Monthly Archives: March 2020

March 31, 2020 – OFRF’s board is farmer-led and we deeply appreciate the time they devote to our mission of improving and advancing organic agriculture. In the midst of the COVID-19 upheaval, we were grateful that our staff and board could come together (virtually) for our regularly scheduled board meeting. While we recognize these are challenging and unusual times, we share a commitment to continuing to serve the organic farming sector, which we believe is critical to protecting food security while stewarding our environmental resource

The board approved changes to the roster and we’re pleased to welcome two new board members!

April Jones Thatcher is the founder of April Joy Farm, a first-generation, diversified farm near Ridgefield, Washington. Her Washington State Dept of Ag certified organic farm has served wholesale and retail customers in Clark County since 2009. April has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering and an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship. She is passionate about soil health, livestock welfare, and nurturing community.

Dr. Joe K. Kpomblekou-A is a Professor of Soil and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University. He holds a Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University in Soil Science. Kokoasse is in charge of the organic agriculture and biogas production program at Tuskegee University; together with other scientists at four land-grant universities (Auburn University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, and Oregon State University) and Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network are promoting organic agriculture throughout the Southeast United States.

We bid a fond farewell to Dr. Heather Darby and Dean McIlvaine, who have completed their tenure. “We are excited to have April and Kokoasse join our board of directors,” said Brise Tencer, OFRF’s Executive Director. “Their fresh perspective, strong skills, and diverse expertise will be a huge asset to our board. I am also extremely proud to name Heather as an Honorary Board member in recognition of her service as the longest-serving member of the OFRF board, her passion for on-farm research, and her deep commitment to the mission and vision of OFRF.”

Bryan Hager takes over as Board President. Jeremy Barker Plotkin, owner of Simple Gifts Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts, will continue to serve on the board.

Again, we are so grateful for the wisdom and hard work that each board member brings to the organization.!

Learn more about our staff and board.

View our 2019 Annual Report.

March 5, 2020 – Last week, I returned to the OFRF office feeling rejuvenated and re-energized after attending the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Conference in La Crosse, WI. This sense of energy and renewal came not only from the opportunity to return to my roots and enjoy the welcoming culture of the Midwest, it was also sparked by my interactions with the robust community of researchers, farmers, and non-profits at the conference. At a time when there is so much uncertainty, it was uplifting to be surrounded by a community of people dedicated to creating sustainable food systems that support people and the environment.

The highlight of my trip was the workshop on Resilient Soils that I hosted with Dr. Jess Gutknecht from the University of Minnesota. Given the extreme rainfall and flooding the Midwest experienced last year, farmers and ranchers were eager to learn about soil health building practices that can help maintain favorable growing conditions in the face of weather extremes. Jess got us off to a strong start with an overview of climate change and the long-term climate trend predictions for the Midwest. Her interactive presentation generated strong discussion among participants who shared not only their perceptions of the changing climate and how they are coping, but also their emotional response to these unpredictable times.

I followed by presenting soil health principles and practices that can improve overall soil health and water-holding capacity, characteristics important to dealing with extreme precipitation events. We concluded the workshop with small group discussions that allowed participants to dive deeper into specific topics like planting cover crops to absorb excess soil moisture and opportunities to reduce tillage to improve soil health.

In addition to hosting a workshop, OFRF also had a table in the exhibit hall displaying our hugely popular soil health guidebooks and resources on soil health management practices to reduce risk and increase the resiliency of farming systems. We also had postcards announcing the launch of two national surveys of farmers and ranchers we recently released in partnership with the Organic Seed Alliance—one survey is for certified organic producers and the other is for producers transitioning to organic certification. More information and links to both surveys can be found here.

I also had the opportunity to attend an organic research social where I met other researchers working to address pressing questions in the field of organic agriculture. The gathering gave everyone the opportunity to introduce themselves and share ideas for projects and collaborations, and was a welcome opportunity to slow down and listen. Throughout the discussions that evening, I was struck by the sense of camaraderie in the room. As a relatively new member to the organic research community, I was impressed by the strong network of researchers and their passion for building healthy food systems. I left feeling grateful to be welcomed into this community and am already looking forward to next year’s conference!

Submitted by Lauren Snyder, Ph.D., Education & Research Program Manager, OFRF

March 5, 2020 – As many of you have heard, Expo West and related events were postponed this week due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, that meant postponing our annual fundraising event, which we have held for 23 years on the day before Expo opens. That would have been yesterday.

A small crew from OFRF, along with our amazing volunteer chefs, had begun prepping the all-organic lunch for over 300 guests this past weekend. When the decision to postpone Expo West was made late Monday afternoon, we immediately contacted Bracken’s Kitchen, a non-profit located in Orange County whose mission is to recover, re-purpose, and restore both food and lives through food recovery, culinary training, and community feeding programs. They happily picked up all the perishable food Tuesday morning. Nothing will go to waste.