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Written by Jose Perez, OFRF’s Research & Education Engagement Coordinator

Rhianna Simes, M.S.Ed. owns and operates Verdant Phoenix Farm, a 10 acre urban farm and education center located in Jackson County, Oregon. The farm is managed as a no-till production system and is certified organic. Rhianna operates the farm as a research and education hub, hosting educational workshops, hands-on demonstrations and farm tours. She sells nursery stock, seeds, basketry willow, plant starts, and other products through the farm stand and on their website. Additionally, Rhianna has been breeding fava bean, and popcorn (working towards a ‘Phoenix Blackberry’) for years. Rhianna’s farm vision is inspired by the work of Masanobu Fukuoka, Rowen White and Dr. Elaine Ingham, to create thriving agroecosystems.

Image at right: A close up of the soil after tarps were removed.

Occultation tarping

Rhianna has been using occultation tarping to terminate cover crops and manage weeds while protecting soil health for years. In two different locations, she converted 10 acre hay fields into no-till,  row cropping systems using only occultation tarping. To do this, in 4-6 week increments, she places a vinyl tarp on top of the soil to act as a ‘smother’ which encourages the biological activity of the soil to eat the organic matter on the soil (and under the tarp). In the past, farmers employed solarization, but this method allows sunlight to heat the soil, but does not encourage the biological activity which happens only in the darkness (occult = dark). By not allowing any light through, occultation tarping supports the soil food web, and can help suppress weeds, terminate cover crops and protect the soil from erosion. This practice has a lot of potential to help small scale organic farms, especially in no-till systems. Occultation removes the need for tilling to terminate weeds and crops. Rhianna is passionate about sharing the multiple benefits of using occultation tarping in small farms, but she has often found a lack of trusted information and research demonstrating the usefulness of this practice. 

The farm trial

With technical support from OFRF, Rhianna decided to create a farm trial that would compare the use of occultation tarping in no-till and tilled conditions. This means that she is investigating two different practices in the same trial: tarping and tilling. Soil sampling will be the primary way to measure differences in these practices, and will evaluate soil parameters such as soil organic matter, carbon mineralization potential and aggregate stability. Yield of planted crops will also be compared among treatments. 

Rhianna began the farm trial in a non-cultivated field in mid-April. Before placing the tarps, she took a baseline soil sample and sent it to Oregon State University Soil Lab for analysis. As planned in her research design, she laid tarps on the no-till fields for 6 weeks, and in late June she removed the tarps and direct seeded the field with a reliable polyculture that includes popcorn, bush beans, radish, basil, beets and fava beans. Rhianna and the OFRF team are excited for the yield and soil sample data that will be taken after harvest this fall. 

Rhianna is invested in this farm trial in the long term, as she has been awarded additional funds from Western SARE Farmer / Rancher grant  to continue this research for 3 years. At OFRF we are excited to be part of Rhianna’s effort to investigate the potential of these practices for small scale organic farmers in the region and beyond.

Below images: On the left – A view of the tarping and tilling trial. On the right  – another view of the farm trial showing tarping and non tarping areas.

“The OFRF Farmer Led Trial program removes barriers for organic farmers to conduct research on strategies that can and will revolutionize farming. We are innovators in our fields, and the solutions we create today are the answers to tomorrow’s challenges. This program helps to legitimize the research, and trial and error experimenting that, as farmers, we do everyday.” – Rhianna Simes 

To learn more about the work Rhianna does, check out the Verdant Phoenix Farm website https://verdantphoenix.com/about/

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

Written by April Jones Thatcher, founder and farmer of April Joy Farm and president of OFRF’s Board of Directors

Photo by Lauren Ruhe

I faintly heard a single Russet-backed thrush in the ravine behind the farmhouse this week. Late at dusk and then again this morning. In June, her melodious spiraling melody is one more sign of hope and promise for the growing season before us.

This is my sixteenth year of farming. I have always seen my role as less of a ‘producer’ and more about removing barriers to ensure energy—life—could flow and nourish these 24 acres I’ve loved since I was four years old. Early in my journey, my perseverance was rooted in the belief that things would get easier. Over time, I thought as I developed processes, scraped together increasingly more robust infrastructure, fence post by fence post, seed by seed, experience by experience, “things”—i.e., farming—would get easier.  

I believed my work as a farmer would eventually be to get out of the way. But I quickly learned, as Frank Edwin Egler so aptly wrote, “Nature is not more complicated than you think, it is more complicated than you can think.” 

I look back now and feel grateful for all that heady naivety that fueled my days and made me dig deep and keep going. So much has transpired between those early days and now, things I could have never imagined…

A multi-day 116-degree (F) heat dome.

Wild weather swings, including a late-May hard frost

Forest fires with smoke so thick I couldn’t see to the end of my crop fields

Oh yeah, and that little thing called a global pandemic.  

Reality check: It’s not getting easier.

Recounting the difficult times is an easy recipe for discouragement, but that’s not where I want to dwell. One thing that hasn’t changed in the last sixteen years is my belief that the only way we’ll make things work is together. You don’t have to be a farmer to help. In fact, there is so much you can do to make our food system more resilient and healthier that we farmers can’t do. 

I am one of the 17,445 organic farmers in the United States making change happen in and for my community. From an economic standpoint, every dollar spent on local food generates twice as much economic activity within the community compared to dollars spent at national grocery chains. The economic multiplier effect for local food systems has been estimated to be between 1.4 and 2.6, meaning that for every dollar earned by local organic farmers, an additional $0.40 to $1.60 is generated in the local economy. From an environmental perspective, by avoiding synthetic pesticides, organic farming protects the health of farmworkers and nearby communities. Additionally, organic farms are often more resilient to climate change and extreme weather events due to their diverse cropping systems and soil health practices, supporting community food security in the face of climate challenges. Organic farming practices use 45% less energy than conventional farming practices. This translates to significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and a more sustainable food system.

How many of those 17,445 organic farmers do you know?

Years ago, there was a thick flock of Russet-backed thrushes that spent their summers at my farm. Now I close my eyes and listen to hear as hard as I can the distance song of just a single one. I feel this loss deeply, but that beautiful song reminds me why I continue to persevere despite the challenges. It’s why I continue to plant pollinator hedgerows, tend my field borders of Nootka Rose, Pacific Ninebark, Red Twig Dogwood, and Mock Orange, and spend each winter planting hundreds of conifer trees in the forest behind the farmhouse each year. Organic farmers like me across the country are re-wilding low swales with native willows that filter water, planting cover crops to feed their soil, and working hard to keep growing nutrient-dense food and meaningful direct relationships with the families that eat it.

The value of organic farms and the farmers who tend them are not rooted solely in the crops that go to market. It’s in the care, the love, and the tending—often without reward in this lifetime—of the hedgerows, the habitat, the soil, and the integrity of the communities they serve and to which they dedicate their lives to enriching.  

Organic farmers cross between the world of humans and the world of humus. We are ambassadors working to grow agricultural literacy, understanding, and, at the very heart of things, compassion and care.  The value of organic farmers is in the systems they nurture and the ways they pay attention, deep attention, to what matters.  

What is your song of determination? Who are you listening for?  

What we pay attention to matters. 

Your Role in The Food System

The average American family spends just over 11% of their income on food—a significant portion of our budget. But, just because you do not farm does not mean you are not part of a food system. All of us have a role to play. In fact, all of us are already playing a role in the food system. The question is, do you know what role you are playing? Is it the role you want to play?

I’m sometimes asked how I started farming. I was privileged to have a place to farm and a community eager to support me. You can be part of a community to make sure an organic farmer in your area—just like me—survives the daunting challenges of climate change.

Farmers are notorious for saying, ”Well, there’s always next year,” to cope with losses and disappointment. I am not sure I believe this. All we have is now. All we are and all we represent is rooted in this very breath, in action or inaction. There is no hope for next year, next week, or tomorrow unless we care for this day together.  

Cultivating A Shared Future 

Of all the things that have changed over the last decade and a half of my farming life, one thing hasn’t—the joy of being present to the miracle of food. These weeks, we’re harvesting heirloom lettuces, scallions, Annie’s old-fashioned rhubarb, radishes, epazote, bok choi, sugar snap peas, cilantro, parsley, broccoli, and more. We’re mulching tomatoes, cutting hay, rotationally grazing our livestock, collecting eggs, and thinning table grapes. We’re washing, bunching, and carrying a bounty of good food—grown with love—to families in our community who are as hungry as we are for a healthier, more just food system.  

When I hear the song of the thrush, I remember there’s no other choice. I let go of the idea that it will get easier—easier to engage, to make the right choice, to forge relationships across chasms of difference. The farm has taught me that success is in the bravery of honesty, diligent intention, and work. It’s the result of showing up, day after day, to do the small things.  I hold fast to the idea that I am not responsible for fixing the problems of our times, but just as surely, it is my responsibility not to turn away.

It takes a community to nurture systemic change. Nurturing our individual relationships one by one is where we start. That’s how this works. Connection is the foundation of resilience.   

Sixteen years later, growing food has not gotten easier, but thanks to the deep roots and wide-outstretched arms of my plant, soil, animal, and human community, this work and my farming life are getting richer.   

So, with determination to keep showing up regardless of the outcome, let’s take a collective deep breath, exhale all the gratitude we can muster, and get curious about the food stewards working all across the country to nourish our world. 

Let’s start paying attention to the most minor details and the tiniest moments embedded in our food system. 

Let’s strive to make our connections as rich, beautiful, and full of love as possible.

Let’s lean in and listen hard so we can hear the faint song of others who are doing the same.

There is immense satisfaction in taking direct, intentional action to build a community on a foundation of compassionate connection. That’s why every day, I put on my boots and go out into our world to sow new possibilities and nurture resilience. Regardless of how green your thumb is, you can too.  

Won’t you join us?

Ways to Support Your Local Organic Farm System

Ready to take action and support the health of your community, your environment, and yourself? Don’t wait! Here’s how to get started:

• Find your local organic farms. Use online resources like Local Harvest or visit your nearest farmer’s market to connect with organic farmers near you.
• Join a CSA or farm share program. This is a great way to get a regular supply of fresh, organic produce while directly supporting a local farm.
• Volunteer your time. Many organic farms welcome volunteers. This is a rewarding way to learn more about organic agriculture and connect with the farmers who grow your food while using your expertise to support the viability of their work.
• Research organic farmers and/or organic farm advocacy groups in your community. Knowledge is power! Learn more about the organic farming scene in your area and the challenges they face.
• Check out OFRF’s NORA (National Organic Research Agenda) report. Dive deeper! Focus on non-production challenges for farmers in your region. Understanding these issues can help you identify areas where you can be most helpful. What do you feel most compelled and interested in?
• Intentionally choose how you will support organic farming broadly and deeply. There are two sides to it: local action and national advocacy. Consider how you want to contribute on both levels.
  • Go broad by donating to organizations positioned to make systemic change on a national scale, such as OFRF.
  • Go deep by building just one single relationship with an organic farmer or organic agriculture advocate in your community (like your local and state representatives) and see where that leads.

Remember, every action—big or small—makes a difference. By taking these steps, you’ll be a champion for organic farming in your community!

A new network in Kentucky will support organic practices and verify they are meeting definitions of climate-smart agriculture

Sam Miller, center, District Conservationist at NRCS London, KY, hands the mic to Jansen Koeberlein, Soil Conservationist at NRCS Richmond, KY, while farmer Bryce Baumann looks on during the “Reduced Tillage, Cover Crops, and Crop Rotations on an Organic Vegetable Farm” field day at Lazy Eight Stock Farm.

Written by Brian Geier

The first time Kentucky NRCS agent Sam Miller was approached by a farmer about support for organic practices was over 12 years ago. Bryce Baumann of Lazy Eight Stock Farm, who had been farming since middle school, was on a non-stop search for how to farm full-time. It was 2012, and Bryce was transitioning his family’s farm to organic and starting the farm’s first CSA season, two moves that eventually allowed him to take the plunge. It was this young farmer who first introduced Sam, a seasoned NRCS agent, to the world of organic production. “Bryce made me learn organic, really quick,” Sam said at a field day hosted at Lazy Eight and organized by the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK). 

Since then, Lazy Eight has implemented several contracts with NRCS to support practices like cover cropping and pollinator plantings, expanding and enhancing irrigation systems, and constructing high tunnels. They now operate a thriving CSA with 250-300 members each season and recently added a flower share to diversify income and the farm. And now, under a new partnership with OAK and NRCS, some of Bryce’s organic conservation practices will get advanced levels of support.

Improving efficiency, protecting soil, and reducing plastic

One goal at Lazy Eight has been to move away from using plastic to control weeds. “I can’t tell you how awful it was to drive to the county dump with 1,000 lb of organic plastic mulch,” admits Bryce. To manage weeds without plastic but still protect soil structure, Bryce focuses on frequent, shallow cultivation, sometimes doing 3-4 passes before a crop is a few inches tall, but never going more than an inch or two deep into the soil. “The key (with shallow cultivation) is frequency. Frequency and timing,” he said slowly and matter-of-factly at the field day, pointing out that weeds in their early stages are much easier to kill. The farm utilizes a fleet of used cultivation tractors, purchased for “scrap metal prices” and outfitted with new weeding tools stacked in custom arrangements. Check out the photos from the field day below to see some of the specific arrangements of cultivators. For even more details, see the field day summary and resource document from OAK.

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Moving ahead with new support networks for organic, climate-smart production

Through OAK’s Climate-Smart Project, Bryce and Lazy Eight Stock Farm will get a fresh level of support for organic practices that will be NRCS-supported, tailored specifically to their farm needs and goals, and proven to be ‘climate-smart’ via farm assessments and metric tools. 

OAK, a statewide organization started by farmers in 2009, supports organic agriculture through education (field days and conferences) and consultation on organic production. OAK also serves as the Kentucky lead for the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), helping farmers pair up as mentors and mentees and transition land to certified organic production. OFRF is engaged in a variety of TOPP projects as well, both as a regional partner in the west/southwest as well as nationally with our Farmer-Led Trials, Seeds of Success, and an upcoming comprehensive organic research hub that will be searchable by region or crop. 

The OAK-led Climate-Smart Project, a novel partnership connecting farmers, USDA agencies, non-profits, and food businesses, offers direct technical assistance, educational programming, financial incentives, and market development for Kentucky farmers using climate-smart practices. Farmers are offered $500 to conduct an initial baseline assessment with OAK, then awarded $3,000 annually for implementing climate-smart practices.

Based on the initial assessment conducted in early 2024, which measured factors like soil structure, biological diversity, and water-stable soil aggregates among many other indicators, Bryce and OAK will now identify and implement NRCS-defined practices like reduced tillage, cover crops, strip-cropping, or mulching, and continue to measure the indicators. The hope is that Bryce will enhance his organic operation, NRCS conservation standards will be met, and there will be documentation for organic practices being “climate-smart.” At OFRF, we know that organic has been and will continue to be the original climate-smart agriculture, and we applaud farmers like Bryce and networks like this one leading the way.

To read more about how organic farming practices are climate-smart and access tools to be an advocate with us, check out OFRF’s Organic is Regenerative project.

Are you an farmer or researcher? We’d love to hear from you! You can share your story here. 

Written by Jose Perez, OFRF’s Research & Education Engagement Coordinator

Bob Quinn is a well-known fourth generation organic farmer growing grains in the plains of Montana. His farm grows winter wheat, alfalfa, and other grains. Bob is a long time organic farmer and advocate and is recognized as the pioneer of Kamut, a type of wheat that is now produced by more than 250 organic producers. His latest venture is the Quinn Institute, a recently launched non profit farm dedicated to conducting organic farming research. This year he is also a participating farmer in the first cohort of OFRF’s Farmer Led Trials (FLT) Program.

Image at right: A view of the research plot crop lines growing in May.

A quest for a hardy white winter wheat

Growing spring wheat in this region has become increasingly risky for farmers due to climate change challenges that include shorter rainy seasons and earlier than usual summer heat onset. Years ago Bob felt that growing a hardy and resilient white winter wheat was a good solution, but he found no locally adapted varieties available. Winter wheat varieties are planted in the fall, go dormant in the winter, and are harvested in the summer. These varieties have more time to get established and could reduce the risk of crop loss due to the climate change patterns mentioned above. Bob looked for options that would show promise in the genetic diversity stored in the USDA National Small Grain Seed Collection. When Bob heard about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, he thought it would be a good opportunity for research collaboration.

The farm trial

Starting with 100 selections from the USDA small grains collection, Bob has now winnowed down possible wheat lines to 15 types that show promise in the field. From the baker and consumer perspectives, Bob hopes to select a nutrient-dense wheat that produces bread loaves that are not as dark as those produced with hard red winter wheat.

Harvest from each line will be tested through a bake test for loaf size, texture, taste and aroma by our bakery partner, Grist Mills, in Missoula, Montana, and compared to a complete baking test by the bread lab at Montana State University. The goal for this year’s farm trial is to select the top 5 or 6 lines to be grown again next year. The final goal of this research project is to produce a free, open mixed population of white winter wheat that can be used by organic farmers in the region that can be used by bakers to produce a highly nutritious tasty bread for their customers.

Below images: Bob, and Research Coordinator Josh, inspecting winter wheat survival in mid-April.

Trial updates

The current crop was planted in October last year, survived the winter, and is currently growing vigorously, thanks to better than expected rainy season. Harvest is fast approaching, and scheduled for late July. OFRF is excited about Bob’s trial and hopes it leads to resilient variety alternatives for organic farmers.

To learn more about USDA germplasm resources, visit the USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/search  

To learn more about the Quinn Institute visit https://quinninstitute.org/ or take a peek at this recent article about their work: https://www.prweb.com/releases/agricultures-new-frontier-the-quinn-institute-unveiled-302134818.html

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/