11/14/08 Organic crop workshop

A workshop featuring organic crops will be held next week in Idaho Falls. The Thursday, November 20th event is aimed to Idaho farmers wanting to transition some of their ground to organic or diversity their organic crop rotation. MILLER "Well we really want to see Idaho farmers be successful so we're hoping those interested in transitioning some ground to organic to connect up with some organic buyers so that they can sell those organic potatoes, or hay, grains or a variety of specialty crops." Jennifer Miller of the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, one of the co-sponsors along with the Potato Growers of Idaho, says the workshop from 930am to 330pm includes lunch and costs five dollars. MILLER "So they'll get a better understanding of what's currently available in terms of needs for these organic crops and then how they go about marketing." Organic acres are expanding in Idaho and NCAP and PGI have held field days and workshops the past two years. The state Department of Agriculture says organic potato production acreage tripled in the past few years to 11 hundred acres in 2008 but for all crops ISDA reported 150 thousand acres of organic production this year, 43 thousand more acres than in 2007. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott