CCOF Blog

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), in partnership with the California Department of Public Health, California Natural Resources Agency, and California Environmental Protection Agency, is leading listening sessions with all farm bill stakeholders to inform California’s priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill. See the calendar of listening sessions below.

The 2023 Farm Bill is an opportunity for California farmers and ranchers to influence national agricultural policy to maximize the benefits for all Californians—from farmers and ranchers to consumers. Although…

With each generation, we build the future. Karla Ahumada Regalado has her hands in the soil as she journeys toward revitalization. She sees that “the whole world is impacted by the agriculture industry, not only the farmer working within it. Soil quality is reflected upon our crop quality, and crop quality is reflected upon the health of the people…

Food Safety Webinar Series for Organic Processors

This spring, the CCOF Foundation wrapped up our nine-part food safety for organic processors webinar series. The series started off with a review of the different Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls Rule compliance categories, then walked through the requirements for each category. In response to community feedback, we also included webinars that dove into the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and reviewed cottage food laws in California and Washington state.

If you didn’t catch all of the live broadcasts, check…

The Center for Food Security and Public Health (CFSPH) at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine is offering two web-based courses, Overview of Organic and Alternative Livestock Production For Veterinarians and Overview of Organic and Alternative Livestock Production for Veterinary Technicians, Extension Personnel And Other Animal Health Professionals. Registration opens June 30, 2022.

These introductory courses are a broad overview of organic livestock production and your role as an animal health/animal management professional working with these farmers and ranchers…

The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program is now open for 2022 applications!

All currently certified organic entities in the United States are eligible to apply for a refund of 50% of their certification-related costs, including inspection fees, up to a maximum of $500 per certification or certified scope between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. Eligible scopes are crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling. Operations located in California can also receive a refund of their State Organic Program registration fees. 

CCOF encourages all members to…

Join the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) for a workshop that reviews what it takes to be a USDA-certified organic farmer. The two-part hybrid workshop includes both an online session and an in-person farm tour with a mock organic inspection. 

On July 28 at 7 p.m. Central Time, join NCAT staff for an online session that will introduce participants to organic regulations. 
Then, on August 5, attend an in-person farm tour at Alchemy Farms and Plants in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama. Through a mock inspection, participants will learn firsthand what steps a producer…

CCOF led the charge to create an Organic Transition Program in California. And on June 30, the governor signed into law the 2022–2023 state budget that includes $5 million for grants, technical assistance, education, and outreach to support farmers and ranchers to transition to organic. The program also sets aside funds for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. 

This win builds on CCOF’s bill, AB 2499, that outlines the structure of an Organic Transition Program, including what practices should be eligible for grant funding and how mentorship of transitioning producers by…

Along the coastline of Oaxaca, a southern state of Mexico, lies a mountain range called Sierra Madre del Sur. In the fog-draped trees, Emilia Santos Perez was raised in a pueblo called San Pedro el Alto in the region of Pochutla. The predominant language and people of the area are Zapotec, one indigenous group of sixteen distinct groups known in Oaxaca

At 15, Emilia…

The UC Davis Food Systems Lab, CCOF’s partner in the California Meat Processing Coalition, has launched a new project to connect farmers and ranchers, slaughter and processing facilities, and meat purchasers in new local and regional meat supply chains in California. The project will focus on building supply chains in the Sacramento Valley, Sierra Foothills, and North Coast regions of California.  
If you are interested in learning more and potentially participating in new regional market channels for organic meat and meat products, please fill out the appropriate survey below:

Following an unprecedented year marked by pantry loading and supply shortages, the latest Organic Industry Survey from the Organic Trade Association (OTA) shows consumers returned to more stable, buy-as-you-need shopping patterns in 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, organic sales surpassed $63 billion, with $1.4 billion (2 percent) total growth over the year. Food sales, which accounts for over 90 percent of organic sales, rose to…

Dear CCOF Members and Supporters,

Last year, 2021, was a year of internal reflection and focused action. We’re navigating a new world after a tumultuous couple of years. This time of change gifted CCOF with the opportunity to home in on who we are and how we do our work while also taking strategic action to grow and…

Radtke’s past, present, and future visions are grounded in her family’s roots in organic dairy. She was brought up in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, a region known for rolling savannas and prairies, mostly developed into agriculture. Radtke’s family is proud of their operation and are advocates for the benefits of organic in their community. While Radtke was enrolled in 4-H, she…

This event has been postponed. The new date will be announced when available.

Join the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in Brookhaven, Mississippi, on June 17 for an in-person workshop that reviews what it takes to be a USDA-certified organic farmer.

The workshop, taking place both in the classroom and out in the field, will introduce participants to organic regulations. Come learn the basics of organic regulations, then see what they look like on a working organic farm! 

Workshop participants will tour CCOF-certified Ole Brook Organic Farm with an…

CCOF and CalCAN hosted a virtual briefing for California state legislators and agency officials to learn about current opportunities in California’s organic marketplace. This briefing provided context for CCOF-sponsored AB 2499 (Maienschein), which creates an Organic Transition Program to provide underserved farmers with financial and technical assistance to transition to organic and requires a statewide market analysis of the organic sector.

We heard from four experts during the briefing:

CCOF is working to pass two organic bills in California this legislative session. AB 1870 will streamline the state program that oversees organic food manufacturers and handlers, and AB 2499 will create an organic transition pilot program to support socially disadvantaged growers in becoming certified organic.

Both bills moved forward during deliberations on the Assembly floor in late May, and next, they will be taken up by the California Senate Agriculture Committee. 

AB 1870, authored by Assemblymember Mark Stone, supports California food processors by streamlining the…