Education and Outreach

Farm Made: A Guide to On-Farm Processing for Organic Producers

There are two obvious barriers organic producers face when they consider on-farm processing. The first is psychological. On-farm processing can appear intimidating and beyond reach, on one hand; on the other, it may seem unnecessary to someone who is already “adding value” by raising crops or livestock organically. The second barrier—a more pragmatic one—is the lack of good, producer-friendly information on small-scale organic processing and handling.

"Contamination Avoidance and Testing Protocols” Project

Contamination from genetically engineered (GE) crops poses serious risk to organic seed integrity, impacting the viability of organic farmers and credibility of organic products. Organic seed is the most critical link to producing organic products free of GE contaminants. The Contamination Avoidance and Testing Protocols Project (CATP) seeks to provide organic seed farmers with a  Farmer’s Manual with protocols offering guidance on seed contamination avoidance, seed practice adherence standards, and case studies that showcase “best practices.”

Minnesota Reports Provide Real-World Data on Organic Farm Performance

Summary

Project title: Organic Farm Performance in Minnesota Report
Coordinator: Meg Moynihan, Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stakeholder location: Minnesota and greater U.S.

Midwest Apple Producers Receive Season-long Mentoring Via Conference Calls

Summary

The Apple Grower Hour

Coordinator: Lisa DiPietro, The Wisconsin Eco Apple Project, University of Wisconsin Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
Stakeholders: Eastern U.S. and in particular Upper Midwest organic apple producers

Organic Seed Production Guides Help Fill Knowledge Gap

Summary

Production guides for organic carrot, lettuce and beet seed

Coordinator: Micaela Colley, Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, Washington
Stakeholders: U.S. organic vegetable producers interested in producing organic vegetable seed

Organic Farmers Flock to Farm Walk Series

Summary

Tilth Producers of Washington Farm Walks

Coordinator: Nancy Allen, Tilth Producers of Washington, Seattle, Washington
Stakeholder location: Washington State

Developing web resources for organic production in high tunnels

Summary

Investigator: Kimberly Williams, Dept. of Horticulture, Forestry and Rec. Res., Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Project location: Kansas

Organic Vegetable Manual Adds to Slate of Quality Production Guides from Canadian Organic Growers

Summary

Coordinator: Kristine Swaren, Canadian Organic Growers, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Stakeholders: North American organic vegetable producers
Project title: Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Producers: A Practical Skills Handbook

Native Pollinator Guide Helps Wild Bees and Organic Farms

Managing farm habitat for wild pollinators
Coordinator: Scott Black, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation,
Portland, OR
Stakeholders: U.S. organic producers interested in wild bee conservation and pollination services

Bilingual farmer training and mentorship program

Summary

Investigator: Linda Barnes, Marshalltown Community College, Marshalltown, IA
Project location: Iowa

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