Having trouble viewing this? Read it online
In this issue:
- Fall Webinars by eOrganic
- Quinoa Conference Recordings Available
- Recently Published eOrganic Articles
- Organic News
- NOP News
- eOrganic Mission and Resources
Fall Organic Farming and Extension Webinars
This fall, eOrganic presents a new series of webinars entitled Excellence in Organic Extension organized by Julie Grossman, Alan Meijer and JiJy Sooksa-nguan at North Carolina State University. This 4-session webinar series will provide training to enable graduate students and others who work directly with farmers in their jobs, an opportunity to learn what works, and what doesn’t from national experts in organic agriculture extension. Register or watch recordings at the links below:
- September 9, 2013: Effective Presentations: How to Develop and Deliver a Farmer-Friendly Talk (Recording is posted). Seth Wilner, University of New Hampshire
- October 7, 2013: Be my friend: Utilizing social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to engage and interact with your audience. Debbie Roos, North Carolina State Extension; Debra Heleba, University of Vermont Extension
- October 21, 2013: Out in the sun: How to plan and put on an engaging, informative and successful field day. Charlie White, Penn State Extension; Molly Hamilton, North Carolina State Extension
- November 4, 2013: How am I doing: Improving your program by evaluating your extension program with feedback and follow-up. Seth Wilner, University of New Hampshire; Anu Rangarajan, Cornell University
We've also launched our 4th season of webinars on organic farming based on the latest research and practitioner experience. You can register now for the following webinars, and more will be added, so check our schedule often!
- October 22, 2013: Integrating Livestock into Dryland Organic Crop Rotations. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs and Jonathan Wachter, Washington State University
- October 17, 2013: NRCS EQIP Organic Initiative and Organic Dairy Farms. Sarah Brown, Oregon Tilth; Sam Skemp, USDA-NRCS
- November 12, 2013: Organic Dry Bean Production Systems and Cultivar Choices. Thomas Michaels et al., University of Minnesota
- November 14, 2013: Behavior Based Grazing Management: A Plant-Herbivore Interaction Webinar. Darrell Emmick, USDA-NRCS (emeritus)
- December 3, 2013: Trap cropping in organic strawberries to manage lygus bugs in California, Diego Nieto, University of California Santa Cruz
- December 10, 2013: Using Contans (Coniothyrium minitans) for White Mold Management on Organic Farms Webinar, Alex Stone, Oregon State University
Quinoa Conference Recordings Available
In August, eOrganic attended the International Quinoa Research Symposium in Pullman, Washington, which presented research in quinoa breeding and the adoption potential of this nutritious crop across the globe. Recordings of selected presentations from this conference are now available as a playlist on the eOrganic YouTube channel. Find recordings of all our past webinars and conference broadcasts at http://www.extension.org/pages/25242
Recently Published eOrganic Articles
Requirements for Organic Poultry Production, by Jim Riddle, Organic Independents LLP
Synthetic Methionine and Organic Poultry Diets, by Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky
Organic News
An article about using radishes as cover crops by Joel Gruver, Ray R. Weil, Charles White and Yvonne Lawley which was based on an eOrganic article by the same authors, was published in the Organic Broadcaster, the bimonthly publication of the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). Read the article, and others from the current issue at http://www.mosesorganic.org/attachments/broadcaster/Obonline215.html#9
Jim Riddle's and Joyce Ford's Blue Fruit Farm near Winona, MN was featured on KSMQ Public Television's Garden Connections show. Watch the farm tour and learn about their approach to organic production by watching the episode on YouTube at this link
The Organic Center is working with the National Soil Project (NSP) at Northeastern University to look at humic acid content in organic farm soils, and they are seeking soil samples from organic farms. The goal of the study is to quantify the improved health of organically managed soils in comparison to conventionally managed soils and create a reference database to help organic farmers maintain and improve their soil. More information about the project can be found on the Organic Center website at http://organic-center.org/uncategorized/soil-health-in-organic-farms/
Recent National Organic Program (NOP) News
Based on recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board, the NOP is proposing allowing three substances in organic crops and handling:
- Biodegradable biobased mulch film:
- Farmers wouldn't need to remove the biodegradable mulch at the end of the growing season, reducing waste and farm worker labor costs.
- Mulch couldn't contain genetically modified ingredients and would need to meet other requirements.
- Nonorganic curry leaves (Murraya koenigii)*
- Nonorganic Citrus hystrix leaves and fruit*
*Allows handlers to use the non-organic form of the ingredient only if organic form isn't commercially available in the appropriate form, quality or quantity to replace its use.
View Proposed Rule. Submit Public Comments. Deadline: October 21, 2013
A recently published Instruction addresses Organic Certificates, and describes what elements are necessary on an organic certificate to accurately communicate a certified operation's organic status. It also clarifies that only one operation may be listed on the organic certificate. This document clarifies the NOP's expectations of its certifiers in this area, will support increased consistency in certificates across certifiers. View NOP 2603: Organic Certificates
Subscribe to the NOP Organic Insider to stay current on NOP news and activities.
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
Connect with eOrganic on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Have a question about organic farming? Use the eXtension Ask an Expert service to connect with the eOrganic community!
Subscribe to this newsletter
