The National Organic Program has issued their proposed new pasture guidelines, and it is quite a dense, but informative read. Download the pdf at the bottom of this page and click through some of the highlights. You can also download your own copy of the proposed guidelines from NODPA (Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Association).
Jump to page 80 to learn definitions of the terms used in the report. As a co-op of grass framers, we love this one:
Graze. (1) The consumption of standing forage by livestock.
(2) To put livestock to feed on standing forage.
Grazing. To graze.
Seems right on track to us.
Some other highlights that jumped out at us are the discussion of what year-round grazing means on page 22; page 23 for what they really mean by access to pasture (year round!) and the prohibition of feedlots (really!); and page 40 to grasp the reality that 80,000 people took the time to comment on the proposed rules, beginning last April.
Go to page 2 and 3 to see how to submit your own suggestion. The comment period is open for sixty days. We have been talking for years about the gaps in the NOP (National Organic Program) regarding access to pasture, and other guidelines regarding grazing of livestock, and it’s great to see such a thoughtful document.
If you care about animal welfare, the nutritional benefits of eating grass-fed meat and dairy, environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture, and the future of family farming you will enjoy getting this inside look at the process that defines how we live, farm and eat.
| Attachment | Size |
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| access_to_pasture_10_2008.pdf | 231.57 KB |
