KENNEWICK, Wash.—The Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association is looking for farmers to sign up for a new certification program that will provide farmers a “safe harbor” from some regulatory agencies.
Association executive director Kay Meyer described the program, called Farmed Smart, during the Pacific Northwest Oilseed and Direct Seed Conference in Kennewick, Wash.
Third-party auditors would certify farms that employ conservation practices and transition to direct seeding, Meyer said.
“We’ve got our regulatory agencies on board, saying if farmers are getting certified, they are achieving water quality standards because of these practices that they are implementing,” Meyer said.
The association is creating a memorandum of understanding with the Washington Department of Ecology defining management practices.
The program has credibility, said Chad Atkins, water quality specialist for the department in Eastern Washington.
“We’re used to looking for problems and then holding the hammer over people in order to get those fixed,” Atkins said. “This provides an opportunity to come at it from a different direction—rewarding producers for environmental protection.”
Campbell’s, Wal-Mart and Pepperidge Farms already see the program as a way to meet their sustainability initiatives, Meyer said.
The association hopes to certify 200 farms, or roughly 400,000 acres, in the Pacific Northwest. The first 10 farmers would pay no certification fee, and the next 30 would pay a reduced fee.
Genesee, Idaho, farmer Russ Zenner said he already has Food Alliance certification as a producer for Shepherd’s Grain, and said Farmed Smart is similar. Food Alliance certification concentrates on sustainable farming practices.
Mark Sheffels, a Wilbur, Wash., farmer, said some aspects of the program, such as buffers along streams, potentially represent a significant economic sacrifice for farmers because of maintenance costs and weed problems.
“Our part of the world is typically the most productive dirt (anywhere),” Zenner agreed. “There’s going to have to be significant incentive to take that out of production.”
Sheffels said the criteria is tough, but doable. It’s also timely, as farmers realize there will be greater expectations for agriculture in the future, he said.
“Everybody expects more regulatory scrutiny in the future and being part of this program says you recognize that and you’ve already addressed it,” he said.
Source: www.capitalpress.com