CCOF Blog

Third through sixth grade students at El Vista School received a grant to learn about organically and conventionally grown fruit and vegetables. They compared the look, taste, and smell of the fruit and vegetables, researched both farming practices, and visited a conventional farm and an organic farm. Ninety eight percent of El Vista...

CCOF is excited to release a new contribution to the scientific literature, Roadmap to an Organic California: Benefits Report, which distills the findings of more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific studies into a captivating and beautifully illustrated read. 

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I have witnessed Cathy Calfo’s vivacious drive since 2011 when she became the Executive Director of CCOF.  Since that time, she has been a friend, mentor, confidant and co-conspirator in advancing all things organic.

During her eight-year tenure, she achieved many policy and advocacy successes for organic agriculture in California and the Nation.

Cathy will leave the organization in March, in the good hands of Kelly Damewood.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with Cathy about her work at CCOF, commitment to organic and vision for the future.

Prior to...

Photo courtesy Sara Matthews

Last December 2018, the CCOF Foundation hosted its largest-ever benefit dinner, with nearly 250 of CCOF’s closest friends and supporters coming together in Monterey, California. The dinner, part of the larger Organic Grower Summit co-hosted by CCOF and the...

Students from Washington Elementary learned about beekeeping from a local beekeeper. The project began with a presentation during the Arthropoda section of the science class. Forty students learned about the activities of the Ely Area Bee Club as well as scientific facts about bees....

The FDA’s Produce Safety Rule, mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), is now taking effect for California farmers. A new survey, funded by the USDA, promises to give a clearer picture of what this means for the industry.

Farmers have voiced concerns over the costs and challenges of complying with the Rule since it was first announced. However, there is still too little hard evidence on the true distribution and severity of these challenges. Both farmers and government agencies need concrete statistics on where California farmers stand with respect to the Rule and how...

California agricultural producers can voluntarily help the monarch butterfly on their farms and ranches through a variety of conservation practices offered by the USDA. 

“With the monarch butterfly’s western population in peril, we’re encouraging California producers to make simple tweaks on their farms that can go a long way for this iconic...

On February 26 and 27, hundreds of CCOF members will meet in Fresno, California for the 2019 CCOF Annual Meeting & Conference. In addition to bidding farewell to retired CEO, Cathy Calfo; welcoming CCOF’s new CEO, Kelly Damewood; and celebrating the work of the CCOF Foundation; participants will come together to discuss the latest...

Join us for the annual CCOF Processor/Handler Chapter meeting in Fresno, California, on February 27, 2019, at 3:40 p.m. Pacific Time.

This meeting is being held at the DoubleTree Hilton at the end of the CCOF Annual Conference. Learn more about the full conference.*

If you cannot join the chapter meeting in person you can do so remotely via GoToMeeting: 
GoToMeeting Virtual Attendance Registration

Processor/Handler Chapter Meeting Agenda:

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The National Organic Program (NOP) issued a proposed rule to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The rule proposed to allow elemental sulfur for use as a molluscicide, add polyoxin D zinc salt to control fungal diseases, and reclassify magnesium chloride as an allowed nonsynthetic ingredient in organic handling.

Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until April 16, 2019, via www.regulations.gov under Docket Number AMS-NOP-18- 0051.

Proposed reclassification of magnesium chloride as nonsynthetic

Magnesium chloride derived from sea...

Protecting our CCOF-certified organic farm from external herbicide contamination has been an ongoing challenge. For over forty years, the Nevada Irrigation District (NID), our local water purveyor, has used herbicides to manage the unlined ditches that bring our irrigation water.

We believe the time has come to stop the...

California farmers and ranchers interested in receiving a grant to implement new soil-building practices on their land can receive free application support from technical assistance providers.

Resource Conservation Districts and nonprofit organizations throughout the state have signed up to help potential applicants. Some of these technical assistance providers are holding informational workshops on how to apply. See the full list of providers and workshops.

There are two different funding opportunities under Healthy Soils:

The goal of Cordova Jr./Sr. High School’s project was for students to learn how to grow healthy food in sustainable manner. In the fall, students used tools purchased with grant funds to transplant perennials and create new growing areas for the spring. They created vermiculture buckets and introduced thousands of worms to a favorable composting...

Join us February 26-27 for the CCOF Annual Meeting and Conference–Organic Generation: The Next Era. You’ll hear from a host of inspiring speakers and presenters, including acclaimed chef, author, and food activist Alice Waters; investigative journalist and author of Whitewash Carey Gillam; CEO of the Ceres...

Over its 20-year history, California FarmLink has developed its focus around three core elements for farm and ranch success: strong business skills, fair financing, and secure land tenure. We’re quick to add that growers benefit from fair and appropriate financing, with an overarching goal of enabling farmers and ranchers to build wealth through short-term profits or acquisition of assets.

With our eyes on wealth-building, California FarmLink will enable growers to compare financing options at the Growing Opportunity: Farm Finance Expo on Thursday, February 28 in Clovis, California...