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00:51Hear more of Nielson’s ideas on the organic research gap
Hear more of Nielson’s ideas on the organic research gap
Organic kiwi grower Mark Nielson speaks with obvious pride of his role as a founder and first board president of the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF).
“Our first grants were ideas generated by the board, just to get things rolling. And, the program eventually grew to where we were getting proposals from other countries even. That was a lot of fun, to see that develop,” says Nielson.
In 1989, when a handful of organic producers in California got together to talk about forming the new group, research into organic production methods was a novel idea. It just was not happening. However, the farmers knew it was needed and they pressed on, creating the foundation in 1990 and electing Nielson president. As of early 2010, OFRF has provided more than $2.5 million for more than 300 research grants.
“Well, that’s remarkable,” says Nielson of the organization’s record. “I can look back to the early days and say that’s what we were after.”
Nielson today continues to raise and market organic kiwis from his small farm near Gridley in California’s Central Valley. He moved to the region from San Francisco at the behest of friends because he wanted to escape city life. In his first three years, he farmed conventionally, but his long-term interest in environmental issues and a distrust of pesticides helped him move into organic production. Growing kiwi’s helped shape Nielson’s understanding of the research gap that exists for organic producers.
Nielson on the OFRF community
“When I finally planted my vines to grow the fruit, my nursery partners cautioned me against it because they felt I would fail miserably. There was practically no information out there that I could turn to. It was a leap of faith at the time. So, for me, there was never any question – is there enough research base here? It didn’t exist at the time,” Nielson explains.
While OFRF was founded by a relatively small group of California-based organic producers, Nielson says the goal from the beginning was to create national representation on the board, and he says with 12 board members from 11 different states that goal has been achieved.
In conclusion, he says, for him, OFRF represents an ever-growing community of people committed to organic farming.