fall 2018 | volume 10 issue 03 - organic alberta · • alberta is cattle country. of the 66...

FA L L 2 0 1 8 | VO LU M E 1 0 I S S U E 0 3

2 0 1 7 S TAT I S T I C S S H O W S T E A DY R I S E , B O O M I N M AC K E N Z I E C O U N T Y . . . PAG E 3

P R A I R I E O R G A N I C G R A I N I N I T I AT I V E E VA LU AT I O N . . . PAG E 6

E X P LO R I N G S M A L L- S C A L E A B AT TO I R S I N OT H E R J U R I S T I C T I O N S . . . PAG E 1 2

G R O W I N G H E A LT H Y FA R M E R S , F I E L D S A N D F O O D : T H E 2 0 1 9 O R G A N I C A L B E RTA C O N F E R E N C E . . . PAG E 8

FA L L 2 0 1 8 VO LU M E 1 0 I S S U E 0 3

W W W.O R G A N I C A L B E RTA .O R G2

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C TO R ’ S R E P O RT

By Becky Lipton, Executive Director

We invite you to join us at our annual central conference in Fort Saskatchewan January 25 and 26, 2019! This year’s theme is Growing Healthy Farmers, Fields, and Food, highlighting the holistic nature of farming. Sessions will focus on grain, livestock, and fruit and vegetable production, including reduced tillage, intercropping, soil health, mental health, working with employees, connecting with consumers and more!

Growing Healthy Farmers

A healthy farm requires a healthy team. We will have sessions on mental health, labour, and employee management. Mike Kozlowski from Steel Pony Farms will share how he let go of micromanager tendencies through conscious communication and thoughtful employee management practices, leading to his business taking off in positive and unexpected ways.

Growing Healthy Fields

Soil health is an important theme with sessions targeting grain, livestock, fruit and vegetable producers. Grain farmers can expect an interactive workshop on the principles and practice of intercropping. Livestock producers will learn how to teach livestock to eat weeds. Fruit and vegetable farmers will learn about intercropping and cover crops.

Growing Healthy Food

For the first time ever, our conference will also include sessions geared towards organic consumers and opportunities for farmer-consumer networking. We are especially happy to announce that Sally Fallon, founder and president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, which promotes wise traditions in food and farming, will be presenting a keynote and a seminar this year. You may know Sally as author of Nourishing Traditions, the cookbook that introduced all the current food trends including sauerkraut, kombucha and bone broth. She has a passionate and dedicated following, I know you won’t want to miss her presentations!

Registration, sponsorship, and program details can be found in this magazine as well as on our website. Take a moment to complete and send in your registration form today to secure your spot!

I look forward to seeing you there!

Mission: To represent and supportAlberta’s entire organic industry.Vision: A strong, sustainable and unitedorganic community in Alberta.

Editor/Submissions & AdvertisingEditor: Debbie [email protected] EditorBrenda [email protected] DesignerDana [email protected]

Executive DirectorBecky Lipton:[email protected]

Board MembersRepresentatives elected by region:(N) North (S) South (C) Central(M) Member at Large• President: Charles Newell (AB federallevel):[email protected]• Vice President: Dawn Boileau (C):[email protected]• Treasurer: Heather Kerschbaumer (N):[email protected]• Secretary: Trevor Aleman (S):[email protected]• James Thiessen (N):[email protected]• Arnold Van Os (C):[email protected]• Abbie Stein-MacLean (M):[email protected]• Bernie Ehnes (S):[email protected]• Frank Maddock (M):[email protected]• Tracy Smith (M):[email protected]

Winter 2018 deadline is Friday, November 23rd. Please send comments,suggestions, ads, and/or articles [email protected]

You Are InvitedO r g a n i c A l b e r t a A n n u a l G e n e r a l M e e t i n g

Friday, January 25 | 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Dow Centennial Centre, Fort Saskatchewan (with the Organic Alberta Central Conference)

Have you ever wondered what exactly we do at Organic Alberta, how much money we have, or how we spend it? This is your chance to find out! Our President and Executive Director will each report on activities over the past year, and our Treasurer will dig deep into the finances.

Do you have a passion for organic food and farming, and a desire to make a difference? We need you on the Board of Directors! This is your chance to make your voice heard and help to lead us into the future. Contact Trevor Aleman at [email protected] for more information on running for the board.


W W W.O R G A N I C A L B E RTA .O R G 3

2 0 1 7 S TAT I S T I C S S H O W S T E A DY R I S E , A B O O M I N M AC K E N Z I E C O U N T Y by Debbie Miller, Editor

Following is a brief excerpt from Organic Agriculture in Alberta: 2017 Statistics by Greg deJong, Organic Alberta. The full report includes data provided by certification bodies as well as data collected by the Canada Organic Trade Association. To receive a copy of the full report please contact Becky at [email protected], or call the office at 587-521-2400.

The number of certified organic operators (producers and processors) in Alberta continues to grow. Though there has been growth in each region of the province, it is primarily driven by expansion in the Mackenzie County region which now has 39% of Alberta’s total certified organic operators. Numbers are relatively evenly distributed in the rest of the province, with a slightly higher concentration in the North Central region north of Edmonton to Valleyview.

Map and number of organic operators by region for 2017

• NE: Northeast (currently no organic certifications in this region)

• MC: Mackenzie County, from North Star to the norther Alberta border

• NW: Northwest, beneath MC and north of Valleyview

• NC: North-Central, above Edmonton and approximating Highway 16

• C: Central, including Edmonton through Red Deer

• SC: South-Central, below Red Deer and including Calgary

• S: South, below Calgary

Quick Facts:• There were 590 certified organic operations, including farms and processors, in Alberta in 2017.

• Mackenzie County accounted for 65% of the total increase in operators between 2016 and 2017.

• Cereal grains remain the most frequently grown crop. Most farms grow oats, then wheat, and barley.

• Peas have become popular crop in Alberta with 182 growers and 56,300 acres in 2017. This is a 107% increase since 2014 in the number of producers and Alberta now grows over 60% of all organic pea production in the Prairies.

• After several years of remaining stable, the number of fruit and vegetable growers increased by 36% between 2016 and 2017.

• 41% of all fruit and vegetable growers have only 1 crop, 21% have 10 or more, and a few grow over 40 varieties.

• Alberta is cattle country. Of the 66 livestock producers, 52 raise cattle that they certify as organic. They are raised across the province, except for the northeast.



H O W W E L L D O YO U K N O W YO U R N E M ATO D E S ?

Answers from last magazine issue



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

Certified organic hay for sale. 200 legume/ grass bales baled with John Deere 568 cut early, $80/ bale Mark Vetsch 780-524-9726

Market Op: Are you looking for a consistent supply of Organic Soybean meal? Shafer Commodities can assist you with all of your organic needs, we are also buying HRS, durum, flax, barley & peas 403-328-5066.

M A R K E T P R I C E SOrganicBiz gathers and posts monthly price information at organicbiz.ca/category/markets/. The following prices are from Late September 2018.

C E N T R A L C O N F E R E N C E C R O S S W O R D F U N

C R O P S P OT P R I C EB u s h e l l ( To n n e)

P R E M .

W E S T E R N C A N A D I A N 2 0 1 8 C R O P

Wheat - feed $9.50 - $1.001 ($349 - $404) 193%

Wheat - soft white spring $14.00 - $16.50 ($514 - $606) 268%

Wheat - hard red spring $15.00 - $17.00 ($551 - $625) 241%

Wheat - durum $19.25 ($707) 335%

Barley - feed $6.50 - $7.40 ($299 - $340) 172%

Oats - feed $3.00 - $5.00 ($195 - $324) 178%

Oast - milling $5.00 - $6.00 ($357 - $389) 192%

Flax - brown $34.00 ($1,339) 283%

Flax - gold $38.00 ($1,496) 304%

Flax - feed $21.00 - $22.00 ($827 - $866) 189%

Flax $30.00 - $35.00 ($1,181 - $1,378) 256%

Peas - yellow $15.00 - $16.50 ($551 - $606) 256%

Peas - green $16.00 - $18.00 ($588 - $661) 234%

Lentils - large green 80-90 cents/lb 472%

Lentils - French green 100 cents/lb 455%

Lentils - red 52 cents/lb 347%

Lentils - black 98 cents/lb 582%

Chickpeas 95 cents/lb 344%

Hemp seed 140 - 150 cents/lb 207%

Hemp for CBD (chaff, flowers and leaves)

400 - 1000 cents/lb 233%

Rye - milling $8.00 - $8.50 ($315 - $335) 118%

Rye - feed $5.50 ($217) 94%

ACROSS1. conference city (2 words)7. meet suppliers and sponsors here (2 words)8. Trina Moyles will talk about this kind of farmer10. Organic Alberta’s Executive Director11. To Hell and Back session will

help you deal with this14. a soil test will give you this16. soil carbon speaker17. speaker on indigenous permaculture 19. a type of strip used in crops20. we do this at noon21. conference month

DOWN2. Mike Kozlowski’s kind of communication3. Sally Fallon’s kind of diet4. one way to improve soil5. Grant Lastiwka wants livestock to eat this

6. non-organic farmer9. farmers want to connect with these people12. guardian dogs look after this13. conference venue (2 words)15. Organic gala speaker18. Annual General Meeting day



By Robyn McLean, Tapestry Evaluation and Strategy

Tapestry Evaluation and Strategy is carrying out an external evaluation to better understand how effective the Prairie Organic Grain Initiative (POGI) has been in increasing the resilience of the grain sector in the Prairies. Some of the goals of POGI include:

• Increased collaboration among farmers, industry, provincial associations, funders and government.

• Developing tools that reach farmers.• Encouraging changes in farm

management shown to be effective for increasing quality and quantity of grains (e.g. practices related to soil health, seeding, crop rotations, intercropping, and green manure).

• Supporting non-organic farmers to learn more about organic farming and supporting those that decide to transition.

• Increased quality and quantity of organic grain.

• Increased number of grain farmers and acres of organic grain.

• Increased market access for, and profitability of, organic grains.

We have been collecting information to understand if POGI has met these goals

and how to make changes to better meet the goals. The information includes surveys/interviews with more than 80 organic and transitioning farmers, interviews with sector-level experts and grain buyers, data from COTA, POGI program records, and discussions with POGI staff and partners. We are still in the process of collecting and analyzing information. This article will share early findings related to the first four goals.

Increased collaboration

Collaboration takes work and dedicated resources. It requires some structure to help move things forward, and flexibility to respond to what you learn along the way. Our findings suggest that POGI has been effective at increasing collaboration between different sectors, and especially at increasing collaboration across the Prairie provinces. We have also worked with POGI staff and partners to identify ways to help the partnership work even better moving forward, including even more involvement from provincial partners and more clarity on how to address any partnership issues that come up along the way.

“That collaboration is there - that has built trust. Inviting the bigger brands in the supply chain has lent credibility to the

farmers.” - Funder

“They are already forging a path, building a foundation on which other more tangible

improvements can be built.” - Researcher

“Overall, really really impressed with what they have done/ achieved. Quite

transformational.” - Farmer and consultant

Reaching farmers

• Over 27,000 users1 visited Pivotandgrow.com between June 25, 2016 and August 1, 2018. This includes over 18,000 visits to the price lists page, over 6,000 visits to the Business to Business directory, and over 2,500 visits to the pages for the green manure toolkit, new farmer kits, and event listings. Note: Numbers include total visits, including repeat visits.

• Over 1,000 farmers have attended field days and organic conferences Note: Numbers include total attendees, and may count individuals more than once.

• 52 farmers took part in the nutrient management program, and the 1-800 organic expert line has received more than 150 calls. More than 150 people have participated in organic agronomy training.

P R A I R I E O R G A N I C G R A I N I N I T I AT I V E ( P O G I ) E VA LU AT I O N



Changes in farm management

When we started this evaluation, we knew that POGI tools were reaching farmers, but we were not sure whether this would mean changes to how farms were being managed. It can take time for people to put things into practice after learning about them. It can take even more time to see results on a farm after making changes.

We asked 39 organic farmers2 how POGI tools contributed to changes they had made on their farm. 23 (59%) reported that POGI contributed directly to changes in soil health practices, crop rotations, seeding and harvest practices, intercropping practices, and/or green manure management (see the chart below).

Many farmers who said POGI contributed to changes on their farm talked about how important it was to connect with other farmers at conferences, workshops and field days. Some farmers we talked to emphasized the importance of talking to other farmers and using other resources to make decisions about changes on their farm.

“From workshops and the [Canadian

Organic Growers Fieldcrop Handbook] you really find out that you do need to get your nutrient levels right and work on that, and

we’ve found that there is a 10-year wall where you don’t have any phosphorus left

in your soil and we found out that compost is a good solution.” - Farmer in Manitoba

Figure 1: How did POGI tools contribute to changes you have made on your farm?

POGI tools contributed directly to changes or plans

Other farmers or other resources contributed more to changes

Unsure how POGI tools contributed

POGI contributed to planned changes for next season

23

9

4

3

Figure 2: Number of organic field crop acres in the Prairies 2014 - 2016

(Source: Canadian Organic Trade Association)

2014 2015 2016

565,232 664,554 762,271

“One of the most important tools for me is going to the Organic conferences and soil

health conferences and talking to other farmers who have tried different practices.

This is how I first discovered the use of cover crops - Farmer in Saskatchewan

“I think in a lot of cases its knowledge that we have already that makes the changes in management (I am an old farmer). But conferences and speakers reinforce this

knowledge.” - Farmer in Alberta

Helping non-organic farmers to learn about organic

According to the Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA), we have seen about a 16% increase in the number of acres dedicated to organic field crops in the Prairies from 2014 (just before POGI started) to 2016 (the most recent data available)3 (See Figure 2).

1 We use google analytics definition of users, which is the number of users who initiated at least one session during this timeframe. Some individuals could be counted more than once if they look at the website from different devices or locations.

2 We reached out to farmers who had used some of the main POGI tools. Farmers who did an interview may have been more likely to say something positive about POGI tools.

3 Canada Organic Trade Association (2016). Growing Organic in the Prairies 2014 Statistics.

Canada Organic Trade Association (2017). Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2015 Statistics

Canada Organic Trade Association (2018). Organic Agriculture in the Prairies 2016 Data.

There are many things that can lead to the decision to transition to organic management, and POGI may be only one factor in that decision. Similarly, there are many factors at play that can determine success during that transition period.

We surveyed 37 non-organic and transitioning farmers who had used POGI tools. Farmers who had recently transitioned to organic management listed financial considerations, reducing inputs or price of inputs, and sustainability as reasons for transitioning. A few farmers also mentioned that it was helpful to talk

to other organic farmers or that they made their decision to transition based on those conversations. Many farmers also indicated that POGI tools influenced their decision and/or supported their transition to organic. Many farmers who had not transitioned to organic also made changes on their farms based on what they learned from POGI tools. Selected quotes from farmer surveys are shared below:

Q: What influenced your decision to transition to organic?

A:“Workshops, field days, but mostly I was more dissatisfied with the ever increasing demand for chemicals on my operation,

and the risks associated with them.” - Farmer in Saskatchewan

A: “The expenses or the overhead of conventional farming vs organic. I wanted to lower my input cost. And yes, POGI has supported my decision to transition; the

workshop was really good.” - Farmer in Alberta

A: “The field days have lots of information that is applicable to conventional farms,

so even though we are not organic (and may never be), the research is

helpful to our farm.” - Farmer in Saskatchewan

O r g a n i c A l b e r t a C o n f e r e n c e R e g i s t r a t i o n | J a n u a r y 2 5 - 2 6 , 2 0 1 9 D o w C e n t e n n i a l C e n t r e , F o r t S a s k a t c h e w a n , A B

Last Name: ___________________ First Name: ____________________ Company/Farm Name: _________________

Address: _________________________ City: ___________________ Province: _______ Postal Code: ____________

Telephone: ______________________________________Email: ___________________________________________

Names of additional people attending: ________________________________________________________________

Food allergies: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Sign up for the Conference: Price Quantity Total

Register before January 4 and save! Early Bird After Jan 4th

Single Friday and Saturday main sessions only (includes lunches, does

not include Organic Food and Wine Gala and Banquet or Sally Fallon

seminar, Please select belowto add)

$135 $185 $

Double Friday and Saturday main sessions only (includes lunches, does

not include Organic Food and Wine Gala and Banquet or Sally Fallon

seminar, Please select belowto add)

$240 $325 $

Friday main sessions only (includes lunch) $120 $

Saturday main sessions only (includes lunch) $120 $

Add-Ons:

Single Friday Organic Food and Wine Gala and Banquet featuring Sally Fallon

$50 $

Child under 9 Friday Organic Food and Wine Gala and Banquet featuring Sally Fallon

$15 $

Saturday three-hour Sally Fallon Seminar (not inlcuded in conference

registration)

$75 $

Babysitting: under 3 years (2 hours/day for 2 days.) Contact us if you would like to reserve more time.

$40 $

Children’s Program: 3-12 years (Full day for 2 days) $80 $

Young farmer subsidies are available – Contact Organic Alberta for more information!

Payment Total

Total (Note that all prices include GST: #831992076) $Payment Options

• Cheque: Make payable to Organic Alberta and mail with your completed form to: 10329 61st Ave, Edmonton, AB T6H 1K9

• E-transfer: Send to [email protected], password = organic. Remember to also email a copy of your completed form.

• Credit Card: Visit our website at http://organicalberta.org/news/2019-central-conference/

[email protected]

Address10329-61 Ave Edmonton, AB T6H 1K9

Phone587-521-2400

G R O W I N G H E A L T H Y F A R M E R S , F I E L D S A N D F O O D

JANUARY 25 - 26 | FORT SASKATCHEWAN , AB


ORGANIC ALBERTA CONFERENCE

F R I D AY J A N U A R Y 2 5 , 2 0 1 9 | D o w C e n t e n n i a l C e n t r e , F o r t S a s k a t c h e w a n

7:30 a.m. - 8:15 a.m. Registration

8:15 a.m. - 8:40 a.m. Opening Remarks

8:40 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Morning Keynote

9:30 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. Perspectives on Soil Health When to Hire an Extra HandTeaching Livestock to Eat Weeds (Grant Lastiwka)

10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Break / Trade Show

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.New Trends and Research in

Organic AgronomyWomen in Farming: Stories

from the Field (Trina Moyles)Direct-Marketing: How to Get

New Customers

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m. Organic Alberta Annual General Meeting

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Break / Trade Show

2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.Intercropping: Benefits and

Risks (Joe Wecker)

Working on Permaculture Projects with Indigenous

Communities (Marsha Shack)

Direct-Marketing: Retaining Customers

(Andrew Mans and Rosemary Wotske & Cam Beard)

3:30 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.Intercropping: An interactive workshop to make it work on

your farm

Conscious Communication on the Farm (Mike Kozlowski)

Livestock Guardian Dogs and Predator Management

4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Hot Topic Discussions

6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.Organic Food and Wine Gala and Banquet featuring Sally Fallon (Tickets purhased separately)

Nourishing Diets: How Paleo, Ancestral and Traditional Peoples Really Ate

Childcare will be available for purchase, please email Sarah at [email protected] for details.

Draft Program Subject to Change

S AT U R D AY J A N U A R Y 2 6 , 2 0 1 9 - D o w C e n t e n n i a l C e n t r e , F o r t S a s k a t c h e w a n

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Registration

8:40 a.m. - 9:20 a.m. Tough Enough To Talk About It: Lessons in Dealing With Stress on the Farm

9:30 a.m. - 10:20 a.m. Grain Buyers Speed DatingImproving Soils Through

Grazing

Improving Soils Through Cover Crops and Intercropping for

Fruit and Vegetable Producers (Andrew Mans and Mike

Kozlowski)

10:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Break / Trade Show

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Soil and Regenerative Agriculture

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Thinking of Organic Farming: What’s involved in

certification? (Free to the public)

Using Pollinator Strips in Cropping Sally Fallon

Nourishing Traditions Seminar

(Tickets purhased separately)2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Thinking of Organic Farming: Agronomic decisions you need

to make (Free to the public)

Soil Testing: How do I get the right soil information for my

farm?

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.Thinking of Organic Farming:

Our Farm Story(Free to the public)

Break / Trade Show

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Consumer and Farmer Speed Dating (Free to the public)


ORGANIC ALBERTA CONFERENCE

Business Room bookings are now open! Book this space to host your own session to share your work, present on new innovations, or connect with fresh audiences! Register online here.

Contact Sarah for more details at [email protected], or by calling (587) 521-2400.



By Amber Kenyon, Gateway Research Organization

At the beginning of the year I had the pleasure of attending a Young Agrarian event in Alix, AB. Out of several very interesting speakers, a young couple from British Columbia really stood out. Tristan and Aubyn Banwell manage Spray Creek Ranch near Lillooet, BC. I was especially interested in their on-farm abattoir facility. Their Class D provincial abattoir license allows them to butcher a limited number of animals for direct marketing into their region.

Since 2011 in BC it has been possible to apply for, and receive, a small on-farm processor license. These Class D and E licenses include some restrictions (you can slaughter a limited amount of meat; how you sell the meat that you slaughter is restricted; the region that you sell in is restricted; and with a class E license there cannot be professional slaughter services available within a two-hour drive of your farm.) However, these licenses enable smaller producers to direct market, or even just sell to their neighbours.

A 2005 Food Miles study in Waterloo, Ontario noted that beef consumed in the

region racked up an average of 5,770 kilometres travelled, with most coming from Colorado, Kansas, Australia, New

Zealand and Nebraska. The author concluded that imported beef products averaged 667 times the greenhouse gas

emissions of local beef.

Currently in Alberta it is incredibly difficult for most small farmers to access a provincially inspected abattoir. Pigeon

Lake Poultry Processors is the only facility available for poultry direct marketers. This leaves a very large gap in our ability to get small scale, local chickens and turkeys into the hands of the consumers, especially if you are a fair distance away from Pigeon Lake.

Jerry Kitt, organic poultry producer said, “I’ve been raising organic poultry for 29 years and when I started out there were 3 places that could process poultry within 1.5 hours’ drive. In the Peace we even had a federally inspected plant. One by one they’ve all shut down. Now I must drive to Pigeon Lake.” Kitt says he does the one-way 6-hour drive as a public service because there is no organic poultry in the Peace Region. Although there are a few consumers willing to pay about 3 times what they would pay in the grocery store for a rotisserie chicken, it is not a profitable venture.

Alberta farmers’ markets attract consumers eager to meet the farmer who grows their food. An increasing number of producers want to direct market to insulate themselves from potentially volatile market prices. We are seeing more of this in beef, pork, vegetables and fruit.

Yet direct marketing chicken continues to be unachievable for many producers. Could bringing in legislation that allows direct marketers to butcher animals on-farm in small numbers, in localized regions, and sell that

E X P LO R I N G S M A L L- S C A L E A B AT TO I R S O LU T I O N S I N OT H E R J U R I S D I C T I O N S

meat to a certain sector, allow room for competitiveness in the industry?

While the Banwells have made an on-farm abattoir work for their business model, they caution that it comes with challenges. “Running an abattoir is a difficult business, with significant overhead costs, and a shortage of qualified staff in most areas of BC. On-farm slaughter options may sound appealing, but the costs associated and low limits on the number of animals per year make small on-farm facilities a difficult proposition.”

Nonetheless, it is encouraging to hear farmers like the Banwells speak of their successes. A system like this might make a large difference in the profitability of small farms in Alberta. It may also make it easier for new producers to get their foot in the door. Having conversations and asking questions is the first step towards change.Small-scale meat producers in BC formed the Small-Scale Meat Producers Association (SSMPA) with an aim toward creating a network to share resources and to speak with a common voice to move systems forward in support of producers raising meat outside of the conventional industrial system.



F ew p e o p l e w o u l d ev e r e m b a r k o n a h i k e i n t h e R o c k i e s w i t h o u t a m a p a n d a c o m p a s s . A t re k i n t h e w i l d t h ro u g h u n f a m i l i a r t e r ra i n c a n b e d a n g e ro u s , ev e n d e a d l y, w i t h o u t re l i a b l e g u i d a n c e . A h i p s t e r h i k e r m a y w a n t t o re l y o n a G P S p ro g ra m o n t h e i r s m a r t p h o n e . N ev e r t h e l e s s , a g o o d m a p a n d a t r u s t y c o m p a s s n e e d n o t b a t t e r y p ow e r n o r s a t e l l i t e s i g n a l , a n d t h ey p o i n t t h e w a y c o n s i s t e n t l y.

N a v i g a t i n g t h e p l e t h o ra o f re g u l a t i o n s a n d s t a n d a rd s f o r a n o rg a n i c s a n i t a t i o n p ro g ra m c a n b e a s c h a l l e n g i n g a s a h i k e i n t h e A l b e r t a b a c k c o u n t r y, t h o u g h n o t a s t h re a t e n i n g t o l i f e a n d l i m b . T h a t m a y s e e m m e l o d ra m a t i c , b u t t o a s m a l l o r m e d i u m - s i z e d p ro c e s s o r w i t h l i m i t e d re s o u rc e s a n d f a c i n g a n a u d i t , t h e f e e l i n g c a n b e t h e s a m e a s b e i n g l o s t i n t h e w o o d s . F o r t u n a t e l y, t h e re i s a m a p – a n d a c o m p a s s .

T h e “m a p” , i s t h e O rg a n i c P ro d u c t i o n S y s t e m s G e n e ra l P r i n c i p l e s a n d M a n a g e m e n t S t a n d a rd s a n d T h e P e r m i t t e d S u b s t a n c e s L i s t s ( o r P S L ) e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e C a n a d i a n G e n e ra l S t a n d a rd s B o a rd ( CG S B ) .

T h e P S L i t e m i z e s w h a t c l e a n i n g p ro d u c t s a re c o n s i d e re d o rg a n i c . A p ro c e s s o r c a n c o m p a re t h e l i s t o f i n g re d i e n t s o n t h e S a f e t y D a t a S h e e t o f t h e p ro d u c t s u s e d i n t h e i r f a c i l i t y t o t h o s e i n t h e P S L . T h e p ro b l e m i s t h a t s o m e t i m e s t h e c h e m i c a l n a m e s a re v a r i a n c e s o f t h e s a m e n a m e , l e a d i n g t o c o n f u s i o n a n d p o t e n t i a l f o r a u d i t n o n - c o m p l i a n c e .

A d d i t i o n a l l y, s o m e c h e m i c a l s u p p l i e r s h a v e c h o s e n t o

“s a n i t i z e ” t h e S D S by re m ov i n g n o n - o rg a n i c i n g re d i e n t s f ro m t h e d o c u m e n t , t h o u g h t h e s e re m a i n i n t h e f o r m u l a t i o n . T h i s p ra c t i c e c a n b e m i s l e a d i n g , a n d t o c o m b a t i t , a u d i t o r s a re i n c re a s i n g l y d e m a n d i n g a c c e s s t o t h e a c t u a l c o n f i d e n t i a l f o r m u l a t i o n s , w i t h h o l d i n g o rg a n i c a p p rov a l f ro m c h e m i c a l s u p p l i e r s t h a t d o n o t c o m p l y.

I n a d d i t i o n , t h e re a re a l l ow a b l e exc e p t i o n s t o t h e P S L . I f a n o rg a n i c c l e a n i n g p ro d u c t c a n n o t re m ov e t h e re s i d u e s p ro p e r l y, a n o n - o rg a n i c p ro d u c t c o u l d b e u s e d , b u t w i t h c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s . A p ro c e s s o r m u s t p rov e t h a t t h e o rg a n i c p ro d u c t s f a i l e d t o c l e a n t h e s u r f a c e s p ro p e r l y t h ro u g h d o c u m e n t e d v a l i d a t i o n . T h e n , a n y n o n - o rg a n i c p ro d u c t s u s e d m u s t b e s u b j e c t e d t o a p o t a b l e w a t e r r i n s e , a n d b e p rov e n t h a t n o c h e m i c a l re s i d u e s re m a i n o n s u r f a c e s .

F a c i n g t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r c o n f u s i o n , p o s s i b l e m i s i n f o r m a t i o n a n d t h e n e e d f o r v a l i d a t i o n , a n d w i t h s o m u c h a t s t a k e – l o s s o f c e r t i f i c a t i o n – i t i s n o w o n d e r a p ro c e s s o r c o u l d f e e l l i k e H a n s e l o r G re t e l i n t h e d e e p , d a r k f o re s t .

F o r t u n a t e l y, t h e re i s a l s o a “c o m p a s s ” t o h e l p f i n d t h e w a y : t h e P ro d u c t R e f e re n c e G u i d e f o r O rg a n i c P ro d u c t i o n d ev e l o p e d by S a n i M a rc .

S a n i M a rc h a s ex p e r i e n c e i n h e l p i n g h u n d re d s o f p ro c e s s o r s a c ro s s C a n a d a s u c c e s s f u l l y p a s s o rg a n i c a u d i t s w i t h re l a t i v e e a s e . D e s i g n e d i n re s p o n s e t o t h e c i rc u m s t a n c e s o f t h e C a n a d i a n o rg a n i c i n d u s t r y, S a n i M a rc ’s P ro d u c t R e f e re n c e G u i d e f o r O rg a n i c P ro d u c t i o n i s re l i a b l e a n d c o n s i s t e n t f o r m a k i n g t h e r i g h t c h o i c e s f o r a n o rg a n i c s a n i t a t i o n p ro g ra m .

C a re f u l l y re s e a rc h e d a n d v a l i d a t e d , t h e P ro d u c t R e f e re n c e G u i d e i d e n t i f i e s b o t h t h o s e p ro d u c t s a c c e p t e d a n d t h o s e a c c e p t e d w i t h c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s , a n d n o t e s re f e re n c e s t o a p p l i c a b l e s e c t i o n s o f t h e CG S B O rg a n i c S t a n d a rd s . T h e i n f o r m a t i o n i s v i s u a l l y c l e a r a n d s i m p l e s o t h a t c h o i c e s a re m a d e w i t h c o n f i d e n c e a n d e a s e . M o re ov e r, a u d i t o r s w i l l a p p re c i a t e t h e d e t a i l e d re f e re n c e s a t t h e i r f i n g e r t i p s .

S h o u l d a n a u d i t o r c h a l l e n g e a p ro d u c t , S a n i M a rc s t a n d s re a d y t o s u p p o r t q u i c k l y a n d e f f i c i e n t l y. A l i b ra r y o f a d d i t i o n a l d o c u m e n t a t i o n f o r e a c h p ro d u c t i s m a i n t a i n e d a n d a v a i l a b l e t o a u d i t o r s u p o n re q u e s t . I f v a l i d a t i o n i s re q u i re d , q u a l i f i e d S a n i M a rc p e r s o n n e l a re h a p py t o s u p p l y g u i d a n c e . N ev e r h a s e s t a b l i s h i n g a n o rg a n i c s a n i t a t i o n p ro g ra m b e e n s o e a s y.

A w a l k i n t h e w o o d s o n a s u m m e r ’s d a y b re a t h i n g t h e c r i s p m o u n t a i n a i r i s g ra t i f y i n g , e s p e c i a l l y i f y o u d o n o t g e t l o s t . S o t o o w i t h t h e o rg a n i c c e r t i f i c a t i o n p ro c e s s .

N a v i g a t i n g o rg a n i c s t a n d a rd s s u c c e s s f u l l y w i t h t h e r i g h t “m a p” a n d a re l i a b l e “c o m p a s s ” , s u b s e q u e n t l y a c h i ev i n g O rg a n i c C e r t i f i c a t i o n , i s rew a rd i n g . I t l e a d s t o c o n s u m e r c o n f i d e n c e , p ro c e s s o r ’s p e a c e o f m i n d , a n d i n c re a s e d p ro f i t a b i l i t y.

T H AT i s l i k e a b re a t h o f f re s h a i r.

F o r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n : h t t p : / / f o o d a n d b ev e ra g e . s a n i m a rc .c o m / p ro d u c t s / o rg a n i c /1 - 8 0 0 3 6 1 - 7 6 9 1

O R G A N I C S A N I TAT I O N : D O N ’ T G E T LO S T I N T H E W O O D SPA I D A DV E RT I S E M E N T

PA I D A DV E RT I S E M E N T

# 1 , 1 0 3 2 9 - 6 1 A V E N WE D M O N T O N , A BT 6 H 1 K 9

fall 2018 | volume 10 issue 03 - organic alberta · • alberta is cattle country. of the 66...

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