October 2002
What is organically grown? Ask UC experts
National standards in effect Oct. 21
SAREP's Web site (http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Organic/index.htm) provides links to the national rules for organic farming, allowed inputs, and alternatives to pesticides and herbicides that cannot be used by organic growers.
"We know growers and consumers are looking for answers. Our program's Web site with its research and information databases can point them to specific resources," said Sean L. Swezey, SAREP director.
A $100,000 grant announced by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) as part of the Buy California Initiative will allow SAREP to expand the Web site. The grant will also help fund development of organic production manuals for strawberries, olives, winegrapes, vegetables, artichokes and small-scale organic farming.
"SAREP has developed partnerships with organic farming organizations and has earned the confidence of the industry as a source of reliable research and recommendations for growers, making it an ideal provider of the information," said CDFA Secretary William Lyons Jr.
Butte County organic rice grower Bryce Lundberg says the university's organic farming recommendations will help organic growers, processors and input suppliers meet the national standards. "I've used SAREP's Organic Soil Amendments and Fertilizers publication to help me select appropriate amendments, and determine quantity and timing of application," said Lundberg.
SAREP funds organic research, coordinates county-level extension programs, and collects information on organic farming inputs. The program has funded almost $2 million directly to research focused on organic practices, and more than $4 million to projects that indirectly support organic farming.
University of California experts on organic farming:
- Sean L. Swezey, director, UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, (530) 752-2379 or (408) 459-4367, sarep@ucdavis.edu. Swezey has studied organic farming of strawberries, cotton, apples and artichokes for more than 20 years. He is the technical representative to the California Organic Products Act Advisory Committee. He will begin a study of organic feed grain production in the western states.
- William E. "Bill" Chaney, UC Cooperative Extension Monterey County farm advisor, (831) 759-7350, wechaney@ucdavis.edu. Chaney has studied the effectiveness of "trap" crops to attract natural enemies of aphids, the most serious lettuce pest in the Central Coast.
- Mark Gaskell, UC Cooperative Extension, Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo counties farm advisor, (805) 934-6240, mlgaskell@ucdavis.edu. Gaskell studies organic nitrogen and other plant nutrient sources for organic vegetable production.
- Karen Klonsky, UC Cooperative Extension economist, UC Davis, (530) 752-3563, klonsky@primal.ucdavis.edu. Klonsky has examined the transition to sustainable production and the costs and benefits of selected practices in organic and conventional cropping systems.
- Milt McGiffen, UC Cooperative Extension plant physiologist, UC Riverside, (909) 560-0839, milt@citrus.ucr.edu. McGiffen studies organic vegetable production in desert regions, sustainable agriculture, weed science, and alternatives to methyl bromide. He is investigating the "organic effect" of increased yield and weed and disease control associated with compost and cover crops.
- Paul Vossen, UC Cooperative Extension, Marin & Sonoma counties, (707) 565-2621, pmvossen@ucdavis.edu. Vossen is an expert on organic apples and olive oil. He has focused on reducing pesticide use by using cover crops, biological pesticides, release of predators and parasites, and insect pheromone confusion techniques for the control of serious apple pests.
- Deborah Giraud, 707-445-7351, ddgiraud@ucdavis.edu. director, UC Cooperative Extension, Humboldt County. She is spearheading services to organic growers in Humboldt County.
- Glenn McGourty, UC Cooperative Extension, Mendocino County; 707-463-4495, gtmcgourty@ucdavis.edu. He is an organic wine grape production expert. Has been funded by SAREP and the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program for relevant research.
- Ellen Rilla, 415-499-4204, erilla@ucdavis.edu. UC Cooperative Extension Marin County director. She is spearheading services to organic growers in Marin County and is the creator of "Grown in Marin" newsletter.
- Mark Van Horn, UC Davis, 530-752-7645, mxvanhorn@ucdavis.edu; UC Davis Student Experimental Farm director. Organic crop production instructor, expert on cover crops, compost production and use.
- Annie Eicher, UCCE Humboldt County organic and sustainable farming coordinator; 707-445-7351; aleicher@ucdavis.edu
- Steve Quirt, UCCE Marin County organic and sustainable agriculture coordinator; 415-499-4204; wsquirt@ucdavis.edu
- Oleg Daugovish, UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County organic and sustainable agriculture coordinator; 805-645-1454; odaugovish@ucdavis.edu
- Larry Yee, director, UC Cooperative Extension Ventura County, 805-645-1460, lkyee@ucdavis.edu. Spearheading services for organic growers in Ventura County. Also youth development, organizational development.
USDA organic experts:
- Carolee Bull, research plant pathologist, USDA Agricultural Research office, Salinas and principal investigator for the BASIS project; 831-755-2800, CTBull@aol.com. Her areas of expertise include organic strawberries and methyl bromide alternatives. Bull's team demonstrated and studied insect, weed, pathogen, fertility and soils management options in strawberries and evaluated new techniques for alternative farming systems.
California agricultural industry or non-profit organization organic experts:
- Dan Benedetti, president, Clover-Stornetta Farms, Petaluma, 800-237-3315, 707-778-8448, dan@clover-stornetta.com. Clover produces a line of organic milk; the firm is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and organic dairy operations, and is focussed ensuring the future of family farms in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Stephen Griffin, president, Misionero Vegetables, Salinas, 831-757-3033, sgriffin@misionero.com. Griffin is president of Misionero Vegetables, a family farming business, and has extensive experience in year-round production and shipping of fresh vegetables in California and Arizona.
- Bob Scowcroft, executive director, Organic Farming Research Foundation, 831-426-6606, bob@ofrf.org. OFRF has awarded more than $1 million in grants for organic farming research, has conducted and published national organic farmer surveys, and conducted case studies on organic farming research in the U.S.
Selected California organic growers:
- John LaBoyteaux, organic farmer (corn, tomatoes, melons, hay), Redcrest (Humboldt County), 707-946-2528
- Bryce Lundberg, Lundberg Farms, Richvale (Butte County), 530-882-4551, bryce@lundberg.com. Approximately half of the Lundberg family farm is in organic rice production. The family operation is vertically integrated: family members grow, store, mill and market their own rice. Lundberg is a farmer member of the California Organic Products Advisory Committee.
- Albert Straus, Straus Organic Creamery, Marshall (Marin County), 415-663-1129, family@strausmilk.com. Owner operator of the first certified organic dairy operation west of the Mississippi. Organic dairyman well known for techniques and innovation.
- Warren Weber, owner/operator, Star Route Farm Organic & Specialty Produce, Bolinas, 415-868-1658, warrenweber@earthlink.net. Long-term innovator and organic vegetable grower/entrepreneur for nearly 30 years.
SAREP's Organic Farming Research and Information Web site:
(http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/Organic/index.htm) includes links to the UC Organic Farming Research Workgroup, research projects (searchable by crop, topic and organic relevance), USDA programs, production information, regulations and statistics.
Media Contact:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu
