Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: December 20, 2007

Online Media Promotes Organic Industry

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Missouri Organic Association (MOA) and the University of Missouri Extension, is working on promoting Missouri organic products and educating consumers about the organic industry through online media. MOA has recently redesigned their Web site adding a Buyer’s Guide for viewers to easily search for organic products in their area and includes a weekly organic podcast.

“Both consumers and producers will benefit from the newly revamped Web site. The Buyer’s Guide will be a place for producers to market their organic products and for consumers to find local Missouri organic meat, vegetables and other organic products,” said Lane McConnell, marketing specialist with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “The organic podcasts will also be a great educational tool for consumers to find more information about the organic industry in Missouri.”

The organic podcasts will consist of multiple of topics including certified organic products and how to decipher organic labels, nutritional benefits of organic fruits and vegetables, concerns about pesticide residue for children, nutritional benefits of organic dairy products, risks of antibiotic resistance, pesticide residue in and on food, pesticide residue in the watershed, interpreting labels, nutritional benefits of organic meats and where can you find organic foods.

Organic producers interested in including their operation and organic products on the Buyer’s Guide will be asked to submit their producer name and/or contact person, address including county, email, phone, fax, web address, year certified (if applicable) including certifying agency, total and organic acreage and a list of organic products produced for sale.

Producers can submit their information by mail or email to Kathy Burney-Miller, 229 Riverbluff Drive #209, St. Charles, Mo. 63301 or kburney@umsl.edu.

The MOA web redesign was funded through a North Central Risk Management-Organic Marketing for Producers grant. The Missouri Organic Association’s Web site, Buyer’s Guide and podcasts can be accessed at www.missouriorganic.org/.

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