[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E7]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E7]]
            ORGANIC FARMING IS ALIVE AND THRIVING IN VERMONT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 4, 2005

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of this 
body, and the Nation, the wonderful work that has been done by the 
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), and in particular the 
wonderful work its affiliate does in Vermont.
  In a time when the family farm is under great destructive pressures, 
in a time when agribusiness blindly ignores the potential for damage 
that accompanies chemical pesticides and GMOs, in a time when corporate 
agriculture ignores the need to sustain and replenish the soil that 
sustains life, there are those who fight to maintain a good, healthy, 
ongoing source of food for all of us.
  NOFA Vermont has been fighting, and continues to fight, for family 
farms, for responsible husbandry of the soil, for a secure and 
healthful food supply.
  NOFA Vermont has been in existence for over 30 years, and is one of 
the oldest organic farming associations in the entire United States. 
The Vermont chapter, one of seven state chapters in the northeastern 
region of the United States, currently has over 1,000 members. It has 
been a sustaining force for the 333 certified organic growers and 
producers in our New England state. They sell their produce and 
products in 52 farmers markets in Vermont, to local groceries and food 
stores, to grocery chains operating in Vermont, and indeed to 
distributors nationwide. In an especially noteworthy development, they 
have forged new relations with local buyers, and new distribution 
networks, through the formation of 42 Community Supported Agriculture 
(CSA) farms which provide food directly to consumers on an ongoing and 
regular basis.
  NOFA Vermont's dual commitment is to local agriculture and to organic 
agriculture. It strives to be a steward of the soil, a preserver of the 
ongoing vitality of the environment, a proponent for healthy and 
nutritious foods. Through education, organic certification and 
technical assistance it strengthens the agricultural community in 
Vermont. Through its efforts to sustain community food security, and to 
promote both the marketing of organic products and the development of 
new markets, like the farmers markets and CSAs I mentioned a few 
minutes ago, it builds a stronger presence for healthful foods in 
Vermont.
  It is important that we take time to recognize the individuals and 
organizations which not only nourish--in every way--our present, but 
look forward with vision to creating a strong and sustainable world for 
our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. NOFA Vermont, and its 
hundreds of members, nourish us and show us the shape of a vital, 
vibrant and human-centered future.

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