Four USDA Listening Sessions on New Livestock/Pasture Rule Begin This Week

The USDA has scheduled four listening sessions to gather input on its newly proposed organic livestock/pasture rule.

The sessions are scheduled for:

• Tuesday, December 2
  1:30-4:30 p.m.
  Organic Valley Family of Farms Headquarters
  One Organic Way
  LaFarge, WI 54639

• Thursday, December 4
  1:30-4:30 p.m.
  California State University – Chico
  University Farm Pavillion
  311 Nicholas C. Schouten Lane
  Chico, CA 95928

• Monday, December 8
  1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  Extension Research Facility
  6500 Amarillo Boulevard West
  Amarillo, TX

• Thursday Dec. 11
  9:30AM – 12:30 PM
  The Family Center of Gap
  835 Houston Run Drive, Suite 200
  Gap PA 17527

And the state of Montana is also holding a listening session. That will be held:

• Friday, December 5
  6:30 PM.
  Holiday Inn
  5 E Baxter Ln
  Bozeman, MT 59715

The USDA is also accepting comments by mail and through the internet at www.regulations.gov.

The official public comment period is set to close on December 23. The Cornucopia Institute and numerous other stakeholders in the organic community are seeking a 30 day extension to allow for fuller and more informed comment on the complex rewrite of organic livestock standards.