Today Andy Parker came to speak with us about Oregon Tilth a non-profit organization that helps educate people on organic farming and green practices. It was interesting and I think he had a lot of good things to share. Along with some great books for the person who wants to learn how to have a green thumb. Oregon Tilth is a certifier of Organic foods. So they are very successful. They certify anyone from manufacturers, to farmers, to stores with an organic classification, as long as they are using methods that follow the organic principles. I thought it was interesting that even a place like People's could be certified Organic... if they were following all the principles necessary for a store...
After class I was able to take a few minutes to talk with him about the memberships that they have with their non-profit. He gave me a good contact from their organization that knows a lot of legal information about non-profits and 501(c)3's. She is either a lawyer already or in the process of studying to pass the bar... at any rate, I'm planning to contact her soon to find out more. Another interesting tidbit, is because they are successful as a certifier, they are bringing in a lot of money, which makes it more difficult to obtain grants and money for projects that they want to do under the non-profit... They are milling over ideas of what to do about all the money they bring in and have thought about possibly starting a foundation, that could help fund many projects out there in the organic and cooperative industries... but we'll see what happens. Potential source of assistance financially to build something useful here in the Portland area. Intriguing...
