National Public Radio
by Grace Hood

Grocery stores are finding it harder to keep organic milk in stock these days. The tight supply is a result of organic dairy farmers’ costs rising while the price they receive for their product remains the same. These economic conditions offer few incentives to dairymen considering entering the organic business.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Sales of organic milk were up 15 percent last year over 2010. Apparently people like the taste and perceived health benefits from milk that comes from cows free of artificial hormones and that are not fed grains exposed to pesticides. Still, your next carton may be more expensive – and in some areas harder to find. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

While the 2007-08 food price crisis has been a catalyst for important policy reforms, governments have yet to address its underlying causes, finds a new report from IATP and the Global Development and Environment Institute (GDAE) at Tufts University. In the report, authors Timothy A. Wise and Sophia Murphy warn that the international community is avoiding deeper structural reforms, leaving the world at risk of another devastating spike in global food prices. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

Bloomberg
By Alan Bjerga

Consumer demand for organic foods has helped Uncle Matt’s Organic Inc. grow from 5 acres of oranges in 1999 to become Florida’s biggest organic-citrus producer. Further expansion is being hampered by the federal crop insurance program designed to help farmers, says the company’s founder, Matt McLean.

Organic producers pay a surcharge on many of those policies, and payouts often don’t reflect their higher costs, which may inhibit farm development and contribute to shortages of some naturally grown products, producers and industry analysts say. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

OSA will host the 6th Organic Seed Growers Conference January 19 – 21, 2012, in Port Townsend, WA. Join their newsletter and follow them on Facebook to receive updates.

Download the full agenda here. This includes conference working sessions, keynote highlights, and details on the pre-conference field tour of the Skagit Valley seed region. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

MinnPost
By Cristeta Boarini and Kyle Richard Sando

Jim Degiovanni has been a lawyer for more than 20 years. Spending most of his days in an office, Degiovanni saw myriad cases come across his desk — from local-government law to real-estate and banking transactions. But for someone who loves hunting deer and taking canoe trips in the Boundary Waters, something was missing.

“I really enjoy the outdoors, you know, experiencing the seasons change and working with my hands, taking care of animals,” Degiovanni said. “When I got tired of private practice, I started working for a single client. I suddenly had more time to start growing things.” Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News