I was honored to be invited to testify at a Congressional roundtable discussion on organic agriculture hosted by the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research on June 15th. The briefing was well attended by majority and minority members of the committee and it was gratifying to see such a high level of interest in the organic sector.
OFRF received a kind introduction from Congressman Panetta, highlighting our many years of working to ensure organic farmers have the tools and support they need to be successful. I shared the production challenges and research needs of organic farmers as identified in our recent survey and listening sessions with organic farmers across the U.S. Members from both sides of the aisle were highly engaged and asked thoughtful questions.
Last week, OFRF staff had the pleasure of leading a group of sustainable agriculture systems funders on a tour of organic farms in central Florida. It was part of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF) forum, and it was the first tour in the forum’s 15-year history to focus exclusively on organic agriculture. OFRF’s Policy Associate, Michael Stein, provided this recap of the tour.
Predicting the capacity of soil to supply nitrogen is an ongoing challenge in organic farming. Organic farmers rely on the breakdown of organic matter through a microbially-driven process for crop nutrition instead of the application of synthetic fertilizers. One of the most frequent requests of organic farmers is to have access to better information about what is happening in their soil.
On June 22nd, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing to discuss agricultural research as part of the committee’s preparation for the next Farm Bill. Members of the committee heard from various university representatives on the opportunities and challenges institutions face in ensuring the U.S. remains a world leader in agricultural research and scientific advancement.
OFRF is pleased to announce Mark Lipson’s return to the OFRF staff as Senior Policy and Program Specialist. Mark is a 30-year pioneer and influential leader in the organic farming community in California and nationally. "This is a vital time to invest in the future of organic with the introduction of the Organic Agriculture Research Act in the upcoming Farm Bill," said Brise Tencer, OFRF's Executive Director. "We are incredibly lucky to have Mark back on board for the ride."
Healthy soil is the basis for thriving agriculture. In our survey for the 
The growing demand for organically produced meat is providing opportunities for a new generation of organic feed grain farmers. To help these new farmers be successful, OFRF recently awarded a grant to a team of researchers and Extension Educators at Michigan State University.
OFRF, in partnership with the Organic Center and the House Organic Caucus, held a Congressional briefing in Washington, D.C. May 22nd to educate members of Congress on the importance of organic research. At the briefing, Kelliann Blazek, Legislative Assistant to Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), discussed the bipartisan legislation Pingree introduced earlier this month. If passed, the Organic Agriculture Research Act would raise funding for USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), from $20 million to $50 million annually.