Oregon Tilth is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 nonprofit membership organization

Membership organization

A membership organization is a broad term for a group or body which has members. Typically any member of the public can join and a membership fee or "subscription" is payable, but arrangements vary widely...

 dedicated to supporting and advocating organic food and farming

Organic farming

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...

, based in Corvallis

Corvallis, Oregon

Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. Oregon Tilth's purpose is to educate gardeners, farmers, legislators, and the general public about the need to develop and use sustainable growing practices that promote soil health, conserve natural resources, and prevent environmental degradation while producing a clean and healthful food supply for humanity.

Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO),the certification program of the organization, 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. Oregon Tilth Certified Organic provides certification

Organic certification

Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.Requirements vary...

 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 language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

.

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 Standards.

External links

• Oregon Tilth
• Information on the OTCO program from the Consumer Union
• Oregon Tilth entry at ecolabelling.org
• Global Organic Textile Standards
• USDA National Organic Program
• UK Soil Association
• The Organic Food Database - Informational database of organic farms, restaurants and organic food products.