President Obama's Hundred Organic Days

As US President Obama concludes his first hundred days in office, American organic advocates have some serious causes for hope.

First Lady Michelle Obama has helped plant an organic vegetable garden at the White House - leading a return to gardening which is taking off around the States.

At the US Department of Agriculture, Kathleen Merrigan has been appointed Deputy Secretary.  Deputy Secretary Merrigan helped develop the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which established the groundwork for the National Organic Programme (NOP), and also served on USDA's National Organic Standards Board from 1995-99.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, is telling audiences around the US that "If I had to summarize the vision I have for this department in one word, it would be 'sustainable.'"  While the former Governor of Iowa might have a different view of "sustainability" from organic producers, it's surely a good sign that we're seeing the Obama Administration introduce change from the soil up.