Certified organic growers of organic grains, beans, oilseeds and hay are invited to participate in a new organic commodity price reporting service (pdf). The service will make available high, low, and weighted average prices for organic commodities throughout the Upper Midwest.

The service is being developed by Gigi DiGiacomo, a Senior Fellow with the University of Minnesota’s School of Agriculture Endowed Chair Program, in collaboration with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Prices will be gathered from buyers and sellers on a daily basis and reported either monthly or weekly depending on the volume of data available. Once collected, all data will be available in a report format and through the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s database online.

If you are interested in learning more about organic price reporting, have ideas to contribute, or would like to participate please contact Gigi DiGiacomo by phone at 612-710-1188 or by email at rgdigiacomo@earthlink.net. For a copy of current AMS reports for conventional grain and livestock commodities, visit http://marketnews.usda.gov.

According to a new Organic Poultry Report (pdf) issued by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), “Organic poultry and egg markets in the United States are expanding rapidly. Statistics for the sector, especially the number of organic broilers, also signal expanding domestic supply.” This report examines trends in markets, animal numbers, and prices for organic poultry and eggs. Price comparisons between organic and conventional show significant organic price premiums for both broilers and eggs.

The report is also available on the ERS website.

The Organic Ecology website now features a comprehensive summary of the USDA National Organic Program Final Rule, written by Jim Riddle, UMN, and Miles McEvoy, Washington State Department of Agriculture. The summary was updated by Jim Riddle on December 20, 2006.

Simple Organic Requirements (pdf) This file is a 1 page summary of the basic requirements for organic certification.

Summary of U.S. Organic Regulation (pdf) This 19 page document is a detailed summary of the USDA National Organic Program Rule.