Page 9 - Fall2010

Letters

trients balanced via Albrecht or similar Price and Howard are. References to system of local chapters helps people
systems” as providing the best quality Albrecht can be found in Nourishing find local farms that pay attention to
food. Mark the words “plus,” “mineral” Traditions and my recommendation soil mineral content and health. We
and “Albrecht.” is that Dr. Heckman first make the have instructed our chapter leaders to
The problem is that many small acquaintance of Dr. Albrecht and then precisely describe the practices of the
“organic” farms don’t do this at all, come back to the forum. A convenient farmers they list in their resource guides
and I would wager that most organic place to start is with Albrecht’s small so as to avoid any confusion from words
farmers (as well as gardeners) never book titled Soil Fertility and Animal like “organic.”
heard of Albrecht and do not supply Health, now offered as Volume II of
the necessary minerals called for in the The Albrecht Papers by Acres USA. For USDA ORGANIC FROM CHINA?
Albrecht system of proper, full and bal- another excellent overview source go to According to a recent article in the
anced fertilization. Too many believe www.soilminerals.com. Wall Street Journal (June 15, 2010),
that “manure is the absolute basis for While not strictly “organic,” Dr. the USDA is banning an organic food
fertility.” This is a serious oversight, Albrecht’s contribution to fertility inspection group from operating in
which Rodale helped to create. I call it management is a crucial adjunct to the China. I’m deeply alarmed at the USDA.
the missing mineral message. If the nec- complete picture, and that’s the point. Imported food from China or any other
essary nutrient minerals are not present Indeed, it is the crucial point. It must country shouldn’t be able to receive
in the soil in full array, they won’t be in be brought in, or we need a new concept the organic seal on food brought into
your food. that embraces both inorganic minerals this country. I feel deceived that the
Organiculture, if it is to address the and organic matter as a complete and USDA organic seal is being given to
crucial nutrient-density issue, urgently truly sustainable system of agriculture. Chinese food producers. The Chinese
needs to be expanded in concept and One of the most prevalent misconcep- government allowed their children to be
practice to encompass the Albrecht or tions (and one Dr.Cowan seems to have) poisoned by chemically treated milk.
similar system of assured mineraliza- is that any form of agriculture, extend- How can American consumers pre-
tion, if we are to get the nutrient-dense, ing back into antiquity, which does not vent the corrupt USDA from allowing
mineral augmented, organic produce of employ toxic chemicals is “organic” this organic seal on foreign food?
which Baillett speaks and WAPF prin- by default. Where do we get with that Robin M. Gray
ciples call for. For that matter, Chapter notion? Surely organiculture must rep- Medina, Ohio
23 in Price’s classic work (1945 edition) resent more than abstinence from bad
was authored by Dr. Albrecht. behavior. Let’s get past what we are ORGANIC STANDARDS
Dr. Heckman is an able historian of against and delineate what we are for I find much to agree with in Dr.
the organic movement and method, but and hop to it. Joseph Heckman’s letter addressing
you’ll notice in his lengthy letter, that Gary L. Kline organic agriculture in the Spring 2010
while he mentions Albert Howard, Eve Olympia, Washington Wise Traditions. Building on his excel-
Balfour, Rodale and Edward Faulkner, lent account of organic agriculture’s
he makes no mention of Albrecht or his As we explained in the Spring 2010 origins in the Winter 2006 issue, the
works, and I submit this is a big hole in issue, Dr. Cowan was using the word letter highlights the important historical
his awareness and research. Too many “organic” in the sense of the watered- linkages between this movement and
organic growers are fully equipped with down USDA organic standards, which the concurrent campaign for whole,
ideological blinders and don’t need to do not take into account the health of the raw and unadulterated foods. I concur
know more than they already believe. soil. WAPF has consistently argued that with Dr. Heckman’s characterization of
Albrecht is every bit the giant that we need to go beyond “organic.” Our the USDA National Organic Program

FALL 2010 Wise Traditions 9