Davey Miskell: Keep The Soil In Organic

#087: A week ahead of the 5 year anniversary of the infamous "Jacksonville Decision" where the NOSB decided to illegally allow hydroponics under the USDA Organic label, Real Organic Project co-founder Davey Miskell sits down to talk about his early days in farming and in founding both Vermont Organic Farmers and the Real Organic Project.

David "Davey" Miskell is the co-founder of Real Organic Project, a founding member of Vermont Organic Farmers (now the certifying agency run by NOFA VT), and a longtime organic farmer who owned and operated Miskell's Premium Organics, known for their tomatoes and greens. David and his wife Susan were the first farmers to run the Market Garden at the Inn at Shelburne Farms, where they remained for 25 years and raised their daughters Tessa and Susannah. He currently serves as an inspector for Real Organic Project, covering all farms in Vermont and sometimes beyond.

To watch a video version of this podcast with access to the full transcript and links relevant to our conversation, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/davey-miskell-keep-the-soil-in-organic-episode-eighty-seven

The Real Organic Podcast is hosted by Dave Chapman and Linley Dixon, engineered by Brandon StCyr, and edited and produced by Jenny Prince.

The Real Organic Project is a farmer-led movement working towards certifying 1,000 farms across the United States this year. Our add-on food label distinguishes soil-grown fruits and vegetables from hydroponically-raised produce, and pasture-raised meat, milk, and eggs from products harvested from animals in horrific confinement (CAFOs - confined animal feeding operations).

To find a Real Organic farm near you, please visit:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/farms

We believe that the organic standards, with their focus on soil health, biodiversity, and animal welfare were written as they should be, but that the current lack of enforcement of those standards is jeopardizing the ability for small farms who adhere to the law to stay in business. The lack of enforcement is also jeopardizing the overall health of the customers who support the organic movement; customers who are not getting what they pay for at market but still paying a premium price. And the lack of enforcement is jeopardizing the very cycles (water, air, nutrients) that Earth relies upon to provide us all with a place to live, by pushing extractive, chemical agriculture to the forefront.

If you like what you hear and are feeling inspired, we would love for you to join our movement by becoming one of our 1,000  Real Friends:

https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-friends/

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