Photo: During weekly virtual organic office hours, Northwest producers can drop in to speak with a certification specialist when convenient. 

Northwest Transitioning Producers Build Confidence with One-On-One Organic Technical Assistance  

For producers who are making the transition to organic certification, one-on-one technical assistance is key to their success. USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) technical assistance providers in the Northwest, have been giving transitioning producers support and guidance throughout the certification process. 

Technical assistance providers have been teaching producers about organic regulations, compliance while transitioning, Organic System Plans and answering specific certification questions. This level of individualized support builds the needed confidence for producers to successfully pursue certification and understand the organic regulations.   

Though there are many ways technical assistance is being provided, one notable method has been through weekly virtual office hours. During these hours, producers can drop in and speak with an organic certification specialist. Producers have found this service to be a helpful way to ask general questions and address specific issues such as buffer and contamination concerns, inputs and materials, and the certification process and timeline.  

From blueberry farmers to hazelnut growers, from kelp to grain and vegetables, producers in the Northwest are making use of these organic office hours to help them along their organic certification journeys. For information on Northwest organic office hours, visit https://www.organictransition.org/events/.

Photo: Students of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo conducting on-farm research about organic.  

TOPP Programs Deliver Mentorship, Technical Assistance, Community Building, and Workforce Development to Next Generation of Organic Professionals in California  

USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) West/Southwest Regional Lead, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and their partners are successfully delivering mentorship, technical assistance, community building, and workforce development to farmers transitioning to organic production.   Some recent highlights include, workforce development partners California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) and the University of California-Berkeley’s Food Institute launching programs to train the next generation of organic farm advisors, scientists, and organic entrepreneurs. Bringing together farm and technology, students at Cal Poly launched a new podcast series covering current issues in organic around California. 

Meanwhile, several other partners have focused on building team capacity to provide comprehensive support for organic transition through organizational hiring, organic training, and organic program and resource development. Technical assistance resources are being developed in English and Spanish, with plans to make resources available to Hmong-speaking farmers soon.  

The West/Southwest TOPP region has seen great interest in the mentorship program due to the need for food hubs to be certified under the new Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule. Through TOPP, CCOF is supporting a Food Hub Organic Mentor, long-time certified operation Coke Farms, who will provide mentorship to a cohort of 7 food hubs from across the state to achieve organic certification for their operations. Coke Farms will host a site visit in the summer of 2024, and will complete site visits at each hub site.

Photo: Members of the Iowa Organic Association learned how TOPP partners farmers with experienced mentors for successful organic production. 

Farmers Talk About the Value of Mentorship at Iowa Organic Association Annual Meeting 

The Iowa Organic Association (IOA), a core partner for the Midwest region of USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), recently held its annual meeting to celebrate Iowa’s growing organic movement. Each year, IOA members gather to learn about new and emerging issues within the organic industry, enjoy a locally curated organic meal, and visits from friends, presenters, and IOA sponsor exhibitors. This year, presentations focused on organic production as a way to address climate challenges, transitional and organic hemp production opportunities, and new resources available to Iowa producers through TOPP.   

IOA organized the Organic Mentorship: Tools and Support for Success panel to highlight TOPP activities and promote the program. The panel included three farmers who shared how mentorship has been integral to the success of their own operations. Panelists discussed the importance and value of knowledge-sharing to sustain and expand organic principles and practices well into the future. The three-farmer panel included Kim Andersen of Blueberry Bottom in Brighton (organic blueberries and grain), Rob Faux, Ph.D., of Genuine Faux Farm in Tripoli (organic vegetables), and Gary Welsh of Welsh Family Organic Farms in Lansing (organic dairy, livestock, and grain). 

About the Transition to Organic Partnership Program   

The USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is investing up to $100 million over five years in cooperative agreements with non-profit organizations who are partnering with others to provide technical assistance and wrap-around support for transitioning and existing organic farmers. USDA is building partnership networks in six regions across the United States with trusted organizations serving direct farmer training, education, and outreach activities. 

For more information on upcoming TOPP events, mentorship opportunities, and farmer resources in your region, visit OrganicTransition.org. Visit USDA's TOPP Success Stories page to read about the exciting work being done in communities throughout the United States.