We’re excited to announce that Barnhardt Manufacturing Company has earned the USDA-certified Biobased Product Label for its organic cotton. This label verifies that a product’s amount of renewable biobased ingredients meets or exceeds levels set by the USDA. Just so you know, biobased products are finished or intermediate materials composed in whole or in significant part of agricultural, forestry, or marine ingredients.
What BioPreferred® Means for Us
This designation allows our Needle-Eze cotton to be immediately identified as a USDA-certified BioPreferred® product. Needle-Eze is a product we specifically designed to allow for increased needle punching efficiency, all while lowering needle wear over time. Since all biobased amount claims are verified by independent labs and monitored by the USDA, consumers can feel secure in the accuracy of the biobased amount, and will be empowered in making better informed purchasing decisions. With our product certified to be 100% biobased, you’ll start seeing the label on our certified products (and Needle-Eze has been available for consumers since October 13th of this month).
What BioPreferred® Means for USA Farming
While we’re proud that we’ll be able to use the label on our Needle-Eze products, it’s important to note the more far-reaching benefits. Recently, Ron Buckhalt, the USDA BioPreferred Program Manager, summed this up well:
“We are proud that Barnhardt Manufacturing Company has earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label,” Buckhalt said. “Biobased products add value to renewable agriculture commodities, create jobs in rural communities and help our nation decrease its reliance on foreign-sourced and non-renewable petroleum.”
We’re obviously fans of sustainable solutions, and we’re certainly pleased to be part of a program that supports American farmers.
Need a Refresher on the USDA BioPreferred® Program?
The USDA BioPreferred® program was created by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill), and later expanded by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (aka the 2008 Farm Bill). The main thrust of the program is to increase the purchase and use of biobased products, with the USDA managing the program. Products that meet the USDA BioPreferred® program requirements carry a distinctive label for easier identification by the consumer. If you’re itching for more BioPreferred® info, their Twitter feed is a great place to stay abreast of industry updates.
Interested in learning more? Request product samples today—including our new BioPreferred® Needle-Eze.