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Organic Produce Drives Research for New Biopesticides
Consumer demand for organic produce is leading to new research for alternatives to synthetic pesticides as resistance and regulation cause more synthetics to be pulled. Currently a very small market segment, biopesticides include bacteria, plant-derived biochemical and fungi. Click to learn more from MN Public Radio News.
OFRF Awards 2017 Research Grants
The Organic Farming Research Foundation announced its 2017 research grant awards. The five grant awards included research for organic strawberry transplants and evaluating whether protein in soil is indicative of soil health. Since its founding in 1990, OFRF has awarded 337 grants to organic researchers and farmers, investing over $3M. Visit OFRF for more.
Wholesum Harvest is U.S. First Certified Fair Trade Farm
The Wholesum Amado Farm in Arizona is the first farm in the U.S. to be Certified Fair Trade. Jessie Gunn, marketing manager, says, “Fair Trade makes sense for us. We were pioneers with Fair Trade in produce when we started. Now we see successes on our farms in Mexico and it only made sense to push for our Arizona farm to have some of the same advantages, to pioneer Fair Trade as a domestic concept too.” Click the news release to learn more.
Tessemae’s Debut in Fresh Organic Produce Category
Tessemae began its foray into the produce department with its fresh organic salad dressings and expanded to salad kits in January 2017. Its next expansion will include fresh creamy salad dressings, individual and family-sized salad kits, organic condiments, salad toppings and vegetable trays. Founder-brothers Greg, Brian and Matt Vetter strive for market disruption.
"People are tired of eating science projects. They want clean, fresh, meal solutions. Tessemae's is here to enable that clean eating for everyone, everywhere," said Greg Vetter, CEO.
Click for more from the release on PRNewswire.
Evolution of Organic, New Film About Organic Agriculture Movement, Premieres this Thursday in San Francisco
The world premiere of Evolution of Organic, the history of organic agriculture in the United States as told by those who built the movement, will be held this Thursday, April 20, in San Francisco.
Directed by filmmaker Mark Kitchell film, Evolution of Organic tells the story of the motley crew of back-to-the-landers, spiritual seekers and farmers’ sons and daughters who reject traditional farming and set out to explore organic alternatives. It’s a heartfelt journey of change –from a small band of rebels to a cultural transformation in the way we grow and eat food. It is the opening film of the San Francisco Green Film Festival. Attending will be stars of the film including Tonya Antle, co-founder of the new Organic Produce Network.
You can see a one-minute sizzle reel at http://evolutionoforganic.com
"On Earth Day, we celebrate all the gifts the world and nature make available to us. We recognize our complete dependence on its bounty. And we acknowledge the need for good stewardship to preserve its fruits for future generations. ”
- John Hoeven, U.S. Senator from North Dakota
