Corporate Interests Lobbying to Approve Hydroponics — Growing without Soil Hydroponic Pepper Operation (c) Dario Sabljak/Adobe Stock An organic industry watchdog contends the USDA has quietly allowed a flood of hydroponically-produced fruits and vegetables, largely imported, to be illegally labeled and sold as “organic.” This produce is generally grown under artificial lighting, indoors, and on… Read more »
Search Results for: national organic program
USDA Offers Sneak Peek of Proposed Rule to Address Organic Fraud
After a long, painful wait, The Cornucopia Institute’s full-court press to compel USDA to address the influx of fraudulent organic imports is finally yielding action. The department held a virtual Town Hall on July 8, unveiling a draft of the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. Meant to address organic fraud, the proposed rule, which has… Read more »
Veterans Sowing Seeds of Farming Success
USA Today By Jens Manuel Krogstad, The Des Moines Register With help from a growing national network of farmer support groups, the 26-year-old Albers plans to graduate from college next year and grow organic vegetables on a four-acre plot at his family’s farm in northeast Iowa. Farmer-Veteran Coalition planted the seed for his venture this… Read more »
Who Owns Organic?
The latest update of major corporate ownership and involvement in the organic food sector is now out. The chart graphically focuses on the organic brands with ties to the top 25 food processors in North America. Dr. Phil Howard, an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, is responsible for preparing this information.
Urban Farmers’ Crops Go From Vacant Lot to Market
New York Times By Tracie McMillan IN the shadows of the elevated tracks toward the end of the No. 3 line in East New York, Brooklyn, with an April chill still in the air, Denniston and Marlene Wilks gently pulled clusters of slender green shoots from the earth, revealing a blush of tiny red shallots… Read more »
Aurora Dairy Threatens Suit Against Critics
Boulder County Business Report (link no longer available) by Barbara Hey BOULDER – Despite threats of legal action, the vitriol continues between Boulder-based Aurora Organic Dairy and the company’s critics in the organic community – chief among them the Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based advocacy group. The current conflagration concerns a consent agreement between the U.S. Department… Read more »
Act by 11:59 PM (EST) to Save Your Organic Eggs…
You have until midnight tonight (Eastern) to send a brief electronic message to the FDA. Their proposed guidance on preventing salmonella contamination of eggs turns logic and science on its head. The FDA wants to crack down on organic flocks with outdoor access while flagrantly ignoring documented food safety issues on giant factory farms. Click… Read more »
Act by 11:59 PM (EST) to Save Your Organic Eggs…
You have until midnight tonight (Eastern) to send a brief electronic message to the FDA. Their proposed guidance on preventing salmonella contamination of eggs turns logic and science on its head. The FDA wants to crack down on organic flocks with outdoor access while flagrantly ignoring documented food safety issues on giant factory farms. Click here to… Read more »
Technical Announcement:Widely Used Herbicide Commonly Found in Rain and Streams in the Mississippi River Basin
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey (this link no longer available) Office of Communications and Publishing Paul Capel and Kara Capelli Glyphosate, also known by its tradename Roundup, is commonly found in rain and rivers in agricultural areas in the Mississippi River watershed, according to two new USGS studies released this month. Glyphosate is… Read more »
Organic Seed Survey
National Organic Coalition Credit: KoS The National Organic Coalition (NOC) encourages your participation in a national seed survey conducted by Organic Seed Alliance. This survey is conducted every five years to monitor organic seed availability and use, challenges in sourcing organic seed, and organic plant breeding needs, among other topics that inform the organic community’s understanding of… Read more »
