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Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), is pleased to award Kanalani Ohana Farm a 2021-22 Organic Research grant. OFRF’s grant program funds research on organic production systems and disseminates these research results to organic farmers and agricultural research communities. The 2021/22 grant cycle prioritized farmers, early career researchers and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) applicants, and awarded research projects focused on climate mitigation and building on-farm resilience.

Kanalani Ohana Farm will research organic farming system options for control of Coffee Leaf Rust on five organic farms in Kona, Hawaii. Colehour Bondera (MS and MEd) is a second generation farmer and will serve as research project lead. Their research team will test a systems-level approach to Coffee Leaf Rust management by increasing microbial biodiversity, using on-farm and island-made inputs, and sequestering more carbon through increased soil organic matter. This project was conceived, developed, and will be carried out by organic farmers. University of Hawaii organic system faculty will assist with analyses. 

As a result of OFRF’s research, education, and outreach efforts, thousands of farmers have received pertinent research and training information. Results from all OFRF-funded projects are available to access for free in an online database.

Thank you to FFAR and our research partners for making the 2021/22 organic research grant program possible.

Every five years a U.S. Farm Bill is voted into law by Congress, directing hundreds of billions of dollars to flow into the food and agriculture systems.

The 2023 Farm Bill is right around the corner and now is the moment to act.

Help support farmers and advance organic agriculture in the 2023 Farm Bill. Thanks to a generous donor, contributions made today will be matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000!

OFRF heard loud and clear from organic and transitioning farmers and ranchers about their needs in the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda and will be focusing our 2023 Farm Bill efforts on the following to address the challenges they are facing:

• Increase the amount of funds dedicated to organic research at the USDA.
• Push organic agriculture as a climate solution across USDA agencies and ensure organic and transitioning farmers receive resources they need to be successful.
• Support the expansion of organic farming systems.

Together we can ensure organic farmers are properly supported for the following five years. And remember, the work to affect policy change isn’t just needed in the six months before a Farm Bill, but instead it requires constant pressure, collaboration, education, commenting, and relationship-building all year long.

There are many ways to give to OFRF. And don’t forget: donate today and your gift will be matched dollar for dollar, thanks to a generous donor.

The Organic Farming Research Foundation 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) is a report informed by surveys and focus groups conducted in 2020 with over 1,100 certified organic farmers and ranchers across North America.

What Farmers Said

• In the NORA report, 83% of respondents reported used crop rotations at least sometimes, with the majority responding usage as very often.
• 88% of survey respondents used cover crops and green manures, with almost half of respondents indicating they cover crop very often.
• Only 19% of respondents indicated they intercropped very often and 36% reported never intercropping.

Download OFRF’s Soil health and organic farming guide books.

Cover Cropping by Region
Respondents from the South tended to use cover crops more often than in other regions. This may reflect the greater need for cover crops in the rotation to replenish soil organic matter (SOM) and nitrogen (N) in Southern region soils, which tend to lose SOM rapidly and have lower inherent fertility than soils in cooler parts of the U.S. (Duncan, 2017).

Cover crop use frequency was second highest in the Corn Belt region, where two-thirds of respondents grow field crops.

Conversely, the colder climates and shorter growing seasons in the Great Lakes and Northeast regions can impose logistical and economic constraints on integrating cover crops into annual crop rotations (Delate, 2013; Sheaffer et al., 2007). These challenges could contribute to less frequent use of cover crops.

Crop Rotations by Region
At least 88% of respondents in the most agro-ecoregions used crop rotations to some extent. However, within in the Pacific region, 35% of respondents reported never using crop rotations.

Across All Agro-Ecoregions
Perennial conservation plantings play important roles in agro-ecosystem health and in meeting NOP requirements to conserve biodiversity in organic operations. Across all agro-ecoregions, 74% of survey respondents reported maintaining some of their certified land in one or more of the following:

• buffer strips or border rows (54%);
• hedgerows, windbreaks or shelterbelts (35%);
• wildflower strips (17%);
• and other plantings such as woodland, prairie, or other natural areas (7%).

Other Conservation Practices to Help Improve Soil Health

Conservation Cover: Establish and maintain either introduced or native grasses, legumes and forbs for permanent cover, pollinator habitat, and food for wildlife.

Forage and Biomass Planting: Plant specific grass and legumes suitable for pasture, hay, or biomass production improves livestock nutrition and health, and can provide forage supplies during periods of low forage.

Manure Management: Store and contain manure until conditions are appropriate for field applications. This addresses potential manure runoff, protects water quality, and reduces nutrient loss.

Rotational Grazing of Animals: Divide pastures into multiple paddocks to manage soil compaction and harvest of vegetation. This improves or maintains the volume and quality of forage for grazing animals and provides vigor to plant communities.

Tree and Shrub Establishment: Woody plants in non-forested areas via planting seedlings, container/potted plants, cuttings or by direct seeding can improve air and water quality, stores carbon in biomass, provides wildlife habitat, and controls snow drift.

Join us online as OFRF Research & Education Manager Thelma Vélez, PhD, discusses results from the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA).

This free webinar from OFRF and eOrganic takes place on Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 11AM Pacific / 12PM Mountain / 1PM Central / 2PM Eastern Time. Advance registration is required.

“The 2022 NORA is the most comprehensive and thorough iteration of OFRF’s national farmer studies to date. Over 1,100 organic producers gave us their opinions and the stories the data tells is striking. We need to continue building capacity for organic growers across the nation and developing programs and policies to support them,” said Vélez.

About the Webinar
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) regularly surveys organic growers, farmers, ranchers across North America to understand their challenges and research needs. The findings are published in the National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) report, which informs OFRF research, education and advocacy programs and has also historically served as a critical roadmap to inform the USDA and Congress on how to leverage public investments in organic research and technical assistance. In 2019-2020, OFRF surveyed over 1,000 farmers and held 16 focus groups with both established certified organic growers and transitioning growers. In this presentation we will summarize the findings of the most recent NORA report.

Survey respondents provided input and perspectives on their current organic production systems, including the use of regenerative soil health management practices, water conservation, organic inputs, and organic seed. Findings confirm that organic producers lead the nation in adoption of soil health management and climate-friendly practices. The 2022 NORA also examines current farmer concerns in organic agriculture, farmers’ preferred sources and modes for information-sharing, and the impacts of COVID on organic producers. Respondents also shared their production and non-production challenges, which OFRF then analyzed by region, farming experience, and race/ethnicity.

Organic production starts with healthy soils which regulate water, sustain plant and animal life, filter and buffer potential pollutants, manage nutrients, and provide physical structure to support strong plant roots. According to the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), organic producers lead the nation in adoption of soil health and environmental stewardship practices. Such practices include cover cropping, crop rotations, and perennial conservation plantings.

Cover crop plants include legumes (such as clover, vetch, peas, and beans) and non-legumes (including cereals, grasses, and broadleaf species). Approximately 76% of organic field crop farmers plant cover crops regularly; in contrast, only 10% of conventional field crop farmers follow this soil-building practice.

The National Organic Program (NOP) defines crop rotation as “the practice of alternating the annual crops a grown on a specific field in a planned pattern or sequence.” Approximately 63% of 2022 NORA respondents reported using crop rotations very often. Among transitioning to organic farmers, three-quarters of respondents participate very often in crop rotations. In addition, 83% of transitioning farmers reported using soil-building intercropping practices as well.

To conserve biodiversity, organic producers also implement perennial conservation plantings. Nearly three-quarters of 2022 NORA survey respondents reported maintaining some of their certified land in one or more of the following:

• buffer strips and border rows
• hedgerows, windbreaks or shelter belts
• wildflower strips
• other plantings such as woodland, prairie, or natural areas.

Perennial conservation plantings promote beneficial and pollinator habitat, reduce the wind and water erosion, intercept runoff and pesticide drift, and enhance soil health and sequesters carbon within the area covered by perennial vegetation.

One National Organic Research Agenda respondent stated, “Soil is very important, and it is the building block of everything else. And if you treat it poorly, it will pay you poorly for years to come. If you treat it well, it will serve you well. You have to be constantly vigilant on your soil, and it is pretty darn important.” 

Soil health and organic farming guide books are available online to help beginning farmers implement practices such as cover cropping and  also provide additional information for more experienced producers.

Dominica Navarro Martinez (she/ella/they) is OFRF’s new Deputy Director. She brings to this role an extensive background in nonprofit management, finance, administration, and strategic programmatic development. She has direct organic farming experience and previously worked for OFRF in an office management and programs capacity from 2015-2018.

Dominica currently resides in Central Oregon with her family and dog Xochitl (pronounced Sochi), and enjoys sailing, hiking, seeking out hot springs in remote locations, growing food, and processing and preserving goods her family has grown, foraged, caught, or hunted.

Tell us about yourself.

I am a Chicana Borinqueña (Mexican and Puerto Rican American) with a strong food culture. I was raised in Southern California where I grew up cooking with family, sailing the pacific coast, and traveling Mexico.

I’ve always had a close relationship with my food and after a decade of veganism and two degrees from the University of California Santa Cruz (specializing in food, agriculture and social justice), I have devoted my professional career to food systems work. At home, I have a vegetable garden on an eighth of an acre where I grow using organic principles.

Why do you care about organic farming and/or organic research?

Organic agriculture is important to me because it protects people and the planet. I personally don’t agree with agricultural systems that depend upon toxic pesticides to grow food. Food is meant to nourish us, not make workers and consumers sick or poison natural ecosystems. Organic research is especially important because we must also learn to meet the growing demand for organic foods and growing pest pressure.

Who is your farming, research and/or food hero – and why?

My food hero is all the abuelitas (grandmothers) out there who have held onto their strong food cultures and who continue to share it with their loved ones. I am always amazed at how much knowledge we as a society have lost in the last few generations when it comes to food preparation and preservation. Some things should take time and be made with lots of love, food is one of them!

What are you excited about working on at OFRF?

It’s exciting to be a part of such a small yet mighty organization making real strides in the organic sector. From educational materials, to research grants, to federal policy feats, OFRF is always pushing for better representation and support for organic farmers. As a returning staff member, I am once again proud to be a part of this work!

By Ferd Hoefner, OFRF policy advisor

On March 9, Congress finally produced the government funding bill for the fiscal year that started last October. Since October the government has been funding by a series of continuing resolutions that tracked the previous year’s budget amounts. Congress will now vote on the new final appropriations bill over the course of the next week, at which point it will be signed into law by the President. With April 1, the halfway point of every federal fiscal year, close at hand, it thankfully will not be held up any longer, and hope springs eternal that they would finish the annual appropriations process by the September 30 deadline each year.

The following are some brief bill highlights from the organic research perspective:

Organic Transitions Research – After winning a $1 million increase last year, we were successful in adding another half million increase this year, bringing the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY 22) total to $7.5 million. In report language added by the Senate, USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is directed to focus the increase on the role of organic in mitigating climate change.

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education  – Though not an organic-only research and extension program, SARE was an early and continues to be a regular contributor to organic research. Following on a $3 million increase last year, the new bill for FY 22 includes another $5 million increase, bringing the total for the current year to $45 million for this NIFA competitive grants program.

Agriculture and Food Research Initiative – AFRI, by far the largest of the NIFA competitive grants programs, does not contribute nearly as much to organic farming research as it should, but has nonetheless been an occasional source of organic-specific funding or more frequently research that may contribute to organic systems less directly. It will receive its third straight $10 million annual increase, to reach $445 million for FY 22. In its report language, the Senate also directs NIFA to increase the number of organic research projects funded under AFRI, so that will bear watching as grants are awarded later this year.

Agricultural Research Service – While the final FY 22 bill does not include any specific funding provisions for organic farming research by the federal labs and field stations that make up ARS, earlier House report language requires the agency to develop a five-year plan for organic food and agricultural research encompassing all relevant crop, animal, nutrition, and natural resource national programs. We expect that plan to help bear fruit when Congress takes up the FY 23 agricultural appropriations bill later this year.

Organic Production and Market Data Initiative – The new bill includes level funding of $500,000 for the National Agricultural Statistics Service and an increase of $500,000, to a total of $1 million, for the Agricultural Marketing Service to further the objectives of the Organic Production and Market Data Initiative. Congress directs the increase for AMS to improve annual reporting by organic certifiers to calculate organic acreage and yield estimates more accurately on a country-by-country basis.

Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative – In an exciting comeback story, Congress is providing $14 million for the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI), a technical assistance and outreach program within the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s conservation technical assistance budget. Well managed grazing land is central to organic livestock and dairy production and plays a predominate role in climate change mitigation efforts. GLCI has not been funded by Congress for well over a decade, so its rebirth this year is a most welcome addition to the conservation and grazing toolbox.

Organic Farming Research Foundation is hosting the 2022 Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) at the 42nd Annual EcoFarm Conference. This year’s event will be held virtually, March 9-18, with field days scheduled in April-June 2022.

The following OARF workshops will be conducted online:

Research Report-Back: Soil Health on Organic Farms in the Central Coast
Tuesday, March 15, 1:15PM-2:30PM PT

Scientists from the UC Berkeley Soil Health Project will present the results of their soil ecology, bird ecology, and social science research on the topic of soil health on organic vegetable farms. We studied 18 organic farms to learn about different farming practices and innovations farmers are using to protect the soil. Organic lettuce and vegetable growers along the Central Coast of California use many different practices to support soil health, from cover cropping and composting to planting hedgerows. How does the farming model affect the challenges and opportunities for using soil health practices? How does the use of these practices impact nutrient cycling and soil carbon, suppression of foodborne pathogens in soil, and conservation of bird communities? In this session, we report back on our research over the past two years and share our findings on the benefits and challenges of implementing practices that build soil health.

Findings from the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda and Listening Session
***Presented by OFRF
Wednesday, March 16, 1:15PM-2:30PM PT

The Organic Farming Research Foundation regularly surveys organic growers, farmers, ranchers across North America to understand their challenges and research needs. They use these findings to publish the National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) report. This report informs OFRF research, education and advocacy programs and has also historically served as a critical roadmap to inform the USDA and Congress on how to leverage public investments in organic research and technical assistance. In 2019 OFRF surveyed over 1,000 farmers and held 16 focus groups with both established certified organic growers and transitioning growers. In this listening session we will summarize the findings of the most recent NORA report, and then open the floor for dialogue on the future needs within organic production systems.

Farmer to Farmer Panel on Soil Health/ Grupo de agricultor a agricultor sobre la salud del suelo
Thursday, March 17, 11:15AM-12:30PM PT (Note: En Español / In Spanish)

Two organic vegetable farmers with highly diversified organic production will share their experiences with using practices to build soil health. What works? What have they changed over time? And what challenges do they face that they are still working on? These two growers have participated in the UC Berkeley Soil Health Research project and will share some data about their farms in terms of soil microbial diversity and fertility as well as their reflections on how their farming practices have influenced these measurements.

Agricultores de productos orgánicos con alta diversidad en la producción orgánica compartirán sus experiencias con el uso de prácticas para crear la salud del suelo. ¿Qué es lo que funciona? ¿Qué es lo que ellos han cambiado a través del tiempo? Y, ¿cuáles son los retos en los cuales ellos todavía están trabajando? Estos tres agricultores han participado en el UC Berkeley Soil Health Research (proyecto de Investigación de la Salud del Suelo de UC Berkeley) y compartirán algo de los datos acerca de sus operaciones agrícolas en términos de la diversidad microbiana y la fertilidad, así como sus reflexiones sobre cómo sus prácticas agrícolas han influenciado estas medidas.

Controlling Spotted Wing Drosophila Organically
Friday, March 18, 1:15PM-2:30PM PT

Despite increasing pressure associated with SWD on a wide range of fruits, there are few organic options for its control. This session will explore research on integrated techniques that are proving effective without the use of prohibited insecticides. Some of these techniques include attractants, netting, trapping, biological control, and more. Because this pest is now widespread in soft fruit, fighting it is very important.

By Ferd Hoefner, OFRF policy advisor

Engaging with government agencies on topics of mutual interest is a critical aspect of working to advance improved public policy and resource allocations for organic farming. OFRF does that type of work on an ongoing basis. Two recent examples – concerning conservation and research – illustrate the point.

In February, OFRF hosted a working meeting with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) staff and a wide variety of organic stakeholders. Over 20 people participated, including representatives of NRCS, OFRF, the Organic Trade Association, National Organic Coalition, Organic Farmers Association, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and National Center for Appropriate Technology, among others.

It was the first organic stakeholders call on conservation programs in several years and OFRF was pleased to organize and facilitate the conversation. Participants dove into a variety of topics, including organic issues related to:

• the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, including the organic initiatives, state allocations, participation rates, and conservation enhancements beneficial to organic systems;
• the difficulty in finding organic certifiers who are interested in writing conservation plans and ways to expand outreach;
• the recent transition from Conservation Activity Plans (including so-called CAP 138, the Transition to Organic CAP) to a more flexible, three-part framework of Conservation Planning Activities, Design and Implementation Activities, and Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activities;
• the Conservation Reserve Program’s Organic Field Border Buffer Initiative;
• the role of organic in USDA plans to promote climate-smart farming; and
• emerging plans for a USDA organic transition initiative.

The conversation was lively and aided immensely by the knowledge, commitment and passion of Lindsay Haines, a 34-year NRCS veteran who serves as the agency’s National Organic and Pest Management Specialist and is herself a farmer. Coming out of the call, three subgroups were formed for follow-up conversations. One of those, on new and revised CSP enhancements to better serve organic farmers has already occurred in early March. At that time, OFRF consultant Mark Schonbeck shared with the group a detailed list of enhancements for agency consideration for the 2023 CSP enrollment year and beyond. A second small group, on issues related to Technical Service Providers and conservation planning activities will meet later in March. The third group, on organic’s role in climate mitigation will happen in early April.

OFRF has also been involved in agency discussions about organic research activities and funding with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. In 2021, OFRF had several meetings with ARS national program leaders as well as one with the agency head to prod the agency to develop a comprehensive plan for organic research and substantially ramp up funding. We proposed that today’s meager funding reach at least a pro rata share compared to organic’s position in the marketplace, which would come to about $100 million a year, about an eight-fold increase over current funding levels.

We are very pleased to report that recent meetings with ARS national program leaders have demonstrated a renewed commitment to organic farming research. A plan has been put together along with an associated budget.  It is still in the agency clearance process, so we have not yet seen the full details. We do know, however, that it would include organic systems research, research on diverse faming environments, climate mitigation research, and cross disciplinary research funds. Among the outcomes anticipated would be new crop varieties, innovative pest management techniques, new organic feed options, climate change mitigation advances, and post-harvest improvements. We commend ARS for taking our concerns to heart. OFRF will share a summary once the details become publicly available.