In Memorium
PETER MURRAY: Legacy of a Passionate Life

Peter C. Murray, known for his passion for life, his leadership in the promotion of the organic industry and his devotion to family and friends, died July 24 in a tragic boating accident in Ann Arbor, MI. He is mourned by his loving family—wife Betsey, daughter Skye, and sons Brett and Tyler—and an entire community of organic industry friends and colleagues who knew him as a person of the highest personal and professional integrity.

Peter, a founding father of Organic Processing Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board, spent his 25-year career in the natural and organic products industry, most recently as president of Sustainable Systems Design, his own consultancy in the organic products marketplace based in Ann Arbor. During his career, Peter worked for Frog Holler Produce and Eden Foods, Inc., and was co-owner of Eden Natural Deli and Grocery.

Peter’s extensive background in organic certification and policy development included serving with the world’s largest private certifier as chair of the International Certification Committee, serving as a founding board member and past vice president of the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and as an active member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA), and as chair of the Michigan Organic Advisory committee, where he was instrumental in getting Michigan’s first organic production legislation passed. Peter also was a recognized authority in organic certification and processing of personal care products and was the principle author of the U.S.’s first set of standards for organic fiber processing.

Long-time friend and colleague Bill Wolf of Wolf & Associates characterized Peter as “one my best friends and one of the best friends and true supporters of the organic community” who will be sorely missed. “He set a high standard of integrity for himself and the industry,” said Wolf, “although much of his good works went unseen. He was not seeking wealth or fame, just encouraging better stewardship of the planet and creating an organic universe. He fearlessly tackled the organic frontiers, creating crop standards in the 1980s and processing and materials review standards in 1990s. More recently, his work on organic fiber and personal care product methods continued cultivating new ground.”

This latter work of Peter’s, said Katherine DiMatteo, OTA executive director, was instrumental. “Without Peter there is a gap in expertise that OTA had come to count on. His ability to tackle the difficult issues around standards for organic production and processing, especially in areas like textile processing and personal care products, was invaluable to the industry. He is greatly missed.”

Wolf added that indeed it was Peter’s upbeat passion for life, blended with his absolute commitment to ethics and honesty that generated an energy that was contagious, invigorating and got things done. “This drive helped create the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA), OMRI, and the Michigan organic programs,” he said. “For me, Peter Murray’s legacy is to embrace every day with passion and joy, growing and eating organic foods and beverages, caring for our bodies with soaps and fibers made with organic ingredients, with conscious respect for the principles of doing more with less.”

Tim Redmond of Food Industry Consulting, a friend of Peter’s for more than 20 years and his partner in a natural foods retail and wholesale business in Ann Arbor, said, “Peter was an honest, true and faithful friend. The kind you count on and miss most when he’s gone. I think it is that way for the organic food industry, too. While there are many good men and women to pick up his work, Peter’s honesty, energy, faithfulness, and his willingness, will be missed.”

As many of us honor and celebrate Peter’s life and legacy, these words from friend Bob Anderson of Sustainable Strategies are fitting: “Peter Murray’s lust for life and passion for organic agriculture will be sorely missed. He was a tireless champion and outspoken advocate for high organic standards in food, fiber and personal care. Peter delighted in the outdoors, good food, red wine, hearty debates, gusty laughs and the camaraderie of his friends. He was soulfully proud of his family and would lovingly regale us with his children’s accomplishments. Peter’s incredible integrity and work ethic leaves behind a legacy of high standards, passionate thinking and deep commitment to doing the right thing, well.

“Good work, Peter! Thank you. It has been an honor to be your colleague and friend.”

ON THE MOVE
Quality Assurance International’s (QAI) welcomes Kristen L. Reimink as its new president, David Abney as director of certification services and John Foster as director of technical services (www.qai-inc.com).

Straus Family Creamery’s organic whole milk plain yogurt won first place in the American Cheese Society competition for the Yogurts Made from Cow’s Milk category. Straus’ European-style unsalted (sweet) butter with 85% butterfat won third place in the unsalted butter category.

ForesTrade and its partner, Gayo Organic Coffee Farmers Association (PPKGO) received the 2004 Sustainability Award from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA). Presenting this award for the first time, SCAA wanted to recognize those organizations for “their efforts to strengthen and sustain the communities where coffee farmers live, work and raise their families.”

Spectrum Packaging has received organic certification by QAI for its food blending and contract packaging facility in Springfield, IL. The plant is also AIB certified and kosher certified.

Kerry Americas, a specialty custom-designed food technologies company announced that its specialty ingredients manufacturing plant, in Owen, WI, was recently certified organic by the USDA accredited certifying agent Agrisystems International.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has agreed to collaborate with NSF International on efforts to develop an organic personal care standard that could ultimately receive recognition on the national level. OTA’s role in the process would be to bring organic industry expertise, particularly that of its Personal Care Organic Standards Task Force, to a joint committee that NSF would form to deliberate on and develop such a standard.

On July 31, more than 300 people gathered in LaFarge, WI, to celebrate the grand opening of Organic Valley’s new $5.9 million “green” design headquarters. For the 633 farmer-owners and 180 employees of Organic Valley, the building is a symbol of the cooperative’s success in saving family farms and the vitality of rural America.

The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) has issued its updated Information Statement on Genetic Modification and Food (www.ifst.org/hottop10.htm).

The Organic Farming Research Foundation in Santa Cruz, CA, recently released the complete results of the Fourth National Organic Farmers’ Survey: Sustaining Organic Farms in a Changing Organic Marketplace. According to the survey, 44 % of respondents reported market expansion for their organic products; 26% indicated an increase in prices received for their organic products; and 92% obtained organic price premiums on some portion of their organic products.