May 19, 2021 SAN FRANCISCO—Yesterday, Center for Food Safety (CFS), along with a coalition of organic farms, certifier, and organic stakeholder groups, filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, appealing a district court’s ruling issued this March that authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue certifying soil-less hydroponic operations as organic under the Organic label. In the lower court Read More »
News Archive
The Organic Sprout – Spring 2021 Issue
The Spring 2021 issue of The Organic Sprout is here! You can access, view and download a PDF from the Adobe publishing site. Contents include Preparing for Your 2021 Inspection, Federal Organic Cost Share Update, MOFGA’s PFAS Resource Page, Organic Categories for Processed Products, Read More »
USDA Invests More Than $330 Million in Specialty Crops Grants, Incentives to Purchase Fruits and Vegetables, Help for Cotton Producers
USDA Also Informs Dairy Producers and Processors about New Dairy Donation Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of more than $330 million to help agricultural producers and organizations in the food supply chain recover from the financial impacts of the Read More »
DACF News Release – Infrastructure needs survey is critical for your industry
The Maine Departments of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; Marine Resources; and Economic and Community Development invite you to help identify how best to support your industry, should any federal or state funding become available to support investment in Maine’s heritage industries. For this survey’s purpose, Read More »
National Organic Standards Board Spring Meeting Logistics
Based on input from the National Organic Standards Board (Board) and members of the organic community, the Board’s Spring 2021 Meeting will be held live online, instead of in-person. This allows the Board to safely deliberate in an open and public setting. Online Meeting Details Read More »
Applications open for Maine Farm Emergency Grants, Round Two
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) are offering emergency grants to assist farmers impacted by the current COVID-19 crisis, including those who have experienced sales losses, increased expenses and/or other challenges during 2020, and who anticipate needing to make Read More »
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 for Specialty Crop Producers
Don’t miss a “beet” and apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) by December 11, 2020, through your local USDA Farm Service Agency. More than 230 fruit, vegetable, horticulture, and tree nut commodities are eligible for CFAP 2, along with honey, maple sap, Read More »
The Organic Sprout – Fall 2020 Issue
The Fall 2020 issue of The Organic Sprout is here! You can access it and view or download a PDF from this link: https://indd.adobe.com/view/fa6c0648-c7ce-4e2f-83cf-633c72a4a0e9/ Contents include the Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) Rule, the 2020 drought variance, using mediation to prevent a crisis, NOP updates and much Read More »
Maine to Use Pandemic CARES Act Funding to Support Farmers, Agriculture Producers who Invested in E-commerce
AUGUSTA – Nov 17, 2020. The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) will use federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding to support farmers and agricultural producers impacted by COVID-19, DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal announced today. “Adapting and meeting the challenges Read More »
Maine Cooperative Ext Offers Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering two upcoming online Zoom classes on food safety for produce farms. It covers best practices for on-farm produce safety and the requirements of FSMA’s Produce Safety Rule. This is the FDA-approved training for required for any farm Read More »
Emergency Drought Assistance
Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, and Washington Counties are eligible for emergency drought assistance from the Farm Service Agency For drought assistance, start by contacting your local USDA Farm Service Center. Farmers in Maine’s eligible counties have eight months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration, Read More »
Take Action Today to Restore Organic Certification Cost Share Funding
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced on August 10 that they are cutting reimbursement rates for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program from 75% to 50%. This action by USDA is unwarranted and completely unacceptable, especially during a pandemic. The 2018 Farm Bill provided new funding Read More »