Time has been scheduled for public input at the next meeting of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) on February 9, 1:30-5:00 p.m. Those wishing to provide written or oral comments to the board on any organic issue should send their request to Karen Thomas, U.S. Department of Agriculture, AMS, Transportation and Marketing, National Organic Program, Room 2510-S, South Building, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, D.C. 20090-6456; fax (202) 205-7808 by February 5. For more information, call (202) 720-3252.

The NOSB will meet February 9-11 in USDA's South Building in Washington, D.C. Meetings will run from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day and are open to the public.

"The meeting will provide an opportunity for the NOSB to receive committee reports, address current issues and discuss the status of the proposed national organic rule and the public comments received," said Rob Holland, with the UT Extension, Agricultural Development Center.
The NOSB, which grew out of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, is responsible for organic issues related to crop standards, processing, labeling and packaging, livestock standards, accreditation, materials, and international issues.

"The production and marketing of organic products in Tennessee is on the increase. I believe there is certainly a limited demand for organic agricultural products. Niche markets for such products appear to have been growing quiet rapidly over the years, especially during the most recent years. Credibility for organic products should be enhanced by the development and implementation of consistent NOSB organic standards."

On December 16, 1997, USDA published its proposed rule for the National Organic Program in the Federal Register. The period for public comment on the proposed rule was extended through April 30, 1998, and resulted in an outpouring of 280,000 comments.