Blog posts by Jane Sooby

Written by Jane Sooby on Wednesday, September 21, 2022

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is a federal advisory board that reviews and makes recommendations on a wide range of issues involving the production, handling, and processing of organic products. The NOSB meets twice each year in a public forum to discuss and vote on recommendations to the USDA.  This fall, NOSB plans to meet in Sacramento, California, on October 25 through 27, 2022. CCOF encourages certified organic farmers, ranchers, and business owners to attend the meeting and to consider offering either a written or oral comment, because the NOSB greatly values input from…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, August 29, 2022

This year, CCOF sponsored a bill that will benefit organic food manufacturers, processors, and handlers in California by strengthening organic integrity in the state and creating more transparency in the program that regulates them. Authored by Assemblymember Mark Stone and co-authored by State Senator John Laird and Assemblymember Marc Levine, AB 1870 has passed the state legislature and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk to be signed into law. During its passage through four committee hearings and three hearings on the legislative floors, AB 1870 did not receive any no votes. AB…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, June 6, 2022

CCOF is working to pass two organic bills in California this legislative session. AB 1870 will streamline the state program that oversees organic food manufacturers and handlers, and AB 2499 will create an organic transition pilot program to support socially disadvantaged growers in becoming certified organic. Both bills moved forward during deliberations on the Assembly floor in late May, and next, they will be taken up by the California Senate Agriculture Committee.  AB 1870, authored by Assemblymember Mark Stone, supports California food processors by streamlining the registration…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, June 6, 2022

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has opened two organic cost-share programs for applications. Certified organic operations may apply for and receive reimbursement from both programs. “Original” cost share offers organic operation reimbursement of 50 percent of eligible expenses related to certification, including State Organic Program registration fees up to a maximum of $500 per scope. Find more information on the “original” cost-share program at the USDA’s website.  “New” cost share is open to certified organic and transitional producers. It offers to pay 25 percent of eligible…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, April 4, 2022

A new report issued by the California Department of Public Health’s State Organic Program shows staggering growth in organic product sales between 2020 and 2021, from $14.8 billion to $34.5 billion. Median annual gross sales also more than doubled, from $170,000 in 2020 to $350,000 in 2021. Analysis of registrants by sales volume reveals that the number of registrants paying the highest fee—700 for businesses with gross sales above $2.5 million—increased from 603 in 2020 to 690 in 2021. At the same time, the number of organic registrants with the State Organic Program declined from 2,777 in…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, March 14, 2022

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has released the agenda and meeting materials for its April 26–28, 2022 meeting and will accept written comments on agenda items through April 1. Signups to provide oral comment during webinars on April 19 and 21 are also open. Visit the USDA’s website to register for an oral comment slot (scroll to the bottom of the page). The NOSB is a federal advisory board that comprises volunteers from the organic community who advise the National Organic Program and the Secretary of Agriculture on organic production, handling, and processing. They also…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, March 7, 2022

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is offering at least three types of tax credit as part of COVID-19 relief, including Credit for Sick and Family Leave, the Employee Retention Credit, and Paid Leave Credit for Vaccines.  The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) allows small and midsize employers and certain governmental employers to claim refundable tax credits that reimburse them for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave to their employees due to COVID-19, including leave taken by employees to receive or recover from COVID-19 vaccinations.  The ARP tax credits are available…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, February 14, 2022

Responding to member concerns, CCOF is sponsoring a bill, AB 1870, that will streamline the oversight of organic food processors by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to increase efficiency and transparency.  Authored by Assembly member Mark Stone (29th Assembly District) and co-authored by Senator John Laird (17th Senate District) and Assemblymember Marc Levine (10th Assembly District), the legislation builds on the California Organic Food and Farming Act, sponsored by CCOF in 2016, that streamlined how the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) regulates the…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, January 31, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the application deadline for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) to this Friday, February 4, 2022.  OTECP offers certification cost share, support for transitional producers, and reimbursement for educational expenses and soil testing expenses.  OTECP is funded through USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers Program; $20 million has been authorized for the program.  There are some important differences between this program and the usual Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Please review this information…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, January 10, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has extended the application deadline for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) to February 4, 2022. OTECP offers certification cost share, support for transitional producers, and reimbursement for educational expenses and soil testing expenses. Apply soon, because if funds run low, payment levels may be reduced. OTECP is funded through USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers Program; $20 million has been authorized for the program.  There are some important differences between this program and the usual Organic…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, December 13, 2021

Please keep an eye out for emails calling for chapter leader nominations and announcing opportunities to vote in chapter elections and participate! You can have a say in the future of organic by representing your chapter on the CCOF Board of Directors. CCOF is unique in many ways, and one of them is its structure. CCOF is a nonprofit organization led by a board of directors who represent the 15 CCOF chapters: 13 regional chapters, the Processor/Handler chapter, and the At-Large Chapter that comprises of all farmers and ranchers located outside California and Mexico.  CCOF board…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, October 4, 2021

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) part 2 is open for applications only through October 12, 2021, so if you’ve been thinking about applying, now is the time. The original CFAP program has been expanded to include numerous specialty crops and types of livestock as eligible commodities.   The calculation for CFAP 2 payments for commodities is based on the total sales that the farmer had in 2018 or 2019 (or, if the farmer began farming in 2020, then year 2020). When applying, first select the year you want to use as the basis. Once a year is selected, payment rates are based on…
Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, September 7, 2021

This week the agenda and all proposals and discussion documents for the fall 2021 National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meetings were posted online. Sign-up for public comment during October 13 and 14 online webinars is now open. If you want to make an oral comment, register now because the slots can get filled up quickly. Written comments are due by September 30, 2021, so that NOSB members have time to review them before the October 19–21 NOSB meeting. Comments are being accepted through Regulations.gov. Originally scheduled to be held in Sacramento, the meeting will now be held online…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, August 30, 2021

As growers in the Central Coast region face increased regulation of nitrogen discharges from their farms, they need new ways to capture excess nitrogen and reduce erosion. While winter cover cropping is a highly effective way to scavenge soil nitrate and prevent leaching, the need for intensive management of residues can discourage growers from using this strategy. A USDA Agricultural Research Service organic researcher, Eric Brennan of Salinas, is studying an approach that involves planting cover crops into the furrows between beds. This practice provides many benefits, including decreased…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, June 28, 2021

The Organic Trade Association’s 2021 Organic Industry Survey reports that sales of organic products—including food and nonfood categories—grew by 12.4 percent in 2020 to total $61.9 billion in sales nationwide. Citing market shifts that accompanied the closure of restaurants and food services due to the pandemic, OTA reported that online and grocery sales of fresh produce and staple foods—many of them completely selling out at times—drove organic food sales to a new high of $56.5 billion. OTA explains, “The primary reason organic purchases skyrocketed was because people have come to…