Organic Farming Research Foundation -- Action

Welcome to the Organic Farmers Action Network

OFAN Sends Organic Farmers to Washington

Four Organic Farmers Participate in July Farmer Fly-in
	OFAN organic farmers went to Washington, DC in July 2009 to meet with their Representatives and advocate for organic and sustainable agriculture initiatives. Learn more about the Famer Fly-in and about the experiences of these organic farmers as they get get involved on Capitol Hill. More...

OFAN Farmer Testifies in D.C. on Leafy Greens Agreement

phot of Dale Coke testifying before Congress on food safety issues
Photo by Benjamin Myer

"Misdirected action is often worse than no action at all" --Dale Coke

Organic farmer advocate Dale Coke flew to Washington to testify at a hearing on the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement on July 29, 2009. The hearing, entitled “Ready to Eat or Not?: Examining the Impact of Leafy Green Marketing Agreements,” was held by the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Mr. Coke spoke about the impacts that the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements has had on farmers, wildlife diversity, and the environment, and cautions against a similar national agreement. Read his testimony or view the C-Span video of the hearing below. You can find Mr. Coke's testimony on the recording at 01:15:20. OFRF funded Mr. Coke’s travel to Washington through a generous grant from Organic Valley’s Farmers Advocating for Organics Fund.

About OFAN

The Organic Farmers Action Network (OFAN) keeps subscribers informed about federal policy issues that directly affect organic farmers, and provides educational tools about how to effectively get involved.

OFAN subscribers receive free, periodic e-mail updates about organic agriculture policy in Congress and USDA. If you want more information, in-depth knowledge is available from the OFRF staff. We also provide tools to communicate with your representatives in Congress.

When our staff identifies key issues that organic farmers should speak up about, we'll let you know how you can take action. Members of Congress tell us that hearing directly from farmers is essential to determining effective farm policy.

With knowledge about the issues and the process, we can have power in the policy arena. A well-timed, well-informed phone call, e-mail or letter will make a big difference in future farm policy. The future of organic agriculture will depend on our ability to exercise this power together. With your help, OFRF will advocate for:

Increased funding for organic research, technical assistance and marketing support;
Funding for and improved design of organic conservation programs;
Maintenance and improvement of national organic standards

Action

Want to become an organic farmer advocate?

Latest OFAN Policy Alerts and Updates

January 28, 2010:
Policy alert:
2010 EQIP Organic Initiative Deadline is March 12, 2010

October 15, 2009
Policy update:
New NOP Administrator, New USDA Research Agency, Senate Climate Change Legislation, And More

Looking for an even earlier alert or update?
Visit our OFAN Policy Alert Archive