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The Organic Research Hub

By Brian Geier, OFRF Communications Manager. This article was originally published in the Fall 2025 Organic Broadcaster by Marbleseed.

Every day, farmers make decisions that can have short-term and long-term effects on our farms. And as organic farmers, we depend on complex, intertwining relationships amongst all the moving parts of an organic system to work with us: plants, animals, soils, climate, microbes, workers, insects, processors, consumers, and more. To put it mildly, good information is key for our success, and wrong or misguided information can be costly.

Many farmers will tell you that the best information comes from our experiences on the land. “A farmer’s footstep is the best fertilizer,” they say. Our second-best source of information, reflected in survey after survey, is the information farmers get from other farmers. Third may arguably be what we find using the internet. But there, we risk running into an overwhelming array of sources of info with varying degrees of reliability, which may or may not be accessible or useful to anyone, let alone organic farmers!

Introducing the Organic Research Hub

A new tool seeks to remedy this overwhelm, and it is worthy of a close look. The Organic Research Hub, launched in early 2025 by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), is a curated collection of scientific and technical resources to help organic farmers understand and solve their challenges. It is a gateway to research and resources that are applicable to organic farmers, and it is a connection place between farmers, researchers, technical service providers, and extension agents. 

Ohio dairy farmer Jordan Settlage, who serves on the Organic Stewardship Council for OFRF, described his first experience testing out the “Hub” at a recent advisory meeting:

“We’re changing our compost management right now, and I had some questions about it. I searched the site, and within about 30 seconds, I found the answers I was looking for. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a powerful tool. This is fantastic.’ What really stood out is that it wasn’t just some random person on YouTube or a questionable link from Google. The information came from Rodale and other credible sources. It was actually helpful—and I was able to make real management decisions based on what I read.” –Jordan Settlage, Settlage and Settlage Farms

The Hub is easy to use. It can be searched by typing a keyword, by selecting from one or more of 17 topics (for example, Cropping Systems, Tools and Technology, or Livestock Feeding), by choosing a USDA-SARE region, or filtering by production category. You can also combine these options for a more refined search. Let’s take a look at how it works, using the Great Lakes region as an example.

Challenges for Organic Farmers in the Great Lakes Agro-Ecoregion

The Great Lakes agro-ecoregion, as defined by the National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), includes Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. (National data and larger USDA-SARE regions, including the “Northcentral” region, are also used in the NORA report. Smaller agro-ecoregions like the Great Lakes are used to provide a finer scale of categorization that reflects geographical specialization of farm commodities, and regional differences in soil types, climates, and environmental stressors.) In the NORA report, Great Lakes organic farmers identified the following challenges:

• The top production challenges are: controlling weeds (66% of respondents struggle with this), maintaining adequate yields (50%), and managing production costs (45%).
• The non-production challenges are: finding and developing markets for organic products (56%) and accessing labor (52%).
• The preferred source of information is other organic farmers (91% of respondents say so, a preference observed in all regions but strongest in the Great Lakes). 
• The most influential methods for learning are field days, followed by printed materials, then online resources, and then conferences. 

The top concerns are organic fraud and integrity, industrial organic, crop contamination, imbalance of domestic certified organic supply and demand, and funds for organic research.

Addressing the Top Organic Production Challenge of the Great Lakes: Weed Management

What would an organic farmer find on the Hub if they chose the Weed Management topic and the North Central region? At the time of this writing, this search generates 19 resources that farmers in the Great Lakes may find helpful when addressing their #1 production issue.

For example, farmers using plastic mulches might be interested in a study at Michigan State University that looked at the effects of several weed prevention strategies (cultivation, dead mulch, living mulch cover crops, and mowing) between plastic mulch rows on weed control, soil health, and cash crop quality/yield. 

Producers interested in using reusable black tarps to smother weeds might note that in a recent study at Cornell, it only took 3 weeks to kill weeds with tarps, and results suggest that following tarping, mechanical cultivation, or field prep can be accomplished with less depth (and fuel). 

And, with other results from this search, any farmer could: 

• Sharpen knowledge of major weed families using this eOrganic virtual tour.
• Integrate new strategies like flame weeding or increased field sanitation as laid out by Dr. Alan Leslie in this article on integrated weed management.
• Take the “many little hammers” approach to weed management outlined in the visual below and discussed by organic weed specialist Dr. Eric Gallandt in this guide to ecological strategies for weed control from SARE. 

Mike Lucas, of Farmacea in Munith, Michigan, like most organic farmers in the Great Lakes, is looking for ways to successfully address weed management. An on-farm research trial led by Farmacea is looking at comparing synthetic and living mulches. Results are forthcoming and will be available on the Hub. 

Resources for the Top Non-production Challenge: Finding and Navigating Markets

Over half of the organic farmers in the Great Lakes say that finding and navigating organic markets is a significant challenge. Looking at Hub results for the “Managing Production Costs: Business and Marketing” topic and the Northcentral region reveals an array of resources that provide valuable insights. 

There are podcasts like Field, Lab, Earth Podcast, where filmmaker Anders Gurda and agricultural professional Paul Dietmann discuss finding markets for organic grains and the business side of transitioning to organic. A video from the Organic Agronomy Training Service explains the opportunities with locking in prices for future sales using ‘forward contracts’. Another publication could help producers price organic products where organic markets may not already be established. And although not directly market-related, another search result is a podcast with farmer Tom Frantzen exploring the importance of long-term planning and thinking for organic farmers.

Organic Farming Extension Directory and Other Resources From OFRF

In addition to digital resources like factsheets, videos, and podcasts, farmers can now find a list of Extension agents and Technical Service Providers with organic expertise on the Hub. At the time of this writing, the Hub’s “Organic Farming Extension Directory” lists 15 organic farming experts in Wisconsin, two in Michigan, and nine in Minnesota. More specialists are expected to be added, and nominations are welcome (see below). 

In addition to the Hub and Directory, this Resource page is the go-to spot for OFRF factsheets, webinars, networking sessions, and farmer-led resources like this suite on Crop-Livestock Integration. The Advocacy page also hosts our Organic Research State-by-State factsheets, which detail the size of the organic market, the importance of organic research investments, local organic research projects, and regional research priorities in each state, including Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

Building and Farming Into the Future

The Hub and the Directory are living resources open to additions. Feedback or suggestions for additions can be submitted via this form or by contacting OFRF staff at the email on the form. If farmers, ranchers, researchers, extension agents, or anyone has suggestions for additions to these resources, OFRF welcomes your input! 

Results from on-farm trials being conducted by organic farmers in the Great Lakes are among the latest additions to the Hub. OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program provides financial and technical support to organic farmers to investigate and learn about solutions to their most pressing production challenges. Applications for the next round of FLT projects will be open this fall. Recent and forthcoming additions to the Hub from Great Lakes farmers in the FLT program include:

• Results of in-row seed spacing & root crop yield from the Green Things Farm Collective, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Effects of living clover mulches from farmers Mike Lucas and Rollin Baker of Farmacea, in Munith, Michigan.

Results on anaerobic fermentation as a closed-loop farm-made fertilizer from Samantha Otto of The Woven Trifecta, in Whitehall, Michigan.

Samantha Otto, at The Woven Trifecta in western Michigan, leads an on-farm trial looking at incorporating waste from her livestock and compost into anaerobic ferments to improve soil fertility and plant health. Results are forthcoming and will be posted on the Hub.

Addressing the myriad of challenges organic farmers face is not easy or formulaic. We need relevant, updated information from a wide swath of science areas. We want to see real results on working farms. Our information needs to be specific to production systems and regional factors. The Hub is a powerful step in this direction, and I hope readers will join me in using it and sharing it.

Want to stay up-to-date with OFRF? The best way is to join our monthly newsletter, where you’ll receive alerts about new resources, upcoming events and webinars, paid internships with the organization, federal programs and funding for organic farmers and research, and policy updates relevant to the organic community.

By Elizabeth Tobey

HEAL Food Alliance is a multi-sector, multi-racial coalition dedicated to transforming food and farm systems through policy, education, and grassroots support. With nearly 60 member organizations, HEAL is focused on protecting farm and food system workers, advocating for climate justice, and supporting BIPOC-led organizations. HEAL stands for Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor, and the Alliance was born out of the understanding that no single individual, organization, or sector can transform systems in isolation.

Nichelle Harriott is the Policy Director at HEAL, and also serves on OFRF’s board of directors. She recently gave a presentation to OFRF staff and board members about HEAL’s work, as part of a series of “Lunch and Learn” events that OFRF is coordinating to build stronger connections between our organization and others working in the food and agriculture sectors. Here are our key takeaways from meeting with Nichelle and learning about the powerful work that HEAL is doing.

How It Started

HEAL began around 2016, when four organizations came together at a conference and started talking about the intersection of health, environment, agriculture, and labor. Those four organizations were Real Food Generation, National Black Food and Justice Alliance, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Food Chain Workers Alliance. From that initial conversation, HEAL was born and has since grown to over 60 member organizations, consisting mostly of local groups with a few regional and national organizations involved as well.

How It’s Going

As Nichelle put it, “HEAL believes that everyone has the right to have access to foods that are nutritionally and culturally appropriate, free from exploitation, and grown in harmony with the rest of the natural world.”

The Alliance utilizes five core methods for conducting their work to achieve this vision:

Connecting and uniting groups

As an alliance of member organizations, HEAL focuses on connecting groups to leverage and support each other in creating effective change. All members play a guiding role by identifying and uplifting priority issues for HEAL to advocate around. Core Members are BIPOC-led or BIPOC-serving, while Connecting Members include others who align with HEAL’s mission. The four founding organizations continue to play a key role within HEAL, as part of the membership and serving on the steering committee.

HEAL supports members through regranting programs. Earlier this year, they were able to regrant $400K to 26 members facing budget gaps due to the federal funding freeze in early 2025. Annually, they provide approximately $50K in rapid response funds to support smaller, less-resourced members.

Political education and analysis

The School of Political Leadership team in San Diego. Photo credit HEAL Food Alliance.

HEAL facilitates the School of Political Leadership (SOPL), a six-month program to equip young leaders with policy and advocacy skills. Made up of a mix of virtual and in-person sessions, this program includes lobbying experience in Washington, D.C. As of our conversation in mid-2025, SOPL has graduated 6 cohorts of young political leaders and advocates with the training needed to effectively advocate for a future they believe in.

In their policy work, HEAL prioritizes worker protections, climate justice, corporate consolidation, and support for BIPOC producers. They focus on federal-level policy, especially the Farm Bill, and held their first Congressional briefing on workers and the Farm Bill in 2023.

Advancing a shared narrative

The communications team at HEAL Food Alliance is intentional about how they tell their stories, ensuring that messaging around priority issues aligns with a Race Class Narrative (RCN) framework. This framework prioritizes telling stories that unify rather than divide people across class and race, and build power to take on corporate and political entities that historically and currently seek to divide and exploit us. Their “Rooted, Ready, & Resilient: Uplifting a BIPOC-led Vision for Crisis-Proof Food Systems” guide, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a great example of this strategic and purposeful work.

Connecting and nurturing existing and emerging campaigns

HEAL is currently working on a narrative of abundance messaging guide for members, to challenge the false narrative that there is not enough to go around. “Scarcity is manufactured by those in power,” Nichelle explained. HEAL is working to flip that script, showing what’s possible when we move from a mindset of scarcity to a one of abundance. They are promoting the message that we can and should choose policies that reflect what is possible when we invest in people, not corporations.

Ensuring underserved communities have the resources they need to bring about grassroots change

Nichelle discussed the impact that discrimination and exploitation have on Black and brown communities. Addressing this is a foundational and ongoing priority area for HEAL’s work. For instance, they have worked extensively with Senator Booker (D–NJ)’s office on campaigns to improve working conditions of meatpacking workers. They are also engaged in advocating for heat stress protections and immigration reform for farmworkers. HEAL is unique in that they focus on food and farm workers across supply chains, including in farm fields, processing facilities, and restaurants. Their goal is to help shape policy that “safeguards those that grow, harvest, and serve the foods that we rely on,” as Nichelle said.

Collaboration Opportunities

Recognizing the strength in collaborative efforts, Nichelle pointed to several areas where HEAL is open to connecting with other food and agriculture organizations. She noted the messaging work they are doing around abundance, and invited organizations such as OFRF to incorporate that framework into their communications. Another area she noted as important to continue to highlight is the connection between climate change and agricultural communities.

Next Steps

To learn more about the work that HEAL Food Alliance is doing, visit their website at https://healfoodalliance.org/. If you’re ready to jump in and get involved, head straight for their Take Action page, where you can Join the Alliance, Connect, Explore, or Support. You can scroll to the bottom to sign up for their newsletter and follow them on social media to stay in the loop.

Dr. Walter Goldstein

Written by Dr. Walter Goldstein

I recently had the opportunity to join Vinnie Trometter, Policy Fellow at the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and staff from Congressman Bryan Steil (R–WI–01)’s office to discuss how several organic agricultural research programs help the Mandaamin Institute research revolutionary, nutritious, nitrogen-fixing organic corn varieties.

Breeding Corn for a Food-Secure Future

I founded the Mandaamin Institute back in 2011 to study how to breed corn that does not require fertilizers and is more nutritious and sustainable than the corn hybrids controlled by large multinational corporations. Our goal is to change the paradigm of corn production by showing that you can breed organic corn varieties that have similar yields to conventional corn and are competitive against weeds without the need to use synthetic fertilizers or herbicides. Our research shows that this is possible.

Our corn plants have been selected to partner with beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizae. Their tissues are strongly colonized with bacteria in the roots, epidermis, plant hairs, vascular tissues, silks, pollen, glumes, and embryos. Bacteria are passed from one generation to the next through the seed, and those bacteria actively colonize the plant and are extruded into the root zone through the root tip and root hairs.

Through this, we have found that not only does root branching and root health improve, but nitrogen uptake increases substantially. This is because soil bacteria are taken up by the plant through the growing root system and then multiplied and consumed inside the plant as a result of the active oxidants produced by the plant. The dialogue with bacteria increases vitality and nutrient uptake and causes priming of the plant for stress and disease resistance. We have evidence that the defense systems in the root are dialed down to foster bacteria, but they are dialed up in the tops, which accumulate microbial nitrogen. Furthermore, we have isotopic evidence that some of our varieties are fixing substantial quantities of nitrogen from the air.

Some of our inbred varieties and hybrids also compete better with weeds and are less strongly affected by them than conventional varieties. Furthermore, yields under fertilized conditions have been about 10% less, but are generally higher than for conventional inbred corn under unfertilized conditions.

We have also found that our plants have higher nutritional value (more methionine, lysine, minerals, and carotenoids) than conventional corn. This translates to better quality poultry feed. Unlike traditional poultry feed, which is generally composed of a mixture of corn and soybeans, Mandaamin corn varieties are naturally high in protein and contain generated amino acids, usually supplemented in soybean-mixed poultry feeds. The enhanced value of the feed means 9% less soybean meal and no synthetic methionine is required. This allows poultry feeders to pay a 10% premium for the grain without increasing their overall feed costs, resulting in higher prices for egg producers.

Funding for Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Research

The Mandaamin Institute is working with dozens of organic farms and conventional farms, or in conditions that do not use synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, and are also limited in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. The farms we partner with are in several states, but mostly in Wisconsin. Mandaamin Institute also does not patent the corn they give out to farmers, so they can partake in experiments themselves. For analysis, we work intensively with Rutgers University using the latest “omics” technology.

We use Organic Agriculture Research Extension Program (OREI) and Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) grants to fund our research. Using both programs allows us to experiment on both organic and non-organic land since OREI can only be used on organic acreage, while SARE usage does not have this restriction. Experimenting on both types of land is important because we can test our seeds across a range of soil conditions. 

Our Meeting with Congress

Our meeting with Congressman Bryan Steil’s office went well. We met with one of his staffers who was well-informed and engaged on agriculture issues. He was sympathetic to our call, expressing the importance of organic agriculture research programs. It is important for organic agriculture researchers to directly communicate with their members of Congress about their work and how it impacts their districts, states, and regions. Those members of Congress can then carry on the message of researchers up to the USDA or the Agriculture Committee, where agricultural policy decisions are made.

Use Your Voice

Interested in sharing your research with legislators and highlighting the importance of ongoing public investment in organic research? Enroll in OFRF’s self-paced email course, Communicating with Legislators. This free workshop gives researchers and advocates in the organic farming community the tools to confidently connect with lawmakers and make your work count where decisions are made.