organic agriculture

ORGANIC UPDATE E-NEWSLETTER
Providing news and information about organic agriculture
to agricultural education professionals.

Summer 2005
Welcome to the the MOSES Organic Update. This periodic newsletter offers timely news, announcements and information about the dynamic world of organic agriculture to education and agricultural service personnel in the Upper Midwest. Subscribers will receive a short e-mail announcement, providing a direct hot-link to each issue of the web-based newsletter. Contact us with any comments or questions at jody@mosesorganic.org.

SARE Grant Deadline for Producers
North Central Region SARE producer grant deadline is in December! All educators should inform the farmers they work with of funding possibilities. Organic projects are a good fit for the SARE producer grant. For complete information go to the SARE website: http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm.

WI Governor Supports Funding for Organic Specialist
WI Governor follows through with recommendations from the Organic Task Force for an organic specialist. The new state budget provides over $1 million for cost sharing for farmers to implement nutrient management planning. It also creates a new, full-time position in the agriculture department to encourage organic agriculture and intensive rotational grazing. See the full text of the Governors Comments.

USDA 2006 Regional Integrated Pest Management Competitive Grants Program
The USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service Office of Extramural Programs is implementing the 2006 Regional Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Competitive Grants Program. This program supports projects that develop individual pest control tactics, integrate individual tactics into an IPM system, and develop and implement extension education programs. The grant is targeted to the North Central Region and will provide an estimated total program funding of $855,000. For full information go to: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/CSREES/OEP/USDA-GRANTS-080905-001/listing.html.

Price Premiums Hold as US Organic Market Expands
Price premiums for organic products have contributed to growth in certified organic farmland and, ultimately, market expansion. Fresh produce has long been an important component of the organic food sector, and a significant contributor to the organic industry's growth over the last decade. This article explores price premiums and market margins for a limited set of fresh produce items-carrots, broccoli, and mesclun mix. For the complete report, click on this link: Price Premiums PDF.

Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference set for February 23-25th 2006
The 17th annual Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference (UMOFC) and Organic University (OU) will be held February 23rd-25th, 2006 at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The UMOFC is the largest organic farming conference in the nation, drawing more than 1800 participants from throughout the region and across the nation.
The conference offers over 45 Workshops, more than 135 Exhibitors, nine in depth Organic University courses, and valuable networking opportunities. For more information or visit the MOSES website www.mosesorganic.org. The 2006 UMOFC promotional flyer with workshop schedule and Organic University class offerings will be mailed in late November. Contact the MOSES office to be added to the mailing list info@mosesorganic.org 715-772-3153.

Court Ruling Finds Some Current Regulations Violate "Organic Foods Production Act"
Following a ruling in the case of Harvey v. Johanns, six agriculture, retail and food safety groups have petitioned the USDA to update organic food labeling rules. The ruling found that existing regulations regarding the feeding of a percentage of non organic feed to new dairy cows and the use of synthetic substances in food products that are labeled "organic" violate the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990. For the entire text of two articles, visit: http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/compliance062305.cfm or http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/analysis040405.cfm

About MOSES
The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) is a nonprofit organization developed to provide educational opportunities and resources to farmers and farm-support organizations, businesses and educators. MOSES has been a trusted provider of information and education about organic and sustainable farming systems in the Upper Midwest since 1999, primarily through the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, now in its 17th year and attended by over 1800 individuals in 2005. Executive Director Faye Jones has lead the organization since its inception, and now directs several employees working out of the MOSES office in Spring Valley, WI. A majority of the nine member MOSES Board of Directors are organic farmers from throughout the Upper Midwest.