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News Briefs
The 2023 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Partnership Grant Program Call for Proposals is now open. NCR-SARE’s Partnership Grant program is intended to foster cooperation between agriculture professionals and small groups of farmers and ranchers to catalyze on-farm research, demonstration, and education activities related to sustainable agriculture. Individual grants are limited to $50,000. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 20 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region with this call. A total of approximately $1,000,000 is available for this program. The deadline for Partnership Program proposals is October 20, 2022, at 4pm CDT. Apply for a grant here: bit.ly/3DiKiKT
NCR-SARE’s 2023 Research and Education Grant Program Call for Pre-proposals is now open. NCR-SARE’s Research and Education (R&E) program supports sustainable agriculture innovators with competitive research and education grants. Individual grants range from $50,000 to $250,000. For the 2023 funding cycle of the R&E Grant Program, NCR-SARE will again be accepting preproposals for long-term projects. Recognizing that some research/extension systems work is complex and requires collaborative interdisciplinary work that takes many years to complete, applicants will indicate that they are applying under the long-term option. The deadline for Research and Education Program preproposals is October 13, 2022, at 4pm CDT. Apply for a grant here: bit.ly/3ASmLgP
ALBERT LEE SEED HOUSE ACqUIRES BLUE RIVER ORGANIC SEED
Albert Lea Seed House, owner of Viking Corn & Soybeans and one of the largest suppliers of organic field seed in the U.S., today announced it has acquired Blue River Organic Seed, the nation’s longest-established organic seed corn brand from the Farmers Business Network (FBN). Founded in 2005 and based in Ames, Iowa, Blue River’s product line includes organic corn, silage, soybean, alfalfa, forages and sorghum. Albert Lea Seed is headquartered in Albert Lea, Minnesota. In addition to organic seeds, its product line also includes small grains, cover crops, wildflowers, and native grasses. The acquisition will: elevate Albert Lea Seed as the largest organic field seed supplier, producer, and commercialization expert in the U.S., bring experienced industry leaders to the Albert Lea Seed team and will expand the organization’s relationships in the organic farming market, and add Blue River’s 40,000-square-foot, climate-controlled seed warehouse and office for support and distribution of the combined Viking/Blue River Organic Seed brand. Read more at prn.to/3qiBFrT The National Organic Program (NOP) develops and enforces standards for organically produced agricultural products sold in the United States. USDA and accredited organic certifiers work together to enforce the standards, ensuring a level playing field for producers and protecting consumer confidence in the integrity of the USDA Organic Seal. As part of the reporting requirements outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill, NOP published the 2022 annual Organic Oversight and Enforcement Report. The report includes a summary of investigations and compliance actions, an update on the work of the Organic Agricultural Product Imports Interagency Working Group, and an overview of organic import oversight. Read the full report at bit.ly/3TLPD2Y
USDA TO INVEST Up TO $300 MILLION IN NEW ORGANIC TRANSITION INITIATIVE
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced details of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) $300 million investment, including with American Rescue Plan funds, in a new Organic Transition Initiative to provide comprehensive support for farmers transitioning to organic production. This initiative will deliver wrap-around technical assistance, including farmer-to-farmer mentoring; provide direct support through conservation financial assistance and additional crop insurance assistance, and support market development projects in targeted markets. Read the full press release at bit.ly/3RBM9yJ
USDA FOOD SAFETY CERTIFICATION FOR SpECIALTY CROpS pROGRAM
The FSCSC program provides financial assistance for specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years in 2022 or 2023. This program helps offset costs to comply with regulatory requirements and market-driven food safety certification requirements. FSCSC provides up to $200 million to specialty crop operations that incur eligible on-farm food safety program expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 and/or 2023. For each year, FSCSC will cover a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a percentage of their related expenses. The FSCSC application period for program year 2022 will be June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023. Learn more at farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance/food-safety
The USDA National Organic Program previewed an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) that asks the public to comment on options to update how the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List) references inert ingredients in pesticides allowed for organic production. The National List currently uses Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inert ingredient lists, but these lists are no longer maintained by EPA and are out of date. USDA is asking the public to comment on options to revise the National List, including several derived from NOSB recommendations. USDA will use feedback gathered from public comment to inform any future rulemaking about inert ingredients in pesticides. The public comment period closes on November 1, 2022. Read more and comment at bit.ly/3wZyLf8
The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will meet on October 25-October 27, 2022, in Sacramento, California. NOSB will meet to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the National List in 2024, and recommendations on organic policies. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) typically meets twice per year in various locations around the United States. During meetings, the NOSB listens to public comments, discusses agenda items, and votes on recommendations to the Secretary in a public forum. The meetings are open to the public, and no registration is required, except to sign up for oral comments. Times shown for face-to-face meetings are always in the meeting location’s local time zone; Webinars and commenting deadlines are always based on the Eastern time zone. Find out more at bit.ly/3RjVpqQ
pLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING ALEXANDRIA BAKER, JO FACKLAM, AND VICTORIA OSTENSO TO THE
MARBLESEED STAFF
Alexandria, based in Baraboo, Wisconsin, is our new Communications and Development Manager and has a background in grant writing, and book publishing. Jo Facklam, our new Communications Coordinator, worked as a worker-owner in the country’s oldest collectively owned and operated restaurant, Seward Cafe, in Minneapolis and now lives in Portland, Oregon. Victoria Ostenso, our new Farmer Network Specialist is a community organizer, food systems researcher, and aspiring farmer from Ladysmith, Wisconsin. We are thrilled to have them on staff! Organic agriculture continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of American agriculture. In 2020, the organic food market experienced incredible growth, with sales over $56 billion, a 12% increase from 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, certified organic and transitional operations faced numerous challenges including loss of markets, increased costs, labor shortages, and expenses related to obtaining or renewing their organic certification. Transitional operations also faced the financial challenge of implementing practices required to obtain organic certification without the premium prices associated with certified organic commodities. Producers who are certified organic, along with producers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for USDA’s Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). These programs help producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are both due October 31, 2022, through local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. One-on-one support is available by calling 877508-8364. Find out more at bit.ly/3QglFRz
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