Organic news 14th April 2011

NEWS ****NEWS****NEWS****

Organic sales in Ireland return to stability:

"According to the latest Kantar data (52 wk ended 20th Feb 2011) the Irish organic market is valued at �97.8m. This represents a marginal decline on the previous year but signals a significant slowdown in the rate of decline from 14% a year earlier." according to Mary Morrissey of Bord Bia, who have access to Kantar's research (slightly wacky super slick site btw!)

Similar news came from the UK and the US recently, whereas the mainland of the EU never saw decline anyway.....more on this in the Examiner soon....

Organic Farming and Climate Change mitigation:

Two talks coming up soon:@ Dublin and Cloughjordan by Gundula Azeez, formerly of the British National Farmers Union, the Soil Association the EU Commission. Part of the FEASTA lecture series on Low External Input Agriculture - the only road to a sustainable food supply ,these talks will encompass farming, climate change, organic and biochar. Full weekend of events listed here

Supervalu & Organic Growers: partnering up

Is this, finally, a little bit of the farmers' market spirit right in the centre of the supermarket? Is this some sort of a solution to the imponderable of supermarket dominance and a lack of significantly penetrating alternatives, especially in the UK or Ireland (well, really the whole English speaking world, where supermarkets have a hegemony when compared to mainland Europe)

And does SuperValu's franchise structure actively allow for such a thing to develop?

begins

Organic vegetable sales up 150% for the retailer and twice the area planted for the grower. That, in straightforward terms, is what has happened in Glanmire thanks to the new arrangement SuperValu have with organic growers.

Walking into the Glanmire Supervalu, you cannot fail to be impressed by what is Ireland's largest Supervalu store. What's more impressive, from an organic perspective, is the dedicated island one organic vegetable grower, Colum O Regan, has all to himself.

Supervalu's fresh fruit and veg people have a direct, one-to-one relationship with organic growers all over Ireland, and it is, if you will, a growing phenomenon.

(Pic: Una Ni Broin of Beechlawn house, one of the Enterprises that initiated the SuperValu organic growers initiative)

Rather than centralised distribution and anonymous placement within the rows and rows of various vegetables, Colum O Regan's veg has its own display area out on its own, with dedicated blackboards, Specially commissioned photographs, and even regular appearances by the man himself at stacking time.

These islands act as a little organic oasis amid rows and rows of self-same produce.

I asked Emma Rochford of Musgraves about this recent departure for their SuperValu stores. �To allow us to differentiate from other multiplies in the market, we have decided to work with local organic growers, bringing them into our stores and giving their product treatment in a different way.�

�We treat the local organic growers differently in that we guarantee them a particular space in the store in which to merchandise their product. This area or section will be dedicated to them. We then support them by providing the growers with complementary bespoke point of sale materials � blackboards on which to write their name and key offer, and personalised communications � so we have their image on the posters or shelf talkers, allowing locals to really identify the growers�

She continues �SuperValu recruits growers to come on board and helps to get them retail ready. The arrangements however are made solely between the individual stores and growers in question. We issue a number of guidelines or recommendations but between them the retailers and growers come to their own agreements on price, delivery dates, range of products supplied and so on. There is no fee or charge to the growers for supplying the stores.�

�They do really know what they are doing� according to Colum. �When they give you advice on how to sell more of this or that, through better use of your display area, it works�. He cites highlighting a round figure value offer on the blackboard as an example: �when you put the beetroot at a 2E deal, and put this on the blackboard, the customer really goes for it.�

It all began with Padraig Fahy and Una Ni Bhroin in east Galway in early 2009, who supplied 6 SuperValu stores in the region. Receiving various supports (e.g. grants for packaging and chilled delivery) and training, the couple initially road tested just two varieties. Now, they stock 15 seasonal lines.

According to Emma �Last year in 2010 we worked with 8 growers who supplied 20 of our stores. Our aim would be to have growers supplying 50 stores this summer. We currently expect to work with 14 growers over this summer season but are actively seeking more growers. Our aim would be to continue to grow the project year on year and to be in a position to have this initiative in 100 stores by 2013.�

According to Colum O 'Regan, the growers who supply Supervalu have started to �get together to swap knowledge informally�: �its very precise, even down to the pure agronomy of the whole thing. How do you supply a tonne of carrots every week? Two tonnes, ten tonnes, what ever it is. And at a good quality.�

Nevertheless, the numbers Supervalu are aiming for are ambitious. Already they are talking to growers who are in conversion about future opportunities.

�There are Supervalus in many towns in Ireland, and there might not be the grower there, yet, to supply to the required volume�. �But� he adds, �this sort of set-up might give them the confidence to start�.

Farm Diversification - piecemeal or significant?

Once seen as a diversion from 'real farming', increasingly, farmers are opting for one or more of the many diversification opportunities out there.

There are powerful drivers for this.

Off-farm employment has been a vital part of the rural economy in recent years. It accounted for 81% of household income on part-time farms and 38% on full-time farms according to the National Farm Survey 2009.

(pic: an apiary)

However, there has been a decline in the availability of off farm jobs since 2007 especially.

In 2009 �35% of farms, the main farm operator had off-farm jobs while on 51% of farms the farmer and/or the spouse had off-farm employment�. That's according to Teagasc economic geographer David Meredith, who also stated at a recent Jobs' conference:

�The level of off-farm employment dropped substantially from the peak in 2007 where on 41% of farms the main farm operator had off-farm employment, and the proportion of farms where the farmer and/or spouse had off-farm employment had reached 58%.�

While employment potential is still relatively high in some professional sectors, such as Science and ICT (Internet and Communications Technology), construction-related work and other manual and semi-skilled sectors have been are reducing their workforces.

Fast Forward to 2011, and the agricultural colleges are full of young potential farmers - a group to whom diversification appeals. With time on their side, better ICT skills, and sometimes a 3rd level education and some travel behind them, young farmers can be full of ideas for opportunities to generate novel sources of income.

Another significant driver of diversification is the new, central place agri-food takes up in plans for National Recovery. Harvest 2020 roadmaps growth in the agri-food sector from E8 billion to E12 billion by 2020, and diversified farm enterprises will be part of this drive.

According to preliminary findings from Teagasc's economic geographer David Meredith, 45% of farmers are interested in diversification. That his research was drawn from mainly larger dairy and drystock enterprises located in the Meath, Kildare and Wicklow area (with the remainder from Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo) makes this all the more significant: large, east coast farmers have not always been this interested in diversification.

He also points out that the rates of diversification in Ireland, though rising, are still very low. Less than 5%, or 5000 Irish farmers diversify, whereas in the UK, the figure is 51%.

However, in the UK, leasing space to businesses is a primary farm diversification, a factor which stems from the UK's dense population, and the proximity of most farmland to urban and industrial centres. So it is unlikely that anything like this level of diversification could happen in Ireland.

That said, farmers have certain advantages when it comes to diversification.

According to David Meredith, these include the fact that farmers, in general, have good business acumen; think long-term and strategically; are multi-skilled (from animal husbandry to administration); have access to personal supports -(i.e. family members' labour and skills); have access to community supports; understand regulatory frameworks; have valuable assets (for collateral, for storage, as workshop space) and low borrowings.

He cites the following as challenges: Raising capital to develop new businesses; raising sufficient capital to meet matched funding requirements; overcoming the risk attached to a new venture, particularly, the impact it could have on the continued viability of the farm enterprise; lack of information on available financial and other supports; uncertainty concerning impact of regulations; a lack of time to develop new enterprises.

There are other negatives too: its not just access to information on funding � the funding itself is under threat. The current LEADER embargo on on-farm food production, processing or preparation came as a bolt out of the blue for many applicants, and has seriously delayed many diversification plans. There is no guarantee it will be resolved in a way conducive to current applications.

Some of the first cuts of the recent recession were in agri-food, to REPS (Rural Environment Protection Scheme) and FEPS (Forest Environment Protection Scheme). Considering the length of the commitment and long term planning involved in forestry, the 8% FEPS premium cut in 2009 was especially severe. The scheme is also difficult to join now.

Likewise, the supports available under the AEOS scheme are nowhere near the REPS supports levels.

On the individual level, ICT skills are increasingly important, and this is not an area all farmers are comfortable with, though upskilling is available, and family members can be drawn on.

It is also the case that with cuts pending in the next sequence of budgets, and with the overall effect of the recession, there are demand problems too - potential customers have less money. Add to this what are considered especially strict interpretations of EU rules and regulations in Ireland when compared to elsewhere in the EU, for one of the key areas of diversification � artisan food processing (cheese, ice cream etc).

Farmers also have options other than diversification coming downstream, in particular upscaling and intensifying, with the end of dairy quota in 2015.

There are positives too. Certain areas in diversification are genuine growth areas. Sales of organic food on the mainland of the EU, where the recession has not been as difficult, are stable and rising. Indeed the organic market in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany and Switzerland continued to grow even in 2009-2010. All have increased growth rates for 2011.

In organics and elsewhere, it is also the case that forming a group - producer group, co-op or limited company - can pool resources and allow for economies of scale to develop, as the success the Leitrim Organic Co-op has in finding premiums for its members suggests.

Thinking more as a business person than just as a farmer can be beneficial too: Utilizing ICT is affordable in set-up terms. Selling on ebay or other similar sites has become more and more popular, whilst web-based sales are a real growth area in general.

In the UK, on-line sales in January 2011 were at the highest level for any January. There, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, online retailers accrued �5.1bn sales for January this year, a massive 21% increase on last January.

According to Paul McCarthy of Teagasc, many areas in the green economy offer up significant potential. He lists �renewables, biomass, crops or services on the green side, wood chip, anaerobic digestion, wind, retrofitting houses even, miscanthus or willow�. McCarthy points out that there are also options to scale these up to a national level � as an example, a wood chip or a retro fit/insulation company can move from being a single farm nixer into a regional and then nationwide industry.

And while he is hopeful that supports in this area will grow, Ireland has stiff competition from elsewhere in terms or supports and returns. �For energy, to take one example, the odds are stacked against farmers here, compared to Northern Ireland. They have better paybacks from the National Grid, and their incentives are lined up� says McCarthy.

Innovation and planning are vital. Before you start, you may want to consider availing of background household budgeting supports.

Teagasc's Options programme is one such support. David Meredith: �Options works with farm households to assess their current status and evaluates what steps might be undertaken to sustain the farm business into the future. The programme takes a realistic look at the household's financial situation by first establishing the level of income generated from farm activities and off-farm employment�.

He continues: �the costs of running the farm enterprise and household living expenses are then assessed with regard to, firstly, the income situation and, secondly, future income needs which might revolve around making allowance for pension savings or sending children to college�.

Teagasc have developed a �Household Budget Calculator� which is available through their website. This calculator lets farm households track where the money goes every month, which is the first step in assessing their current status.

V. D. Kaviraj comes to Ireland

A very interesting character, V. D. Kaviraj, is visiting Ireland to give a weekend workshop on homoeopathy & the garden.

Its on 16th & 17th April in The Community Gardens in Scariff Co. Clare. If you have an interest in the area, its not to be missed.

(Do google this guys life story - it doesn't get more epic really - we're talking a healer on the planetary scale fighting the good fight, often in very unusual circumstances!)

Forming Co-ops and groups for organic farmers

More than other types of farming, organic farming can be isolating. This is because organic farmers are spread out, diffusely, around Ireland.

Whereas a conventional beef, sheep or dairy farmer may have neighbours with similar enterprises, organic farmers can be some distance from other organic farmers.

In more mature organic sectors abroad, this effect diminishes as organic farms cluster in regions over time (See for e.g. Dr. Matt Reed's work on spatial dynamics and organic farming in Devon)

Of course, organic and conventional farmers can and do interact with each other in a variety of ways � however there are undoubted benefits to organic farmers working together too.

While local organic producer groups would be difficult to sustain numerically, regional organic producer groups have perhaps more potential.

One such group is meeting in Ballyvourney, Cork, on the 27th of this month, at 3PM. Tom Murray of Earth Angel Organics has been central to the formation of the group, which has met twice already.

Earth Angel Organics run a small but very diverse holding near Watercress Hill in the Glanmire part of Cork. Market gardening and direct selling a range of organic vegetables is Tom and Carol Murray's core business, but they also produces an array of other foods � eggs, chicken, pork, lamb, as well as jams, pickles, sauces more.

(For a detailed feature on Earth Angel Organics, see the upcoming edition of Organic Matters Magazine)

I spoke to Tom about the formation of the group.

�Really, people were crying out for working together� he tells me. �We are getting organic farmers and growers from across Munster, from Cork, Kerry and Limerick�.

He continues �our first meeting in November had 20 people, the next in December in Mills Inn had more, and we're hoping for more again for our February meeting�.

There are significant benefits to forming a group: �There's shared purchasing power for a start. For example, a lorryload of feed from the UK can work out far cheaper than buying it as individuals in Ireland�.

The monopolistic situation in Ireland with regard to organic feed makes price competition especially difficult to generate.

�A 25 kg bag of organic feed can cost E15.50, and some have been paying to E17 for the same bag. Buying a tonne from the UK means that it works out at more like E12.50 for 25 kg�.

There are other positive feed effects too: �4 tonnes of oats were traded at the first meeting� he tells me �I knew we were onto something good once I saw that�.

There are other ways to save time and money too, when operating as a group: �You could spend an age looking up something on line, when someone else has already looked into it.�

Their upcoming meeting will feature John Brennan of the Leitrim Organic Farmers' Co-op and Sean McGloin of NOTS- the National Organic Training Skillsnet. The Leitrim Co-op are a good example of how and why farmers should try to work together where it suits them.

According to Sean McGloin, organic farmers in North West can achieve better prices that those in the South West.

This is in part because, along with IOFGA, the Leitrim Co-op run numerous organic cattle marts in Drumshanbo. They also work on some of the ancillary elements to the marts, such as transport to and from the location.

In general, with the work of the co-op, through beef contracts, advice on finishing animals, farmer to farmer linkages, farm visits, breed advice and strong sales promotion, organic farmers in the north west are more likely to achieve a price premium at the various stages.

This also means that the organics retains its cattle and sheep � a fact which maintains overall organic sector buoyancy.

The Ballyvourney Organic Producer's Group: Contact Tom Murray on 087 6237859

Leitrim coop are here

Sean McGloin's take on the state of the Organic Sector in Ireland.

The state of play for organic farming and food were laid out by Sean McGloin of NOTS, the National Organic Training Skillsnet at a rural jobs conference in February.

Along with Sean McGloin, Orla Clancy and JP Crowe spoke about their experiences of being organic farmers and food businesses. There was a specific focus on the development of jobs in the sector.

(Pic: Clancy's mobile unit: see also here for a feature on Clancy's in Organic Matters)

Attendees were also asked to identify including important factors shaping the sector; implications of these drivers; future direction of the sector; how we get there.

McGloin is well positioned to give an opinion on the state of the organic sector in Ireland, as he works with organic farmers every day.

His presentation dealt with organic farming's outlook, market drivers, opportunities for employment, barriers to expansion and future needs.

The organic outlook was described as generally good � he cited livestock as strong, with demand outstripping supply. Other areas have a positive outlook too: demand from Flahavans is leading to a good cereal market, much needed horticultural refocusing has helped with growth and finally value adding is increasingly important.

A number of sectoral drivers were listed for both producers and consumers. For producers he pointed to an ambitious mindset; their faith in the product; significant demand; the method of farming; job satisfaction; quality of life; financial and soft supports; and finally producer groups.

What were emphasised most during the presentation were lifestyle issues. These are often overlooked in crude macro economic analysis of farming � organic or otherwise.

In fact, the end of family farming was first predicted in the 1890s by political economist Karl Kautsky. For a variety of non-strictly economic reasons, this hasn't happened.

As an example, changes in the Single Farm Payment were predicted to make much conventional beef farming un-viable, and yet it, like other types of farming, have persisted.

In straightforward terms, farmers enjoy farming and adapt other aspects of their lives to accommodate this. As an example, they may take on a part-time job to keep part-time farming, rather than leave farming altogether.

A similar situation holds for organic farmers � as a way of life, with lower stocking rates and higher biodiversity surrounding you, its could for some be less stressful and intense than other types of farming.

As consumer drivers, McGloin listed: health; children; illness recovery; being more food aware; being interested in local food; lower cost differential; a feelgood feeling; nostalgia; and better access to organic food sources.

Again, lots of interesting elements to these divers. Health and illness recovery do reflect a precautionary approach from consumers, whatever about official positions from State agencies.

Certainly, the availability and cost of organic food have improved from a consumer perspective � the main Discounters offer budget-style organic lines in field scale vegetables, dairy and meat products especially.

With a focus on rural job creation at the event, he then went on to discuss the job opportunities organic farming offers. Adding Value on farm can, he suggested, return farmers to full time on-farm employment. It can also be good for local employment, through the utilization of local services by said farmers.

Organic farming has become attractive due to the downturn � small landowners are returning to farming as a realistic option with fewer options elsewhere in the economy. Organic is benefiting from this, as farming in general is.

However, organic may be more attractive to some because of their travel, education, work or consumption experiences of recent years. Horticulture was cited as a specific area for returnees.

Tourism and quality of life factors also featured as an organic farming employment area: Organic farms have a significant potential to double up as ecotourism locations, so they offer a diversification option. Quality of life referred again in part to diversification - working from home on an organic food business is attractive to a family unit with young children. (His own childcare bill made the point, at E16,000 per annum!)

There are however, both barriers and solutions to the further growth of the organic farming and food sector, which McGloin also dealt with. More on these next posting.

ORGANIC FARMING SCHEME REOPENS

Quick posting today everybody, but yes, the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) has reopened for 2011. Later than usual, and in the political limbo that's out there at present, it hasn't even been press released (apparently u need a minister to issue a press release)

Here is the form that you'll need to start the process of joining the OFS for 2011.

You must have joined by 16th May 2011. Applications now sent to Johnstown Castle directly (to speed processing up)

WHAT DO THE MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES SAY ABOUT ORGANIC FARMING AND GM?

Ella's blog has a handy guide to the Elections and agri-food policy for the main parties.

Its' here

Did a quick organic farming and food food scan through the docs, and here's what I found.

FG mentions of Organic in their agri-food document: 0

(strong mention of GM and moving beyond 'idealogical posturing' on page 17)

Labour: 3 (though two are the exact same words placed into two separate locations!)

(No mention of GM in agriculture/food)

Sinn Fein: 6 mentions; incl 2nd para; A standalone heading called - A funding initiative to promote organic farming in Ireland. They also have a stated anti-GM in agriculture/food position in the doc (not done page by page, just placed on site)

FF: 0 (and No mention of GM in agriculture/food)

GP: 0 (anti-GM in agriculture/food position has a category. pg 32)

Peak Phosphorus: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

This EXCLUSIVE feature (with part 2 next time) deals with phosphorus availability to farming. While the primary thing that's going on in North Africa right now is a fight for democracy, in the context of this article, North Africa takes on a new significance...Especially Morocco .

Read on to see why....

(pic: phosphorus mining, from tree hugger)

Sometimes, it seems, its not that it rains but it pours. Just as the economy nosedives, a whole range of agri-food peaks seem to be emerging in tandem.

There's an impending peak in global oil availability. There is the peak of 350 parts per million in atmospheric carbon, which we have passed but hope to drop back to. Without doing so, we are over what scientists consider to be the safe limit and may trigger runaway climate change.

And now, there's peak phosphorus.

Of the farmers' Holy Trinity of N, P and K in the stalwart bag of 10-10-20, its the K that's most at risk.

While mined potassium will be available for centuries, and while nitrogen can be fixed from the air, mined phosphorus may only have decades left. What's more, a peak in supply may, according to a new report issued by the UK's Soil Association, come as soon as 2033.

This report, �A rock and a hard place: Peak phosphorus and the threat to our food security� points out that once we come close to and reach this peak, prices will inevitably start to rise.

Crucially, agriculture will have to adapt to this or face the possibility of failing to feed even more than the 8-900 million it currently fails to feed.

What has been called by the Scientific American �a geostrategic time bomb� colours the situation significantly: there are just three main global sources of phosphorus - the US, China and Morocco/Western Sahara.

According to the Soil Association report, �In 2009, 158 million metric tonnes of phosphate

rock was mined worldwide. 67% of this resource was mined in just three countries - China (35%), the USA (17%) and Morocco and Western Sahara (15%). China has now restricted, and the USA has stopped, exports of phosphate�.

So that basically leaves the rest of the world depending on Morocco.

The report claims that phosphate availability �is missing from the global policy agenda - we are completely unprepared to deal with the shortages in phosphorus inputs, the drop in production and the hike in food prices that will follow. Without fertilisation from phosphorus it has been estimated that wheat yields could more then halve in coming decades, falling from nine tonnes a hectare to four tonnes a hectare.�

Research released in 2008 by the pan-European QLIF (Quality Low Input Food) project reported found even more stark figures. It suggested that without phosphorus, non-organic wheat yields could fall from an average of eight to just 2.5 tonnes per hectare, while organic yields (of six tonnes per hectare) would also decline, though not as starkly. This is because organic farming encourages a wider number of sources of phosphate input.

According to Professor Carlo Leifert, one of the scientists at the University of Newcastle working on the project, �If you look at textbooks from 30 years ago, they estimate that we had about 500 years of phosphorus left. Now we are using about 125 million tonnes each year. Even optimists � and we are optimists � estimate that there is no more than about 60 years of phosphorus left now. And you can�t substitute one mineral fertiliser with another.�

The 2010 Soil Association report points out that �the current price of phosphate rock is approximately twice that of 2006. When demand for phosphate fertiliser outstripped supply in 2007/08, the price of rock phosphate rose 800%.�

It continues �A radical rethink of how we farm, what we eat and how we deal with human excreta, so that adequate phosphorus levels can be maintained without reliance on mined phosphate, is crucial for ensuring our future food supplies.�

Can Organic farming deliver multiple public policy goods? Yes it can!

Catchy title, eh? (!)

�The most interesting and important result of the CAP Reform to date has been that the public consultation and communication showed that people want agriculture to deliver on public goods, people want good quality food produced in a manner which does not compromise the environment.�

That's according to Christopher Stopes, current President of IFOAM, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

He points out that there is some recognition of this fact at European Commission level. Their recent communication The CAP towards 2020, he states, �recognises the special quality organic farm products offer to consumers, and stresses the need to further strengthen the organic quality scheme as a policy tool�.

�If implemented in an ambitious way, this will be an asset for the future of the CAP, as organic

farming does not only provide consumers with high-quality food, but is also a comprehensive approach to deliver solutions for the challenges the Commission has so clearly lined out, including climate change, biodiversity loss, depletion of natural resources such as soil, water and nutrients, while also promoting enhanced animal welfare standards.�

Stopes was in Ireland recently, speaking in Tullamore at the rescheduled IOFGA AGM. He expanded upon these and other related points as keynote speaker at the event.

Pointing out the basic inconsistencies and failings of agriculture and food policies, he described a recent meeting with a financier who �made �150 million in speculation on grain in January this year�.

Who said there was no money in farming?

Meanwhile, 150 million more people have been pushed into hunger in the last three years than were previously.

In essence, the deregulation of markets has allowed food to be speculated upon and hoarded, even while people starve. Indeed, bumper crops in African countries can ironically and tragically lead to famine in the very country that produces the crop, through market reactions to said crop.

Exposing a lack of joined up thinking, Stopes also noted that food-related ill-health spending is the equivalent of �1/3 of the CAP budget anyway.�

Noting a kind of environmental future-proofing in the functioning of organic farms, he made an analogy: because hedges on farms allow for rotations, reduce parasites levels and increase biodiversity, Stopes describes organic farmers as �the real hedge fund managers�

Industry, he pointed out, has always been slow to warn about its own negative effects: �where have the warnings been from industry? The manufacturers didn't take it upon themselves to tell us. They stood by while the Rachael Carsons of the world actually said something�.

Comparing the organic farming and food sectors in the UK and Ireland, he pointed out that state support is stronger here than in the UK.

�In Harvest 2020, it states that organic supports should continue � organic is not even mentioned in the UK's equivalent document�

Bord Bia, he suggested, are far more supportive of organic food than their UK equivalents, the Food Standards Authority.

And the UK's DEFRA, unlike the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, do not organise a delegation to the trade show BioFach.

He hopes, however, for something of a leap of faith from organic being seen as a quality marker, as it is described in the recent CAP document, towards it being seen as a multifunctional deliverer of stated public policy goals.

While expanding Pillar 2 of the CAP offers the most hope for developing the organic sector, there are issues.

Not only does Pillar 2 receive less financial support from the overall CAP budget, �the big problem is that Pillar 2 requires co-financing by member states�. So there is �patchy support for organic policy� across the EU 27 as a result, he suggested.

The 'elephant in the living room', as it were, is the greening of Pillar 1. Traditional the domain of production only, he suggested that the greening of Pillar 1 would tie a far more significant number of public policy aims together.

For more, see IFOAM

How does your grass grow? Ask Gareth Jones

While there is plenty of advice on organic farming practices available in Ireland, there are accessible options across the water too.

Welshman Gareth Jones is one such option. Jones is part of Abacus Organic, a consultancy specialising in all aspects of organic farming and food business development.

Abacus Organic offer assistance in organic farm business management advice, food production, processing product development and procurement; all aspects of cropping, horticulture and livestock; health and safety, retail supply chain management, financial analysis, continuity programming, product development, food hygiene, food safety and more.

Many types of clients avail of these services, including clients in Ireland. Jones, one of Abacus Organic's Directors, was in Ireland last Summer visiting farms with the National Organic Training Skillsnet. (www.nots.ie)

He has also helped Ralph Haslam of Mossfield Cheese in Offaly reseed some of his fields in recent years. Having walked these fields on a couple of occasions in recent months, I have seen first hand the difference between the old and new fields.

In biodiversity terms, these new reseeded fields are incredible, with a great variety of plants and because of this, insects � dragonflies, crickets, ladybirds. And then, with the insects, there are many more birds due to the increase in bird food these insects provide.

But in pure farming terms - what about the productivity of the sward?

While he works mainly with organic farmers, Jones reckons that every farmer could benefit from a bespoke sward. �why not use grasses, clovers and herbs, and tailor these to your land and conditions?� he asks in his inquisitive, lilting tone.

�You'll save in fertility and in the time and effort involved in doing a job: the plants can last 15 years at least, which saves on fuel, compaction of soil and other considerations. Some of them can even last 25 years. Farmers are running around like headless chickens, they have no time, they are constantly watching grasses � crop watching. They could just change the sward.�

So what does Gareth Jones do in his own version of operation transformation? The starting point is fertility building and a soil sample. �We start with soil and soil type, take a sample, do a standard analysis for N, P and K�.

If there's a problem, if there are patches where crops aren't growing properly, or if there is a physical problem like waterlogging, we do a more comprehensive analysis. That's done once, and it gives answers that address a multitude of possible concerns. While its more expensive, it only has to be done once and not only does it tell you what you need to do, it tells you what you don't need to do. Sometimes farmers are applying lime and there's no need for lime. So it can save you time and money�.

I asked him about specific swards for specific purposes, and there was, literally, no stopping him. Great and intricate detail on every possible livestock and crop combination, and the plants to help with each of these. The relative merits of merviot versus milvous red clovers, rotations, peas or barley � Jones was in his comfort zone.

One thing he was especially keen to reiterate was the uniqueness of each farm, and what that should mean for the grasses grown: �It doesn't make sense really, I think, to just buy the standard mix of whatever it is. Seed companies have a mixture for a job � its the same for all regions, but the weather conditions are different everywhere�.

Moreover, �Soil type, overall altitude, topography within the field � is it flat or undulating � and if its undulating does that mean its peat at bottom and stone on top?� He's on a roll now, though always softly spoken and assured; �climate and moisture levels, direction - is it north facing? So I recommend making your own mix that suits not just your farm, but specific fields and specific soil types.�

Abacus Organics can be contacted here or 00 44 7855 484204 (Gareth Jones directly)

ORGANIC MILK SCORES BETTER NUTRITIONALLY...AGAIN

Organic milk yet again scores better nutritionally.......

Before anyone starts, have a look at my take on the UK FSA report(part 1 and 2) on organic food and its nutritional superiority or otherwise. (Much of this Newcastle milk research, btw, was just outside the time frame of the UK FSA study....but then, 2/3 of all relevant and published peer reviewed research was too, so what's the biggie!?!)

A new study by researchers from Newcastle University has found significant health and nutritional benefits to organic milk. The research has found that organic milk is higher in beneficial nutrients and fatty acids and, importantly, it is so throughout the year. It also found that saturated fat levels are considerably lower in organic milk.

Saturated fats are considered unhealthy, and are implicated in heart-related conditions.

The European Union-funded study analysed 22 brands of milk available in supermarkets, including 10 organic brands. The milk was all purchased between 2006 and 2008.

The peer-reviewed paper said the health benefits were present all year round rather than just during the summer. Previous research by the same team on milk directly from dairy farms had found that organic milk's benefits held for the summer but less so for winter.

This new study is published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Lead researcher Gillian Butler, livestock project manager for the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group, said: "We wanted to check if what we found on farms also applies to milk available in the shops. Surprisingly, the differences between organic and conventional milk were even more marked. Whereas on the farms the benefits of organic milk were proven in the summer but not the winter, in the supermarkets it is significantly better quality all year round."

The researchers found that the conventional milk collected during a particularly poor UK summer and the following winter had significantly higher saturated fat content and far less beneficial fatty acids than in a more standard weather period.

The more proscribed dietary regimes for organic dairy cows, as compared to their conventional counterparts, is significant in explaining the differences. No more than 40% of the diet can be non-grass under the organic rules.

According to the Soil Association, the UK largest organic certification body:

�The paper not only shows why there is a difference in the nutritional quality of organic and non-organic milk, but also identifies the importance of feeding at least 60% grass or conserved grass to organic cows, as required by organic standards.

The research emphasises the huge importance of allowing cattle to graze outdoors and to eat a natural diet high in grass. This means organic cows do not depend on high levels of grain and proteins such as soya.�

Butler also pointed out that �we're always being told to cut down on the saturated fat we consume and switching to organic milk and dairy products provides a natural way to increase our intake of nutritionally desirable fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants without increasing our intake of less desirable fatty acids�

"By choosing organic milk you can cut saturated fats by 30-50 per cent and still get the same intake of beneficial fatty acids, as the omega-3 levels are higher but omega-6 is not, which helps to improve the crucial ratio between the two."

Organic milk is considered the most researched of certified organic products.

In total, six studies have now found that organic milk has more fat-soluble nutrients - omega-3 fatty acid, Vitamin E and beta-carotene - than non-organic milk, as well as a healthier omega 3:6 ratio (skimmed milk does not have these nutrients).

The most scientifically robust study is by Glasgow and Liverpool Universities, which found that UK (whole) organic milk has on average 68% higher levels of the essential fatty acid omega-3 and a healthier omega-3:6 profile than non-organic milk.

Other recent research found that there were also specific health benefits: Dutch research showed that if infants up to two years old and their mothers eat organic dairy foods, then the infants suffer a 36% lower incidence of eczema - a type of allergic reaction common among Western children. This could be due to the higher CLA level in organic milk and in the breast milk of mothers consuming organic milk, as shown by another study.

Positive as these results are for the organic diary sector in Ireland, the research is on milk available in the UK, not in Ireland. Irish conventional cattle do consume more grass than their UK counterparts. Irish-specific research on organic milk is therefor needed.

Interested in Organic Farming? Then do one of these courses

A new round of Teagasc Organic Training courses have been announced.

These courses are compulsory for operators (i.e. farmers and food businesses) who want to apply to join the Organic Farming Scheme.

Accredited to FETAC level 5, they run over 25 hours, and are held one day per week for five consecutive weeks.

While technically compulsory, these Teagasc courses are also very useful for any farmer thinking of converting a holding to organic. All the basics of converting are outlined.

These include the organic standards, principles of organic production, economic viability and market opportunities, all of which will be covered to the required detail.

So participants will learn about costs, planning, returns, markets, nutrient and manure management, crop and animal husbandry, rotations, grass and forage management.

They also learn background information on organic farming and food, as well as available supports and reputable sources of information.

All of these Teagasc Organic Farming courses are tailored to suit the class, and involve guest experts and farm visits. Participants also work on their conversion plans, filling in the necessary application forms and writing a business plan � all very worthwhile tasks in themselves.

The locations and dates are as follows: 25 January Macroom; 26 January Ballinasloe; 26 January Tullamore; 27 January Clonmel; 27 January Mohill; 27 January Swinford; 28 January Ballyhaise; 28 January Tinahely.

I spoke to Teagasc organic advisors about the locations and the courses more generally.

Some of the above locations have not had Teagasc Organic Training Courses previously.

According to the advisors, they are responding to demand, and there is significant demand in these new locations. This is no bad sign for the growth in the numbers of farmers who may be farming organically in the coming years.

Already, 80 have participated in the courses that ran before Christmas, and about 500 have done the courses over the last 12 months. Of these about 50% have joined or applied to join the Organic Farming Scheme.

There are some distinct groups doing these courses. Farmers coming to the end of their REPS Three are interested. Returnees to farming are also interested.

There are a few types in this latter category. Many farmers had moved into construction during the Celtic Tiger years. They are now moving back to farming, and some of these are moving in to organic farming.

While there were some obvious transferable skills from farming to construction, there have also been returnees to farming from the financial and IT sectors. One I spoke with recently, Conor McDonagh, moved back from a business and athletics background in Australia to a completely changed Ireland in 2008.

He now is farming organically on his family land in Cavan, and is restocking an island his father once had cattle on, with organic goats and pigs. (see the current edition of the magazine Organic Matters for a full feature on this farmer)

Inevitably, some of these returnees have new ideas and skills about how and what should be produced from the home farm. This in turn has led to an increase in the number of farmers interested in value adding, rather than the more standard commodity production, according to the advisors.

In other words, more farmers are interested in retaining more of the ownership of both the product and the profits from the enterprise.

They also tell me that the organic farm walks have demystified organic farming, and helped with a process of myth-busting. The fact that the AEOS scheme and the Organic Farming Scheme can both be run simultaneously is also no doubt attractive to farmers considering their options.

(Note: At time of going to press, the next round of the Organic Farming Scheme has not formally been announced. However, as there were no budget cuts announced to either the Grant Aid or the Farming Scheme itself, stakeholders I have spoken to are hopeful that the overall Organic Farming Scheme will be available again for 2011.)

For more information, see www.teagasc.ie or contact: Pat Barry, Moorepark 087 2138331; Dan Clavin, Athenry 087 9368506; Elaine Leavy, Grange 087 9853285; James McDonnell, Oak Park 087 3293820.

Farmer concerns over changes for organic meat

This is part 2 of a 2 parter on rule changes for organic meat and direct selling. Here is part one.

Significant concerns have been raised by farmers over changes in the procedures for butchering certified organic meat.

Primarily, this concerns farmers who use local butchers and direct sell their own meat.

Up until now, farmers maintained a record book with all relevant details of the animal and slaughter. This was inspected as part of his own inspection.

Now the onus is being transferred over to the butcher.

It was always technically possible for these butchers to be inspected, but in practice the inspection has sufficed.

Farmers will now have to use butchers' registered with an Organic Certification Body (OCB). Alternatively, their own butcher will have to open himself up to organic inspection and eventual registration. The farmer will pay the cost of this inspection.

Some farmers are concerned. While some methods to possibly reduce this increased cost burden have been cited, for many farmers they will simply be paying more for the same procedure.

This, coupled with a fee increase from IOFGA, the largest OCB, means a significant cost increase for many organic livestock farmers. (The fee increase, as it is proposed, specifically mitigates against farmers with larger holdings and poorer land, as it is incrementally area-based)

Noticeably, the record book these organic farmers have been using makes much of the fact that unnecessary additional bureaucracy is avoided.

While it is claimed that the butcher will not have any extra paperwork, rather an examination of his existing paperwork, there are concerns here too.

It is a rare creature who goes out of his way to add a layer of inspection onto his business. With few organic farmers on their books, some farmers are concerned that butchers will see this as an unnecessary additional imposition not worth the hassle.

Some organic farmers, both those converting and full symbol, are worried that they will also have fewer butchers to choose from. This in turn could lead to a change in the relationship between butcher and farmer. If the farmer has paid for the butcher's organic inspection costs, the farmer is less likely to engage in the healthy competition of shopping around for butchers, as each additional butcher carries an additional inspection cost.

This places the farmer in a negative relationship, as the butcher could be perceived as having an economic 'hold' over the farmer in this context.

At present there are few registered organic butchers, and not all other butchers will want to sign up to organic inspection and eventual organic registration. This, some farmers worry, will mean that they are not choosing from the widest possible range of butchers in the region. Rather, they will be choosing from a far smaller pool of technically available butchers. This reduces the likelihood of finding the most skilled.

Crucially, some organic farmers have very specific cutting and mincing requirements (especially for non-Continental beef animals) and long standing positive working relationships with their preferred local butchers: not all organic burgers are the same. Why jeopardize this relationship?

Others are concerned with an unnecessary increase in travel, with both economic costs and stress on the animal. If the farmer has to find a new butcher willing to adhere to these stipulations, this butcher may or may not be nearby. With fewer to choose from, the chances are that he will not be nearby.

The system until now was also an excellent entrypoint, for conventional farmers who direct sell, into organic: they could retain their working relationship with their preferred local butcher, rather than finding another one.

EU rules and regulations are being blamed. And yet, according to the EU regulation: "It might in some cases appear disproportionate to apply notification and control requirements to certain types of retail operators, such as those who sell products directly to the final consumer or user. It is therefore appropriate to allow Member States to exempt such operators from these requirements."

The rules also suggest both the �organic integrity and vital qualities of the product are maintained through all stages of the production chain�.

Isn't that expertly cut meat by the best available butcher, with the direct-selling farmer carrying more of the burden of inspection?

Changes afoot for organic meat direct sellers

A two parter - for the next part, see today's Examiner.

Significant changes for certified organic livestock farmers are coming into effect in 2011.

Butcher shops or large scale processors will no longer be allowed use producer specific abattoirs, due to the volume of stock going through them.

Producer specific abattoirs/butchers are abattoirs/butchers that organic operators (businesses or farmers) use but which are not registered with an organic certification body.

However, organic farmers who use local 'unregistered' butchers and direct sell their meat will also be effected.

These local producer specific abattoirs/butchers will now have to be inspected by the organic certification body. The cost for this will be borne by the licencee, i.e. the farmer.

According to organic certification body IOFGA's Mary Lynch �it was always the case that the producer specific abattoirs/butchers could be inspected by IOFGA inspectors and that cost must be borne by the producers using the facility�.

However, IOFGA still felt it necessary to send a notification to farmers about the need for inspections of unregistered butchers.

Thus far, as well as adhering to the rules and procedures for livestock and processing in the Standards, these farmers maintained a record keeping book which was assessed as part of their inspection. They also informed the certification body of all necessary details of the animal and its processing. There were also procedures in place such as as the slaughter of certified organic animals first thing in the morning before any other animals. However there was no standardised regime of inspection of butchers not registered with an organic certification body.

According to Angela Clarke, certification manager of IOFGA:

�This should have been carried out over the past number of year(s) however it was not implemented by IOFGA. This is to ensure the integrity of the organic product. The whole process from the farmer to the end consumer must be inspected to ensure this integrity.�

She also pointed out that �DAFF (The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) are adamant that this must take place.... this issue was discussed in great detail at the Forum meetings with all certification bodies so this is not just an IOFGA decision.�

Direct selling farmers who currently work with their preferred local but unregistered butcher will have some decisions to make. They will have to either convince their butcher to accept this new regime, or they will have to change to a butcher registered with an organic certification body.

The literature recently sent to IOFGA members states that the farmer will have to carry the cost of the inspection. However according to Mary Lynch, there may be ways to minimise the costs to the farmer: �If both IOFGA and Organic Trust members are using the facility, then the premises would be inspected every second year by each OCB (organic certification body). Therefore, the cost to the producer can be reduced if they use a facility that another organic producer is also using.�

She also points out that the paperwork requirements are not onerous: �butchers/abattoirs are well used to the paper work that is involved with slaughtering livestock and the inspector will be checking existing paperwork and not asking for any new paperwork to (be) generated�.

She continues: �They are mainly checking that the animals from the producer was killed at the premises and the weight of meat processed for the organic producer, so that can be checked against the sales details of the producer�.

Beyond inspections, discussions are currently underway between the Organic Certification Bodies and the Department to establish �at what stage a producer specific abattoir/butcher should become registered in their own right. This will probably depend on the number of animals being processed by the facility or the number of producers using any one facility,� according to Mary Lynch.

�If a large number of animals are being processed by a facility, records for the organic producers should be kept and made available to the inspector and then the cost should be borne by the owners of the facility not the producer.�

Sheep and beef farmers I have spoken to, both in conversion and fully certified, have voiced concerns about this new situation. Next week, these concerns will be outlined.

OLLIES SANTY WISHLIST

A few days late with this one, but it landed in the Examiner first, so Santy got it in time......

Free free to search for 'santy' on the very useful searchbox over there on the right (scroll down a bit!) - you will find the last few years of wishlists I've sent him......................

Ah santy, me auld segosha - its been a while. So much has changed. Things have moved on, yet, as we hear so often, �we are where we are�.

Well, I'm not sure where that actually is Santy. I'm confused, because 'where we are' seems to be worse than where we think it is. So, really, we are not where we are at all. In fact, we are where we hope we aren't � everytime.

Anyhow, I left it till now to write this note to you because I was waiting for the budget. I was not expecting much there santy, but boy did you deliver on the 9th.

Thanks so much for not getting out the slash hook for the organic sector's budget - I was really worried there. After Trevor Sargent left, I thought it was curtains for the Organic Grant Aid and the Organic Farming Scheme's funding. But no, organic has survived again, with less cuts than a retired, armless butcher with a blunt knife. Or something.

Fair play there Santy, you're a star. You must have been under severe pressure. At least Harvest 2020 kept its commitment to growing the organic sector, which probably helped.

So, for 2011, I think I want...growth in the organic sector. I know I always ask for that one, but we need it now more than ever. Last year, a little more volume was sold, but the value went down a bit too. Can you fix it for me to have the value increase for 2011?

One way might be with the green public procurement Junior Minister Cuffe announced. That's where the state will start to feed the public sector organic food. Sounds yum, though the press release will have to be handled carefully, or else Shane Ross will probably have a canary.

Naturally, a few more organic farmers � plenty did the course this year, so if a few more of them take the plunge in 2011, and join the Organic Farming Scheme, I'd be delighted.

I'm getting very worried about climate change though Mr Claus. It seems everyone has just forgotten about it, with the recession and the cold snap. People who really should know better are joking about global warming and freezing winters, as if climate change and extreme weather aren't compatible! I'm only a nipper and I know they are!

Plus, according to the World Meteorological Association, since records began in 1850, 2010 was the third warmest year globally, the last decade the warmest ever and the parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere was the highest ever, at 386.8. Wow. And all of this is in a year of recession, when we haven't been able to do as much of the climate change causing actions we normally do.

Farming's Green House Gas (GHG) performance has been improving year on year here in Ireland, Santy, but I'm very worried about dairy once the quotas end. Milk production may increase by a full 50%, or 2.75 billion litres. This alone could increase Ireland's' emissions by a 12%. It says so in Harvest 2020.

Unfortunately the solutions are aspirational. Harvest 2020 does talk a lot about how great and grass fed we are with our livestock Santy, but we also use plenty of synthetic fertilizer and compound feeds. They use up loads of fossil fuels in their production elsewhere.

So a dairy GHG solution Santy � I know its a big one, but if anyone can, you can. That way, you could write off some of the massive amount of methane those raindeers must emit with their globe trotting on December 24/25th � phew!

(And you know I was only joking about organic venison last year santy!)

And while we're at it, let's try to get the beef livestock even more grass fed. Let's bring in even more of the kind of animals that can thrive in the outdoors for longer - Galloways, Dexter, Moiled and the like please Santy.

Do your best � you always do! Ollie

GERRY'S GRASS FED ORGANIC ANGUS: FROM FIELD TO FARMERS MARKET

While farmers and experts debate the merits of grain and grass feeding regimes, Gerry Fitzsimons from Mullahoran in Co Cavan has committed to grass and the breeds that suit it for years.

Fitzsimons has been farming since 1990 on 30 acres. He switched to Organic farming in 2000 with his suckling to beef enterprise.

�I've 23 head of cattle - cows calves and beef animals - at the moment. I stock Aberdeen Angus, Shorthorn and crosses of both� he tells me.

�I keep the traditional breeds of cattle, for a variety of reasons. They are easier to finish. Their finishing qualities, the type of meat native breeds produce, with its marbling, gives a unique taste�.

�They also are of a very placid nature and the cows are great mothers� he continues. �I switched over to Angus even before I went organic, partly because they are easier to handle, especially at calving. The offspring suckle very early. Now, any animal can cause trouble, but these are very quiet. I can handle any of them, and people can walk through the field no problem. With the Continentals, any time they needed to be rounded up they were tough � especially the Limousins. The traditional breeds, especially Shorthorn, are very docile�.

Fitzsimons also likes the fact that they can stay outdoors and thrive in the winter, up until quite late in the season. �They certainly are hardier. Mine are still out eating grass, though this year was exceptional � its been very good grass-wise. They are in top class condition without any supplementary feeding, just grass� he says, also pointing out that since going organic he hasn't yet had to dose them for anything.

Biodiveristy is also important for this farmer, who's animals finish off grass completely:

�I'm very into biodiversity. Everything growing here is natural, the grasses are natural and they are different to those grown with chemical sprays. My weeds are controlled mechanically � everything is done either mechanically or by me�.

He continues �the fields are very biodiverse now � they are vastly different to how they were before going organic. Conventional fields are all even, as if they are clipped to a height. In organic, there are variations, we'd have far more white clover. Even red clover,which doesn't perpetuate itself, its spreading in my land � that doesn't seem to happen with fertilized fields�.

I asked him about the sward itself: �I have reseeded almost all of it over time. Some seed came from Fruithill farm, others were sourced locally. The Fruithill farm sward also has coltsfoot, timothy and various older type grasses in there as well, which I'd rather use. There's more management in it, it works well - in both wet and dry years. A typical ryegrass sward can be a hungry grass � it probably needs the chemicals its used to getting�.

Back to his thriving stock: �I had my own bull up to last year. But you do need to mix it up in a small herd, so I do use AI�. He puts an angus bull on a shorthorn cow, or visa versa, as �shorthorn is a little taller, so the crosses produce a slightly bigger carcass.�

An excellent outlet is available in much of the northwest for Irish organic meat, called, aptly enough, Irish Organic Meat.

Declan Mccarthy and his wife Deirdre have a mobile butchers outlet which travels to farmers' markets across the north west - from Carrick on Shannon (Thursdays) to Roscommon and Cavan towns (Fridays) and both Boyle and Sligo on Saturdays.

Butcher and farmer have a good working relationship:�Yes, I know what he needs, he knows what I have, and we don't haggle over price.�

Gerry Fitzsimons gets E4 per kg deadweight for his animals. Heifers kill out at 230-300 kg, bullocks from 260-380 kg. They are usually killed young, about 20-24 months for heifers and about 2 years for bullocks.

Local grasses, local markets, and a happy set of people, from farmer to butcher to customer. All told, a pure, simple and yet revelatory system.

REALLY - WHERE'S THE (ORGANIC) BEEF JOHN?

Part two of my beef interview session with John Brennan. This one discusses the beef grade, and also features a different perspective to John's, that of Teagasc Organic Farming Advisor James McDonnell.

How should quality be defined in organic beef? There are two schools of thought.

(Pic: some of Joe Condon's galloway cattle)

One school suggests that organic cattle should be graded along the same lines as conventional, using the EU R O P system.

For non-farmer readers: This grid or grade system scores cattle carcass shape and muscle development from the top (E) to the bottom (P). Numbers 1 to 5 denote degree of fat on the carcass, with 1 having the least and 5 the most. Thus, in conventional farming, top price achieving animals are up at the U or (rarely) E levels, with a fat score of 1 or 2.

In organic farming in Ireland, a flat price is used instead of this grade system. However, it, or a modified version, is used in other EU countries for organic beef animals.

It could be argued that organic farming does not reward the highest achievers, producing, in conventional terms, the best animals. According to James McDonnell, organic advisor with Teagasc:

�The flat price doesn't do anything for the (organic) sector: in conventional, its all about quality. Good quality cattle and good carcass with better overall cuts are not being rewarded.�

�A Belgian Blue has more fillets, round roast and so on; but it could be argued that, in organic, poor animals are overpaid for, and visa versa. The factories would also prefer quality as they make more.�

He continues: �When factories were paying flat, there were beef blockages in the conventional sector�, pointing out that the flat price may also be mitigating against finishers in organic.

Indeed, top organic producers can sell into the conventional sector for the higher grade prices.

However, both the Good Herdsman and the Leitrim Co-op prefer to pay a flat rate.

For John Brennan of the Leitrim Co-op � we want to improve quality and confirmation, but this factory system isn't the answer�.

He points to a breed renowned for its eating quality: �Take the Aberdeen Angus � that is often graded as an O. It has a natural genetic merit in its confirmation, and for many consumers, the breed produces a superior meat. The grading system does not take organoleptic factors into account - so its about efficiency, not quality of meat. I won't accept anything but a flat rate.�

He continues �You need minimum of a 2 for fat cover � in Scotland R4 is ideal for organic. They have a lot of work done there on the Angus, where they are fed mostly on grass and silage, and finishing at 300 to 320 kg deadweight. Some oats and peas produced on the farm are also used as feed � really its a great system. Plus, they have managed to get PGI status for Scotch beef�.

Levels of grass feeding is another issue again: native breeds are more suited to a grass-based diet. Research suggests that increasing the grass content of the animal's diet increases the levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is thought to help protect against cancer, diabetes and heart disease, without using external inputs (e.g. imported oils) to achieve this.

�If we had the conventional grading system in organic, it would penalise the native breeds�, breeds that, in a nutshell are more suited to the terrain and climate in Ireland, can finish off grass and have tasty marbling.

There is another element to this: �increasingly, supermarket buyers, especially abroad, don't want continental animals from Ireland�. In other words, they want breeds traditionally associated with Ireland and Britain.

�We need to look at low input animals, animals that are carbon footprint friendly. There should be a good conversion of feed into meat, from silage and grass, with just a a small amount of supplements�.

Increasingly, science, through the use of stable isotope tests, can test the meat itself to differentiate beef based on diet.

Research in Ireland by Professor Frank Monaghan and others has now clearly demarked grass fed from other meat, and organic from conventional.

So, in the final analysis, is it about the consumer or the factory?

WHERE'S THE (ORGANIC) BEEF? ASK JOHN.

Beef remains the strongest sector within organics. While there are also significant numbers of sheep farmers, sheep meat has struggled to gain a price premium.

Beef on the other hand, has both numbers and, by and large, something of a price premium. While there are preferable times of the year to sell to gain the premium, the largest organic meat processor in Ireland or Britain, Good Herdsman, recently let it be known that there is a shortage of about 11,000 beef animals in the system.

(Pic: Joe Condon's Galloways with room to roam)

From humble local beginnings in 1998, the Leitrim Organic Farmers Co-op now has a membership of over 100 beef and sheep farmers, from many counties across Ireland. The main areas it focuses on for its members are in finding markets, orgnaising for training and education, advice and lobbying.

A number of organic cattle marts have just finished up. I spoke to John Brennan of the Leitrim Co-op about how the trade has been.

�Confidence has returned to the sales� he tells me. �We had two in Drumcollagher, there were 137 sales at the first and 290 at the second.�

�Prices have improved - typically 2E per kg for heifers, E2.30 per kilo for good weanlings, while forward stores are also meeting good trade.�

�The numbers of organic cattle moved weekly is nearly at record levels - here and in the UK � and while the price is not at the record 2007 levels, it is nonetheless strong and giving confidence� .

Regarding export markets, there are some positive signs. �Tescos in the UK are buying a lot more organic meat again now. They seemed to panic a bit at the start of the downturn, and whipped organic off the shelves. While some customers did trade down to discounters, some of these in turn returned to their preferred supermarkets. So Waitrose, for example, have regained market share.�

Indeed, according to a report earlier in the year from the UK's Soil Association, among the three supermarkets with the biggest shares of the organic market � Sainsbury�s, Tesco and Waitrose � it was Waitrose that proved the most resilient in the recession. Its organic sales fell by only 3.5% in 2009 and it is predicting growth of 3-5% in 2010.

�There have also been increases in the market in Holland, especially for forequarter meat. This leaves other options with rear quarter meat�.

There are of course concerns: �the cost of feed is still an issue. The Sterling differential is helping, but some farmers are now growing their own feed. Some grow for Flahavans, and keep a portion for animal feed. Red clover is also coming strong earlier, and there was an earlier cutting date this year too�

Another issue is the age of slaughter. While there is a preference in the factories for animals slaughtered under 30 months, this comes with various costs and concerns for organic farmers.

According to John Brennan, as finishing under 30 months is difficult with vontinentals, �why not go to 33 or 35 months? Some cattle only reach their full desirable carcass weight at this age, especially the bigger animals like Charlois. But some processors, Slaney excluded, don't want animals that size.�

�A lot of it comes down to breed. With an Aberdeen Angus, they might be close to 280 kg at 20 to 24 months. But to push to and past 300 kg, or to try to get close to 350kg, is very difficult. You'd need another 10 to 12 months.�

�With the bigger continental animals, the Limosins or Belgian Blues, its very difficult without a lot of grain feeding, and feed is very expensive in organic.�

The discussion turned to paying by the grade. In organic, farmers are not paid by the grade for beef in Ireland, though they are in other countries, including the UK. He was especially animated about this issue. As you will see in my next posting on this topic.

Kilskyre National School & its (certified) organic garden

10 years ago, most Irish gardens were for looking at or relaxing in. Now, gardening is back and new hubs are emerging, places where people are getting their hands dirty in the name of fresh food.

These include allotments, GIY (Grow It Yourself) gatherings, and, increasingly, school gardens.

Thousands of schools have done some growing in the last three years, thanks to the Meet the Spuds and Incredible Edibles initiatives. These yearly Agri-Aware schemes provided full growing kits to over 2000 schools.

One school growing with a difference is the Kilskyre National School, between Kells and Oldcastle in Co. Meath. This is one of the few schools to have gone and achieved full organic certification.

Gerard Ruane has been principal of the school since 2007.

(picture: Daryll, Katie Conor supervised by organic gardener Lill Coyne)

The beginnings were modest: � I hoped to plant a few rows of vegetables and hoped that I would be able to get a parent to give me a hand with this so I started the Green School Initiative in Kilskyre when I was began here�

Ruane was informed that the parent of a girl in 5th class would be a great help � Lill Coyne. Coyne has been an organic grower and member of IOFGA since the 1980s.

�We took the children to see the garden in St. Patrick's National School Slane, my old school. Mary Meade, the Deputy Principal there, created a fantastic garden - I was anxious for the children to see it as Mary created this garden with the children�.

�We then visited another school, Rathkenny, who have a fantastic garden that the children were also fully involved in. We went back to Kilskyre and Lill got all the children to design the garden they wanted. Lill collected these and merged them into one design combining all the elements the children had suggested. We started from there.�

�We started out by creating a fedge - the older children dug out sods and the children created a sod bank in which we planted willows�.

He continues: �Every Thursday the children I teach bring in wellies and old clothes. The Parent's Council bought the children tools - wheelbarrow, spades, forks and so on�.

�There is a summer/winter/autumn/spring garden. We have bug hotel, pond, wormery, composting pig, green cone, composting area for grass, wild garden, seating area. The main focus initially was feeding the soil and companion planting for pest control, as well as managing nutrients in the soil�.

There has been great parental and wider community involvement, exemplified by equipment donations, meitheals three times a year, and a burgeoning range of amenities, including bird viewing boxes and benches.

�As we are organic, Lill decided to apply for the license. We have been inspected and the inspector was amazed at the children's knowledge and full involvement in the garden�.

I spoke to Lill Coyne about their organic certification: �I'm an organic grower myself - I feel very strongly about it, and I thought it would be great for the children to have the chance to grow organically. They have access to clean, cheaper food that's healthier. They also get exercise, learn about heritage varieties and traditional methods, and about biodiversity and the balance of nature through things like the use of natural predators�.

�The work in the garden comes under Environmental Awareness and Care in the Geography and Science Curriculum�according to Gerard Ruane. �We also use it for Science nature trails, plant study and so on. There is a diary kept where the children write in what they do each day after they come in from the garden.�

Not only have the pupils grown food, they have learned the practical skills of packing, certification, labelling, and also selling. The produce has been sold, by the pupils, at local farmers' markets and at the school gate. This in itself imparts array of practical life skills, from doing calculations to running a business that relies on good customer relations.

Great stuff indeed, it surely begs the question: why isn't all education a little more like this?