State Organic Program

Erin Raser of Far West Fungi and Jeffrey Chean of Groundwork Coffee Roasters recently were appointed by Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross to the California Organic Products Advisory Committee (COPAC). 

Raser and Chean join other CCOF-certified members who have been appointed to COPAC, including CCOF Board Chair Philip LaRocca of LaRocca Vineyards, Kaley Grimland of Sol Seeker Farm, Blake Alexandre of Alexandre Family Farm, David Will of Pierce Egg Co., and Amanda Felder of Taylor Farms/Earthbound Farm.

CCOF collaborator California FarmLink is currently accepting applications for their upcoming 2022 Resilerator educational program. 

Designed for small and medium-scale farmers, ranchers, and fishery operators with at least two years of business management experience, the Resilerator program seeks to support producers on their path toward solidifying a sustainable, long-term, resilient business. 

Many CCOF members feel strongly that fees charged by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Organic Program are duplicative of the fees that they pay for organic certification to the National Organic Program (NOP) and that the state program should be eliminated. In response to these concerns, CCOF’s policy team is undertaking a research and review process to examine the role of the California state organic program relative to the NOP and develop a set of policy recommendations.