Monthly Archives: January 2024

Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) Deadline Announcement

Thanks to the Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has made $75M in cost-share grant funding available to certified organic and transitioning-to-organic growers under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to meet the Conservation Practice Standard for Organic Management (CPS-823).

This post and the PDF below provide step-by-step instructions for contacting your local NRCS office to inquire about available financial and technical assistance programs available to you.

OFRF has developed a PDF to help farmers communicate with NRCS about accessing the Organic Transition Initiative.

It is available in both English and Spanish. >>>

“How to talk to your NRCS office about the
Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) resources available for you”

“Cómo hablar con su oficina del NRCS sobre los
programas de apoyo para la transición a orgánico”

Organic farmers must manage their land without prohibited inputs for 3 years for their products to be certified. This transitioning period can be incredibly challenging as farmers and their land adjust to new production practices. OTI is intended to help producers implement conservation activities required for certification, receive expert technical support, and recover foregone income due to reduced yields during the transition period through EQIP.

Important Note: Although the national deadline has been extended to March 1, 2024, states set their own ranking dates independently. 

  • State Deadlines:
    • Arizona: Feb 2, 2024(General EQIP ranking date)
    • California: Feb 16, 2024 (General EQIP ranking date)
    • Hawaii/Pacific Islands: Mar 8, 2024
    • Nevada: Mar 29, 2024 (General EQIP ranking date)
    • New Mexico: Fall 2024 (General EQIP ranking date)
    • Texas: Jan 26, 2024
    • Utah: Mar 29, 2024 & June 28, 2024 (General EQIP ranking date)

Step 1. Research your options.

Step 2. Connect with USDA. Create or update your account at Farmers.gov, and contact your local NRCS office to get started. Your conservation specialist will confirm your eligibility and help you identify which projects & practices best suit your operation. Directing the agent to NRCS-sponsored webinars and training modules the Organic Farming Research Foundation and Oregon Tilth have developed for NRCS field agents may be helpful.

Contact your state office for additional assistance:

Guiding Questions: Check out our “How to talk to NRCS about the OTI” PDF for additional topics, available above!

  • I __own/rent__ my land. What documents will you need for completion of my EQIP application by the deadline?
  • I am eligible for the increased and advanced payment option for Historically Underserved farmers. How will this change my application process?
  • My farm is __certified/transitioning_ to organic. What additional information will you need for completing my conservation plan and application by the deadline?
  • Can I get financial assistance for conservation work I have already started or completed?
  • Can NRCS help me develop and implement a comprehensive conservation plan that is tailored to my organic operation?
  • When is the deadline for the next EQIP ranking period?

Step 3. Schedule your conservation plan development. Your NRCS conservation specialist will work with you to develop a conservation plan for your operation and complete the AD 1026 form.

Step 4. Gather your application documents.

  • Official tax ID (Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number)
  • Adjusted gross income certification (Form CCC-941), which requires your Taxpayer ID Number and AGI from the previous 3 tax years.
  • Deed, or property lease agreement and written authorization from the landowner to install structural or vegetative practices.
  • Farm tract number (obtained from Farmers.gov or FSA membership).
  • Documentation of organic certification (if applicable).
  • Documentation of your land’s irrigation history (if applicable to project).
  • Documentation of previous improvements made to the property.

Step 5. Complete your application & submit! Your NRCS conservationist will assist you in finalizing your application. 

Step 6. Implement your plan. If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done. You’ll be provided with guidelines and a timeframe for implementing your plan. You will be reimbursed after your work is inspected and approved. Advanced payments not expended within 90 days of receipt must be returned to NRCS.

As essential stewards of the land, organic farmers deserve support. Don’t let funding be a barrier to realizing your farm’s potential. Take the first step towards growth and sustainability by applying for assistance through the Organic Transition Initiative before your state’s deadline.

Note: all of this information is available below in Spanish. Obtain additional translated materials, or schedule interpretation services for phone calls or in-person visits, https://www.farmers.gov/translations, or request personalized Spanish language support for any USDA resource, https://www.farmers.gov/translations#spanish-request.

By |2024-06-18T18:02:40+00:00January 31st, 2024|News|
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From Regulations to Legislation: Advocating for Organic Agriculture in 2024

The dawn of a new year always brings new opportunities. This year, we are continuing our work to advocate for expanded public investments in organic agriculture research. To be honest, 2024’s political landscape is admittedly daunting:

  • FY24 appropriations still need to be passed by the end of the month.
  • The Farm Bill is running up against a new March deadline.
  • The FY25 appropriations process is about to begin.
  • There’s a Presidential election on the horizon.

That being said, at OFRF, we see these events as opportunities to ensure organic agriculture gets the recognition it deserves.

As we highlighted last month, 2023 was a momentous year for organic policy development in the regulatory space. In 2024, we hope to bring that momentum to the legislative body and work with our coalition partners to amplify our voices and call for increased public investments in organic agriculture research.

To do this, we have two primary initiatives. First, we will continue to build broad support for the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act in the Senate and the Strengthening Organic Agriculture Research (SOAR) Act in the House. If you still need to get familiar with these significant marker bills, check out those links for an overview and some information on how you can help spread awareness about them. Second, we are committed to ensuring that appropriators comprehend the urgent need for increased funding in agricultural research and the far-reaching impact these investments have on the nation- economically, ecologically, and socially.

Including the SOAR and OSRI Acts in the 2024 Farm Bill is more than just a step forward in achieving parity between organic agriculture’s share of USDA research funding (currently <2%) and its market share (>6%). More importantly, these investments will touch the lives of communities nationwide.

Agricultural research programs extend beyond answering producers’ queries or supporting early-career scientists—although they excel at both. These programs significantly benefit the rural communities actively participating in and hosting vital research projects. Notably, every dollar invested in public agricultural research generates an impressive $20 of benefits. Despite this documented impact, public funding for agricultural research has seen a 20% decline since the turn of the century, in stark contrast to increased funding in other research areas during the same period.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, we are intensifying our efforts in appropriations advocacy, ensuring that the offices of appropriators understand the critical importance and impact of the programs under their control.

However, for us to maximize our effectiveness, we need your help! If you have a story involving a research finding, participation in a research project, or a persistent research question that needs answering, please use our story form to contribute and help us raise awareness!

As always, please reach out if you want to get involved or are curious about our work! gordon@ofrf.org

Eat well,

Gordon

By |2024-06-18T18:02:52+00:00January 12th, 2024|Gordon's Policy Corner, News|
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Annika La Fave (she/her/hers)

Policy & Communications Intern

email: policy[at]ofrf.org

Annika La Fave (she/her/hers) joins the OFRF team as the Fall 2023 policy & communications intern. Annika is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, focusing on public health communications & food systems policy.

Annika began farming in 2010 while completing her B.A. in Education at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. She has since had a varied career in sustainable agriculture raising livestock, vegetables, and cut-flowers, teaching organic farming and small business management at Clackamas Community College, founding her own small vegetable farm business promoting food equity in partnership with Oregon Health & Science University, and, most recently, managing Baltimore County’s Agricultural Center.

Annika is passionate about land stewardship and the pursuit of occupational tenability for small and beginning farmers. She aspires to help create a more equitable food system for producers and consumers. She spends most of her spare time walking and running with her two energetic greyhounds.

By |2024-12-24T17:05:37+00:00January 9th, 2024|Uncategorized|
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Marina Vergara (she/her/hers)

Research & Education Intern

email: research[at]ofrf.org

Marina Vergara (she/her/hers) joins the OFRF team as the Fall 2023 Research and Education intern. Marina is a graduate student at the University of California, Davis studying International Agricultural Development. Her interests lie in exploring participatory agricultural extension and ways to better support marginalized farmers. Her research examines a participatory silvopastoral extension program in Panama, and the ways in which this model facilitates an informal knowledge exchange amongst model farmers and farmers newly entering the program.

Marina discovered her passion for food and agriculture in college after being drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of food systems. After graduating from Cornell University in 2018 with a BS in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Marina moved to Panama to serve with the U.S. Peace Corps as an Agriculture Extension Agent, working with small-scale, organic cacao farmers in product development, marketing, and sales. Marina then served with AmeriCorps VISTA in South Texas, where she focused on coalition building for increasing food security and youth curriculum development for food justice and sovereignty in the Rio Grande Valley.

Marina is passionate about supporting marginalized farmers, through collaboration in projects and increasing equity in access to extension support and materials. In her free time, you can find Marina outside hiking, biking, or lounging with her dog Claudia, at the local coffee shop with a good book, or trying something new and tasty to eat.

By |2024-12-24T17:05:51+00:00January 9th, 2024|Uncategorized|
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Amity Vargas (she/her/hers)

Donor Stewardship Coordinator

email: amity[at]ofrf.org

Amity Vargas (she/her/hers) is a Colorado native but grew up on the West Coast, soaking up the beautiful beach sun. She has over fifteen years of experience working within the nonprofit realm, focusing on environmental and social impact missions. Her work has included development, programming, and operations. Amity has led programs that provided watershed protection of the South Platte River in the South Park National Heritage Area, and she started the first Farm to School program in Park County. She has taught environmental education to adults and students from Pre-K through the twelfth grades, writing both standards-based and experienced-based curricula emphasizing mindfulness and a growth mindset. In the Front Range, Amity has worked with a wide variety of schools and organizations, teaching the importance of environmental literacy through a program she started called TREES – Teaching Responsible Environmental Education Skills. Through this program, she was able to start a recycling program within an elementary school in the Colorado Springs area, the first of its kind within that school district. Amity is working towards becoming an Herbalist and completing her portfolio to become a certified Environmental Educator.

Amity loves immersing herself in nature with her family. They camp, hike, bike, snowshoe, raft and volunteer together to keep trails clean. She enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, and writing. She plays the flute and is learning the guitar and melodica. Amity is a nomad at heart and is dedicated to being a lifelong learner.
By |2024-01-11T19:13:36+00:00January 9th, 2024|Staff|
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Rebecca Champagne (she/her/hers)

Conservation Scientist

email: rebecca[at]ofrf.org

Rebecca Champagne (she/her/hers) is the Conservation Scientist at OFRF and joined the team in September 2024. She is an agronomist by training with a research background in organic agriculture, having worked with a diverse array of crops and on practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and managing weeds. She also brings experience in interdisciplinary science communications and policy work to the team. Rebecca previously worked for soil health non profit Land Core, and as an analyst for the ag-tech company Gro Intelligence. She is passionate about transforming our farm and food systems to be more sustainable and equitable for all people.

Rebecca has a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Maine, an MS in Agronomy from The Pennsylvania State University, and a BS in Sustainable Agriculture from The University of Maine. In her free time you can find her at the gym, exploring Maine, reading, cooking, and finding more house plants to add to her collection.

By |2024-12-18T15:26:55+00:00January 1st, 2024|Staff|
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