Natural Harvest Co-op • Virginia, MN

As we see more signs of snow melt every day, the seagulls have come back to roost on Bailey’s Lake, and hardy customers enter the store with their bike bags and a smile. Spring signals all these new beginnings, and also reawakes the senses and, often, our consciousness about the earth—thanks to Arbor Day, Earth Day, and all the debris unmasked by the melting snow.

If you’ve been keeping up with Hometown Focus website and newspaper, you might know a little bit about the upcoming area-wide Earth Fest celebration that is happening the same weekend as our annual meeting.

This morning, I enjoyed reading the story of Janna Goerdt’s Fat Chicken Farm in Embarrass, and last week learned that Lisa Hesse’s connection to wine making runs much deeper than I ever imagined. The history of our families, much like the history of the region, food, and traditions, is compelling territory to explore as we all seem to look closer to home for enrichment, sustenance, entertainment and fellowship. If you haven’t seen our own co-op’s story of commitment featured in a recent issue of the paper, you can find it here.

We are just one of many local businesses and organizations that are gathering together to celebrate the multitude of ways to find sustainability in action, right here on the Range. Just planning this event has been exciting. Think about how much fun it will be when we all get together on April 17 & 18 at the Mt Iron Community Center and Messiah Lutheran Church.

Keep checking Hometown Focus for more stories of sustainability from people you will get to meet at Earth Fest. The Earth Fest website will be updated to reflect more news and information about the event as we get closer to the date.

The Cornucopia Institute, based in Wisconsin, is asking co-op supporters to address the dysfunction in the USDA’s National Organic Program—by signing a petition or a proxy letter that will be delivered to President Obama and the new USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Here is the message from Cornucopia:

Suspect imports of grains, nuts, and vegetables from China and other countries, questionable organic milk, beef, and eggs from giant factory farms, and the erosion of opportunity for family farmers are plaguing the organic sector.

Make your voice heard by downloading the proxy-letter from
The Cornucopia Institute’s web site (click here).

The Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family farmers, has sent a formal letter and briefing paper (click here) to the President and USDA Secretary specifically asking that they take “a very strong and proactive posture in turning around management at the National Organic Program,” which they described as being “Katrina-ed” by the Bush administration.

“The stewardship of the organic program at the USDA has been an absolute abomination,” said Mark A. Kastel, Cornucopia’s senior farm policy analyst. “It was not just management by neglect—it was an intentional monkeywrenching of the Department’s oversight of the industry.”

In the last several years, audits prepared by the American National Standards Institute and the Inspector General’s office have blasted the NOP for failing to ensure that independent certification agencies, which verify organic farming and production practices, are competent and properly performing their jobs.

During the Bush administration, USDA political appointees significantly softened penalties for organic lawbreakers, overruling stiff enforcement actions recommended by career civil servants, for factory farms that were found willfully violating federal organic standards. Other complaints detailing abuses on factory farms were quashed or went uninvestigated.

The Bush administration also stacked the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) with representatives from corporate agribusiness instead of, as Congress intended, a broad spectrum of the organic community. The President and Secretary need to hear that the organic community wants the very best new, independent nominees on the 15-member NOSB. Our new governmental leaders need to hear from you, now!

Cornucopia’s “Change@USDA” campaign is helping stakeholders in the organic community unite for rehabilitation of the NOP. We need a sweeping management shakeup at the National Organic Program. We need your help to build momentum for change.

You can sign a copy of the petition at Natural Harvest or simply learn more about Cornucopia at their site www.cornucopia.org.

 __ Jean Bailey

__ Joyce Giblin

__ Sharon Olson

__ Jean Young

Voters are eligible to win! Your name will be saved and entered in a drawing for a Natural Harvest gift basket!

Name or Member #: ___________________________________

(One vote is allowed per membership. Your vote remains confidential.)

Please return your ballot to Natural Harvest by Tuesday, April 7.

Get to Know the New Candidates for the NHFC Board

Jean M. Bailey, Ph.D. -

            Throughout her life, Jean has had a passion for healthy lifestyle habits. She obtained her certification to be an aerobics instructor while working on her BS in Business Education at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan; she pursued a wellness and health promotion cognate as part of her MA in College and University Administration at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan; and she wrote her dissertation on work and life balance to obtain her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, & Lifelong Education at Michigan State University. Jean currently serves as the Dean of Academic Affairs at Mesabi Range College.

Joyce Giblin -

            Joyce has been a member of the co-op for 13 years. She has been a Real Estate agent, and has also been involved with the Ladies of Kaleva, including originating the first community arts scholarship donated by the Virginia Ladies Kaleva Hall to the Mesabi Range & Technical College. As a member of the Board of Directors, she hopes to be a visionary and a team member focused on the continued future success of Natural Harvest. Being the only health food store located in Northeastern Minnesota, she recognizes the importance to provide services desired by the membership and safe products for all customers.

Sharon Olson -

            I have served on the board at Natural Harvest for the last three years. I have a background in health care, alternative healing, and oriental medicine. My involvement on the board reinforces the values I have developed in my training and work experience. Serving my community is one thing that is very important to me and I would love the opportunity to serve on the Natural Harvest board for another three-year term.

Jean Young-

            I was born and raised in Virginia and have lived here all my life. I love the simplicity of the Iron Range and the surrounding beauty of our northern state. I became involved with Natural Harvest in 1991 when I was looking for alternatives for improving my health and well being. That, in turn, opened up a whole new world for me with my focus on improving my health through diet alone. I became employed at the Co-op a year later and worked there first part-time and then full-time until 2007. While at the Co-op, I did the buying for various departments and was also assistant manager with a previous manager while working full-time at another job. I was a member of the Board of Directors for several terms from 2002-2006. I would like to be on the Board again for the chance to get involved with the store, and to find ways for our Co-op to become more involved with the area and local businesses. I also hope to find ways to generate outside interest to keep the store thriving.