August 5, 2019 Governor Janet Mills and DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal are calling on USDA Secretary Sonny Purdue to finalize the proposed Origin of Livestock rules to maintain important markets for Maine organic dairy farmers. Because of a lack of clarity in current regulation, some farms outside of Maine have been allowed by their organic…
The Fall 2018 issue of The Organic Sprout is available online! Please follow this link. You can read it from any device of your choice or download it as a PDF. Contents include Record Keeping for Certified Crop Producers-Part 2, Non-GMO Marketing Materials, Protecting Your Farm in a Crisis, and much, much more. And remember,…
On Monday, May 6th, the Federal District Court in San Francisco agreed with organic farmers, consumers, and animal welfare advocates that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) cannot hide communications and documents that led up to the controversial decision by the Trump administration to withdraw the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices rule (OLPP), which…
The National Organic Coalition is offering a limited number of scholarships to farmers wishing to attend the NOC Pre-NOSB meeting (April 23, 2019) & NOSB meeting (April 24 – 26, 2019) in Seattle, WA. The following important topics will be discussed during the NOC and NOSB meetings: DC organic policy updates, oversight and enforcement for…
MOFGA Certification Services (MCS) has new resources for its certified organic producers – an Organic Marketing menu which features newly developed Certified Organic IS Non-GMO labels, an organic certification and non-GMO label comparison checklist, as well as access to the Organic Valley (OV) Organic Is Always Non-GMO label. MCS is providing these materials for certified…
Do you have hayfields and pastures that are in need of some attention? Are you feeding your animals good quality forages? Do you want to learn what makes a good hay crop? The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering a 3-hour workshop on hayfield and pasture health in nine locations beginning March 25th.…
The Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Program is excited to announce the launch of Maine’s Harvest of the Month (HOM) Program, piloting in Spring of 2019. The program is a nationwide marketing campaign promoting the use of seasonally available, local products in schools, institutions, and communities. Each month, a different Maine product will be highlighted…
On February 15, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for crops and handling based on April 2018 recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board. This proposed rule would allow: Elemental sulfur to be used as a slug…
On February 12 at 1 p.m. at the Cross Building in Augusta, the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will hear a bill addressing the large of amount of meat being advertised falsely as “local” or “Maine-raised” when the animals actually were produced elsewhere and trucked to Maine for slaughter. Rep. Bill Pluecker…
The Real Organic Project provisional standards for a new add-on label were created in Winter 2018 by the Real Organic Standards Board. The standards are based on the principal that healthy soil is the foundation of organic farming. The Real Organic Project is asking the organic community to provide feedback on its crop and livestock…
From the National Organic Coalition (NOC). The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) remains closed as the government shutdown continues for a fifth week and the NOP has canceled its annual certifier training, which was scheduled for January 29 in Greenville, South Carolina. The training provides critical information pertaining to organic standards and their enforcement to…
You’re Invited! Winter Regional Grower Meetings – Four Locations in Maine Southern Maine: February 14th, York County Extension Office, Springvale, ME Maine Highlands: February 16, Sangerville Grange, ME Downeast: February 27th, Ellsworth City Hall, Ellsworth, ME Aroostook County: February 28th, Littleton Snowmobile Club, Littleton, ME Approximate timing of events will be from 10:00 am – 3:00…
