Equity Acknowledgement

OFRF acknowledges its privilege as a predominantly White-led organization and recognizes that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) perspectives need to be highlighted for all organic farming systems to develop and thrive.

Today’s agriculture system is a continued product of stolen land, knowledge, and enslaved labor of People of Color to favor the interests of White people.

OFRF is committed to advancing beyond the conversation of social justice as it intersects with organic agriculture, and toward an anti-racist future that holds our board members, staff, and partner organizations accountable in dismantling systemic racism in organic farming.

Learn more about OFRF’s Values and download a PDF version of our Equity & Values Statement.

Centering Racial Equity

OFRF staff and Board recognize that we must better serve BIPOC farmers, researchers, and stakeholders. Our goal is to broaden access to and involvement in our programs, and work toward greater equity in our food and agriculture systems overall. We are striving to become an antiracist organization and will continue to focus on racial equity internally, within our existing programs, and in new project development. We are proud of the work we have begun to do, knowing there is always more we can learn, and are dedicated to growth. 

Below our details about the equity work we have done and continue to do in our programs and internally.

In our programs:

  • Ask how we can center DEI in every new and existing project idea to ensure it advances racial equity. 
  • Highlight stories of BIPOC farmers and share with our larger community. 
  • Utilize NORA data that was analyzed to compare BIPOC and White farmer needs across our projects.
  • Promote BIPOC-led organic research, including awarding more than half of our 2021-2022 research grants to BIPOC-led projects.
  • Conduct an assessment of USDA NIFA’s recent funding in organic, including how equitable their funding has been to 1890 land grant universities and other minority-serving institutions.
  • Engage in DEI-focused advocacy efforts by writing public comments, signing onto letters, and supporting BIPOC-led efforts at USDA and Congress. 
  • Create educational resources for underserved farming communities and develop more Spanish-language materials.

Internally:

  • Reviewed and adjusted organization-wide documents including our strategic plan and value statement to ensure they align with DEI goals.  
  • Identified a DEI captain who leads the team in goal setting, quarterly accountability meetings, board governance (and their DEI work), and coordinating internal education.
  • Conduct quarterly internal meetings to ensure we are addressing annual DEI goals. 
  • Examined our Board structure, recruitment, and processes to facilitate diverse dialogue and perspectives. 
  • Include DEI as a topic in biannual board meetings.
  • Provide training opportunities for Board and staff – both together and asynchronous. 
  • Updated our hiring and interviewing practices, including our job descriptions and recruiting language, to be more inclusive
  • Continue building on our remote work culture to ensure everyone feels OFRF is a safe and comfortable place to work. 
  • Conducted salary and position benchmarking so compensation is more transparent.

Resources for Further Engagement

There are countless useful resources online. The list below is not exhaustive, but a few resources that our staff have found helpful. We will add to this list periodically.

White Allyship 101: Resources to Get to Work, Dismantle Collective

21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge, Food Solutions New England

Farming While Black, Soul Fire Farm

Racism is Real – Systemic Racism Explained – Black Lives Matter, Brave New Films

Racial Equity in Organic, National Organic Coalition