Growers Transplanting, Inc.’s Post

“Is IPM a gateway drug for organics?” For some context, this question was raised a couple days ago at a HortNZ Organic grower catchup, during a presentation of findings from A Lighter Touch (New Zealand). If you are unfamiliar with ALT, it’s a multiyear programme working across the hort, arable, and wine sectors, to support the transition from agrichemical pest management to agroecological crop protection. To be honest, I don’t know if the question was rhetorical or sincerely being asked to the presenter/group. If the latter, over the last couple days I’ve spent a fair bit of time googling what the research says, and I don't have an answer. But I feel compelled to say: if you have any interest in organics, haere mai! The door is open, come on in – there’s heaps of people inside eager to share knowledge. Show up to a sector event, join a webinar, visit an organic farm. The more, the merrier! If you want some help navigating your way in, check out: Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) The Soil & Health Association of New Zealand BioGro New Zealand Ltd AsureQuality Charles Merfield

Last week, Harm-Jan van der Beek visited an organic dairy farm in Wisconsin (US) to gain a deeper understanding of the regulations that organic farmers must follow. To support both farmers and milk processing facilities, UNIFORM-Agri is considering to create a speciale license, called UNIFORM Organic. The Wisconsin farmer, who has been certified organic for several years, shared valuable insights into the specific practices needed to maintain organic status. Given the stringent requirements for organic certification, milk processing facilities must also provide thorough documentation to verify the milk’s organic integrity. With this visit, our company has gained crucial knowledge that could be incorporated into the UNIFORM Organic license, making compliance easier for both farmers and processors. #OrganicFarming #DairyFarming #SustainableAgriculture #AgTech #InnovationInAgriculture #FarmManagement

Enhancing Soil Health with CoastBio’s Organic Soil Amendments CoastBio has developed a premium line of organic soil amendments that leverage the power of mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial soil microbes to improve soil health and plant growth. These products are meticulously crafted to meet the highest standards of organic agriculture and are certified by CDFA OIM and OMRI. The Power of Mycorrhizal Fungi and Beneficial Microbes Mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, extending their reach and enhancing nutrient uptake. Beneficial soil microbes further break down organic matter, releasing nutrients and improving soil structure. Together, these organisms create a robust soil ecosystem that supports healthy, vigorous plants. Certified Organic for Peace of Mind CoastBio’s soil amendments are certified organic by the California Department of Food and Agriculture Organic Input Material (CDFA OIM) and the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). These certifications ensure that our products meet stringent organic standards, providing peace of mind for organic farmers and gardeners. #organicsoilamendments Read More... https://lnkd.in/gcnEUnVy

Check out the latest Southern Ag Today article, "Transitioning to Organic in the South" by Maria Bampasidou and Juna Dylce. Read it here >> https://lnkd.in/g34Mi2jC #southernagtoday #empoweringproducers #AgNews #organicagriculture

Understanding the National Organic Standards Board process can be daunting for newbies (and not so newbies). This free session could help get you up to speed. #organic #organicfarming #certification #advisoryboard #agriculture

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCE ARE NOT GOTTEN ANYHOW. Organic produce require a professional approach(processes) to ensure that they are healthy for consumption. It could be this habanero pepper or any other vegetable or plant. What determines that they are edible for consumption is the processes they go through to reach a consumable goods. As a farmer ensure you consult professionals to diagnose your plants. Use the right process to ensure your plant grow well and edible for consumption. As a consumer eat the right food to strengthens your immune system. Don't kill your body organ with adulterated products. Shot by: Atewojaye Oluwatimilehin Oluwafemi Crew: Esedekimo Ogaga David Olayemi Moses Rekobees #EYiABeta #EYiAUnique #eyiadynamic #TheWizardFarmer #samsonprolific #PrizeforInnovation #MastercardFoundation #climatejustice #EYiA #throwback

Learning from other farmers is a top 5 success factor for new organic farmers. This Organic Farming Research Foundation and partners webinar will help transitioning farmers network.

From our recent newsletter on the next National Organic Standards Board meeting--Bill Wolf on What to Watch for at the Fall Meeting: “Once again, National Organic Standards Board members have outdone themselves, and deserve a hearty round of applause. At 280 pages of information and analysis, the reports and proposals for the October 2024 meeting are extremely thorough. National List votes will include some controversial ones like the use of non-organic celery powder. Committee members have built on previous meetings while incorporating public comment, and clearly explained their rationales. We hope this means they are making use of USDA experts to summarize comments and make this vital work easier. Within the agenda, several topics stand out. The compost proposal from the Crops Subcommittee recommends a definition change that would better align organic agriculture with compost industry best practices. Changing the time/temperature and C:N ratio requirements is also in the works. These changes could increase on-farm composting, simplify inspections, and streamline certification, thus to the benefit of organic farmers. The Certification, Accreditation and Compliance Subcommittee has done some heavy lifting, with discussions planned on risk-based certification, residue testing and consistency in organic seed use. The NOSB has certainly acknowledged the challenge of balancing rigorous oversight with the desire to grow the organic sector. A step too far and certification becomes excessively burdensome for both certifiers and operators, driving folks away from organic. Thoughtful input via public comments can help the organic sector with continuous improvement at a pace that is workable. Finally, a topic near and dear to me—solving the inerts dilemma. The Materials Subcommittee has narrowed down the options, and moved us one step closer to getting this solved once and for all. I continue to support a broad listing of inerts determined to be safe, and not burden the USDA National Organic Program (Agricultural Marketing Service) with every inert and carrier used to formulate biopesticides. Please, take a moment to look over the topics and dive into the full reports. Like us, you’ll develop a greater appreciation for our volunteer representatives on the NOSB who have stepped forward and put in the quite a lot of work to make the organic sector better.” #Organic #organicstandards #organiccertification #compost #biopesticides #residuetesting

I enjoyed this VISIONARY Project EU webinar - and thanks to Katrin Prager for the invitation to speak. As always, I learned a lot from listening to Paul Holmbeck and his experience from Denmark and from working with governments and organic sector bodies in many other parts of the world. This project is very timely - both for Europe and here in Scotland - where The Scottish Government and Scotland Food & Drink are leading the development of a new Organic Food and Farming Action Plan. Soil Association Scotland and SOPA are on the steering group, along with many other organisations, including Quality Meat Scotland and NFU SCOTLAND. Scotland has a target to double the amount of land managed organically during this parliamentary term (up to 2026). Achieving this will require a balance of policy incentives, support for market development, capacity building in non-government organisations and the use of public procurement to help drive local demand for organic produce. #organic #policy #agriculture #scotland #EU #knowledgesharing #organicactionplans #climate #nature #health