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

August 14, 2019 – Cover cropping is an important practice for building soil health, protecting the soil surface from erosion and compaction, and suppressing weeds and pests. Truly sustainable agriculture relies on maintaining effective vegetative cover of the soil, and the National Organic Standards require certified organic producers to include cover crops in their crop rotations.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has developed four basic principles of soil health management in which cover crops play key roles.

Keep the soil covered as much as possible.
– Year-round living vegetation or residue cover protects the soil from rain, wind, and sun, prevents erosion and crusting, adds organic matter, and feeds soil life.
– Timely cover crop planting after harvest can largely eliminate bare fallow, which might otherwise exceed six months per year in a corn-soybean rotation.

Keep living roots growing throughout the year. 
–  Rhizodeposition (root exudates and fine root sloughing) provides a continuous supply of food for beneficial soil microbes—the more living roots, the better.

–  The deep, extensive root systems of mature cover crops enhance drainage and aeration, and bring organic matter and soil life deeper into the soil profile.

–  Cover crop roots recover leached nutrients, thereby protecting water quality and enhancing fertility for the subsequent crop that is planted.

Manage more by disturbing soil less.
–  Cover crops reduce chemical soil disturbances by lessening the need for soluble fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

–  Cover crops reduce biological disturbance by supporting soil life year round.

–  Cover crops can reduce physical soil disturbances by suppressing weeds and lessening the need for tillage and cultivation.

Diversify soil biota with plant diversity. 
–  Adding cover crops to an existing rotation enhances diversity of plant species, and thereby the community of root-associated soil organisms.

–  Cover crop mixes further improve diversity.

However, it can be difficult to determine the best cover crop to plant, the optimum time to plant, when and how to terminate; and of course, how to calculate the all-important return on investment. The good news is that there are plenty of free resources available to help farmers make these critical decisions.

OFRF’s series on Soil Health and Organic Farming includes a guidebook and webinar on cover cropping. Cover Crops for Soil Health: Selection and Management provides an analysis of the most current research on cover cropping to guide growers through the process of selecting and managing cover crops. All of the guidebooks and webinars are available for free.

Download the guidebook

View the webinar

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) added to their many excellent resources in June of this year with a Technical Bulletin called “Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops”. The bulletin discusses both the immediate benefits of cover crops and their value as an investment in the long-term success of a farm.

Download the bulletin