Colle Farmers Market Responds After “Siemon Says” We Must Fix the American Food System

Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) February 14, 2013

On February 14, 2013, Colle Farmers Market, an organic farmers market aggregator and advocacy group, issues a response to a recent proposition by George Siemon, CEO and co-founder of the agriculture co-op Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools, which – under the Organic Valley and Organic Prairie brands – produces dairy products, eggs and other foods.

According to a recent interview with Toledo Blade, Siemon wants to “fix America's food system,” which he says has been compromised. Siemon is an advocate for organic farming methods. His co-op produces foods that they “consider to be better for the environment than [those] from conventional farms, and possibly healthier for consumers,” states the article.

Siemon points out that “farmers are trying to survive on the smallest of margins. Far too much food is wasted. And too many Americans suffer from food-related illnesses such as diabetes and obesity.”

According to the article, “one of the perceived problems with organic farming is that the farmers’ yield is often thought to be smaller than that of conventional farmers, who use chemicals and pesticides specifically formulated to help boost the farms’ output.”

Siemon asserts that this problem persists in part because many government policies inadvertently discourage organic farming in favor of conventional methods; the chemicals pesticides used in conventional farming make the production process cheaper for farmers. As a result, says Siemon, “the soil is contaminated with chemicals.”

“If you get involved in food, you very quickly learn that farm politics are controlled by big corporations whose main concerns are the same as the people’s,” quoted Siemon. “Food is a complicated subject, and a lot of our policies are very simplistic.”

Organic farmers' methods differ from those of conventional farming, in that organic farming abstains from “pumping nutrients into the soil,” with farmers instead rotating their crops each year.

Colle Farmers Market, an alliance of organic farmers markets and advocate for the organic farming industry, responds to Siemon's proposal, which they say jibes with one of Colle's fundamental missions – to help build the foundation for a healthy and sustainable future. Colle Farmers Market asks that members of the organic community join hands in supporting George Siemon in his quest to improve our foods, and our lives. Consumers can do their part by staying informed about the benefits of organic foods and incorporating that knowledge into their shopping decisions, says Colle.

Colle is an E-Commerce enabled farmers market community that is passionate about sustainable consumption and responsible conservation. The Colle movement is dedicated to connecting natural product vendors, organic farmers and all people who are living an organic and natural lifestyle.
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