Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
Practices
- Education and Training: extension
- Production Systems: general crop production
Abstract:
As the number of organic farmers and ranchers continues to increase and acreage in certified organic production expands in the Western Region, more cooperative extension professionals and federal agency field personnel are being asked questions related to the certified organic production practices, particularly allowable methods and certification rules and procedures. This project was aimed at helping this audience respond to the needs of their clientele in this growing area, and develop the skills and expertise necessary to providing high quality education and information in organic production. Specific objectives were to: 1) provide Western region extension personnel and federal and state agricultural professionals a clear understanding of practices, materials, and processes that comply with organic standards; 2) give Western region agricultural professionals access to expertise and other information resources on organic farming that will enable them to stay current on the most effective organic practices and materials; 3) enable Western region extension personnel to adequately answer questions from their clientele regarding effective practices that meet organic standards. To accomplish these objectives, project cooperators organized 6 workshops on organic production and compliance (4 on-site events and 2 satellite conferences), and produced an organic compliance training manual for Cooperative Extension personnel and other ag professionals. This manual is available on the Web at http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/complianceguide/. Educational goals related to the workshops were assessed through a workshop evaluation conducted on the day of the event. Accomplishments related to the training manual were evaluated through feedback gathered during development and review of the publication, and assessments conducted at training events where the manual was used. Cooperating organizations on this project include: University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Washington State University, Oregon State University, New Mexico State University, and Organic Materials Review Institute.
Project objectives:
• To provide Western region extension personnel and federal and state agricultural professionals a clear understanding of practices, materials, and processes that comply with organic standards.
• To give Western region agricultural professionals access to expertise and other information resources on organic farming that will enable them to stay current on the most effective organic practices and materials.
• To enable Western region extension personnel to adequately answer questions from their clientele regarding effective practices that meet organic standards.