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In this issue
- Upcoming eOrganic farming and research webinars
- Organic farming and research webinars from other organizations
- New Organic publications
- Recent NOP news
- eOrganic mission and resources
| Upcoming eOrganic Farming and Research Webinars | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25, 2014 and Feb 27, 2014 | 2 Part Webinar Series on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Soil Quality in Long-term Integrated and Transitional Reduced Tillage Organic Systems | Ann-Marie Fortuna, North Dakota State University, Craig Cogger and Doug Collins, Washington State University Puyallup | |
| March 4, 2014 | Using Contans (Coniothyrium minitans) for White Mold Management on Organic Farms Webinar | Alex Stone, Oregon State University | |
| March 13, 2014 | Organic Blackberry Production Webinar | Bernadine Strik, Luis Valenzuela, Oregon State; David Bryla, USDA-ARS Corvallis, O | |
| March 25, 2014 | Breeding efforts and cover crop choices for improved organic dry bean production systems in Michigan | Erin Hill and Jim Heinig, Michigan State University | |
Recordings of all eOrganic webinars and live conference broadcasts are available in our archive at http://www.extension.org/organic_production, and on the eOrganic YouTube channel. If you missed our live broadcast of selected presentations of the Organic Seed Growers Conference, you can find them on our YouTube channel as a playlist
Weed Management Webinars, NRCS Organic Webinars
Other organizations offering webinars on organic farming and research include the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which is holding an organic farming webinar series in partnership with Oregon Tilth. Also, the Organic Thinking group, a multi-institutional weed management research project led by Douglas Doohan of Ohio State University has organized a series of webinars on organic weed management. Find out more about these programs and register at the links below:
- NRCS and Oregon Tilth Organic Farming Webinars. The schedule of organic webinars and registration information can be found on a longer list of NRCS conservation webinars available here. Upcoming organic webinars include:
- On-Farm Food Safety and Conservation
- Commonly Used Organic Inputs
- Weed Management in Organic Pastures
- Organic Farming and Soil Health
- Nutrient Budgeting: Organic Considerations for Implementing Conservation Practice Standard 590
- Weed Management Webinar Series: Organic farmers and specialists from across the U.S. will be leading a free webinar series on organic weed management. The webinars will discuss several approaches and practices for managing weeds including crop rotations, cover crops, and soil management. The registration link to the Organic Thinking group website here works for all 4 webinars.
New Organic Publications
- Fire Blight Control Program in Organic Fruit. Harold Ostenson, Tree Fruit Consulting and David Granatstein, Washington State University have written a report on grower lessons and emerging research for developing an integrated non-antibiotic fire blight control program in organic fruit. The publication was funded by the Organic Center and is available at this link, and it will also be published on the Organic Center website.
- Oregon Tilth has produced a series of documents which provide technical guidance to conservation planners working with organic producers. This project is the result of a partnership between Oregon Tilth’s Organic Conservation Program, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), the Xerces Society and NRCS; it is funded by a grant from Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE).
Available at: tilth.org/education-research/organic-conservation-program/wsare-project
- Resources for Conservation Planning on Organic and Transitioning-to-Organic Operations
- Common NRCS Practices Related to Pest Management on Organic Farms
- Cover Crop in Organic Systems
- Conservation Buffers in Organic Systems
- Nutrient Management
- The CERES Trust has issued its 2014 report on Organic Research and Outreach in the North Central Region, which identifies and catalogs organic research and outreach activities at the thirteen Land Grant Universities in the North Central Region. The report contains brief descriptions of recent and current organic research projects, peer-reviewed papers, and extension publications, dating back to 2002, when US National Organic Program (NOP) regulations took effect. In addition, the report lists key contact people and describes academic courses, degree programs, and hands-on learning opportunities, such as student organic farms, and gives the number of acres and animals used for organic research in each state. Read and download the report at http://cerestrust.org/organic-research-outreach-north-central-feb-2014/
Recent National Organic Program News
Who Needs to Be Certified Organic
The NOP has released a new instruction on who needs to be certified organic to remind certifiers that organic agricultural products must be produced and handled exclusively at certified organic farms and handling operations to ensure organic integrity throughout the product's lifecycle. The new instruction can be found here: NOP 409: Who needs to be certified and Questions and Answers
Apply for Improved Crop Insurance by March 15
Federal crop insurance provides the risk management tools necessary for American farmers to protect themselves against unexpected difficult years. To better support the growing organic agriculture sector, USDA's Risk Management Agency has taken steps to offer more options for organic producers under the Federal crop insurance program for the 2014 crop year:
- Elimination of 5 percent surcharge for all crops insured under organic farming practices.
- Organic price elections for 8 additional crops (now 16 total): oats, peppermint, apricots, apples, blueberries, almonds, pears, and grapes for juice.
- New contract price option for organic producers who grow crops under guaranteed contracts (available for 62 organic crops).
- Phased in changes to organic transitional yields (t-yields) to better reflect the actual organic farming experience.
Deadline for Most Programs is March 15, 2014. The sales closing date is the last day to buy a new policy or change an existing policy's coverage level. For most crops, the sales closing date is March 15, 2014. View Deadlines in Your State
Subscribe to the NOP Organic Insider to stay current on NOP news and activities. To find out more about the NOP, go to the NOP Homepage, the Organic Literacy Initiative, and the Organic Agriculture Web Resource Center on the USDA website.
eOrganic Mission
eOrganic is a web community where organic agriculture farmers, researchers, and educators network; exchange objective, research- and experience-based information; learn together; and communicate regionally, nationally, and internationally. If you have expertise in organic agriculture and would like to develop U.S. certified organic agriculture information, join us at http://eorganic.info.
eOrganic Resources
Find all eOrganic articles, videos and webinars at http://extension.org/organic_production
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