George Siemon, CEO of Organic Valley of Farms, the USA’s largest cooperative of organic farmers said in weak economy, new organic customers will be more cautious. Sales growth has slowed but remains strong because of the loyalty of core organic buyers. They say new consumers are tougher to attract, given that organic can cost 10% to 50% more than non-organic rivals.
Gary Hirshberg, CEO of Stonyfield Farm, a leading organic yogurt maker says “Most of us are seeing slightly slower growth, but we are still seeing growth.” He expects 18% revenue growth this year, up from 16% last year but down from 24% plus in past years. Others also reported slower growth than Wall Street analysts anticipated, including Whole Foods Market and Lifeway Foods.
George Siemon also says existing organic buyers may cut purchases of discretionary items, such as organic ice cream, and to the basic such as organic milk and meat. Siemon earlier targeted 24% growth this year for Organic Valley. Now he is looking for 22% and the co-op had 30% growth last year. The Organic Trade Association said that sales of organic foods and beverages are expected to reach $24 billion this year, and average about 18% annual growth through 2010.
Laurie Demeritt president of market researcher of The Hartman Group says almost 70% of U.S. shoppers bought something organic over a recent three month period. She also says Hartman’s consumer survey earlier this year showed that organic use has been leveling off since 2006, and she also said organic are also seeing increased competition from “locally grown” products, whether they are organic or not.

Representatives of the organic community meet with the US department of Agriculture or USDA Farm Bill Implementation Team to discuss the implementation of organic provisions within the 2008 Farm Bill. The USDA Farm Bill Implementation Team was charged with crafting 70 implementation rules by 90 days after the 18 June enactment of the Bill.
It was arranged by The Organic Trade Association or OTA, was an opportunity to present information on the significance of organic provisions to the team charged with implementing the Farm Bill. Mark Lipson, senior policy analyst for the Organic Farming Research Foundation said “This meeting was very important as we shift from legislative advocacy to the hard work of implementation.” “Our wins in the Farm Bill must be integrated into each agency’s work plan as directed by the USDA leadership, but it won’t happen automatically.”
OTA spokesperson and other participants stressed the importance of National Organic Program funding, organic production and market data, research needs, organic crop insurance provisions, the national cost share certification program, and provisions for organic agriculture in conservation programs. OTA led group include representatives of the Organic Farming Research Foundation or OFRF, National Organic Coalition, Center for Food Safety, National Centre for Appropriate Technology, Rodale Institute, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Food and Water Watch and Florida Organic Growers.

With more people interested in buying organic food, a tucked away on the Canandaigua shoreline sits 50 acres of what Wegmans family calls their great experiment.  Wegmans developed a farm that is used as a testing ground to learn more about organic growing and pass on that knowledge to local growers.  Wegmans says his stores have seen an increased demand for organic produce in recent years, despite the fact that it’s usually more expensive.

Anne Grover, the organic farm’s garden manager said “I believe in bringing the heirloom vegetables back,” ”It is good DNA, they’ve survived the test of time, they are open pollinated which I think is very important.  I guess I’m old fashioned girl and an old fashioned gardener.”   Area farmers have noticed the trend as well.  A local farmer Jeff Partyka said, “I think there is an increased demand for growing organic and it is something we are hoping we can do.”  Partyka also owns a small fruit and vegetable farm in Hamlin.

Chickens raised on organic feed are also part of this farm.  Wegmans farm manager Steve Straub said “Once the farm gets going, I think this is a viable way of producing vegetables also.  We are just getting the fields and the soil established and that is the key.”  Those working the fields believe someday organic farming will surpass the traditional way of growing produce.  One area farmer is already considering making the switch from traditional to organic.

Yeo Valley Organic sponsors the Soil Association Organic Food Festival it is the Europe’s largest celebration of all things organic and kicks off this year’s Soil Association Organic Fortnight, this is a nationwide campaign bringing together communities, retailers, restaurants, organic farms and schools.
The festival is now in its eight year and the event will take place in Bristol on September 6 and 7, 2009 and it will be host to over 300 organic companies, showcasing the very best organic food, drink, skincare, and home ware products.

People who will visit will be spoilt for choice with food markets, green plane pavilion, kitchen demonstration, food cruises around harbor, and an arts and entertainment fringe. The festival will open with the Matthew sailing towards the Amphitheatre and new to the festival are the Local Market in Anchor Square, Grow Your Own Organic Garden area, Organic Live!, areas including cookery demos and wine tasting and the food for life Partnership Cooking Bus in the Kid’s zone.

The Soil Association Organic Food Festival is greener than ever with the introduction of sustainably source biofuel to power the festival generators, and an emphasis on travelling to the festival by train, bus and ferry. To encourage people to come by train, the Soil Association, in partnership with First Travel, offering a 2 for 1 offer on festival tickets on presentation of proof of using First Travel transport.

In Chiang Mai longan growers in northern Thailand have successfully sold 10 tons of peeled and dehydrated organic longan, the first pesticide free dried longan that shipped from the country.  Managing director of Prompungwahn Co., Prokchon Pramgungwahn said that “the volume is also much lower than demand warrants, and strong market growth for healthy products has prompted us to spurn chemically grown longan”.  Prompungwahn Co. is a lead company in the cluster that groups 30 longan growers in Chiang Mai and Lamphun.

The cluster was formed last year with the support of German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and the Institute of Product Quality and Standardization of Maejo University, which aims to open niche markets and promote sustainable growth for longan growers.  The agency will take 18 months to certify all production process and give its approval.  They joined the international organic standard system in 2007 and organic longan from the 2008 cultivation season is awaiting certification from the Organic Agriculture Certification Thailand.

About 130 tons of organic longan were produce this year, and with 110 tons dehydrated to produce 10 ton of dried and peeled longan, or Lamyai Sri Thong.

The month of August is a good time to start raising some of your own fruits and vegetables, because it is easy to dig due to all the rain which also helps plants take off and flourish.  August 24 Sunday the annual Organic Garden Tour in Sierra Vista it will be held at two backyard gardens on Choctaw off Highway 92 from 10am to 2pm.  New grower, Jim Woodruff will show his concrete block raised veggie beds, fruit trees watered by harvested rainwater,   berries, grapes, onion and garlic.  Elly and Bill Stavark’s 13 year old multiple raised bed backyard garden where they grow vegetables year round and make great compost.

 

The Bisbee Farmers Market, Compost Queen, Marcia Gibbons, will be sharing wealth of experience making compost.  She will have compost samples at various stages as well as information on composting systems.  This is on Saturday August 16 and on August 17 Sunday the Bisbee Community Gardens Group will have its first annual Organic Garden Tour, including several gardens in the Warren district.  There will be demonstrations of rain water harvesting, composting, solar cooking and solar drying.

 

Jane Wyatt of San Simon Chile Company will return with her green chiles and chile roaster to the Sierra Vista Farmers Market beginning on August 14.  On August 23 from 8 am to 1pm celebrate chile seaon at the annual Chile Festival at the Bisbee Farmers Market.  Jane will bring two large roasters and a trailer loaded with sacks of her green chiles and jalapenos as well as red chile pods.

Economic pessimism dents consumers’ previously buoyant demand for organic produce and the dairy farmers are turning their backs on Britain’s organic milk market. There are figures show that there has been a reversal in the numbers of dairy farmers converting to organic farming from the conventional methods. It rises up to 80 percent in the price of organic feed for dairy herds, and it means hundreds of organic milk producers are running loss. Farms were undergoing conversion to organic and were capable of producing million liters of milk have abandoned the process and return to non-organic farming.
Non organic dairy farmers joining the organic movement are no longer an attractive option. The situation has prompted warnings of shortage and a mass exit by existing organic producers unless retailers agree to increase the farm gate price paid for milk, to ensure farmers can cover rapidly escalating costs. Organic farmers need an increase of at least 4p per liter to return to profitability however the retailers warn that they have little room for maneuver in Britain’s ultra competitive supermarket sector.
Richard Hampton the sales and marketing director of Omsco said: “The costs being incurred by organic producers are rising much faster than for conventional production.” The Britain’s largest organic milk cooperative, which accounts for about 70 percent of UK’s annual production of 450 million liters. The price that gets currently for organic milk is not high enough to cover the cost of production. There will have to be an increase in price that producers receive. Richard Hampton added: “There is a real danger that a supply shortage could take hold rather quickly if just 30 of our larger organic farms revert to non-organic production, we will lose 10 percent of our supplies.”
It expects sales growth of about five percent this year, compared to 30 percent in previous years. The charity pointed out that the lower figure would still outstrip the general grocery market, which expands at between one and two percent a year. The Soil Association said.

The Organic Working Party or (OWP) issued its Organic Action Plan last July 21, which delivers a route map for achieving the vision of a reliable, sustainable, self-reliant organic food sector on the Isle of Man. Organic Working Party has established that they already consume around £1.7 million worth at retail value of imported primary organic produce. All of which is potentially accessible to local producers, within 5 years based on UK and local forecasts, this grow to around £2.7 million.
“I welcome and support this Organic Action Plan which lays out the Organic Working Party’s view of how to deliver a reliable supply of high value organic food. Provides an important part of customer choice and useful contribution to a sustainable Manx farming industry for the future” said Minister for Agriculture Phil Gawne MHK. Also he continued that he will be supporting the team as they are now delivered the actions indentified in the plan. Which make real progress towards the availability of top quality Manx Organic food in the island. Viv Davies Chair of the OWP said that “The Organic Action Plan provides the market information which defines the opportunities, and also address they key issues. They now need producers, processors and retailers of all kinds to take the challenge and make this profitable opportunity happen.
Organic Working Party is a cross-industry team established by the Minister of Agriculture. The team aim has been to explore the value and accessibility of the organic food market in the island.

The New Zealand’s founding organic certifier celebrates its 25 years.  This year BioGro, the New Zealand’s leading organic certifier is greatly proud to be celebrating its 25 years anniversary. 
Dr. Michelle Gloga, BioGro’s CEO says “Turning 25 is a significant milestone not only for BioGro but the whole organics sector.  The industry has evolved from a grassroots cottage industry into a sophisticated, consumer focused production and distribution industry and that’s worth celebrating”.  In New Zealand, BioGro has been instrumental in steering organics.  The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association of New Zealand, the Henry Doubleday Research Association, and the Soil and Health Association formed the New Zealand Biological Producers and Consumers Council (trading as BioGro).  The primary objective was to develop and maintain a credible and internationally respected organic standard and certification process, to safeguard the interests of producers and consumers.  Objective and founding philosophy are as fundamental to its success of BioGro’s.
Bob Crowder one of the founder and life members of BioGro’s recalls, that “ I would say that BioGro was born out of the first energy crisis in 1974 that’s what stimulated the revival of the organic movement around the world.  We had a big scare back then, which was basically the catalyst I think for it all”
BioGro’s ambition saw it develop the highest organic standards of international repute to audit and certify the processes carried out by producers.  Organic certification is currently voluntary in New Zealand but this may change if labeling regulations such as those in countries like the U.K.
Today New Zealand’s largest organic certifier BioGro with 600 licensees and over 900 certified operations.  It issues certificates to primary producers, food processors, wholesalers, distributors and retailers.

In any controversy it can be helpful to consider the views of disinterested parties. So, on the subject of agricultural policy and practice, it’s worth noting that an unimpeachably neutral group has joined the ranks of those who prefer organic foods over foods produced with the help of synthetic chemicals. That group is 40 Swiss rats.

A team of Swiss and Austrian scientists recently concluded a 21-year study of organic wheat production. As an “integrative method” for assessing quality, they gave lab animals a choice of biscuits made from organic or conventional wheat. The rats ate significantly more of the former. The authors call this result remarkable, because they found the two wheats to be very similar in chemical composition and baking performance.

By Harold McGee, New York Times