-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- I wonder why I should be surprised: "There will be no USDA public hearings on the Proposed Rule." Dave Hartley http://www.asheville-computer.com/dave -----Original Message----- From: by way of Debbie Ortman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, March 03, 2000 10:39 AM To: Recipient list suppressed Subject: Alert: National Organic Standards Second Proposed Rule being issued next week OCA will be sending out an action alert once the NOS rule is out and we, along with other groups, have reviewed it. Debbie Ortman This is from Eric Kindberg an activist, organic farmer that has been following this issue. A communication from the organic4um: Facilitated by Eric Kindberg, certified organic farmer Good morning, In a telephone conversation with Keith Jones, USDA/NOP, he indicated the second Proposed Organic Rule would be placed in the Federal Register for public comment this coming week of March 6-10, 2000. The Organic 4um will issue a side by side comparison of the Proposed Rule with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 very shortly thereafter. Final Recommendations of the National Organic Standards Board, CODEX Guidelines for Organic Farming and Handling and consumer expectations will be noted in the Side by Side Comparison where appropriate. Everyone is asked to critique the Proposed Rule and the Side by Side as well. A report follows by a participant at a meeting held last week with Keith Jones, staff director of the USDA National Organic Program. It should be noted there were no certified farmers or handlers in attendance. Without someone circulating the information of such meetings and the information supplied at such meetings to certified organic farmers and handlers, we are becoming more and more spoken for rather than spoken to. We suggest that for information flow and transparency, that statements that impact on the organic community at such "organic community meetings" with federal government representatives, need to be posted on the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website the following day. http://www.usda.gov [EMAIL PROTECTED] (The ph # for Keith Jones,National Organic Standards,USDA is 202-720-3252 and Fax: 202-690-3924) (Keith Jones,Program Manager,USDA-AMS-TM-NOP,Room 2510 South Building,P.O. Box 96456,Washington,DC 20090-6456) Monday, February 28 - Briefing with Keith Jones Representatives of the Organic Committee, Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, met with Keith who updated us about the rule and program news. Attending were Michael Sligh, Liana Hoode, Mardi Mellon, Joe Mendelson, Stacy Clary (CASWAG), Barbara Robinson (the USDA Secretary's legislative liaison), Diane Goodman and two or three others. Keith announced that the rule would be out within 10 days. The Secretary will hold a press conference announcing it and Keith will initiate conference calls to constituents on the same day. Kathleen will do a briefing for the Hill and with mainstream agriculture. The rule includes a user-friendly index so if you wanted direction to a subject like livestock, a find or search for that subject will turn up each time the word is used in the rule. It's 676 pages, double-spaced, single sided and the web site has been redesigned to handle it, as well as a capacity for 400,000 comments. The Preamble includes a question and answer section, a section of changes requested by those that commented and made by USDA, changes requested and not made and changes made by USDA on their own. There is not a side by side comparison of the rule, NOSB Final Recommendations, American Organic Standards, European Union Guidelines nor CODEX. There will be no USDA public hearings on the Proposed Rule. NEXT National Organic Standards Board Meeting Scheduled: The NOSB will meet in Buena Park, California March 21 and 22. --Day 1, first half will be NOSB Committee Reports, Materials will address ethylene, second half will be USDA briefing the Board about the Rule, --Day 2, first half will continue USDA briefing and second half for public input. New NOSB appointments will not be announced before the second Proposed Rule is issued. They will be in place before the Board meets in June. Dates for public input regarding certification of the production and handling of organic seafood meetings have been set. --April 7 Seattle Workshop formats with State of Washington and Alaska --April 10 Mobile, AL with EPA Gulf Coast Conference --April 11 Anchorage with Pacific Council of Fisheries --May 3 Providence, RI with Atlantic Council of Fisheries --June 23-24 University of Minnesota Independent conference Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] NEW, UPDATED WEBSITE: http://members.aol.com/organic4um/info Written contributions and comments are sought. If you desire your email address to be removed from our circulation list, please inform us. To be added to this email circulation request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] NOTICE In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. The Organic 4UM distributes this material free of charge even though, it takes considerable time and money to produce it. Eric Kindberg, Editor, Ripplebrook Organic Growers, Inc. Certified organic farm, Fairfield, Iowa <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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