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CCOF Press Releases
Press Release
July 12, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Peggy Miars
(831) 423-2263, ext. 12
peggy@ccof.org
Prather Ranch Introduces the Nation's First Commercial Organic Strawberry Nursery Plants
Santa Cruz, CA (July 12, 2004) - California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) is pleased to announce the introduction of the first commercially available organic strawberry nursery stock in the United States. According to the USDA's National Organic Program, organic farmers must start their crops with organic seeds or organic planting stock, whenever available. Until now, commercial strawberry nursery plants have not been available, so farmers have used non-organic stock to start their organic berries. Prather Ranch in Northern California is now taking farmer orders for their organic strawberry nursery plants. Third party organic certification is provided by CCOF.
For the organic strawberry industry, this creates a source for berries that are 100% organic from planting to harvest. For consumers, this will increase their confidence in knowing that the strawberries they buy were grown from organic planting stock. "Prather Ranch's new organic nursery plants could mean the start of a new era in organic strawberries," said Peggy Miars, acting president of CCOF. "Right now, consumers who buy organic strawberries are unknowingly supporting the use of methyl bromide. They think that they are supporting the organic industry from start to finish. But in reality, strawberry nursery stock is currently started from non-organic seeds."
"Currently, non-organic strawberry planting stock is developed at a low elevation site then moved to a high elevation site for growing the nursery plants, then back to a low elevation for the fruiting field. This creates a lot of opportunities for problems with pests and disease," said James Rickert, organic nursery manager for Prather Ranch. "Conventional strawberry growers use methyl bromide to mitigate potential pest and disease problems along the way." Prather Ranch's isolated high elevation fields in northern California provide a healthy environment that minimizes the risk of pest infestation and disease. In addition, organic farming methods help build healthy soil that results in healthy plants.
Although the fruit of Rickert's labor won't be available to consumers until the spring of 2005, he is currently taking orders from farmers for the organic stock. The organic strawberries have already been planted, and the nursery plants will be available immediately after harvest in October. Organic farmers will then plant the strawberry stock and will grow the plants using organic methods until the berries are ready for harvest next spring.
Organic farmers may contact Rickert directly at (530) 941-0810 or rickertjames@yahoo.com. Organic certification questions may be directed to CCOF at (888) 423-2236 or ccof@ccof.org.
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About CCOF
CCOF, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1973 and is one of the nation's largest and oldest third-party organic certifying agencies. CCOF's purpose is to promote and support organic agriculture in California and elsewhere through:
o A premier organic certification program for growers, processors, handlers, and retailers.
o Programs to increase awareness of and demand for certified organic product and to expand public support for organic agriculture.
o Advocacy for governmental policies that protect and encourage organic agriculture.
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