Learn About VISPS at the WOW – Worldwide Organic Winners Conference

As 2017 begins, we at BigYield.us encourage our growers to consider whether value-added production may be a fit for their operations. In particular, non-GMO or organic production may enable you to reach a different market and improve your bottom line.

Increasingly, consumers have shown interest in non-GMO and organic products. In May and June 2016, the Pew Research Center surveyed U.S. adults about their food purchases and consumption. Depending on age, between 41 percent and 47 percent of the surveyed adults had purchased foods with GMO-free labeling in the previous month. Thirty-nine percent to 41 percent said that some or most of the food that they consume is organic. Younger people were more likely to choose GMO-free and organic foods.

The Verification Identifying Smart Plant System , or VISPS, is a third-party verification program designed to help growers deliver non-GMO, close-to-organic and transitional organic products to the marketplace. By enrolling in the low-cost VISPS program, a producer can qualify his or her operation as a Smart Farm. Growers who brand their products with the Smart Farm name may earn premiums from buyers who demand traceability and clear standards for ingredients that they purchase.

You can learn more about VISPS at the upcoming Mid-America Organic Association Conference. From Jan. 25 to Jan. 28, leaders in sustainable and organic farming will meet at the conference in Kansas City, Mo. Titled WOW – Worldwide Organic Winners, the conference will feature educational sessions, hands-on workshops and special events.

BigYield.us will be a vendor at the conference’s Organic Expo and Small Farm Show. Stop at our booth, No. 301! You can access more information about the conference at http://www.moaconference.org/. Bill Cook of BigYield.us shares more information about VISPS and the conference in this video.

It’s not too late to register for the conference! Discounts are available until Jan. 15. See the registration site for details.

If you have questions about VISPS, then please call or email anytime.