IOA strives to offer information to our members and the general public on a variety of topics related to organic and sustainable agriculture. If you have a resource to share, please contact us to make a suggestion.
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Table of Contents
- Organic Certification
- Transition to Organic Agriculture
- Organic and Federal FarmBill Programs
- Pesticide Drift
- Organic Marketing
- Organic Education- General
- Federal Commodity Check-off & Organic Exemption Forms
- Avian Flu & Organic Production Resources
- Beginning Farmers
- Organic Gardening
- Healthy Living
Organic certifying agencies in Iowa
National Organic Program (Organic Regulations, NOSB, Certification, and more information)
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances
Vegetable Farmers Guide to Organic Certification (National Young Farmers Coalition)
Transition to Organic Agriculture
Making the Transition to Organic: Ten Farm Profiles: Written by the University of Minnesota, this publication highlights organic opportunities and offers strategies to address the unique challenges that transitioning producers face. It features livestock, crop, and vegetable producers who were in the process of transitioning or were recently certified organic between 2012 and 2015.
Organic Transition Guide: This guide, created by Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), will walk you step-by-step through the transition process. It explains the organic standards, methods organic farmers use to produce high quality organic food, and the certification process.
Organic Transition Workbook: This workbook, created by Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), uses a whole farm planning process to walk you through developing an organic management system, and ultimately an Organic System Plan that will prepare you to apply for certification.
Organic Transition: A Business Planner: Use this Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) business planner to evaluate if organic certification makes good business sense for your farm or facility.
Organic Certification Guidelines Q&A: This two page guide developed by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, answers frequently asked questions about the certification process.
GO Organic Checklist: California Certified Organic Farmers has developed a simple, ten step check list for transitioning to certified organic.
Organic and Federal FarmBill Programs
Organic Farmers' Guide to the Conservation Reserve Program Field Border Buffer Initiative: NSAC’s guide includes eligibility and application information, program basics, detailed descriptions of key conservation practices and associated payments, as well as two producer profiles and resources for additional information. The buffer initiative, which is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) as part of the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) Continuous Sign-up (CCRP), aims to establish up to 20,000 acres of new conservation buffers.
USDA NRCS Conservation Activity Plan 138 for Organic System Plans
DriftWatch Crop Registry: A voluntary Iowa registry for organic, sensitive crop, and aviary sites.
IDALS Pesticide Use Investigations and Enforcement: Details how the Iowa Dept. of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) handle pesticide misuse.
Protect Your Right to Farm: Pesticide Drift Response Guide for Iowa's Farmers and Rural Residents: A brochure detailing what to do if you or your farm has been sprayed by pesticide drift in Iowa.
Private Labs for Pesticide Residue Testing: Compiled by Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), these private labs can often get farmers' their test results in a matter of weeks, compared to the 6-8 months it typically takes IDALS to return the testing information.
"Kids on the Frontline" Report: A report by the Pesticide Action Network that includes a rigorous assessment of dozens of independent studies documenting links between pesticide exposure and children’s health harms. The science linking agricultural pesticides to childhood health harms — particularly leukemia, brain tumors and developmental disorders — has grown increasingly strong. While children across the country are exposed in various ways, those living in rural, agricultural communities are on the frontlines of both pesticide exposure and the associated health risks. This report highlights Iowa as one of the 4 states included in the report.
USDA-AMS Organic Market Reports
Certified Organic Production Survey: Iowa
Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program
Marbleseed: Formerly known as the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), Marbleseed was established in 1995 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to supporting farmers in their transition toward sustainable, organic farming systems that are ecologically sound, economically viable, and socially just.
Federal Commodity Check-off Organic Exemption Forms
All organic producers are now exempt from federal commodity checkoff programs. You must apply for your exemption annually to each individual checkoff board. The exemption forms for the various commodities can be found here: https://www.ams.usda.gov/resources/rp-organic-exemption For more information about the new 2016 regulation, read this document.
Avian Flu & Organic Production Resources
Defend the Flock program (USDA APHIS)
Biosecurity in USDA Organic Poultry Operations (USDA AMS 2016)
Collection of Farm Safety Resources
Starting or Diversifying an Agricultural Business (Penn State Extension) reviews all the steps of starting a business, from analyzing business opportunities to getting off the ground.
How to Begin Your Small Farm Dream (New Entry Sustainable Farming Project) This guide provides a clear overview of the benefits and challenges of owning a farm, as well as the resources to realize those benefits.
Start a Farm in the City Guide (ATTRA) A guide for starting an urban farm, touching on soil testing, finding markets, and resources specifically for urban farmers.
A Resource Guide for Beginning Farmers (ISU) Geared for people interested in teaching a Beginning Farmer Training program. The curriculum in this manual is divided into three parts: production practices, post-harvest handling, and business planning/basic finances. Each module is organized by learning objectives and includes narrative, hands-on activities, and links to worksheets and additional resources.
A Beginner's Guide to Seed Saving
Garden Design: The Easiest Garden Ever
Consumer Guides: Environmental Working Group: The Environmental Working Group annually evaluates products for healthy living including pesticide residues on food, children's cereals, sunscreen, body products, household cleaning products, insect repellent, water filters, seafood, etc.
What’s On My Food? is a searchable database from the Pesticide Action Network designed to make the public problem of pesticide exposure visible and more understandable. You can search any US produce and find out the probable pesticide residue and health affects.