The Bautista Family dates are organic, which means the Bautistas don’t use any pesticides or chemicals to keep critters at bay. And the trees need to be inspected once a year, which means maintaining paperwork (including an activity log), dealing with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and paying fees for organic certification. When it comes to organic beekeeping, there is plenty of good news prefaced by a bit of bad news, according to Dr. Robyn Underwood, an Assistant Research Professor with Penn State Extension. First the bad news: “It is extremely difficult to have certified organic honey for sale,” Underwood says, the key word being “certified.” Certification would require large swaths of land that fall under organic management, a “nearly impossible” prerequisite in the mainland U.S., she says. Microlearning to yield big results for organic stakeholders. Before coming to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), Laura Gallagher worked on farms and with community gardening organizations in the Midwest and Northeast providing training and education. Now Laura helps NOP manage the Organic Integrity Learning Center (OILC) and the Human Capital Capacity Building Initiative to help build the future of the organic workforce. Organic beekeeping: a sweet alternative for produce growers. Why fostering diversity in the US organic industry is the next step for growth. Making organic and regenerative practices more viable and sustainable is important for everyone. During the Priorities for the Future of Organics session held at Natural Products Expo East 2021 in Philadelphia, industry experts discussed problems and suggested solutions for a more equitable food system. Grant takes on organic challenges with third-party certifications.
Although all food producers are subject to food safety rules, organic farmers face unique challenges in trying to also work out incongruities between National Organic Program standards and third-party food safety requirements. For instance, organic farmers must support biodiversity, yet some food safety organizations pressure them to limit habitat and wildlife on or near their farms despite a lack of evidence connecting food safety and biodiversity. To date, little data has been collected on synthesizing current conditions and specific research needs challenging the organic community on the juxtapositioning of organic practices and some food safety requirements.
This is what’s behind the success of the Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch
The Bautista Family dates are organic, which means the Bautistas don’t use any pesticides or chemicals to keep critters at bay. And the trees need to be inspected once a year, which means maintaining paperwork (including an activity log), dealing with the California Department of Food and Agriculture and paying fees for organic certification.
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-10-07/bautista-family-organic-date-ranch
Microlearning to Yield Big Results for Organic Stakeholders
Before coming to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), Laura Gallagher worked on farms and with community gardening organizations in the Midwest and Northeast providing training and education. Now Laura helps NOP manage the Organic Integrity Learning Center (OILC) and the Human Capital Capacity Building Initiative to help build the future of the organic workforce.
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2021/10/07/microlearning-yield-big-results-organic-stakeholders
Organic Beekeeping: A Sweet Alternative for Produce Growers
When it comes to organic beekeeping, there is plenty of good news prefaced by a bit of bad news, according to Dr. Robyn Underwood, an Assistant Research Professor with Penn State Extension. First the bad news: “It is extremely difficult to have certified organic honey for sale,” Underwood says, the key word being “certified.” Certification would require large swaths of land that fall under organic management, a “nearly impossible” prerequisite in the mainland U.S., she says.
Why fostering diversity in the US organic industry is the next step for growth
Making organic and regenerative practices more viable and sustainable is important for everyone. During the Priorities for the Future of Organics session held at Natural Products Expo East 2021 in Philadelphia, industry experts discussed problems and suggested solutions for a more equitable food system.
https://www.newhope.com/news/why-fostering-diversity-us-organic-industry-next-step-growth
Grant takes on organic challenges with third-party certifications
Although all food producers are subject to food safety rules, organic farmers face unique challenges in trying to also work out incongruities between National Organic Program standards and third-party food safety requirements. For instance, organic farmers must support biodiversity, yet some food safety organizations pressure them to limit habitat and wildlife on or near their farms despite a lack of evidence connecting food safety and biodiversity. To date, little data has been collected on synthesizing current conditions and specific research needs challenging the organic community on the juxtapositioning of organic practices and some food safety requirements.
