A deep look at the intersection of soil regeneration practices and the restoration of hydrological processes with Walter Jehne, internationally-recognized Australian climate scientist and soil microbiologist.
Organically certified farmers are not collecting the money that the USDA has set aside for their certification fee, according to Sonny Perdue, the Secretary of Agriculture. For the year 2016 only 67% of the money allocated to Massachusetts organic farmers was collected. Just 100 out of 277 certified organic operations filed for their reimbursement.
Now, the House and Senate Agricultural committees are looking at cutting the funding since farmers are not taking advantage of it. On a national basis only 61% of the $10.8m available was actually paid out. If you are one of those farmers that count on this money, there is still time to make your voice heard since Farm Bill negotiations are just underway, here is the action alert that NOFA/Mass posted last month.
This is the first policy update from our new Policy Director, Marty Dagoberto. Marty has been the Outreach Coordinator since January 2017 and now also wears the Policy Director hat (and sometimes a suit). While he’s still getting oriented on the policy work for NOFA, Marty does have significant experience in the State House, having served as the Campaign Coordinator for MA Right to Know GMOs. Want to get involved in policy work? Have a tip or suggestion? Marty can be reached at marty@nofamass.org
By the time you read this, the annual “Ag Day” will have just happened at the State House (check our Facebook for pictures!), and the state legislature will soon be focused on the budget (and nothing else). Now is the time to contact your state legislators to push for active legislation. NOFA’s current top priorities are broken down for you, below.
My husband Jack and I decided to get our farm certified in 1987. That was the second year that NOFA/Mass was performing certifications for folks in our state. And NOFA/Mass kept that up until 2002 when the Feds took over the word organic and NOFA/Mass spun off what is now called Baystate Organic Certifiers. Baystate and NOFA/Mass now have a convivial and arms length relationship. Our farm is still certified.
If you have been in touch with the organic news these days, the topic of certification is a very hot one. In October 2017 the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) decided to allow the certification of hydroponic operations, after a lot of pressure from the big hydroponic operators and despite a mighty effort by Dave Chapman, Davey Miskell and the “Keep the Soil in Organic” people. Around the same time, a very progressive animal welfare and outdoor access proposal that had been in the works for the National Organic Program (NOP) was close to passing, but was dropped by the new administration, listening to the corporate organic processors who didn’t want the higher egg and other input prices that would result. We are now living with a National Organic Program that allows animals to be raised with no significant outdoor access, among other things.
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