Blog posts by Jane Sooby

Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, April 17, 2023

Have you considered adding a value-added component to your farm, such as starting an organic seed business or processing a crop you grow into a snack food? USDA’s Rural Development Program offers support for farmers and ranchers to develop such enterprises. The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) can be used for planning activities or for working capital expenses related to producing and marketing a value-added agricultural product. Examples of planning activities include conducting feasibility studies and developing business plans for processing and marketing the proposed value-added product…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, April 3, 2023

The USDA is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee on Minority Farmers. All nomination packages received by April 24, 2023, will be considered. Interested candidates may nominate themselves. This committee recommends solutions to challenges faced by minority farmers and ranchers and is part of USDA’s commitment to advance equity for all, especially for farmers and producers in underserved communities. The committee is administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). The committee was established in the Food Conservation and Energy…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, April 3, 2023

As CCOF celebrates its 50th anniversary, we invite longtime members to pull out those cardboard boxes containing old CCOF photos, magazines, or documents and share them with us. We may use these materials in an archive project highlighting CCOF’s history and the organic community.  Please note that donated materials may not be returned. If you have important photos or documents, please consider submitting high-resolution copies or scans.  Materials will be compiled to create a mixed media archive and/or gallery that will be displayed at CCOF’s forthcoming 50th Anniversary Celebration and at…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, March 20, 2023

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has released the agenda for its Spring 2023 meeting and registration is now open to make oral comment during one of two webinars on April 18 and April 20.  In addition to oral comment, the public may submit written comments on materials up for sunset from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances and other topics on the agenda. Submit comments via regulations.gov. The deadline to register for oral comment and submit written comment is April 5. The meeting will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, April 25–27. All information about the meeting…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, March 20, 2023

Crowdfunding via social media has become an increasingly popular way for individuals to raise funds for many purposes, from taking a fancy vacation to paying medical expenses. While public and private resources are available to assist farmers and ranchers affected by the recent atmospheric rivers that created widespread flooding, many are taking fundraising into their own hands and setting up appeals on the site GoFundMe. To amplify their requests, here is a list of CCOF-certified operations that currently have an active GoFundMe posting or online appeal. If you know of another CCOF-…
Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, February 21, 2023

USDA’s 99th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum will take place over the course of two days, both online and in person in Arlington, Virginia. On Thursday, February 23, between 11:25 and 11:55 a.m. Eastern, Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, will moderate a session on Strategies for More and Better Markets. In addition, National Organic Program Deputy Administrator Jenny Tucker will moderate an Organic Outlook panel Friday, February 24, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Eastern that will feature Houston Wilson, director of the University of…
Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Jesse Buie, president of Ole Brook Organics, grows a range of specialty crops on one of only fifteen certified organic farms located in Mississippi (according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s most recent organic survey). Certified by CCOF since 2013, Jesse is committed to growing organically in the difficult cropping environment of the South and to providing his community with healthy food. He is also committed to the larger organic movement and has served a five-year term on the National Organic Standards Board. CCOF’s partner organization, the Organic Farming Research…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, February 13, 2023

The California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) is an advisory body established by state law to advise the secretary of food and agriculture on state organic regulations and education, outreach, and technical assistance for producers. COPAC is composed of 15 members who represent different sectors of the organic community.  Currently, there are 7 voting seat vacancies on COPAC: 2 producers  1 wholesale distributor 1 processor  1 environmental representative  1 technical representative  1 consumer representative In addition, each seat has an alternate to fill in when the…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, February 6, 2023

In the wake of the atmospheric river that hit California with a series of intense storms in early January, many people had questions about the status of organically certified ground and about the safety of food grown in flooded fields. Flooding should not impact the organic certification status of a parcel of land, and flooded parcels will maintain their certification unless it is surrendered, suspended, or revoked. Growers who had their fields flooded will likely not be required to go through the three-year transition after flooding, but certifiers will need to evaluate each farm on a case-…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, January 30, 2023

An atmospheric river caused widespread flooding and landslides in California at the beginning of 2023, creating an estimated $5–7 billion of damage. Especially hard hit were farms in many rural areas adjacent to rivers that overflowed their banks, flooding fields, homes, and businesses. President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for California, which triggered the release of federal funds to assist people and businesses affected by the damage.  For useful general advice on documenting and recovering from disasters, refer to this document created by Rural Advancement Foundation…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, January 9, 2023

Purpose With the ongoing drought crisis in California, farmers face increased costs ranging from higher water and energy bills to installing new equipment. This is especially difficult for smaller farms, BIPOC and immigrant farmers, and other socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. These farmers often fall through the cracks of traditional government aid, so the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD), with funding from the California Deptartment of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is stepping in to offer direct financial support to farmers who have experienced…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, January 9, 2023

The California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC) will meet during the EcoFarm Conference from 12:30–3:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 19, 2023, in the Scripps room at the Asilomar Conference Grounds located at 800 Asilomar Avenue in Pacific Grove, California. Attendees do not have to register for EcoFarm to attend. COPAC is a state advisory committee created by state law to advise the Secretary of Food and Agriculture on education, outreach, and technical assistance for organic producers, processors, and handlers. Currently, COPAC has a number of open seats, including producer,…
Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, November 15, 2022

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), federal advisory body to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on organic issues, convened October 25–27, 2022, in Sacramento, California. The NOSB meeting was preceded by a day-long meeting convened by the National Organic Coalition (NOC) on October 24. The NOC meeting featured a series of sessions that dove deep into organic issues, including a Q&A with National Organic Program (NOP) Administrator Jenny Tucker, a Washington D.C. update on organic by NOC Policy Director Steve Etka, and a panel, Empowering Immigrant & Limited-Resource Aspiring…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, October 24, 2022

Two organic cost-share programs are open for applications now through October 31. Certified organic operations may apply for and receive reimbursement from both programs. Transitional operations may apply for reimbursement of transition-related expenses. “Original” cost share, the Organic Certification Cost Share Program, offers certified organic operations reimbursement of 50 percent of eligible organic certification–related expenses, including State Organic Program registration fees up to a maximum of $500 per scope. Find more information on the “original” cost share program on the Farm…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, October 3, 2022

After making it through the California Assembly and Senate, AB 1870, the bill that would make needed reforms to the state program regulating organic food manufacturers, processors, and handlers, was vetoed by Governor Newsom. CCOF pursued the legislation in response to issues raised by members about the administration of the State Organic Program by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which uses an outdated, paper-based registration system and continues to carry a backlog of unresolved complaints. AB 1870, authored by Assemblymember Mark Stone and co-authored by State Senator…