Special Report:
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns Talks About Farm Bill 2007
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns was on hand at the All Things Organic tradeshow this year to discuss the administration’s 2007 Farm Bill proposals. While recognizing the exponential growth experienced by the organic sector, Secretary Johanns admitted the sector also faces challenges, particularly issues with supply. As a result, the administration’s current farm bill proposals include initiatives to expand the cost-share program as well as to provide some data collection for organic, Johanns said.

“Our 2007 proposals are designed to encourage organic farmers,” Johanns said, noting there is a lot of interest in Congress on this topic.

One step proposed by the administration would be to help those converting to organic by extending the cost-share program to all 50 states, and increasing the reimbursement to $750, or 75 percent of certification costs, whichever figure is lower. A second proposal earmarks $1 million to collect and publish price data related to the organic market.

Other proposals include to increase Market Access Program (MAP) funding by $250 million some of which would be available to organic export programs; to allot an additional $10 million for organic research, including some monies for seed research; and, to continue research at Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) under one program.

USDA aims to improve organic production, profitability and efficiency, Johanns said, noting that research would be directed at developing transitional strategies, increasing crop production (including soil management and seeds), looking at whole systems for weed and pest control, studying the effect of organic on ecology and increasing domestic supply to meet demand.

Johanns said the key to continued growth for organic is to maintain its quality and integrity. National standards, he added, generate consumer confidence and maintain the quality of integrity.

Subcommittees have already moved to increase access to appropriations for organic research, innovation grants for organic and access to land currently in the Conservation Reserve. These were all great steps in a long journey to a complete farm bill expected
sometime late in 2007.


Farm Aid Concert to Benefit Small Farms
Since 1985, Farm Aid has raised over $30 million to help small farmers, including many organic farmers. This year’s Farm Aid event, “Farm Aid 2007: A Homegrown Festival,” will take place at Randall’s Island, New York City on Sunday, Sept. 9, and will feature great music, good food and hands-on activities with family farmers and urban growers. Also, for the first time, concert concessions will feature all fresh, local, organic and family farmed food.

“Farm Aid presents this homegrown festival to welcome everyone to a day of music for family farmers and to promote fresh healthy food for all, ” said Farm Aid executive director, Carolyn Mugar. “Every Farm Aid artist comes to the show and donates their performance because they know that family farmers are America’s best source for our food and renewable energy and the best protectors of our soil and water.” 

Farm Aid’s benefit concert will feature headliners Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews, plus other top artists to be announced. Tickets on sale at www.ticketmaster.com. See www.farmaid.com for more info. Organic and family farm food sponsors are welcome.


New Report: Preventing Future E. coli O157 Outbreaks
Since last fall, the fresh leafy greens industry has focused on how to prevent another E. coli 0157 outbreak. The good news is that growers and processors, especially in California, have adopted new prevention-based food safety practices. Natural Selection Foods, for instance, which does business as Earthbound Farm, has a new “test and hold” program that is reported to be working as hoped—assuring that all shipped product is pathogen-free. The Organic Center’s just-released report by chief scientist, Dr. Charles Benbrook, Unfinished Business: Preventing E. coli O157 Outbreaks Caused by Leafy Greens, offers a clear perspective and promising solutions to improve food safety. The likely causes of the September 2006 spinach outbreak and steps required to prevent future outbreaks are discussed. The report can be downloaded at www.organic-center.org.



OTA launches HowToGoOrganic.com Website for Farmers and Processors
OTA recently launched HowToGoOrganic.com, a new website designed to be a clearinghouse of North American resources for farmers and businesses interested in becoming organic or in creating new organic enterprises.

“Last year, we decided to respond to our members’ messages that they needed, and could sell, much more domestically grown organic product. Thus was born the idea to create this clearinghouse of resources on conversion to organic,” said Caren Wilcox, OTA’s Executive Director. “Transitioning land to organic certification usually takes 3 years, and there is much research that each farmer has to undertake.”

The site features two “Pathways for Organic,” one for farmers and one for processors, as well as a regional directory for the United States, and a searchable North American organic directory. This unique resource is designed for conventional farmers and processors who want to get started or are navigating the transition to organic production, but also provides valuable information for established organic farmers, producers and processors.

The website’s regional directories showcase transition resources unique to specific regions and states. Resource listings in the North American directory can be searched by topic and subtopic, type of resource or by state. The site also features profiles of farmers and businesses that have successfully become certified organic or that are working through the process.


Price Index Available for Organic Buyers and Sellers
The New Farm Organic Price Index (OPX) is an online tool that enables buyers and sellers of certified organic crops to better plan their business strategies by providing accurate price information for more than 70 products in 11 markets around the United States, updated on a weekly basis. On the OPX, prices for organically and conventionally grown foods are compared side by side within specific market regions.

The OPX uses a variety of data sources, seeking the best available data. Reports are offered free through the support of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency online at, www.newfarm.org/opx.


Group Management Certification Update
In February of this year, the National Organic Program (NOP) made an announcement stating that all sites within group management operations would need to be inspected individually on a yearly basis. This change would dramatically increase the cost of certification, especially for cooperatives of small farmers that grow commodities such as sugar, tea, coffee and cacao.

After this announcement was made the industry responded by contacting the NOP to voice their concerns. In response to this, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Deputy Administrator Barbara Robinson has posted a letter to all certification agents concerning the issue of grower group organic certification (www.ams.usda.gov/nop/GrowerGroupsLetter.html). In it, the NOP announced that it will collaborate with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on this issue prior to rulemaking and that this topic will be included in the agenda for the NOSB’s fall meeting. In the interim, there is a 2002 NOSB recommendation to offer guidance on this issue. A PDF of this is linked to the above webpage.

Those who are concerned about this issue can contact the OTA. The organic community is also urged to attend the NOSB’s fall meeting to offer public comment on the group management issue.