| Link: Organic System Biodiversity and NRCS Standards Sept. 27 webinar explores connections between NOP, NRCS requirements
From a conservation perspective, biodiversity and protection of natural resources are covered in the National Organic Program’s (NOP) regulations. Biodiversity conservation is part of the definition of organic farming, and the NOP requires that farmers and ranchers maintain or improve their soil, water, wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife. In addition, seven other NOP regulations relate to biodiversity and natural resource conservation. NRCS Conservation Practice Standards that help operators meet these NOP requirements will be discussed in the September 27 webinar "Links between Biodiversity Requirements of Organic Systems and NRCS Practice Standards." It will include those standards protecting resources, providing conservation buffers, and supporting wildlife habitat. Also presented will be examples of practices used by organic farmers to maintain or enhance natural resources on their operations. The webinar is being broadcast by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded by an NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.
Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012 Time: 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time To register: Click on this link https://attra.ncat.org/biodiversity
About the Panelists
Jo Ann Baumgartner is director of the Wild Farm Alliance. She works on conservation, food safety, and organic issues and is co-editor of Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature. Before joining WFA in 2001, she addressed sustainable dairy, produce, and fiber-production topics, was senior research editor for Life on the Edge, a book of California’s rare wildlife species, and was an organic farmer for over a decade.
Jim Riddle was founding chair of the Winona Farmers Market and the International Organic Inspectors Association, (IOIA), and is co-author of the International Organic Inspection Manual. Jim served on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Organic Advisory Task Force and is former chair of the National Organic Standards Board. He currently works as Organic Outreach Coordinator for the University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center; is the elected Chair of the Winona County Soil and Water Conservation District; and serves on the Leadership Team for eOrganic.
Tom Broz of Live Earth Farm operates a diverse organic farm with more than 100 acres under cultivation. His produce feeds a community that includes over 800 families in its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program as well as customers at farmers markets, restaurants, and organic markets. Tom has integrated natural processes into the farm’s operation by installing native plant hedgerows, filter strips, grassed waterways, riparian plantings, and perennial grasslands throughout the farm.
 
  
 The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA - was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
Visit the NCAT website for more information on our other sustainable agriculture and energy projects. © 2012 NCAT | 
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