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Written by Kelly Damewood on Wednesday, February 7, 2024

OrganicEye is attempting to fundraise for their staff salaries by discrediting certifiers who maintain producer governance and engagement.
In December 2023, OrganicEye launched a fundraising campaign that centers around ending organic producer governance and services. From the beginning, the organic community has been self-made – we have self-funded research, technical assistance, and education. We have always worked in partnership to advocate as underdogs for federal and state funding, regulatory exemptions for organic producers, and other critical needs.

Now, after over…

Written by Gaea Denker on Wednesday, February 7, 2024
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Row Crops

The Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) is a $300 million multi-agency USDA effort to support certified organic and transitioning-to-organic producers and strengthen organic markets.

Through OTI, the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) has made $75M in cost-share grant funding available to organic and transitioning-to-organic producers.

Although NRCS has set a national deadline for OTI of March 1, 2024, state deadlines may differ; check with your NRCS representative, info below, on local deadlines! 

State Deadlines:

Arizona: Feb 2, 2024 (General EQIP…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, February 5, 2024
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Drip lines in field

University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Monterey County will highlight compliance with the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Ag Order 4.0 at its upcoming Irrigation and Nutrient Management meeting on February 20.

The free workshop will feature lunch and live translation to Spanish. It will be held at the UCCE Agriculture Conference Room at 1432 Abbott Street, Salinas. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m.; the program will start at 7:55 a.m.; and the program will end at 2:15 p.m.

Presentations will include 

Managing runoff during the…
Written by Gaea Denker on Monday, February 5, 2024
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Ismael Perez

Ismael Perez grew up in California’s Central Coast region, a prolific agricultural area that’s well known for producing the vast majority of the United States’ berries, lettuces, artichokes, and other fresh produce. As soon as he graduated high school, Ismael himself got involved in the berry industry by getting a summer job picking raspberries. That summer job rolled into more berrypicking summers, and eventually Ismael was given enough promotions that he was working every day of the week with time off only for attending school at San Jose State University. 

The work-school…

Written by Hanali Lopez-Tapia on Wednesday, January 31, 2024
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Emma Kloes

CCOF is invested in the future of organic, and the Future Organic Farmers grant is an investment in our future food system. The more beginning farmers who pursue organic, the more we increase organic acreage and feed our communities organic food.

Emma Kloes, 2023 Future Organic Farmer, is studying at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and is a second year Organic Vegetable Farm Management Apprentice. Emma is an emerging organic leader and believes this apprenticeship is “an educational hub where people can come to learn and be in relationship with each other and land and […

Written by Jane Sooby on Wednesday, January 31, 2024
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Bee on Flower

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is accepting applications for three popular conservation priorities through February 16, 2024. This funding is in addition to the millions available to California’s agricultural producers through the regular Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the new Inflation Reduction Act.

“NRCS California is committed to assisting agricultural producers to address critical resource needs across the state, and these three popular initiatives go even further with strategic enhancements on farms and ranches,” said…

Written by Jane Sooby on Wednesday, January 31, 2024
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soil in hands

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The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is pleased to announce the availability of approximately $12 million in grant funding for Healthy Soils Program (HSP) Incentive Grants. The program is currently accepting grant applications through 5:00 p.m. PST, Friday, February 9, 2024. 

The objectives of the program are to increase statewide implementation of conservation management practices that improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs). 

California farmers, ranchers, business entities, California Native…

Written by Hanali Lopez-Tapia on Monday, January 22, 2024
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Steve Bains, OTP grantee, Cohort 2024, and his daughter

Steve Bains, OTP grantee, Cohort 2024, and his daughter

The CCOF Foundation is proud to announce our 2024 Organic Transition Program cohort! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, who are passionate about organic, we are supporting 10 farmers with $10,000 per year for transitioning their land to organic production over the next three years. 

This three-year period is incredibly risky for farmers—they’re learning new farming techniques, creating new systems for their businesses, and cultivating new markets for their soon-to-be-organic products, all while growing food…

Written by Kelly Damewood on Wednesday, January 17, 2024
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Tomatoes

CCOF is currently seeking representatives from companies engaged in organic specialty crop production who are interested in exporting or increasing exports to Mexico.

About the Specialty Crop Trade Mission to Mexico

In partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), CCOF will lead a trade mission to Mexico June 17-21. 

The goal of this project is to create economic opportunities for specialty crop organic producers through an international market development activity and by leveraging the unique qualities of specialty crops grown in…

Written by Gaea Denker on Tuesday, January 16, 2024
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TOPP WSW Logo

The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a network assembled by the USDA’s National Organic Program to support transitioning and organic producers with mentorship and resources. Six regions work together toward a common goal: to grow the network of organic producers.

CCOF is proud to be leading the West/Southwest (W/SW) Transition to Organic Partnership Region, a coalition of partners dedicated to providing mentorship, technical assistance, and comprehensive support to both transitioning and existing organic producers. Our partners serve producers in California,…

Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, January 16, 2024
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Solar Farm

As utility companies announce significant increases in energy costs, now is a good time to consider installing energy-conserving improvements in your farm or business. 

CCOF will host a webinar on the State of California’s GoGreen Business Energy Financing program on Tuesday, February 6, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

The GoGreen Business Energy Financing Program offers support for small and medium-sized businesses in California to invest in energy-saving building retrofits and installations, including pump motors, refrigeration, and horticultural lighting. Read a…

Written by Shawna Rodgers on Tuesday, January 16, 2024
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USDA Undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffit

Join us for a special session with USDA Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt at the Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) conference in Monterey on Thursday, January 18 from 12:30 to1:30 p.m. in Chapel.

Under Secretary Lester Moffitt will speak about the new $300 million USDA Organic Transition Initiative, which includes funding for organic marketing, organic crop insurance for disasters, technical assistance, and new Natural Resources Conservation Service resources for current and future organic farmers. A child of organic walnut farmers here in California, Lester Moffitt now…

Written by Gaea Denker on Tuesday, January 16, 2024
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Flower Field

The buzzword “regenerative” catches consumers’ attention, so it’s often thrown onto product labels. But how many consumers can define with confidence what exactly “regenerative” means? 

It’s a tough question to answer, given there is no federal or state consensus on what the term means. The word regenerative shows up on product labels for a variety of optimistic reasons that could include adding a single solar panel to a company office. The Food and Land Use Coalition, in their 2023 report, notes that the “lack of definition and misalignment around practices and what constitutes as…

Written by Molly Nakahara on Wednesday, January 10, 2024
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Ecofarm at Asilomar 2012

Are you headed to the 44th Annual EcoFarm Conference? Schedule your free, one-on-one consultation with an organic expert and get answers to all your certification questions while you are attending the conference! On behalf of the CCOF Foundation, Jamie Collins, organic farmer and long-time organic inspector, will be hosting Organic Office Hours throughout the entire EcoFarm conference as a part of the “Meet the Experts” sessions.  Email Jamie at organictransitionprogram@gmail.com to reserve a private consultation. 

These consultations are available to producers and other ag…

Written by Rebekah Weber on Wednesday, January 10, 2024
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Paicines Ranch, CCOF member, uses regenerative practices in the vineyards and ranchlands beyond

The State of California is defining regenerative agriculture. So far, state officials have recommended a big-tent definition that includes a broad array of California producers. What is missing from this perspective is how a loose definition of regenerative will impact organic producers. What will it mean for California-approved regenerative products to compete with USDA organic? Especially if the standards are not comparably rigorous?

A California-endorsed definition of regenerative will have far-reaching implications—from which producers receive government resources to how a…