Have you ever struggled to find information on or someone to talk to about a USDA program?

The USDA has developed a guide to organic and organic-related programs, and is implementing a department-wide training program to improve service to current and prospective organic stakeholders.

USDA has also developed a toolkit that helps farmers and businesses answer the question, "is organic an option for me?"

Organic Literacy Initiative

In response to requests from the organic community, USDA developed these materials to help connect current and prospective organic operations with appropriate USDA resources.

 

Through this effort, USDA staff will be better equipped to help current and prospective organic customers:

  • Obtain technical and financial assistance.
  • Insure crops and livestock.
  • Access and fund research.
  • Secure loans.
  • Develop conservation practices.
  • Find current organic price information.
  • Access local, regional, and international markets.

By 2015, the USDA hopes to have 20,000 certified organic farmers and businesses in the United States. We're well on our way to achieving this goal, but we're not there yet.

We hope you will use and share these materials widely, helping current and prospective organic operations fully benefit from USDA services.

View Guide to Organic and Organic-Related USDA Programs

Access All Organic Literacy Initiative Materials

Includes training and outreach materials

Are You a USDA Employee?

In order to credit your training and track USDA participation, please access the organic 101 and 201 courses through USDA's AgLearn system. However, AgLearn is currently down for routine maintenance until September 12th.

Once AgLearn is back online, USDA staff will be invited to access these online training modules.

In the meantime, we welcome you to:

Thank you for your patience and help supporting organic agriculture!

About the National Organic Program (NOP)

The NOP facilitates trade and ensures integrity of organic agricultural products by consistently implementing organic standards and enforcing compliance with the regulations throughout the world. Learn more.

About the NOP Organic Insider

The NOP Organic Insider is intended to inform the organic community on a wide range of NOP functions, including organic standards, accreditation and international activities, compliance and enforcement, the National Organic Standards Board, training events, and the Cost Share program.

 

You are receiving this email because you elected to receive selected updates from the USDA National Organic Program. You may manage your profile to receive additional updates on other NOP functions or unsubscribe at any time by using the links below.

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