Welcome to the first edition of the National Organic Week Newsletter. This newsletter is designed to let you know how NOW fared in 2009, and to help the organic industry prepare in advance for a fantastic NOW in 2010.

NOW 2009 saw the event’s best year yet, with record levels of industry support, community involvement and media coverage, and the introduction of industry performance recognition awards.  Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) and the Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises (CORE) would like to extend thanks to all who participated.

Thank you to our fantastic sponsors for 2009.

Source Separation Systems, Ozganics, Eco-Farms, Melba Fresh, EC Sustainable, Organic Gardener Magazine, Rosnay and Tamburlaine.
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All things organic were on display from the 16th to 25th of October when the Biological Farmers of Australia, in collaboration with the Centre for Organic & Resource Enterprises (CORE) presented National Organic Week 2009 (NOW).

In its second year, NOW 09 featured a weeklong celebration of events including launch events, farm tours, food and wine tastings, workshops, cooking demonstrations, seminars and in-store promotions. All projects aimed to build wider public awareness of the personal and environmental benefits of organic to the wider public.

This year, there were 121 organic events registered on the NOW website and NOW messages appearing in the media reached a potential audience of over one million. NOW 2009 has been a huge success, engaging diverse sectors of the organic industry from farmers,  to retailers,  community gardens, restaurants and schools – all came together to help spread the organic message.

According to NOW organiser Eric Love (CORE), National Organic Week 2009 provided a successful platform for a wide range of people to promote the benefits of ‘going organic’.

“NOW is an excellent opportunity for the industry to unite and to educate the wider public regarding the health, environmental and social benefits of organic food and farming.

“We have already started planning for NOW 2010 and expect an even greater level of involvement.”

One of the feature highlights of NOW 2009 was the presentation of the industry’s first ever State and National awards for Best Organic Retailer.

A big congratulations goes to Wray Organic, a leading organic grocery retailer from Queensland. Wray Organic took home both the Queensland and National Award for Organic Retailer of the Year 2009, awarded by the Hon. Tim Mulherin, Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries at the Queensland NOW launch.

Nominees for the retailer awards were judged on motivation, promotion, interface with local suppliers, environmental initiatives, customer loyalty, and promotional strategies by an expert panel. The panel included a large-scale organic producer, a prominent organic food manufacturer and wholesaler, a consumer representative and representatives from the organisers BFA and CORE.

Nominees were required to be Australia-based and to source more than 70% of their fresh horticultural product as “certified organic” or “certified organic in-conversion”.

Deborah Wray, owner of Wray Organic stores, will now proudly display their certificate and impressive engraved silver plate in rotation at four stores across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

“We’re excited and honoured to receive the Awards,” she says. “This initiative is great for industry – and great for consumers; it gives us something to aspire to and keeps lifting the bar.”


Hon. Tim Mulherin, Deborah Wray and Kym Machin at Wrays Organic, (Qld)

State awards were presented to: 

• About Life (Sydney) – ‘Eco-Farms NSW Organic Retailer of the Year Award’
• Passion Foods (South Melbourne) – ‘Melba Fresh Victorian Organic Retailer of the Year Award’
• The Organic Market and Café (Adelaide) – ‘Eco-Farms South Australian Organic Retailer of the Year Award’
• Wray Organic (New Market, Indooroopilly, Broadbeach, Palm Beach) – ‘Queensland Organic Retailer of the Year Award’

Mr. Love says the awards will assist to increase the profile of the organic industry. “Awards are an excellent way of improving organic industry professionalism and increasing awareness for producers, retailers and consumers,” he says.

“The categories will be expanded for NOW 2010 so we’re looking forward to an even more exciting field of contenders next year!”

The launch of NOW in NSW took place at an organic wine and cocktail event hosted by the BFA Vignerons Group, with special guests including Annalise Braakensiek (Australian model and TV presenter who has launched a cotton and bamboo lingerie line) and Costa Georgiadis of SBS television’s Costa’s Garden Odyssey.

Stakeholder and Community Support
A record 121 events organised by the industry, local community and councils nationwide were registered on the NOW website. This is an increase of 21% on the NOW08 result.

Media Coverage
The NOW 2009 Media Campaign received extensive coverage in both regional and Rural Media – with over one million opportunities to see or hear the NOW 09 messages in print, radio and online media.

Other Highlights

NEW SOUTH WALES

• 31 events registered

• Launch event at Hugenden Hotel (Sydney) - attended by special guests, Annalise Braakensiek – Australian model and TV presenter and Costa Georgiadis of SBS television’s Costa’s Garden Odyssey.

• Other supporters/events included Byron Bay and Lismore Farmers markets, Lark Hill Vineyard Restaurant, Wholefoods House, Peasants Feast, Always Organic, Lettuce Deliver Organics, Santos Warehouse (Byron Bay, Gowings Food and Health (Byron Bay), Dam Fest, Retief Organic Wines, Nourish Organics, Crows Nest Organic Market

VICTORIA

• 25 events registered

• Launch event hosted by Passion Foods (South Melbourne) - attended by Mr Ben Hardman, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and presentation by Steve Skopilianos, owner, Ladybird Organics and winner of the 2009 Innovative Marketing Award at the Ausveg Vegetable Industry Conference

• Other supporters/events included Queen Victoria Markets, cooking demonstrations with Chef Walter Trupp, Stringybark Festival, Prahran Market – Orangutan Organic Ginseng, Organic Angels, Winelarder and Macquariedale Organic Wines


Don Fraser, Dr. Andrew Monk, Steve Klotnick, Martin Foley (MP Albert Park), Eric Love at Passion Foods (Vic)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

• 11 events registered

• Launch event hosted by the Organic Market and Café (Stirling) - attended by The Hon. Paul Caica, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

• Other supporters/events included the Organic and Sustainable Living Market (Grange), Hart of the Barossa,  Sunningdale Farm, Eden Wellness – Pure and Green Organics, Onkaparinga's community garden

QUEENSLAND

• 41 events registered

• Launch event hosted by Wray Organic (New Market)- attended by The Hon. Tim Mulherin, Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Development and Multi -Award Winning chef Kym Machin

• Other supporters/events included Flannerys Natural Grocers, Kym O’Connell and the Organic Revolution Café (Talledbudgera), Sun and Earth Organics (New Farm), Biome Eco Store, Gold Coast Organic Growers Group, Chevallum State School, Pure Earth Noosa, Farnborough State School (Yepoon),Wholesome Organics (Redlands)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

• 11 events registered including tour and tasting at Harris Organic Wines, Baramba Sausage Sizzle @ Perth City Farm Organic Growers’ Market, Organic stall at WA Week Celebration (Carnarvon), Mimsbrook Organics, Aussie Health Products

ACT

• 2 events registered

To build on the success of NOW 2009 for an even better 2010 event, the following activities will be undertaken: 

• National Celebrity Ambassador to be announced as the face of National Organic Week
• Official Launch at gala event on National ‘Be Organic Day’
• Date change to: Friday 1st - Sunday 10th October, 2010
• School’s biggest organic sunflower and organic vegetable competition
• Free sunflower seeds and sample compost giveaways
• Interactive website
• New award categories (TBA)

Following the record success of National Organic Week (NOW) 2009, CORE in collaboration with BFA will proudly present NOW 2010 from Friday 1st to Sunday 10th October - celebrating all things organic. 

National ‘Be Organic’ Day (Friday 1, October) will kick off 10 days of nationwide organic festivities including gala events, launch parties, food and wine tastings, celebrity cooking demonstrations, schools’ biggest vegetable and sunflower growing competitions and educational workshops.

Inviting the community to - ‘Taste the difference, Feel the difference and Make a difference’ - NOW10 will be bigger and better than ever with the introduction of a high profile ambassador as the face of the campaign (ambassador to be confirmed). Joining organic producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, markets community groups, council and schools, the ambassador will help spread the message that organic is the best choice for our taste buds, body and planet.

As an education and awareness raising event, NOW is designed to increase awareness and understanding of the personal and environmental benefits of organic and has emerged as a leading event on the organic/environment industry calendar attracting extensive media, government and public interest in its second year – this will continue to be developed in the year ahead.

Holly Vyner, Biological Farmers of Australia General Manager, says NOW2010 is tipped to be the annual event’s most successful year to date, with greater industry, government, media and public involvement planned.

“Support and involvement in the event has grown enormously over the past two years, and we believe this is a sign that the public are serious about choosing products that are healthier, more sustainable and ensure the highest standards of animal welfare.

“In 2009 we had over 120 NOW events registered nationwide and over one million opportunities to see or hear the NOW 09 messages in the media – although this is a great result,  it is only the beginning!”

She says all those interested in being a part of a ‘best ever’ NOW in 2010 should be in touch early.

“This gives us time to plan activities which are valuable, entertaining and engaging – and really push the concept of organic into the wider public arena.”

If you would like more information about NOW 2009 including sponsorship options please contact Madeline Cooper,  BFA, on 07 3350 5716 ext. 225 or Eric Love, CORE, on 02 9922 1591, http://www.organicweek.net.au/