Fertile Ground Spring 2016— Vol. 16 No. 1

Certification Renewal The deadline for submitting your certifi-cation renewal was April 1. If you missed the renewal deadline, get your applica-tion in as soon as you can to minimize the late fees. Lost the application? You can find 2016 applications and supple-mentary forms on our website: http://

www.nmda.nmsu.edu/marketing/organic-

program/applications-for-organic-certification/

or call (505) 841-9427.

File for Fee Reimbursement! Cost-Share Reimbursement for Organic Certification fees is NOW AVAILABLE. You can receive 75 percent reimburse-ment for organic certification fees paid between October 1, 2015, and Septem-ber 30, 2016, up to $750 per certificate. You must be currently certified organic. All you have to do is fill out two very simple forms and scan or mail them in. Find the cost-share forms at http://

www.nmda.nmsu.edu/marketing/organic-

program/application-for-cost-share-

reimbursement/.

New Mexico Department of Agriculture Organic Program 2604 Aztec, NE

Albuquerque, NM 87107 Phone (505) 841-9422

Program Manager Stacy Gerk

sgerk@nmda.nmsu.edu

Staff:

Brett Bakker: Certifier/Inspector bbakker@nmda.nmsu,edu

Michael Diaz: Certifier/Inspector mdiaz@nmda.nmsu.edu

Back issues of Fertile Ground now available at:

http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/marketing/organic-

program/faqs/

1

Fertile Ground is published quarterly (with

occasional special editions as needed to keep certified

organic producers, processors, and retailers informed).

Editor: Joanie Quinn

Articles without a byline were written by the editor.

Signed articles represent the views of the author, not

necessarily those of NMDA.

Letters to the editor are welcomed. Please keep

letters to 300 words or fewer. Letters must be signed

and include a daytime telephone number.

Mark Your Calendar!

February 17-18, 2017—New Mexico Organic Farming

Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico

GMO Alfalfa Has Escaped A research article published in December in PLOS One re-

ports on a study led by United States Department of Agricul-

ture (USDA) researchers. Roadsides were examined to identi-

fy the presence of feral alfalfa and determine how many of

these plants were transgenic. Researchers found feral plants at

404 sites of 4,580 surveyed. Twenty-seven percent of these

404 sites contained transgenic plants. Analysis suggests that

feral plant sites tended to cluster in seed and hay production

areas. The researchers reported, “Our study confirms that GE

alfalfa has dispersed into the environment...”

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/

journal.pone.0143296

Is Your Input Registered for Use in New Mexico? Here’s How You Can Find Out. To access the database, go to https://nmag.nmsu.edu/

USAPlants. Click “product registration” in the green box on

the left hand side. To search for products, place the cursor in

the brand name box or in the company name box depending

on your request. Use the * at the beginning and end of the

search, for example *grow more*. Make the search simple; if

the product name is “Grow More Organic Rose Food 5-5-5”

consider searching for *rose food* or *grow more* or search

by the grade *5-5-5*. Don’t worry about filling in all the box-

es. Keeping the search as simple as possible will yield the best

results.

In Memoriam: Tom Kuehn

Tom Kuehn of Bethany Farms passed away peacefully at his

home on March 19, 2016.

For the last decade, Tom grew certified organic starts for

farmers and gardeners around New Mexico. Tom’s seedlings

were known for their vigor, and farmers lucky enough to buy

directly from Tom also received peppery and hilarious com-

ments on the latest bureaucratic insanity.

Tom’s kind and generous spirit enriched all our lives. We’ll

miss you, Tom!

What to Expect from an Organic Inspection The International Organic Inspectors Association has created

two videos on what producers can expect during an organic

farm inspection. The focus of the video is to take some of the

mystery out of the process for producers considering begin-

ning or transitioning to an organic operation. The videos were

produced in conjunction with the National Center for Appro-

priate Technology (NCAT).

The links to the videos are below. They are also available at

NCAT's ATTRA website at www.attra.ncat.org.

What to Expect at an Organic Farm Inspection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=84gU9KFIr8I&feature=youtu.be

What to Expect at an Organic Livestock Farm Inspection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHuftWdR-

PE&feature=youtu.be

Also from ATTRA (https://attra.ncat.org/):

Organic Flea Beetle Management—Just in time for spring!

https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?

pub=135 2

3

Abe Froese, “Good Earth”; Michael Diaz, “Friend of Organic

Agriculture”; Mary and Tom Dixon, “Organic Farmers of the

Year; and Nery Martinez, “Young Organic Farmer of the

Year” (clockwise from top left) accept awards at the

2016 New Mexico Organic Farming Conference

How to Get “Grown with Tradition/Taste the Tradition”

® Promotional Materials

Many of you have used Grown with Tradition Point-of-

Purchase (POP) materials such as produce bags and twist ties

or have received labeling assistance for processed products

through the Taste the Tradition program. Felicia Frost, market-

ing specialist for NMDA, provided the following information

for those who have questions about how to order the materials

and how to sign up for the programs. “NMDA Certified Or-

ganic” twist ties now available!

All POP materials are available for purchase online at

www.newmexicotradition.com. You will need a user name and

password to access the store. Contact Yolanda Ondelacy at

yondelacy@nmda.nmsu.edu to register (it’s free) as a member

of the program, and she will provide the login information.

There are pictures of each item at the online POP Shop.

Once we receive an order for POP materials, we will follow up

to determine the best delivery method. We do not charge for

shipping at this point because we try our best to deliver the ma-

terials ourselves. Also, please e-mail Yolanda if you have any

questions; she will be happy to help you.

There’s a New Weed Researcher in Town

One of these days you may be hearing from Dr. Erik A.

Lehnhoff, the new assistant professor of Weed Ecology, Ento-

mology, Plant Pathology, and Weed Science at New Mexico

State University (NMSU). Erik is interested in working with

organic farmers around the state to help develop weed-

management systems. Erik’s background is in weed ecology

and management in the Intermountain West and Northern Great

Plains of Montana. Erik says, “I am now excited to work in

New Mexico with the great diversity of crops grown here. I’m

particularly interested in understanding how weeds and weed

communities in organic systems differ from those in conven-

tional systems with respect to their interactions with crops. This

includes interactions mediated through soil biota, pollinators,

seed predatory ground beetles, and disease. Also of interest are

alternate weed control methods for organic systems including

flaming, plastic mulches, cover crops, crop rotations, and graz-

ing.”

Local, Organic Seed from Curtis and Curtis Curtis and Curtis Seed in Clovis, New Mexico, is excited to

offer organic seeds! From your garden to your field crops, you

can count on Curtis and Curtis Seed. They are bringing organic

Monida oats to the market. Monida oats can be planted in the

spring and will make a great quality hay. These organic oats

are New Mexico grown and are proven to yield. Also, Curtis

and Curtis Seed is pleased to offer a full line of Blue River Hy-

brids organic products! These products include corn, alfalfa,

and sorgum-sudangrass. Curtis and Curtis Seed will have all

your organic garden seeds. From one ounce to a 50 pound bag,

they will get you covered. Please contact Mark Peabody at

(575) 762-4759 or mark@curtisseed.com.

Habitat Removal Does Not Lower Salmonella/E. coli Risk A new study published by researchers at the University of Cali-

fornia – Berkeley in Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences suggests the practice of removing surrounding habitat

from farms does not reduce crop contamination from disease-

causing pathogens such as E. coli. Previous pathogen contami-

nations were assumed to occur when wild animals defecated in

crop fields, thereby, leading to contamination. Although this

theory was never tested, the concern led to the clearing of wild

plants surrounding farms in order to discourage wildlife from

living near and potentially entering farms. Scientists analyzed

almost 250,000 tests in the United States and Central and South

America to shed light on the contamination risk actually caused

by wildlife habitat surrounding farms. Results showed that re-

moving vegetation surrounding farms did not lower the preva-

lence of E. coli or Salmonella. http://www.pnas.org/content/112/35/11126.abstract

Wash Water Sanitizers Understanding how sanitizers work in wash water, creating an

effective produce-washing regime, and staying within the or-

ganic rule can feel a little overwhelming. The following in-

cludes one of the best discussions we’ve seen:

https://www.uvm.edu/~susagctr/whatwedo/producesafety/

GAPsResources/UMassWashwaterSanitizer.pdf

Remember, before you launch a produce-washing proce-

dure, you MUST get certifier preapproval!!! If you don’t

have a current procedure in your Organic System Plan or want

to make changes, e-mail certifier@nmda.nmsu.edu describing

your set-up, including the brand name of any sanitizer you are

thinking of using and ask to update your Organic System Plan.

WAIT for a positive response before proceeding.

Interpreting Soil Tests: Unlock the

Secrets of Your Soil This bulletin has GREAT information for getting the most out

of your soil test.

http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_circulars/CR676.pdf

4

Practicing Food Safety While Building Biodiversity and Conservation Steward-ship — Can It Be done? This excellent bulletin from the Wild Farm Alliance takes on

the difficult questions that come up for organic farmers who are

working to build biodiversity but want to ensure their practices

don’t compromise food safety. You can download

Co-Managing Farm Stewardship with

Food Safety GAPs and Conservation Practices:

A Grower’s and Conservationist’s Handbook

Wild Farm Alliance —2016

at this website: http://www.wildfarmalliance.org/resources/

WFA_Co-Managing%20Farm%20Stewardship.pdf

A Farmer’s Best Friend The recent study published in the scientific journal Agriculture,

Ecosystems and Environment has demonstrated that bird popu-

lations provide major benefits to farmers by helping to control

pest outbreaks on farms. In this study researchers quantified the

direct role that birds play by using controlled releases of pest

caterpillars. Caterpillars were affixed to plants throughout

fields, and cameras were used to record predation by birds.

Results from the predator release experiment showed that after

only seven hours, birds removed an average of 24 percent of

caterpillar pests; removal at some sites reached as high as

80 percent.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S0167880915001565

5

The photo below shows a western screech owl that has taken up residence in an owl box

on the No Cattle Company farm in the Mimbres Valley in southwestern New Mexico.

6

USDA Adds More Eligible Commodities for Farm Storage Facility Loans New Provisions Increase On-Farm Storage for Dairy, Flowers,

and Meats

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced the

Farm Storage Facility Loan program, which provides low-

interest financing to producers to build or upgrade storage fa-

cilities, will now include dairy, flowers, and meats as eligible

commodities.

The new commodities eligible for facility loans include flori-

culture, hops, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poul-

try (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems

that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of wa-

ter). Commodities already eligible for the loans include corn,

grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley,

minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils,

chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, and renewable biomass,

as well as fruits, nuts, and vegetables for cold storage facilities.

Since 2000, more than 35,000 facility loans have been ap-

proved totaling $2 billion in rural investments. On average

about 1,600 new loans are made each year. Producers do not

need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability

to apply. The loans are designed to assist a diverse range of

farming operations, including small- and mid-sized businesses,

new farmers, operations supplying local food and farmers’

markets, nontraditional farm products, and underserved pro-

ducers. To learn more about the FSA Farm Storage Facility

Loan, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport or contact a local

FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit

http://offices.usda.gov.

New/Beginning Farmer Resource Site Check out https://newfarmers.usda.gov/ for a wide variety of

resources for new and beginning farmers. This includes a pro-

gram where FSA guarantees a contract safeguarding a farm

purchase between a retiring farmer and a young farmer.

Growing Plant Materials for Restoration Projects If you would be interested in growing plants for land restora-

tion projects in New Mexico, call FWS Partners for Fish and

Wildlife Program at (505) 761-4752 or Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS) at (505) 761-4433.

The program also supports executing a restoration project on

your land with support from Partners for Fish and Wildlife.

Call Maeco Martinet, (505) 346-2525, extension 4752

(Albuquerque), or Angel Montoya (575) 525-4350.

Food Safety Modernization Act: Produce Safety Rule

At long last the final Produce Safety Rule has been issued.

There is still a lot that is not known about how it will be imple-

mented. Following is the rule, some information about the ma-

jor aspects of the rule that organic producers were concerned

about, and a chart showing who is affected by the rule and how

soon.

FSMA Produce Safety Rule

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/11/27/2015-

28159/standards-for-the-growing-harvesting-packing-and-

holding-of-produce-for-human-consumption

The FDA’s final Produce Safety Rule is consistent with the

supplemental rule in eliminating the waiting time for properly

produced compost and defers the proposed nine-month mini-

mum interval requirement for untreated manure. FDA is con-

ducting research to determine an appropriate science-based

manure application interval. While this research is being con-

ducted, organic operations will continue to follow the estab-

lished National Organic Program (NOP) regulations for appli-

cation of raw manure: incorporating 90 days before harvest for

a crop (the edible portion of which has no contact with the soil)

or 120 days before harvest for a crop (the edible portion of

which does have contact with the soil).

FDA’s language explicitly states that carrying out the new reg-

ulations will not require farmers to exclude animals from out-

door growing areas, destroy animal habitat, or clear borders

around growing or drainage areas.

Are you covered by the produce rule?

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/

FSMA/UCM472499.pdf

If you process food or produce food for animals, the rules below may apply to you:

Food Safety Rule for Food Processors

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/

ucm334115.htm?

source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govde

livery

Food Safety Rule for Food for Animals:

http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/

ucm366510.htm?

source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govde

livery

Soil ♥ Organic Farmers A recent study published in Agronomy for Sustainable Devel-

opment has confirmed that organic farming is beneficial for

soil organisms. The long-term study compared soil organisms

among fields that had been managed using different farming

practices (conventional, organic, or using conservation agricul-

ture techniques) for 14 years. Conventional plots utilized syn-

thetic pesticides and fertilizers to maximize yield. Organic

plots were managed using nonsynthetic pesticides and ferti-

lized with green manure, and weeds were managed by tilling

the soil. Conservation systems did not till the soil, rather it used

grass cover crop and only used minimal organic-based pesti-

cides when necessary. Scientists quantified soil chemistry, mi-

crobial communities, and communities of larger animals that

live in the soil such as earthworms, beetles, and nematodes.

“Long-term conservation and organic alternative cropping sys-

tems improved the abundance and/or biomass of soil biota and

altered the structure of the soil food web compared to a con-

ventional system,” the study reported.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13593-

014-0215-8

And So Do Parasitic Flies! The Journal of Applied Ecology has reported that a group of

flies that prey on crop pests are positively affected by organic

farming. The results suggest that organic farming boosts the

diversity of tachinid parasitoids at both the local and landscape

levels for arable lands. Organic farms had both higher abun-

dance and species richness of parasitoids than conventional

farms, and landscapes that had a higher proportion of organic

land also had higher parasitoid diversity.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12457/

abstract

And Fungi Too! A type of fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi

is commonly associated with providing fruit trees with in-

creased water and mineral uptake. A recent study published in

the scientific journal Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment

found that organic management resulted in higher levels of

beneficial root colonization by AM fungi than conventional

management.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/

S0167880915300402

Get Help Identifying Plant Diseases Plant diseases can be tricky to correctly identify, but NMSU

has the Plant Diagnostic Clinic that will help you sort it all out.

If your local cooperative extension agent can’t help you, he or

she can assist you in taking a sample and submitting it to the

specialist at the clinic. Assistance is also available for weed

and insect identification. You can find your local county agent

here:

http://aces.nmsu.edu/county/.

Grant Opportunities NMDA is inviting New Mexicans involved in agricultural pro-

duction to apply for funding through one of two grant pro-

grams. Both programs aim to develop new markets or expand

existing ones for agricultural products grown in New Mexico,

but the programs differ in their respective details.

The first is called the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

(Specialty Crops), which is funded by the United States De-

partment of Agriculture (USDA). NMDA serves as the fiscal

agent for New Mexico’s share of the federal funding.

Examples of specialty crops are fruits and vegetables, tree nuts,

and greenhouse/nursery crops. The deadline to apply for fund-

ing through the Specialty Crops program is 5 p.m. MST on

April 20. Funding is expected to become available October 1,

and project length can be from one to three years.

The second program is called New Mexico Agricultural Devel-

opment and Promotion Funds Program (ADPFP). Unlike the

Specialty Crops program, ADPFP places no restrictions on the

type of agricultural product. The deadline to apply for funding

through the ADPFP is 5 p.m. MST on April 29. Funding is

expected to become available July 1. Under ADPFP, project

length cannot exceed one year.

Projects are given greater consideration when they have what it

takes to succeed beyond the life of the grant – in other words,

if they make good business sense in the long term.

Both programs prohibit the use of grant funds to purchase land,

buildings, equipment, or any other type of capital improve-

ments. Also under both programs, funds are paid on a reim-

bursement basis – meaning they’re released only after the

grantee has submitted a progress report as well as an invoice

and corresponding receipts. The same project cannot be fund-

ed through both programs.

For more information on either grant program, as well as the

workshops, please visit http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/

marketing/1033-2/ or call Felicia Frost at (575) 646-4929.

7

News From the National Organic Program

Procedure to Request Amendments to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances USDA has revised guidelines for requesting amendments to the

NOP National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances

(National List). These guidelines implement recommendations

made by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in

April 2014 and clarify the information to be submitted for all

types of petitions requesting amendments to the National List.

The agency has made available NOP 3011: National List Peti-

tion Process as part of the NOP Handbook.

Substances Removed and Renewed on the National List The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is imple-

menting the NOSB sunset review recommendations for five

substances on the National List for use in organic production

and handling. USDA is renewing three substances for crop

production (sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, aqueous potassi-

um silicate, and sulfurous acid) and two substances for use in

organic handling (gellan gum and tragacanth gum). This ac-

tion was published June 19, 2015, in the Federal Register.

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/06/19/2015-

14865/national-organic-program-usda-organic-regulations

Effective September 12, 2016, USDA renewed five synthetic

and two nonsynthetic substances for continued use in organic

food production. Substances include ferric phosphate (for use

as a slug or snail bait), hydrogen chloride (in seed preparations

for delinting cotton seed for planting), activated charcoal (only

from vegetative sources, for use as a filtering aid), peracetic

acid/peroxyacetic acid (for use in wash or rinse water, for use

as a sanitizer on food contact surfaces), sodium acid pyrophos-

phate (for use as a leavening agent), L-malic acid

(nonsynthetic), and microorganisms (nonsynthetic, any food-

grade bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms).

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/02/23/2016-

03808/national-organic-program-usda-organic-regulations

Lastly, effective December 14, 2015, a final rule was published

removing four substances from the National List. Two are

nonorganic agricultural substances (marsala wine and sherry

wine) and two are expired listings (streptomycin and tetracy-

cline). The removal of marsala wine and sherry wine from the

National List is based upon the NOSB's 2015 sunset review.

Both streptomycin and tetracycline previously expired from the

National List on October 21, 2014; and today's rule simply re-

moves their listings from the regulations.

Electrolized Water Allowed in Organic Production This memorandum from the NOP clarifies that electrolyzed

water is a type of chlorine material that is allowed in organic

production and handling.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/NOP-PM-15-4-

ElectrolyzedWater.pdf

En Español En los últimos años, el número de agricultores y negocios de

habla hispana en el sector orgánico ha crecido. Por ejemplo,

entre todas las operaciones ubicadas fuera de los Estados

Unidos que están certificadas bajo las normas orgánicas del

USDA, un 42 por ciento están en países de habla hispana en

América Latina y el Caribe. Mientras tanto, dentro de los Esta-

dos Unidos, el número de productores hispanos, muchos de los

cuales hablan español como su idioma principal, aumentó un

21 por ciento entre el año 2007 y 2012.

Para ayudar a las personas interesadas que hablan español,

AMS ya ha traducido los reglamentos orgánicos del USDA y el

Manual del Programa en español. La agencia también realizó

su primer entrenamiento para agentes certificadores en Costa

Rica y ha traducido al español 17 módulos de entrenamiento

para certificadores.

Ahora, bajo la iniciativa Sound and Sensible, AMS ha ampli-

ado de manera significativa los recursos disponibles para las

personas que hablan español que buscan información acerca de

la certificación orgánica. Bajo la iniciativa, que se centra en

hacer que la certificación orgánica sea más accesible y alcan-

zable, AMS y sus socios crearon una serie de recursos especial-

izados para productores. Los recursos incluyen plantillas, cur-

sos de capacitación, guías, y folletos de consejos y vídeos. En-

tre ellos, se encuentran varios recursos en español que ayudan a

eliminar obstáculos y simplificar el proceso de certificación

para asegurar que agricultures y negocios de habla hispana

tengan una opción orgánica. Aquí están los enlaces para los

nuevos recursos de Sound and Sensible en español:

http://blogs.usda.gov/2016/03/17/iniciativa-organica-sound-

and-sensible-recursos-en-espanol/

8

9

Guidance on Post-harvest Handling On January 15, 2016, USDA's AMS published a notice in the

Federal Register announcing final guidance on post-harvest

handling of organic products for USDA-accredited certifying

agents and certified and exempt organic operations.

This final guidance helps certifiers and organic operations de-

termine which substances can be used in post-harvest handling,

regardless of whether it occurs on the farm or in a handling

(processing) facility. The guidance also clarifies the provisions

of the standards for facility pest management, either on-farm or

in a handling facility.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOP%

205023%20Post%20Harvest%20Hdlg%20Rev01.pdf

Guidance on Biodiversity January 15, 2016, AMS published a Federal Register notice

announcing final guidance on Natural Resources and Biodiver-

sity Conservation for Certified Organic Operations.

Conserving natural resources and biodiversity is a core princi-

ple of organic production. This final guidance provides organic

certifiers and farms with examples of production practices that

support conservation principles and comply with the USDA

organic regulations, which require operations to maintain or

improve natural resources. The final guidance also clarifies the

role of certified operations, certifiers, and inspectors in the im-

plementation and verification of these production practices.

Additionally, the final guidance clarifies ways to reduce paper-

work burdens for those domestic organic operations that partic-

ipate in a USDA NRCS program.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOP%

205020%20Biodiversity%20Guidance%20Rev01%20%

28Final%29.pdf

Substances Proposed for Sunset On December 16, 2015, USDA published in the Federal Regis-

ter a proposed rule to implement the NOSB 2016 sunset review

recommendations of substances on the National List.

The proposed rule would remove from the National List five

nonorganic, nonagricultural substances used as ingredients in

or on processed products (egg white lysozyme, cyclohexyla-

mine, diethylaminoethanol, octadecylamine, and tetrasodium

pyrophosphate). After considering public comments and sup-

porting documents, NOSB recommended that the substances

are no longer necessary for organic handling. If published as a

final rule, the substances would no longer be allowed in organic

handling after their sunset date of September 12, 2016.

Marketing Order Exemption for Organic Producers Broadened On December 31, 2015, AMS published a final rule changing

the exemption from assessments for commodity promotion ac-

tivities (Marketing Orders and Research and Promotion Pro-

grams) for producers, handlers, or importers of certified organ-

ic products. This rule, effective February 29, 2016, expands the

eligibility for exemption to cover all "organic" and "100 per-

cent organic" products certified under the NOP regardless of

whether the person requesting the exemption also produces,

handles, markets, processes, manufactures, feeds, or imports

conventional or nonorganic products (i.e. "split operations").

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/12/31/2015-

32517/exemption-of-organic-products-from-assessment-under-

a-commodity-promotion-law

AMS Withdraws Grassfed/Naturally-Raised Claims AMS has withdrawn the United States Standards for Livestock

and Meat Marketing Claims. Specifically, AMS is withdraw-

ing: (1) The Grass (Forage) Fed Claim for Ruminant Livestock

and the Meat Products Derived from Such Livestock (Grass)

(Forage) Fed Marketing Claim Standard; and (2) the Naturally

Raised Claim for Livestock and the Meat and Meat Products

Derived From Such Livestock (Naturally Raised Marketing

Claim Standard).

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/01/12/2016-

00440/withdrawal-of-united-states-standards-for-livestock-and-

meat-marketing-claims

Organic Market Information USDA’s AMS Market News divisions have developed the Na-

tional Organic Summary report that highlights data from 200

different organic commodities. This weekly report provides

transparency in the marketplace by presenting data collected by

market reporters from wholesale markets, retail ads, and indus-

try participants from around the United States. It includes links

to additional organic market information and Market News

contacts. This report will be updated and available on a weekly

basis.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lswnos.pdf

In Other News: Transition Stories A useful resource that conveys lessons learned in transition to

organic is the publication Making the Transition to Organic:

Ten Farm Profiles. The document features livestock, field crop,

and vegetable producers who, during 2012-2015, were in the

process of transitioning or who had been recently certified or-

ganic. Each profile addresses organic transition strategies (full

transition, gradual transition, immediate transition, and split

transition), challenges encountered, and outcomes deemed

"most satisfying."

http://eorganic.info/sites/eorganic.info/files/u313/Making%

20the%20Transition%20to%20Organic.pdf

Organic Wheat Initiative Ardent Mills has unveiled a new organic initiative committed

to helping America’s wheat growers double organic wheat

acres by 2019. As part of the initiative, Ardent Mills will pro-

vide farmers with access to direct support services, workshops,

and long-term contracts for transitional and organic wheat

bushels. Ardent Mills will be joined in the initiative by Oregon

Tilth – a nonprofit certifier, educator, and advocate for organic

agriculture and products. The group plans to share best practic-

es and knowledge among farmers. The initiative also received

support from the National Association of Wheat Growers.

Farmers interested in working with Ardent Mills on the Organ-

ic Initiative 2019 should contact Shrene White by e-mail at

Organic.Initiative2019@ardentmills.com, telephone

(844) 421-2068, or visit www.ardentmills.com/tcap.

USDA to Assist in Establishing up to 20,000 Acres of New Conservation Buffers On February 26, 2016, USDA announced a new conservation

option for organic farmers — cost-share and land rental pay-

ments for field border buffers. Conservation buffers are im-

portant conservation practices for all farms, but especially for

organic farmers. The introduction of a payment option for or-

ganic buffers will help farmers meet USDA organic certifica-

tion requirements that they maintain or improve the natural

resources (including soil and water quality), support biodiversi-

ty and native species, and develop habitat for beneficial insects.

Organic farmers will be eligible to install windbreaks, filter

strips, pollinator strips, and field borders planted to native

grasses, shrubs, and trees in the program.

Organic farming already provides multiple environmental ben-

efits, including improving soil health, protecting water quality,

and increasing biodiversity. Field borders and buffers on organ-

ic farms can further enhance positive environmental outcomes

by trapping sediment, creating habitat for pollinators, and re-

ducing pesticide and genetic drift from neighboring farms.

“I like to try to get as many different benefits out of required

organic field borders as possible,” said Ron Rosmann, a Har-

lan, IA-based farmer and member of Practical Farmers of Iowa.

“I’ve been working about ten years to improve those on our

own farm.”

“Our field borders are now becoming multispecies trees and

shrubs, which serve as windbreak protection and include polli-

nator species and rare and declining native species. Many or-

ganic farmers have viewed field borders as a necessary, but not

a financially productive resource,” he added.

Organic farmers can enroll any eligible CCRP buffer practice

in the new 20,000-acre initiative. Conservation practices eligi-

ble for CCRP include riparian, wetland, and wildlife habitat

buffers; filter strips; wetland restoration; grass waterways; shel-

terbelts; windbreaks; living snow fences; and contour grass

strips.

CCRP is a voluntary program that helps protect millions of

acres of America’s most environmentally sensitive farmland.

The program specifically targets the blocks of land most vul-

nerable to erosion, which is key for preventing polluted runoff

and preserving prime acres for wildlife habitat. In exchange for

removing environmentally sensitive land from production,

CCRP contracts include an annual rental payment, certain in-

centive payments, and cost-share payments to install the prac-

tice.

As the name implies, enrollment in the CCRP happens on a

continual basis, with eligible acres automatically accepted into

the program. This differs from CCRP’s parent program, the

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which features a com-

petitive enrollment process during a defined sign-up period.

Currently over 242,000 farms totaling over 6.6 million acres

are enrolled in CCRP, representing over 28 percent of all acres

enrolled in CRP.

In addition to the conservation buffer initiative, FSA also an-

nounced additional services to which organic farmers have ac-

cess. Included among these is the Noninsured Crop Disaster

Assistance Program (NAP), which provides financial assistance

for crop losses due to natural disasters. FSA is currently in the

process of streamlining NAP procedures so organic farmers

can be paid at the higher organic prices for their lost crops, ra-

ther than the lower conventional price. FSA is also offering

organic farmers the free service of mapping farm and field

boundaries and reporting organic acreage; information that

farmers can then use when working with organic certifiers or

crop insurance agents.

USDA Expands Microloans to Help Farmers Purchase Farmland and Improve Property USDA will begin offering farm ownership microloans, creating

a new financing avenue for farmers to buy and improve proper-

ty. These microloans will be especially helpful to beginning or

underserved farmers, United States veterans looking for a ca-

reer in farming, and those who have small- or mid-sized farm-

ing operations. Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers

with operating costs such as feed, fertilizer, tools, fencing,

equipment, and living expenses since 2013. Seventy percent of

loans have gone to new farmers.

Now microloans will be available to also help with farm land

and building purchases and soil and water conservation im-

provements. FSA designed the expanded program to simplify

the application process, expand eligibility requirements, and

expedite smaller real estate loans to help farmers strengthen

their operations. Microloans provide up to $50,000 to qualified

producers and can be issued to the applicant directly from

USDA FSA.

To learn more about the FSA microloan program, visit

www.fsa.usda.gov/microloans or contact your local FSA of-

fice. To find your nearest office location, please visit http://

offices.usda.gov. 10

OMRI Products Dropped from Listing With this issue we are eliminating the pages of updates on

products that have been dropped from the OMRI list of prod-

ucts approved for use in organic production. Before you buy a

product that you think is OMRI-listed (you’ve used it before or

someone you know has used it), go to the OMRI website at

http://www.omri.org/omri-lists and find the product. Print out

the page that shows the approval EVERY time you purchase a

product, even if you have been using the same stuff for years.

Be sure to keep your invoice for purchase of the product; and if

this is the first time you have used the product, you MUST up-

date your Organic System Plan BEFORE you use the product.

You can do this by sending an e-mail to:

certifier@nmda.nmsu.edu. WAIT for an affirmative reply

before using the product.

Nominations Sought for National Organic

Standards Board The NOSB is a federal advisory committee that provides ad-

vice and recommendations to the United States Secretary of

Agriculture on the implementation of the Organic Foods Pro-

duction Act. NOSB members are volunteers, and they come

from across the organic community. Each member is appointed

by the Secretary of Agriculture to a five-year term. USDA

seeks nominations for the following five (5) positions to serve

on the NOSB from January 2017 to January 2022:

Organic producer who owns or operates an organic opera-

tion

Individual with expertise in areas of environmental protec-

tion and resource conservation

Representative of a public or consumer interest group

Organic handler or processor who owns or operates an or-

ganic handling operation

Scientist (toxicology, ecology, or biochemistry)

Committee member duties include:

Attending committee meetings (travel paid by USDA)

Participating in bimonthly subcommittee conference calls

Reviewing materials or recommending changes to the

National List

11

Happy Spring!!!! Brett, Elaine, Joanie, Michael and Stacy