Aug 23, 2023

Webinar on organic transition planned

A series of webinars will tackle how growers can transition to organic production.

The first one, scheduled for Aug. 29, Navigating the Transition to Organic: A Roadmap for Success, is scheduled for.

The event, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MDT, is part of a series of four free events to support farmer mentorship, education and community-building, according to a news release.

The final event will be a live educational symposium in Denver in November, that is set to focus on resources, research, technology, markets, inputs, management, financial considerations and other aspects of transitioning to organic production. The series is designed to support farmer mentorship, education and community-building.

In 2022, U.S. organic crop acreage increased 3% and the market for organic products grew 4% to $67.6 billion. “The growth has been driven by rising consumer demand for all things organic,” according to the release. “There are so many opportunities there to support producers. But, what are the obstacles, and where are the resources, technology and assistance to support farmers transitioning to organic?”

A panel of prominent experts in organic agriculture are scheduled to provide answers.

Tina Owens is a senior fellow of regenerative agriculture, leading the Nutrient Density Alliance, a program within the Soil & Climate Alliance at Green America. Owens has been working as a sustainability leader within the organic sector since 2008 for several large organic brands, including enabling on-farm transition to organic and regenerative practices.

Gene Kelly is a professor of pedology, deputy director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and the associate director for research in Colorado State University’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability.

Philip Turner is executive director and co-founder of Mad Agriculture. He was also a career global ecologist who specialized in ecosystem and soil carbon cycling.

Moderator Steven Hoffman founded of Compass Natural and is former director of The Organic Center. Hoffman is also a former agriculture Extension agent with Penn State University and Peace Corps volunteer in agriculture.

Seminar sponsors are the Plains Transition to Organic Partnership Program (Plains TOPP) and Compass Natural, a Boulder, Colorado, marketing firm that markets natural and organic products. Plains TOPP is a coalition of organizations providing technical assistance and support for transitioning and existing organic farmers in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma. Plains TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program.

More information about the webinar is available here.