Organic 1: Solutions to Certification Stumbling Blocks
Have you stumbled during organic inspections on how to verify your day-to-day tasks and production practices? Are you looking for solutions on how you can meet organic certification requirements, but not get bogged down with paperwork? In this session, Brenda Book, WSDA Organic Program Manager, and Allison Dermond, WSDA Organic Inspection Coordinator, share examples and provide resources to common certification stumbling blocks. We will explore options for how you can prevent pests, weeds, and diseases while enhancing natural resources on certified organic farms. The session will also tackle how you can set up a simple, yet compliant, record-keeping system and meet the requirement for traceability of your crops from field to market.
A limited number of seats in this educational session are being offered for free by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). If you’d like to attend without registering for the rest of the Tilth Conference, please sign up here.
About the Speakers
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Brenda Book
WSDA Organic ProgramWith the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Organic Program since 2002, Brenda Book oversees all aspects of the agency’s organic services and staff. A native of Central Iowa, Brenda grew up on her family’s third generation farm and has been involved in the organic industry since 1996 as farmer, researcher, retail produce manager, farmers market manager, and organic certifier. In addition to managing the WSDA Organic Program, Brenda has served on numerous regional and national committees focused on food systems and organic production.
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Allison Dermond
WSDA Organic ProgramAli Dermond has been inspecting and assisting organic farmers in Washington for over a decade. Ali conducts inspections across the state in addition to training, mentoring, and supporting WSDA’s organic inspector team. Ali’s ensures organic inspections and audits are focused on evaluating risk and ensuring the integrity of the organic claim, yet the process is adaptable to the many types of farms and production systems in our state. Ali is proud to be a native Washingtonian and brings a diverse background of regional agriculture and ecosystem experiences to her work as an organic inspector.