A Victory For The Organic Community

It is being reported today by Organic Consumers Association that "The Gardens Of Eagan" has reached a settlement with a The Minnesota Pipe Line Company to reroute their oil pipeline so as not to cross the organic farms property. It is also important to note that they also agreed to take specific precautions while constructing the pipeline to mitigate the damage to other organic farms. These precautions will protect organic soils and reduce the risk of organic decertification to those particular organic farms.
The OCA reports that this was only possible because "The community of organic consumers, farmers and businesses (Organic Consumers Association, Wedge Co-op, Mississippi Market, MOSES, Land Stewardship Project) helped spread the word, resulting in more than 3,000 letters to the administrative law judge and other officials."
The five-page document, that was entered into the public record Tuesday, requires construction crews to replace bird and insect habitats that are needed to keep pests away. It also bars crews from contaminating the organic soil with chemicals, soil, water or fertilizers from close by conventional farms. Even tobacco use would be prohibited. However, the article goes on to state that "Pipeline construction is expected to pass through at least three organic farms, disrupting sensitive topsoils that may take years to regain their fertility without chemical fertilizers. But with careful planning, organic farms may be able to keep their federal certifications even with an oil pipeline running beneath them, MinnCan consultants said."
This shoud give the organic community a sense of hope and encouragement. A concerted targeted focus can be successful when starting from grassroot efforts. It shows that the community does care about sustainable agriculture and the organic movement.

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