Guest guest Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 -----Forwarded Message----- CCOF Nov 10, 2005 12:29 PM ebbrewpunx Latest Organic News from CCOF CCOF Newsletter Supporting Organic Food and Agriculture Since 1973 November 2005 In this issue GMO News California Bans Organic Seafood CCOF Organic Pavilion at All Things Organic 2006 Organic Directory Deadline is Coming! Second Round of Organic Certification Cost Share Funds Announced Study Indicates Organic Foods Are Best for Children Organic Yields on Par with Conventional and Ahead During Drought Years Two Takes on Organic 4th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Pest Control Advisor (PCA) Conference New Leader of the National Organic Program Frog's Leap Winery Goes Solar! Steward of the Land Award Safety Newsletter for Farmers and Rural Residents Unique Tabling Opportunity at California Academy of Sciences Help Needed for Hurricane Stan Victims! California Bans Organic Seafood Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed SB 730 into law, banning the use of the organic label on fish and seafood products until state or federal standards are set. Fish and seafood are not currently covered under the USDAs National Organic Program. Most organic seafood products sold in California are imported from Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia and include farmed varieties of salmon and shrimp, which researchers have shown pose a significant health risk due to the high levels of contaminants and pesticides (i.e., PCBs, dioxins, mercury) that have been found in these products. A recent nationwide online survey conducted by Consumers Union found that nearly half of all consumers buy organic food and almost two-thirds said they do not expect contaminants in seafood and fish that are labeled organic. The bills author, Sen. Jackie Speier, said, Im thankful that the Governor signed this bill so that California can remain a leader in producing organic foods, and the integrity of the organic label is protected. Read more... CCOF Organic Pavilion at All Things Organic CCOF will host a special CCOF Organic Pavilion at the Organic Trade Associations All Things Organic Conference and Tradeshow, May 6- 9, 2006, in Chicago, IL. In a very special arrangement, CCOF has secured an excellent location at the front of the hall for a group of CCOF certified companies who havent already signed up to exhibit at the show. The area will include distinctive CCOF Pavilion banners and promotional advertising in the show program to drive booth traffic. There is 400 ft of exhibit space available for up to eight CCOF companies. If youre considering exhibiting at this show, the CCOF Pavilion will help provide traffic, visibility and an excellent location on the floor. Please call Jake Lewin at 831-423-2263, ext. 21, email: jake, or Karen Thomas at 207-842-5562, email: ks, to reserve your space. Check out more about the ATO show 2006 Organic Directory Deadline is Coming! All CCOF clients, certified products, and supporting members are included in our 2006 Organic Directory. To make sure you are listed and receive a copy, become a CCOF supporting member or CCOF certified organic business! If you are already a CCOF member, now is the time to update your listing and reserve ad space. Check your current client profile or last years directory, and let us know if we need to update your listing. Send changes to ccof. All changes must be received by December 1, 2005, to be included in the 2006 directory. Include your company, farm, or product logo in addition to your listing for only $75, or free with a display ad. More information is available in our media kit. Check out the 2006 Organic Directory Media Kit... Second Round of Organic Certification Cost Share Funds Announced Organic operations certified between October 1, 2004, and September 30, 2005, are eligible to receive a rebate of 75% of their certification costs, up to $500, from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. CCOF has posted the cost share application and specific instructions on our website. However, please note that there are specific application dates based on your renewal period/CCOF chapter. To assist you, weve posted the specific application submittal dates and corresponding CCOF chapters online. Get additional information... Study Indicates Organic Foods Are Best for Children Children can have drastic and immediate relief from potential harm that would otherwise be imposed by the pesticides in their non-organic foods if they switch to organic foods, according to a study funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program. The study found that an organic diet provided a drastic and immediate protective effect against exposure to organophosphorous (OP) pesticides that are commonly used in agricultural production. The study also concluded that the participants were most likely exposed to the OP pesticides exclusively through their diets. Read the article... Organic Yields on Par with Conventional and Ahead During Drought Years Researchers at Cornell University, New York, have reviewed data from long-term field investigations and confirmed that organic yields are no different from non-organic under normal growing conditions, but that they are far ahead during drought years. The reasons are well known: organic soils have greater capacity to retain water as well as nutrients such as nitrogen. Organic soils are also more efficient carbon sinks, and organic management saves on fossil fuel, both of which are important for mitigating global warming. Read the full report... Two Takes on Organic The markedly different approach that the United States and the European Union take toward organic agriculture shows significant differences in the number of organic farmers and the amount of organic acreage in the two regions, according to a recently released USDA report. On this side of the ocean, where the United States takes a largely free-market approach, policy is generally directed towards market development. In contrast, many EU countries have "green payments" to help farmers transition to organics or to help them continue farming organically. EU policies are also directed to promoting growth of the organic sector. 4th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Pest Control Advisor (PCA) Conference Enhance your skills, earn continuing education credits and enjoy beautiful San Luis Obispo at the Sustainable Agriculture PCA Conference December 2nd and 3rd. Sponsored by CCOF and Co-Sponsored by Cal Poly State Universitys Sustainable Agriculture Resource Consortium, the conference features innovative pest management practices for sustainable agriculture. Learn about... Tools for biologically-integrated pest control Enhancing soil microbial ecologies Making the most of your farm landscape for comprehensive IPM New research on plant immune systems Updates on important regulatory issues Upcoming USDA organic standards changes Join us on Day 2 for a special vineyard workshop "Managing Soil Microbiology for Improved Pest Management and Soil Fertility." Read more and register online... New Leader of the National Organic Program Mark Bradley has been named Associate Deputy Administrator for the National Organic Program (NOP). Mark is uniquely qualified for the job through his years of work with the USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) certification and grading programs and work with the NOP from the outside and the inside. Mark has been working in the NOP as accreditation manager for more than a year, and was previously involved with the program through his work with the Livestock and Seed Program, where he helped to adapt the ISO 9000 quality management standards for use in AMS programs. We welcome Mark to the challenging and rewarding job of managing the NOP! Frog's Leap Winery Goes Solar! In the spring of 2005, CCOF certified Frog's Leap Winery installed 1,020 photovoltaic panels with a lifetime of 30 years on 1/2 acre of vineyard space. These panels collect sunlight that is then converted to a clean and renewable energy source. By capturing more electric power than what is needed by the winery, the photovoltaic panels have the benefit of "net metering" which allows Frog's Leap to sell its excess electricity back to the local power company for credit. Check out Frog's Leap... Steward of the Land Award Nominations are being accepted for American Farmland Trust's 2006 Steward of the Land Award. Nominees are judged on their efforts to promote farmland protection and to practice land stewardship on their farms. The winner receives a $10,000 cash stipend! Deadline is December 1. Call 800-886-5170, ext. 3011. Or, download a nomination form... Safety Newsletter for Farmers and Rural Residents The bi-monthly California AgriAbility News is a health and safety newsletter that emphasizes safe farming, especially for farmers and workers who have permanent injuries or disabilities. Their goal is to promote healthy and safe work environments, injury prevention, and success for California farm communities. Learn more and sign up for the newsletter... Unique Tabling Opportunity at California Academy of Sciences CCOF has partnered with the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco to feature organic food and agriculture during the upcoming exhibit featuring California Organic Food and Wine. During Fridays in March, April and May, select organic wineries and producers will have the opportunity to present their products directly to the public during two-hour tasting events. Two vendors may participate during each two-hour event. This is a great opportunity for CCOF certified organic farms, processors, wineries and others to connect with the public, distribute information, sample products, promote their CSA, and raise awareness of organic food and wine. Direct sales may also be a possibility through the Acadmy Store or at a Farmers' Market during Spring Break. The demonstrations occur during the popular "California Hotspot" program featuring California's status as a "Biodiversity Hotspot". The venue expects 20,000-25,000 visitors per month and has had excellent turnout and press coverage for previous tasting events. To participate during these events, please contact Cat Aboudara, Marketing Associate for the California Academy of Sciences at caboudara or (415) 321-8122. Additional information about the event and CAS... Help Needed for Hurricane Stan Victims! Members of the Organic Trade Associations Organic Coffee Council held a conference call on October 26. to discuss a unified council effort in addressing the long-term needs of coffee producers in Guatemala and Mexico following Hurricane Stan. Outcomes of the meeting included securing a space at the Specialty Coffee Association of Americas annual conference to facilitate assistance to growers and their families affected by the hurricane; collecting contact information of the organizations providing humanitarian assistance; planning outreach to certifiers to help growers maintain their organic certification; and brainstorming possible funding solutions. To learn how you can help, please contact Tessa Young (tyoung) at the Organic Trade Association or Patty Vincent (patty.vincent) at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. GMO News GE-Free Legislation Fails in Sonoma County; Volunteers Upbeat Measure M, which would have resulted in a 10-year moratorium on GE crops in Sonoma County, California, lost by a margin of 44% to 56%. Even so, Yes on M volunteers celebrated their efforts. "More than 60,000 people votes yes on Tuesday," said campaign director Dave Henson. "Before this campaign, there were probably only a couple hundred people in our county who had a strong opinion on GE contamination. That's an incredible step forward." More than 500 volunteers, the vast majority of which had never been involved in an issue campaign before, supported the measure by educating voters. Unfortunately, the Yes of M campaign was simply outspent by the Farm Bureau and its allies. 'Co-existence', Contamination and GE-Free Zones - Jeopardizing Consumer Choice? Consumers International (CI) recently hosted an international public conference on GMOs. David Cuming of CI advised, All countries worldwide must introduce strict rules to prevent contamination, and allow for GE-free zones, before allowing GMOs in their countries. He continued to state that co-existence is probably impossible without removing the freedom of consumers and farmers to choose. Professor Ignacio Chapela of UC Berkeley, a leading expert on GMOs, told the conference, 'Co-existence of GMOs and GE-free plants is biologically impossible. If we keep thinking like this, it wont be a question of if contamination will occur; it will be a question of when and how much...Proposed biosafety and bioethical frameworks will not prevent contamination. Read conference speeches, and find GE-Free resource materials... No GMOs for U.S. Military The U.S. military, which runs dining halls around the world, is spending nearly $3 million to fund a Davis, California, firm's quest for longer-lasting tomatoes and heads of lettuce. Unlike the Flavr Savr tomato from another Davis company in the 1990s, Arcadia Bioscience's tomato and lettuce, as well will not be genetically engineered. Arcadia tends to break through without the controversies of genetic engineering. However, the start-up does plan to use genetic sleuthing to double the two-week shelf life of fresh lettuce and add 30 days to the normal three-week life of tomatoes. Its non-GMO, said Eric J. Rey, Arcadias President and Chief Executive Officer. Were using analytical techniques to find genetic variations here. Japan Finds 9th U.S. Corn Cargo Tainted with Bt-10 Japan's Agriculture Ministry said it discovered a ninth U.S. feed grain cargo tainted with Bt-10 biotech corn, and has told the importer to destroy it or ship it back to the United States. Japan has a zero-tolerance policy on imports of unapproved GMO crops. The Ministry has proposed accepting feed grain cargoes with up to 1 percent of Bt-10 corn to smooth the flow of U.S. corn supplies to Japan's livestock industry. But, the plan is subject to approval by Japan's Food Safety Commission, an independent agency. Quick Links... Certification Services Become a Supporting Member Buy CCOF T-shirts, stickers and more! CCOF Magazine - Archives Find Certified Organic Businesses View clips from our video Calendar of Events Organic Apprenticeships About CCOF Join our mailing list! email: ccof phone: (831) 423-2263 web: http://www.ccof.org Forward email This email was sent to ebbrewpunx, by ccof Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUn™ | Privacy Policy. Powered by CCOF | 1115 Mission Street | Santa Cruz | CA | 95060-3526 "Just as nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances there is a twilight. 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