Reimbursement available
for organic certification costs
BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said that applications are now being accepted for reimbursement of organic certification costs through the National Organic Cost Share Program for fiscal year 2014.
“Organic farmers, ranchers, processors and handlers can receive up to $750 of the organic certification costs they incurred between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014,” Goehring said.
Certification assures consumers that products are produced by recognized organic methods. Certification enables organic producers and processors to label and sell their products with a federal organic seal. Such products typically command a higher price in the marketplace.
Applicants must provide a 2014 cost share application form, a copy of a dated certificate or letter from a certifier verifying certification between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014, and a completed IRS W-9 Form. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 31.
Applicants who are certified by International Certification Services or the Organic Crop Improvement Association Chapter 1 should apply for reimbursement through the certifier. These organizations certify most North Dakota organic producers. All other producers should contact Emily Edlund at the North Dakota Department of Agriculture at 701-328-2191 or edlund@nd.gov.
Goehring said the national program provided North Dakota with $99,000 for certification reimbursement for 2014.
More information, including program guidelines and application forms, are available on the North Dakota Organic Advisory Board website at www.ndorganics.nd.gov/ or the NDDA website:www.nd.gov/ndda/program/organic-certification-cost-share-program.
Soil Health Field Day
Set for Aug. 21 in Mooreton
The North Dakota State University Extension Service will hold a soil health field day on Aug. 21 at the Bagg Bonanza Farm near Mooreton.
“We will focus on tools that can be used to improve soil health and manage salinity using a whole-system approach,” says Abbey Wick, NDSU Extension Service soil health assistant professor. “We also will show how individual species and mixes of cover crops look below-ground in a soil pit.
The day begins with registration between 8 and 8:45 a.m. at the Bagg Bonanza Farm.
From 9 to 11:45 a.m., producers will learn how a local producer is using cover crops to build soil health and improve water management on his fields. Discussion also will center around setting goals and choosing mixes that will meet the needs of individual producers.
Lunch will be served at noon. From noon until 2:30 p.m., demonstrations will be set up around the Bagg Farm to talk about the best management practices for erosion control. Stations also will be set up to show how the NDSU Pest Management app can be used to identify and manage diseases, weeds and pests.
From 2:45 to 5 p.m., participants will have a chance to visit the NDSU Soil Health and Agriculture Research Extension farm to learn about the tools needed to actively manage saline soils, such as soil and field testing, and different water management approaches. There will be hands-on demonstrations to walk producers through the effective management process.
Demonstrations will continue during supper from 5 to 7 p.m.
The cost of the field day is $20 if preregistering or $30 the day of the field day. To register, go to http://www.ndsu.edu/soilhealth/. For questions, contact Niki Lynnes at (701) 231-8881 or niki.lynnes@ndsu.edu.
Other sponsors of the field day are the North Dakota Corn Council, North Dakota Soybean Council and North Dakota Wheat Commission.
Goehring activates Harvest Hotline
BISMARCK – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has re-activated the North Dakota Harvest Hotline.
“Farmers who need custom combining and combiners looking for a job should call us at (701) 328-2391,” Goehring said. “Your name and information will be entered into the Harvest Hotline database to be matched up with other callers.”
Goehring said North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) employees will answer calls to the hotline weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Callers can also leave a message on evenings and weekends. The service is free of charge.
“Both farmers and combiners are already calling in,” Goehring said.
First used in 1992, when adverse weather conditions caused a heavy demand for custom combining, the Harvest Hotline has been offered annually as a free service for farmers and combiners.
Minnesota farmers tapped to
combat hunger in their hometowns
Invest an Acre program turns Minnesota farmers’ harvest donations into meals for local families.
Minnesota farmers have an opportunity this fall to help solve a rising but little-known problem affecting rural communities throughout the state.
This year in rural Minnesota, families will miss 40 million meals. Minnesota farmers already play a significant role in food production for the state, country and world. But a need still exists, and in rural communities, hunger is often hidden.
Feeding America’s Invest an Acre program turns farmers’ contributions into meals for local families. Farmers can get involved in two ways: They can make a cash donation now or pledge to make a donation from this year’s crop at harvest. Farmers do not need to make a final commitment until the crops are at the elevator.
“Hunger does not discriminate,” says Jennifer Woodford, executive director of Channel One Regional Food Bank. “It does not care where you live. Hunger does not care whether you are young or old. Hunger can strike anyone at any time. For many families, a serious life event means hunger strikes when it is least expected and defenses are down. A gift through Invest an Acre can help us stop hunger in its tracks right in local communities.”
Hunger is often a hidden problem that affects seniors, working families and children in rural as well as metro areas. One in 10 Minnesotans is at risk of missing a meal every day. Invest an Acre is part of a larger initiative to actively engage farmers in combating hunger — Harvest to End Hunger Minnesota. The second arm of the program is Share Fresh MN, a fresh-produce donation program that accepts unharvested or unsold produce from farmers.
The program is simple: Farmers are asked to visit HarvestToEndHungerMN.org and pledge the revenue from an acre, bushel or any amount of their 2014 crop to help fight hunger in their own communities. When harvest nears, farmers will be reminded to go online to create a donation form to bring to their local elevator with their grain donation. One hundred percent of the donation stays in the farmer’s community, and all of the money goes directly to provide food to hungry families. The Monsanto Company is matching every donation nationally, dollar for dollar, up to $675,000, doubling the impact.
The cluster of participating food banks includes Channel One Regional Food Bank, Great Plains Food Bank, North Country Food Bank, Inc., Second Harvest Heartland, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank and Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank.
To learn more about Invest an Acre and Harvest to End Hunger MN, visit www.HarvestToEndHungerMN.org.