Read the entire release: 1st IFOAM Conference on Animals in Organic Production (pdf)

From August 23 to 25, over 250 of the world’s leading organic livestock experts from 24 countries joined together for the 1st IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production at the University of Minnesota’s Continuing Education and Conference Center.

Jim Riddle, the University of Minnesota’s Organic Outreach Coordinator and conference coordinator, said, “The University of Minnesota was honored to host this historic event, which brought together top organic livestock researchers and producers from around the world. The exchange of information was incredible, and the impacts of this conference will be felt for years to come.”

Download bulletin here: 2006 Directory of Minnesota Organic Farms (pdf)

The 2006 Directory of Minnesota Organic Farms is hot off the press and ready to help food manufacturers, meat processors, brokers, feed mills, restaurants and grocery stores connect with more than 200 certified organic Minnesota farmers.

Published by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), the 42-page directory aims to help Minnesota’s organic producers increase their visibility to the intermediate buyers who manufacture or sell organic food to consumers. The directory is organized both by county and by the type of organic crops, livestock, fruits and vegetables produced. The directory is available in electronic format on the MDA’s web site at http://www.mda.state.mn.us/esap/organic/directory.htm

Download bulletin here: Growers Can Make More Money by Going Organic(pdf)

It looks like Minnesota grain farmers could make more money by switching to
organic grain crops. That’s the conclusion of a four-year study announced
July 25, 2006, at the American Agricultural Economics Association’s annual
meeting in Long Beach, Calif.

David W. Archer, an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) economist, and Hillarius Kludze, an ARS soil scientist, presented a paper on this study, conducted at the Swan Lake Research Farm near Morris, Minn. The study was unusual in that it analyzed both economic risks and transition effects of switching to organic farming.