2: The Fight To Save Organic | Dave Chapman

Show Notes

In this episode, featuring Dave Chapman from the Real Organic Project, the discussion explores the struggles and philosophical shifts within the organic farming community, especially concerning the corporate influence on organic certification standards. 

Dave recounts the historical context of organic farming, emphasizing its roots as a movement against conventional agricultural practices and its evolution into a significant market force. He explains how this has sparked a debate within the community about the essence of organic farming and led to the creation of the Real Organic Project, which aims to uphold more traditional organic practices.

Real Organic Project:

https://realorganicproject.org/ 

PLEASE make sure to subscribe to the podcast, download our episodes, and rate them! Your support means the world to us. Thank you!

Sponsors

Bootstrap Farmer https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/ 

Ooooby https://www.ooooby.com/ (mention the podcast for 75% off onboarding fee)

New Society Publishing https://newsociety.com/ (use code smallfarm25 for 25% off all books)

[2:53] Intro

[4:19] Organic has always been an insurgency

[7:14] History of organic

[8:26] Ivy league kids growing their own food in the 60s

[10:26] Dave's farming story

[13:59] You couldn't find organic at the grocery store in the 90s

[15:03] Early adopters of organic and its importance

[16:32] Fraudulent organic grain in the US

[18:10] The moment it stopped being a "movement"

[19:00] Patrick Holden, Lady Eve Balfour, and Albert Howard

[20:34] Corporate forces co-opting the cultural movement

[23:37] The rapid loss of meaning with "regenerative"

[27:56] Rachel Carson's Silent Spring

[34:43] History of ag in Asia - F.H. King's Farmers Of 40 Centuries

[36:44] Hydroponic becomes organic and the start of the Real Organic Project

[42:00] CAFO's in organic

[44:30] Zephyr Teachout's Break 'Em Up

[45:43] Monopolies were being broken up before Robert Bork changed things in the 1980s

[48:56] 70% of organic berries in the US are Driscoll's berries

[53:23] How can small organic farmers compete with the prices of big organic?

[54:47] Majority of our food production moving to central America

[58:26] Thoreau and ML King's activism

[1:02:48] There has always been bad farming even before chemical agriculture

[1:04:59] Why big companies love "regenerative"

[1:07:12] Monsanto's "climate smart" agriculture

[1:08:04 Is "No-Till" being co-opted too?

[1:12:04] Pepsi claims regenerative?!

[1:13:25] Hope for the future

[1:18:33] The world's best manipulators have all the money, and they're working tirelessly to mislead you

[1:19:09] Seth Godin on the internet

[1:20:20] It was hard for the pioneers in the past, and it won't be easy in the future either

[1:25:30] Europe's field to fork initiative

[1:42:50] The Real Organic Project

[1:45:19] What book have you read more than once?

[1:46:56] What advice did you only appreciate later in life?

[1:49:05] What's the best difficult decision and best mistake you've ever made?

Links/Resources

Market Gardener Institute:  https://themarketgardener.com/ 

Masterclass:  https://themarketgardener.com/courses/the-market-gardener-masterclass/ 

Newsletter:  https://themarketgardener.ac-page.com/newsletter-subscription 

Blog:  https://themarketgardener.com/blog 

Books: https://themarketgardener.com/books

Growers & Co: https://growers.co/

Heirloom: https://heirloom.ag/

The Old Mill: https://www.espaceoldmill.com/en/

Follow Us

Website: http://themarketgardener.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/marketgardenerinstitute 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarketgardeners 

Guest Social Media Links

Real Organic Project:

https://realorganicproject.org/ 

JM:

https://www.instagram.com/jeanmartinfortier

https://www.facebook.com/jeanmartinfortier 

Chris:

https://www.instagram.com/chris_m_moran