Fall 2011 SOD Newsletter

President's Message

by Martin Meinert

I hope everyone had a good summer and fall and that harvest went well. Here is looking at continued good prices for the upcoming year.

I have now been President and a board member for 10 months. It has been a great learning experience and very rewarding. My hope is that more people would want to experience this.

SOD is a membership group and we are always looking for volunteers for special projects, committees and especially board members. Becoming involved doesn’t necessarily mean lots of time. For example the board meets primarily by phone conferences once per month from October to April and then only if needed during the summer. It gives you a chance to be informed and supply input into organic policy and/or direction. Phone or email Heather if you are interested.

Organic Research in Saskatchewan

There is a lot to talk about when it comes to research! In this and subsequent newsletters, we will feature the ongoing work being done in the province.

Myriam Fernandez, Ph. D. is a plant pathologist at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre (SPARC) in Swift Current. She is actively involved with their organic research.

Five years ago, five acres of land were set aside at SPARC for organic research. This land was under green manure (field pea), with no chemical inputs for a few years before the studies were initiated. To read about the research being conducted since 2010 in the land managed organically at SPARC go to Myriam's article.

Root and crown rot are important and widespread cereal diseases present in most parts of the world and among the most damaging diseases of cereal crops in western Canada. Research on wheat diseases in organic versus non-organic systems was recently published in Agronomy Journal, Vol. 103(2011), by M. R. Fernandez, D. Ulrich, S. A. Brandt, R. P. Zentner, H. Wang, A. G. Thomas, and O. Olfert. To read a summary of the findings go to SOD website.

Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) Project

The ADOPT Project is a joint federal-provincial program that is a part of the Growing Forward initiative. It provides funding to producer groups to evaluate new techniques for use in their regions. In 2010, spring funding went to 69 projects submitted by 28 producer groups. Of these, eight organic projects were submitted by four Saskatchewan regional organic producer groups. The highlights of the organic projects can be found on the Organic Connections website. The organic projects that received funding for 2011 (spring) are as follows:

In-Crop Weed Management in Durum
In-Crop Weed Management in Fall Rye
In-Crop Weed Management in Large Green Lentils
- Project Administrator: Saskatchewan Organic Directorate
- Producer working on the project: James Schiller
Evaluation of Nitrogen Contribution from Different Organic Plough Down Crops
- Project Administrator: North West Saskatchewan Organic Producers Inc. (NWSOP)
- Producer working on the project: Dean Gregory
Seeding Establishment Methods for Growing Organic Caraway
- Project Administrator: OCIA Chapter 5 of Sask. Inc.
- Producer working on the project: Gerard Draude
Alternative Legume Crops for Plowdown to replace Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover
Seeding Establishment Methods for Growing Organic Caraway
- Project Administrator: South West Saskatchewan OCIA Chapter 8, Inc.

Link to ADOPT Application information through Saskatchewan Agriculture: http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/ADOPT - next deadline for summer project is Dec. 15, 2011.

Are Organic Grain Markets Recovering?

by Brenda Frick

Buyers of organic grains are approaching the new marketing year with guarded optimism. They see product beginning to move, and prices fairly stable, perhaps even creeping slowly upward. This is good news to organic producers who have been discouraged by stalled markets in the last couple of years. For more insight into marketing trends, read on...

The Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) File an Amended Complaint Against Monsanto Company and Monsanto Technology LLC

New threats by Monsanto led to the filing of an amended complaint on June 1, 2011 by the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT) in its suit challenging Monsanto's patents on genetically modified seed. Twenty-three new plaintiffs (family farmers, small and family owned seed businesses, and organic agricultural organizations) have also joined bringing the total number represented in the case to 83.

Organic Sector Works To Stop Roundup Ready Alfalfa

SOD signed on to the Canadian Organic Growers letter of support that was sent to Honorable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The letter addressed concerns about the pending approval of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Alfalfa. The letter stated that the organic sector views this as the most urgent threat facing organic farming and the timing could not be worse. The organic sector has spent years building the organic brand and has good reason to believe that licensing RR alfalfa will irreversibly undermine everyone’s efforts and erode organic integrity. For example, livestock and poultry farmers who feed grain to their animals face issues of GM-contaminated feed. Organic certifiers must make decisions about whether or not, and under what conditions, to require testing for GM contamination as part of the certification process.

Honorable Gerry Ritz declined the invitation to meet with the organic sector!

Saskatchewan Organic Directorate:Organic Agriculture Protection Fund Committee Update

SOD: Organic Agriculture Protection Fund, with the support of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network have been working towards educating politicians and the public about organic producers concerns regarding genetically engineered glyphosate tolerant alfalfa - Monsanto's Roundup Ready Alfalfa.

Dining with the Stars mini-series launched

Dining with the Stars began as an awareness campaign undertaken by the Food Miles Committee of the Saskatchewan Organic Directorate (SOD). The committee’s goals were simple: connect our producers, restaurants, and consumers to each other, and raise awareness about the diverse and plentiful array of healthy, local, and organic food found right here in Saskatchewan.

Over the past year, thirteen restaurants and an A-list of local celebrities were invited to take part in the Dining with the Stars project. Seventeen producers donated local, organic food which the chefs artfully prepared into gourmet meals. Local restaurants played host to the events as the producers and stars were invited to indulge in fabulous meals with engaging conversations and hours of evening fun which included sampling organic beer and wine. All of the events were captured on film and from this the intriguing mini-series known as Dining with the Stars was born.

On October 16th, at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the public was treated to a mini organic trade show where they could meet the producers and purchase local organic ingredients. They also had the opportunity to preview the 13 episodes of the mini-series Dining with the Stars.

In the evening, invited guests attended a Gala Launch event. They were treated to hors d’oeuvres prepared by chefs involved in the series. Enjoyed by all were offerings of -

Cactus Creek’s Highland Beef sliders prepared by Chef Malcolm of Beer Brothers
Beet chips loaded with a local fish tartar and garnished with pea sprouts courtesy of Chefs Martin and Ricky of the Creek in Cathedral Bistro
Wonderful gnocchi prepared by Gold Plates winner, Dan Walker from Weczeria in Saskatoon
Homemade organic breads used in a variety of applications from Jenni Willems of New Ground Café, Birch Hills and Pat Magel from the Banbury House in Wolsley
Prince Rupert side striped shrimp, spiced butternut squash, San Marzano tomato cocktail sauce with lemon pepper toasted sunflower seeds served up by Chef Anthony of the Saskatoon Club
Chef Milton from the Radisson Hotel Saskatchewan impressed everyone with his preparation of Saskatchewan beets from D and D Market Garden served with local goat cheese
Local and organic beers and organic wines were enjoyed by many of the guests

Marion McBride, Promotion CoordinatorAfter the social, guests met in the theatre for a short program and a viewing of episode thirteen of the mini-series. Anastasia Winterhalt was the guest performer during the program and sang two lovely pieces.

Thank you to everyone who took time to participate in the day and make it a success!!

For a list of TV dates and times and for more details about the individual suppers, go to the Dine with the Stars page on SOD website.