Berwick, Ontario
Monday, October 6th, 1997
Dear colleague
Murray and I are thrilled with the response that Homestead Organics has received this year from both farmers and customers of organic grains. The main conclusion is that the market is still stronger than the supply; we could double the number of growers in this region and barely keep up with the demand. We encourage the current organic farmers to invite your friends, family and neighbours to consider organic agriculture as a viable and worthy option. For those who did not get certified this year, we encourage you join us next year in this growing industry.
I must highlight an important change in the certification process of some certification organizations. Starting with the 1998 growing year, OCIA requires new members to register in the preceding year and undergo a pre-inspection to verify the status of their farm prior to certification; we expect all organizations to adopt a similar rule fairly soon. Thus, new members must NOW select a certification body, and in some cases, schedule a pre-inspection this fall.
Homestead Organics currently markets grains for growers belonging to any of the following organizations (placed in order by the volume of business):
Yours truly,
Tom Manley