Organic Industry Event

The Specialty Food Association will hold a North Bay Certification Panel and Peer Discussion on March 28th at The General's Daugher in Sonoma, CA. OTA's CEO/Executive Director Laura Batcha will be one of the panelists speaking about the opportunities and challenges of certification. The educational panel will be followed by Q&A and peer networking. To learn more, contact Laura. 

Panelists include:

The Organic Egg Farmers of America's Annual Symposium will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 15th 2016. The organization will bring in a number of industry experts to touch on an assortment of topics relating to organic egg production. OTA's Senior Crops and Livestock Specialist Nate Lewis will be presenting an OTA update from 9:15-10:00. To learn more, please contact Nate.

Michigan Organic Food and Farming Alliance will offer an Organic Intensive March 10th 2016. Organic Intensives are an opportunity to acquire practical, detailed information from experts and practitioners over the course of a day with fellow Michigan farmers and gardeners. OTA's Senior Livestock Specialist Nate Lewis will be speaking on the organic certification process and planning organic systems. To connect with OTA at the intensive, please contact Nate. 

The Washington State Dept of Agriculture Organic Advisory Board Meeting will take place March 4th in Olympia, WA. The Organic Advisory Board provides guidance to WSDA on its organic certification program and provides WSDA a forum to communicate important changes in the organic industry to key organic stakeholders in Washington State.  OTA’s Senior Crops and Livestock Specialist, Nate Lewis, currently sits on the advisory board in a designated “Industry Supporter” seat.

The Organic Council of Ontario will hold its annual meeting Thursday, March 24th 2016. Marni Karlin, OTA's Vice President of Government Affairs, will discuss the consultation process and regulatory changes that the Organic Trade Association facilitated culminating in the creation of GRO Organic, the proposed Generic Research and Promotions Order for the Organic Sector.

U.C. Davis will hold a workshop to bring together a diverse group of organic producers, industry members, compost and manure experts, and scientific experts to evaluate and synthesize the needs of organic producers. The workshop will take place January 25-26 at the U.C. Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. The workshop will include breakout sessions focused on the use of raw manure or compost, rotational grazing practices and extension/education needs to focus in-depth on issues of importance to the organic community.

Retail Innovation Council's Spring 2016 Session will take place at The Cloister, Sea Island, Georgia, from April 21-22, 2016. OTA Director of Membership Derek Mulhern and Associate Director of International Trade Monique Marez will be presenting. To connect with OTA at the event, please contact Derek and Monique.

At this year’s CCOF Annual Meeting and Conference: Bluepring for an Organic World, key public officials, CCOF members, and other organic leaders will come together to draft a plan to create a world where organic is the norm. The conference will take place on February 29, 2016 in Sacramento, CA.