The deadline for submitting comments on the Organic Trade Association’s GRO Organic Initiative is Tuesday, April 30. OTA is encouraging industry members to provide ideas and feedback on the proposed …
Growing an Organic Garden-Do’s and Don’ts
Cathy Isom has some of the important do’s and don’ts when growing an organic garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Organic gardening is an entirely different way …
Biologicals Not Just for Organic Production
The use of biologicals are increasing, and that’s in part to organic production growth, but not entirely. More producers are using products like biofertilizers, biopesticides, and biostimulants. These products are viewed …
Report Details Overall Benefits of Organic Production
A new report that was recently released aggregates information from more than 300 peer-reviewed, scientific studies that highlight the auxiliary benefits of organic production. The Roadmap to an Organic California: …
USDA Provides Funding to California to Support Projects that Protect Agriculture and Natural Resources
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $16 million to California as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat …
Lawmakers Get Updated on Organic Industry Needs
Lawmakers in Congress are getting a thorough update on the needs and concerns of the organic industry this week. More than 20 farmer-members from the Organic Trade Association’s Farmers Advisory …
A ‘Hot’ Addition to Medley Packaging
The medley produce packaging trend is continuing and the newest addition seen in stores has some spice. Combination packs, also known as medleys, have proven to be popular with consumers …
Growing Challenges to Obtaining Enough Organic Seed
Regulations from the National Organic Program (NOP) dictate that organic producers must use organic seed when commercially available. However, as organic farms continue to increase in size and number it …
Organics Continue to Grow in Sales According to Nielsen
Organic products continue to gain popularity among consumers, with projections for even further growth in the future. According to data from Nielsen, sales of organic foods, beverages and other consumer …
Getting the Needs of ‘Commercial Organic’ Operations Heard on a National Level
Large and mid-size organic growers may need to become more involved in national advocacy groups to ensure their needs are also being considered when lobbying for changes in the industry. …
Concerns About Integrity as Organic Production Gets Easier
Organic production has grown significantly in recent years and that growth of the industry has created some concern for the future. Long time organic growers want the industry to remain …
U.S. Now has 6.5 Million Acres of Organic Certified Land
An organic industry data service says the U.S. now has 6.5 million acres of organic certified land. A report from Mercaris reveals that, as of August 2018, there are 17,648 …
OTA Moving Forward with Voluntary Checkoff
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is moving forward with plans to create a voluntary checkoff program. The Association says the program would provide industry-invested organic research, promotion and education check-off …
OTA Wants Voluntary Checkoff Program
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) announced a plan to move the industry toward a voluntary industry-invested organic research, promotion, and education checkoff program. It will be put together and in …