See you at #BCOrganic2020!
The 2020 BC Organic Conference is coming up this weekend and we can’t wait to learn, connect and be inspired! We have a solid lineup of presenters and workshops, plus networking opportunities, farm tours, an outstanding spread of organic food, and a packed trade show.
If you can't commit to the entire weekend, single day/evening tickets are now available.
We'd love to see your conference photos and hear about your experiences, so please tag your posts with #BCOrganic2020 or send your best shots and stories to Stacey at communications@certifiedorganic.bc.ca.
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Learn more about iCertify at the BC Organic Conference
As you may have heard, iCertify, COABC’s new online organic certification system, is now live! If you'd like to learn more about iCertify, we'll be offering several opportunities to get up close and personal with the new system at the BC Organic Conference:
- Introduction to iCertify (conference workshop)
- Saturday, Feb. 29 from 9:30am to 10:30am in Ballroom A
- Premade Record Templates session (please sign up at the iCertify booth)
- Saturday, Feb. 29 at 3:30 pm in the iCertify room
- iCertify 1:1 support (please sign up at the iCertify booth)
- Saturday, Feb. 29 from 10:45am to 12:30pm in the iCertify room
- Sunday, Mar. 1 from 9am - 10:30am in the iCertify room
For more information on iCertify, visit certifiedorganic.bc.ca/icertify.
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COTA Organic Gala & Leadership Awards
We had the pleasure of attending the Canada Organic Trade Association's 4th annual Organic Leadership Awards Gala, held in Vancouver on Feb. 19th. We posted a few photos from the event on our Facebook page, which you can check out here.
Congratulations to this year's award winners—and to Canada for being the 6th largest organic market in the world with $6.6 billion in annual sales!
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The issue of bee feeding
A challenging apiculture issue has been submitted to the review of the Canadian Organic Standards. Honey bees, which are not native to North America, need substantial energy reserves to survive Canadian winters. Should beekeepers be able to supply sugar to their bees every winter? What would you decide? Learn more here.
New public comment period
The Organic Federation of Canada has released a new public comment period regarding national standards for organic agriculture. This round of questions raised by organic stakeholders includes topics such as: prohibited substances in greenhouse production, use of formulants in crop production, use of ingredients in beer making, calculations of buffer zones, and more. You have until Mar. 17th, 2020 to have your say.
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BeeBC is now accepting applications for the 5th round of funding! Beekeeping associations, beekeepers and regional and community-based organizations can receive up to $5000 towards creative projects in their communities that support the health of bees in British Columbia. More details.
New funding for the BC AgriStability Enhancement Program will offer greater protection for farmers who have lost income due to weather, trade challenges or natural disaster. The Program includes increasing the AgriStability compensation rate, for all farms, from 70% to 80% on income margin losses greater than 30%; and eliminating the AgriStability Reference Margin Limit (RML) which reduced compensation for some farms. More details.
Here in BC, seed producers and supporting organizations are encouraging farmers to take back the control of local seed. Read all about it.
Have you checked out Farmers For Climate Solutions? Led by organizations including Canadian Organic Growers, SeedChange, FarmFolk CityFolk and many others, this national alliance of farmer organizations and supporters is taking action on climate change and agriculture.
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Seedy Saturdays
When: Various dates
Where: Various locations
Seedy Saturdays across BC! More details.
2020 BC Organic Conference
When: Feb. 28 – Mar. 1, 2020
Where: Executive Hotel Vancouver Airport in Richmond
COABC’s annual gathering of the organic community. Single day/evening tickets now available. More details.
2020 BC Farmers' Markets Conference
When: Mar. 6 – Mar. 8, 2020
Where: Harrison Hot Springs
An annual opportunity to get together with your farmers’ market peers from across the province to share best practices, learn from industry experts, build connections and gain inspiration to carry you through the 2020 farmers’ market season. More details.
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Irrigation & Soil Management Symposium
When: Mar. 12, 2020
Where: Creston
This one-day symposium, hosted by the Kootenay Boundary Farm Advisors, BC Agricultural Climate Action Adaptation Network and Climate Action Initiative, is an opportunity to learn about results from field research on irrigation and soil management relevant to Kootenay-Boundary farming conditions. More details.
Advanced Training in Biodiversity and Natural Resources
When: Mar. 30 – Mar. 31, 2020
Where: Penticton
Learn to effectively inspect a farm's biodiversity assets according to the Canadian Organic Regime’s rules on environmental practices and gain supporting guidance on natural resources and biodiversity. More details.
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COR operators are fortunate to be able to use the Canada Organic label AND the BC Checkmark side by side.
The logo of the BC Certified Organic program is a key tool to identify certified organic products in BC. It is important that the symbol is used correctly; here is a quick reminder, especially for websites and the exclusion zone (white space.)
The Program Symbol is enclosed by a black border. The border ensures that the appropriate white space or exclusion zone is provided around the composite mark. The Program Symbol must be enclosed by the border if the Symbol is applied against colored or complex backgrounds. However, if the background is white or off-white, it may be desirable to omit the border while ensuring the appropriate exclusion zone.
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Complaints Submissions
For information on complaints regarding the COABC, a Certification Body, or an operator certified under an accredited Certification Body, click here.
If you've discovered a person or company who is falsely marketing their products as organic in British Columbia, click here for information.
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Planning a Move?
If you change your address or contact information, send it to your CB office as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on receiving the BC Organic Grower and other materials.
Organic Price List
View the Organic Price List, updated weekly, here.
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