by Mark Kastel | Aug 26, 2022 | News Posts
Instead of being concerned with enforcing the letter and spirit of the law, and creating a level competitive playing field for all organic farmers, the USDA is willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of our tax money in an effort to create more farming serfs... 
by Mark Kastel | Jul 20, 2022 | News Posts
By Pete Hardin, Publisher of The Milkweed Why should U.S. taxpayer dollars bankroll research that seeks to boost the fortunes of the so-called, “lab-cultured meat” industry? Jeepers creepers … firms attempting to develop and market “lab-cultured meat” have attracted... 
by Mark Kastel | May 6, 2022 | News Posts
OrganicEye Continues to Advocate for Testing of All Imports According to the USDA, everything certified by an outfit accredited by the National Organic Program is organic. Until it isn’t. For years I banged on the NOP to crack down on fraudulent imports of grain from... 
by Mark Kastel | Mar 31, 2022 | News Posts
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) announced the appointment, on March 29, 2022, of Tom Chapman as the new Chief Executive Officer of the trade-lobby group based in Washington DC. Mr. Chapman was appointed by USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack to serve a five-year term on... 
by Mark Kastel | Mar 22, 2022 | News Posts
To the editor (of the New York Times): Kim Severson’s excellent article on lab cultured “meat” leaves a few questions unanswered. With an investment juggernaut of billions of dollars’ worth of private capital pouring into this nascent “food” category, why should USDA... 
by Mark Kastel | Feb 27, 2022 | News Posts
I’m really blessed to be able to live and work in an agrarian community in Southwest Wisconsin. By one estimate, it is thought that Vernon County has more organic farmers than any other county in the country. I’m a member of Vernon Electric Co-op and my telephone...