under sustainable management practices. Under the provision, retired or
retiring landowners receive a number
of incentives to transfer land to beginning farmers and ranchers. At the
same time, beginning farmers and
ranchers who are in contract to receive CRP land from a retired or retiring land owner are allowed to
implement conservation practices on
the land and begin the organic certification process up to one year before
the termination of the current
landowner’s CRP contract (Section
2111).
Now is the time for those in organic to be proactive; Organic Valley
is a great example. In September of
2008, the co-op submitted a request
under the Freedom of Information
Act to receive the contacts of
landowners whose CRP contracts were
about to expire. Organic Valley sent
out over 20,000 postcards to these
landowners and has received over 500
responses, resulting in over 50,000
additional acres of land committed to
organic production.
research funding, from $15 million in the 2002 Farm Bill to $78 million in the 2008 Farm Bill (Section 7206). This exponential increase
in funding will help build the knowledge base necessary for the widespread adoption and improvement of organic systems.
Organic Production and Market Data Initiative. Similarly, lack of
price information and other data specific to organic products has
hindered the development of the organic sector. A provision included in the 2002 Farm Bill to address the issue had no money attached to it. In recent years, $500,000 a year in discretionary funding
(continued on page 52)
Indirect Assistance for Organic
Processing and Production
There are also a number of other
programs and provisions in the 2008
Farm Bill that are vital to the success
of the organic processing industry.
Each of these programs and provisions addresses issues that in the past
have made many farmers hesitate to
enter into the world of organic agriculture. For processors looking to encourage farmers to convert to organic
to help alleviate supply needs, having
some knowledge about these positive
developments is essential.
Organic Agriculture Research and
Extension Initiative (OREI). One
major limiting factor in the growth of
organic agriculture has always been
the lack of scientific and producer
knowledge about organic systems.
This year’s Farm Bill includes almost a
five-fold increase in dedicated organic
