ADVICE
Free organic conversion advice is available under a service (the Organic Conversion Information Service or OCIS) provided by Natural England and delivered by the Organic Research Centre — Elm Farm. The service aims to help farmers and land managers in England consider the practical implications of converting their business to organic production. It comprises a national helpline (which will provide initial advice and a comprehensive information pack), a dedicated website and a free on- farm advisory visit service that will supplement the initial advice provided, subject to eligibility. ocisOrganic Centre Wales also runs a technical helpline. Helpline officers can answer questions on organic food and farming and register growers for the Organic Conversion Information Service (OCIS Wales). OCIS Wales.
a free service, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, and aims to provide farmers with the information they need to make an informed decision about whether to convert. It includes an information pack and up too two on-farm advisory visits from experienced advisers from ADAS and the Organic Advisory Service. The new Farming Connect service (available from September 2008) will pay 50 per cent of the cost of a whole-farm plan (80 per cent if the producer is under forty). For producers in conversion this means it can be used to develop a comprehensive plan to get though the conversion period and beyond. In addition, it will also help to meet the requirements of the organic certification bodies and support applications to the Organic Farming Scheme and other agri-environment scheme such as Tir Cynnal and Tir Gofal.
In Scotland, the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) operates an organic helpline which is designed to assist Scottish farmers who are interested in angering to organic and to advise farmers who have already converted. I ne telephone advice is also available from local SAC Consultancy Offices and from a number of SAC subject specialists.
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers advice on organic production, although the organic Ibenen,g scheme here has recently closed. For information on organic pro4iection in Northern Ireland, contact:OCIS Northern Ireland (Market gardening): 028 9442 6765 OCIS Northern Ireland (Field scale production): 028 9442 6683 www_ruralni.gov.uk/bussys/organic/index.htm
Under the new Environmental Stewardship scheme, organic growers
England and those entering conversion are eligible to apply for payments under the Organic Entry Level Stewardship, run by Defray *le below).
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