The Organic Sprout – Spring 2017
The spring Organic Sprout is here! Certified producers will receive a copy in the mail, but you can read it online right now.
MCS Staff Announcement
Katy Green has joined MCS as a full time staff inspector and materials reviewer, and is replacing our outgoing staff inspector, Jake Galle. Katy has worked for MOFGA since 2008, primarily helping farmers and processors transition to organic production. This work has allowed Katy to travel all over the state offering assistance, guidance, and answering…
DetailsThe Organic Sprout – Fall 2016 Edition
The Sprout is out and full of noteworthy content and relevant issues including MCS reaching its milestone of certifying over 500 producers in 2016. Certified producers will receive a copy in the mail, but you can read it online here right now.
MOFGA Certifies More than 500 Organic Producers
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is excited to announce that as of August 2016, Maine has more than 500 certified organic farms and processors, according to MOFGA Certification Services LLC (MCS). About 464 farms (some of which are involved in processing as well) and 46 processors are certified by MOFGA Certification Services.…
DetailsThe Organic Sprout is Back – Spring 2016 Issue
After a 3 year hiatus, The Organic Sprout, MOFGA’s Newsletter for Organic Producers, is back with the Spring 2016 issue. If you haven’t yet received your copy in the mail, you can read and download the PDF here.
DetailsGood information available from MOFGA’s Ag Services
Pest reports….If you grow crops, you’ll want to check out Eric Sideman’s pest reports. Tomato & potato growers, we hope you are dodging late blight this season. Price reports…Heather Omand’s summer price report can be found here. If you value this information, consider contributing to the dataset.
Details22 April 14 Field Notes-Maple Syrup
Jerome Rigot and I just returned from the last of the maple syrup inspections in the north woods of Somerset County, Maine. In order to access these sugar camps, located in the unorganized territory of Seboomook Lake, we stay in St. Georges, Quebec, and must cross in and out of Maine each day using…
DetailsOne-Stop Shop for Organics
Looking for USDA programs and services that support the growing organic sector? USDA has created a centralized web resource center containing all their programs, services, and data. The new site gives access to: Conservation programs, flexible microloans, and other financial resources for farmers and ranchers. Organic price reports, cost/revenue comparisons, and other economic and market…
DetailsThe Organic Sprout – Late Summer edition 2013
The Organic Sprout Late Summer edition is published! This issue focuses on livestock and is filled with great content including articles on parasite control, sprouted grain systems, organic kelp and our growing number of MOFGA certified producers. You can read it here.
New Guides for Organic Operations
To describe the relevant organic requirements, provide best practices, and further explain the certification process, ATTRA has partnered with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) to provide the following detailed guides, which provide helpful information for both beginning farmers and current organic operations looking to adopt new management approaches. (Click on each title to download):…
DetailsInspections 101
We need to inspect each certified operation–farms and processors–every year. The person who comes to your farm to is the inspector. We hire several people part-time people to do inspections. Occasionally, the person doing your inspection is a full-time certification staffer such as myself. This person, the inspector, does no certifying per se, he or…
DetailsThe Organic Sprout Winter 2012-13 Issue
The winter Sprout is published and on it’s way to our certified growers. It’s filled with great content including articles on mass balance, enterprise budgeting, financing farm projects, details about MCS’s 2012 USDA audit, and much more. You can read it now right here.