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:

• 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

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. To learn more, contact Nate.

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 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'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. 

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.