Organic External Resources

Kentucky

• Kentucky Department of Agriculture Organic Program
  • Essential documents from Kentucky's organic certification agency:
    • Certification procedures
    • Forms
    • Fee schedules

• Kentucky Mesonet
  • Streaming data from weather stations around Kentucky

• Organic Association of Kentucky
  • Promoting organic production and consumption in Kentucky

• University of Kentucky New Crop Opportunities Center
  • Fact sheets:
    • Organic transitioning and certification
    • Organic horticulture and field crop production
    • Organic sweet corn and asparagus production

• Community Farm Alliance
  • Building relationships between farmers, consumers, legislators, and communities.

Southern Region

National

• Acres USA
  • North America's oldest and largest magazine covering commercial-scale organic and sustainable farming

• ATTRA -- Organic Farming Resources from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
  • A wealth of detailed, readable, and useful information for growers:
    • Organic certification
    • Organic production of vegetables, fruits, flowers and livestock
    • Organic pest management
    • Organic fertility management
    • Organic marketing

• Cornucopia Institute
  • Advocacy organization striving to empower farmers and consumers in support of ecologically produced local, organic and authentic food

• The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture
  • Free guidebooks:
    • Small-Scale Organics: A Guidebook for the Non-Certified Organic Grower (pdf)
    • Farm Made: A Guide to On-Farm Processing for Organic Producers (pdf)

• National Organic Coalition
  • A Washington voice for farmers, ranchers, environmentalists, consumers and progressive industry members involved in organic agriculture

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
  • Alliance of grassroots organizations advocating for federal policy that advances sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.

• The Organic Center
  • Peer-reviewed science on verifiable benefits of organic farming and products

• Organic Consumers Association
  • Advocacy organization representing consumers who wish to promote a healthy, equitable, and sustainable system of food production and consumption

• Organic Farming Research Foundation
  • Sponsors research and education to foster improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems
    • Searchable database of project reports

• Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
  • Determines which inputs are allowed for use in organic production and processing
  • Maintains a searchable list of OMRI-approved products that may be used in USDA certified organic operations

• Rodale Institute
  • Nonprofit research and education foundation dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people and the planet
  • Maintains New Farm Toolbox
    • Resources for Organic and Transitioning Farmers
    • Online cost and income calculator for comparing organic and conventional field crop production
    • Comparison of organic and conventional wholesale prices updated weekly

• Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
  • Research and education grants to advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities
  • Searchable database of project reports
  • Publications available for free download or sale include
    • Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual (pdf)
    • Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies (pdf)
    • Managing Cover Crops Profitably (pdf)
    • Building Soils for Better Crops (pdf)

• USDA Economic Research Service - Organic Agriculture Briefing Room
  • Research, analysis, and information about the organic market

• USDA National Organic Program
  • Information on organic certifiers, international marketing of organic products, organic labeling, allowed and prohibited substances, and cost share programs for organic producers
  • Regulates organic production in the USA

• USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
  • Organic webinars
  • Organic EQIP grant applications

• USDA Risk Management Agency
  • Risk management tools for organic farmers
  • Crop insurance information for organic farmers

International

• Certified Naturally Grown
  • Peer-review certification for small-scale, direct-market farmers using natural methods
  • Standards based on USDA Organic Standards, but certifier is not government-affiliated or accredited, so CNG growers cannot label their products organic in the USA if they sell more than $5,000 worth of product or sell outside direct-market channels
  • Recognized and endorsed by IFOAM, OMRI, and the Sierra Club

• Demeter International
  • Maintains international biodynamic certification standards, which require compliance with national organic standards
  • Governs national biodynamic certification agencies, including Demeter USA

• International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
  • Working toward worldwide adoption of ecologically, socially, and economically sound systems based on principals of organic agriculture
  • Promotes integrity and harmonization of organic standards worldwide
    • Addresses criticisms and common misconceptions of organic agriculture

• Organic ePrints
  • Searchable archive of research related to organic agriculture
  • Free and complete manuscripts available for almost 10,000 studies

• Organic Trade Association
  • Association of North American businesses dedicated to promoting and protecting the growth of organic trade to benefit the environment, farmers, the public and the economy
  • Maintains consumer education website, Organic - It's Worth It
  • Offers industry statistics and news

• Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
  • Organic agriculture research and consulting centers in Switzerland, Germany and Austria conduct practical research and transfer knowledge into agricultural practice
  • Maintains Organic-world.net archive of global organic statistics and news