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Organic Industry Event

Cuba Organic Research Trip

Monday, May 2, 2016 - 9:45am to Saturday, May 7, 2016 - 5:00pm

OTA CEO/Executive Director Laura Batcha will join U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and a group of U.S. organic food producers and advocates on a trip to Cuba May 2-7. The group, including OTA Members from Honest Tea, Global Organics, and other companies, will spend five days on the island, meeting with Cuba’s agriculture minister, touring farms and restaurants, and talking about opportunities for both imports and exports between Cuba and North America. The trip is being sponsored by the Center for Democracy in the Americas, which favors normalizing relations with Cuba. Part of the mission is to establish connections between Cubans who have been successfully producing essentially organic food for the last 25 years and companies involved in the American organic movement. To learn more, see the Portland Press Herald's article announcing the trip. 

 

Food Tank Summit

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 - 9:15am to Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 5:00pm

Food Tank, in partnership with American University, is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Washington, D.C. Food Tank Summit April 20-21, 2016. This two-day event will feature more than 70 different speakers from the food and agriculture field. Researchers, farmers, chefs, policy makers, government officials, and students will come together for panels on topics including; nourishing the planet, improving nutrient density, the future of organic, investing in the food movement, legislating change in the food system, and more. To view the speaker lineup, see the summit agenda

OTA's CEO/ Executive Director Laura Batcha will speak on a panel on the Future of Organic at 1:00pm on Thursday, April 21st, keynoted by Dr. Carlo Leifert of the University of Newcastle. To learn more, contact Laura

Specialty Food Association North Bay Certification Panel and Peer Discussion

Monday, March 28, 2016 - 3:00pm to 5:00pm

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:

  • Laura Batcha, Executive Director, Organic Trade Association (OTA)
  • Jake Lewin, President, CCOF Certification Services, LLC
  • Julie K. Jeremy, President, Native Kjalii Foods
  • David Browne, Market Research & Retail Consultant, Mintel
  • Graham Driver, Owner of Driver's Market, Sausalito, focusing on products that are GMO-Free, inequality-free, and pesticide-free.

Moderator:

  • Ron Tanner, Specialty Food Association, Vice President, Philanthropy, Government & Industry Relations, Specialty Food Association

Organic Egg Farmers of America Annual Symposium

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 - 9:00am

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 Organic Intensive

Thursday, March 10, 2016 - 9:00am

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

 

 

Washington State Dept of Agriculture Organic Advisory Board Meeting

Friday, March 4, 2016 - 9:30am

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. To learn more, contact Nate.

Organic Council of Ontario Annual General Meeting

Thursday, March 24, 2016 - 9:00am

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.  The GRO Organic check off program stands to raise $30 million annually for the US organic sector for the purpose of  research into organic pest management and inputs, collecting data on market trends and promoting the organic claim to grow consumer awareness.  

Everyone is welcome to attend!  Only members may vote in the AGM. To connect with OTA at the event, contact Marni.

U.C. Davis Workshop on Animal-Based Soil Amendments

Monday, January 25, 2016 - 9:00am to Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - 5:00pm

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. The workshop will conclude with an evaluation of the workshop findings and a prioritization of research needs and topics to adequately develop a full scale OREI research proposal to assess the efficacy of organic practices in mitigating food safety risk associated with the use of animal based soil amendments. OTA's Senior Crop & Livestock Specialist Nate Lewis will be attending, along with Dr. Jessica Shade, Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center. To connect with OTA or TOC at the workshop, please contact Nate or Jessica

 

 

Retail Innovation Council Spring Session

Thursday, April 21, 2016 - 9:00am to Friday, April 22, 2016 - 5:00pm

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.

The Council's mission is to evaluate and determine what new innovative packaging, product, or program would be of added benefit to the consumer and will positively impact the grocery industry by being developed and launched. The Council consists of 11 Retail Executive Board members and 4 non-retail members, all of whom are highly respected experts in the grocery industry. The members meet twice a year to review new and innovative products, packaging, and marketing ideas that may have a significant impact on the grocery industry. 

CCOF Annual Meeting & Conference: Blueprint for an Organic World

Monday, February 29, 2016 - 9:00am

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. 

OTA’s Executive Director/CEO Laura Batcha will facilitate Session #4, “Balancing Supply and Demand: The Case for Organic Transition.” Discussed will be barriers to organic transition, including the challenge of overcoming the financial hardship and risks of the three-year transition period. The panel will make the case for organic transition as it demonstrates that all levels of the supply chain are looking to meet the rising demand for organic through support for transitioning producers. Panelists will include Dennis Hoover of Costco Wholesale, Peter Golbitz of Agromeris, Wendy Larson of Big Tree Organic, and Jake Lewin of CCOF.

 

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