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. . . what's an inspector? |
Phoenix Rising Farm - Archer, FL - inspection training, winter 1993 |
The 1st organic inspectors, we were
like minute men. Ours was the role of an independent 3rd party who inspected farms & food processors, then submitted reports to the certifying agency who would supply the farm's/food processor's certification. |
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We were a small, dedicated,
diverse group, wandering the backroads of probably every state the union, looking for road signs & markings to our next farm; the Rand McNally in our laps, a note clasped between 2 fingers that guided us off the map. |
Farming Conference - Blairsville, GA
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Blairsville, GA - 1991 |
With a variety of rough hewn
standards to go by, holding everyone's feet to the fire was the underlying goal of our small company. This linked us to the many layers of the industry. As a group, we met & knew just about everybody, and heaven knows we heard most of the stories. |
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We regularly had meetings at international food shows, natural product expos; worked with
international farm & processing co-ops from Japan to Chile to Cuba; we sponsered inspector trainings all over the world . . . And we actively attempted to train the feds through our involvement with the National Organic Standards Board - the jury is still out on that I'm afraid. |
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For me personally, I always felt I
was nearing the heart & meat of the matter when the way in front me was a well used grassy cartway, opening up onto a field of vetch & rye . . . |
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. . . whose name is 200 years
older than its organic field number. Slave field, ditch field, quarter field, bent mule, mule's ear, burnt ridge, white oak, lazy field, apple bottom, bottoms up - there were hundreds of them - and in each name was the story of that field. |
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In calling ahead to my last stop of
the day, I was often encouraged to eat & stay the night. I was roomed & boarded on I don't how many family farms. We'd tour the farm before dark, work the numbers over the kitchen table, supper simmering on the stove . . . |
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. . . by morning, the ice had melted
between the children & me. Before breakfast was done, the inspector was raising a ruckus with the kids. I was often out-questioned by 2, 3 & 4 year olds over a bowl of rice krispies. |