VGCC to host workshop on Organic Crop certification

Vance-Granville Community College will host a one-day workshop to help local farmers understand the process of certifying their crops as “organic” according to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards.

 

“Organic Crop Certification for Agricultural Small Businesses” is set to be held Friday, March 20, from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Room 7107 of Building 7 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County.

 

Attendees will learn from regional experts, who will demystify the USDA Organic Certification process and crop production requirements. Presenters will offer practical tips for soil and pest management, organic inputs and application completion. Participants can connect with a certification agency and a currently certified organic grower to ask questions that are relevant to their own agricultural small businesses.

 

The USDA describes organic agriculture as “using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics.” Organic farmers, ranchers, and food processors follow a defined set of USDA standards to produce organic food and fiber. Across the country, over 25,000 farmers, ranchers and other businesses receive many benefits from USDA organic certification. Many receive premium prices for their products through the growing $35 billion U.S. organic retail market.

 

This workshop is sponsored by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA), the Southern Organic Female Farmers Association (SOFFA) and the VGCC Small Business Center , with funding support from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program .

 

Presenters are scheduled to include Brian Rakita of Quality Certification Services, Keith Baldwin, Karen McSwain and Eric Soderholm, all of CFSA, and Jane Saiers of RambleRill Farm.

 

The cost of the workshop is $8 per person, which includes a lunch provided by SOFFA.

 

For more information, contact VGCC Small Business Center director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu .