Going Organic Program Fact Sheet

October 26, 2005 — By California Certified Organic Farmers

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — After completing a successful pilot project, the California State Water Board has renewed funding for CCOF’s Going Organic Program. Going Organic’s primary objective is to aid farmers converting to organic methods by pairing them with experienced organic farmers.

The Going Organic Program includes:

• Farmer-to-farmer mentoring to overcome barriers to organic farm conversion

• Organic certification assistance

• Organic marketing information

• Educational events for farmers, policy makers, and educators

• Organic farm tours

• An expected 5 percent organic acreage increase through converting 40 conventional farms in California’s Central Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and the Napa and Sonoma regions

• Sponsored by the California State Water Board

• Organic farming watershed research by The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), www.sfei.org

Project Background
The Going Organic (GO) program was started in 2003 by the CCOF Foundation to protect the environment and promote human health through the production and consumption of nutritious organic food. With the initial pilot funding from the Clarence E. Heller Foundation, three CCOF Chapters (Fresno/Tulare, North Coast, and North Valley) held meetings, selected mentors, solicited trainee farmers, and completed surveys exploring the barriers to organic farming.

In 2004-2005 the pilot chapters held five meetings, including four GO kickoff meetings to solicit and link trainee farmers with experienced mentors. In all, 15 new organic farmers were linked with 9 mentors who hosted the trainees on their farms. The mentors have both large and small farms and grow a variety of crops including almonds, winegrapes, market gardens, olives and flowers.

In 2005 the CCOF Foundation was awarded a two-and-a-half year grant by the California State Water Board to expand the Going Organic project to the North Coast Chapter and all CCOF Chapters in the Central Valley (Fresno/Tulare, North Valley, Yolo, Sierra Gold, and Kern). This effectively continues the project in the three original pilot chapters and expands to four new ones. The Water Board recognizes the “use of organic farming practices” as a management practice to improve water quality and therefore has supported this landmark program.

Plans for 2005-2006
The expanded program will provide funding for up to 25 mentors to help 40 non-organic farmers learn about organic farming and certification. Through a series of regional seminars and local on-farm meetings — the mentors, trainees, CCOF chapter members, non-organic farmers, advisors, and agricultural neighbors will be given information about the benefits and challenges of organic farming, helping to overcome the perceived and real barriers to farming organically. Speakers will discuss fertility, compost, cover cropping, wildlife habitat, natural pest control, the certification process, erosion control, marketing, Organic System Plan (OSP) development, federal cost-sharing incentive applications and more.

Additionally, The San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), www.sfei.org, will conduct watershed health assessments. Farm watersheds will be selected to give a representative assessment of organic farming practices compared to similar non-organic farming run off sites and regional monitoring stations.

Schedule of Events
Fall 2005: A series of fall meetings will ‘kick off’ Going Organic in both the continuing and new chapters. Pilot watershed assessment and monitoring will begin and continue on a regular schedule for two years based upon initial assessment results.

Spring 2006: In each of the seven chapters, five mentors will be paired with seven new trainee farmers and visit each other’s farms. Local meetings will be held at mentors’ ranches and other locations to provide information and training for all farmers, land managers, educators, advisors, agencies, policy makers, and agricultural commissioners on organic farming.

Fall 2006: After harvest, the first trainees will complete their first year, and some new trainees may be accepted. New mentors will be selected based upon interests, time, and crops of the previous year’s mentors. A series of winter seminars and additional Going Organic kick-off meetings will expand outreach to the new trainees and the local farm community.


Upcoming Meetings

November 3, 2005, 1 – 4:30 p.m. PST
Big Valley (Madera County)
Meeting Location: Okuye Farms, 10029 West Olive Ave, Livingston, CA.
Topic: Water, Money and Power. Going Organic Program Information.
Contact: Cindy Lashbrook, 209-761-0081, www.livingfarms@fire2wire.com

November 12, 2005, 8:30 AM-4:00 p.m. PST
North Valley (Chico/Butte County)
Meeting Location: CSU, Chico, BMU, Room 210
Topic: 3rd Annual Organic Farming and Food Conference. Chapter Kickoff Meeting.
Contact: Fred Thomas, 530-891-6958, fred@ceruconsulting.com

November 16, 2005, 8 AM-Noon PST
Sierra Gold (Placer County, etc.)
Meeting Location: Bethell-Delfino Agriculture Bldg, 311 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA.
Topic: Going Organic Workshop
Contact: Steve Bird, 530-647-0690, celticgardens@netzero.com

For Further Information and to apply:

Visit the Going Organic program online at www.ccof.org/programs.php.

Media Contact
Jake Lewin
Director of Marketing, CCOF Inc.
(831) 423-2263, Ext 21
jake@ccof.org