Organic Farming

Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council - Nomination Period Now Open

The Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council (OAC) is a private sector body appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to advise agriculture agencies, farmers, processors and consumers on organic agriculture issues.

About

Agendas and minutes of Organic Advisory Council meetings are posted on the following website: www.organic.wisc.edu.

Mission Statement

The Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council brings together public and private resources to promote Wisconsin’s national leadership position in Organic Agriculture. By advising the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and other organizations and agencies on critical organic issues, the council supports organic production, processing, and purchasing opportunities for Wisconsin farmers, processors, and consumers.

Purpose

The purpose of the Council will be to provide guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture, the Governor, the Legislature, and other state agencies on actions that can be taken to further the Wisconsin organic industry. Member terms are on a three-year rotating basis, with four members going off each year. The Council conducts its business via quarterly all-day meetings.

Structure

The Council consists of 12 people representing the spectrum of organic production, processing, and marketing in Wisconsin and will include:

• 3 certified organic farmers, preferably reflecting several types of farms (dairy, vegetable, etc.).
• 3 organic business sector representatives.
• 1 representative of organic consumers.
• 1 representative of a private, non-profit educational organization involved in organic agriculture.
• 1 representative of the certification industry.
• 3 at-large members.

Current Advisory Council Members

Advisory Council Activities

The Advisory Council and Interagency Team meets three to four times annually and have established five committees that work on a range of topics. The committees include:

Government Relations and Legal Affairs Committee, Christine Mason, Chair
This committee is tasked with coordinating activities of the Council in the areas of advising DATCP and other agencies on rules and policies affecting organic agriculture and developing white papers and proposals addressing organic issues that are of interest generally. It is also responsible for maintaining communications with the Secretary of Agriculture and the DATCP Board as well as with other state organic advisory councils.

Biennial Report Committee, Erin Silva, Chair
This committee is tasked with creating and publishing a biennial report that will meet the objectives set out in the Task Force Report, Appendix A, to develop and track measurable goals for growth of the Organic Sector in Wisconsin. See the 2009 report at: http://www.cias.wisc.edu/crops-and-livestock/organic-agriculture-in-wisconsin-2009-status-report/

Consumer Education Committee, Chairmanship vacant. Contact Laura Paine for more information
Primarily Priority #1 from the Task Force Report (Consumer Education) including organic integrity issues, also Priority #5, educating consumers on Organic Integrity (Products being labeled or sold as organic in Wisconsin that are not certified organic, or inappropriate procedures are being followed that may decertify the product). A current project is development of a consumer’s guide to buying organic foods.

Farmer Education Committee , Kevin Shelley, Chair
Goals are to enhance the capacity of Universities and Colleges to provide training in organic agriculture and processing, enhance communication and networking capacity among organic farmers and with transitioning farmers, provide education for transitioning and established organic farmers, and address confusion among farmers with regard to which materials are allowed for use in organic production.

National Organic Issues Committee, Harriet Behar, Chair
This committee will address NOP issues and other national issues that impact organic farms, such as the farm bill. This group will be responsible for communicating with other state Organic Advisory Councils. Also addressing Organic Integrity Issues such as contamination of organic crops by GMOs, integrity of organic products, inappropriate use of the organic label.

Supply Chain Infrastructure Committee, Laura Paine, Chair
This committee is to cover marketing, market development, and processing capacity development. Issues to be addressed include marketing education/technical assistance for farmers, need for expertise in marketing among organic farmers, processors, and handlers , improving access to marketing opportunities for small organic farmers, processor education, technical assistance, and capacity building, addressing regulatory barriers to small-scale and specialty processing businesses, increasing small scale processing capacity in Wisconsin.

History

In 2004, Governor Doyle set a goal for Wisconsin to "lead the nation in organic agriculture." On March 15 of that year, he convened an Organic Summit to begin a dialogue between the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, the University of Wisconsin College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the organic industry in the state to determine how to accomplish this goal. Participants included organic farmers and companies, lenders, and representatives of the certification industry. The Summit resulted in creation of the Organic Agriculture Task Force to study the issues and develop a set of recommendations for fostering growth in the organic agriculture sector.

The Task Force met four times in 2004, resulting in a report to the governor on February 25, 2005.

Task Force Report

The report laid out a roadmap to leadership in organic production and processing. Priorities identified by the Task Force included creation of an educational and promotional program for Wisconsin organic products; establishment of programs that facilitate networking among organic farmers; development of coursework, degree programs and research on organic agriculture at the University of Wisconsin and the state Technical College System; and providing support and technical assistance for enhancing processing capacity within the state.

The report laid out actions to facilitate progress toward these tasks including establishment of a private sector Wisconsin Organic Advisory Council and an Inter-Agency Implementation Team to lead the effort, and the creation of an organic specialist position at DATCP and at the University of Wisconsin. As of 2006, all four of the Task Force’s action items have been accomplished.

Newsletters

Contact information:

Laura Paine
Grazing and Organic Agriculture Specialist
Division of Agricultural Development
DATCP
2811 Agriculture Drive
PO Box 8911
Madison, WI 53708
608-224-5120
Laura.paine@wi.gov

Dr. Erin Silva
Organic Agriculture Specialist
UW Agronomy Department
1575 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608-262-0902
emsilva@wisc.edu