Monthly Archives: September 2019

September 6, 2019 – by Lola Dannehl-Schickman, Development and Partnerships Manager, OFRF

Introducing OFRF’s Featured Partner: OGEE

This month, I’m excited to highlight one of OFRF’s close partners, OGEE. An award-winning, 100% organic, cosmetic company, OGEE became OFRF’s first co-venture partner in 2016. Co-venture partnerships offer organic companies the opportunity to use OFRF branding on their products. By using our logo in their marketing, companies let consumers know they are dedicated to supporting the organic farmers who make their products possible. OFRF only offers this type of opportunity to companies with the highest organic integrity and we are proud of our partnership with OGEE.

Ten years before creating OGEE, Abbott Stark was making products for some of the world’s largest beauty brands. Stark witnessed firsthand the beauty industry’s reliance on petroleum-based conventional ingredients (which come with an extensive list of health concerns) as well as artificial and synthetic production processes that are resource-intensive.

Stark learned very early on in the beauty industry that much of what we apply to our skin is absorbed into the body. Already a health-conscious consumer who prioritized eating organic, Stark began applying the same criteria to beauty products as he did to his food. Unfortunately, he could not find brands that were both certified organic and offered the same visible skincare results as conventional brands. In this vacuum of quality organic beauty products, Stark created his own. “I decided to create a product that I wanted to use myself AND that I was proud to share with my mother, my sisters, and my friends,” says Stark.

OGEE hit the beauty scene with a “bang,” receiving accolades from magazines ranging from Allure to Vogue. Although ecstatic with OGEE’s success, Stark believes the organic industry needs a bigger voice to accelerate change, especially in the world of cosmetics and beauty. “It is still impossible to source most of the organic ingredients that we need,” says Stark, “certified organic feedstocks are minimal or completely nonexistent. At the same time, the demand for organic crops has skyrocketed, while the percentage of organic farmland has remained flat.”

That’s why OGEE partners with OFRF. OFRF supports farmers through grant-based research and increases the awareness of the benefits of organic agriculture through education at the federal level. According to Stark, “OFRF’s support for organic and transitioning farmers helps grow the organic supply chain, which directly impacts the accessibility of organic ingredients for companies like us. Finally, when a farmer transitions from conventional to organic, or a consumer switches from purchasing conventional to organic products, we all win because organic is better for our health and the environment we all share.”

If your company is interested in a co-venture partnership, please contact Lola Dannehl-Schickman at lola@ofrf.org.

OGEE strives to create a brand that connects the worlds of luxury and organic. Its founders searched the planet for the newest discoveries in naturally derived ingredients, such as cutting-edge Edelweiss Flower Plant Stem Cells and hero ingredient, certified organic Golden Jojoba Oil to promote healthy aging-well.

With recent articles about the toxicity of talc in most baby powders and absorption of chemical sunscreens at 20x the legal allowable level, we are reminded of the importance of aligning our beauty standards with the standards for selecting food. OGEE sets itself apart with organic certification by the NSF. 

With 700% growth in 2018, OGEE delivered certified organic, clinically effective products to new audiences, which the brand celebrated as a huge success because organic farming relieves the toxic burden on the environment on the environment that we all share. Additionally, OGEE relaunched in sustainable glass packaging in 2018.

For more information, visit ogee.com.

Thank you to our 2019 Partners

September 5, 2019 – By Carolyn Dimitri, Associate Professor of Food Studies, New York University, Board Member, OFRF​​​​​

Despite widespread opposition from researchers and members of Congress, along with questions of the legality of the move from the USDA’s inspector general, moving the Economic Research Service out of Washington DC and into Kansas City is well underway. Compounding the controversy is the bold statement of Mick Mulvaney, who, in early August, celebrated the move as an effective way to “drain the swamp.”

Throughout the years, ERS has been the first employer of newly minted PhD economists who typically begin working in late summer or early fall. This year, the new hires began working in Kansas City, after a short training period in Washington DC. While Kansas City is not a draw for current employees, the new researchers, particularly those who are millennials, may be attracted by the urban amenities and the low cost of living in Kansas City.

Some current employees were lucky and their jobs were considered “stay positions,” which reports suggest number 76. Some with DC-based positions have opted to find work in other federal agencies, rather than stay at ERS. Of those with “go positions,” few agreed to make the move to Kansas City, with reports suggesting that at least half of the ERS staff have either found new positions or will retire. According to my sources (I used to work at ERS, and have spoken with many of my former colleagues), the bulk of those unwilling to relocate are senior staff with deep institutional and specialized agricultural knowledge.

The deep reduction in staff will leave wide knowledge gaps in areas including organic agriculture, conservation programs, animals, and crops. The agency is currently recruiting new staff to work in both Washington and Kansas City, but the needs are so great that they are unlikely to be able to hire enough knowledgeable and skilled people to keep the agency research afloat. In order to fill their needs, there is speculation that ERS will allow senior staff to retire, and then apply for part-time limited term positions. These workers would mentor junior researchers, as well as perform needed research, analysis, and outlook.

One remarkable aspect of the ERS staff is their continued commitment to the agency and the work they have conducted over the years. Of those I spoke with, including both researchers and managers, there was a strong expression of concern regarding ERS’S reputation and its legacy. Furthermore, these individuals were willing to do their part to preserve the agency, even though it was clear that this administration does not value ERS’s contribution to US agriculture.

September 4, 2019 –The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Tuskegee University are pleased to announce the 2020 Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) to be presented in partnership with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) on Thursday, January 23, 2020 in Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of the 2020 SSAWG Conference.

This year’s research forum will feature oral presentations, facilitated round table discussions, and a robust joint poster session with SSAWG. Presenters are invited to submit abstracts for the forum. Oral and poster presentations will be selected based on their innovative excellence, relevance to the research, education, and extension needs and priorities of organic farmers and ranchers, soundness of the methodology used, and the overall scientific quality.

Topics of interest for oral and poster presentations include:

• Ecosystem services provided by organic farming systems
• Soil health and quality
• Biological and cultural practices to manage insects, diseases, and weeds
• Holistic animal health and nutrition, and grazing and pasture management systems
• Breeding and selection of crops and animals, and seed systems suitable for organic production
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Integration of perennials in organic farming systems and the design of permaculture systems
• Value-added production and processing without synthetic food additives and processing aids
• Nutritional quality, health benefits, and integrity of organic food
• The impact of organic agriculture on rural communities
• Economics, marketing, and consumer behavior in organic systems and supply chains
• Innovative approaches to teaching organic farming practices
• Innovative approaches to transferring knowledge to beginning and transitioning farmers and ranchers
• Appropriate methods and practices for food systems and on-farm research
• Challenges to begin or transition into organic production systems
• Public policies to facilitate the transition to organic farming

Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged. Abstracts are limited to 300 words and should include the following:

• Working title and topic area
• Names of the co-authors and contact information
• An introduction explaining the context and purpose of the research, methodology, and a brief summary of the results and conclusionsThe deadline for submissions is October 18, 2019. Abstracts should be sent to haley@ofrf.org. Applicants with questions about the forum can call OFRF at 831-426-6606.

Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is a non-profit foundation that works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.

Southern SAWG facilitates the development of a more sustainable food and agriculture systems across 13 states in the Southern U.S. Since 1992 they have provided high quality educational materials and training opportunities on sustainable and organic production, marketing strategies, farm management, and community food systems development. Each year the Southern SAWG Conference brings together over 1,000 farmers, researchers, educators, and others in the sustainable agriculture field to share practical tools and information and strengthen their working relationships. The 2020 Southern SAWG conference will take place in Little Rock, Arkansas on January 22-25, 2020.

Tuskegee University has initiated an organic farming program for over 10 years to educate Alabama residents on the health benefits of organic vegetables. The program has grown in recent years to include site specific organic farming research on various vegetable crop varieties and integrated pest management throughout the Southern United States to provide recommendations to organic growers. Dr. Kpomblekou-A has served as director of the program at Tuskegee University since 2016.

Contacts:

Haley Baron, OFRF Education & Research Program Associate
Send abstracts to haley@ofrf.org

Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A, Tuskegee University Director of Organic Farming and Biogas Production
kkpomblekou@tuskegee.edu