Blog posts by Jane Sooby

Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, November 14, 2023

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. COPAC is a body established by state law to advise the Secretary of Food and…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, October 16, 2023

Concerned about increased energy costs on your farm or business? You may benefit from the State of California’s GoGreen Business Energy Financing program, which 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. Look online for a comprehensive list of pre-qualified energy-saving measures organized by category. Through the GoGreen Business program, eligible businesses—both property owners and tenants—can access private financing with exceptional…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, October 16, 2023

Small to medium-sized food and agricultural businesses who desire to sell into the export market are invited to attend a free online webinar presented by the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) on Monday, October 23 from 1:00–2:00 p.m. Pacific time. Register online today. WUSATA is a nonprofit organization that works closely with Western state Departments of Agriculture to provide exporting resources to food and agriculture companies. Its FundMatch program reimburses 50 percent of fees to exhibit at trade shows such as Expo West and Fancy Foods. WUSATA’s Global…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, October 2, 2023

Small food and agricultural businesses who desire to sell into the export market are invited to attend a free online webinar presented by the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) on Monday, October 23, at 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. WUSATA is a nonprofit organization that works closely with the western state departments of agriculture to provide exporting resources to food and agriculture companies. Its FundMatch program reimburses 50 percent of fees to exhibit at trade shows such as Expo West and Fancy Foods. WUSATA’s Global Connect program supports businesses…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, September 25, 2023

Registration is now open for an event featuring CCOF-certified organic farmer and author Mas Masumoto discussing his new book, Secret Harvests: A Hidden Story of Separation and the Resilience of a Family Farm.  Mas will join CCOF via Zoom on October 4, from noon to 1 p.m. Pre-register online. Click on the “View the event” button in the EventBrite confirmation email, then click beneath the image to complete your registration with Zoom. Then you will be emailed a link to participate.  Mas and his family grow delicious organic peaches, nectarines, and raisin grapes in California’s Central…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, September 18, 2023

CCOF-certified organic farmer and author David Mas Masumoto will join CCOF via Zoom on October 4 from noon to 1 p.m. for a discussion of his new book Secret Harvests: A Hidden Story of Separation and the Resilience of a Family Farm. Click here to register. Mas and his family grow delicious organic peaches, nectarines, and raisin grapes in California’s Central Valley. Mas’ most well-known book, Epitaph for a Peach, explored the complexities of maintaining high-quality, heirloom fruit varieties in an era when convenience and the ability of fruits to be shipped are more highly valued than…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, September 18, 2023

California congressman Sam Farr and Mark Lipson in the early days of creating the organic standards. The Rodale Institute, a progenitor of the organic movement in the United States that built the scientific underpinnings of organic production, awarded Mark Lipson (CCOF’s first paid employee) the Organic Stewardship Award in a ceremony held at the Rodale research farm in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.  Grounded by his home base at CCOF-certified Molino Creek Farm in Davenport, California—renowned for their dry-farmed organic tomatoes—Mark worked at CCOF from 1985 to 1993 and was instrumental in…
Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, September 5, 2023

  The National Organic Program has released the agenda for the upcoming National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Meeting, which will be held October 24–26, 2023, in Providence, Rhode Island. The NOSB is a federal advisory board that makes recommendations on organic standards and materials to the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture. The fall NOSB meeting is when votes are taken on whether or not to remove materials from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. All materials on the National List are reviewed for continued listing every five years on a…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, August 7, 2023

Certified organic operations across the US can apply for a reimbursement of 75% of their certification-related expenses up to a maximum of $750 per scope now through the end of October. Scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock, and processing/handling. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept cost share applications in all US states and territories. Many state departments of agriculture are administering organic certification cost share in addition to FSA. Click here to view a directory of cost share contacts in each state. To apply through FSA, contact your local FSA service center;…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, July 17, 2023

Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Vermont is collecting donations for its Emergency Fund to support farmers in the state who have experienced unprecedented flooding. Over 40 farms have reached out to NOFA-Vermont to report losses already. Heavy rains inundated city streets and turned farm fields into lakes. News media quotes the state agriculture secretary as saying millions of dollars in crop losses are expected, with many farms incurring losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The state of Vermont has a page of flood resources for farmers and ranchers on its website.…
Written by Jane Sooby on Tuesday, June 20, 2023

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will open the organic certification cost share program to applicants beginning June 14, 2023. Application materials may be found online at the CDFA website. CDFA will only accept applications submitted by mail or email. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2023. This year, organic certification cost share offers reimbursements at the original levels of 75 percent of eligible expenses up to a maximum of $750 per scope. Scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock, and processing/handling. In addition, certified organic operations in…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, June 12, 2023

To mark Mental Health Month this past May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships sponsored a series of webinars focused on aspects of mental health for farmers, ranchers, and other rural folk.  Topics covered include the following:  Farm Stress and Suicide Prevention Veteran’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Rural Mental Health Matters Farm Stress and Suicide: Faith, Place, and Community Health LGBTQI+ Mental Health in Rural Communities The webinars offer a proactive approach to mental health and include information on useful…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, June 12, 2023

National Organic Program Deputy Administrator Dr. Jennifer Tucker provided an overview of organic compliance and enforcement during CCOF’s At-Large Chapter meeting on June 7. The meeting was held via Zoom and a recording may be viewed on CCOF’s YouTube channel.  Invited by meeting hosts—Andrea Davis-Cetina of Quarter Acre Farm, Maryland, and Joe Kroll of Oklahoma—Dr. Tucker characterized the global organic control systems that are in place worldwide to ensure organic integrity and gave an overview of NOP’s activities.  Dr. Tucker noted that a new goal area for the NOP, to grow and develop…
Written by Jane Sooby on Monday, June 12, 2023

In addition to hosting field hearings across the country, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture  is soliciting public input on the 2023 Farm Bill through an online portal. Comments will be accepted through Friday, June 16, 2023.  CCOF encourages all members to participate by sharing their farm bill priorities with the Committee on Agriculture. As background, key farm bill titles for organic include the following:  Title II, Conservation funds Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs, including Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the…
Written by Jane Sooby on Friday, May 12, 2023

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that the Organic Certification Cost Share program will offer reimbursements at original levels of 75% of eligible expenses up to a maximum of $750 per scope. Scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock, and processing/handling.  In addition, certified organic operations in California are eligible for reimbursement of their state organic program registration fees, also at the rate of 75% of fees up to a maximum of $750.  Having original cost share funding levels restored and cost share reintegrated into a single program will make…