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Read our comments on Origin of Livestock

On October 1, 2019, the USDA reopened the comment period for the proposed rule on Origin of Livestock that was originally published on April 28, 2015. The new comment period was open until December 2, 2019 to give all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Read OTA's final comments.

Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 - 8:00am to Friday, October 18, 2019 - 5:00pm

The Organic Trade Association’s Fiber Council will be participating in the 2019 Textile Sustainability Conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada, October 15 - 18!

Several Fiber Council members along with Gwendolyn Wyard, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, will be hostinga booth in the exhibit hall where they will be ready to answer questions about the benefits of organic fiber, textiles and Organic Trade Association membership. Council members will also be actively participating in a full agenda of workshops and educational sessions. The Organic Trade Association's Fiber Council includes representatives from 38 member companies, covering the full supply chain from farmers to manufacturers, certifiers, researchers, retailers, and more. The Council successfully works to strengthen and grow the organic fiber and textiles sector. 

For more information, or to conntect with us at the Textile Sustainability Conference, contact Gwendolyn Wyard

Conference Information: 

October 15-18, 2019

Vancouver Convention Center, East Building

Vancouver, British Columbia

 

Organic Growers Summit

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - 9:00am to Thursday, December 5, 2019 - 5:00pm

The Organic Growers Summit will be taking place December 4-5, 2019 in Monterey, CA. Launched by the Organic Produce Network (OPN) and California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), the Organic Grower Summit (OGS) will bring organic growers, producers and processors to Monterey for two days of education, information and networking opportunities with their production supply chain and support service providers.

The Organic Trade Association will be participating in the following sessions taking place at the Organic Growers Summit:

What's Next in Organic Plant Health? | Thursday, December 5 | 8:00 a.m. - 8:50 a.m. 

Moderator: Gwendolyn Wyard, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Organic Trade Association

Speakers: Steve Pavich, Senior Plant Nutritionist, BioFlora; Dr. Danielle Kirkpatrick, Global Technical Support Coordinator, Trécé, Inc.; Pete Anecito, Director of Ag Operations, Mission Ranches 

Organic Sales Data Dive | Thursday, December 5 | 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Speakers: Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director, Organic Trade Association; Mike Galaburda, Client Director, Nielsen

If you'd like to setup a meeting with us at the show, contact Danielle Cote, Organic Trade Association's Membership Manager. 

Trade Show Information: 

December 4-5, 2019

Monterey Conference Center

Monterey, California 

Nate Powell-Palm

Company: 
Cold Springs Organics
Award: 
Rising Star
Year: 
2019
Headshot: 

Nate Powell-Palm started farming when he was just 12 years old as part of a 4-H project, and used grants and other opportunities to develop and expand his cattle operation in Bozeman, MT. Raising livestock according to organic standards, he applied for certification while still in high school. During college, he completed IOIA training, and started working as an organic inspector. Since graduation, he has expanded the farm into crop production while also growing his cattle enterprise.

Lynn Coody

Company: 
Organic Agsystems Consulting
Award: 
Growing Organic Community
Year: 
2019
Headshot: 

Lynn Coody of Eugene, Oregon, has been active as a crucial voice on the organic front since the 1970s. First serving as general manager of an organic farm, in the ensuing decades she has provided invaluable technical assistance to growers, certifiers, producers and regulatory agencies at the local, state, regional, national and international levels. She was one of a three-person team who guided the development and passage of Oregon’s ground-breaking Organic Food Law in the late 1980s.

Israel Morales Sr.

Company: 
JV Farms Organic
Award: 
Organic Farmer of the Year
Year: 
2019
Headshot: 

Israel Morales Sr. is JV Farms Organic’s lead grower with over 40 years of farming experience. JV Farms Organic in Soledad, CA, is committed to growing organic crops in an innovative and eco-friendly manner. Israel has extensive experience not just in knowing what produce matches the type of soil, but also other factors important to soil health. As ranch manager, he has direct influence on the growing practices on all of the acres in his operation.

Webinar: Top 10 Organic Headlines of 2019

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - 2:00pm

Join Organic Trade Association to review the stories that made news in organic in 2019. We'll review the most compelling issues and discuss tips and resources for representing organic and your brand accurately in the media. Learn more about our Webinar series and how to register to attend.

Event Type: 

Webinar: NOSB Wrap-Up

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 - 1:00pm

Join Organic Trade Association's regulatory team for a briefing on the issues discussed at  the National Organic Standards Board's fall meeting. Learn more about our Webinar series and how to register to attend.

Event Type: 

Montana Organic Association Annual Conference

Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - 8:00am to Saturday, December 7, 2019 - 5:00pm

The Montana Organic Association's Annual Conference will be taking place December 4-7, 2019 in Bozeman, MT. 

The Montana Organic Association (MOA) brings together people, businesses, organizations, and agencies who are working to develop Montana's organic industry. MOA is proud of its legacy that has led Montana to be a national leader in organic production. But MOA is more than organic production; it also serves to educate about organic products including food, fiber, and non-food items like personal care items and household supplies, and ways to limit the use of chemicals in everyday life. MOA also advocates for policies that protect the environment, promote healthy living, and support individuals, farms and businesses who are actively engaged in developing sustainable businesses and communities. MOA accomplishes this through hosting events, serving as an educational resource, providing network opportunities, and communications.

The Montana Organic Association (MOA) is a member of the Organic Trade Association's Farmers Advisory Council. Organic Trade Association's Farm Policy Director, Johanna Mirenda, will be attending the Annual Conference, and speaking at the following two sessions:

Repairing the Public-Private Partnership in Organic Standards | December 6, 2019 | 2:50 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.

A healthy market for organic products requires critical support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) for uniform and robust standards. However, the USDA is not advancing organic standards, and this failure to keep pace with consumers and the industry is harming and fragmenting the market. In the past 10 years, industry has advanced 20 consensus recommendations for improvements to the organic standards and the USDA has not completed rulemaking on a single one of them. Montana Senators Jon Tester (Democrat), Steve Daines (Republican) and Representative Greg Gianforte (Republican) recognized this issue in a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue demanding that USDA move forward and act on a decade’s worth of stalled recommendations by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).



The Organic Trade Association is working on long-term solutions that will repair the broken public-private partnership between USDA and the organic industry to ensure continuous improvement and accountability of the organic standards. At this workshop, attendees will learn about the Organic Trade Association’s efforts to advance concepts for a new framework for advancing federal organic standards to keep up with the marketplace and ensure the credibility of the USDA Organic seal. Attendees will participate in a facilitated discussion about these concepts and other strategic ideas for how organic will evolve within the public-private partnership into the future.

Federal Organic Policy Update | December 7, 2019 | 8:00 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.

This panel will provide an of-the-moment update on federal policy related to organic agriculture, including implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill. Specific focus will be given to Strengthening Oversight and Enforcement of Organic; Appropriations; Research; Conservation Programs; Risk Management Programs.

The full conference agenda is available here. Organic Trade Association will also be exhibiting in the tradeshow portion of the Conference! For more information, contact Johanna Mirenda

Conference Information:

December 4-7, 2019

Bozeman, MT

African Organic Conference

Saturday, November 9, 2019 - 8:00am to Saturday, November 16, 2019 - 5:00pm

The African Organic Conference will be taking place November 9-16 in Morocco. 

Dr. Jessica Shade, The Organic Center's Director of Science Programs, will be speaking at the Conference on how organc can feed the world. Jessica will also attend the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR) Board Meeting. More more information, contact Jessica Shade

Conference Information:

November 9-16, 2019

Morocco 

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