News

January 7, 2020 – Soil solarization is an organic method that has been shown to control weeds, pathogens, and nematodes in areas with hot summer temperatures. Biosolarization, a relatively new technique, combines the use of soil solarization and organic soil amendments to enhance the results of solarization. While biosolarization has proven effective in a number of studies, its efficacy varies across study regions, cropping systems, and pathogen communities. In 2018, OFRF provided a grant to Dr. Ashraf Tubeileh at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo to study the effect of biosolarization and cover crops on weeds and soil-borne pathogens.

Results from this research demonstrated that solarization effectively reduced weed biomass; it also reduced Verticillium dahliae (a fungal plant pathogen) populations by 80.7%, reduced crop mortality by 54.9%, and roughly tripled yields compared to non-solarized fields. Cover cropped plots tended to perform better than non-cover cropped plots, with cover crop mulch providing the best weed control and healthiest strawberries.

The study concluded that there is potential for success using biosolarization in organic strawberry production on the central coast of California, although this method may provide better results with crops that have growing seasons that are less than three months.

A detailed account of the project is available to read here.

Dr. Tubeileh’s work is also featured in OFRF’s free online training program for organic specialty crop farmers in California. This open educational resource is a joint effort between OFRF, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP), and California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM170100XXXXG011.

Designed especially for beginning farmers and farmers transitioning to organic production, this self-paced program combines descriptive essays, video lectures from university faculty, and virtual field trips to demonstrate organic principles and practices.

View/take the first learning module on Organic Soil Health Management.

December 9, 2019 – When over 100 people arrived at our workshop on reducing risk through organic soil health practices at this year’s Organic Growers Summit in Monterey, CA, I knew it would be an impactful morning. 

First, we heard from Phil Foster of Pinnacle Organically Grown, a well-known and well-respected farmer who works hard to improve the health of his soil. Phil shared strategies he uses such as cover cropping and producing his own compost as a means of reducing on-farm risk. After Phil, Jozsef Racsko of Mycorrhizal Applications carefully described the science behind fungal inoculants and the symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi. Lastly, Jared Zystro of the Organic Seed Alliance spoke about the importance of organically bred seed varieties, and ways the appropriate varieties can help protect our soils and our crops.

In the second half of the workshop, we broke into groups to discuss our research needs and priorities on a variety of topics (see photos below). As I looked around the room, farmers, researchers, non-profit staff, and agriculture service providers buzzed with energy as they discussed their research priorities. Whether they were sharing challenges with a specific pest, or the type of extension resources they needed to combat soil degradation, they all thoughtfully described their needs. 

And the buzz didn’t stop when the workshop ended. Attendees stayed to chat with old friends and make new connections. It was a moment for hard-working people to gather and reflect on the past season and learn new strategies to reduce risk in the seasons to come. 

Submitted by Haley Baron, Education and Research Program Associate, OFRF

December 4, 2019 – Now through December 31st, all donations made to OFRF will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Patgonia Works!

This match will double your support!

For the last three decades, OFRF has responded directly to the critical needs of organic farmers and ranchers through targeted scientific research, free educational resources, and advocacy on both the local and federal level.

Don’t miss this opportunity to double your impact.

Thank you for helping us ensure organic farmers and ranchers have the information and resources they need to be successful!

Click here to make your donation.

November 14, 2019 – OFRF has been using research-based analysis to inform public policy for nearly three decades. Recently, we contributed to a new report from the National Sustainable Organic Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) titled Moving American Agriculture to “Net Zero”.

One of the principal authors of that report, Dr. Mark Schonbeck, OFRF Research Associate, is the lead author of our wildly popular educational series on organic farming and soil health, which includes nine guidebooks and webinars covering topics ranging from cover cropping and nutrient management to weed and pest management. These free educational resources help farmers select the best organic practices for their circumstances while leading the way to more sustainable agricultural systems.

Schonbeck’s examination of research related to the capacity of sustainable organic systems to sequester soil carbon and minimize nitrous oxide and methane emissions was published in OFRF’s Organic Practices for Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Carbon Sequestration. We believe the science in both this guidebook and the NSAC paper are critical to developing policy recommendations that optimize the net climate impact of agriculture, and we will continue to partner on a national level to both develop and put forth those recommendations.

It is urgent that we address climate change.  We know organic practices can play a key role and OFRF is committed to supporting and furthering the exciting potential of organic practices to offset greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.

November 8, 2019 – Eleven years ago, I started my farm from scratch.

I had recently graduated with an MBA in entrepreneurship and was working as a civil engineer in the Midwest when I learned that 24 acres near Ridgefield, Washington had come up for sale. They say the right people fall into your life at the right time—in my case, it was the right land.

I grew up down the road from those 24 acres above the Columbia River Slough and no matter the season, there was always something to learn, barns and fields to explore, and farm chores to be done. The previous owners, Pete and Annie, were mainly homesteading, self-reliant fishermen and foragers, but they also raised Red Angus for meat and milk, and they had a huge garden, eating pretty much only what they grew.

So, when I decided to become a farmer, I guess you could say I did it out of absolute necessity. There was simply no way I could let the land go. But then I faced the monumental challenge of making the farm a viable and stable source of income.

From the outset, I knew two truths: organic certification was my path to financial survival, and healthy soil was my most precious asset.

The diversified, organic farming practices I still use today are crucial to the feasibility of my operation, and although soil quality may not have a specified line-item on my balance sheet, it is absolutely the foundation of my work. I have learned how to assess the biological health of my soil, manage nutrient loads, and reduce my dependence on off-farm inputs—all while continuing to reduce the carbon footprint of my operation.

As an organic farmer, I depend on the income of every acre I plant. I do not have the resources to implement expensive trials, which is why OFRF’s work is so valuable.

OFRF has been both a trusted advisor and an independent source of research-based knowledge that is crucial to advocating for and supporting organic farming practices. OFRF works every day to support thousands of diversified farmers like me.

As farmers, we are in many ways invisible, and yet the health and well-being of our lands prove to be one of the most visible elements of the health and well-being of our communities. Consequently, I urge you to join me in supporting OFRF.

OFRF research grants, free educational resources, and advocacy for programs and policies that support organic farmers are directly funded by individual donations from supporters like you.

Today, my farm is my livelihood; it is my only source of income. My husband Brad and I provide healthy, certified organic food to over sixty families in Clark County through our CSA, as well as local restaurants.

Succeeding as an organic farmer is the most challenging work I’ve ever known, and let me tell you, it isn’t getting any easier.

Farmers like me care deeply about land stewardship and it is your financial gift to organizations like OFRF that help us move our work forward in innovative and sustainable ways—ways that ultimately create healthy communities both below and above ground.

Donate today!

Join me in supporting OFRF and their critical mission to improve and advance the adoption of organic farming practices through research, education, and farmer advocacy. Please make a contribution today.

Sincerely yours,

April Thatcher