Cut-off dates ahead; organic farms growing

A couple of weeks back, one of the topics in this column was the deadline dates for some of the Farm Service Agency programs effective for this year.

At the risk of seeming too repetitive, another quick review of those upcoming closing dates follows.

The first upon us is the May 15 deadline for completing CRP native grass, forbs, and legume seedings for the year.

Several plantings were scheduled for completion this year. Some have been finished; others are still pending.

Anyone still needing to get seed, do some tillage, or drill CRP grass should be wrapping up that project soon.

Note: These grass/forbs plantings need to be drilled (not broadcast) with a drill equipped for native grass planting. Contact the Bourbon County Conservation District to rent a suitable drill if needed.

May 31 is this year's deadline for reporting planted acres of wheat, oats and barley. (The deadline for Missouri producers is June 30.)

A number of those reports have been filed earlier, but if not, call our office for an appointment which will help to speed up this process.

June 1 is the final opportunity to either enroll a farm in the Direct and Counter-cyclical Program (DCP) for 2012, or to file for 2010 benefits with the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payment Program (SURE).

Call our office at (620)-223-1880 to schedule a time for this activity, or drop by our office at 1515 S. Judson in Fort Scott.

Changing subjects a bit -- a significant amount of discussion occurs at many farmers' markets, and in the media as well, concerning "organic foods" versus "non-organic foods."

USDA has a program that registers organic producers for public information and to provide credibility to the "organic" labeling on our food products as well.

In March of this year, the National Organic Program published an updated list of certified organic operations, making available the latest in certification status of USDA organic operations.

As of the end of 2011, about 17,600 organic farms and processing facilities in the United States were certified to the USDA organic standards, which is almost 480 more operators than at the end of 2010 -- a 240 percent increase since 2002 when the National Organic Program effectively began its oversight role. Worldwide, there are now 28,779 certified organic operators across 133 countries.

By accessing this compiled listing, users can filter information according to specific search fields such as certification scope (e.g., crop, livestock, handling), type of product and the state in which an operation is located. Using the database, interested buyers can seek out producers and handlers of specific organic commodities to assist with their purchasing decisions.

The updated list of certified organic operations marks the third year in which the National Organic Program has made such a tool available.

Currently, the list of certified operations is updated annually. The National Organic Program is working to design a more advanced system that can be easily updated more often.

The ultimate goal is a real-time system of standardized information that can more easily identify and connect organic stakeholders across the supply chain, support real-time transparency of the organic system and streamline current information management and reporting processes for USDA certifying agents.

The National Organic Program is responsible for overseeing accrediting certifying agents and their certification of organic production and handling operations.

Certification allows a farm or processing facility to sell, label and represent their products as USDA organic. Any organic operation in violation of the USDA organic regulations is subject to enforcement actions, which can include financial penalties or suspension or revocation of their organic certificate.

The program receives information about certified operations from each of the accredited certifying agents and updates the list annually.

For more information about certification under the National Organic Program, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/ NOPAccreditationandCertification.