Oregon Tilth is an American nonprofit

membership organization A membership organization is any organization that allows people or entities to subscribe, and often requires them to pay a membership fee or " subscription". Membership organizations typically have a particular purpose, which involves connecting p ...

advocating

organic food Organic food, ecological food or biological food are food and drinks produced by methods complying with the standards of organic farming. Standards vary worldwide, but organic farming features practices that cycle resources, promote ecological ...

and

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

, based in Corvallis,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. Oregon Tilth's purpose is to educate gardeners, farmers, legislators, and the general public about sustainable growing practices that promote

soil health Soil health is a state of a soil meeting its range of ecosystem functions as appropriate to its environment. In more colloquial terms, the health of soil arises from favorable interactions of all soil components (living and non-living) that belong ...

, conserve natural resources, and prevent

environmental degradation Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment (biophysical), environment through depletion of resources such as quality of air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; an ...

while producing a clean and healthful food supply. Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) was established in 1982 and engages in certification activities for agricultural producers, product manufacturers and other handlers of organic products. Oregon Tilth is an Accredited Certifying Agent (ACA) for the USDA's

National Organic Program The National Organic Program (NOP) is the federal regulatory framework in the United States of America governing organic food. It is also the name of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) program r ...

. Oregon Tilth Certified Organic provides

organic certification Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products, in the European Union more commonly known as ecological or biological products.Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 201 ...

of: * Crop production * Wild crop harvesting * Livestock production (including beekeeping) * Handling production (including processing, handling, marketing, restaurants, retail, fiber and textiles) Oregon Tilth publishes a bi-monthly newspaper entitled ''In Good Tilth'' (''IGT''). Each issue of ''IGT'' offers informative articles covering agricultural news items relevant to both rural producers and urban consumers. Regular features include yard and garden tips, OTCO certified farmer or processor profiles; research updates and news; classified ads and a calendar of upcoming events. Since 2004, ''IGT'' has featured several articles translated into

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

. The OTCO Program offers assessment for compliance with several different organic certification standards. Some certification standards are established and enforced via government regulations, such as the USDA National Organic Program standards (7 CFR Part 205), the European Organic Program (EEC 2092/91), and the Canadian Organic Regime. Other organic standards are established by industry working groups, such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

Failed merger with CCOF

In the summer of 2012, a proposed merger between Oregon Tilth and

California Certified Organic Farmers California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-accredited organic certifying agency and trade association, located in Santa Cruz, California. Formed in 1973, CCOF was the first organic certification ...

(CCOF) proved controversial and was met with significant opposition from both membership bodies, including OTCO's founders and long-term members of CCOF. On Saturday, September 29, at Oregon Tilth’s membership meeting in Portland, Oregon, a proposal to rename Oregon Tilth as CCOF Tilth Foundation, revise bylaws, and transfer ownership of the certification program, was presented to the membership. On October 3, 2012, Moss Adams LLP, the independent CPA firm hired to perform the voting procedure and ballot count, released the verified voting results. While a majority of members (61%) voted in favor of the proposal, it failed to achieve the two-thirds vote necessary for passage.

External links

*{{official website, http://www.tilth.org/
Information on the OTCO program from the Consumer UnionOregon Tilth entry at ecolabelling.org
Agriculture in Oregon Agricultural organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Oregon Organic farming in the United States Organic farming organizations Organizations based in Salem, Oregon Environmental organizations established in 1974 1974 establishments in Oregon

Failed merger with CCOF

See also

External links