Organic News

Organic farms can take climate change fighting power to new level

The Organic Center pinpoints practices that boost carbon sequestration by double digits Organic agriculture’s proven ability to lock carbon away in the soil is a critical tool for combatting climate change. Now, a new study directed by the University of Maryland in collaboration with The Organic Center, digs down into the specific ways that organic […]

New guide sheds light on organic crop insurance options

Crop insurance is an important risk management tool for many farmers, and organic operations come with their own unique set of risks to consider. While crop insurance options for organic have expanded considerably in the past decade, a sizable percentage of organic crops still go uninsured, and beneficial options underused.  “Conversations from the Field: Crop […]

Organic farmer wanted. Successful organic farm in western Pennsylvania is closing after 42 years because no one wants to run it

Don Kretschmann, a 71-year-old farmer in Beaver County, PA, had advertised for ten years inviting someone to carry on the successful track record of Kretschmann Family Organic Farm. He was offering lease of the land (80 acres), equipment, and his house, so the right person could keep alive the business he and wife Becky had […]

Missouri man pleads guilty in huge organic fraud scheme

A $142 million scheme selling non-organic grain as organic ended in five people being ordered to prison. A sixth man, Steven N. Whiteside of Chillicothe, MO pleaded guilty to falsely signing a document stating he owned or farmed parcels of land he wasn’t connected with. He also claimed in a Land Use History Verification that […]

New research reveals measurable benefits of organic cotton production

Study by Iowa State University with The Organic Center finds important environmental benefits Conventional cotton is a chemically intensive crop with serious consequences for the Earth’s air, water, soil, and climate—as well as the health of farm workers and cotton processors. By contrast, organic cotton is grown, processed, dyed, and finished with methods that focus […]