Three new presentations have been posted at the Organic Ecology site. The Power Point presentations were given by Jim Riddle, UMN Organic Outreach Coordinator, at agricultural conferences during late 2006 and early 2007.

The presentations are:

1. History and Fundamental Requirements for Certified Organic Agriculture This show includes a brief history of organic production; the values represented by the organic claim; a description of the certification process; and a summary of the standards for organic crop and livestock production.
2. U.S. Organic Livestock Requirements This show presents the requirements for the production of certified organic livestock products in the United States.
3. Lessons Learned from the 2006 IFOAM Organic Livestock Conference This show contains highlights from the First IFOAM International Conference on Animals in Organic Production, held August 23-25, 2006, at the University of Minnesota.

Organic agriculture is growing by leaps and bounds in Minnesota, and many farmers are asking what exactly they need to do to get organic certification. The Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification? a 52-page guide recently rewritten and reissued by the University of Minnesota, introduces farmers and those who work with farmers to the process.

Organic agriculture is growing by leaps and bounds in Minnesota, and many farmers are asking what exactly they need to do to get organic certification. The Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification, a 52-page guide by Jim Riddle and Lisa Gulbranson, was recently jointly released by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), the Organic Ecology Program at the University of Minnesota’s Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC), and University of Minnesota Extension. The Guide introduces farmers and those who work with farmers to the process of organic certification. The Guide can be downloaded from http://www.misa.umn.edu. For a print copy, contact MISA at 612-625-8235 or 800-909-6472.

Read the entire Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification (pdf) news release.

Learn more about organic opportunities and how organics can help to increase sustainability for farmers on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at the Four Seasons Community Center, Caledonia, from 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m. Key speakers include Jim Riddle on the ABCs of Organics and Meg Moynihan on Organic Agriculture Opportunities. Minimizing Risk in Organic Crop Production and local producers sharing their experiences and knowledge of opportunities will round out the program.

Registration with a $10 fee (includes lunch) is required by March 28, 2007. Send to: Joyce Iverson, Houston County EDA Staff, at PO Box 232, Caledonia, MN 55921 (call 507-725-3450, or e-mail: joyce.iverson@semdc.com). These events are presented by the Houston County EDA through its Commercial-Industrial and Ag-Business Subcommittee, and in collaboration with the Fillmore and Winona County EDA’s. Sponsors are the University of Minnesota SE Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (The Experiment in Rural Cooperation), the University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.