Kevin Engelbert: Calling Out Corruption In Organic Dairy

#057: Organic dairy farmer Kevin Engelbert speaks to the insurmountable hardships that illegal producers, corrupt certifiers and unethical politicians have cemented into the marketplace in recent years. Beginning with the unlawful certification of the Aurora Dairy CAFO in Colorado during his time on the National Organic Standards Board, Kevin has experienced more downs than ups as he tries to sell his organic milk and grain alongside fraudulent products with slick packaging.Kevin Engelbert is a 6th generation dairy farmer from upstate New York who operates the very first certified-organic dairy farm in the US with his wife Lisa and their sons. He is a former member of the National Organic Standards Board.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/kevin-engelbert-calling-out-corruption-organic-dairy-episode-fifty-sevenThe 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/farmsWe 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/To read our weekly newsletter (which might just be the most forwarded newsletter on the internet!) and get firsthand news about what's happening with organic food, farming and policy, please subscribe here:https://www.realorganicproject.org/email/