Last week the US Senate Agriculture Committee passed and sent to the full Senate a new 5 year farm bill. The following link gives a run down of what is in it (both good and bad) pertaining to organic agriculture.

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Politics/Politics/organic_foods_0427120607.html

The following link is from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and gives a broader take on the Senate Agriculture Committee’s farm bill with respect to small family farms, sustainable agriculture and local food systems.

http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/comments-on-senate-farm-bill

Organic farmers and farmers who are transitioning to an organic operation have until June 1 to apply for a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) program that can help them pay for conservation measures. And the National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA program staff can help them meet the deadline.

NRCS has up to $50 million dollars to award in the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). The program is a significant opportunity for organic and transitioning organic farmers to get financial assistance to implement conservation practices that are consistent with organic production practices.

Some of the practices that NRCS has identified as being beneficial to organic producers include the following:

• Irrigation and water management, including such items as efficient irrigation upgrades, irrigation scheduling, and tailwater recovery systems
• Grazing management, such as fencing, stockwater systems, and range and pasture planting
• Nutrient management, including manure-storage structures, planned nutrient applications, and soil testing
• Pest management, including crop- and pest-monitoring activities and planned pesticide applications
• Erosion control, such as grade-control structures, diversions, and water- and sediment-control basins
• Wildlife-habitat enhancement, such as stream buffers, fish screens, fish passage, and upland wildlife-habitat establishment

EQIP funding is competitive; however, there is a significant amount of funds still available just weeks before the deadline.

If you need more information on applying for EQIP funds, check the ATTRA progrm website at https://attra.ncat.org/eqip/ for details  or call our the English-language ATTRA toll-free hotline at 800-346-9140 or the Spanish-language ATTRA hotline at 800-411-3222.

The following online links feature stories showcasing what producers have accomplished with help from EQIP.
Before We Valued Organic Food | Arizona NRCS
www.az.nrcs.usda.gov/news/releases/Organic-Vineyard.html

Organic Farming is in the Family| Illinois NRCS
www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/features/success/Duane_Baker.html

We Went Organic Before It Was Hot| Illinois NRCS
www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/features/success/Dave_Campbell.html

Opting for Organics | Missouri NRCS
www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/news/Showcase/showcase_JohnRice.html

New Wetland to Improve Water Quality in West Lake | Iowa NRCS
www.ia.nrcs.usda.gov/news/successstories/showcase.html

Getting Help With Everyday Farm Challenges | Massachusetts NRCS
www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov/news/showcase/Allen.html

Eugene Forest Benefits from Conservation Practices | Oregon NRCS
www.or.nrcs.usda.gov/news/showcase/index.html

Restored Ranch Gives Hope to Disabled Vets | Washington NRCS
www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov/news/conservationshowcase.html

Tenth-Generation South Carolina Farm Family Raise Organic Livestock
http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/05/18/tenth-generation-south-carolina-farm-family-raise-organic- livestock/

Dow Chemical is petitioning the USDA to approve the release of a new genetically engineered line of corn that is resistant to the powerful herbicide 2,4-D — a key ingredient in Agent Orange. The Organic Farming and Research Foundation is organizing a petition to tell USDA to reject 2,4-D resistant GE corn. Signing deadline is April 27. Click here.

Quoted from: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5097062. See also the USDA news release.

Accessing the European Union Organic Market

Beginning June 1, 2012, organic products certified in Europe or in the United States may be sold as organic in either region. This partnership between the two largest organic-producers in the world will establish a strong foundation from which to promote organic agriculture, benefiting the growing organic industry and supporting jobs and businesses on a global scale.

Requirements: USDA Organic Products Exported to the European Union

In addition to certification to the USDA organic regulations, products must meet the following requirements:

1. Apples and pears must be produced without antibiotics.
2. Products must travel with an EU import certificate that has been completed by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
3. Products must be either produced within the U.S. or have had final processing or packaging occur within the U.S.

Labeling

For retail products, labels or stickers must state the name of the U.S. or EU certifying agent and use the USDA organic seal or the EU organic logo.

100% organic products. The EU doesn’t have a labeling category for 100% organic products. These products could be labeled “organic.”

“Made with” organic products. The EU does not have a labeling category for “made with” organic products. For products containing less than 95% organic ingredients, a percentage statement of organic content may be displayed on the label.

For more information on labeling, please see the EU organic regulations, available here.

From Shashi Li, master’s degree student in agricultural economics at Purdue University:

A research project entitled Summer Cover Crops for Weed Suppression and Soil Quality in Organic Vegetable Production in the Great Lakes Region needs organic vegetable farm managers’ help. The project is being conducted by a team of researchers and extension agents from Purdue University, Cornell University, University of Illinois, and Michigan State University. The objective of the study is to better understand the economic impact of the use of summer cover crops in organic vegetable production systems and to explore the factors which influence the adoption of summer cover cropping practices by managers of successful organic vegetable farmers, like you. As part of the project we are conducting a survey of organic vegetable farmers. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it. By doing so you will help ensure that we have the best information possible. Your participation is completely voluntary and all surveys will be treated confidentially by Purdue University. Below is the link to the survey.

https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_1FjKZ5ZkUGw3We0

You can simply click the link to get the survey or copy and paste it in your browser. And if you are interrupted in the middle of filling out the survey, you can come back later to continue it by clicking the same link with the same computer. We sincerely thank you and appreciate your time in helping us with this important project. If you have any questions or comments about this study, you can reach me by phone at 765-413-5112 or by email. I am working under the supervision of Dr. Brent Gloy and you can also reach him by phone at 765-494-0468 or by email.