Organic farming compliance handbook available online

DAVIS--With organic produce now the fastest growing segment of agriculture, farmers and advisors are looking for accurate information. One source of information is an online organic compliance handbook posted to the Web site of the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP).

"Growers and advisors want the most up-to-date information about organic farming," said David Chaney, education coordinator for SAREP and the federal Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program representative. Western SARE provided funding for the handbook. The online handbook at www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/complianceguide/ is aimed at agricultural professionals in the Western region.

"We're being asked more questions about practices and the standards organic farmers have to meet," said Mark Gaskell, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Santa Barbara County. "This online guide will be a valuable resource in providing assistance to those farmers and ranchers."

The online handbook is organized in seven sections, including the principles of organic agriculture, national organic standards, setting up organic production plans, materials, marketing and economics, and resources and organizations. Topics can be accessed as PDF files.

Project cooperators are UC SAREP, Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, and New Mexico State University. Editors include personnel from OMRI, SAREP, Oregon State, Washington State and UC Santa Cruz.

For more information, contact Chaney at (530) 754-8551, dechaney@ucdavis.edu.

Media Contacts:
Lyra Halprin, (530) 752-8664, lhalprin@ucdavis.edu

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