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2 CapitalPress.com April 13, 2018 People & Places Institute ensures organic material compliance OMRI’s list of approved organic products grows to more than 6,000 Western Innovator By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press EUGENE, Ore. — The growing consumer appetite for organic food has caused a chain reaction through the ag- riculture industry, all the way through to farm input suppli- ers. Rising interest in organic farming has spurred the cre- ation of new products and companies seeking to supply those growers with organic fertilizers, pesticides and other goods. Over the past 20 years, the number of products listed for organic use by the Organic Materials Review Institute has increased from fewer than 200 to more than 6,000. OMRI, a nonprofit based in Eugene, Ore., is charged with ensuring those crop, livestock and processing products com- ply with organic standards es- tablished by the USDA. In just the last year, the number of products listed by OMRI has shot up 20 percent. There is some confusion about the institute’s role in the organic industry, said Peggy Miars, its executive director. Companies occasionally try to convince OMRI to approve a product even though it con- tains a prohibited substance, not understanding the organi- zation doesn’t make such calls, she said. OMRI doesn’t decide whether it’s appropriate for a substance to be allowed in organic production — that responsibility falls to the USDA’s National Organic Pro- gram and an advisory group of industry stakeholders, the National Organic Standards Board. Not an advocate “We never advocate for or against a particular substance,” said Miars. Instead, the institute eval- Executive director: Peggy Miars Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................Editor & Publisher Elizabeth Yutzie Sell .... Advertising Director Carl Sampson ................Managing Editor Jessica Boone ........ Production Manager Samantha McLaren .... Circulation Manager Employees: 56 uates the formulations of branded products to determine if they’re composed of sub- stances that are permitted by USDA. When a substance is pro- posed for inclusion in organic production, the USDA may also hire the institute to research the material’s impacts on the envi- ronment and human health. However, OMRI doesn’t make recommendations and stays out of controversies about approving or prohibiting substances, said Miars. “One reason OMRI is re- spected is because we are neu- tral,” she said. “We don’t go one way or another.” The vast majority of prod- ucts listed by OMRI — 86 percent — pertain to growing crops, and most of those are fertilizers and soil amend- ments. The remaining 14 percent are fairly evenly split between livestock products and pro- cessing products, such as those used to make cheese and wine. In recent years, there have been a lot of new innovations with anaerobic digestate. This liquid and solid waste comes from anaerobic digesters, such as those that generate pow- er from dairy manure, said Kelsey McKee, OMRI’s re- view program and quality di- rector. OMRI’s role is to en- sure the digestate byproduct doesn’t contain substances that are prohibited in organic pro- duction, she said. Input suppliers are also developing new products con- taining specific beneficial mi- crobes and mycorrhizal fungi, McKee said. These soil amendments go beyond general compost: Cer- tain bacteria and fungi can re- duce pressure from pathogens or maximize nutrient availabil- ity, she said. OMRI determines whether these microorganisms are ge- netically engineered, which is excluded from organic farm- ing, or are grown in synthetic media that aren’t allowed. “Different microbes can have different roles,” McKee said. “We are looking at where are they getting it, how are they growing it.” Growing workload Before OMRI was founded two decades ago, organic certi- fiers such as Oregon Tilth and California Certified Organic Farmers would review brand- ed products for compliance with organic standards. As the work became in- creasingly time-consuming, these and other organic groups chipped in financially to launch OMRI, which would be dedicated to this function. With the climbing num- ber of products proposed for listing, the institute has been swamped with work. When Miars was hired sev- en years ago, the organization received about 40 applications a month. It’s now up to 130. Since the organization wasn’t willing to compromise on thoroughness, the backlog has lengthened OMRI’s re- view periods, Miars said. “We had a reputation for being real- ly slow.” A hiring spree that in- creased OMRI’s staff by 50 percent over the past two years has reduced the wait time. In late 2016, the median review process took seven months, but it’s now down to two months. OMRI is also automat- ing its application process to require less data-entry from employees, which the institute hopes will further improve ef- ficiency. “We are relying more and more on technology,” Miars said. Cutting down on mind-numbing tasks serves another worthwhile function: making jobs at OMRI more rewarding. Recruiting and training ed- ucated workers costs money, so the nonprofit must focus on retaining them, she said. “It’s Corporate Officers Heidi Wright Chief Operating Officer Rick Hansen Chief Financial Officer Headquarters: Eugene, Ore. Peggy Miars, left, executive director of the Organic Materials Review Institute, and Kelsey McKee, OMRI’s review program and quality director, work to ensure farm inputs and other products meet organic standards. Established 1928 Board of Directors Mike Forrester Steve Forrester Kathryn Brown Susan Rana Harrison Forrester Mike Omeg Cory Bollinger Jeff Rogers Organic Materials Review Institute Founded: 1997 Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press Capital Press Function: Reviewing brand- ed products for compliance with organic standards. Listed products: More than 6,000 Product categories: More than 86 percent are crop-re- lated, 7 percent are pro- cessing-related and nearly 7 percent are livestock-related. Product origins: 70 percent are from the U.S., 13 percent are from Mexico, 7 percent are from Canada, and 10 percent are from 36 other countries. good to see people want to stay with OMRI and grow with us.” To that end, the institute en- courages its employees to give presentations and write articles about obscure materials-relat- ed dilemmas. For example, can paper bags with colored ink be used in organic compost? The an- swer is yes — the ink is con- sidered an unavoidable envi- ronmental contaminant. The institute has also set its sights beyond the U.S. In 2012, OMRI started a program to review materials that are compliant with Cana- da’s organic standards, and it’s looking to replicate the effort in Mexico. Currently, organic materials review in Mexico is conducted by organic certifiers, Miars said. “There are certifiers and growers in Mexico who would love it if we could launch that program tomorrow.” Entire contents copyright © 2018 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is published weekly by EO Media Group, 1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem OR 97301. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. To Reach Us Circulation ......................... 800-882-6789 Email ........ Circulation@capitalpress.com Main line ........................... 503-364-4431 Fax ................................... 503-370-4383 Advertising Fax ................ 503-364-2692 News Staff Idaho Carol Ryan Dumas .......... 208-860-3898 Boise Brad Carlson .................... 208-914-8264 Cent. Washington Dan Wheat ........................ 509-699-9099 W. Washington Don Jenkins ...................... 360-722-6975 E Washington Matthew Weaver .............. 509-688-9923 Oregon George Plaven ................. 406-560-1655 Mateusz Perkowski .......... 800-882-6789 Graphic artist Alan Kenaga ..................... 800-882-6789 To Place Classified Ads Ad fax .............................. 503-364-2692 or ...................................... 503-370-4383 Telephone (toll free) .......... 800-882-6789 Online ......www.capitalpress.com/classifieds Subscriptions From left, Clancey Krahn, Jim Krahn, Allan Hanselman, ODFA board vice president, and Gracie Krahn at ODFA’s annual convention. ODFA Photos Tom Thomson and Bruce Wilson are honored at ODFA’s annual convention. From left, Oregon State University Ag- riculture Dean Dan Arp; Todd Leuthold, ODNC board member; and Chad Allen, ODFA board president. From left, Allan Hanselman and Pete DeHaan share a moment ODFA’s annu- al convention. Oregon Dairy Farmers honor five for lifelong contributions Capital Press SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Dairy Farmers Association acknowledged five individuals’ contributions to the state’s dairy industry during the organization’s annual convention. During the awards luncheon, ODFA recognized Pete DeHaan for his years of service on the ODFA Board. DeHaan served as the producer representative for the Western States organization, participating in conference calls, and traveling to meetings throughout the West and in Washington, D.C., last spring as part of the Oregon delegation that met with elected officials and oth- ers. He also represented ODFA at sev- Calendar To submit an event go to the Community Events calendar on the home page of our website at www.capitalpress.com and click on “Submit an Event.” Calendar items can also be mailed to Capital Press, 1400 Broadway St. NE, Salem, OR 97301 or emailed to newsroom@ capitalpress.com. Write “Calendar” in the subject line. Saturday, April 14 eral National Milk conferences. ODFA and the Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council jointly recognized Oregon State University’s College of Agriculture Dean Dan Arp. He has been a friend of the dairy industry for many years and will retire this summer. Additionally, ODFA presented awards to acknowledge three recipients for their lifelong contributions to the industry. Bruce Wilson and Tom Thom- son received the Distinguished Service Award and Jim Krahn received the Community Service Award. Wilson and Thomson were honored for their work to develop and enhance the Online Decision-making and Re- cord-Keeping system, known by the ac- fers an introduction to farm equipment maintenance and repair including: how small gas engines and larger gas and diesel engines run, basic mainte- nance and tuning; trouble-shooting problems and how to tell whether you can fix a problem. Register online at http://bit.ly/JacksonSmallFarms or send an email to paula.burkhalter@ oregonstate.edu or call 541-776- 7371. Cost: $20 each person Web- site: http://bit.ly/JacksonSmallFarms Small Acreage Expo. 8:30 a.m.- 3:45 p.m. Heritage Farm, 1919 N.E. 78th St., Vancouver, Wash. A full day of workshops will be offered, and repre- sentatives from a variety of agricultural organizations and agencies will be on hand. Cost: $15 in advance, $25 at the expo. Website: expo2018.brownpap- ertickets.com Oregon Hemp Convention. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Drive, Portland, Ore. Cannabis industry leaders, entrepre- neurs, networkers and newcomers will gather to learn best business practices for maintaining a successful cannabis business. Website: http:// oregonhempconvention.com/ Understanding and Maintaining Farm Equipment. 1-5 p.m. Dunbar Farms, Medford, Ore. This class of- Thursday, April 19 In the Field: Salem Agriculture ronym ODARK. They wrote grants and raised $115,000 from multiple sources to develop ODARK as an online re- cord-keeping tool for manure manage- ment. More recently they have raised an additional $55,000 to convert ODARK to a planning tool. Throughout their careers, both men have focused on helping producers un- derstand and conquer engineering and agronomic challenges, ODFA said in a press release. Together, Wilson and Thomson have written the majority of the Comprehensive Nutrient Manage- ment Plan and Confined Animal Feed- ing Operation plans in Oregon. Krahn served as executive director of ODFA for 23 years. During his tenure, Seminar. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wil- lamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St. SE, Salem, Ore. A no-cost sem- inar for a discussion specifically de- signed to provide agribusiness own- ers and their managers with the tools they need to get organized. Topics include the new tax cuts, finances and financial statements, regula- tory updates on water and wet- lands, organizing an agri-business and estate planning for farms and ranches. Sponsored by Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt. RSVP at http://bit.ly/2FwaRPV. Cost: Free Shepherds’ Extravaganza. 2-10 p.m. Washington State Fair, 110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. Sheep and Fleece Show, vendors of supplies, used fiber-re- lated equipment, demonstrations, workshops. Cost: No cost after admission to the Spring Fair. Website: www.shepherds-extrav- he and Oregon producers worked on a variety of issues. Highlights include be- ing involved in the organization of the Western States Dairy Producers Trade Association. He was involved with im- migration and served on the Governor’s Oregon Immigration Committee, a pro- cess that lasted two years. Krahn was actively engaged in recruitment of OSU students and restarted the OSU Dairy Judging Team. Through the years, the teams won 10 contests. He was also influential in developing the Oregon CAFO program by bringing producers, regulators and environmental groups together. He was also involved in the 2008 Air Emission Legislative Report. aganza.com Thursday-Sunday April 19-22 Puyallup Spring Fair. Wash- ington State Fairgrounds, 110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup, Wash. Website: http://www.thefair.com/ spring-fair Friday, April 20 Changing Hands: A Workshop on Farm Succession Planning and Access to Land. 7:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Harmony West Campus, Clackamas Community College, 7726 SE Harmony Road, Mil- waukie, Ore. Rogue Farm Corps’ workshop will bring together as- piring and retiring farmers for a full day of training on land access and succession planning. Cost: $20 Website: www.roguefarm- corps.org/planning Saturday, April 21 Oregon Women for Ag Auc- tion and Dinner. 5:30 p.m. Linn County Fair and Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road, Alba- ny, Ore. This exciting event is a fundraiser for Oregon Women for Agriculture, which advocates for all things involving agriculture in the state. Web: owaonline.org Tree School East. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Baker High School, 2500 E St., Baker City, Ore. This year the school will offer 29 classes on everything from multi-aged forest management to geology. Sponsored by OSU Extension, the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and the Oregon Small Woodlands Association. Cost: $50, $20 for 18 and younger with an adult family member. Website: http://extension.oregonstate. edu/baker/ Mail rates paid in advance Easy Pay U.S. $3.75/month (direct with- drawal from bank or credit card account) 1 year U.S. ...................................$49.99 2 years U.S. .................................$89.99 1 year Canada .................................$275 1 year other countries ......... call for quote 1 year Internet only .......................$49.99 1 year 4-H, FFA students and teachers ....$30 9 months 4-H, FFA students & teachers .....$25 Visa and Mastercard accepted To get information published Mailing address: Capital Press P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main office or news staff member closest to you, send the in- formation to newsroom@capitalpress.com or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press. Include a contact telephone number. Letters to the Editor: Send your comments on agriculture-related public issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital Press. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday. Capital Press ag media www.capitalpress.com www.FarmSeller.com marketplace.capitalpress.com www.facebook.com/capitalpress www.facebook.com/farmseller twitter.com/capitalpress www.youtube.com/capitalpressvideo Index Dairy .....................................11 Idaho FFA ............................... 4 Markets ............................... 13 Opinion .................................. 6 Correction policy Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. If you see a misstatement, omission or factual error in a headline, story or photo caption, please call the Capital Press news department at 503-364-4431, or send email to newsroom@capitalpress.com. We want to publish corrections to set the record straight.