Organic Industry Event

The Tilth Producers of Washington Annual Conference, "Building Tilth: Fields, Farmers and Communities," will be held November 13-15 in Spokane, WA. The OTA Grain, Pulse and Oilseed Council will host an organic grain stakeholder meeting for grain buyers, companies, and growers this Friday, November 13, at the Washington Tilth Producers Conference in Spokane, WA. The newly formed OTA sector council is seeking input from farmers on a strategic plan to increase market opportunities and investments to support the expansion of organic grain production. This session is an opportunity for farmers, seed dealers, buyers, processors, and organic grain customers to ask questions about the project, and share insights about where additional investment is most needed. Contact Nate Lewis for more information.

OTA will be participating in the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit. The purpose is to engage with current and prospective members and gain further insight to the challenges in the produce industry, specifically related to organic. Please contact Derek Mulhern, OTA's Director of Membership if you'd like to connect in person. 

The Provender Alliance Conference will be held on October 14-16 in Hood River, Oregon. OTA staff will attend the conference and serve as speakers in two workshops. To learn more, contact Gwendolyn Wyard. 

October 16, 1:30 to 3:00pm | Workshop Session 2

Back to the Basics: We Can't Promote Organic if We Don't Know What it Means

Speaker(s): Gwendolyn Wyard, Organic Trade Association; Nathaniel Lewis, Organic Trade Association, Gage Mitchel, Modern Species LLC

Are you in the business of selling or promoting organic products? Can all of your employees accurately answer in-store questions about the benefits of purchasing organic food and/or fiber? How well do you really know the organic regulations? This workshop will revisit the core requirements for all USDA National Organic Program certified products and discuss why organic should be the most trusted eco-label in the marketplace. Participants will gain a solid foundation for answering basic questions about organic and how it is enforced. GMO and natural label claims will also be demystified. A discussion about the needs and opportunities for developing on-going employee education and promotion campaigns for organic will be explored.

October 16, 3:30 to 5:00pm | Workshop Session 3

Know Your Organic Label! Requirements for Processors and Retailers

Speaker(s): Gwendolyn Wyard, Organic Trade Association; Brian Scheel, Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO). 

This workshop will give you new insight into the most common mistakes companies make when formulating organic products and creating organic labels. The content will include current information and resources on how to ensure product labels, in-store labels and other marketing materials comply with the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards. After this workshop, you will understand the relevance of product composition to your product claim, the process for staying current with the NOP National List of Allowed and Prohibited Ingredients, and the labeling requirements associated with certified and non-certified retail food establishments.

Back to the Basics is a recommended prerequisite for this session