On December 26, 2018, the NOP published a final rule that amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. Please see below for a brief summary, and contact your Certification Specialist for more information or if you have questions. IMPLEMENTATION: The rule will be fully implemented on January 28, 2019, except that the amendments for the substances ivermectin,…
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 as a PDF. Contents include the results of our MCS Client Survey, a report on Organic Cost Share, organic labeling, and a host of vital information and resources.…
Wins on funding for organic certification, research, new farmers and import enforcement shadowed by changes to the National Organic Standards Board. December 12, 2018 (Unity, ME) – The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) generally is pleased with the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the Farm Bill), but is disheartened by significant…
The Spring 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 as a PDF. Contents include the results of our MCS Client Survey, a report on Organic Cost Share, organic labeling, and a host of vital information and resources.…
MOFGA Certification Services (MCS) continued to see steady growth in 2017. We certified 49 new applicants, bringing our year-end total of MOFGA-certified operations to 536 and over 88,000 acres. This is an amazing achievement in a state our size, and much of the success of the organic sector in Maine depends on the continued support…
As the Agriculture Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives drafts language for the next Farm Bill, it is considering sweeping cuts to programs that support organic agriculture. One dire threat is significantly reducing, and possibly eliminating, the cost-share program for certified organic growers and processors. MOFGA certified organic producers benefit greatly from this program,…
A new Sound and Sensible Organic Certification video series, filmed in Washington State and developed by WSDA (Washington State Dept of Agriculture), features certified organic clients and addresses some common questions about USDA Organic regulations and the certification process. They include: Steps to Certification Preventative Practices for Organic Crop Producers Recordkeeping These videos were developed…
As the demand for organic food and products in the United States has grown dramatically over the last 10 years, so has the complexity of organic supply chains. The supply chain, domestically and internationally, now involves a series of complex transactions with businesses that grow, handle, package, manufacture and transport organic goods. USDA accredited certifiers ensure…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing extending compliance deadlines on Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) provisions for produce water standards. Finalized in 2015, the water standards aim at keeping deadly pathogens like E. coli 0157:H7 out of water used to grow crops by increasing testing and monitoring efforts. The proposed extension appeared Wednesday in the Federal…
AUGUSTA— This October, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) will team up with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to help Mainers dispose of unusable and waste pesticides. The Obsolete Pesticides Collection Program, jointly sponsored by the BPC and DEP, and funded through pesticide product registration…
The spring Organic Sprout is here! Certified producers will receive a copy in the mail, but you can read it online right now.
