06/07/06 irrated with organic

One of California's leading organic farmers who 30 years ago was instrumental in getting organic regulation legislation passed was quoted recently in the NY Times saying that "a lot of small farmers here are opting out of organic". Consumers fought so hard to get that labeling and now they are just letting go" Why? For many small farmers Wal-Mart changed everything by bringing masses of organic food to the masses. One New York Farmer stated that large scale organic farms could hardly be called "sustainable" when organic chemicals like copper-based fungicides and sulfurs were applied in such heavy concentrations that the soil ecosystem became saturated with heavy metals. The organic industry has sold its soul, not just soil. Small farmers are becoming fed up with regulations and hypocrisy so the time could be ripe for innovative farmers to develop new ways to promote their ideology and passion. For savvy marketers there could be a new food category on the horizon.