Monthly Archives: September 2018

September 25, 2018 – Congress has less than a week to pass a new Farm Bill before the current law expires on September 30th. With the Ag Committee negotiators far apart on major issues, the chances of a Farm Bill getting done on time are slim.

The last time this happened, in 2012, Congress passed short term extensions to keep Farm Bill programs running. This time, an extension of current law isn’t being considered yet. Both Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow have suggested an extension may not be necessary until the end of 2018 because much of the existing policies would not revert to decades-old law until the start of 2019.

With a new Congress scheduled to meet on January 3rd if a Farm Bill isn’t passed by then, both the House and Senate would need to reintroduce the legislation and take another vote. This would, in essence, start the Farm Bill process all over again.

Major conservation initiatives, for instance, would be in a tough spot as would dozens of other programs. Here are the organic programs that would be affected.

Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)
OREI is a USDA competitive grants program dedicated to organic agriculture research. This program is in jeopardy. Until another Farm Bill is passed the USDA will be unable to administer any grant programs through OREI, unless a short-term extension is passed that explicitly includes additional funding for this program.

While both the House and the Senate bills increase funding for OREI, only the Senate bill increases funding up to establish permanent baseline funding for the program. This means funding for OREI would increase annually to $50 million and ensure permanent investments in the future of organic agriculture.

OREI has a proven track record of addressing the unique research challenges that organic farmers and processors face. Investing in organic research is central to the goal of increasing domestic production of organic crops to better meet expanding demand.

Organic Certification Cost Share
Organic certification verifies that a farm or handling facility complies with USDA organic regulations and allows the certified operation to use the USDA organic seal. In order to be certified organic, farmers must go through a rigorous annual organic certification process, which can be expensive. Organic certification cost share assistance can help small and mid-sized organic farm businesses afford annual certification costs, which range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

The National Organic Certification Cost Share Program (NOCCSP) provides organic farmers with of up to $750 reimbursement to cover a portion of their annual certification fees. The House bill eliminates all Farm Bill funding for National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, while the Senate bill renews existing funding of $11.5 million annually for the program.

Until a new farm bill is passed, there will be no additional funds available for NOCCSP, and it is unclear if USDA will continue to administer the program.

Organic Production and Market Data Initiative (ODI)
ODI is a USDA initiative between the Economic Research Service, National Agriculture Statics Service, and the Agricultural Marketing Service. The initiative collects market and production data that supports risk management as well as providing vital information on market and production trends. Both the House and Senate bill provide $5 million in mandatory funding for this program. If a farm bill is not passed, this program may be able to limp along at a much lower funding levels through agricultural appropriations. However, without a Farm Bill funding renewal, much of the organic data collection and reporting that supports the growth and development of the organic sector will be lost.

Organic import Fraud
Both the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill include increased organic import enforcement authority, along with $5 million in one-time mandatory funding to improve import tracking systems. These changes are necessary to increase the oversight responsibilities and resources for the National Organic Program (NOP). Without a Farm Bill, the USDA will not have the expanded resources and increased authority to protect the integrity of the organic sector.

OFRF urges congress to pass a full Farm Bill as quickly as possible, taking into full account the leadership Senate has shown on organic research and cost share funding. If a Farm Bill is not passed before January 2019, organic programs must be included in an extension or many critical programs that farmers and communities rely on will grind to halt.

September 19, 2018 – By Tim Schultz, Vice President of Research & Development for Lundberg Family Farms and OFRF Board Member

This year’s Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore began with a flurry of excitement as Hurricane Florence headed for the Southeast Coast of the United States. Early in the week, the Governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency in anticipation of potentially devastating wind, rain, and storm surge. By the time the show opened, it was pretty clear the storm and its horrendous damage, would be focused much further south, and the show continued on, though many registrants decided not to brave the elements.

Wednesday started with a big statement from the Organic Trade Association, which placed a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal, listing all of the prohibited chemicals in the National Organic Program. This was in response to many false and misleading articles and editorials about the state of organic in the US. It was a bold move by OTA, and generated quite the buzz at the show.

Wednesday afternoon, the Harvest Festival, got into full swing on the terrace of the Baltimore Convention Center, with many companies exhibiting their latest and greatest organic products, and a few organizations, like OFRF, sharing its work to advance organic farming. I was joined by Stephanie Henry at the OFRF booth, and shared the work being done by OFRF, as well as the excellent literature we publish. There was a lot of enthusiasm for OFRF’s Soil Health Webinar Series expressed by folks who stopped by the booth, and great appreciation for the Soil Health Guidebooks OFRF has published.

Wednesday night was topped off with the OTA Awards Dinner, recognizing some distinguished organic leaders, including Margaret Scoles, Javier Zamora, and Stephanie and Blake Alexandre. The stories they shared reminded me of why I love this industry, how committed its participants are to making a better world, and the shared passion so many folks have in expanding the reach of organic.

The formal show kicked off Thursday morning, and the halls were buzzing with excitement. Lots of great educational tracks were available to participants. CCOF had a luncheon for its Foundation that supports beginning organic farmers, and we were treated to another heartfelt story from one of its scholarship recipients, Shannon Good, who shared how the grant is helping her dream of having an organic dairy come true. It is really inspirational to see the remarkable young people coming up who will take on the continued expansion of organic in the years ahead. Thursday evening was a fun time to contribute to another good cause, the Organic PAC, with an awesome R&B band, Affirmative Groove, providing an outstanding sound track for the participants to enjoy. Lots of good dancing by all, including Miles McEvoy showing us his best moves! The event set a record for attendance, and had an excellent representation of twenty-somethings!!

Friday morning, I had the privilege of staffing OFRF’s table outside of the morning’s keynote presentations, along with six other not-for-profit organizations. Lots of talented and passionate people are contributing to the organic movement, from research to certification to supporting new farmers, and I was proud to be able to represent OFRF in that line-up.

By Friday, it was clear that the theme of “hot products” at the show was hemp, and all things related to it. Senator McConnell (R-KY) seems to have become quite the advocate for hemp farming, and if the number of products featuring some hemp derivative was any indication, there should be quite a demand for organic hemp in the years to come. Always good to see more crops coming online for American farmers, to help diversify their options and make farming more viable.

The show wrapped-up on Saturday, and while attendance was down, enthusiasm was high, as was optimism for the future of organic. The next Expo East show will be in Baltimore September 12-14, 2019, and then the following year, in Philadelphia, as the Baltimore Convention Center will be closed for a much needed renovation. I’m looking forward to seeing my organic friends and colleagues again in March at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, and joining OFRF with its annual fund raising luncheon to kick off the show.”

Ed. Note: Congratulations to Tim for winning OTA’s 2018 Member of the Year award! All of us at OFRF are honored to have the opportunity to work with such a fantastic champion of organic agriculture.

September 11, 2018 –  OFRF Executive Director, Brise Tencer was interviewed by Food Sleuth Radio for a podcast that aired August 30th. In the episode, host Melinda Hemmelgarn asks Brise to explain the benefits of organic food and farming and how certification helps both farmers and consumers. They also discuss the challenges facing organic farmers—how research can help—and why there needs to be greater investment in organic research.

Give a listen!

September 6, 2018 – By Lauren Snyder, Education and Research Program Associate at OFRF

One of my roles at OFRF is to disseminate information on organic farming practices to diverse audiences. A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to San Luis Obispo to give a presentation on the principles and practices of building soil health at an organic research symposium hosted by Nutrien Ag Solutions, the world’s largest agriculture inputs company. Interestingly, I learned that their crop consultants are increasingly working with organic farmers and Nutrien Ag Solutions has identified a need to expand their knowledge of organic production practices.

For me, this speaking invitation is a clear indication that the organic industry has the ear of large, multi-national organizations that increasingly recognize organic producers as key players in the U.S. food system. Even more heartening is the realization that these companies are listening to the needs of organic farmers, who have identified soil health as a top research priority. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to foster communication between diverse stakeholders in our food system and to broaden my audience beyond researchers and practitioners already established in organic production systems. One of the most exciting aspects of my work at OFRF is the opportunity to interact not only with those who are long-standing players in the field of organics, but also those who are curious to learn more about organic practices and the benefits they can provide to communities and the environment.

September 6, 2019 – The Farm Bill Conference Committee, composed of nine Senators and 47 Representatives, met publicly for the first time on September 6^th. The House and Senate each passed different versions of the Farm Bill this year, tasking the Conference Committee with crafting a final version that will have to go back to both the House and Senate for approval, before being sent to the President for signature before it expires on September 30, 2018. This is no small task.

The hearing was mostly comprised of opening statements, as many members of Congress from both sides of the aisle highlighted the need to get a Farm Bill done. However, there are stark differences between the current House and Senate versions, with the House version passing along party lines, and the Senate version being much more bipartisan. Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) of the Senate Agriculture Committee said, “In addition to having the support of over 500 groups, it [the Senate Farm Bill] passed on a historic vote of 86-11—the most votes a Farm Bill has ever received in the Senate since the very first bill in the 1933 during the depths of the Great Depression.”

As champions for organic farmers, OFRF is pleased that many members of Congress highlighted important organic issues at the Conference hearing, including the need for increased investment in organic research. With several programs set to expire if not reauthorized, Senator Stabenow discussed providing permanent investments for a number of important priorities including historic support for organic research that helps farmers tap into this fast-growing sector of agriculture.

In his opening statement, Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) also highlighted the importance of baseline funding for organic research and funding for organic cost share. While the Senate version included both baseline funding for organic research and funding for cost share, the House version did not. We are hopeful that Rep. Costa will be able to champion these key organic priorities as the conferees hash out the Farm Bill. He won’t be alone, as Rep. Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D-NM), the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research, also expressed her support for organic research in the Farm Bill.

The Chairman of the Research Subcommittee, Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), also showed his support for organics, specifically calling out protections against fraudulent organic imports that are in both bills, and the important investments in research that were included in the Senate Bill. One of the research provisions in the Senate bill includes baseline funding for organic research.

Senator Leahy summed things up well. “Another value and priority that our Farm Bill must support is America’s organic industry, which now totals $50 billion a year and is growing.” During the hearing, Senator Leahy said, “We must continue investments in organic research, certification, and enforcement that allow consumers to trust the USDA organic seal and ensure that American farmers who have invested so much can continue to be successful.”

OFRF will continue its work to ensure all members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee understand the importance of the organic provisions in the Farm Bill.