Top 5 for Nov. 18: Organic news to help you grow

The ever-increasing market support for organic agriculture

Regenerative organic practices could be the next big thing in agriculture. As consumers seek more sustainable goods, organic and regenerative products are likely to grow in market share, despite higher costs. Learn more at Farm Progress.

Maine farmers are joining a movement to protect organic growing

As the organic movement grows, ideological and political disagreements are being raised about what “organic” truly means. The Real Organic Project is pushing back with certification standards that are stricter than the USDA’s. Get the details at Bangor Daily News.

Growing organic agriculture sector gets a boost from northeast states

The 2022 Census of Agriculture, conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), collected more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches, including information on organic agriculture. While California was the leader in organic agriculture in 2022, accounting for 39% of the total U.S. value of organic products sold, states and counties in the Northeast region also contributed to the 32% increase in organic sales from 2017 to 2022. Read more at USDA.

USDA extends application deadline for organic marketing assistance until Dec. 13

The USDA is extending the application deadline for the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) 2024 to Dec. 13. This extension gives organic dairy producers two additional weeks to apply for the program. Eligible producers include certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats and sheep. Find out more at Morning AgClips.

E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots sickens people in 18 states

One person has died and at least 38 people have become ill following an E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots, according to federal health officials. Learn more at NPR.