NRCS and Organic Producers: Organic Participation in Conservation Programs

By Rebecca Champagne, PhD, OFRF Conservation Scientist, Becky Schewe, PhD, NSAC Research & Policy Analyst, and Gordon Merrick, J.D., former OFRF Policy & Programs Director

This is part two of a two-part blog post series highlighting NRCS conservation programs, how these programs have been utilized by organic producers over the past several years, and how USDA can invest more in organic. Read part one here!

Organic in EQIP and CSP

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, known as NRCS, is a federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). NRCS supports the adoption of conservation practices through federal programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and helps producers and landowners achieve conservation goals to enhance the long-term sustainability of US agriculture. Certified organic farmers and those in the process of transitioning to organic are already using conservation practices such as diverse crop rotations, cover crops, rotational grazing, and nutrient management to meet robust certification requirements and National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. However, these producers’ involvement in federal conservation programs is lacking.

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, there are 21,488 organic farms in the United States—and organic accounts for 6% of total U.S. food sales and 15% of all produce sales. Yet in 2024, only 1,298 organic producers held EQIP contracts and just 323 held CSP contracts (Table 1).

While these numbers represent an encouraging uptick driven by an influx of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding in 2023 and 2024 (Table 1), they still reflect that only a small fraction of the nation’s organic producers are being reached by these programs (Figures 1-3), pointing to significant room for growth in the USDA’s conservation support for the organic sector. Additionally, for both conservation programs, the top 10 states with the most contract obligation dollars account for a large percentage of the funding allocations (Figure 4).

Source: Mora Mora Farm

A cover crop is part of a CSP contract at Mora Mora Farm in Troutdale, OR. Read more: “Conservation at Work: Cover Cropping through CSP at Mora Mora Farm” blogpost.

Table that shows a very small percentage of federal funds for EQIP and CSP have went to organic producers from 2018-2025.

Given the conservation practices that are inherent to organic production, more efforts should be made to engage organic and transitioning-to-organic producers in these conservation programs, particularly small-scale farms and underrepresented states.

Insight from this USDA data is supported by organic farmer interviews, which reveal a number of barriers to conservation program participation (Whelan et al., 2024). When farmers have a greater understanding of these programs and have positive interactions with the agency, the conservation programs are more well-received by the farmer, who is then more likely to pursue them. On the other hand, many organic farmers find that the programs are not designed for organic operations, that staff knowledge of organic systems is lacking, and the overall administrative burdens of the programs outweigh any economic benefit. Given this information, the case for investing more in organic producers and streamlining participation is clear.

Organic engagement with both EQIP and CSP has varied over recent years, as seen in Table 1 above. Both programs show their lowest organic contract acreage in 2019, the first year covered by the current federal Farm Bill that funds both programs. This decline in 2019 is likely due to the transition to the new Farm Bill and disruptions caused by changes to how the NRCS Organic Initiative was funded. While the changes ultimately increase funding for organic farms, restructuring payment rules can cause temporary administrative delays and disruptions to enrolling new organic contracts.

Both EQIP and CSP enrolled their highest number of organic contracts in 2024. Combined, EQIP and CSP distributed approximately $94.7 million to organic farmers in 2024, roughly three times the amount in 2018. This increased support is a result of the influx of funding available from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for NRCS conservation programs. Unfortunately, both EQIP and CSP saw a decline in the number of organic contracts awarded in 2025, likely related to the widespread service disruptions experienced due to NRCS staffing losses, a long-lasting government shutdown, and funding delays.

Pie charts show a small percentages of EQIP and CSP funding that goes to organic producers, 2-3%.

Most Commonly Used Practice Standards

Farmers with NRCS EQIP or CSP contracts work with their NRCS staff to adopt practices that are best suited to their farm and the natural resource needs of their area. The practices they ultimately end up implementing as part of their contracts must come from a list of NRCS Conservation Practice Standards (CPS). Think of them as a sort of menu of approved conservation activities for which farmers can receive technical and financial assistance to implement. There are hundreds of standards covering everything from installing irrigation systems to planting buffer zones around waterways, and NRCS staff work with farmers to identify which ones are the best fit for their land and goals. NRCS state technical committees also inform staff decision-making in an advisory capacity to ensure proper recommendations are given.

The list to the right identifies the NRCS Conservation Practice Standards (CPS) that were most commonly used by organic and transitioning-to-organic producers under EQIP and CSP contracts in 2024. These practice standards are listed alphabetically, and standards with an asterisk (*) indicate they are considered a priority under the new USDA Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Program (described below).

The most commonly used Conservation Practice Standards:

Underutilized Conservation Practice Standards

Organic farmers use many different practices to work with nature and mirror ecological systems. A close look at the practice standards most often used by organic producers in FY2024 also reveals many that are being underutilized in organic systems (Table 2), and should be considered by NRCS planners while doing farm assessments, given the practice standards’ fit with organic practices and principles.

The practices listed below represent untapped opportunities for organic farmers and their NRCS partners. These practices are well-suited to organic management and are already available on NRCS’s menu of conservation practices. Investing in NRCS staff training and outreach on organic systems, and in stronger outreach to organic communities, could help address this gap and underutilization.

Table shows ten conservation practice standards that are underutilized by organic producers, alongside the practices' benefits.

State Level Trends & Outreach

Several states have organic industries that are currently underserved by CSP and EQIP organic contracts. When comparing the size of the organic acreage in a state to the NRCS organic contract acreage, thirteen states show a particularly large gap (Figure 4).

Colorado and Wyoming both have organic acreage that places them in the top one-third of all states, but NRCS organic contract acreage that is in the bottom one-third of all states (USDA NASS, 2021). Organic producers in these two Western states are particularly underserved by NRCS organic contracts.

Montana, North Dakota, and Ohio all have organic acreage in their states that places them in the top one-third of all states, but NRCS organic contract acreage is only in the middle one-third of all states, meaning their organic producers are also poorly covered by NRCS organic contracts, although to a slightly lesser degree.

Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia all have organic acreage that places them in the middle one-third of all states, but NRCS organic contract acreage that is in the lowest one-third of all states, again demonstrating a significant gap between the extent of the organic farming in a state and organic participation in NRCS CSP and EQIP contracts.

The map in Figure 4 shows the extent of organic acreage in a state (the background color) and the total NRCS obligations to organic contracts in that state (the circles). The thirteen underserved states described above are highlighted with red borders.In the Midwest and Plains regions, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Montana produce a significant amount of organic corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, livestock, and poultry, but have relatively few organic contracts with CSP and EQIP.

A map of the United States shows organic acreage and organic conservation contracts in each state, and reveals underserved organic sectors in some states.

According to USDA NASS data (2021), organic livestock sales in Nebraska were valued at $106 million in 2021, and organic egg sales in Montana were valued at $23 million. Indiana’s organic livestock and poultry sales combined were valued at $110 million in 2021. Ohio and Kentucky’s organic sales grew by 52% and 84%, respectively, from 2019 to 2021 due to rising consumer demand for organic products. Texas, which is ranked 13th in the country for the number of organic businesses, contributes $572 million in organic sales but only represented 26 conservation program contracts in 2024.

Similarly, in southern states such as North and South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia—where many high-value organic specialty crops, such as fruits and vegetables, are grown—only 95 contracts were awarded in 2024, despite 1,005 organic farms across these four states (Figure 4). For more information regarding organic at a state level, check out OFRF’s downloadable state-by-state guides.

These states greatly contribute to total organic acreage and sales, but have few conservation program contracts relative to other states (Figure 4), and could benefit from greater outreach by NRCS to boost organic and transitioning-to-organic farmer enrollment in EQIP and CSP. By boosting organic producer involvement in these federal programs, the organic sector can continue to grow and meet consumer demand, contributing to domestic agricultural conservation and economic vitality.

Get Involved

Organic & Transitioning-to-Organic Farmers

We often hear that farmers may be hesitant to reach out to their local NRCS office. It is important to remember that NRCS wants to help all farmers with their conservation and land stewardship goals. We encourage you to stop by your local office and introduce yourself, and talk about the importance of the organic farms in your county and state. Establishing these relationships is an important first step and could open the door for other farmers as well.

We also encourage you to contact your elected officials to discuss the importance of farming in your community and how funding for organic research programs benefits conservation practices in both organic and conventional systems. Not sure how to get started? Check out our free, online Communicating with Legislators email course and learn how to share your story and influence the policies shaping the future of food and farming. You can also learn more about NRCS and the agency’s conservation programs on our website – https://ofrf.org/nrcs/.

NRCS

As important as it is for farmers to contact their local NRCS office, it is equally important for NRCS planners to reach out to organic farmers in their region. Letting farmers know about the technical and financial assistance that is available for them, regardless of what kind of operation they run, will go a long way in getting more farmers in the door. Farming practices that are foundational to organic operations and boost conservation and natural systems can also be utilized on conventional farms, strengthening regional farming as a whole.

We encourage NRCS staff to lean on organic farming organizations for resources and research surrounding organic systems. OFRF’s resources page and Organic Research Hub offer many free resources to help you build knowledge of organic farming. You can further increase your organic literacy by checking out internal agency documents such as Technical Note 12 and the NRCS Organic Farming Handbook.

References:

USDA NASS. (2021). Organic Agriculture Survey. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Organic_Production/index.php.

Whelan, S.J., Orlander, D., Balsam, J., & Dimitri, C. (2024). Fitting a square peg in a round hole: Applying U.S. farm policy to organic farms. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 13(4), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.134.002.

By admin|2026-05-20T14:03:18-04:00May 20th, 2026|Federal Assistance, News|

Conservation at Work: Cover Cropping through CSP at Mora Mora Farm

By Clare Boland, Communications Manager

OFRF is currently working to increase farmer and community awareness of the federal funding opportunities available to organic and transitioning farms. As part of our work with the Northwest region of the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), we’re spotlighting the experience of one farm—Mora Mora Farm in Oregon—that received funding and support through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Their story offers a transparent look at what it’s really like to work with NRCS: the benefits, the obstacles, and the lessons they’ve learned. We hope other farmers can use their experience to navigate the process of applying for and implementing CSP contracts more easily.

Meet Mora Mora Farm

Catherine Nguyen bunches greens in a swiss chard field. Source: Emilie Chen

For Catherine Nguyen, a farmer in Troutdale, Oregon, the ethos of her farm is encompassed by the name, Mora Mora Farm, which means “slowly slowly.” After a busy season of farming, Catherine was catching up with a friend who had recently traveled to Madagascar. Her friend shared the phrase “mora mora,” which captured the pace of life there; instead of rushing, there was a culture of patience and contentment, acknowledging that all things take time. The phrase stayed with Catherine, so much so that when she started her own farm in 2018, she used it for the name. “[Farming] is an industry about high production,” Catherine said. “I know my tendency is to go, go, go. The name reminds me to take a moment to slow down.”

True to the sentiment that good things take time, Mora Mora Farm has been steadily growing over the years. Catherine began her farm as part of the East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District’s Headwaters Farm Business Incubator, a five-year program that provides land access, equipment, infrastructure, and business support for beginning farmers. After graduating, she moved her farm to a parcel of land being farmed collectively by previous Headwaters graduates. Today, Mora Mora Farm has one and a half acres in production with a diversity of 40 to 60 different crops, including Asian heritage varieties. Catherine considers her community-supported agriculture (CSA) model “the heart of the farm,” but also supplements the farm’s income by vending at the King Farmers Market, restaurant accounts, and nonprofit partnerships.

In May 2024, the farm obtained organic certification through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). “We had been practicing organic since the start,” Catherine shared, but she decided to pursue certification to build trust with the customer base at the Portland Farmers’ Market. To her, organic farming is about “growing healthy food and feeling good about what you’re doing.”

When it comes to growing her operation, Catherine cites other farmers as her greatest resource. “Everyone is so open and generous with their knowledge,” she said, and when facing specific challenges, “farmers in the region have usually already dealt with what I’m curious about.” A fellow farmer on her land is how Catherine first heard about the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). CSP is a program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that compensates agricultural producers committed to increasing conservation on their farms. In 2024, Catherine started a contract to reduce soil compaction on her property through cover cropping.

Why CSP?

Catherine Nguyen tills her field with a BCS Source: Megan Clark

For Catherine, the CSP program presented an opportunity to get financial support for work she was already doing. CSP supports farmers by providing a minimum of $4,000 per year for a 5-year contract to install, maintain, or improve a conservation practice on their farm. One of the requirements of the Headwaters program is that any land that is not in production over the winter must be put in cover crop. “The practice was already instilled in my growing practices,” Catherine shared, but through the CSP program, she was able to get financial and technical support for it. “It’s an incredible program,” she added. “Every farmer wants to be growing food. They also want to be doing good things for the environment. But it’s costly to do both.” CSP helped bridge the gap between generating income and investing in conservation.

She emphasized that the financial component can’t be overstated; in an industry with razor-thin margins, choosing to seed a cover crop rather than another round of cash crop can feel like a “double loss” in the short term. But with CSP, that burden is reduced, making it easier to prioritize the overall health of the land for the long term.

Deciding on a Conservation Practice

After graduating from Headwaters and moving onto a new property, Catherine had to adjust to a new set of challenges. “Technically, I’m on a wetland, which makes water management key to this site.” Catherine has experienced issues like standing water, flooded aisles, and soil-borne diseases on her new land. When approaching NRCS, her primary focus was on determining how to best move water throughout the farm.

As part of the application process, applicants have a one-on-one consultation with an NCRS staff member to discuss resource management on their farm and determine which “enhancement,” or conservation strategy, will work best. After considering a few different strategies, she and her NRCS agent decided on “cover crop to minimize soil compaction (E340F).” Having living roots in soil can help mitigate excess water. “They kind of act as straws to pull water out of the soil and keep it moving,” she explained. Since she had utilized cover crops before, it “felt like an easy step into improving the soil.”

“I remember being surprised when I was looking at the enhancements online,” Catherine shared. “They were so detailed in a good way. It’s like this is the enhancement, and this is how you implement it. It’s very specific. They gave me a list of cover crops to choose from, and from there it was just me trying to decide, which ones do I want? Which ones are readily available in my area?”

Source: Mora Mora Farm

Timeline

Catherine first heard about the CSP program in spring 2024 and was able to seed her first round of CSP-funded cover crop in October of that year. The first step was reaching out to her local NRCS office and reviewing her conservation options. After that, farmers need to register with the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Catherine was already in the system from utilizing other USDA programs. Her advice is to register sooner rather than later: “Once you’re in the system for NRCS or for FSA, everything becomes so much easier.”

Next, she worked with her NRCS agent to make sure she had all the required documents to begin her conservation work. Catherine said the biggest myth about working with NRCS is “the amount of paperwork.” “A lot of farmers hate doing admin, but it really is manageable.” She described the timeframe as about “a month of emailing going back and forth.” But after the documentation is complete, farmers can focus fully on farm work.

In terms of implementation, “the contract itself is so simple.” She was given a list of recommended cover crops, a designated amount of acreage, and a timeframe to complete the work by. “There’s not a lot of hoops to jump through,” she said. “[The Program] lets us actually be able to be out in the field and not be consumed by paperwork.”

NRCS determines the payment amount per project, but after that, it “is up to the farmer to figure out where it gets distributed.” Farmers receive their project payments as lump sums per each tax year of the contract. Outside of purchasing the cover crop seed, Catherine used the CSP payments to cover the labor costs of the project. Having the CSP funds allowed her “a little bit more wiggle room to have my employee do [the work] versus me.”

That fall, an NRCS agent came out to Mora Mora farm to do a site visit and assess how the project was going. Catherine received her first reimbursement payment later that year.

Doing CSP on Leased Land

Accessing farmland is increasingly cited as a barrier for beginning farmers. Young farmers, like Catherine, often will lease land rather than buying. The land she currently farms is shared with several other farm businesses. When Catherine first considered an NRCS contract in 2023, through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), she wasn’t able to because another farm business was already tied to her land in the system.

When she applied for CSP in 2024, NRCS worked with her to subdivide the plot she farms into three different managing farms in the system. Through the other farms on the property, the land houses multiple NRCS projects, including hedgerows for wind management and high tunnels through EQIP.

>> Related Reading: Héktor Calderón-Victoria of Three Feathers Farm shares his experience working with NRCS’s EQIP to install a hedgerow border and two high tunnels on his four-and-a-half-acre farm in Morgan Hill, California. Read his story.

Outside of the issue of subdividing the property, Catherine has had an easy time implementing her contract on leased land. Besides sharing a lease with NRCS, there are no additional requirements for farmers who lease. “Our landowner is pretty hands-off in terms of the production site,” she shared, “and he is also all for conservation.”

Working with NRCS

Catherine described her experience of working with NRCS as overwhelmingly positive. “Everyone I’ve worked with in the NRCS—and at this point, I’ve probably worked with three separate people—has been so prompt in their responses and really easy to work with,” she said. As an organic farmer, Catherine found that the program generally aligned with her organic certification requirements, though there was some confusion around sourcing organic cover crop seeds. “There was a specific type of clover that’s part of my enhancement that I had a really hard time finding,” but through some back and forth with her agent, she was able to determine a seed that would still meet the requirements of the program and certification.

One hiccup during the process was the 2025 funding freeze of USDA programs. She received an email instructing participants to hold off on implementing their CSP projects unless they could take on the financial risk themselves. During that period of uncertainty, many NRCS offices experienced layoffs, and there was “a weird time of not knowing who my point of contact actually was.” Later that year, funds were released, and Catherine received her reimbursement as planned. Despite staffing changes at NRCS, Catherine noted that the current representative covering Multnomah County has been “amazing,” and she still usually gets a response within 48 hours of emailing her office.

Source: Mora Mora Farm

Conversation at Work

Two years into her CSP contract, Catherine has completed two rounds of winter cover cropping. The practice has aided with soil compaction as planned, noting that “where there is cover crop, the water is being absorbed faster.” Without a clear baseline for the property—Catherine has been using a cover crop since she moved to the site—it’s hard to say how significant the enhancement has been. But she has “definitely seen less standing water since I’ve been on the site.” Catherine considers cover cropping “part of a holistic strategy to figure out water management” on her farmland.

One of the most helpful resources NRCS gave her was a list of cover crops for the project. Having worked on farms in the past, Catherine said that “most farms have their go-to cover crop rotations,” and she had defaulted to using mixes she had previously worked with. Being part of CSP gave her room to experiment and determine what mix works best for her property. Currently, she uses a mix of clover and triticale for her winter rotation. In future seasons, she’s hoping to include a summer cover crop as well. “NRCS was kind of the first entity that put summer cover crops on my radar,” she said, “[working with them] has provided more depth to my crop rotation.”

More than anything, the program has allowed Catherine the time and funding to prioritize cover cropping. Rather than stressing to maximize profit, Catherine said that CSP has “given me a little bit more breathing room, knowing that this project is funded.” Having that comfort has allowed her to commit more fully to the practice, for example, taking extra time to prep her beds to ensure better germination. The experience has led to her putting more of her land into her cover crop rotation. In 2026, she’s planning to “have two acres under management, one in production, one in cover crop.”

“[CSP] allows you to start dreaming a little bit more,” Catherine said. “Cover cropping is a practice I have done before, but I was able to do it better and to think a little bit bigger in terms of conservation.”

Advice for Farmers Considering CSP

For Catherine, working with CSP has been a big help to her farm. She praises the program for letting “farmers do what they’re good at, which is food production.”

In terms of her advice for farmers considering the program, she shared:

Get into the system. Already being registered with her FSA office expedited the process. Once you’re in the system, it “opens the doors to all these other programs.”
Start early. “It will likely take 3 to 6 months to actually get everything signed,” Catherine said. “And especially if you’re taking an off-season, you might as well be cozied up in your house doing a bunch of office work.”

Overall, Catherine wants to share with other farmers “how easy it was.” “It takes a little bit of time to get everything squared away and to learn the definitions of things,” she said, “but the payoff for the work is worth it. The return on investment is great.”

Ready to Apply? Here Are a Few Helpful Resources

If you’re a farmer considering applying for CSP or other NRCS programs, here are some helpful tools to get started:

Download a printable summary of the key takeaways for farmers to consider when applying to NRCS CSP here.
Download OFRF’s CSP flyer for more information on the federal funding program, including eligibility and application details, available in English and Spanish here.
Connect with your local NRCS office to start developing a conservation plan: nrcs.usda.gov/contact.
Know your eligibility. Farmers who are classified as beginning, limited-resource, socially disadvantaged, or veterans may qualify for higher reimbursement rates and advance payments.

By Clare Boland|2026-04-30T16:03:49-04:00May 11th, 2026|Farmer Stories, Federal Assistance, News|

Congress Is Paying More Attention to Organic Research. Here’s Why It Matters.

By Vinnie Trometter, OFRF Policy Manager

OFRF has been working hard to increase support for organic research on Capitol Hill. Every year, OFRF submits requests for organic research priorities as part of the annual Congressional appropriations process. Our actions ensure that OFRF is fighting for more organic research funding that can result in breakthrough innovations for organic farmers each year, even outside of the Farm Bill.

Feedback from Congress shows that support for increasing organic research funding is growing. Ten Senators submitted an organic research support letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee. This was double the number from last year. In the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group of 31 members of Congress submitted a similar letter to the House Appropriations Committee. This was five more than last year. Last year’s letter was also not bipartisan.

The results of these letters indicate that more policymakers want more organic research funding to keep up with the rapidly growing organic market in the U.S. This increased support helped secure two victories in the FY2027 House Agriculture Appropriations bill that will benefit organic farmers. The first is the inclusion of language requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an economic impact study to analyze how organic agriculture affects the labor market, environmental quality, land ownership, social dynamics, and vitality of local economies. Organic farmers and those interested in transitioning to organic agriculture will be able to use the results of this study to better understand holistically how organic agriculture affects their communities. Another victory is the language that tasks the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) with continuing support for organic research that studies critical producer-identified constraints in the Upper Midwest, such as weed management and soil fertility, and with supporting coordinated research on crops, livestock integration, soil health, and nutrient efficiency to meet demand for organic foods.

Though we were unsuccessful in increasing funding for important research programs like the Organic Transitions Program (ORG) and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE), this was largely because of the tight fiscal environment in Washington, D.C. However, we believe our small successes will be critical in better informing organic and organic interested farmers with farming decisions and innovations that, as a whole, will benefit organic agriculture.

Broadly, funding for organic agriculture research needs to increase in parallel with the growth of the overall organic market. In 2025, the domestic organic market grew by almost 7%, which was the largest annual growth rate since the pandemic. The market is now worth over $76.6 billion and is expected to reach $100 billion by the end of the decade. However, less than 2% of the USDA’s agricultural research budget is allocated to dedicated organic research, despite organics accounting for around 6% of all U.S. food sales, including 15% of all produce sales, across the country.

Publicly funded agricultural research has a high return on investment for both taxpayers and farmers. The USDA Economic Research Service states that every $1 invested in agriculture research generates $20 dollars of economic activity and that increases in productivity arising from innovation and changes in technology are the main contributors to economic growth in agriculture.

Imagine how much the organic market would grow if dedicated organic research got the same proportion of funding as its market penetration? This would mean more funding for researchers at state land-grant universities, non-profits, and ARS to find solutions for the most pressing organic agricultural issues in their regions and nationwide. Extension services would also expand in tandem since the bulk of all dedicated organic research are competitive grants under the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which must have extension activities built into each project. Additionally, many of these projects also help with market development. As a result, increased funding for organic research would not only provide more tools and best practices for organic farmers, but also more opportunities for them to learn from researchers and sell into expanded markets.

Regions with underdeveloped organic agricultural footprints but strong increases in demand for organic foods stand to benefit the most from broad increases in organic research funding. Take, for instance, the Southeastern U.S. This region had the highest growth in demand for organic produce, yet was among the least productive for organic agricultural output in the country. This dichotomy makes the Southeast a perfect region for projects that integrate research, extension, and market development. Regions with more established organic agricultural sectors will, of course, also benefit as their organic producers become even better positioned to capitalize on growing nationwide demand. Nationwide, increased organic research will improve the competitiveness of our domestic industry as a whole. This is particularly important for certain industries, such as organic beef, where the majority of its 44% growth seen last year was due to imports.

OFRF will continue to update organic farmers and researchers about changes to organic research as the United States Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee develops its own FY2027 Agriculture Appropriations bill. OFRF will be tracking the markup, so be sure to sign up for our email list and follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) to see how organic research is impacted!

By admin|2026-05-05T11:22:55-04:00May 7th, 2026|Advocacy, News|

NRCS and Organic Producers: What EQIP, CSP, and the Regenerative Pilot Program Can Do for Your Farm

By Rebecca Champagne, PhD, OFRF Conservation Scientist, Becky Schewe, PhD, NSAC Research & Policy Analyst, and Gordon Merrick, J.D., former OFRF Policy & Programs Director

Introduction to NRCS

The Natural Resources Conservation Service, known as NRCS, was founded in 1933 and is a federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). NRCS supports the adoption of conservation practices by providing farmers, ranchers, foresters, and landowners with technical and financial assistance. They work to address resource concerns related to soil, water, plants, animals, air, and energy; help producers and landowners achieve conservation goals; and enhance the long-term sustainability of US agriculture.

NRCS offers free technical assistance to producers, and alongside this, can also determine whether you might be eligible for financial assistance through a number of available conservation programs. Organic and transitioning-to-organic farmers are already required to prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and ecological vitality as part of their Organic System Plan (OSP) for certification, but a significant barrier to developing sustainable practices and infrastructure is resource scarcity. Two NRCS programs in particular can help organic farms achieve these conservation goals – the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The newly launched Regenerative Pilot Program also offers producers a way to prioritize conservation, and is described more below.

This is part one of a two-part blog post series highlighting NRCS conservation programs, the new USDA Regenerative Pilot Program, and how these programs can be utilized by organic producers. Stay tuned for part two!

EQIP helps farmers and ranchers establish new conservation practices on their operations. Through EQIP, they can receive financial assistance to implement a wide variety of practices, including cover cropping, mulching, composting infrastructure, high-tunnel systems, efficient irrigation, and interior fencing for rotational grazing systems. The program is flexible and adapts to different types of farms and conservation goals. Your local NRCS office can help determine whether you qualify for one of these organic-specific funding streams and guide you through the application process. For more of an overview on EQIP and the steps to utilizing the program, check out OFRF’s EQIP toolkit and read about one California farmer’s experience with EQIP.

CSP is designed for farmers and landowners who are already meeting certain conservation thresholds and are interested in going further. Through CSP, producers can receive annual payments over a five-year contract to maintain their existing practices while adopting additional practices that enhance the operation’s overall ecological sustainability. This might include increasing the diversity or duration of cover crops, implementing more complex crop rotations, expanding riparian buffers, or modifying pasture management to optimize forage quality and soil health. For more of an overview on CSP and the steps to utilizing the program, check out OFRF’s CSP toolkit.

Source: Three Feathers Farm

Farmer Héktor Calderón-Victoria at Three Feathers Farm in Morgan Hill, CA, utilized EQIP for hedgerows and high tunnels. Read “Real Talk on EQIP” to learn more about Héktor and the benefits and lessons they learned working with NRCS.

Source: Mora Mora Farm

A cover crop at Mora Mora Farm in Troutdale, OR helps to minimize soil compaction. Read more about why farmer Catherine Nguyen calls CSP an incredible program in this “Conservation at Work: Cover Cropping through CSP at Mora Mora Farm” blogpost.

Organic is Regenerative

The term regenerative continues to gain traction in the farming and food industries, and is now the focus of the USDA’s $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program: a new priority program operating within EQIP and CSP announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in December of 2025. Organic farming shares many of the same goals as regenerative agriculture, but organic is a verifiable legal standard that can be relied upon to create more regenerative farming systems. It has a clear and accepted legal definition that holds farmers, food producers, and the entire supply chain accountable to sustainable practices, letting consumers know what they are supporting with their food purchases. Simply put, organic is the original climate-smart agriculture.

Organic systems rely on practices that work with natural cycles to build healthy soils, biodiversity, retain water, store carbon, and build resiliency. The practices emphasized in the Regenerative Pilot Program include those which organic farmers are already required to use for organic certification, such as crop rotation, keeping the soil covered, nutrient management, and pest management. However, certified organic farms continue to account for only a very small percentage of those receiving financial support through EQIP and CSP, even though they are already succeeding in using regenerative practices.

In part two of this blog post series, we will explore organic producer participation in EQIP and CSP from 2018 to 2025, the most commonly used conservation practices, and how the USDA can invest more in organic producers and help them be a greater part of these federal programs.

Get Involved

Organic & transitioning-to-organic farmers

You can also learn more about NRCS and the agency’s conservation programs on our website – https://ofrf.org/nrcs/.

NRCS Staff

“We like to do a lot of dividing and putting farmers in different buckets. But at the end of the day, farmers are farmers. We care about our land, we care about our communities. Maybe the strategies and techniques that organic farmers are using may be different than farmers you’ve worked with in the past, but we’re still farmers at heart. So coming from that place of ‘what are the goals’ and ‘what are the farmers trying to achieve’.” – April Thatcher, April Joy Farm, Ridgefield, WA

April Jones Thatcher is a farmer at April Joy Farm in Ridgefield, WA, and serves as President of OFRF’s Board of Directors. Read more about April in “Why I spend My Time With OFRF”.

By admin|2026-05-19T14:35:54-04:00May 5th, 2026|News|

The Proposed USDA Restructuring Will Hurt Farmers, Not Bring the Agency Closer to Them

By Vinnie Trometter, OFRF Policy Manager

Record-high input costs, low commodity and specialty crop prices, and lack of access to markets are placing massive economic pressures on farmers. In January of this year, over 300 farm groups sent a letter to Congressional leadership issuing a dire warning that the long-term viability of American agriculture is under threat unless conditions change.

Since then, the situation has only gotten worse. The war in Iran has spiked fertilizer prices during the peak spring planting season, affecting the vast majority of farmers who hadn’t pre-booked their fertilizer. Exacerbating pressures, a record-warm winter in the Western United States is contributing to a drought that covers over 70% of the acres for many major commodities.

With this as the backdrop, the USDA plans to restructure its research, education, and economics agencies so they “can be closer to farmers” and coordinate better. Though OFRF has advocated for better USDA organic research coordination, this restructuring will only move the department further away from the producers it’s meant to serve due to lapses in service and the loss of USDA employees who fill important functions.

The major part of this proposed restructuring is to move more personnel from the USDA’s core research and data agencies—the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Economic Research Service (ERS), and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)—to Kansas City and St. Louis. Though the most recent restructuring proposal claims there will be no job losses or disruption to farmers’ services, recent history suggests otherwise. After NIFA and ERS were relocated to Kansas City in 2019 during the first Trump administration, about 75% of those slated to move left the USDA entirely, including large numbers of employees with decades of experience who are not easily replaced; it is not easy for career employees with homes, families, and lives to pick up and start again in a new state with little notice. As a result, the number of economic reports out of USDA agencies dropped by half, and funding for land-grant universities was significantly delayed.

Another part of the recently announced restructuring is to close down the nation’s largest agricultural research station, the Beltsville Agriculture Research Station in Maryland, and move its research efforts to different stations across the country. Beltsville has been a center of advanced research in organic and non-organic agriculture for decades. It is currently developing state-of-the-art techniques to track and target weeds and improve soil health for organic corn, soybean, and cotton producers. It also houses the Electron and Confocal Microscopy Unit (ECMU), which researchers can access and use to identify plant diseases and pathogens that put crops at risk. Beltsville research also developed and licensed a patented antibody designed for the wide-spectrum identification of potyviruses, which has protected bean, potato, and hemp producers from billions of dollars in damage. It also houses long-term on-farm research trials that, by their nature, cannot be relocated yet are crucial for measuring slow-changing agricultural elements, such as soil organic carbon, and for testing farming systems against annual weather variations. Despite all of this, the USDA speaks about facilities at Beltsville being decrepit and behind on maintenance. Much of this is true. However, they have only been degraded due to the lack of seriousness shown by successive Congresses and presidential administrations toward agricultural research since 2002, when public agricultural research expenditures peaked.

USDA restructuring and the closure of Beltsville will further erode the USDA workforce. 2025 alone saw the departure of almost 23% of USDA’s research, education, and economic staff through broad deferred resignations and separations caused by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which even the House Agriculture Committee Chairman, GT Thompson (R-PA-15), deemed as “short-sighted.”

It is not clear whether the USDA has the legal authority to restructure its agencies without Congressional approval. In particular, regarding Beltsville’s closure, the Democratic Maryland Congressional Delegation sent a letter to the USDA on April 27th condemning the action. However, illegality did not stop the first Trump administration from restructuring back in 2019 when the USDA Inspector General found that the 2019 efforts violated appropriation law.

Ultimately, any USDA claims that this restructuring will be a good thing because these jobs will be “closer to farmers” is a ruse. Farmers, researchers, and universities can judge for themselves how the 2019 restructuring went and how the 15,000 USDA employees who took deferred resignations last year have helped farmers. Considering the woeful farm economy that is forcing farmers to juggle a growing list of natural and man-made crises at once—without sufficient labor, markets, farm services, and amid rising costs—restructuring right now is the last thing that would bring the USDA closer to those it serves.

Take action today!

It’s free and takes less than a minute. Tell your representatives in Congress to oppose the USDA restructuring and protect Beltsville from closure. Fill out our action alert here or by clicking the image below.

By admin|2026-05-11T11:05:21-04:00April 29th, 2026|Advocacy, News|

Meeting the Moment for Organic Research: A Novel Approach with Researcher and Extension Regional Meetups

By Brian Geier, Communications Manager

Organic research is at the core of OFRF’s work toward the widespread adoption of organic farming practices. Organic producers need access to cutting-edge research, extension, and technical service to ensure that organic farming continues to be the leading form of agriculture. That is why OFRF has developed policy priorities that drive our advocacy work. And that is why bolstering and protecting Federal support for organic research programs and the producers they benefit is a part of our day-to-day advocacy.

But last year, as the organic community navigated the policy developments and government shutdowns brought by 2025, it became clear that it was time to bolster networks and relationships, too, so that individuals across the organic sector can connect and work through challenges together.

OFRF has been leading efforts with partner organizations and University personnel to facilitate new networking opportunities for organic researchers, extension agents, and technical service providers at organic-focused conferences, to help us all get and stay connected, updated, and inspired.

What are the Researcher and Extension Regional Meetups (RERM’s)?

Organic researchers and OFRF staff pose in front of a Marbleseed banner at the organic conference.

OFRF staff, organic researchers, and extension agents at a Researcher and Extension Regional Meetup at Marbleseed’s Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, Wisconsin, February, 2026.

These new meetups are dedicated spaces for networking and collaboration between organic researchers, extension specialists, and technical service providers in a multi-state region. Held at agricultural conferences, RERM’s give people a chance to connect, share research updates and priorities for the region, and learn about USDA funding updates and opportunities. They are a new addition to organic conferences, set aside for unique connections amongst researchers and extension. Farmers have also been welcomed at these meetups, giving them an opportunity to learn more about what’s going on in the research world, meet local service providers, and potentially connect with researchers who are looking for on-farm project participants.

Why are these meetups needed?

There are many reasons why these meetups are important. Here are a few we have heard, from the perspective of organic researchers or specialists who attended RERM’s in 2026:

Organic researchers sometimes feel left out, even at organic conferences. A space dedicated to them allows for unique conversations that are not happening elsewhere. “It feels good to learn about new research ideas, and to meet new people,” said one researcher.
Organic specialists may not be aware of other organic specialists in the same state that are working at different Universities or Colleges. “After this, I’m excited about organic in (my state). I wasn’t aware of all that was going on before, and all that could be going on,” said one participant.
University personnel describe being in “state silos”. Crossing state lines or talking with professionals operating in other states can be eye-opening.
Similar to state silos, specialists within particular industries can learn key insights from one another, if given the space to share. For example, one specialist who struggles with a lack of organic processors learned how a different industry in a nearby state sets aside Mondays for certified organic processing, and has been able to convince more processors to do organic runs for farmers and research trials.
Seeing how other sites are successful with adopting organic research can be empowering to those at institutions where organic research is in an earlier phase of development.
Navigating Federal funding timelines and requirements can be difficult. Getting updates from OFRF staff and spending time with colleagues who have been awarded Federal research and extension grants can help researchers develop new proposals or improve those they are already working on.

In addition to RERM’s, OFRF is now offering direct support to organic researchers and extension specialists with our Organic Research Amplification Services.

Click here for Amplification Services for Researchers

What does a RERM look like?

These meetups are structured networking. They include introductions, small group or paired discussions, snacks and refreshments, and are often followed by a social hour for more informal networking. The goals include surfacing differences in local production contexts, identifying transferable ideas, and planting the seeds for collaboration—especially across regions with very different organic market maturity.

Some samples of the discussion questions we are using include:

What does organic look like where you work? What organic systems are most established in your region right now? What’s the hardest thing about doing organic research or extension where you work?

What program, method, or approach has actually worked well for organic producers in your region? What part of that model might still translate to a very different region—and what wouldn’t? What could we actually do together?

So far, OFRF has conducted RERMS at the High Plains Organic Conference in Wyoming, and the Marbleseed Conference in Wisconsin.

How can RERM’s enhance organic conferences?

Organic researchers and OFRF staff pose during a Research and Extension Regional Meetup at a conference in 2026.

The first Research and Extension Regional Meetup at the High Plains Organic Conference in Cheyenne, Wyoming, February, 2026.

Researchers moving forward, together:

Organic research is a lot like organic farming: it has added complexities compared to its conventional counterpart. Organic farmers work with and rely on biological systems in ways that agrochemical-focused operations work around, and many farmers must navigate specialized markets built on personal and regional relationships. There is a lot of work going on ‘in the background’.

Similarly, organic researchers navigate an array of specialized structures from Federal funding programs (some set aside for organic and others open to organic but not built for it), to Universities at various stages of developing organic programs. They are also working with a smaller subset of farmers, processors, and collaborators at other Universities.

Researchers traveling to attend RERM’s at organic conferences are taking advantage of opportunities to share their research with farmers from nearby states. And having organic specialists from nearby states present to farmers is helping enhance the experience of conference-goers. Dr. Xi Liang from the University of Idaho attended a RERM at the High Plains Organic Conference, and presented her research on the following day. Participants at the Conference noted the benefits with the increase of presentations from researchers from other states. “It’s really great to hear from so many researchers, from out of state, too. That is different than last year, it’s getting better,” said one conference-goer.

For Dr. Liang, spending time with growers had many benefits:

“I really enjoyed the conference, especially growers’ engagement. It was a great opportunity for me to introduce my organic transition project with growers and learn about their feedback, interests, and concerns. The discussion session with growers was very helpful to me to learn about growers’ concerns and needs. I also got to know a few colleagues and may develop collaborations in the future.”

-Dr. Xi Liang, University of Idaho

In farming and in research, the complexities of organic necessitate a strong, active network of participating parts to function at full capacity. Regional meetups for researchers, extension, and technical service providers are helping to fill that need by bringing specialists together in ways that allow the networks to advance organic research and farming.

Future RERM’s are in the works! With support from the USDA TOPP program, OFRF is tentatively planning a RERM at the Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference in August, in San Marcos, Texas. And more may be on the horizon. Stay in touch via our monthly newsletter to get the latest updates.

By admin|2026-04-30T13:08:42-04:00April 23rd, 2026|News|

Earth Day Spotlight: Organic Farming as Stewardship

By Clare Boland, Communications Manager

Earth Day is a reminder that the health of our planet is intrinsically tied to the way we grow food. No one understands that connection more than farmers! To celebrate Earth Day, we’re featuring four organic farms from across the country that prioritize the health of the planet through stewardship, working in partnership with natural systems, and caring for the land for future generations.

Vilicus Farms

Doug Crabtree and Anna Jones-Crabtree are the owners and operators of Vilicus Farms, a first-generation organic dryland crop farm in Northern Hill County, Montana. For Anna and Doug, organic farming is rooted in a deep commitment to stewardship and working with natural systems to improve the health of the land. As Doug explains, “We philosophically don’t believe you should grow food using poison or subject the earth to the kind of products that are used in non-organic production. We’re committed to stewardship. That really drives what we do, how we do it, and why.”

Anna echoes this philosophy, emphasizing that “organic farming is not a recipe… it’s not a checklist,” but rather “a process of continuous improvement and actually being a partner with your natural systems.” She highlights the importance of building relationships—with land, plants, animals, and customers—and using practices that support soil health, which in turn leads to healthier food and communities. Their approach is reflected in Vilicus Farms’ focus on soil-building, carbon sequestration, pollinator-friendly conservation, minimal-disturbance tillage practices, and utilizing a seven-year crop rotation.

You can follow Vilicus Farms on Facebook and Instagram (@vilicusfarms).

Source: Vilicus Farms

“We’re committed to stewardship. That really drives what we do, how we do it, and why.”

– Doug Crabtree, Vilicus Farms

Source: Vilicus Farms

Hiddendale Farm

Glen Philbrick is the operator of Hiddendale Farm, a fifth-generation family farm in Turtle Lake, North Dakota. The 700-acre farm includes certified organic cropland and rangeland, a cow-calf livestock system, and a wide range of experimental horticultural and specialty crops. Research is central to Glen’s farming operation: he regularly conducts variety trials, soil health experiments, and crop rotation testing, and collaborates with organizations like the Organic Seed Alliance and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Growing up, the farm used some conventional practices, like spraying herbicides, and Glen noticed that 1.) it wasn’t working and 2.) it was adversely affecting the health of farmers and livestock. ”I recognize the dangers of it over and over again,” he said of herbicides. Hiddendale Farm has been certified organic since 2016 and uses practices like limited tillage, rotational grazing, and cover cropping. And being a research-focused farm, Glen prioritizes soil testing, working from the results to balance PH and manage nutrient levels to inform overall soil health. “It is the health of me, of people, of my livestock, and of the whole ecosystem,” Glen shared. “That’s why organic is important to me.”

Source: Hiddendale Farm

“It is the health of me, of people, of my livestock, and of the whole ecosystem. That’s why organic is important to me.”

– Glen Philbrick, Hiddendale Farm

A farmer poses in front of a red barn at dusk.

Source: Hiddendale Farm

Stephens Land & Cattle

Stephens Land & Cattle is a fifth-generation family farm located in Jennings, Kansas, managed by Demetria Stephens, who has been farming the land since she was a teenager. The farm raises livestock and grows organic Turkey Red wheat, which grows well in the semi-arid region of northwest Kansas. In addition to being certified organic for over 30 years, the farm is also certified biodynamic, a holistic approach to farming that centers on the interconnectivity of the natural landscape. Becoming certified biodynamic was a long-term goal of her parents, who studied anthropology and were interested in the human role in fostering ecological systems. Demetria uses organic and biodynamic principles as a framework: “I think of organic as a guide for me to be a better farmer, more than the rules that restrict me from doing things. It is more saying, no pesticides, no synthetics, no GMOs, and those kinds of things.”

Growing in a region with mostly conventional agriculture, and without formal agronomy training, organic principles propel her learning and investment in the land. Stephens Land & Cattle uses practices like limited tillage, cover cropping, and green manures. “I think [of organic as] a way for me to be a more professional farmer,” Demetria shares. “And also raise good food for the next generation.”

A tractor moves through a field of wheat.

Source: Stephens Land & Cattle

“I think of organic as a guide for me to be a better farmer, more than the rules that restrict me from doing things. It is more saying, no pesticides, no synthetics, no GMOs, and those kinds of things.”

– Demetria Stephens, Stephens Land & Cattle

demetria-stepehns-stephens-land-and-cattle-hand-with-soil

Source: Stephens Land & Cattle

PrairieSun Organics

PrairieSun Organics is a diversified organic, family farm in Vermillion, South Dakota, owned and operated by Angela Jackson-Pulse and her husband. Spanning about 20 acres, the farm integrates poultry (meat and eggs), livestock (sheep and cattle), fruits and vegetables, and specialty grains. Angela keeps half the land in crop production, and the other half in perennial pasture for livestock grazing. Angela originally managed the farm using more conventional organic methods, but transitioned into using regenerative organic practices in 2019 after experiencing declining soil health, and increased disease and livestock mortality. She is now certified regenerative through the Regenerative Organic Alliance. “It put the joy back into farming,” she said of the switch.

At the heart of her farming practices is land stewardship: “stewarding this beautiful ecosystem, that is interrelated and interconnected, and making sure it functions as healthy as it possibly can be.” By focusing on minimizing soil disturbance, expanding crop rotations, integrating cover crops, and prioritizing soil biology, Angela saw her farm come alive again. She highlights the importance of a systems-based approach, centering the overall health of the land to set her farm up for the best possible future: “It’s a blessing that we have [this land] and I want to take really good care of it. I know that it’s not going to be in my possession forever. And so I want to leave it to the next generation, whoever that is, so it can be the best possible thing for the next family.”

You can follow PrairieSun Organics on Facebook.

“At the heart of it is stewardship. Stewarding this beautiful ecosystem that is interconnected and making sure that the whole farm functions as healthy as it possibly can be.”

– Angela Jackson-Pulse, PrairieSun Organics

Want to Learn More About Organic?

These farmer interviews were conducted as part of OFRF’s work with the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). Check out our resources for organic farmers:

By Clare Boland|2026-04-22T10:16:58-04:00April 22nd, 2026|Farmer Stories, News|

Working with NRCS: North Star Organics’ Story and Recommendations

Written by Rebecca Champagne, PhD, OFRF Conservation Scientist

OFRF is currently working with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on a cooperative agreement to help build institutional knowledge of NRCS staff and equip them to better support the unique needs of organic and transitioning-to-organic farmers across the country. As part of this work, we are helping tell the stories of organic farmers and their experiences working with NRCS. We hope other farmers can use this information to learn more about NRCS and feel inspired to pursue conservation programs for their farm. For more information regarding our cooperative agreement with the agency, please reach out to Rebecca Champagne, OFRF Conservation Scientist, at rebecca@ofrf.org.

Meet North Star Organics

Source: North Star OrganicsNorth Star Organics, owned and operated by Cheryl and Alan Kobernik, is a 40-acre certified-organic cherry farm located in Frankfort, Michigan. They bought the farm in 1985 and recently celebrated their 40th season in operation. Out of the 40 total acres, 26 acres are dedicated to fruit production of tart and sweet cherries. In total, they currently have 2,600 tart cherry trees and 180 sweet cherry trees.

The Koberniks have historically machine-harvested their cherries and delivered them to a processor for juice, freezing, or drying. They used to bring their cherries to CSAs in the state and even did some mail orders for repeat customers and some chocolatiers. One of their biggest markets the past several years was the on-farm pick-your-own (PYO). This used to be a thriving market for them, but has started to slow in recent years due to lower crop yield caused by the effects of extreme weather and new pests moving into the region.

“Organic 20 years ago had a lot of excitement, but it seems to be fizzling out with processors. Processors want bigger contracts and not smaller producers. It’s hard to meet their threshold.”

Source: North Star OrganicsNorth Star Organics began the process of transitioning their farm to organic production in 1999 and has been certified since 2002. The Koberniks mentioned the difference between conventional and organic crop prices as one reason for seeking certification. “Production was becoming unsustainable. When we started the transition to organic, the price for conventional cherries was just $0.04 per pound. We decided to go organic as a niche market.” They also attended a local agricultural conference that year and learned more about how organic production could help them sustain their operation beyond just economic reasons.

Organic crop price premiums can help farmers stay competitive, and the various programs offered by NRCS can help finance conservation practices and assist farmers in achieving sustainability goals, thereby hedging against production risks.

Working with NRCS

Source: North Star OrganicsThe Koberniks first learned about NRCS and the agency’s programs through their own research and from agricultural groups in the state. “Our local office didn’t reach out to farmers back when we first bought the farm,” they stated. However, the planner they currently work with, Scott Hughey, makes a point to visit farms and property owners in the area to directly establish relationships.

“I just want to serve all the farmers/land owners in my area, try to understand their perspectives and priorities, and provide them all with the same level of service,” said Scott.

Their relationship with the regional NRCS planner and hearing from other farmers about their experiences is a big reason the Koberniks were motivated to pursue technical and financial assistance through the agency. Reflecting on the past few decades, The Koberniks noticed fewer farmers in the state getting together at events where those conversations can be shared organically.

Source: North Star Organics“Fewer farmers are getting together now in Michigan at things such as Farm Bureau events and trade shows. The average farmer age is older, and the ag community is more behind in technology. A lot of outreach and materials are done electronically and not through the mail. And, a lot of folks don’t trust the government and won’t pursue programs because they don’t want government staff on their farms. We believe farmer education on NRCS is important!”

North Star Organics is currently utilizing the NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). This program is designed to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners address a variety of resource concerns on a farm, including soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and mitigation against extreme weather effects. Their contracts consist of cover crops (radish, clover, and oat mix) to build soil health, habitat for pollinators, and enhancing windbreaks by planting food producing trees and shrubs. North Star Organics has also used the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to assist with a storage facility for on-farm fuel storage, including Agrichemical Handling Facilities and Heavy Use Area Protection for high traffic areas.

Source: North Star OrganicsSince implementing their contracts, Cheryl and Alan have noticed positive changes on their farm. They have seen a visual increase in pollinator populations, and addressing soil health has helped them cut costs. “Our compacted soils were alleviated from the radish in the cover crop. Scott taught us a lot about building soil organic matter (SOM). Now we are consistent with our soil testing (using the Haney Soil Test) so we can better understand what’s going on.”

The Koberniks describe their experience working with NRCS as very positive and helpful. But, they also acknowledged that some farmers have different experiences and may have to advocate more for themselves and for organic operations. When describing how their planner helped them, the Koberniks said:

“[Scott] sat with us at the kitchen table and helped us fill out paperwork. There was no pressure on anything. You, as the farmer, have to do the lift if you really want it, but he guided us through it.”

Lessons, Challenges, and Recommendations

The lessons and challenges that North Star Organics has encountered offer valuable insights for other farmers interested in participating in federal support programs. They also highlight areas where NRCS could improve processes and staff training. For farmers, navigating federal conservation programs and making them work within an organic production system can be a significant challenge. Organic farmers may face extra hurdles in meeting certification standards and finding service providers with organic literacy who can help them succeed.

Source: North Star OrganicsThe Koberniks again emphasized how their experience with NRCS was positive, but there were still a couple of unexpected challenges. They found that they couldn’t always follow the contract timelines, so a contract modification was needed. “It’s important to talk with your NRCS planner along the way about what’s going on,” said Cheryl. They also mentioned that there are many guidelines and regulations to follow, but they personally didn’t feel that these interfered with their ability to work with NRCS.

They hope NRCS staff and other organic farmers will read this story and see how positive experiences can arise from working with NRCS. They hope more organic farmers will get involved with the agency, and urge NRCS to communicate more effectively with organic farmers. Additionally, they hope that NRCS will promote organic-specific initiatives to help farmers get involved and pursue conservation programs in the first place. For other organic or transitioning to organic farmers, the Koberniks emphasized “Be relentless, and advocate for yourself!” They also think it is important for farmers who are considering working with NRCS to do a bit of background research on their own, and come prepared to talk with NRCS about what they’re hoping to do on their farm.

Scott offered the following advice for NRCS staff working with organic producers – “As an NRCS planner, you have to become really well versed in the practices that are adopted in your county. Ask, “what are they already adopting? What could they also adopt to advance conservation?” Conservation can sell itself, you just have to help producers along and give examples of where conservation practices are working in that area.”

Interested in NRCS Programs? Here Are a Few Helpful Resources

Source: North Star Organics

If you’re a farmer considering applying for CSP, EQIP, or other NRCS programs, here are some helpful links and tips to get started:

Explore NRCS Programs & Initiatives: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives
Check out NRCS Resources for organic producers: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/other-topics/organic
Connect with your local NRCS office to receive free technical assistance or to start developing a conservation plan: nrcs.usda.gov/contact
Know your eligibility. Farmers who are classified as beginning, limited-resource, or veterans may qualify for higher reimbursement rates and advance payments.
Ask about the advance payment option early. This can be a game-changer for small farms with limited cash flow.
Download OFRF’s EQIP flyer for more information on the federal funding program, including eligibility and application details, available in English and Spanish here.
Download OFRF’s CSP flyer for more information on the federal funding program, including eligibility and application details, available in English and Spanish here.

This case study was produced with support from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) under Cooperative Agreement No. FBC24CPT0013867. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USDA-NRCS.

All photos credit North Star Organics.

By admin|2026-04-23T15:19:12-04:00April 15th, 2026|News|

OFRF Announces 2026 Farmer-Led Research Trials Cohort

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eight organic farms across the country selected to receive technical support for next round of innovative on-farm research trials

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., April 9, 2026 — The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is excited to announce the next cohort of organic farmers that will be leading on-farm research trials with OFRF technical assistance in 2026.

Organic farmers are resilient, investing time, money, and continuous experimentation to navigate challenges like pests, diseases, soil health, and climate change. To tackle the specific challenges faced by certified organic and transitioning growers, farmers must play a leading role in identifying issues and testing solutions. In this effort, OFRF provides technical assistance to a small cohort of organic growers each year through our Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program.

Now entering its third year, the FLT program supports farmers in experimenting with new practices, inputs, varieties, or animal breeds that can improve profitability and environmental sustainability.

“As preparations begin for the third year of OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program, I find myself humbled by the research questions and the outcomes,” shared Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager. “The generous and authentic work each farmer is doing to care for their land and feed their regions, while not harming the environment, is admirable. And the common interest among agriculturalists to better understand how things work—on a macro- and micro-system scale—is inspiring.”

The following is the full list of farmers selected for the 2026 FLT cohort:

Amy Lucas of Chestnut Acres Farm in Kelso, Tennessee.
Robert and Korrie Hooper of Farm For Our Lives in Alsea, Oregon.
Anthony Reyes of Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center in Carnation, Washington.
Dan Perkins of Perkins’ Good Earth Farm in Demotte, Indiana.
Acacia Blassengale of Rabbits 4 Good in Capital Heights, Maryland.
Tiffany Sanders of Sanders Funny Farm in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Don Tipping of Seven Seeds Farm in Williams, Oregon.
Ellie Costello of Trust Land Farm in Missoula, Montana.

This years’ projects explore a wide variety of questions from organic livestock parasite management to climate smart planting dates and dry farming strategies. To learn more about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program, please visit our program page for updates and to read testimonials from the 2025 cohort. Additionally, we encourage curious farmers to check out OFRF’s free guidebook, Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research, for guidance on structuring your farm experiments so the results are useful, reliable, and repeatable.

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About Organic Farming Research Foundation
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with a remote team based across the U.S., 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. For more information about OFRF, please visit our website: www.ofrf.org.

Media Contact:
Ashley Dulaney, Communications Director, OFRF

ashley@ofrf.org

By Clare Boland|2026-04-09T09:54:46-04:00April 9th, 2026|News|

The Impact of Grazing Lespedeza Pastures on Reducing Parasitic Worm Load

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager, and Ed Crowley, FLT Program participant

Source: Mesta Meadows

Lambing for Mesta Meadows FLT trial began in January 2026.

Tucked into the hills of the Ozarks, Mesta Meadows sprawls over 235 acres. The ranch, owned and operated by Ed Crowley, specializes in raising a variety of pasture-based livestock, including lamb, beef, pork, and poultry, along with sheep dairy production and fine wool harvesting. Ed prioritizes responsible land and animal stewardship, using practices like rotation grazing, establishment of native grasses, and providing low stress environments for all of his animals. The farm is currently in transition to organic certification.

Ed wears many hats–his off farm job is teaching entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University, and his ranch hosts many micro-businesses, including an on-farm retail store, the Atelait Creamery (a premium ice cream brand manufacturing facility), and a nationally-renowned Fiber Festival on the farm. He is also Chairman of the Mayfield Entrepreneurial Center.

Using Forage Species as a Natural Deworming Agent

The ranch’s location in Glenallen, Missouri has very high humidity and usually sees more than 60 inches of rain annually. This results in lush pastures, but also increases the incidence of barber pole (Haemonchus contortus) worm load and a high lamb mortality rate after weaning. The treatment for barber pole worms is chemical drenches, however, Ed has seen increased resistance to almost all drenches for internal parasites.

Wanting to find a natural way to reduce the amount of chemical drenches he uses to protect his lambs, Ed has been investigating the potential of different forage species as an addition to his pasture grasses of fescue and clover. Anti-parasitic effects have been reported for a number of condensed tannin-containing forages, including lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), a warm season perennial legume which is well adapted to the warm climatic conditions of the southern states. In previous studies on goats in Oklahoma, lower fecal egg counts (FEC) were reported in goats grazing lespedeza compared with grass pasture. Ed is hopeful that working with lespedeza may help with internal parasite load in sheep and become a cost-effective, natural deworming agent.

On-Farm Trial Plan

A mix of fescue and lespedeza in a forage field.

Source: Mesta Meadows

A mix of lespedeza and orchard grass was used for the trials.

With support from OFRF, the trial aims to quantify the effect of weaning lambs on lespedeza pastures compared to the ranch’s pastures that are planted in fescue and clover.

The trial will test the FEC on about 100 lambs. The lambs will be randomly assigned to one of eight groups: four lespedeza groups; four control groups; with 16 lambs in each group, respectively. All of the lambs will have fecal samples taken at four different time points: pre-weaning, to establish a baseline; at 3-4 weeks post-weaning; at 6-7 weeks post-weaning; and post-trial (2-3 weeks after groups are returned to the fescue/red clover mix). The final sampling will help to assess potential residual effects of the lespedeza pasture.

Trial Updates

The trial was initiated in June of 2025 to help establish the lespedeza in the pasture. Lambing began in January of 2026. The lambs will begin pre-weaning from the ewes in April or May, with sampling to begin prior to the lambs being placed out in the pasture.

Source: Mesta Meadows

Lambs born in the 2026 season that will take part in the FLT trial.

“The FLT program was a great opportunity to partner with other researchers to find new, holistic methods to control barber pole worm, a major challenge for producers in my area.”

– Ed Crowley, FLT Program Participant

Source: Mesta Meadows

Lespedeza was established in 2025 to be ready for pasture in 2026.

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

To learn more about Ed Crowley and Mesta Meadows, visit their website at https://mestameadows.com/

Learn more about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program

Meet the rest of the 2025 FLT Program Participants

By Clare Boland|2026-04-01T16:17:28-04:00April 4th, 2026|Farmer Stories, News|