Monday's with Maureen

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Where Are Your Tax Dollars Going?

Maureen Wilmot | Apr. 15th - 2:41pm

Last week, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation released a report addressing the need to reduce the use of fumigants in conventional strawberry production. This is old news for organic farmers. Fumigants are gaseous pesticides that are injected into soil before strawberries and other crops are planted, primarily to control fungal pathogens and nematodes. This practice is not allowed in organic production. OFRF has been funding research to determine alternative methods for controlling these pests for organic farmers for more than three years.

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MOSES

Maureen Wilmot | Feb. 18th - 3:06pm

Spring is nature’s way of saying “LETS PARTY!”   - Robin Williams -

The apple trees are pruned, the tomato seeds are planted and cover crops are just about ready to be worked into the soil. My own cover crops will have to wait until I return from MOSES Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Farming Conference. My small organic garden in California pales in comparison to the scale of most organic farms across the country, it does, however, hint at what it takes to put healthy, organic food on our tables.

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Can We Fuel Nine Billion People?

Maureen Wilmot | Feb. 13th - 1:43pm

Has it really come to this?  A trade-off between feeding or fueling our world?  Apparently so.

Recently, I’ve noticed a crop *ahem* of articles addressing the growing debate of land use.  The Feb. 3, 2013 Sunday NY Times featured a story how Western Colorado Valley’s new economy, based on tourism and organic peaches, is now being threatened by polluted water and toxic chemicals as a result of hydraulic fracturing.  The day before, I read of California’s Central Valley ‘solar farms’ are taking over v

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Organic food on our holiday table

Maureen Wilmot | Dec. 21st - 12:00pm
There is a lot of uncertainty these days. Will we have a farm bill? Will Congress avert the fiscal crisis? What were the Mayans thinking anyway? One thing I do know is certain, as long as organic farming is the fastest growing sector in agriculture, OFRF will fill an important role in championing the needs of organic farmers. 
 
 
 
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Let's take flight with organic agriculture

Maureen Wilmot | Dec. 10th - 1:00pm
On Friday, thousands of volunteers will flock to fields and shorelines with binoculars for the start of the 113th Annual National Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Last week, I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peak of what birders will see. I had the pleasure of introducing, Mike Sutton, the new Executive Director of California Audubon to the Lundberg Family Farms family members in the Sacramento Delta.

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"One Ringy Dingy..."

Maureen Wilmot | Sep. 17th - 12:00pm

Well, we couldn't find an image of an American phone flash mob because WE'RE GOING TO BE THE FIRST TO DO IT!  The Organic Trade Association is holding their annual Organic Summit next week on Wednesday 9/19/12 and I will be leading the audience and YOU on the First American Phone Flash Mob to Congress on behalf of organic farmers.

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We Can't Afford to Turn Our Back on Organic Farmers

Maureen Wilmot | Sep. 10th - 12:00pm

We are on needles and pins at the OFRF offices waiting to hear word from DC about the fate of the 2012 Farm Bill. The farm bill is the major body of legislation driving our food and agricultural policy in this country. We can ill afford for our food production policies to be tossed around as a political football. This impacts millions of American farmers and everyone who eats.

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Reaching Organic Milestones

Maureen Wilmot | Sep. 3rd - 10:51am

For most of us, Labor Day weekend marks the conclusion to summertime bliss –warm days at the beach, picnics by the lake, long hikes lasting well into warm glowing evenings.  This Labor Day marked a beginning for me. We sent our eldest son off to his freshman year of college.  An exciting milestone for our family.  (He wants to be a writer-- and now, my writer friends are insisting on an intervention.)

As he drove away in a car packed to the gills with computer, bean bag, books, recycled solo cups, and clothes, I could not help but reflect on how this scene was playing out all over the country.

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"What’s for dinner?"

Maureen Wilmot | Aug. 6th - 4:16pm

I look over our table and am constantly amazed at the people behind the healthy food we eat.

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