BRATTLEBORO — Jesse Laflamme says his family's egg business was saved the first time by going organic, and then rescued again when the operation joined forces with the Organic Trade Association (OTA) to fight a regulation that he says would have had dire implications for its future.
Laflamme, co-owner of Monroe, N.H.-based Pete & Gerry's Organic Eggs, is now a board member of OTA, and on Dec. 4 hosted an OTA-sponsored networking event here.
The event highlighted challenges facing organic businesses in New England, and reinforced the opportunities made possible by working together through a trade association to create an effective voice to reach consumers, state governments, and officials on the national level.
This event also recognized the importance of New England business involvement in the growing organic sector.
According to statistics highlighted during the roundtable, New England is a key incubator for the $35.1 billion U.S. organic industry. Vermont, with 593 certified organic operations, and Maine, with 445 certified organic operations, are among the top 10 states for organic businesses.
Drawing participation by Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross, representatives from Vermont lawmakers U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy's and Rep. Peter Welch's offices, regional certification bodies, organic farmers, diverse organic businesses, OTA members and non-members, the “Organic in New England” roundtable discussion looked at the importance of organic farming and trade and how collaborating with OTA can elevate the local and national issues critical to organic operations.
Laflamme explained to the more than 40 attendees why his company is part of OTA. Recounting how the company almost went out of business in the 1990s and was only saved by converting to organic, Laflamme admitted it wasn't until a critical regulatory issue arose - an effort to block outdoor access for poultry on farms - that his company realized the value of OTA.
“We weren't members until we needed OTA. Don't be like us,” he said, urging organic businesses present who aren't yet members to join. An ongoing hurdle is to educate consumers about the differences between the natural and organic labels, and to address their lack of understanding about the value of organic.
“This will take a unified voice to overcome,” he said.
Ross also challenged the organic sector to continue to reach out to members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) to make them aware of the contributions organic farming makes to local, state, and national agriculture.
Citing how OTA had significant presence by hosting an all-organic breakfast at NASDA's annual conference during 2014, Ross stressed that such engagement gets the attention of his colleagues who need to be aware of the importance of organic farming to state and U.S. agriculture overall.
“The challenge facing all of agriculture is agricultural literacy. This creates an enormous opportunity, but you have to be engaged,” Ross said.
He added that organic offers a great investment opportunity, and potential investors need to be part of the conversation to understand its importance.
Participants also discussed such issues as growing demand, supply challenges, hurdles in recruiting more family farmers, pending food safety regulatory requirements that may prove burdensome particularly for small family operations, challenges concerning non-GMO and organic labeling, and helping organic farmers have their voices heard in Washington, D.C.
Laura Batcha, OTA's CEO and executive director, noted that although OTA has always had farmer presence on its board, it now has an OTA's Farmers Advisory Council (FAC) to provide even better advocacy for organic producers.
“Our Farmers Advisory Council is helping us better understand farmers' issues and in turn, providing a way to facilitate getting information and resources out to them,” Batcha said.
In addition, she noted, OTA provides scholarships to farmers to attend its annual policy conference held in Washington, D.C.