The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on May 16, 2022 that it will provide pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses to agricultural producers who are certified organic or transitioning to organic. USDA will make $20 million available through the new Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) as part of USDA’s…
DetailsWASHINGTON, Mar. 29, 2022 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published the highly anticipated Origin of Livestock (OOL) final rule for organic dairy. This change to the USDA organic regulations will promote a fairer and more competitive market for all organic dairy producers, by making sure that certified USDA organic dairy products are produced…
DetailsMaine Officials Respond to Avian Influenza Detected in Knox County 02/22/2022 09:32 AM EST Read the USDA APHIS press release (Feb 20) regarding this incident. *H5N1 strain presents low risk to the public, bird owners urged to take steps to prevent disease* AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) Animal…
DetailsWASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2021— The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for agricultural producers who are certified organic, or transitioning to organic, to apply for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). This program provides pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses. The deadline to apply for 2020 and 2021 eligible expenses is now Feb. 4, 2022, rather than the original deadline…
DetailsThe Fall 2021 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/0184379f-6fe0-467b-a366-c7ab40eeee2f Contents include the impacts of COVID-19 on our food system, changes to the MCS fee schedule and OSP points of emphasis, hemp news, NOSB updates and much more. Remember, back issues…
DetailsThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on November 4, 2021 that it will provide pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses to agricultural producers who are certified organic or transitioning to organic. USDA will make $20 million available through the new Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) as part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, which…
DetailsOct. 7, 2021 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is rolling out a new insurance option specifically for agricultural producers with small farms who sell locally. The new Micro Farm policy simplifies record keeping and covers post-production costs like washing and value-added products. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) created this new policy based on…
DetailsThe Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network – Northeast (FRSAN-NE) is a community of service providers across the Northeast region working to better support farmers through stress and connect them with stress assistance programs. A cohort of Maine service providers in the FRSAN-NE are focused on alleviating farmer stress related to potential PFAS contamination with…
DetailsThe National Organic Program (NOP) is pleased to launch Microlearning on the Organic Integrity Learning Center. This new format is designed for quick, on-the-job learning. Each microlearning covers one topic, includes an ungraded knowledge check, and can be completed in 10-15 minutes. Microlearning is great for all organic stakeholders. You can use microlearning to understand…
DetailsMay 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 case, CFS had argued that hydroponic operations cannot comply with federal organic standards…
DetailsThe 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, NOSB updates and much more. Remember, back issues of the Sprout are…
DetailsUSDA 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 COVID-19 pandemic. The funding announced is part of USDA’s Pandemic…
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