The New Agriculture Network's on-line newsletter with seasonal advice for field crop and vegetable growers interested in organic agriculture.

Vol. 1, No. 9 - August 12, 2004

In this issue

	Tell us what information you need from the New Agriculture Network
	Resurgent local legalities: A brief sociolegal note on the limits of the USDA's organic certification procedure in light of a recent turn to local signifiers of organic food quality
	Cover crops no-till drilled following wheat harvest
	Research photos from the MSU Kellogg Biological Station
	Reports from organic growers

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Resurgent local legalities: a brief sociolegal note on the limits of the USDA’s organic certification procedure in light of a recent turn to local signifiers of organic food quality

Ken Salo (kensalo@uiuc.edu)

Asst. Prof. International Law and Policy

Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Introduction
The relation between the USDA’s October 2002 final rule requiring third or private party certification for any products labeled ‘organic’ and food quality continues to be hotly debated. Recently, legal scholars have begun to debate the significance of the USDA’s preference for certification practices in the context of highly variable and diversified conditions of production, such as localized organic production systems, since certification practices assume uniform modes of production, more characteristic of industrialized systems. However, to be sure, the USDA, as per their web site (www.ams.usda.gov/nop), makes no claim that its certified organic food is either safe or more nutritious than conventionally produced food and that “the certifier merely vouches for the producer and assures the buyer of the organic products integrity” presumably by discouraging fraud and thereby avoiding unnecessary transaction costs. Notwithstanding this muted product claim, a cursory overview of the 1990 OFPA and the 2001 NOSB principles makes it clear that this act also aims to protect the environment and consumers. As illustration, the OFPA defines “organic agriculture as an ecological management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity” so, it may be argued, that an evaluation of its relation to environmental and hence food quality is a legitimate, albeit implicit public concern.

Reinterpreting organic as an alternate to “unsafe” industrial food
Against this background, several sociolegal scholars such as this author are exploring the limits of the USDA’s organic certification procedure on the evidence that a counter –culture of oppositional quasi-legal (law-like) and especially local cultural practices have become resurgent in the wake of recent concerns about industrial food safety and nutrition. In short, my argument is that because of recurrent problems associated with the industrialization and globalization of food chains, most notably BSE, discerning consumers in industrialized countries are reinterpreting quality food and especially organic food to mean more locally and naturally (i.e. less industrially) produced food. My preliminary survey suggests evidence for food quality criteria linked not only to methods of production but more importantly to locality or place of origin. Moreover close knit interpersonal relations of trust and the incorporation of products in everyday and environmentally sensitive public, domestic and civic food rituals and cultural or shared practices seem to enhance its identity as a quality food and hence valued food deserving local legal and or cultural protection.

Tentative conclusions
My preliminary and, as yet, mainly theoretical review of organic production practices supports an assumption that the USDA’s preferred reliance on pre production certification limits the use of its organic certification label as a marker of organic food quality. Instead, it has triggered a range of oppositional cultural practices that may, in certain localities, become regularized as alternate legalities and indicators of food quality through repeated use by localized producers and consumers.

Postscript
A key motivation in drafting this note is to initiate a dialogue with network members who have a different reading of the USDA’s organic certification process so I look forward to your responses, preferably via email to kensalo@uiuc.edu

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Three on-farm studies will be discussed about no-till drilling a cover crop following wheat harvest and comparing the weed control to frost seeding red clover into wheat in March. These studies were conducted because frost seeding sometime fails and growing a short-season winter wheat crop provides a window to seed cover crops after harvest. In Michigan our cover crop choices are limited following corn or soybean harvest due to frost and cold conditions. Therefore, it is extremely important to have a small grain, pickles, green beans or other short season crop to assure fields are seeded to cover crops other than rye or wheat in the fall, winter and early spring.

The experiment was conducted in three different locations in Michigan: St. Joseph Co. (Southwest), Jackson Co. (Central) and St. Clair Co. (East). The purpose of the three studies was to compare cover crop biomass production and weed suppression of four cover crops to no cover crop (control), either frost seeded or seeded following wheat harvest.

St. Joseph Co., Southwest Michigan
Methods : Red clover was frost seeded into wheat on March 22, 2001 at a rate of 12 lbs/A. Oilseed radish and soybean were no-till drilled at 20 lbs. and 1 bu/A, respectively, on July 18, 2001. A control with no cover was left to compare weed control. The soil type is a sandy loam. The experiment was a randomized complete block design and had four replications. Plant biomass and weeds were separated, dried and weighed on October 8, 2001.

Results : Frost seeding red clover resulted in the highest cover crop biomass and lowest weed biomass. Oilseed radish reduced weed biomass significantly, as compared to the control. Soybeans produced high biomass, however, did not reduce weed biomass significantly over the control.

Figure 1

Jackson Co., Central Michigan
Methods : Red clover was frost seeded on March 22, 2001 at a rate of 12 pounds per acre. Oilseed radish, oats + rye and crimson clover were no-till drilled on July 27, 2001 at 15, 1 bu + 1 bu and 12 pounds per acre, respectively. A no cover crop control was used. This was a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plant and weed biomass samples were taken on October 8, 2001, dried and weighed.

Results : All cover crop treatments significantly decreased weed biomass as compared to no cover crop. The frost seeded red clover treatment provided the lowest weed biomass. There was no significant difference in cover crop biomass, however, oilseed radish and red clover yielded the highest.

Figure 2

St. Clair Co. (East Michigan)
Methods : Red clover was frost seeded into wheat on March 13, 2001 at a rate of 10 pounds per acre. Oilseed radish, oats and crimson clover were no-till drilled on August 3, 2001 at 15, 1.5 bu and 12 pounds per acre, respectively. These cover crops were compared to no cover crop for weed control. This was a randomized complete block design with four replication. Biomass samples were collected on October 2, 2001, dried and weighed.

Figure 3

Results : Frost seeded red clover had significantly higher biomass as compared to the summer seeded cover crops. Crimson clover biomass was no different than the control (no cover). Red clover had the lowest weed biomass. This site was affected by a dry summer, which resulted in low plant and weed biomass. The red clover treatment did much better under the dry conditions. This is probably due to the root system being better established to tolerate drought conditions.

Summary
Frost seeding red clover consistently provided good plant biomass and low weed biomass even under drought conditions. No-till planted cover crops after wheat harvest reduced weed biomass at all sites when compared to not seeding a cover crop. Therefore, it is extremely important to plant cover crops to manage weeds. The type of cover crop you choose may depend on cost, availability and your past experiences. Soybeans, even though reasonable to plant as a cover crop, are not recommended since this could promote soybean cyst nematode.

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Photo 1: Field shot of no-till organic soybeans at KBS	Photo 2: Close-up photo of plants.
Photo 3: Residue beneath canopy.	Photo 4: Overseeded red clover in organic corn (Aug. 5, 2004).

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Reports from organic growers

Iowa

Paul Mugge has harvested flax and was quite pleased with his results this year. His small grains have been harvested. He believes he will have a late harvest this year because of the cooler weather in Iowa. He had really good results with triticale as a small grain in his crop rotation. An OCIA-sponsored field day is planned at his farm on August 28.

Illinois

Northern Illinois
It has been very dry and cool, with temperatures in the upper 60s (will continue for the next three days). Both corn and soybeans are way behind due to late planting and cool, dry weather during the past seven weeks. Current farming operations include plowing and disking ground for cover crops, cultivating beans for the second time and hand cutting and pulling weeds in soybean fields. In the next couple of weeks, we w ill be planting a variety of cover crops (sudan grass, oats, chickling vetch and oil seed radish) and cutting weeds out of soybean fields.

Central Illinois
It appears that fall has arrived the first week of August this season. Current farming practices include spraying BT on peppers for European Corn Borer, cultivating fall crops, thinning carrots, and planting spinach. Other than lettuce, greens and a few others the bulk of this seasons planting is done. We are also starting to clear hothouses for winter crops. In the next two weeks, we will start preparing ground for winter covers (hairy vetch and sod covers (clovers, perennial rye grass and some alfalfa) and will begin planting soon after.

Southern Illinois
Kevin Brussell reports that in spite of the cool, rainy weather the corn and soybeans look surprisingly good.  He has not received any heavy rains, but numerous 1/2 to 3/4 inch rains.  Kevin has been mowing and baling the third cutting of alfalfa, cultivating soybeans and walking beans.  The hay required three to four passes with the tedder to get it dry enough to bale.  Current farming practices include continued mowing and baling, cultivating and foliar feeding his soybeans.

Questions
Looking for some good quality certified organic wheat seed (soft red winter seed) that isn’t cost prohibitive.

Michigan
It has been cold and wet in Michigan. Most of the small grains, wheat and spelt have been harvested. Cover crop growth is exceptional this season. Small grains that had thin stands had clover as tall as the crops.

Short season corn 75-85 days are pollinating, while longer day corn still has a ways to go. We are concerned if it doesn’t warm up that late corn will not develop. Soybeans are filing row, in blossom and podding in southwest Michigan. The weed control looks very good.

Indiana
Gary Reding in Southeast Indiana reports that hay continues to grow very well and grazing is going well. At a pasture walk at his operation last Saturday they tested an apparatus for applying liquid manure in a no-till situation. It looked very promising. He is currently packing and shipping organic popcorn produced by others. The popcorn is goes all across the U.S. and is mostly used for microwavable organic popcorn. The popcorn variety has been selected for popping volume, flavor, and growing characteristics. Asked about how popcorn competes with weeds, he said it is slow coming out of the ground and it is important to pay attention so that weed control can be done on time. Some growers rotary hoe three times and some use a flamer. In a wet year sometimes the crop gets overrun by weeds and yields are very low. Insect management in storage is very important. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is used in grain bins, but must be used sparingly to minimize clouding of the seed coat. Another way to control insects is to dry down the popcorn, but then it has to be re-moisturized to 13.5% before packing. Sudden death syndrome is hitting soybeans in the area, including late planted soybeans. Conventional crops in the area are outstanding.

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