Information Documents for Organic Certification and Resource Links :


Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)

Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA)

Directory of Minnesota Organic Farms

Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification

Marketing Local Food Handbook



If you have any questions, please contact Katie Evans at our office at    (320) 968-5300 Ext. 3 or at Katie.Evans@mn.nacdnet.net. The Benton SWCD office has hard copies of some of the resources listed above, as well as the following:


- The 2006 Status of Organic
  Agriculture in Minnesota Report to
  the Legislature

- List of USDA Accredited Organic
  Certifiers Active in Minnesota, 2007

- Organic Certification Fact Sheet

- How to Choose an Organic
  Certification Agency Fact Sheet

- Transitioning to Organic Dairy
  Production Fact Sheet

- Common Mistakes Made by Organic
  Certification Applicants Fact Sheet

Organic Agriculture Information

"Organic" is a guarantee about how an agricultural food or fiber product was grown and handled before it reached the consumer. It's also a set of standards for farmers who grow plants and animals, and for processors and handlers who turn it into food or clothing products.

Farmers and food processors that make organic claims must meet national organic standards, maintain careful records, and be certified by a  USDA accredited organization, a process that includes on-site inspections, however, farms that gross less than $5,000 in organic sales may be exempt from certification.

Minnesota has more than 500 certified organic farms and more than 130 certified organic food processors and businesses. Organic continues to be one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the food industry.

Upcoming Events - 2008

2/12 & 2/13
Upper Midwest Fruit & Vegetable Growers - St. Cloud Civic Center, MN Contact: (763) 434-0400 mfvga@msn.com or www.mfvga.org

2/21 & 2/23 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference - LaCrosse, WI
Contact: (715) 772-3153 or info@mosesorganic.org or www.mosesorganic.org

2/27 Peddling Your Pickles Safely - T Maxwell's, Staples, Central MN
Contact: (763) 434-0400 mfvga@msn.com

3/11 Minnesota Grown Marketing Conference - U of M, St. Paul Campus
Contact: (651) 633-4987 www.minnesotagrown.com or www.mnla.biz

3/13 Lake Agassiz SFA Annual Event - Red Lake Falls, NW MN
Contact: Bill Langlois (218) 281-6881

3/13 Peddling Your Pickles Safely - Dakota County Extension Office, Farmington, MN
Contact: (763) 434-0400 mfvga@msn.com

3/25 Organic Dairy 101: A Workshop for Dairy Support Professionals, Rochester, SE MN
Contact: (320) 226-6318 communications@sfa-mn.org

3/27 Organic Dairy 101: A Workshop for Dairy Support Professionals, McIntosh, NW MN
Contact: (320) 226-6318 communications@sfa-mn.org

3/28 2nd Annual Home Grown Economy - U of M, Crookston, NW MN
Contact: Terry VanDerPol (320) 269-2105 or tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org

4/26 through 4/29 All Things Organic - Conference & Trade Show, Chicago, IL