Fertile Ground USA...Celebrating the people behind the plow

Organic Farming Research Foundation Hails Historic USDA Plan To Aid Farmers and Ranchers with Organic Transition
Santa Cruz, CA
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service today announced plans to provide $50 million in 2009 to help farmers and ranchers throughout the country transition to organic production systems.  The funds will be distributed through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and will be available to farmers or ranchers working to transition new acreage or livestock to an organic system.

The Santa Cruz-based Organic Farming Research Foundation’s policy team played a key role in the Farm Bill effort to win organic transition funding.

OFRF Reaction:  Today OFRF’s Senior Policy Analyst Mark Lipson called the USDA’s announcement a tremendous victory for the organic community and the environment.

Celebrate Earth Day the Organic Way
The Center for Rural Affairs by Julia Hudson
Organic farming has been growing by leaps and bounds, and that's terrific for farmers, consumers, and the planet. But as any farmer or rancher who has gone through the USDA's organic program knows, "Certified Organic" carries some upfront costs while the certification process is underway.

Even with more organic certification cost-share dollars now available through the farm bill, some smaller farmers and ranchers can't afford the fees. But there is an alternative market for these farmers and ranchers to consider. Wanting to make sure their customers know they follow strict growing practices, a group of farmers created a nonprofit alternative certification program called Certified Naturally Grown (CNG).