

Exton, Chester Co. 

Save the date for this timely class on how 

to interpret your profit/loss data and plan 

for your farm’s financial well-being. Contact 

Ann McGinnis, ann@pasafarming.org, 

610-458-3956 

26


WESTERN REGION 

April 14 

Introduction to Shiitake Mushroom 

Cultivation 

1–4pm 

Eden Hall Campus, Chatham University 

Richland Twp, Allegheny Co. 

Save the date for this introductory master 

class on log-based sustainable shiitake 

mushroom cultivation, harvesting, and 

marketing. Contact Leah Smith, leah@pasfarming.org, 

412-365-2985 

May 8 

Greenhouse Salad Mix Production & 

Tomato Grafting 

9am–12noon 

Who Cooks For You Farm 

New Bethlehem, Clarion Co. 

Take a tour and learn more about the 

organic vegetable farming systems at 

Who Cooks for You Farm, with a special 

focus on greenhouse and high tunnel 

production. Contact Leah Smith, 

leah@pasfarming.org, 412-365-2985 

June 23 

Sustainability is Continuous 

Improvement: Exploring What Works 

& Opportunity on a Pasture-based 

Livestock Farm 

Lewis Family Farms 

Rochester, Beaver Co. 

Lewis Family Farms, owned and operated 

by Jane Lewis, her son, Michael, and his 

wife, Elizabeth, produce all-natural grassfed, 

grass-finished beef and, more 

recently, pastured poultry. Workshop participants 

will go through an evaluation of 

the farm highlighting what works, consolidating 

ideas, and illustrating opportunities 

for change. Contact Leah Smith, 

leah@pasfarming.org, 412-365-2985 

What Are Sustainability Schools 

The Good Food Neighborhood (GFN) is PASA’s community outreach 

program, connecting people to their local farm, local foods and each other. The 

GFN includes all PASA members, advocates and friends. While we primarily use 

social media to communicate the local foods movement message through this 

program, bringing people together for events and workshops that foster the 

growth of the sustainable foods community is very much a priority. 

PASA is partnering with organizations, groups and individuals to provide 

“Sustainability Schools”. The 2012 program offers a wide range of courses available 

from composting to backyard poultry and beekeeping, from home energy 

efficiency to food preservation, and even home brewing and fermentation. We 

are currently partnering with Dickinson College Farm (Carlisle, PA), Greener 

Partners (Collegeville, PA), the Spring Creek Homesteading Fund (State College, 

PA), and The Home Grown Institute (Philadelphia, PA), and are in negotiations 

with other potential partners to bring Sustainability Schools to every 

region of the Commonwealth and surrounding states (contact Hannah Smith if 

you or your organization might be a good fit for the program). 

For more information, contact Hannah Smith, hannah@pasafarming.org, 

717-250-0725, or @goodfoodhood. Visit us on the web at www.goodfoodneighborhood 

or facebook.com/goodfoodneighborhood 

March 24 

11am–1pm 

Winter Fruit Tree Pruning: 

Greener Partners 

March 24 & 25 

Springing Good Intentions into Action 

Conference: The Home Grown Institute 

March 31 

2pm–4pm 

The Dirt on Compost: 


APRIL 

April 28 

11am–1pm 

Seed Starting and Propagation: 

Greener Partners 

April 28 

2pm–4pm 

Inspired Centerpieces from Your 

Garden: Dickinson College Farm 

MAY 

May 26 

11am–1pm 

Backyard Bees: Greener Partners 

2pm–4pm 

Landscaping for the Birds and Bees: 


JUNE 

June 23 

11am–1pm 

Backyard Chickens: Greener Partners 

June 30 

2pm–4pm 

Foraging for Medicinals in Your 

Backyard: Dickinson College Farm 

JULY 

July 28 

11am–1pm 

Composting: Where: Greener Partners 

July 28 

2pm–4pm 

Ins and Outs of Renewable Energy 

Options for Home Owners: Dickinson 

College Farm 

A full listing of Sustainability Schools is 

available at goodfoodneighborhood.org 

27

Regional Marketing 

WESTERN REGION 

Localfoodsystems.org Website Provides 

Tools for Businesses to Plan, Collaborate, 

Find Capital 

New on-line tools and resources promote strong local economies 

by building business ecosystems rooted in agriculture 

The Ohio State University’s Agroecosystems 

Management Program has 

launched a newly improved website to 

provide entrepreneurs with the tools to 

explore business ideas and build business 

ecosystems rooted in agriculture. The 

site, www.localfoodsystems.org, provides 

tools for entrepreneurs to explore the 

regional resources available to support 

their ideas, map existing and potential 

supply chains, and collaborate with others 

to develop their business concepts 

into reality. 

The website was developed with support 

from a USDA Regional Partnership 

for Innovation grant, and encompasses a 

regional, multi-state scope including 

Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Project 

partners include Ohio State University’s 

Agroecosystems Management 

Program, the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable 

Agriculture at Michigan State 

University, and PASA. Over three years 

in development, the site has grown to 

include over 60 collaborative discussion 

groups and over 1290 members. The 

newest features on the site focus and 

enhance tools and resources for local food 

system business planning and launch. 

Casey Hoy, Project Director and Kellogg 

Endowed Chair in Agricultural 

Ecosystem Management at Ohio State 

University, explains, “We have the people, 

land, and climate needed to produce 

fresh, affordable, and healthy food. 

Encouraging the development of a 

vibrant local and regional agricultural 

system has the potential to generate 

wealth in communities and for families 

and enhances the quality of life for all. 

The Local Food Systems website promotes 

strong local economies by building 

business ecosystems rooted in agriculture.” 

The Local Food Systems website 

champions the idea of local businesses 

functioning like a healthy ecosystem, an 

interdependent whole that ensures the 

sustainability of local and regional agricultural 

and food-based businesses. A 

business ecosystem is the network of 

businesses and supporting organizations, 

including producers, suppliers, distributors, 

customers, and service providers 

involved in the delivery of a specific 

product or service. To build a local food 

system, all of these businesses have to 

come together within a community or 

region. Each business in the ‘ecosystem” 

affects and is affected by the others, and 

cooperative relationships strengthen the 

success of all the businesses in the network. 

For example, the waste from one 

businesses can become the raw materials 

for the next (waste to compost or energy 

for example), or together many businesses 

can create a regional market or 

identity. 

In order to foster these collaborative 

business networks to strengthen opportunities 

for local food and agricultural 

entrepreneurs, the Local Food Systems 

website provides unique tools for entrepreneurs 

to explore their business ideas 

and place them on a map. The interactive 

map feature highlights collaborative 

opportunities by mapping potential connections 

among businesses along supply 

chains. By matching one entrepreneur’s 

planned outputs with others’ planned 

inputs, potential suppliers and customers 

can make valuable connections, at the 

planning stage. Once those connections 

are revealed, the website provides a platform 

for entrepreneurs and local business 

owners to join forces and collaborate on 

launching many businesses, as an ecosystem. 

The website offers entrepreneurs the 

forum to create private or public discussion 

groups to explore their ideas and collaborate 

with one another on finding the 

capitals that they all need. The ultimate 

vision is that as these collaborative networks 

develop into local and regional 

business ecosystems, business and community 

capital will grow. 

The business and entrepreneurial 

users of the site are 

diverse and growing. Business 

ideas range from producers of 

agricultural products, cafes and 

markets, cold storage rental, and 

website and software development. 

Shagbark Seed and Mill 

Company recently shared their 

business case on the site. The 

company is a prototype regional 

scale processing facility, 

launched by the Appalachian 

Staple Foods Collaborative, that 

works with Ohio farmers and offers fieldto-table 

products made from organic and 

chemical free grains, beans, and seed 

crops. Entrepreneurs exploring the production 

of staple foods, or who require a 

staple food product as an input, could list 

their own business idea on the site and 

find a connection with and contact information 

for the Shagbark Seed and Mill 

Company, to help develop and support 

their business concept. The initial 

response to the website has been very 

strong. Both established businesses and 

entrepreneurs with new business concepts 

are interested in connecting and 

collaborating with one another to build a 

healthier local economy. 

The growing community of entrepreneurs, 

producers, and consumers can create 

a strong local economy by creating 

new locally-ownedbusinesses and jobs. 

The new Local Food Systems website 

www.localfoodsystems.org provides 

innovative tools and resources to help 

local food system entrepreneurs grow 

their businesses and connect and collaborate 

with others to strengthen business 

ecosystems. 

28

Regional Marketing 

EASTERN REGION 

■ Farm Lease Connection 

Lend a hand, lease some land! PASA’s 

land leasing program, Farm Lease Connection 

(FLC), blends web technology 

with personal communications to build 

successful farm enterprises between new 

or expanding farmers, and landowners of 

all kinds. 

Beginning farmers cite access to land 

as the number one barrier to farming. 

Increasingly, the next generation of farmers 

is coming from highly educated urban 

and suburban backgrounds. Unlike previous 

generations, they do not have access 

to farmland through inheritance or 

family connections. At the same time, 

conscientious landowners across Pennsylvania 

have protected thousands of acres 

of land through being good stewards of 

their property themselves, to making 

more formal arrangements through conservation 

and preservation easements. 

FLC’s goal is to unite these landowners 

with farmers through the creation of 

equitable land leasing to support sustainable 

farming statewide and beyond. 

Parcels of land from ¼ acre to hundreds 

of acres are all potentially eligible for 

inclusion. Watch for the FLC website 

launch and links to the free application 

process. For more information, contact 

Eastern Region Program Assistant Ann 

McGinnis at 610-458-5700 x 305 or 

ann@pasafarming.org. 

■ SAVE THE DATE! 

Bike Fresh Bike Local — Chester 

County 

September 23 

■ SAVE THE DATE! 

The first ever Philly Farm & Food 

Fest opens at the Pennsylvania Convention 

Center Annex in Philadelphia on 

Sunday, April 1. A collaboration between 

Fair Food and PASA, Philly Farm & 

Food Fest ushers in the growing season 

for locally raised foods and offers eaters a 

timely way to connect with a supply of 

delicious, affordable and sustainable 

products as spring arrives. The event will 

feature about 80–95 farms and businesses, 

as well as offering interactive children’s 

activities along with cooking 

demonstrations and cookbook signings 

by local chefs and authors. Get your 

tickets and further details at phillyfarmfest.org 

REGIONAL CONTACTS & DISCUSSION GROUP ADDRESSES 

Discussion groups are open to PASA members only to join and discuss issues related to sustainable agriculture. 

To join the group in your region, send an email to the appropriate address provided. 

Western 

PASAWestern-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

Leah Smith 

412-365-2985 • leah@pasafarming.org 

Eastern 

PASAeastern-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 


610-458-5700 • marilyn@pasafarming.org 

South Central 

PASAsouthcentral-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

Jenn Halpin 

717-243-5996 • halpinj@dickinson.edu 

North Central 

PASAnorthcentral-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

Leah Tewksbury 

570-437-2620 • tewks1@aol.com 

Delmarva Region 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PASADelmarva 

Western 

North Central 

Southern 

Eastern 

Marcellus Shale Group 

http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/PASAMarcellus 

Out of State discussion group addresses: 

States North and East of Pennsylvania 

PASAOutofStateNortheastsubscribe@yahoogroups.com 

States South and West of Pennsylvania 

PASASouthandWest-subscribe@yahoogroups.com 

29

Human-Powered Ag 


Table 1. Time needed to accomplish two field tasks with human power. 

have at least 25 to 30 managed plants 

species achieved through intercropping 

and undersowing of cover crops, not to 

mention rotations. This diversity is key 

to many of the ecological services that 

make our system efficient. 

• Aim for a stable and diverse soil 

ecosystem — the Live Web: Being low 

input means we need the soil to work 

extra hard for us. To enable this, we consciously 

develop what Dave Jacke calls 

“the live web”; plants feeding the organisms 

that protect and feed plants. 6 The 

plant diversity mentioned above is essential 

to this goal. Similarly, we only half 

jokingly refer to our growing beds as 

“sacred ground”: thou shalt not step 

where thy food is growing. 

• Economies of Scale: Human-powered 

production for profit is not gardening. 

The right tools for a job often require a 

certain minimal scale to be economically 

efficient. There is certainly a management 

tension between being diverse and 

mimicking natural systems and achieving 

efficient scale, but this aspect is important 

to being economically efficient and 

there are certainly techniques we do not 

use such as deep mulch gardening 

because the labor intensity is too high. 

• Direct Marketing: One of the big 

advantages of operating at a human scale 

is the ability to direct market. Low inputs 

mean profitability can be attained at a 

scale that is very amenable to scale-limited 

marketing systems. Combined with 

our desire for a high level of diversity, our 

vegetable production system is ideally 

suited to either a farmers’ market set-up 

or a CSA. 

• The farmer as ecologist-athlete: Our 

system engages both the mind and the 

body. Human power requires an expenditure 

of human energy, and there is a 

distinct need for physical fitness and 

exertion while at the same time insuring 

our bodies are equipped for the long haul 

and work remains enjoyable. Similarly, 

the necessary ecological efficiencies this 

system needs require the farmer to be an 

ecologist of keen observation. Fortunately, 

intimate contact with the growing 

system is one of the primary strengths of 

human power. 

Production details of our system will 

be provided in the companion article to 

this one, to appear in the March/April 

issue of this newsletter. 

System Performance and Efficiency 

Economic, labor and land efficiency 

Over the last three years, we have been 

conducting scientific as well as informal 

research on the efficiency of our humanpowered 

vegetable systems. This last year 

in particular, as part of the LEAFS project, 

we collected detailed data on twenty 

100’ production beds as well as comparable 

data on our oxen-powered and 

machine-powered growing systems. Our 

data and observations suggest that our 

human-powered systems are labor, land 

and energy efficient and can be economically 

efficient at the appropriate scale. 

Of course the primary concern with 

using human power is that there will be a 

dramatic increase in the amount of labor. 

Our experience and data bear this out, 

but not to the extent that might be 

feared. In Table 1, we show time data 

taken for two of the most difficult tasks 

to accomplish relative to machine-powered 

agriculture: tillage and cover crop 

incorporation. At $15 per hour, these 

two tasks cost $15 and $10 respectively, 

or under 5% of anticipated gross yield. It 

is true that when a bed gets overgrown 

with weeds there is a higher price to pay 

than is the case with tractor power. It is 

also true that we favor cover crops that 

either winter kill, such as forage radishes 

and oats, or that are tap rooted and easier 

to undercut with the wheel hoe (data 

shown are for a field pea cover). Such 

constraints provide evidence that human 

power does require more contemplative 

management. 

Table 2 shows a broader picture incor- 

Table 2. Measured labor and harvests for some human-powered crops in the LEAFS 

research project, 2011 

30

Table 3. Land, labor and energy efficiency of the three LEAFS production systems. 

porating all labor inputs for certain crops 

for a season as well as yields. The data are 

for a mix of crops, some that performed 

decently and some that did not do as 

well. The beans and tomatoes were intercropped 

as were the leeks and onions. 

Note that this does not include bed construction 

work as that is one-time work, 

and we did not add in greenhouse labor 

when transplants were used, which at the 

high end can be another hour of labor to 

produce the 400 transplants needed for a 

bed of lettuce. These issues aside, the picture 

that emerges is not one of labor inefficiency. 

Similarly, the yields per unit of 

land, extrapolated to an acre, show that a 

gross income of $40,000 per acre is feasible, 

and that is reducing value by half 

since processing and marketing labor are 

not included. Given lower equipment 

and input costs, this income goes significantly 

farther. 

Finally, Table 3 displays how the 

human-powered treatment performed as 

a whole and in comparison to the animaland 

machine-powered treatments. With 

a record wet spring followed by a tropical 

storm and flooding in the fall, all systems 

struggled. As expected, the human system 

performed the best in terms of 

energy and land efficiency. Energy efficiency 

in particular was significantly 

higher than in US conventional vegetable 

production. Energy return on investment 

(EROI) measures the energy produce by 

a system relative to the energy needed to 

run the system. In modern American 

agriculture, EROI values for vegetable 

production range from 0.26 (for crops 

like spinach) to 1.6 (potatoes) 7 compared 

to 5.1 for our system. It is interesting to 

note that over a third of the energy inputs 

into the human system were in the form 

of the energy embodied in seed potatoes 

and cover crop seeds with potting soil 

being another significant input. When 

the system requires inputs derived from 

mechanical agriculture, there is a significant 

loss of energy efficiency. 

Conclusion 

We are not alone in collecting quantitative 

data to demonstrate the value of 

human power in farming. I personally 

have derived a lot of inspiration from the 

work of John Jeavons and Ecology 

Action. While there is a great need for 

further research and development of 

human powered technologies, the tools 

and systems that currently exist are sufficient 

to produce vegetables successfully 

and efficiently. And is there really anything 

so bad about employing a few more 

people in the growing of our food I have 

the pleasure of working every day with 

young adults ready for just such an 

opportunity. 

References 

1. Farm Manager and Research Associate at Green 

Mountain College. mulderk@greenmtn.edu, 

802-287-2941. 

2. Based on data from: Heller and Keoleian (2000) 

Life Cycle-Based Sustainability Indicators for 

Assessment of the U.S. Food System, The University 

of Michigan — Center for Sustainable 

Systems, Ann Arbor, MI, 1-60, CSS00-04. 

3. Ibid. 

4. Pimentel, D., Hepperly, P., Hanson, J., Douds, 

D., and R. Seidel. 2005. Environmental, energetic, 

and economic comparisons of Organic 

and Conventional farming systems. Bioscience 

55(7): 573–582. 

5. Please note that I am also an oxen teamster and 

draft animal enthusiast. 

6. Jacke, Dave and Eric Toensmeier, 2005. Edible 

Forest Gardens. Chelsea Green Publishing, VT. 

7. Pimentel and Pimentel, 2008. Food, Energy and 

Society. CRC Press, New York, 2008. 


Visit PASA at 


Join us on Facebook at 

pasafarming.org/facebook 

Watch us on YouTube at: 

www.youtube.com/ 


31

Editor’s Corner 

The Grapevine 

■ Understanding Your Food 

Transportation Costs 

From the Land Stewardship Project 

The real costs of moving good food 

from farm-to-market include more time 

and money than many farmers realize they 

are spending. Land Stewardship Project 

staff members engaged in Community 

Based Food Systems work have adapted a 

series of worksheets from an online calculator 

developed by the Oklahoma Department 

of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. 

Visit landstewardshipproject.org/cbfed/ 

food-transportation-costs.html for details. 

■ An Innovative Idea to Help Grow 

PASA Membership! 

By Brad Berry, Snipes Farm & Education Center 

PASA wanted to share an innovative 

idea to help grow our membership that 

was shared with us by member Brad Berry 

of Snipes Farm and Education Center CSA 

in Morrisville PA (Bucks County). 

Brad’s note is copied below, in his own 

words — PASA hopes some other members 

may consider offering a discount of 

your own if your customers become members 

of PASA… 

My name is Brad Berry and I am the head 

grower for a 200-member vegetable CSA in 

by Michele Gauger 

■ Handbook for Natural Beekeeping 

This new booklet is for beekeepers who want 

to manage their hives naturally and support the 

optimum health of their honey bees without synthetic 

treatments. The handbook covers all 

aspects of beekeeping — from apiary location to 

foundation to management of pests and diseases 

— in 40 colorful pages (5.5” x 8.5”). Organized 

clearly by topic, the contents are based on 

the Apiary Standards of Certified Naturally 

Grown (CNG) and include the list of allowed 

and prohibited substances for CNG beekeeping, 

as well as some definitions and techniques. 

Take a look inside and order online 

at www.naturallygrown.org/store, or send a 

check to CNG, 540 President St, Third Floor, Brooklyn, 

NY 11215. $5 each plus $2 shipping. 

Morrisville, Pa — Snipes Farm and Education 

Center. We have offered a discount to our 

members for the 2012 season — if any of our 

CSA members become PASA members, we 

are giving them a discount on their share. 

Here is what we sent to our members last 

week: 

If you sign up to become a member of 

PASA you will receive an additional $25 off of 

your CSA membership for the 2012 season! 

So who is PASA and why do we value 

them so much to offer you a discount on our 

CSA for supporting them 

As a farm, we believe the education of 

farmers, legislators and consumers is critical 

to our viability and success. PASA is dedicated 

to educating each of these groups in 

many ways throughout the year and in so 

doing plays a vital role in protecting our 

farm, consumers and other farms all across 

the country. As farmers, we are a very busy 

group of people and it is not always possible 

for us to get off the farm and make our voices 

heard when it comes to legislative issues 

affecting our food security. Fortunately, 

PASA is our voice and our advocate for public 

policy issues. PASA works year round on 

the local, state and federal levels to protect 

our right to maintain a small scale food system 

and your right to wholesome, locally 

grown organic food. The more members the 

organization has, the stronger that voice 

becomes and equates to more influence in 

legislation when it comes to food issues. It is 

a resource for consumers to stay abreast of 

potential threats to our food security and the 

importance of local food systems. PASA has 

the success of our farm and farms like ours 

across Pennsylvania in their greatest interest. 

I encourage you to visit pasafarming.org 

to learn more about the organization and to 

take advantage of this discount for your 

2012 CSA share. Become a PASA member 

and help the effort to protect your food, your 

farm and your rights. 

Brad Berry, Head Grower, Snipes Farm & 

Education Center 

■ Manure Management — 

Where’s the Poop 

By Susan Beal, PASA Ag Science Advisor 

In all the talk about the new requirements 

for manure management planning, 

many folks are finding themselves asking 

how they will need to respond to these 

regulations. 

While the actual words of the regulations 

are more complex, the highlights are 

these: folks who produce manure on farm 

— and folks who use or store manure — 

need to have a manure management plan. 

This regulation impacts not only stock 

owners but also those who use manure in 

the production of vegetables, hay and 

grain and other crops. And stock owners 

include those who have driving and pleasure 

horses, those who may have a few 

head of animals on farm — as well as 

larger farm operations. If an individual has 

over five thousand square feet of cultivated 

area, they will need a manure management 

plan. 

In determining the what’s next, consider 

these items: 

There are clear definitions of CAFO 

(concentrated animal feeding operation) 

and the more recently defined CAO (concentrated 

animal operation). These are 

defined by the number of animals and the 

amount of land — and the determinations 

can be found on the PASA website, at the 

conservation district offices and through 

the NRCS. 

If your farm falls into these criteria, then 

you will have to have your manure management 

plan formulated by a trained 

32

Classified Ads 

Due to space we are unable to include full 

details of all ads. A full listing is available at 

pasafarming.org/pasa-classifieds and 

pasafarming.org/employment 

EMPLOYMENT 

Due to space constraints, we are not able to run full or all 

ads. To view a full & updated listings go to pasafarming.org/employment 

FARM MANAGER — Looking for even-tempered 

farmer for the 2012 season at Talmar Gardens, located 

on 10 acres within a 365-accre park in Baltimore, MD. 

This is a salaried position with housing and benefits 

negotiable. Send cover letter and resume to CSA- 

Farmer@gmail.com or fax to 410-321-1466. 

ASS’T FIELD MANAGER — Bare Foot Organics Farm 

near Lebanon, PA is seeking an assistant Field Manager 

to help in the field production of organic crops for the 

2012 season. Crops will be sold through a 130+ member 

CSA program and weekly farm stand. Candidates 

interested should contact Philip Stober, 917-854-8200 

or send resume to phil@barefootorganics.us 

INTERNS/ASSOCIATES — Jade Family Farm is seeking 

interns/ associates for the 2012 season. We are a 

dynamic, diverse farm growing mainly vegetables with 

small amounts of livestock, fruit, and a very lovely 

wheat field. Contact John, jadefamilyfarm@gmail.com 

SEEKING BUSINESS PARTNER — Seeking a creative, 

enthusiastic partner for an upstart event business that 

will highlight seasonal, locally sourced food and 

employ sustainable practices in all elements of event 

design and implementation. If you have an entrepreneurial 

spirit, dynamic personality, and an impeccable 

work ethic, let’s talk. Email: wsicom@aol.com 

FARMER (S) WANTED — Looking for person or couple 

interested in starting and operating a CSA on my 145- 

acre farm in Eastern PA. Contact Tom Young 570-992- 

5338 or lakemountfarm@gmail.com 

FARM MANAGER/APPRENTICES — Greenbranch 

Farm, Salisbury, MD. Organic Vegetables, Pastured 

Poultry, Grass-Finished Beef, Free-Range Hogs. Direct 

market farm now accepting apprenticeships and managerial 

position. Apprentices must be willing to work 

hard April through November. Manager must have 

farming experience. Contact Ted Wycall, twycall@comcast.net, 

www.greenbranchfarm.com. 

SUPPLIERS WANTED — Nature’s Way Market a health 

food store in Greensburg, PA is looking for local 

organic farmers to provide local organic produce and 

seedlings for resale. Contact Kara, at 724-836-3524 or 

kara.naturesway@gmail.com. 

JOURNEYMEN FARM HELPERS — 2 FT experienced 

helpers sought by highly successful, diversified certified 

organic fruit and vegetable farm. With over 30 

years of growing organic produce, Kretschmann Farm 

has been very successful supplying Pittsburgh area 

consumers with their produce needs, now via a 1000+ 

member CSA. We’d like to continue to build a stable 

professional crew with the help of highly motivated 

and hard working individuals committed to farming 

and sustainability. See www.kretschmannfarm.com for 

introduction and application. References a must. 

CLASSIFIEDS 

WANTED — Looking to purchase used equipment. 

Any or all of the following: basketweeder, Perfecta, 

discs, chisel plow, tine weeder, belly mounted cultivation 

bar/sweeps, salad spinner. 570-745-2355 or larajudson@gmail.com 

WANTED — Looking for a farm, land, or pasture to rent 

in the Hughesville area of Eastern Lycoming County. 

How far I expand this spring depends on my access to 

new resources, but I’m primarily looking for space to 

expand my pastured poultry (chicken and turkey). 

mcbadger@gmail.com 

FOR RENT — Beautiful 200-acre preserved farm for 

rent. Current CSA farmers moving from the farm, creating 

an excellent opportunity for a progressive, ecologically 

minded farmer. For more information contact: 

http://bardongoodbodyfarm.com. 

FOR SALE — Purebred, registered Jersey family cows. 

We have 5 for sale, range in age from 4.5 years to 9 

years old. Some are fresh, 2 are confirmed pregnant, 

one is dry, due in Feb. They milk between 3 and 5 

Farm Opportunity in Banos, 

Ecuador 

Land owner seeking responsible, self-motivated person/s 

with farm experience to live and begin farming 

sustainably on a homestead outside Banos, Ecuador. 

Homestead is 5 hectares (12 acres), near a river, has 

home and a spring on the property, and is located 

only 20 minutes from Banos, Ecuador. Contact Jose: 

pepeca13@gmail.com. 202-294 5879 cell 

gallons a day. Priced between $550 and $900 depending 

on age/pregnancy/stage of lactation. We are a 

closed, grass-based herd. More information: keswickcreamery.com, 

email markandmeldc@gmail.com or 

call 717-440-4650. 

FOR SALE — Trio of CVM/Romeldale sheep—great 

starter flock! Yearling ram, unrelated proven breeding 

ewe and her daughter, all twins. Fabulous, soft wool 

comparable to merino. $1500 for all 3, or best offer. 

610-793-1577 or imamurfe2@yahoo.com 

FOR SALE — Tamworth Piglets at Owens Farm. Taking 

reservations for Tamworth piglets to be born spring 

2012. Sows are pastured year-round, farrow in Porto- 

Huts, and are fed a custom grain mix balanced with 

Fertrell vitamin/minerals. $120 per piglet, $25 deposit. 

Located in Sunbury PA. Call 570-898-6060. 

FOR SALE — Soft, colorful wool for needle felting projects! 

CVM/Romeldale wool, hand washed and carded. 

Wool from one of the rarest sheep in America! Contact 

610-793-1577 or imamurfe2@yahoo.com 

FOR SALE — Due in June to a registered Jersey bull. 

We are a closed, grass-based dairy. You can see more 

info about our farm and farming practices here 

www.keswickcreamery.com $1200. Email Melanie — 

markandmeldc@gmail.com or 717-440-4650. 

WANTED — Vendors / large commercial area offered 

to produce vendors interested in a prime tourist location. 

Work your local Farmers Market when you want 

but this place is a buzz on weekends. Located between 

Oil City and Tionesta — not far from the Allegheny 

River and the National Forest. Call 814-676-1250. 

FREE — Spent grain. Dock Street Brewing Co. is a 

brewpub in Philadelphia. We are looking for a farm that 

could use our spent grain as feed or compost. Average 

about 1200lbs a week, weekly or bi-weekly pick-up 

needed. We store the spent grain in 33gal trash cans 

(we can help load). Contact Justin.quinlan@gmail.com 

The Grapevine 

continued from previous page 

plan writer. If you already have a nutrient 

management plan that has been generated 

by another source (for example, NRCS 

or a private consultant), then you are 

already in compliance and simply need to 

have the plan updated. 

For those who do not fall into the 

above two categories, it’s possible to write 

your own plan. The workbook is available 

through the local conservation district or 

can be downloaded from an online source 

(see the PASA website). While the book 

might appear daunting, remember that 

the first portion contains a bunch of explanation 

about these regulations, including 

sample plans, and the latter portion contains 

charts and reference tables. The 

actual plan really is only a few pages long. 

In fact, some uncomplicated situations 

may have a plan that is only a page or two 

long, including the farm map. 

And, speaking of maps, check out 

PAOnestop.org. This is a website through 

Penn State Cooperative Extension that will 

help with mapping and calculations. The 

website is free of charge but does require 

that one uses the Firefox browser (available 

for download at no charge). For those 

who may not have Internet access, please 

contact your local conservation district, 

the regional NRCS folks or contact myself 

at the PASA office. 

There are various workshops being 

held about manure management 

throughout the state. PASA is working in 

collaboration with several conservation 

districts and the NRCS to help make this 

process as simple and painless as possible. 

33

Calendar 

For a full events listing visit 


*PASA Field Day 

For more details regarding Field Days visit 

pasafarming.org or contact Rebecca, 814- 

349-9856 x20, Rebecca@pasafarming.org 

**Sustainability School — For details visit 

goodfoodneighborhood.org or contact 

Hannah, 717-512-5461, Hannah@pasafarming.org 

March 

■ March 24 

PASA Annual Meeting 

Details on page 14 

Wildwood Conference Center, Harrisburg PA 

■ March 24 

**Sustainability School 

Winter Fruit Tree Pruning: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

■ March 24 & 25 


Springing Good Intentions into Action Conference: 

The Home Grown Institute 

■ March 31 


The Dirt on Compost: Dickinson College Farm 

2pm–4pm 

April 

■ April 1 

Fair Food & PASA present Philly Farm & 

Food Fest 

For tickets & details visit phillyfarmfest.org 

■ April 12 


Greenhouse Troubleshooting 

M&M Robertson Farms 

Sligo, Clarion Co. 

■ April 14 

PASA Eastern Region Master Class 

The True Cost of Production 

Time TBD 

Chester County Economic Development Council 

Exton, Chester Co. 

How to interpret your profit/loss data and 

plan for your farm’s financial well-being. Contact 

Ann McGinnis, ann@pasafarming.org, 

610-458-3956 

■ April 14 

PASA Western Region Master Class 

Introduction to Shiitake Mushroom 

Cultivation 

1-4pm 

Eden Hall Campus, Chatham University 

Richland Twp, Allegheny Co. 

Introductory master class on log-based sustainable 

shiitake mushroom cultivation, harvesting, 

and marketing. Contact Leah Smith, leah@pasfarming.org, 

412-365-2985 

■ April 27 


Food Alliance Certification Program 

Overview & Mock Inspection 



■ April 28 


Inspired Centerpieces from Your Garden: 


2pm–4pm 

■ April 28 


Seed Starting and Propagation: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

May 

■ May 8 



Hands-on Small Ruminant Health: 

FAMACHA & Parasite Management 

Steam Valley Fiber Farm 

Trout Run, Lycoming Co. 

■ May 8 


Greenhouse Salad Mix Production & Tomato 

Grafting 

9am–12noon 

Who Cooks For You Farm 

New Bethlehem, Clarion Co. 

Take a tour and learn more about the organic 

vegetable farming systems at Who Cooks for 

You Farm. Contact Leah Smith, leah@pasfarming.org, 

412-365-2985 

■ May 20-23 



High Stock Density Grazing & Holistic 

Management 

Rotokawa Cattle Company (western location) 

Ligonier, Westmoreland Co. 

■ May 26 


Backyard Bees: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

■ May 26 


Landscaping for the Birds and Bees: 


2pm–4pm 

June 

■ June 23 


Sustainability is Continuous Improvement: 

Exploring What Works & Opportunity on a 

Pasture-based Livestock Farm 

Lewis Family Farms 

Rochester, Beaver Co. 

Lewis Family Farms, owned and operated by 

Jane Lewis, her son, Michael, and his wife, Elizabeth, 

produce all-natural grass-fed, grass- finished 

beef and, more recently, pastured 

poultry. Contact Leah Smith, leah@pasfarming.org, 

412-365-2985 

■ June 23 


Backyard Chickens: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

■ June 30 


Foraging for Medicinals in Your Backyard: 


2pm–4pm 

July 

■ July 28 


Composting: Where: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

■ July 28 


Ins and Outs of Renewable Energy Options 

for Home Owners: Dickinson College Farm 

2pm–4pm 

August 

■ August 25 


Preserving the Harvest: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

■ August 25 


What is Happening in My Garden Dickinson 

College Farm 

2pm–4pm 

September 

■ September 22 


Potluck and Recipe Swap: Greener Partners 

11am–1pm 

■ September 29 


Saving Tradition by Saving Seed: Dickinson 

College Farm 

2pm–4pm 

34

Membership 

& Contribution Form 

Please clip this application and return with payment to: 

PASA Membership, PO Box 419, Millheim, PA 16854 

or join online at pasafarming.org 

Join PASA & Become Part of the Good Food Neighborhood 

— a community of people who care about local food & businesses 

FULL PASA MEMBERSHIP 

FULL PASA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS 

• A subscription to our bimonthly, Passages newsletter 

• Discounted admission to our annual conference, field day & intensive 

learning programs 

• Invitations to other special events, such as membership potlucks & 

Harvest Celebration dinners 

• Event promotion via our website & newsletter 

• Free classified ad and discounted display advertising in Passages 

• Voting privileges for board of director elections & bylaws 

• Membership networking opportunities regionally & via PASA discussion 

groups 

• Discounts on Buy Fresh Buy Local® partner fees (coordinated through 

local chapters) 

• Assistance with Food Alliance sustainable certification 

• The satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to sustain 

agriculture in your region 

FULL PASA MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS 

Individual $45 

Individual — Two Year RENEWAL Membership (Save $10) 

Note: Two year membership options are for current members RENEWING only! $80 

Family/Farm Please complete field below $70 

Family/Farm — Two Year RENEWAL Membership (Save $10) 

Note: Two year membership options are for current members RENEWING only! $130 

Sustaining Lifetime Member 

Please complete the Family/Farm Membership field below $1,400 

Nonprofit Please complete field below $100 

Business Please complete field below $150 

Business Patron 

PASA will contact you for the 12 names of those to receive individual 

membership benefits. $500 

Permanent Business Partner 

Please complete the Nonprofit/Business Membership field below $3,000 

Family/Farm or Sustaining Lifetime Membership 

Please list all names for this Family/Farm membership. You may include children between the 

ages of 14–22, and also multiple generations directly involved in the farm. 

MEMBERSHIP CONTACT INFORMATION 

Please list the main contact for the membership 

Name 

Nonprofit / Business / Permanent Business Partner Membership 

Please list up to two additional people associated with your business to receive individual 

membership privileges. 

Company/Farm 

Address 

City 

State 

ZIP+4 

County 

Home Phone 

E-mail 

Web Address 

Work Phone 

DONATIONS 

Consider lending extra support to these two PASA funds. 

The Annual Fund supports PASA’s basic operations. 

$ 

Are you farming: NO YES — how many acres: 

How did you learn about PASA: 

The Arias M. Brownback Scholarship Fund helps those 

wishing to learn about sustainable agriculture attend the 

annual conference regardless of financial position. 

$ 

PAYMENT 

PASA 

PO Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854 


Total amount due 

$ 

Check Payable to PASA 

Credit Card Complete at 

right 

35 

Card No. 

VISA MasterCard Discover 

Cardholder Name 

Signature 

Exp. Date 

PASA is a registered 501 (C) 3 organization and contributions are tax exempt. The official registration and financial information 

of Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of 

State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

PO Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854-0419 

Pennsylvania 

Association for 

Sustainable Agriculture 

Non Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

State College, PA 

Permit No. 213 

MEMBERSHIP EXPIRATION DATE REMINDER Just a reminder to our members that your annual membership expiration date is printed above your mailing 

address (see above). Renew your membership via the form on page 35 of this newsletter, or by visiting www.pasafarming.org. 

2012 Farming for the Future Conference Sponsors 

PASA-BILITIES SPONSOR 

PAT R O N S O F S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y 

G UA R D I A N S 

CHAMPION 

AgChoice Farm Credit / MidAtlantic Farm Credit • Agri-Service LLC • American Pastured Poultry Producers Association • BCS America LLC • Delaware Valley College 

• Earth Tools Inc • East End Food Co-op • Eberly Poultry Farms • Local Food Marketplace • McGeary Organics • Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association • Moyer’s Chicks 

• National Farmers Union • Northeast SARE • Southern Exposure Seed Exchange • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service • Purple Mountain Organics • 

Schafer Fisheries 

ALLY 

Alba Advisors LLC • Albert’s Organics • Center for Rural Pennsylvania • Dairy Connection Inc • Future Harvest / CASA • Green Heron Tools LLC • Harvest Market • 

Johnny’s Selected Seeds • King’s Agriseeds Inc • Kretschmann Farm • Lakeview Organic Grain • Longwood Gardens Inc • LP BioAg Feed & Field Inc • Marushka Farms • 

Natural by Nature • The Organic Mechanics Soil Company LLC • Organic Unlimited Inc • Peace Tree Farm • Penn State Extension — Start Farming • Penn State University Press 

• Pennsylvania College of Technology — School of Hospitality • Pennsylvania Farm Link • Pennsylvania Grazing / Forage Land Conservation Coalition • Seed Savers Exchange • 

Seedway LLC • SF & Company — CPAs & Business Advisors • Sierra Club, PA Chapter • Tait Farm Foods • Tierra Farm • USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service • 

Weston A. Price Foundation & Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund • Wild for Salmon 

SUPPORTER 

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm • Cornerstone Farm Ventures Inc • Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania • eOrganic • Filtrexx International • Fodder Tech • Four Season Tools • Harris Seeds • 

High Mowing Organic Seeds • Swissland Acres • Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative • Vermont Compost Company

Passages Sustainable Food and Farming Systems - PASA

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