With its long growing season and rich farming history, the Southeast region has great potential to strengthen its organic seed system. But what are the key actions we can take to help a burgeoning Southeastern network?
As a first step, OSA is working with several local partners to assess the organic seed system in the Southeast and to identify collaborative opportunities to expand and improve this system. We have developed an online questionnaire to help map the state of the Southeastern organic seed system and to identify priorities for strengthening it.
Obtaining feedback from stakeholders is vital to this assessment process. Thus far, more than 500 people have participated in the survey. If you are involved in agriculture in the Southeast, please take ten minutes to complete the questionnaire. Your responses are voluntary and will be held confidential.
USDA announced an extension on its public comment period for 2,4-D corn yesterday. The public now has until April 27, 2012, to provide public comments (as opposed to next week). Individual comments can be provided directly to the docket, found here (docket number: APHIS-2010-0103). More background on the issue can be found through Center for Food Safety and Pesticide Action Network.
This GE trait is getting a lot of pushback (not surprisingly) including from farmers (be they organic or not) who are especially concerned about 2,4-D’s ability to volatilize and drift, damaging surrounding food crops that don’t tolerate this outdated and toxic herbicide. Not to mention the impacts to farmer and farm workers’ health, consumers, non-target insects, wild plants and animals. Consumers, and the public interest groups representing them, have fought hard for decades to minimize and eliminate exposure to harmful chemical exposure, including 2,4-D.
Did you know that California produces more vegetable seed than any other state? And that, according to a survey conducted as part of OSA’s State of Organic Seed report, the vast majority of California organic farmers surveyed agree that organic seed is important in maintaining the integrity of organic food production? Yet, only 38% of the vegetable seed used by California organic farmers surveyed was organic. Why are California farmers relying so much on conventionally produced seed? And how can we work to advance a seed system that benefits farmers and sustainable agriculture in the golden state?
Join OSA’s Executive Director Micaela Colley, along with co-founder and event keynote Matthew Dillon, at the Seattle Chef Collaborative’s 7th Annual Farmer-Fisher-Chef Connection (F2C2).
F2C2 is a unique annual gathering that brings together producers (farmers, ranchers, fishers, food and beverage artisan) with food buyers (chefs, retailers, processors, distributors, and institutional purchasers) for what is first and foremost a business-to-business networking event.
To learn more about the event, view the full agenda, and purchase tickets, please visit the F2C2 homepage. The last day to purchase tickets for this event is Monday, February 20, 2012. Continue reading →
OSA’s 6th Organic Seed Growers Conference drew more than 500 participants last month, a record turnout despite a snow storm in the area. The 300 participants who gathered in Port Townsend, Washington, on January 19 – 21, 2012, were joined by an additional 200 participants via live webinar. More than 50 speakers presented on organic plant breeding; seed production, harvesting, and distribution; enterprise development; and policy. The conference proceedings are available for free download here.
The conference recordings, which feature the organic plant breeding sessions, are available through eXtension. Please note that the “Breeding for Nutrition” session will be repeated as a live webinar on March 23, 2012, at 11 a.m. Pacific/2:00 p.m. Eastern (registration is required).
Thanks again to our generous sponsors and to everyone who participated in our biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference. And thanks to Scott Vlaun of Moose Pond Arts+Ecology for the beautiful photographs in the slideshow below. See you in 2014!
It’s time to call your members of Congress to ask them to sign a bipartisan letter (opens PDF) being circulated by Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Peter DeFazio that urges the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food. The letter supports the legal petition filed in October on behalf of more than 400 organizations and businesses to require mandatory labeling. More than 600,000 public comments have already been submitted in support of this petition. Provide your comments now. And then call your members of Congress.
CALL TODAY: Contact your members of Congress by calling the US Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.
THE MESSAGE: “Please sign onto the bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter to FDA being circulated by Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Peter DeFazio to require GE labeling.”
BACKGROUND: In October 2011 a formal legal petition was filed with the FDA on behalf of more than 400 organizations and businesses to require the labeling of GE foods. The petition demands that FDA: (1) Issue new regulations requiring labeling of all foods produced using genetic engineering; and (2) issue a new policy redefining a “material” fact as a change in food at the atomic, molecular, or genetic level that a significant share of consumers would find relevant to their purchasing decisions.
Organic Seed Alliance and eOrganic bring you selected recordings from the 2012 Organic Seed Growers Conference held in Port Townsend, WA, on January 19 – 21, 2012. The conference brought together hundreds of farmers, seed production and distribution companies, researchers, plant breeders, pathologists, and university extension in two days of informative presentations, panel discussions, and networking events. The recordings cover the organic plant breeding track of the conference, including:
Are you a graduate student interested in organic plant breeding and seed systems? If so, apply today for the first Student Organic Seed Symposium to be held at the Lakeview Inn in Greensboro, Vermont, from August 5 – August 8, 2012.
Hosted by High Mowing Organic Seeds and organized by students from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Student Organic Seed Symposium aspires to build a community of graduate students interested in plant breeding and seed systems for organic agriculture.
OSA joined the Orcas Island, WA community for their 3rd Annual Heritage Seed and Plant Exchange this past weekend. The spring-like afternoon made for a delightful afternoon of seed swapping. About fifty islanders turned out with seeds, a desire to hone their seed saving skills, and plans to strengthen their community seed system.
OSA’s Communications and Outreach Associate, Cathleen McCluskey, shared Winter Bloomsdale seed, a breeding component of the Heirlooms of Tomorrow Abundant Bloomsdale project, with swappers. Islanders brought seeds they’d saved from last year’s exchange to share with the community. Other folks brought a bulk of seeds passed on from a farmer in the area who won’t be growing this season. Conversations about the potential for industry-scale seed production in the county and community resiliency were abundant.
With spring on the way, remember to visit OSA’s online publications with questions about your upcoming seed saving or breeding projects.
Kristina Hubbard, Director of Advocacy and Communications, (406) 493-6965, kristina@seedalliance.org
Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) is proud to announce a record turnout of more than 300 participants at its 6th Organic Seed Growers Conference held in Port Townsend, Washington, on January 19 – 21, 2012. An additional 200 participants joined the conference via live webinar.
Despite a snowstorm in the area, organic plant breeders, farmers, researchers, seed producers, certifiers, policy experts, retailers, students, and processors from across the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia gathered for two days of workshops and networking events. More than 50 speakers presented on organic plant breeding; seed production, harvesting, and distribution; enterprise development; and policy. OSA’s biennial Organic Seed Growers Conference is the only event of its kind in North America.
With its long growing season and rich farming history, the Southeast region has great potential to strengthen its organic seed system. But what are the key actions we can take to help a burgeoning Southeastern network?
Organic Seed Alliance
