Organic Harvest Month.
With increasing concern about the environment and increasing health consciousness, the demand for organic products is on the rise.
This September is the Annual Organic Harvest Month, implemented by the Organic Trade Association as a means of promoting organic food and agriculture through regional and local events and media campaigns. Events and celebrations will be taking place across the country in parks, schools, stores, farmers markets and at restaurants. For retailers, Organic Harvest Month is the perfect opportunity to cash in on the growing organic trend. Food demonstrations, amid decorations of items like hay bales, give buyers the chance to try the new season's apple, with a bit of organic cheese, when the bounty of autumn is coming into your shops.

Studies show that consumers are buying more organic products than ever, and studies show that they appreciate when their store shares the same values as they hold. By offering educational hand-outs as well as food samples during this time, you will be doing a service to your community as well as your profit margin! A consumer-oriented flyer or card, printed on recycled paper, listing the benefits of organics, the location of organics in your store, or simple ways for people to enjoy Organic Harvest Month is a helpful tool for you and your customers.

Organic Harvest Month is also an appropriate time to make sure you and your staff are properly educated as to the legislated rules which pertain to the organic industry. In the last year, there have been United States Department of Agriculture changes, most notably to the labeling of organic products. Make sure you and your employees know the difference between these four new organic labels:

  1. 100 Percent Organic: may carry new USDA Organic Seal.

  2. Organic: at least 95% of content is organic by weight (excluding water and salt) and may carry the new USDA Organic Seal.

  3. Made With Organic: at least 70% of content is organic and the front product panel may display the phrase "Made with Organic" followed by up to three specific ingredients (May not display new USDA Organic seal).

  4. Less than 70% of content is organic and may list only those ingredients that are organic on the ingredient panel with no mention of organic on the main panel (May not display new USDA Organic seal).

In addition to the new organic labels, USDA regulations prohibit the use of irradiation, sewage sludge, or genetically modified organisms in organic production; reflect National Organic Standards Board recommendations concerning items on the national list of allowed synthetic and prohibited natural substances; prohibit antibiotics in organic meat and poultry; and require 100% organic feed for organic livestock.

This year's celebration will be particularly satisfying to those in the organic industry. In April 2003, President Bush repealed Section 771 of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which, if passed, would have undermined organic standards. The original text of the bill included an amendment that allowed organic livestock producers to feed their animals less than 100 percent organic feed and still market the resulting meat, dairy and poultry products as organic. It is a standard operating procedure in the United States to provide 100% organic feed for organic livestock, and organic feed is readily available. The organic rule already includes emergency feed provisions should there be a feed shortage, and that is not the case at this time. Organic community efforts to repeal the rider included nationwide e-mail and phone campaigns to elected officials in Congress, letters to the editors of local newspapers, a national ad in The New York Times, visits with legislative leaders in Washington, D.C., newspaper, magazine, TV and radio articles, and web and store-based consumer education. Bush's repeal of Section 771 is "a triumph for the organic community and verifies the strength of the consumer mandate to protect the organic standards," said Katherine DiMatteo, executive director of the Organic Trade Association.

Celebrate this victory with the organic industry by hosting your own promotions through Organic Harvest Month. If you need more information on Organic Harvest Month, check out the Organic Trade Association's web page at www.ota.com. For information about popular organic food items and trends, be sure to contact your Haddon House sales representative, or consult our Natural and Organic catalog.


Photo by Dena O'Hara.