Farmers worry effort would aid big business at their expense

The Organic Trade Association wants the organic industry to adopt its own version of the "Got Milk?" campaign, but the trade group is receiving pushback from some of the companies it says would benefit from the program.

The most recent farm bill passed by Congress in 2014 included authorization for the creation of a federal checkoff program to promote organic foods. Similar programs have been created before for the dairy and meat industries, both of which have been used to create memorable PR campaigns, according to Harvest Public Media, a news collaboration between several public media stations.

OTA estimates the checkoff program will raise roughly $30 million a year for promotional efforts, with most of the money coming from fees collected from farmers. However, many organic farmers believe the program will benefit larger companies instead of them.

"It sounds kind of bad. And I hate to say it this way, but it's not my job to make sure that there's organic across the country," organic farmer Jason Condon told Harvest Public Media.

OTA said the checkoff program would be used to pay for advertising and consumer research. http://bit.ly/1aCcIim

Read more CEO DATELINE:

• Indiana amends "religious freedom" act opposed by several associations
• Dietary supplement groups blast deal with N.Y. attorney general
• Railroad association funding law enforcement lobbying against longer trucks
• National Association of Realtors settles lawsuit over Web addresses
• Dieticians to pull logo from Kraft Singles