The what, why and how of organic: Resources and recordings available

Mariel Borgman<mborgm@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Learn from diverse farmers across Michigan about their experiences with organic certification.

For decorative purposes.
Heather Anderson of Green Wagon Farm leads a "Workshop on the Move" session with MSU Extension staff as part of the 2024 Fall Extension Conference.

In September 2024, Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) hosted a three-part webinar series for educators and agricultural service providers to learn about the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Certification process and feel more prepared to answer questions and provide resources to the farms they serve. Recordings of these webinars are now available to access at any time.

What is organic?

What does it mean to be Certified Organic? In the "What is organic?" webinar, Ryan Romeyn of Providence Organic Farm shares his certification experience, including a detailed look at his farm recordkeeping systems. Katie Brandt of the Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program and the Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) leads an interactive activity to explore the Organic System Plan. In the text area below the video player, you will find links to access the slides and the Organic System Plan activity, as well as links to other resources shared during the webinar.

Why choose organic?

The decision to pursue organic certification depends on a variety of factors. In the webinar “Why choose organic?”, hear from three different businesses about their decision, including two farms and a processor:

Links to resources shared during the webinar, including a chart of certification options, are provided in the text area below the video player.

How to certify organic?

The webinar “How to certify organic?” covers choosing a certifier, approved products under USDA Organic regulations, crop and livestock considerations, the organic transition period and documentation requirements. Speakers include:

For a list of upcoming TOPP webinars, workshops and field days, visit the Michigan TOPP events page.  To suggest topics for field days and educational events in 2025, please join the TOPP Farmer & Community Input webinar on December 6 at Noon (12 p.m. EST).

Register Here for the Input Session Webinar

Michigan Transition to Organic Partnership Program

Michigan TOPP coordinating partners include Michigan State University Extension, Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program, Grand Traverse Conservation District and Washtenaw Conservation District. TOPP is part of the USDA’s Organic Transition Initiative, a new program aimed at supporting farmers in accessing better prices and new market opportunities by obtaining organic certification. TOPP connects farmers interested in transitioning to organic with experienced farm mentors.

For more information on Michigan TOPP, visit canr.msu.edu/organictransition or reach out to Mariel Borgman at mborgm@msu.edu or Katie Brandt at brandtk7@msu.edu.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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