Roundup: County organic leaders; compliance training; short courses
In addition to the organic winegrowing course described in "Organic winegrowing short course reflects new market," SAREP has been working to develop and extend information on organic farming for the state’s growers.
County organic leaders
Coordinators of SAREP’s
county-based organic outreach projects met in October 2003 to share their
research and extension activities, prioritize future research directions,
and identify key elements of an expanded “organic initiative”
that could enhance current projects and extend organic outreach to other
counties in the state. The organic county-based research and education
activities are summarized at www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/countyconnections.htm.
For results of the planning session, see www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/workgroup.htm.
Organic Compliance
In December 2003, SAREP
coordinated an organic compliance training session at the annual UC Agriculture
and Natural Resources (ANR) Vegetable Crops Continuing Conference. Sean
Swezey (SAREP director), Rick Melnicoe (Western
Region IPM Center director), Ray Green (CDFA California
Organic Program director) and Brian Baker (Organic Materials
Review Institute) presented information on the national organic program
and the California state organic program, and the major components of
grower compliance under the new National Organic Program (NOP) rule. UC
Cooperative Extension (UCCE) farm advisors Ramiro Lobo
(San Diego County), Mark Gaskell (Santa Barbara/ San
Luis Obispo counties), and Annie Eicher (Humboldt County)
described their experiences working with organic clientele and helped
define the potential role of Cooperative Extension advisors in the compliance
process. Participants learned how NOP regulations affect field and on-farm
research activities, and what steps to follow for compliance in that context.
SAREP education coordinator David Chaney organized and
facilitated the session for about 30 UC farm advisors attending the conference.
A repeat of this session was scheduled in late March as part of the UC
ANR Pomology Extension Continuing Conferencee.
Strawberry,
Pear courses
An Organic Strawberry
Production short course took place in January 2004 in Ventura. Vanessa
Bogenholm, organic strawberry grower and chair of the Board of
Directors of California Certified Organic Farmers, was the opening speaker
at this shortened version of the two-day short course presented in Salinas
in early 2003. Bogenholm covered compliance issues relevant to certification,
labels, recordkeeping, and marketing issues, and explained the inspection
process. Other speakers included UCCE specialists Karen Klonsky
(cost of production study) and Steve Fennimore (weed
management), farm advisors Richard Smith (rotations and
cover crops), Mark Bolda (soil-borne diseases), Oleg
Daugovish (biofumigation), SAREP associate director Jenny
Broome (foliar diseases) and director Sean Swezey
(insect management). Research scientist Joji Muramoto
from the University of California, Santa Cruz, rounded out the program
presentations with a talk on nitrogen management in organic strawberries.
Curt Gaines, a private consultant from Sierra-Cascade
Nursery, presented information on the feasibility of organic strawberry
transplant production. About 45 people attended the event. Many growers
were already involved in organic strawberry production, and others indicated
that the information presented would stimulate changes in their current
production and marketing systems. Daugovish coordinated the event with
sponsorship from UCCE-Ventura County, the California Strawberry Commission,
and the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation.
In response to increased interest in organic practices and market potential for California organic pears, SAREP co-sponsored the Organic Pear Production and Marketing Workshop at the Sonoma County 4-H Center in Rohnert Park in February 2004. Co-sponsored by UCCE, and a grant to SAREP from the Columbia Foundation, the course brought together 53 pear producers, marketers, pest control advisors, UC specialists and farm advisors, and students. UCCE farm advisor and Lake County director Rachel Elkins hosted the course. Presenters included SAREP director Sean Swezey (overview of organic production in California), UCCE specialists Steve Southwick (managing orchards organically), Rollie Meyer (fertility managment), Desley Whisson (vertebrate pest management) and Trevor Suslow (post harvest and food safety considerations). Other presenters were farm advisors Chuck Ingels (orchard floor management/ cover crops), Lucia Varela (insect management), Rachel Elkins (disease management), and CDFA Organic Program manager Ray Green (allowable materials and certification). The workshop also featured a marketing panel including David Granatstein (Washington State University sustainable agriculture specialist), Chris Zanobini (California Pear Advisory Board), John Aselage (Gerber Products Company), Dan Varnau (J.M. Smucker Co.), and Joe Gabriel (CF Fresh). Pear grower Dan Todd (Todd Organic Orchards, Potter Valley), and PCAs Devin Gordon (Ag Unlimited, Ukiah), Tim Neuharth (Steamboat Acres, Courtland), and Duncan Smith (Western Farm Service, Walnut Grove) spoke about actual production practices and experiences. These producers and consultants provided important information on the feasibility of organic pear production under different climatic and economic conditions. The CDFA Organic Program database shows that organic pear growers produced a crop valued at close to $1 million on 500 acres in 2003.
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