Chicago, Illinois
May 7, 2007
The
Organic Trade Association (OTA) today publicly launched
HowToGoOrganic.com,
a web site for producers and processors transitioning to
organic. The web site is designed as a clearinghouse of North
American resources for farmers and businesses interested in
becoming organic or in creating new organic enterprises.
In North America, consumer demand for organic products exceeds
the rate of organic production. The new web site will help
encourage further domestic production by assembling in a single
online resource the full range of available information for
farmers and producers transitioning to organic.
"Last year, OTA's Board President and I decided to respond to
our members' messages that they needed, and could sell, much
more domestically grown organic product. And thus was born the
idea to create this clearinghouse of resources on conversion to
organic," said Caren Wilcox, OTA's Executive Director.
Transitioning land to organic certification usually takes three
years, and there is much research that each farmer has to
undertake.
The site features two "Pathways for Organic," one for farmers
and one for processors, as well as a regional directory for the
United States, and a searchable North American organic
directory. The "Pathways" provide basic information on the
process of going organic with links to key resources throughout
North America. This unique resource is primarily designed for
conventional farmers and processors who want to get started or
are navigating the transition to organic production, but also
provides valuable information for established organic farmers,
producers, and processors.
The web site's regional directories showcase transition
resources unique to specific regions and states. Resource
listings in the North American directory can be searched by
topic and subtopic, by type of resource, or by state. The site
also features profiles of farmers and businesses that have
successfully become certified organic or that are working
through the process.
HowToGoOrganic.com
is being launched at OTA's All Things Organic™ Conference and
Trade Show in Chicago. Seed packets promoting the site will be
distributed to All Things Organic™ attendees, and an
announcement regarding HowToGoOrganic.com will be part of OTA's
daily press briefings during the conference.
To create the new web site, OTA contracted with Chris Hill Media
(principals Chris Hill and Glenn Hughes), known in agricultural
circles for its work on the NewFarm.org and the Organic Seed
Alliance web pages.
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business
association representing the organic agriculture industry in
North America. Its nearly 1,600 members include growers,
shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers' associations,
distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and
others. OTA encourages global sustainability through promoting
and protecting the growth of diverse organic trade. |
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