News
Anticipated Origin of Livestock (OOL) final rule for organic dairy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently 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...
Using OMRI’s Website Search Tool (A Quick Tutorial)
OMRI’s YouTube channel has been updated to include a video explaining how to use the search on OMRI’s website. “The video goes through browsing and verifying OMRI Listed® products, and finding materials allowed for use under the USDA, Canada and Mexico organic...
Allowed Actions to Respond to Risks from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) has received questions about the confinement of organic poultry flocks due to recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Certified organic poultry operations must establish...
National Organic Standards Board Spring Meeting 2022
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) generally meets twice each year in a public forum to discuss and vote on recommendations to the USDA. These recommendations help the Department develop and refine the organic standards. Based on input from the...
National List Amended for Organic Crops, Livestock, and Handling
The National Organic Program (NOP) has announced a published Final Rule for the National List. The final rule is effective March 30, 2022, but there is a one-year implementation period for changes. This rule removes fourteen ingredients and two substances from...
Sale of Contaminated Biochar
The ethanol plant in Nebraska, AltEn, may have tried to sell their contaminated waste as biochar, but the State of Nebraska and the State of Kansas intervened. According to the article below, Green Disposal Mead LLC was the company trying to sell the biochar. It's...
R&E Scholarship Application Deadline – Jan 15th
All graduate students studying organic and sustainable agriculture are encouraged to apply for the OCIA Research & Education Scholarship by January 15th. A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to help fund organic farming research projects. For more information,...
USDA to Host Webinar for the LFPA Program – Dec 16th
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will hold an informational webinar for organizations interested in learning more about the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021,...
USDA to Host Webinar for the OTECP Program – Dec 15th
The Unites States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency and Extension (University of Wisconsin-Madison) is holding a free webinar on December 15, 2021 from 1:00-2:00 pm (CST) on the new Pandemic Assistance program for Certified and Transitioning Organic...
USDA Builds Pandemic Support for Certified Organic and Transitioning Operations
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced 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...