How many certified organic growers of fruits and vegetables would you think there would be in an agricultural state like Florida? I recently was able to obtain a list and there are currently 105 farms that have achieved organic certification.
None of those farms are located in Sumter county but I did find 49 of them that are within 100 miles, making them "local" by our current definition. I receive regular calls from local citizens looking for organic produce, but most consumer do not seem to know what it means to be a certified organic producer. U.S. sales of organic products grew by 17.1 percent to $24.6 billion by the end of 2008 so this is big business!
Florida Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc. is providing an event to help people learn how to transition into organic farming on September 25th at the Alachua County Extension Office. The workshop costs $15 and includes refreshments, lunch and materials. The purpose of the workshop is to benefit conventional farmers who are seeking more information about tranisitioning to organic practices. Topics to be discussed are organic marketing, research-demonstrated benefits of organic farming, Farm Bill programs that support transition to organic production and National Organic Program regulations. To register for the workshop contact FOG at (352) 377-6345.
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