- Humboldt Creamery is teetering on the edge...
Imbalances in the company's books are said to be material and significant, according to interim CEO Len Mayer, to such an extant that the creamery's prospects will be threatened without help from the banks.
With nearly 60 percent of Humboldt's dairies selling to Humboldt Creamery, industry experts weighed in on the 80-year-old cooperative's vital role in the community, and the impact a creamery collapse would have on the county.
"It would be devastating -- this is the most devastating news in agriculture during my lifetime," said Farm Bureau Executive Director Katherine Ziemer. "If the creamery doesn't make it, it will have lasting effects for generations to come -- so many people in Ferndale (CA) are tied to what has happened at Humboldt Creamery."
Inspector biologist Bruce Bryan for the Humboldt County Department of Agriculture said the 27 organic farmers for the creamery would most likely be hit the hardest because of additional costs associated with organic farming, making it hard to compete with conventional milk.
...and the ramifications are profound.
As General Motors is to Detroit, Humboldt Creamery is to Ferndale, Calif., population 1,382. So when the homegrown CEO of 23 years abruptly resigned last month and his attorney warned of serious financial problems, the town went into economic convulsions.
While Rich Ghilarducci retreated to his second home in Scottsdale, Ariz., creamery officials said his attorney told them they should suspend the co-op's first sale of securities to locals who by then had invested $400,000 from their nest eggs.
"These are people I grew up with and went to high school with," said interim CEO Len Mayer. "Not that it matters, but I probably would feel better if it was somebody five states away."
Now creamery officials are conducting an audit that they say they plan to give to federal prosecutors in San Francisco for review. The U.S. Attorney's office declined to comment, and Ghilarducci's attorneys did not return calls.
- The Environmental Working Group recently updated their Shopper's Guide to Pesticides. If you're not already familiar with this very important tool, get familiar now. Get the guide so when you're shopping you'll know which produce to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are okay if organic isn't available.
- Good how-to guide for composting. Here's an excerpt, but it's important to read the whole article.
You'll need a container for your compost, but it needn't be expensive. They come in all sizes and varieties--from the metal garbage can whose bottom has been removed and holes poked into the sides for air; to homemade bins made from chicken wire and wooden pallets. Whichever you choose, be certain it allows for free airflow, one of the key elements necessary for any successful compost operation. Make sure the container doesn't sit in direct sunlight.
Nitrogen and carbon, in equal parts, water, and air are the four essential elements for producing this rich organic plant food. Use these types of materials, and you're on your way to rich soil your plants will love, rewarding you with a healthy harvest:
-Nitrogen producers: Disease and chemical-free green and wet lawn and garden plants ; grass trimmings; vegetable and fruit trimmings and peels.
-Carbon producers: Disease and chemical-free brown, dry yard and gardening material such as leaves, twigs, hay or straw (some prefer straw to hay), untreated sawdust, wood prunings (cut them into foot-long pieces to speed up their break down), pine needles (acidic, use in moderation), newspaper, but no glossy paper or paper with colored inks; wood chips, used sparingly; chopped corncobs and stalks.
-Foods---table scraps, vegetable and fruit peelings; coffee grounds and their filters, tea, loose or bagged. Absolutely never add meat of any kind, or their bones, dairy products, or breads. Eggshells are a protein but are safe to add.
- Organic boozehounds take heart, Charles and Camilla have your backs.
The royal couple will visit the Emiliana vineyard outside the Chilean capital of Santiago, where they will meet Rafael and Jose Guilisasti, two brothers heavily involved in the development of organic wine production in Chile.
Prince Charles is a passionate supporter of organic farming in Britain, including his own farm on his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire.
- And speaking of organic boozehounds...
A new Saskatchewan brewing company is hoping to tap into the growing market for organic crafted beer.
On Tuesday, Jason Dearborn, a farmer, entrepreneur and former MLA from Kindersley, officially launched the Brecknock Brewing Company in Regina.
And major bonus here - this photo of their CEO finally answers the question, what would John Edwards look like after a few too many?
Related Reading:
Wicked Cool World of Organics, Edition 1
Dire Economy Takes Negligible Toll on Organics
