NC Organic Growers

Marjorie Rayburn (mrayburn@chowan.ces.state.nc.us)
Wed, 4 Aug 1999 16:23:41 -0400 (EDT)

In North and South Carolina the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA)
is the organic certification organization. They are also a member organization
promoting sustainable agriculture (including organic agriculture). Each year
they conduct the Sustainable Agriculture Conference. a 3-day series of meetings
workshops , etc. where growers, gardeners, extension personnel, and others can
share information on various aspects of sustainable and organic agriculture.
They publish a newsletter six times a year highlighting an organic or
sustainable operation and presenting updates and other information of value to
its members.
Contact person for CFSA is Laura Lauffer, executive director - CFSA, P.O. Box
448, Pittsboro, NC 27312 (e-mail: cfsa@intrex.net)

There is also an organic growers cooperative that works with organic farmers
all over North Carolina to help market organically grown products:
Carolina Organic Growers
Mark Lewis, Manager
Box 11
570 Brevard Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Yes, there is a viable, active association concerned with organic agriculture
in NC (and SC). It is the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. They have
been a part of a recently completed study of "An Overview of the North Carolina
Organic Industry" highlighting the increasing demand for organically produced
crops in NC and the opportunities for NC farmers to respond to those demands.

There also was an opportunity for NC Extension Agents to learn more about
Organic Agriculture, so they could better assist organic farmers and gardeners
in their area. This was provided through an in-depth, 4 credit hour course in
Organic Farming Systems, organized by specialists in Horticulture, Plant
Pathology, and Soil Science (Nancy Creamer, Frank Loews, Keith Baldwin,
respectively) during which agents visited organic farms, talked to organic
growers, saw what was being done in the area of organic research. As a final
project, "students" had to write a grant proposal (SARE, etc.), for on farm
research with a farmer in their county or work with a farmer to develop a
multi-year farm plan for an organic enterprise.

A joint project of the NC Dept of Agriculture, NC State Univ., and NC A&T State
Univ. is a large scale, long term research farm in Goldsboro, NC - Center for
Environmental Farming Systems which includes a 40 acre organic unit.

Just thought you'd like to know what's happening in organic agriculture in
North Carolina.

Marjorie Rayburn

--
Marjorie Rayburn, Area Specialized Agent, IPM
E-Mail  : mrayburn@chowan
Internet: mrayburn@chowan.ces.ncsu.edu
Phone:  (252) 482-8431
Fax:  (252) 482-0126




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