The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing over 8,500 organic businesses across 50 states. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. Organic products represented include organic foods, ingredients and beverages, as well as organic fibers, personal care products, pet foods, nutritional supplements, household cleaners and flowers.
Learn more about the new partnership in this excerpt from a recent OTA press release:
“For forty years, Tilth Producers of Washington has been educating and advocating for organic farmers. Committed to policies from its beginning in 1974 that promote organic farming, Tilth Producers this month further strengthened the voice of its 500-plus grower members by voting to become the newest member of the Organic Trade Association’s (OTA’s) Farmers Advisory Council (FAC).
“Tilth Producers is committed to making organic agriculture a viable option for beginning and experienced growers alike. Producers want their voice to be heard, but the reality is that time away from the farm is costly, and it often isn’t practical for them to advocate on their own behalf,” said Tilth Producers Executive Director Michele Catalano. “We look forward to being involved with the OTA’s Farmers Advisory Council and providing direct input on behalf of our small- and medium-sized grower members.”
OTA established the Farmers Advisory Council in 2013 to give organic farmers and regional organic producer organizations across the United States a stronger voice to directly influence policy impacting the organic sector. Since then, the council has cast new attention on the challenge and need to boost domestic organic production. Tilth Producers is joining a national council whose participating farmer-driven organizations include the Organic Egg Farmers of American, the Montana Organic Association, CROPP Cooperative, CCOF Inc., Oregon Tilth Certified Organic, and the Western Organic Dairy Producers Association, together representing 8,500 certified organic producers throughout the nation.
“FAC’s energy and momentum will be further enhanced by the addition of Tilth Producers,” said FAC chair and member of OTA Board of Directors Perry Clutts, organic dairy farmer and owner of Pleasantview Farm in Ohio. “Tilth Producers is one of the nation’s first creators of organic certification standards. It is a model of peer-to-peer educational programming that provides growers with the tools and information they need to succeed. We are proud to have them at the FAC table, and we know they will greatly contribute to our goal to support the success of organic production in America.”
Organic farmers: Apply here to represent Tilth Producers on OTA’s Farmer Advisory Council.