The 2014 survey of organic farms in the U.S. shows the top 10 states for organic sales -- including California, Washington and Oregon -- account for 78 percent of sales nationwide. Click here for full story.
http://www.capitalpress.com/Organic/20150923/farm-level-organic-sales-approach-55-billion-in-2014
Organics now make up 5 percent of total food sales in the United States, but much of the growth is also in nonfood items like textiles and personal care items. Click here for the full story
The USDA is conducting a survey of organic producers across the United States as a follow-up to the 2012 Census of Agriculture. Click here for the full story
The arrival of a large manufacturer of organic convenience food in Pocatello, Idaho, could lead to considerable growth in the state's organic agriculture industry. Click here for the full story
Prices and demand for organic apples are so good that Washington shippers will run out of them sooner this season. Marketers say it's fueled by a growing organic lifestyle and retailers willing to trim profit margins. Click here for the full story
Organic farmers and others who rely on manure for soil fertility are worried about proposed food safety rules that would restrict the practice. Click here for the full story
The United States and Japan have agreed to make it easier to import each other’s organic products, the latest step in a global effort that could give consumers access to more — and cheaper — organic food. Click here for the full story
The National Organic Program changes its procedures for sunset provisions, which it says will increase transparency in determining what substances are allowed on the national list. Opponents say it does the opposite. Click here for the full story
Workshops being held in Idaho, Oregon and Washington are encouraging organic farmers to grow their own seed. The workshops cover the challenges and benefits organic producers face when growing their own seed.
Read about innovative farmers in Western Innovators, a new Capital Press ebook available on iPad.
Sales of organic foods grew by 25 percent between 2008 and 2011, a period of economic downturn in much of the world.
Fences don't stop bees, so a farmer can't manage them organically the same as they would livestock. That's something the USDA's National Organic Standards Board must take into account as it develops organic standards for bees.
Read about how farmers are confronting controversy over biotechnology in "Surviving a Biotech Backlash," available at http://bit.ly/BiotechBacklash
The USDA has approved a label that verifies the absence of genetically modified products in some foods. The Non-GMO Project, a nationwide organization based in Bellingham, Wash., has sought the approval for the past year.
"Western Innovators," an ebook about the best and brightest in Western ag, is free this week at http://bit.ly/WesternInnovators
In response to producers' concerns about the amount of recordkeeping required for organic certification, the USDA's National Organic Program has begun to lighten the load.
This podcast is sponsored by Western Innovators, the latest ebook from Capital Press: http://bit.ly/WesternInnovators2012
Organic growers need a “megaphone” to promote their crops, an industry leader says. One option Marty Mesh, executive director of Florida Organic Growers, offers is a checkoff similar to those used by other commodity groups.
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The recent opening of a Whole Foods store in Boise has energized producers in the region.
AgMinute is sponsored by "Western Innovators," which is available at http://amzn.to/WesternInnovators
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Like most Idaho grape growers, Rocky Fence Vineyard owner Mike Medes has always disposed of his vine prunings by piling and burning them. This season, however, he'll put the waste product to beneficial use.
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In this podcast, editors and reporters talk about a pair of vegan brouhahas, consolidation in the burgeoning biopesticide industry, and alleged jury tampering and a mistrial in a wheat theft case.
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The National Organic Standards Board has unanimously endorsed a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack calling for better protection of organic crops from GMOs.
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In this podcast, editors and reporters discuss the outcome of Snokist’s bankruptcy, a ballot effort to keep the Malheur County extension office funded, new trends in financing organic and small farms, and why federal agencies don’t know how many millions — or billions — they are losing to environmental lawsuits.
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In this podcast, editors and reporters discuss Idaho’s fight against so-called “funny honey,” a peer review of a study on Klamath dam removal efforts, a push from within the USDA to develop techniques to monitor and verify organic feed, and a nursery’s years-long battle with the federal government over allegations of labor violations.
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