Organic Resources - Organizations

Montana

The Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO)
AERO is a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to solutions that promote resource conservation and local economic vitality. AERO nurtures individual and community self-reliance through programs that support sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and environmental quality.

Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) - Organic Certification Program
Established in 2001, The Montana Organic Certification Program provides interested parties the tools needed to become a certified organic producer.

Western Region

Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (WSAWG)
The Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is a non-profit organization bringing together diverse individuals and groups working in sustainable agriculture and food systems to share successful models, realize our collective strengths, build regional capacity and inform the agriculture policy debate.

University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program

Washington Center for Sustaining Ag and Natural Resources

National

Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is a non-profit whose mission is to sponsor research related to organic farming practices, to disseminate research results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting organic production systems, and to educate the public and decision-makers about organic farming issues.

Scientific Congress on Organic Agricultural Research (SCOAR) is a collaboration of producers, scientists, and others. Its mission is to plan and promote research and information-exchange for understanding and improving organic agricultural systems.

The Cornucopia Institute
A non-profit group based in Wisconsin and working on food and farm policy issues concerning sustainable and organic agriculture.

NCAT/ATTRA - Organic Farming
With the organic market growing steadily, you may be interested in learning more about organic certification and organic production options. These resources offer guidance in preparing for certification, and in production methods for a range of organic crops and livestock. Many of these publications were developed in response to producer questions, and they deal with issues related to specific products, as well as production methods, marketing, and organic certification requirements.

Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM)
OFARM is a farmer marketing agency-in-common. We represent organic field crop cooperatives and farmer marketing associationsin a region that spans the major grain producing areas of the United States, an 18-state area and Canada. The mission of OFARM is to coordinate the efforts of producer marketing groups to benefit and sustain organic producers.

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA)
The OCA is a grassroots non-profit public interest organization which deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, corporate accountability, and environmental sustainability. We are the only organization in the US focused exclusively on representing the views and interests of the nation’s estimated ten million organic consumers.

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
OMRI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization started in 1997 by organic certification agencies. Its mission is to provide professional, independent, and transparent review of materials allowed to produce, process, and handle organic food and fiber. A complete and up-to-date version of the OMRI Brand Name Products List is available for viewing and free downloading from the organization’s web site.

OMRI’s information services are designed to assist certifiers, growers, handlers, processors, and input suppliers in determining the compatibility of generic materials and brand name products for organic production under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Rule. OMRI serves the industry in the role of an advisory and educational support agency.

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
The SARE program recently unveiled a new Web site designed to help farmers and ranchers increase profitability, protect the environment, and improve rural communities. The site offers cutting-edge sustainable farming and ranching technologies, useful contacts, and funding sources for research and education initiatives. Learn how to get a grant, search the SARE projects database, post or browse upcoming events, order books and bulletins or find SARE contacts and regions. You can also browse a variety of subjects including animal and crop production, economics and marketing. The site is sorted by audience, giving farmers and ranchers, consumers, researchers and educators each a fast track to the information that’s most useful to them.

Last Modified: 10/26/2005