Exploring Organic Webinar Series resources and recordings available

Mariel Borgman<mborgm@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Learn from diverse farmers across Michigan about their experiences with organic certification.

For decorative purposes.
Screenshot from a TOPP webinar showcasing different certification options for farms.

In April 2024, Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) hosted a three-part webinar series for farmers interested in exploring organic certification. Speakers included farmers from across Michigan representing a diversity of farm types and scales. Recordings of these webinars are now available to access at any time.

Is organic right for my farm?

View Webinar Recording Here
Hear from three Michigan farmers about their decisions to certify their farm or not. Shara Trierweiler of Agape Organic Farms shares about being a Certified Organic livestock and mushroom farm, Andy Chae of Fisheye Farms shares about being a Certified Naturally Grown vegetable farm, and Alex Cacciari of Seeley Farm shares about the decision to no longer certify their vegetable and cut flower farm. Additional resources provided with the recording include links to a certification options chart, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center Locator, and the Organic Cost Share Program.

Organic Recordkeeping

View Webinar Recording Here
Joannée DeBruhl breaks down the ins-and-outs of recordkeeping needed for USDA Organic Certification. Joannée is a Certified Organic Crop Inspector, TOPP Mentor and Certified Organic vegetable farmer with a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. A Google Drive link is provided with the recording that includes copies of the slides and sample recordkeeping templates.

Additional certification options

View Webinar Recording Here
Some farms choose to pursue additional certification beyond USDA Organic. Learn from two Michigan farms about why they went this route. Vanessa Frias of Willowbrook Farms discusses their experience becoming Animal Welfare Approved and participating in the new Regenerative Certification through A Greener World. Nate Lada of Green Things Farm Collective, a vegetable farm, discusses their experiences of certifying with the Real Organic Project in addition to their USDA Organic certification. Additionally, Third Leaf Farm, a certified organic apple orchard, is shared as an example of Ecocert Regenerative Organic Certification.

For a list of upcoming TOPP webinars, workshops and field days, visit the Michigan TOPP events page.

Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program

Michigan TOPP coordinating partners include Michigan State University Extension, Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program, Grand Traverse Conservation District and Washtenaw Conservation District.  TOPP is part of the USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative, a new program aimed supporting farmers in accessing better prices and new market opportunities by obtaining organic certification.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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