New video from Purdue explaining the new label requirements for meat products.

from: ansc.purdue.edu/poa

Organic Product Consumer Base Holds Steady; Volume Shifting to Mass Market Retailers

from: tabgroups.com

“For the third straight year, the percentage of US consumers purchasing Organic products has held steady in the 38-39% range, reports Shelton, CT-based marketing research and consulting company, TABS Group, Inc. (www.tabsgroup.com). While there has been no growth in the buyer count of Organic products since last year, there was a considerable shift in outlet patterns towards Mass Market and away from Natural Foods.

“We still see many fallacious reports that the number of consumers purchasing Organic products is growing; our research does not support that conclusion. The annual incidence of these products has gone from 38.4% to 38.0% to 38.6% from 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively,” stated TABS Group, Inc. President and Founder, Dr. Kurt Jetta. “What is very interesting, however, is that there were big shifts in the Outlet where consumers report that they purchase these products most often. The big winners were Traditional Grocers (41.0% to 44.1%) and Target (1.8% to 4.1%), while the losers were Wal-Mart (18.6% to 12.4%), Trader Joe’s (11.5% to 10.7%) and Other Natural Foods (6.2% to 4.6%). Total Natural Foods fell from being the most preferred outlet by 26.8% in 2009 to 24.4% in January 2011, a 9% drop.”This was the first year that Organic Chicken and Red Meat were included in the survey, and the reported purchase rates were 13.4% and 6.4%, respectively. The inclusion of these two categories had only a modest impact on over Organic penetration, pushing the incidence from 38.6% to 39.8%. Stated another way, less than 10% of the Organic Meat users were incremental to the Organic product sector.”

See the full report HERE.

USDA Offers Conservation Funding to Organic Producers

From AgWeekly.com:

“Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced USDA will provide funding to help organic producers and those transitioning to organic production implement resource conservation practices on their agricultural operations.

“Increasing consumer demand for organically grown foods is providing new opportunities for small and mid-size farmers to prosper and stay competitive in today’s economy,” Merrigan said. “The 2008 Farm Bill calls for this assistance, and we want to help these farmers protect the natural resources on their land and create conditions that help foster organic production.”

Fiscal year (FY) 2011 marks the third year of USDA’s Organic Initiative, and up to $50 million is available this year for producers to plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns in ways that are consistent with organic production. For example, organic producers may use the funding to plant cover crops, establish integrated pest management plans, or implement nutrient management systems consistent with organic certification standards.”

More information HERE.

2011 Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum

From the Indiana Soybean Alliance:

“For the second year, Indiana’s agriculture industry will gather together for the 2011 Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum, a one-day educational forum on Friday, January 28, 2011.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance will sponsor the morning general session, which will feature world renown speakers on issues affecting Indiana’s grain and livestock farmers. Following lunch, each participating organization will sponsor breakout sessions on topics of specific interest to each commodity.”

Go HERE for more information and registration.

Local Dairy Days Feature New Dairy Practices

From Iowa State Extension:

“Iowa dairy producers will have the opportunity to hear Iowa State University Extension Specialists share information on emerging dairy industry issues at the 2011 ISU Extension Dairy Days scheduled at seven eastern Iowa locations between January 18 and February 15.”

Click HERE for more information and registration.

Meyer Natural Foods Acquires Dakota Beef

from perishablenews.com

“Meyer Natural Foods has announced today the acquisition of Dakota Beef, one of the largest and oldest certified organic beef brands in North America. As part of the transaction, Meyer Natural Foods has secured a long-term supply of organic Angus calves born on Dakota Beef’s historic, 150,000-acre, open-range organic ranch in Oregon. This acquisition further strengthens Meyer Natural Foods’ industry leadership among natural and premium beef offerings.”

More information here.

Processing and Labeling Regulations of Organic Livestock Products in the United States

from eXtension.org

“According to the National Organic Program (NOP) final rule (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2000), in order to be labeled “organic,” meat, milk and egg handling and processing operations must be certified. Organic products must not be commingled with non-organic products or come in contact with prohibited substances during handling or processing. All ingredients and other substances used in or on organic products during processing must appear in §205.605 or §205.606 of the National List. Records of all processing activities must be maintained.”

Full article here.

Many in dairy industry say big, small farms can coexist

from gazettetra.com

“BRADFORD TOWNSHIP — Plenty of barns stand along Highway 14 east of Janesville.

Red ones, white ones. Barns faded to gray. Take your pick.

What you won’t see along the highway are very many cows.

Rock County’s agricultural base is strong, but it leans heavily toward cash crops, said Casey Langan with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.

Today, 12,500 milking cows live on 123 farms in Rock County, UW Extension Dairy and Livestock Agent Randy Thompson said. That’s half the number of cows milked in the county in 1970, Thompson said.

A handful of the county’s biggest operators own half the cows in the county, Thompson said.

Rock County isn’t alone.”

Full story here.

Synthetic Substances Allowed for use in Organic Livestock Production in the United States

from eXtension.org

The following is a list of synthetic substances allowed for use in organic livestock production according to Section 205.603 of the National List, as published in the National Organic Program (NOP) final rule (United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2000), as of December 12, 2007. Many of the substances listed contain restrictions on their use or must be followed by extended withholding periods. Check the restrictions or annotations that accompany the substance, as stated on the National List, before use. Make sure that the substance is listed on your Organic System Plan and keep records of all uses. If you have any doubts about the status of a particular brand or formulated product, check with your certifier before use.

Follow this link for the full list.

All Organic Matters Conference and PCO Annual Meeting

For Pennsylvania Organic Producers:

PCO will again partner with PASA to bring you two fantastic organic events: The All Organic Matters
Conference and PCO Annual Meeting. You will not want to miss these events, which are chock full of
great organic inspiration, education and networking.

We are extremely pleased to have several experts on organic policy joining us from Washington, DC:
Mark Lipson, the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Policy Advisor at the USDA, formerly of the
Organic Farming Research Foundation and Christine Bushway, of the Organic Trade Association.

We are also very much looking forward to our Keynote presentation: Successful Farming from the
Ground Up by Bob Muth of Muth Family Farm. Listen to his story… we guarantee you will be inspired
by his innovative approach to growing and marketing organic products.

Follow the link for more information and registration.