Top 5 - Organic News to Help You Grow #224

1. US Beekeepers Report 2nd Highest Colony Losses in History

The Bee Informed Partnership today reported the second-highest annual losses of honeybee colonies for the second year in a row. In its preliminary annual report on honey bee losses in the United States, beekeepers reported losing nearly half (45.5%) of their colonies over the past year.    Read More

2. CCOF's Kelly Damewood Offers Update on Priorities

In January 2020, California Organic CEO Kelly Damewood outlined her organization’s plans to push for more organic acres in California and offered her take on Governor Gavin Newsom. A pandemic and two legislative sessions later, organic demand is high, and more farmers are looking into making the transition. AgriPulse recently caught up with Damewood for an update.         Read More

3. Peru Plans to Double Organic Blueberry Exports

Peru is the world's leading exporter of blueberries, and this industry continues to grow in the country as demonstrated by the latest forecasts made by the Association of Blueberry Producers of Peru (Proarándanos). Luis Miguel Vegas, the general manager of Proarándanos, estimated the volume of organic blueberry exports during this 2021-2022 campaign would double the volume exported in the 2020-2021 campaign.   Read More

4. Grimmway Reopens Organic Produce Stand for Summer

Summer is a great season for produce. One option for locally grown greatness is Grimmway Farms' organic produce stand in the Tehachapi-Cummings Valley. It opened for the season starting Saturday, and the stand offers a wide array of farm-fresh Cal-Organic vegetables, including arugula, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, collard greens, corn, daikon, and many more.     Read More

5. USDA to Invest $41.8 Million in Drought-Related Conservation Assistance to Growers

In response to historic drought conditions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering $41.8 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to help agricultural producers in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Oregon alleviate the immediate impacts of drought and other natural resource challenges on working lands. The deadline for producers to apply is July 12.      Learn More