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Organic Federation of Australia Organic Update July 04 |
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Roundtable
In the June Organic Update I wrote that the OFA is currently looking at the changes needed to our structure so that the majority of the Australian Organic Industry will support us as the national peak body.
Senator the Hon. Judith Troeth, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and RIRDC are supporting a round table with the OFA, the Certifiers and several other industry organisations with the aim achieving an organic industry united by its peak body.
The roundtable will occur on August the 16th in Sydney. We will keep everyone informed of the outcomes.
The OFA intends to develop strong links with all regional and local organic organisations in Australia. These organisations fill important regional and local needs, especially in developing networks, disseminating information, holding field days, hosting guest speakers and generally establishing a community of like mined people.
It is important that as an industry we can have mechanisms where all our healthy diversity of organisations can work together to achieve a community of organic organisations.
This is critical, when, as an industry, we go to government and other industry sectors for funding, to advance our industry or to prevent problems that we feel will adversely affect our planet and ourselves.
Andre Leu
Chair
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NASAA has booked a stall at the national Fine Food Exhibition that will be held in Melbourne this September.
NASAA and the OFA will be working together to co-host a stall. It is the intention that this stall will be available to all of the organic industry, including all the certifying organisations
We encourage all producers to participate, as this is an excellent opportunity to showcase organic products to a large market of consumers and the food industry. It is also an excellent opportunity for us to promote organics to the wider community.
Please contact Joanne at the NASAA office, 08 8370 8355 or email: marketing.officer@nasaa.com.au If you would like more details about the event go to www.foodaustralia.com.au
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There are an increasing number of newsletters and magazine produced by various organic industry organisations. All of them provide useful information.
NASAA has just produce a new-look Journal, called 'Organic Insights'. This is a very good publication that has a range of interesting articles. This magazine is a welcome addition to growing list of organic publications.
It will complement the BFA’s Organic Journal and OGA’s The Mag, both of which always carry useful and informative articles and information.
Warm Earth is an independently published magazine that can be found in many newsagents that always has a range of very good articles.
Acres Australia is still one of the most useful publications and must be considered essential reading for people who want to know what is happening in Australia and around the world.
Acres USA is always a wonderful read, with fascinating articles and very useful news.
Robyn Neeson’s electronic newsletter always has interesting and useful information. Contact Robyn at: robyn.neeson@agric.nsw.gov.au
The Organic Advantage is a monthly email newsletter produced by Suzi Moore from BFA. This newsletter always has good articles as well as a long list of interesting events.
Contact Suzi Moore: media@bfa.com.au
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This is a new section, where we will profile the various organisations within organic industry. The OFA as the peak body is there to represent all sectors of the industry. We believe that it is important disseminate the information on the large diversity of organic organisations so that people can meet, join and become actively involved with others in those areas that are relevant to them.
Please feel free to contact us with information on your organisation.
This months organisation has rapidly become on of our largest national organisation and in line with the growth in our industry is continually growing. They are hosting the International Organic and Biodynamic Wine Conference.
Biodynamic AgriCulture Australia Inc
A national membership organisation
980 members, 180 subscribers and about 400 members of regional and local groups
Biodynamic AgriCulture Australia is an association of Australian farmers and gardeners facilitating and supporting the adoption of Biodynamics as a practical, viable Organic method of agriculture and horticulture nationally.
We consider the future leadership of Australian agriculture will be recognised as those who are able to solve the practical problems of everyday farmers (weeds, soil degradation, salinity, infertility, costs, price et al) while recognising the needs of consumers (availability, quality, taste, nutrition and price).
Biodynamic AgriCulture Australia works with farmers to achieve high quality Biodynamic and Organic outcomes by:
National office is in Bellingen on Mid North Coast of NSW
The office team:
CEO: Hamish Mackay
Accounts: Ceinwen Jenkins
Administration: Fiona Hannaford
Biodynamic Preparations: Alan Johnstone
Workshops and education: Cheryl Kemp
http://www.biodynamics.net.au/html/contactus.html
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There is growing interest among chefs and consumers into the use of Australian native plants in cooking. Much of the knowledge is built on aboriginal traditional use of native plants, and there has been a lot of work around Australia in recent years to improve the cultivation and use of these food plants.
One venture has been the development of the Prom Country Bushfoods Association in South Gippsland, near Wilsons Promontory. The Shire of South Gippsland arranged for a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services to explore the establishment of a local bushfood industry.
A part-time project officer was employed, and there are some 25 participating farms in the newly formed Association. The participants have been attending workshops and training sessions, not only on the horticultural aspects of bushfoods, but also on marketing, value-adding and general business planning.
Many of the properties in the project are already certified organic, and others are considering conversion to organic. The growing of bushfoods on a commercial basis, rather than wild harvest, requires the application of procedures similar to any other crop, and hence the grower has the choice of being organic or not.
Many of the buyers of bushfoods are seeking an assurance that the produce is free of chemical residues and has been grown to organic standards. Hence it seems logical that bushfood producers are certified organic, although on first consideration it might seem that this is unnecessary if a native plant is being grown under natural conditions. But once any crop is being grown on a farm there is a need to consider the conditions under which it is produced, and organic certification is obviously the way to go.
Sid Cowling
Outtrim 28-6-04
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What: Veg Out St Kilda Farmers’ Market
When: 24th July 2004 and the forth Saturday of every month
Where: Peanut Farm Oval, between Chaucer & Spenser Streets, St Kilda
Time: 8.00 am – 12.30 pm.
More Information Contact:
Don Linke on 0407 411198 or Miranda Sharp on 0429 146 627