Mile High Organics Becomes Certified Organic Online RetailerApril 30th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
Whole Foods Market became the first certified organic national retail chain in 2003—and again when procedures changed in 2009—and now, Mile High Organics based in Boulder, Colorado has become the first certified organic online retailer to achieve certified organic status. Read More:Mile High Organics Becomes Certified Organic Online RetailerEU and U.S. Create Historic Trade Partnership for $50 Billion Organic IndustryFebruary 19th, 2012 - Jill Ettinger
An historic partnership connecting organic producers in the European Union and the United States will become effective June 1, 2012, according to an agreement reached between the world’s two largest organic producers earlier this week at the BioFach World Organic Fair—the world’s largest organic trade show and conference. Read More:EU and U.S. Create Historic Trade Partnership for $50 Billion Organic IndustryBusted: USDA Finally Enforces Organic Standards at Shamrock FarmsDecember 17th, 2011 - Erin Shaw
Shamrock Farms is under fire from the USDA for questionable “split operation” livestock management practices that could get their organic certification revoked. The USDA investigation is in response to a formal complaint by the Cornucopia Institute, an organic industry watchdog that first inspected Shamrock in 2008. Cornucopia found “inadequate, overgrazed pasture adjacent to their milking facility,” and learned from Shamrock employees that “the confined cows had not been out in weeks.” Federal organic regulations require that cows be grazed, a practice that some factory-scale dairies shirk according to Cornucopia’s investigations. Read More:Busted: USDA Finally Enforces Organic Standards at Shamrock FarmsLivestock Operation Has Organic Certification RevokedJuly 26th, 2011 - Jill Ettinger
The controversial case surrounding Promisedland Livestock’s organic certification came to a close last week as the operation’s organic certification was officially ordered suspended, effective July 28, 2011. Read More:Livestock Operation Has Organic Certification RevokedOregon Set to Certify Farms as OrganicOctober 21st, 2009 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
But not anymore, the Oregon Department of Agriculture will now perform its own certifications. This makes Oregon the 16th state nationally accredited to bestow “organic” on a prospective farm. Oregon joins states like Maryland, Iowa, Washington, and Idaho. So if you have an aspiring organic farm in Oregon, it’ll cost you $75 an hour for the state to audit your books and check fields for certain pesticides and fertilizers, before you join the organic club. Good news for the state, because organic sales in Oregon jumped from $10 million in 2002 to $90 million in 2007. I wonder why Oregon waited. And what’s the deal with the other states too! Via OPB News. |
Until now, Oregon farmers couldn’t call their crops organic without help from the private sector or from other states.
