Fwd: Respond to Organic Survey by April 3rd & RSVP for Pre-NOSB Meeting!

[Obiora Embry]

All,

FYI...The deadline is Friday for those that have not yet submitted comments.

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Respond to Organic Survey by April 3rd & RSVP for Pre-NOSB Meeting!
Date:	2015-03-26 16:08
From:	"National Organic Coalition" <in...@nationalorganiccoalition.org>
To:	"Obiora Embry" <oem...@econsultingllc.org>

 

 

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.               USDA Extends Public Comment Period A USDA stakeholder meeting was held in North Carolina on March 12-13 to talk about genetically engineered crops.  The discussions, which were aimed at reducing conflict between the growers of organic, conventional, genetically-modified and identity-preserved crops, sparked extensive debate last week, prompting the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend public comment on the event to April 10th. Webcasts of the meetings are now available for viewing: day 1 and day 2. Based on feedback from workshop participants, USDA is extending the public comment period an additional two weeks. USDA has already received more than 4,100 comments about the workshop. Organic growers are urged to add their voices to this vitally important discussion.        According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, total organic product sales by farms and ranches in the U.S. have continued to show substantial growth over the last few years, increasing by 83 percent since 2007. To learn more about the trends of organic agriculture in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is now conducting the 2014 Organic Survey.  Please spread the word to farmers in your networks!  The organic production survey deadline is April 3rd. If you are exempt (sales under $5000) or Transitioning, USDA wants to hear from you as well.  Please respond -- show USDA the strength of organic. You DO NOT NEED TO BE CERTIFIED ORGANIC to complete the survey.   Producers can fill out the survey online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov. If you would like to fill out the survey online but did not receive a survey code in the mail, please contact Adam Cline at National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS): Adam....@nass.usda.gov or 202-720-0977 Federal law (Title 7, U.S. Code) requires all producers who receive a form to respond and requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential. Respond online by April 3, 2015. NASS will publish the results in August 2015. For more information about the Organic Survey, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call (800) 851-1127       NOC's Pre-NOSB Meeting    Sunday, April 26, 2015,  9:30am - 5:30pm Marriott-La Jolla 4240 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037 RSVP to L...@nationalorganiccoalition.org Hot Topics for the Pre-NOSB Meeting (Stay Tuned for Agenda!) -DC & International Organic Policy Updates -Organic Poultry Standards -NOP Biodiversity Guidance -GMO Contamination Prevention Thank you to the co-hosts of our Pre-NOSB meeting, CCOF and Center for Food Safety!     Spring 2015 NOSB Meeting: Monday-Thursday, April 27-30, 2015 Marriott-La Jolla 4240 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, CA 92037         Help Strengthen the Future of Organic!   The unified voice of the National Organic Coalition members is one of the ONLY national efforts to work comprehensively on both legislative and regulatory issues that affect organic production from the perspective of farmers, consumers, environmentalists, and business. To make your tax-deductible donation to NOC, please make your check out to RAFI-USA (our fiscal sponsor), and write "NOC Donation" in the comment line.  Donate Online                   Follow on Twitter | Like on Facebook | Donate to NOC       Copyright © 2013 National Organic Coalition, All rights reserved.     unsubscribe from this list | unsubscribe from all lists