On-Farm Research

Using Synergy, Conservation Practices, and NRCS Support to Save Citrus with Uncle Matt’s Organic

Written by Mary Elizabeth Kidd, OFRF Communications Associate

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 Southeast region of the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), we’re spotlighting the experience of Uncle Matt’s Organic and McLean Family Farms in Clermont, Florida, that received funding and support through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

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 contracts more easily.

Meet Ben McLean III of Uncle Matt’s Organic and McLean Family Farms

Photo Courtesy of Ben McLean III

Location: Clermont, Florida (Lake County, west of Orlando)

Established: family farm established in the 1880s, Uncle Matt’s Organic established in 1999

Acres: 50

Production: Citrus

Certification: USDA Certified Organic via QCS since 2003

Staff: 15 full-time employees (as of EQIP contract phase)

Markets: Sell directly to grocery outlets including Whole Foods, Target, Publix, and more (20,000+ locations)

As the Head of Research with Uncle Matt’s Organic and a fourth-generation citrus farmer with McLean Family Farms, Ben McLean III is harnessing science, a robust network of experts and support, and family legacy to help safeguard the future of citrus in Florida and around the world.

Members of the OFRF team recently spoke to Ben to learn more about his experience accessing NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and how this program and its resulting wins and learnings can help fellow growers. 

>> Learn more: Listen to Ben McLean III on the Food for You and the Planet podcast.

About the Farmers

Angus Benjamin McLean, Ben McLean III’s great-grandfather, began citrus farming on the family’s Bartow, Florida, property in the 1880s. Ben’s grandfather, father, and siblings have continued the family legacy, weathering the uncertainties of ecological and economic change to help keep citrus farming alive in central Florida.

Ben received his master’s degree in Horticulture Science from the University of Florida and consistently works closely with university researchers and members of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to explore and advance citrus research and conservation efforts. He’s traveled to Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil and South Africa to learn from citrus growers around the world and to share his knowledge, including learnings from his EQIP contract with NRCS.

His ability to activate a synergistic network of grower organizations, learning opportunities through these organizations and the USDA, and a community of experts, researchers, and farming peers continues to create opportunities for him to grow the family farm business and act as a leader in the citrus and sustainable agriculture spaces.

Context & Challenges

The top concern of Ben, his team, and the researchers they work with is citrus greening disease, also known as Citrus Huanglongbing, or Citrus HLB.  Within the last 30 years, this disease caused by the bacterium (Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus) and vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid has destroyed over 75% of Florida’s citrus production.

Citrus greening continues to cripple Florida’s citrus production, and Ben is on a mission to facilitate research to protect Florida citrus. His NRCS EQIP contract, discussed below, played a role in the promising research they’re facilitating towards this mission.

The McLean family originally managed over 1,200 acres in organic citrus production in 2008, which dropped to 600 acres in 2015, and now hovers around 50 acres, with 15 acres focused heavily on research to combat the disease. 

This dramatic drop in acreage is also the result of weather events and real estate development. Since 2004, Ben cites five major hurricanes (with landfall), tropical storms, and dramatic variations in temperature and precipitation with wreaking significant damage to their citrus groves. Their humid, subtropical climate means that weeds thrive almost year-round and represent a key challenge and focus point in their organic research and practices.

Real estate development has impacted both land and labor availability. In the past, farmers like the McLeans  could rely on a steady supply of H-2A workers (temporary agricultural labor), particularly during harvest season. However, many of those workers are now drawn to the abundance of higher paying job opportunities associated with urban development.

Why Organic?

In Ben’s almost 30-year career farming organically, he and his family have witnessed the resilience and fortifying biodiversity that organic practices bring to their crops. “Trying to withstand these increased environmental, pest, and other pressures, you have to create resilience. And conservation practices help you create that resilience in your property, your soil, with your own biology.”

Ben credits his grandfather, a vocal proponent of conservation practices like cover cropping, for introducing him to the benefits of organic farming practices. In the era before conventional herbicides and pesticides became the norm, his grandfather was using methods that are now labeled as organic and sustainable, but were then considered reliable, “old way” farming practices. From the focus on hand labor and simple tools to organic fertilizers such as Feather Meal, to natural pesticides such as botanical oils derived from Neem trees to liquid lime sulfur, Ben cites that today “the toolbox for the organic production of citrus is solid.”

Practically speaking, as Ben and his father and brother were establishing Uncle Matt’s Organic Farm Plan and citrus acreage: “we wanted to be price makers, not price takers,” focusing on high quality and nutrient density- and the market for organic fresh fruit and juices supported their decision to certify and remain organic.

Ben first learned about the opportunity to receive reimbursements for organic practices through farming peers in the Florida Organic Growers network who had success with NRCS programs such as EQIP and CSP.

Working with NRCS

Application Process

Ben’s first experience with federal funding for farmers came via Farm Service Agency (FSA) support after a series of hurricanes devastated central Florida in the early 2000s. Registering with the FSA became a catalyst for other emergency relief and would eventually streamline their application process for their EQIP contract around 2009.

Ben shared: “I encourage any grower to go visit your local FSA office, get your property registered, and get on their mailing list. You’ll find out about workshops, visiting researchers, conferences, and programs.” 

One challenge farmers often cite in both the organic certification process and the process of applying for NRCS support is paperwork and recordkeeping. This presented a unique challenge for the McLeans as portions of their farm plan included separate groves that were leased, or were owned by other investors. While the Farm Plan as a whole is managed organically and operates cohesively, the individual leased or separately owned components required more complex recordkeeping, with some properties required to have their own EQIP contracts. Fortunately, their office manager, a trained accountant and bookkeeper, plus a supportive NRCS rep ensured a relatively smooth process.

“Ask your NRCS agent. I asked a lot of questions, and I got a lot of help. We can’t be afraid to ask the questions.”

Implementation

Between 2009 and 2012, Ben and his team implemented an EQIP contract focused on cover cropping (primarily cowpea), nutrient sampling (through soil and leaf analysis), and pest management.

Why cover cropping? “One last challenge we all face is water, right?” Ben shared, “With our location and development along the coastlines, we get saltwater intrusion and limitations on water usage, which is why these conservation efforts, especially cover crops and composting, are so important for water use and drought management.”

While cover cropping was already a familiar practice to the McLeans, getting EQIP compensation for this work helped propel them towards better testing and enabled them to bring on a full-time team member to manage the practices. 

They continue cover cropping and conducting related research to this day, thanks in part to their successful EQIP contract.

Cowpea cover crop planted working with UF Researcher, Courtesy of Ben McLean III

Outcomes & Challenges

For him, the primary benefit of implementing cover cropping was the increase in available nitrogen and other nutrients; the secondary benefit was root exudates that help in managing  nematodes, and the unexpected benefit was the increase in native pollinators.

Through soil sampling and other analysis, they were able to measure 25% more manganese availability within 90 days of planting. And the resulting biodiversity from cover cropping meant that their orchard, with its 6-foot strips of flowering cowpea and sunn hemp, created wonderful insectaries with honeybees, bumblebees, native pollinators, beetles, and other deterrents to harmful insect pathogens.

Cover cropping continues in 2026 with University of Florida researchers and Jarred Eddy of Central Florida Ag Services. Pictured above: a Massey Ferguson Grain Drill planting cover crops (left) and compost spreader utilizing Florida-based Veransa compost (right). Photos courtesy of Ben McLean III.

Advice to Farmers

“The good news that I would share with anybody considering either the transition to organic or applying for NRCS support: it can be done.” Ben continues, “It was easier than I thought, and I received excellent help from our local FSA and NRCS staff in both Lake County and Polk County. There is paperwork, but it’s worth doing, and it creates value in your long-term farm plan. It opens doors to you, and you’ll get access to information you may not have had.”

He also cites thorough recordkeeping and the support of staff and recordkeeping accountants as a key factor in the smoothness of the process.

Furthermore, he echoes familiar farmer advice: lean on other farmers and mentors. Networks and neighbors can both serve as tremendous support for growers at any experience level. 

“I encourage farmers to go to your Extension workshops, go to your university workshops, go to USDA workshops or field days.  And get to know your neighbors, get to know other farmers, join your grower organizations. This is where you’ll meet people from NRCS and can ask about their programs. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.”

Ready to Apply? Here Are a Few Helpful Resources

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

Additional Resources & Reading:

Organic Farming Research Foundation Resources:

Connect with OFRF:

By |2026-09-16T15:02:08-04:00September 14th, 2026|Farmer Stories, Insects & Diseases, News, On-Farm Research|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Chestnut Acres Farm

Navigating Parasite Management on an Organic Sheep Operation

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager, and Amy and Madeline Lucas, FLT Program participants

This on-farm trial at Chestnut Acres Farm will test the effectiveness of using an organic oral drench of black walnut powder, garlic powder, and molasses to reduce internal parasite-load in sheep. Results from this study will help organic farmers manage parasites while adhering to organic certification requirements.

Farmers Amy and Madeline Lucas pose with their lambs. Source: Chestnut Acres Farm

Amy Lucas and her daughter Madeline with the lambs of Chestnut Acres Farms.

Nestled in the Tennessee Valley, in Kelso, Tennessee, Chestnut Acres Farm is a small, diversified family operation. Managed by the Lucas family, they specialize in three main areas: seasonal produce, pastured lamb, and free-range eggs. Central to their farm is a commitment to sustainable practices, including the cultivation of an organic orchard. They began the process of transitioning the land to organic in 2023; in early 2026 the farm completed organic certification inspection and now offers certified organic produce, eggs, and lamb to their community.

Organic Solutions to Parasite Challenges

One of the most persistent challenges facing small-scale organic sheep producers is managing internal parasites, particularly barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus), without relying on conventional chemical dewormers. For the Lucas Family, this challenge became especially acute as they worked toward organic certification. Organic certifiers require that any product used on livestock be specifically labeled for use in that species, a restriction that eliminates many of the herbal and botanical products commonly discussed in the small-ruminant farming community.

Over the years, the Lucas Family have employed rotational grazing across 18 acres of pasture, moving the flock every three days in summer, and weekly in winter, as a key strategy to interrupt parasite life cycles. While this practice helps reduce pasture contamination, parasite pressure in young lambs remains a significant concern. Lambs begin consuming grass at just a few weeks of age, rapidly exposing them to infective larvae on the pasture. Finding an effective, certifier-approved intervention to reduce parasite loads during this vulnerable early period has been a persistent need on the farm.

After researching botanical options and consulting with their organic certifier, Madeline Lucas, with the help of her parents, identified an oral drench using a combination of black walnut powder, organic garlic powder, and organic molasses as a promising approach that could be approved for use on her certified operation.

On-Farm Trial Plan

With technical support from OFRF, Madeline and her parents designed a controlled on-farm trial to evaluate the effect of a black walnut/garlic/molasses drench on intestinal parasite load in lambs. The trial uses approximately 18 lambs born during the farm’s 2026 lambing season, organized into three groups (replications) based on birth date. Within each group of six lambs, three are randomly assigned to receive the herbal drench and three serve as untreated controls. Each lamb is individually tagged for identification, and birth weight, birth date, dam, and litter type (single or twin) are recorded.

Administration of the oral drench begins when each group reaches an average age of three weeks, a proactive starting point, before significant parasite burdens are expected, and is repeated on a four-week cycle for a total of three applications. Two weeks after each drench application, fecal egg counts (FECs) and FAMACHA scores are collected for every animal to measure treatment efficacy. To make regular fecal testing feasible and cost-effective, the farm has invested in equipment for in-house fecal analysis.

Oral Drench

Given at 2-4 weeks, 7-9 weeks, and 13-15 weeks. 13mL of solution per 10kg lamb weight.

Process:

Heat 900 mL of water to a boil.

Add 100 grams of garlic powder and 100 grams of black walnut, stir.

Add 300 mL of molasses, stir.

Yields 1300 mL of solution.

Trial Updates

The 2026 lambing season got underway in early March, and, as of summer 2026, the trial is now well into its final stretch. Data collection has proceeded across three groups of lambs, with the first two groups completing all three treatment and measurement cycles. Along the way, the team encountered several real-world complexities common to on-farm research: early fecal counts revealed the presence of multiple parasite egg types, including smaller eggs not typical of barber pole worm, prompting careful review of the data with OFRF staff. One lamb was lost due to complications following a routine veterinary procedure, and a late-season coccidia outbreak in the final group required treatment to protect animal health. Final data collection for the third group is expected to wrap up in August, with a full data review and analysis planned for early September.

A black lamb in the field in front of a white sheep.Source: Chestnut Acres Farm

18 lambs were born during the 2026 lambing season.

“We are very thankful to the OFRF organization and staff for this opportunity. We learned a lot about fecal counting and the different organic parasite treatments we trialed. We have already identified some things we might do differently next year. It was overall a great experience!” 

– Madeline Lucas, FLT Program Participant

Source: Chestnut Acres Farm

Farmer Madeline Lucas with a lamb that participated in the trial. 

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 Chestnut Acres Farm, visit their website or follow them on Facebook.

By |2026-08-19T10:21:30-04:00August 19th, 2026|Farmer Stories, FLT Highlight, News, On-Farm Research|
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Two Oʻahu Farmers Share Wins & Challenges Accessing CSP Support

(Versión en español a continuación / Spanish version below)

Written by Mary Elizabeth Kidd, OFRF Communications Associate

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 West region of the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), we’re spotlighting two Hawaiʻi farms—Maigee Chang of Farm of the Fearless Monkey and Timothy Clark of Sunshine Farm Foundation—that received funding and support through the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) 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 Maigee Chang of Farm of the Fearless Monkey

Farmer Maigee Chang smiling at her farm.Source: Terri Dux, NRCS

Location: Kailua, Hawaiʻi (island of Oʻahu, Honolulu County)

Established: 2017

Acres: 2.25

Production: Okra, eggplant, pumpkin, ginger, turmeric, roselle/hibiscus, and perennials: ulu, dragonfruit, papaya, citrus, cacao, lilikoi, and jackfruit

Certification: Uses organic practices

Staffing: 2 volunteers (in exchange for living quarters)

Markets: CSA, a local organic grocery store, restaurants, and Facebook Marketplace; ulu is sold to a chip company

Social media: Instagram

Read more: Growing Organic at the Farm of the Fearless Monkey from the USDA’s Farmers.gov blog.

Meet Timothy Clark of Sunshine Farm Foundation

Farmer Timothy Clark and his family on a motorized cart transporting sugar cane.Source: Sunshine Farm Foundation

Location: Mokulēʻia, Hawaiʻi (island of Oʻahu, Honolulu County)

Established: 2020

Acres: 15

Production: Mangoes, bananas, ulu, citrus, avocados, plus grazing animals including sheep, pigs, goats

Certification: Uses organic practices, not yet certified

Markets: Bananas are marketed through a neighboring farmer’s CSA

Social media: Facebook

About the Farmers

Maigee Chang (Farm of the Fearless Monkey) has lived in Hawaiʻi for over 30 years and came into her farming career after working at the intersection of local politics and agriculture, where she met farmers and attended farming workshops.

As her passion for farming grew, she found the land that would become Farm of the Fearless Monkey and set about getting the training and support she needed.

Maigee began her journey through the University of Hawaiʻi’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources program: GoFarm Hawaiʻi, where she connected with farmers, mentors, and Extension agents, and continued to strategically plug into support systems.

A dirt road with two fences on either side, showing the entrance to Sunshine Farm Foundation.Source: Sunshine Farm Foundation

The entrance to Sunshine Farm Foundation.

Timothy Clark (Sunshine Farm Foundation) was born and raised in Florida and moved to Oʻahu in 2012, where he started farmwork via permaculture and permablitz projects, working in community and volunteering to plant food and forestry yardscapes in Hawaiʻi.

In 2020, he and his partners acquired the 15-acre land site, which they continue to develop to provide education and, eventually, food for those experiencing hunger. Their first farm, established in 2018, focused on education and permaculture practices.

Their current property is structured as a tenants-in-common ownership model with 27 farming plots and the goal of one day becoming an organic farming zone. Working with CSP has represented a supportive bridge in the journey towards wider production and becoming USDA-certified organic.

We recently spoke to Maigee and Tim about their experience as organic farmers navigating NCRS support systems. Below, we’re sharing the conversation and their valuable insight.

Why Organic?

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): I don’t like spraying, and I don’t want any of that near my workers or me. Also, chemicals are very expensive.

I trained with OMRI-approved products; I’m comfortable using those, and they’re a lot simpler. I mainly use soap, neem, and BT (Bacillus thuringiensis, organic pest control); if something’s awry, I pull the plant and toss it. We do a lot of crop rotations and companion planting, and I’ve seen the effect of that. With mulching and healthy soil, my plants are stronger.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Growing up, my father was a medical doctor who later moved into alternative medicine, focusing on supporting patients who had cancers with organic diets and homeopathic treatments. We always ate organic foods. When I started farming, I didn’t think that there was another way.

And working with the permaculture crew and kind of learning that methodology, and getting into agroforestry, you know, it was never a question of whether or not to use organic treatments for pests or fertilization.

We try to use permaculture and agroforestry designs that make pest management easier, such as attracting beneficial insects and utilizing native plants. This is where NRCS has been helpful.

Context & Challenges

Perennial peanut cover crop growing on a hillside. Source: Farm of the Fearless Monkey

Perennial peanut cover cropping at Farm of the Fearless Monkey.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): The constant pest is the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB), so we’re trying to address that using various techniques. We do netting around the crown of the tree, we keep our mulch piles covered and rotate them at least every two months, and send the chickens in to scratch through.

We’re in a spot that hasn’t been hit too hard by the recent flooding; the water flows off of our area. Those storms came when we were doing cover crop, which helped the cover crop, and we didn’t lose anything. The vetiver (cover crop) is great and stopped everything from a massive flow.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): We had about 100 coconut trees wiped out by the coconut rhinoceros beetle. So we’re doing a pilot program to see if we can control the beetle with about 60 dwarf coconuts in high tunnels with netting (supported by EQIP).

We had about three or four storms this spring (2026), which caused a lot of damage to our property. That said, we’re in a drought area on the island, and water supply and power are a concern.

Our main focus is planting drought-tolerant crops. Water can go out for several days when they’re fixing lines, so we’ve signed up for a backup storage and water-pump program through NRCS.

Working with NRCS

Application Process

Mulched beds in a hoop house. Source: Farm of the Fearless Monkey

EQIP-funded hoop house with mulching at Farm of the Fearless Monkey.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): From working with the agriculture committee and then as secretary of the Waimānalo chapter of the Hawaii Farmers Union, I was familiar with NRCS representatives. I got a hoop house through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), and then we started working on a conservation plan.

Getting through the CSP application process was straightforward. I knew what I wanted to do, it was covered by the program, and my CSP agent walked me through everything. It’s been a smooth process; she sends me documents and deadline reminders, so it feels manageable.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): I found CSP through research and initially found it difficult to navigate until I connected with the first in a series of very helpful representatives who helped me begin a windbreak program and subsequent plans. You have to persevere. Our first contract phase was three years ago; now we’re in the second year of our second contract.

Implementation

A row of banana trees and shrubs with fencing.Source: Sunshine Farm Foundation

A row of banana trees and shrubs serves as a windbreak to protect crops at Sunshine Farm Foundation.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): We’re doing mulching and cover cropping and crop rotation, paid in bulk at the end of every year. For mulching, it was a five-year contract; payment started at $2,000 a year, then jumped to $4,000. Cover cropping started as a three-year contract, which has been renewed. The reimbursements mainly help cover labor costs for practices I’d do anyway.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Our CSP contract includes $6,000 per year for five years ($4,000 cropland and $2,000 homestead), and practices include perennial cover crop (Bermuda grass) and establishing a native forestry zone.

We’re getting compost reimbursements (paying only for the delivery charges), and we have a contract to mulch over our orchard. It’s been great. And I was able to get a tree trimmer as well.

Outcomes & Challenges

Mulched rows of tropical crops. Source: Farm of the Fearless Monkey

Mulching and labor was covered by CSP contract at Farm of the Fearless Monkey.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): My soil is amazing right now. The plants are really happy. Mulching has reduced water use, and soil testing showed a pH shift from acidic to alkaline, which changed my fertilizer approach.

One big challenge is soil testing, not just getting the tests, but shipping them to the mainland (Oregon) in refrigerated/cooler boxes within 24 hours, and the airport where we ship them from is almost an hour away. If we could do that locally, it would save a lot of hassle.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): We get support from everyone at NRCS, they’re great! They’ve really helped us navigate programs.

I am in a predicament, however, because when they came out to inspect, even though I had the animals and I had the orchard, we were categorized as orchard-only, meaning I can’t transition to my original plan of getting the animal management care, such as internal grazing fencing.

So we missed something there and can’t go back or risk losing the program and having to reapply. So we’ll complete the contract as is and then apply for this longer-term plan.

Advice to Farmers

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): If farmers are considering applying for CSP, you should totally do it. One, because it’s good practice. And two, it’s a good program. For a farm of my size, it wasn’t that complicated.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): When you’re preparing the paperwork, be sure to think long term. Consider the next five years and what may need to be a part of your application.

I also recommend applying with as comprehensive a plan as possible, including multiple conservation practices, to potentially give your application a higher ranking and likelihood of success.

And don’t forget outreach to other farmers, we have to share what programs we’re benefiting from.

Next Steps & Resources

Interested in transitioning your farm for organic certification in the West/Southwest or beyond? Explore these key resources and connect with mentors, certifiers, and Technical Support Providers (TSP) near you.

Locating Support Providers and Mentors:

Organic Farming Research Foundation resources:

USDA resources:

Connect with OFRF:

Front page of TOPP W NRCS CSP Success Story Takeaways factsheet

Download Takeaways Factsheet

Dos agricultores de Oʻahu comparten sus logros y desafíos al acceder al apoyo del CSP del NRCS

Por Mary Elizabeth Kidd, asociada de comunicaciones

La OFRF trabaja actualmente para aumentar la conciencia de los agricultores y las comunidades sobre las oportunidades de financiamiento federal disponibles para las granjas orgánicas y en transición hacia lo orgánico. 

Como parte de nuestro trabajo con la región Oeste del Programa de Alianzas para la Transición a lo Orgánico (Transition to Organic Partnership Program, TOPP) del USDA, destacamos dos granjas de Hawaiʻi —Maigee Chang, de Farm of the Fearless Monkey, y Timothy Clark, de Sunshine Farm Foundation— que recibieron financiamiento y apoyo a través del Programa de Administración de la Conservación (Conservation Stewardship Program, CSP) del Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS).

Su historia ofrece una mirada transparente de lo que realmente implica trabajar con el NRCS: los beneficios, los obstáculos y las lecciones aprendidas. Esperamos que otros agricultores puedan aprovechar su experiencia para transitar más fácilmente el proceso de solicitar e implementar los contratos del CSP.

Conozca a Maigee Chang, de Farm of the Fearless Monkey

Farmer Maigee Chang smiling at her farm.Source: Terri Dux, NRCS

Ubicación: Kailua, Hawaiʻi (isla de Oʻahu, condado de Honolulu)

Fundada: 2017

Superficie: 2.25 acres

Producción: Okra, berenjena, calabaza, jengibre, cúrcuma, roselle/hibisco, y perennes: ulu (fruta del pan), pitahaya, papaya, cítricos, cacao, lilikoi (maracuyá) y yaca

Certificación: Usa prácticas orgánicas

Personal: 2 voluntarios (a cambio de alojamiento)

Mercados: Agricultura apoyada por la comunidad (CSA), una tienda local de comestibles orgánicos, restaurantes y Facebook Marketplace; el ulu se vende a una empresa de snacks (chips)

Redes sociales: Instagram

Lea más: Growing Organic at the Farm of the Fearless Monkey del blog Farmers.gov del USDA.

Conozca a Timothy Clark, de Sunshine Farm Foundation

Farmer Timothy Clark and his family on a motorized cart transporting sugar cane.Source: Sunshine Farm Foundation

Ubicación: Mokulēʻia, Hawaiʻi (isla de Oʻahu, condado de Honolulu)

Fundada: 2020

Superficie: 15 acres

Producción: Mangos, plátanos, ulu (fruta del pan), cítricos, aguacates, además de animales de pastoreo como ovejas, cerdos y cabras

Certificación: Usa prácticas orgánicas, aún no certificada

Mercados: Los plátanos se comercializan a través de la CSA (agricultura apoyada por la comunidad) de un agricultor vecino

Redes sociales: Facebook

Sobre los agricultores

Maigee Chang (Farm of the Fearless Monkey) ha vivido en Hawaiʻi por más de 30 años y llegó a su carrera agrícola tras trabajar en la intersección entre la política local y la agricultura, donde conoció a agricultores y asistió a talleres de agricultura. 

A medida que crecía su pasión por la agricultura, encontró el terreno que se convertiría en Farm of the Fearless Monkey y se dedicó a conseguir la capacitación y el apoyo que necesitaba.

Maigee comenzó su camino a través del programa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources de la University of Hawaiʻi: GoFarm Hawaiʻi, donde se conectó con agricultores, mentores y agentes de Extensión, y siguió integrándose estratégicamente a los sistemas de apoyo.

Timothy Clark (Sunshine Farm Foundation) nació y creció en Florida y se mudó a Oʻahu en 2012, donde comenzó el trabajo agrícola mediante proyectos de permacultura y permablitz, trabajando en comunidad y como voluntario para plantar alimentos y paisajes forestales en Hawaiʻi.

A dirt road with two fences on either side, showing the entrance to Sunshine Farm Foundation.Source: Sunshine Farm Foundation

Entrada a Sunshine Farm Foundation.

En 2020, él y sus socios adquirieron el terreno de 15 acres, que siguen desarrollando para brindar educación y, con el tiempo, alimentos para las personas que padecen hambre. Su primera granja, fundada en 2018, se centró en la educación y las prácticas de permacultura. 

Su propiedad actual está estructurada como un modelo de propiedad en común (tenants-in-common) con 27 parcelas de cultivo y la meta de convertirse algún día en una zona de agricultura orgánica. Trabajar con el CSP ha representado un puente de apoyo en el camino hacia una mayor producción y hacia obtener la certificación orgánica del USDA.

Hablamos recientemente con Maigee y Tim sobre su experiencia como agricultores orgánicos al desenvolverse en los sistemas de apoyo del NRCS. A continuación, compartimos la conversación y sus valiosas reflexiones.

¿Por qué orgánico?

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): No me gusta fumigar y no quiero nada de eso cerca de mis trabajadores ni de mí. Además, los productos químicos son muy caros.

Me capacité con productos aprobados por OMRI; me siento cómoda usándolos y son mucho más simples. Uso principalmente jabón, neem y BT (Bacillus thuringiensis, control orgánico de plagas); si algo anda mal, arranco la planta y la desecho. Hacemos muchas rotaciones de cultivos y siembra asociada, y he visto el efecto de eso. Con el acolchado (mulch) y un suelo sano, mis plantas son más fuertes.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Cuando yo crecía, mi padre era médico y luego se pasó a la medicina alternativa, enfocándose en apoyar con dietas orgánicas y tratamientos homeopáticos a pacientes con cáncer. Siempre comíamos alimentos orgánicos. Cuando empecé a cultivar, no pensé que hubiera otra manera.

Y trabajando con el equipo de permacultura y aprendiendo esa metodología, y adentrándome en la agrosilvicultura, nunca fue cuestión de si usar o no tratamientos orgánicos para las plagas o la fertilización. 

Procuramos usar diseños de permacultura y agrosilvicultura que facilitan el manejo de plagas, como atraer insectos benéficos y utilizar plantas nativas. Aquí es donde el NRCS ha sido de ayuda.

Contexto y desafíos

Perennial peanut cover crop growing on a hillside. Source: Farm of the Fearless Monkey

Cultivo de cobertura de maní perenne en Farm of the Fearless Monkey.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): La plaga constante es el escarabajo rinoceronte del cocotero (coconut rhinoceros beetle, CRB), así que intentamos enfrentarlo con varias técnicas. Colocamos malla alrededor de la corona del árbol, mantenemos cubiertas nuestras pilas de acolchado (mulch) y las rotamos al menos cada dos meses, y metemos a las gallinas para que escarben.

Estamos en un lugar que no ha sido muy afectado por las inundaciones recientes; el agua se escurre de nuestra zona. Esas tormentas llegaron cuando estábamos sembrando cultivo de cobertura, lo que benefició al cultivo de cobertura, y no perdimos nada. El vetiver (cultivo de cobertura) es excelente y frenó todo de un flujo enorme.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): El escarabajo rinoceronte del cocotero acabó con unos 100 cocoteros. Así que estamos realizando un programa piloto para ver si podemos controlar el escarabajo con unos 60 cocoteros enanos en túneles altos con malla (financiado por el EQIP).

Tuvimos unas tres o cuatro tormentas esta primavera (2026), que causaron muchos daños a nuestra propiedad. Dicho esto, estamos en una zona de sequía de la isla, y el suministro de agua y de electricidad es una preocupación. 

Nuestro enfoque principal es plantar cultivos tolerantes a la sequía. El agua puede cortarse por varios días cuando reparan las tuberías, así que nos inscribimos en un programa de almacenamiento de reserva y bombeo de agua a través del NRCS.

Trabajar con el NRCS

Proceso de solicitud

Mulched beds in a hoop house. Source: Farm of the Fearless Monkey

EQIP-invernadero financiado por el EQIP con acolchado. Foto cortesía de Farm of the Fearless Monkey.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): Por trabajar con el comité de agricultura y luego como secretaria del capítulo de Waimānalo del Hawaii Farmers Union, ya conocía a los representantes del NRCS. Obtuve un invernadero a través del EQIP, y luego empezamos a trabajar en un plan de conservación.

Superar el proceso de solicitud del CSP fue sencillo. Sabía lo que quería hacer, estaba cubierto por el programa y mi agente del CSP me guio en todo. Ha sido un proceso fluido; ella me envía documentos y recordatorios de fechas límite, así que se siente manejable.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Encontré el CSP investigando y al principio me resultó difícil de manejar, hasta que me contacté con el primero de una serie de representantes muy serviciales que me ayudaron a iniciar un programa de cortavientos (windbreak) y planes posteriores. Hay que perseverar. Nuestra primera fase de contrato fue hace tres años; ahora estamos en el segundo año de nuestro segundo contrato.

Implementación

A row of banana trees and shrubs with fencing.Source: Sunshine Farm Foundation

Una hilera de plátanos y arbustos sirve de cortavientos para proteger los cultivos. Foto cortesía de Sunshine Farm Foundation.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): Estamos haciendo acolchado, cultivo de cobertura y rotación de cultivos, que se pagan en conjunto al final de cada año. El acolchado fue un contrato de cinco años; el pago comenzó en $2,000 al año y luego subió a $4,000. El cultivo de cobertura empezó como un contrato de tres años, que se ha renovado. Los reembolsos ayudan principalmente a cubrir los costos de mano de obra de prácticas que yo haría de todos modos. 

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Nuestro contrato del CSP incluye $6,000 al año durante cinco años ($4,000 para tierras de cultivo y $2,000 para la propiedad familiar), y las prácticas incluyen un cultivo de cobertura perenne (pasto Bermuda) y el establecimiento de una zona forestal nativa.

Estamos recibiendo reembolsos de compost (pagando solo los cargos de entrega), y tenemos un contrato para aplicar acolchado sobre nuestro huerto. Ha sido estupendo. Y también pude conseguir una podadora de árboles.

Resultados y desafíos

Mulched rows of tropical crops. Source: Farm of the Fearless Monkey

Acolchado y mano de obra cubiertos por el contrato del CSP. Foto cortesía de Farm of the Fearless Monkey.

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): Mi suelo está increíble en este momento. Las plantas están muy contentas. El acolchado ha reducido el uso de agua, y los análisis de suelo mostraron un cambio de pH de ácido a alcalino, lo que cambió mi enfoque de fertilización. 

Un gran desafío son los análisis de suelo: no solo hacer las pruebas, sino enviarlas al continente (Oregon) en cajas refrigeradas o con hielera dentro de las 24 horas, y el aeropuerto desde donde las enviamos está a casi una hora. Si pudiéramos hacerlo localmente, nos ahorraría muchas complicaciones.

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Recibimos apoyo de todo el personal del NRCS, ¡son excelentes! De verdad nos han ayudado a desenvolvernos en los programas.

Sin embargo, estoy en un aprieto, porque cuando vinieron a inspeccionar, aunque yo tenía los animales y el huerto, nos clasificaron solo como huerto, lo que significa que no puedo pasar a mi plan original de obtener el cuidado del manejo de animales, como el cercado interno para pastoreo. 

Así que se nos escapó algo ahí y no podemos retroceder, o correríamos el riesgo de perder el programa y tener que volver a solicitar. Por eso completaremos el contrato tal como está y luego solicitaremos este plan de más largo plazo.

Consejos para los agricultores

Maigee (Farm of the Fearless Monkey): Si un agricultor está considerando solicitar el CSP, definitivamente debería hacerlo. Primero, porque es una buena práctica. Y segundo, porque es un buen programa. Para una granja de mi tamaño, no fue tan complicado. 

Tim (Sunshine Farm Foundation): Cuando esté preparando la documentación, asegúrese de pensar a largo plazo. Considere los próximos cinco años y lo que podría necesitar incluir en su solicitud. 

También recomiendo presentar la solicitud con un plan lo más completo posible, que incluya varias prácticas de conservación, para dar potencialmente a su solicitud una mejor clasificación y mayor probabilidad de éxito. 

Y no olvide difundir la información entre otros agricultores; tenemos que compartir de qué programas nos estamos beneficiando.

Próximos pasos y recursos

¿Le interesa hacer la transición de su granja para la certificación orgánica en la región Oeste/Suroeste o más allá? 

Explore estos recursos clave y conéctese con mentores, certificadores y Proveedores de Apoyo Técnico (Technical Support Providers, TSP) cerca de usted.

Cómo localizar proveedores de apoyo y mentores:

Recursos de la Organic Farming Research Foundation:

Recursos del USDA:

Conéctese con la OFRF:

Front page of TOPP W NRCS CSP Success Story Takeaways factsheet

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By |2026-09-02T16:39:53-04:00July 29th, 2026|Farmer Stories, Insects & Diseases, News, On-Farm Research, TOPP West|
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How One Kona Farm Made Federal Funding Work for Organic Agriculture

(Versión en español a continuación / Spanish version below)

Written by Mary Elizabeth Kidd, OFRF Communications Associate

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 West region of the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), we’re spotlighting the experience of one farm—Makili Farm in Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi—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 Kathy Vass of Makili Farm

Source: Makili Farm, Credit: John Vass

Location: Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi (west coast of Hawaiʻi Island)

Established: 2013

Acres: 5.8

Production: Coffee, macadamia nuts, cacao, citrus, vanilla, vegetables, tropical fruit, and pineapples

Certification: USDA Certified Organic since 2017

Staffing: Two part-time team members, plus seasonal staff (macadamia harvest)

Markets: Wholesale (grocery stores and local distributors)

Context & Challenges

Coffee flowers.Source: Makili Farm

Coffee flowers in bloom.

OFRF team members recently spoke to Kathy Vass, owner and primary farmer at Makili Farm, sitting on almost 6 acres at an elevation of 1,500 feet on the west coast of Hawaiʻi Island.

She shared a realistic and dedicated vision of organic farming on Hawaiʻi Island, where approximately 85% of food is imported, operational costs are high, and pest and environmental pressures are tremendous. Seasonal cyclones and recent earthquakes bring even more obstacles.

Her commitment to provide organic, locally-produced food for her community is palpable and powerful: “We’re all struggling financially. I know very few farms that aren’t. We’re providing enough income to live on. But the ones I know who are succeeding are organic.”

Kathy has been working in the soil for over 55 years, from her previous career as a landscape contractor in Long Island, New York, to her 13 years of farming at Makili Farm.

Kathy notes that in the last 5-10 years, pests and invasive weeds have surged. The avocado lace bug and the coffee berry borer, in addition to nematodes, continue to wreak particular damage to her key crops; coffee leaf rust has also led to crop loss.

>> Read more: Kathy and five other farms participated in a 2021 OFRF research grant exploring Organic Farming Systems Options for Controlling Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) in Kona Coffee.

The impact of these pests and diseases is the primary reason Kathy sought support from programs like the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The knowledge and financial support they provide have been a lifeline for her business.

Why Organic?

Vanilla bean orchid. Source: Makili Farm

Vanilla bean orchid.

“I have always, for 55 years, done nothing but organic methods.”

Despite so many challenges, Kathy’s commitment to organic practices remains unshaken. She continues, “organic farming is, whether certified or not, so important for the health of our soil, our water, and our air. It’s just so important to me to have healthy food from healthy soil.”

The higher market value for organic products was also appealing; organic coffee cherries get $1 more per pound than conventional ones.

That said, each year Kathy questions her desire to remain certified. “It feels like a burden,” she shared, “Every year when it’s time for me to start doing the paperwork, I weigh whether I really want to keep doing the certification. I would always continue to be organic, regardless of whether I’m certified or not. I’m not sure that the price difference makes a big difference.”

Accessing Support through NRCS CSP

Plants growing in raised beds inside a hoop house. Source: Makili Farm

EQIP-supported hoop house.

Kathy’s daughter-in-law, also a local farmer, suggested Kathy contact Laura Nelson, who leads the Kealakekua Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office.

Kathy first worked with Laura to secure Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) reimbursement for approximately half the cost of a 20-foot-by-72-foot hoophouse, enabling her to increase production.

Laura then encouraged and supported Kathy through the CSP application process. While Kathy was initially apprehensive of another paperwork-laden application process, her existing documentation for organic certification was already comprehensive and helped expedite the CSP application.

Kathy then worked with Laura to develop goals and objectives for a 5-year contract, which reimburses her $5,000 per year to support her conservation efforts.

CSP Goals & Learnings

Together, Kathy and Laura honed in on two goals for the 5-year CSP contract:

  1. Enhance agroforestry with additional trees and shrubs (primarily fruit-bearing).
  2. Continue ongoing organic pest control practices on the farm.
Various trees, including bananas, planted on a farm. Source: Makili Farm

Agroforestry in motion.

In her first year, she successfully planted cacao, bananas, breadfruit, and cherimoya, expanding her market offerings.

She’s now in the fourth year of her five-year contract and continuing the focus on pest management. A few recent tasks supported by her CSP contract: planting 600 new coffee trees, mulching them, and planting a nitrogen-fixing ground cover, perennial peanut.

While much of her work remains the same—tenacious, focused, and curious—the financial and community support help her stay the course and represent her primary CSP wins. “Having those connections with other farmers has been good…really, really good.”

After her current contract winds down, Kathy is considering another CSP offering focused on native plants. She heavily cites the expertise and accessibility of her NRCS agent, Laura Nelson, as a success-driving factor in her experience with CSP.

Advice to Farmers

“Persevere,” Kathy shared without hesitation. She urges farmers to explore as many USDA and other avenues of financial support as possible, never shying away from doggedly advocating for what they need with USDA agents and representatives. She also recommends plugging into the local farming community, including other farmers, your local Extension, and farmers’ unions.

“Find out what’s available, ask questions, and hang in there.”

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:

Additional Resources & Reading

Front page of TOPP W NRCS CSP Success Story Takeaways factsheet

Download Takeaways Factsheet

Cómo una granja de Kona logró que los fondos federales funcionaran para la agricultura orgánica

Por Mary Elizabeth Kidd, asociada de comunicaciones

La OFRF trabaja actualmente para aumentar la conciencia de los agricultores y las comunidades sobre las oportunidades de financiamiento federal disponibles para las granjas orgánicas y en transición hacia lo orgánico. Como parte de nuestro trabajo con la región Oeste del Programa de Alianzas para la Transición a lo Orgánico (Transition to Organic Partnership Program, TOPP) del USDA, destacamos la experiencia de una granja —Makili Farm, en Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi— que recibió financiamiento y apoyo a través del Programa de Administración de la Conservación (Conservation Stewardship Program, CSP) del Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS).

Su historia ofrece una mirada transparente de lo que realmente implica trabajar con el NRCS: los beneficios, los obstáculos y las lecciones aprendidas. Esperamos que otros agricultores puedan aprovechar su experiencia para transitar más fácilmente el proceso de solicitar e implementar los contratos del CSP.

Conozca a Kathy Vass, de Makili Farm

Source: Makili Farm, Credit: John Vass

Los agricultores Kathy y Rob Vass.

Ubicación: Kealakekua, Hawaiʻi (costa oeste de Hawaiʻi Island)

Fundada: 2013

Superficie: 5.8 acres 

Producción: Café, nueces de macadamia, cacao, cítricos, vainilla, hortalizas, fruta tropical y piñas

Certificación: Certificada como orgánica por el USDA desde 2017

Personal: Dos integrantes de tiempo parcial, más personal de temporada (cosecha de macadamia)

Mercados: Venta al por mayor (tiendas de comestibles y distribuidores locales)

Contexto y desafíos

Coffee flowers.Source: Makili Farm

Flores de café.

Integrantes del equipo de la OFRF hablaron recientemente con Kathy Vass, dueña y agricultora principal de Makili Farm, ubicada en casi 6 acres a una altitud de 1,500 pies en la costa oeste de Hawaiʻi Island. 

Ella compartió una visión realista y comprometida de la agricultura orgánica en la isla de Hawaiʻi, donde aproximadamente el 85 % de los alimentos son importados, los costos operativos son altos y las presiones de plagas y ambientales son enormes. Los ciclones estacionales y los terremotos recientes suman aún más obstáculos.

Su compromiso de brindar alimentos orgánicos y de producción local a su comunidad es palpable y poderoso: “Todos tenemos dificultades económicas. Conozco muy pocas granjas que no las tengan. Generamos ingresos suficientes para vivir. Pero las que conozco que están teniendo éxito son orgánicas.”

Kathy lleva más de 55 años trabajando la tierra, desde su carrera anterior como contratista de paisajismo en Long Island, New York, hasta sus 13 años de agricultura en Makili Farm.

Kathy señala que en los últimos 5 a 10 años han aumentado las plagas y las malezas invasoras. El chinche de encaje del aguacate (avocado lace bug) y la broca del café (coffee berry borer), además de los nematodos, siguen causando un daño particular a sus cultivos clave; la roya del café (coffee leaf rust) también ha provocado pérdidas de cosecha.

>> Lea más: Kathy y otras cinco granjas participaron en 2021 en una subvención de investigación de la OFRF que exploró Opciones de sistemas de agricultura orgánica para controlar la roya del café (Coffee Leaf Rust, CLR) en Kona Coffe. 

El impacto de estas plagas y enfermedades es la razón principal por la que Kathy buscó apoyo en programas como el Programa de Administración de la Conservación (Conservation Stewardship Program, CSP) del Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS). El conocimiento y el apoyo económico que brindan han sido un salvavidas para su negocio.

¿Por qué orgánico?

Orquídea de vainilla.Source: Makili Farm

Orquídea de vainilla.

“Siempre, durante 55 años, no he usado más que métodos orgánicos.” 

A pesar de tantos desafíos, el compromiso de Kathy con las prácticas orgánicas permanece firme. Ella continúa: “La agricultura orgánica, esté certificada o no, es muy importante para la salud de nuestro suelo, nuestra agua y nuestro aire. Para mí es fundamental tener alimentos sanos que provengan de un suelo sano.”

El mayor valor de mercado de los productos orgánicos también resultaba atractivo; las cerezas de café orgánico se pagan $1 más por libra que las convencionales. 

Dicho esto, cada año Kathy se cuestiona su deseo de mantener la certificación. “Se siente como una carga”, compartió. “Cada año, cuando llega el momento de empezar con la documentación, me planteo si de verdad quiero seguir con la certificación. Siempre seguiría siendo orgánica, esté certificada o no. No estoy segura de que la diferencia de precio marque una gran diferencia.”

Cómo acceder al apoyo a través del CSP del NRCS

Invernadero tipo túnel financiado por el EQIP.Source: Makili Farm

Invernadero tipo túnel financiado por el EQIP.

La nuera de Kathy, también agricultora local, le sugirió que contactara a Laura Nelson, quien dirige la oficina del Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS) de Kealakekua.

Kathy trabajó primero con Laura para obtener el reembolso del Programa de Incentivos para la Calidad Ambiental (Environmental Quality Incentives Program, EQIP) por aproximadamente la mitad del costo de un invernadero de 20 por 72 pies, lo que le permitió aumentar la producción.

Luego, Laura animó y acompañó a Kathy durante el proceso de solicitud del CSP. Aunque al principio a Kathy le inquietaba otro proceso de solicitud lleno de trámites, la documentación que ya tenía para la certificación orgánica era muy completa y ayudó a agilizar la solicitud del CSP. 

Después, Kathy trabajó con Laura para desarrollar las metas y los objetivos de un contrato de 5 años, que le reembolsa $5,000 al año para apoyar sus esfuerzos de conservación.

Metas y aprendizajes del CSP

Juntas, Kathy y Laura se enfocaron en dos metas para el contrato del CSP de 5 años: 

  1. Fortalecer la agrosilvicultura con árboles y arbustos adicionales (principalmente frutales).
  2. Continuar las prácticas de control orgánico de plagas ya existentes en la granja.
Various trees, including bananas, planted on a farm. Source: Makili Farm

Agrosilvicultura en acción,

En su primer año, plantó con éxito cacao, plátanos, fruta del pan (ulu) y chirimoya, ampliando su oferta de mercado.

Ahora está en el cuarto año de su contrato de cinco años y sigue enfocada en el manejo de plagas. Algunas tareas recientes apoyadas por su contrato del CSP: plantar 600 cafetos nuevos, aplicarles acolchado (mulch) y sembrar una cobertura vegetal fijadora de nitrógeno, el maní perenne.

Aunque gran parte de su trabajo sigue igual —tenaz, enfocado y curioso—, el apoyo económico y comunitario le ayuda a mantener el rumbo y representa sus principales logros con el CSP. “Tener esas conexiones con otros agricultores ha sido bueno… muy, muy bueno.”

Cuando termine su contrato actual, Kathy está considerando otra oferta del CSP centrada en plantas nativas. Ella destaca en gran medida la experiencia y la disponibilidad de su agente del NRCS, Laura Nelson, como un factor clave del éxito de su experiencia con el CSP.

Consejos para los agricultores

“Perseveren”, compartió Kathy sin dudarlo. Ella insta a los agricultores a explorar tantas vías de apoyo económico del USDA y de otras fuentes como sea posible, sin dudar en defender con tenacidad lo que necesitan ante los agentes y representantes del USDA. También recomienda integrarse a la comunidad agrícola local, incluidos otros agricultores, el servicio de Extensión local y los sindicatos de agricultores.

“Averigüen qué hay disponible, hagan preguntas y no se rindan.”

¿Listo para solicitar? Aquí tiene algunos recursos útiles

Si es un agricultor que está considerando solicitar el CSP u otros programas del NRCS, aquí tiene algunas herramientas útiles para comenzar:

Recursos y lecturas adicionales

Front page of TOPP W NRCS CSP Success Story Takeaways factsheet

Descargar Hoja Informativa

By |2026-09-02T16:40:59-04:00July 17th, 2026|Farmer Stories, Insects & Diseases, News, On-Farm Research, TOPP West|
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Building Successful Farmer-Researcher Collaboration

Farmers and ranchers are natural researchers, regularly using trial-and-error to address on-farm questions and challenges. Research shows that farmers greatly benefit when they lead on-farm research trials.

Programs like the OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s Farmer-Rancher Grant put farmers in the driver’s seat, allowing them to conceive and carry out research on their farms.

For research involving farmers and University scientists, successful collaborations between farmers and researchers can greatly enhance results. However, these collaborations take time to build. Read our report on for lessons learned from organic farmers and researchers about how to form these effective collaborations.

Front cover of seeds of success resource
By |2026-06-12T09:42:00-04:00December 19th, 2025|On-Farm Research, Resource|
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An Organic Approach to Increasing Resilience

Few farmers need official reports to tell them that “increasing weather volatility” and climate change threaten their livelihoods and the resilience of their farming and ranching operations. With historic droughts, wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes in recent years, more farms are facing variable yields, crop losses, increased weed, pest, and disease pressures, and intensifying soil degradation, erosion, and compaction.

By utilizing organic and sustainable practices to build soil health, farmers and ranchers can improve their resilience and reduce risk as our climate changes. While practices can vary depending on your operation, establishing optimum soil organic matter (SOM) and biological
activity will help your operation through the difficult times to come.

By |2026-01-16T11:26:29-05:00December 18th, 2025|Climate Change, Cover Crops & Crop Rotation, Insects & Diseases, Livestock, On-Farm Research, Plant Breeding & Variety Selection, Resource, Soil Health|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: The Woven Trifecta

Testing the Impact of Anaerobic Ferments on Crop Health

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

Samantha Otto is the founder and farmer of The Woven Trifecta, a 10-acre farm in western Michigan. Currently in transition to organic, the farm focuses on diversified vegetables for a CSA, local farmers market, as well as farm-to-school sales throughout the school year. Samantha raises Jacob sheep for fiber as well as assorted poultry for meat and eggs. The livestock is rotationally grazed on just over 3 acres of pasture, with 2 acres of no-till beds in production.

Samantha has a decade of hands-on farming experience and is a graduate of Michigan State University’s Agricultural Technology program. Since she started the farm, her primary focus has been on cultivating no-till organic vegetables and cut flowers. But as a curious farmer, she is continuously exploring innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture. Last year, as a participant in the Midwest GRIT program, she began integrating grains into her system, and  she has also recently incorporated livestock into her rotations to create a closed-loop system to help improve soil fertility.

From Waste Product to Resources: Building Fertility and Reducing Reliance in Off-Farm Inputs

One of the main goals of The Woven Trifecta is to reduce reliance on off-farm inputs, and to transform the farm waste products into a resource. Samantha has experimented with different anaerobic fermentation, and was interested in scaling up and fine-tuning its use as a soil amendment. She is particularly interested in incorporating waste from her livestock and compost into anaerobic ferments to improve soil fertility and plant health.

With the help of OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trial (FLT) Program, Samantha hopes to understand how anaerobic ferments impact the health of her crops. When considering which vegetable to test, the team landed on artichokes – a promising crop that her CSA members love and that has yielded well in past seasons. As a long-season vegetable with a short harvest window, the Tavor Artichoke was an ideal crop to trial.

Farm Trial Plan

To answer Samantha’s question, ‘Does an anaerobic compost tea impact yield or plant nutrition in artichokes?,’ she will weigh all harvested artichokes from each plot. Marketable artichokes will be weighed and counted separately. In addition to weights, leaf tissue samples will be collected prior to flowering stalk emergence. 10 representative samples will be taken from each plot, with one leaf collected per plant.

There are two treatments in the trial: a control with no ferment spray, and the anaerobic ferment foliar drench. Samantha will plant in 8 plots to provide sufficient replication. The trial is in a 30′ x 90′ space, in 3′ wide no-till beds, with each row containing 10 plants spaced 36’ apart. Buffer plots will be added on each side, planted with sunflowers.

plot map for on-farm trial at Woven Trifecta Farm

The recipe for the anaerobic fermentation is 60/40 with vegetation scraps and rabbit manure. Samantha brews a fresh batch every two weeks, beginning in early June and applies the fermented drench application biweekly.  A 5-gallon bucket will be suitable for each batch.

Recipe for Anaerobic Fermentation Fertilizer

Using 5-gallon buckets, mix: 

  • 60% vegetation scraps from on-farm and/or compost club program 
  • 40% manure from our rabbits.  
  • 4 cups of soil. 

These will be well mixed, with scraps being chopped into small pieces, and will fill about 3/4 of the 5-gallon bucket.  This mix will then be submerged in water (from well), covered with a lid and stored in the pump shed. The bucket will be fitted with a fermentation lid with spout to release any built-up gases over the course of the fermentation process. 

Ferment will be checked at 7, 14, and 21 days; ready to use at  21 days. Solids are then strained, and the liquid is bottled for use.  

Application: 1 part recipe to 20 parts water every 14 days, and apply it as a soil drench via backpack sprayer.

Samantha is excited to see how the ferment impacts the health and yield of her plants. The process of testing her application of the anaerobic ferment is something she hopes can impact her farm system, and possibly provide sustainable answers for other small farms like The Woven Trifecta.

Sunset over a crop field at The Woven Trifecta

“Working with OFRF has been an amazing opportunity for our farm! Closing the loop in our production is a long-term goal of ours, and this project has provided the opportunity to take the time to explore a potential process for making that happen. It has been especially delightful to work with OFRF on creating the foundation of our project, making a once-intimidating idea very fun and feasible to trial! It has been a thrill to find on-farm solutions that support both our livestock and vegetable production. While we are a ways away from harvest, our on-farm ferment is visually showing benefits in our test plot. I look forward to collecting further data as the season progresses! This data will help us make decisions on how to incorporate ferments in our wider production in the future so that we can continue to grow beautiful, healthy, thriving vegetables for our community.”

– Samantha Otto, The Woven Trifecta

One of the livestock that Samantha integrates into her crop rotations

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 The Woven Trifecta, visit their website at https://thewoventrifecta.com/

By |2025-12-17T17:31:56-05:00September 2nd, 2025|Farmer Stories, Livestock, News, On-Farm Research, Soil Health|
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Organic Farmers Withstand Climate Change with Living Soils and Regional Seed Breeding

A look at the Organic Microbiome Project

By Brian Geier

Organic farmers understand that soil health is paramount to our success. More specifically, we know that the living, microbial part of soil, sometimes called the soil microbiome, is something our farming practices can quickly and drastically alter, having serious implications for organic systems that rely on organic processes in the soil. But even though we understand that preserving soil life is good practice, we often do not know how soil life is changing, how farming practices are affecting those changes, and which practices are responsible for increases or decreases in crop or animal health because of those changes. 

To address this knowledge gap, researchers at Cornell University are utilizing a novel, farmer-led approach to studying what organic farmers are already doing on their farms and monitoring how the soil microbiome is changing over time. What they find could provide key insights into which organic farming practices might be helping producers promote and maintain soil health through droughts and other climate extremes. 

The Human Body and the Soil: An Analogy for Understanding the Soil Microbiome

To help us understand the importance and complexity of the soil microbiome (the living part of the soil that is composed of soil microorganisms), organic researcher Elias Bloom (a member of the Casteel lab at Cornell University) suggests beginning with an analogy. “The human body has more microbiome cells than it does human cells,” Bloom explained at a recent eOrganic webinar. Over 10,000 different species of microorganisms live in and on the human body, and they can have broad implications for human health. Essentially, a healthy human body is driven by a healthy microbiome.

Compare this analogy with the soil: one teaspoon of soil may have over one BILLION microorganisms living in it. And in just one small teaspoon of soil, there are often over 10,000 species of microbes, similar to the number of species found in the human body. Since microbes are involved in everything from water-holding capacity to promoting disease resistance, one begins to see that what a farmer does everyday can have serious effects on current and subsequent crops.

The Importance of the Soil Microbiome

The living portion of the soil is a primary driver of nutrient cycling, a pillar of healthy soil structure, and can enhance resilience to climate change and pests. The microbiome also helps break down pesticides, toxins, and excess nutrients. It is generally understood that high soil microbe diversity promotes pest suppression and that organic land tends to have higher soil diversity than conventional fields. Still, in some cases increases in diversity can mean increases in plant pathogens. For farmers and researchers, understanding which farming practices result in a ‘healthy microbiome’ and translate to positive effects on crop production, is complex.

The hand of a farmer holds a handful of soil.

A handful of soil at Four Fold Farm, one of 80 participating organic farms sending soil samples and production practice to the Organic Microbiome Project. Photo credit: Steven Crist

Organic Farmer Driven Research on the Soil Microbiome at Cornell 

To approach this complexity, research projects led at the Casteel lab are utilizing a unique, participatory research approach where organic farmers are providing key insights on soil management practices that could be helping them withstand pests and extreme weather events. 

“The conservation of soil microbes that promote pest management is a new and potentially groundbreaking area for organic agriculture. These microbes naturally occur on organic farms, promote plant chemical defense, and control pests.” -The Organic Microbiome Project

The Organic Microbiome Project is perhaps the largest effort to date that is documenting the soil microbiome on organic farms. Over 80 organic farms are participating. Essentially, organic farmers are sending soil samples in, accompanied with answers about farming practices, and the lab documents changes within the soil microbiome, driving some interesting findings. Rather than deciding what practices to focus on and then involving farmers, the project starts by following practices organic farmers already employ. “We allowed farmers to submit up to two samples from two different fields where they have been using different practices, and we encouraged them to pick comparisons they were interested in,” explained Casteel. In this sense, the project is inherently farmer-led, and evaluates the effects of organic farming practices already being utilized on working farms. While results are still coming in, one thing is clear: when research follows the lead of farmers, it is closely watching how farmers are adapting and building resiliency in real time.

A field at an organic farm has strips tilled with brown soil showing in between green pathways covered with grass.

Strip tillage is one of may practices used to try to help protect soil health at Four Fold Farm, NY. Researchers with the Organic Microbiome Project encourage farmers to send soil samples from areas of their farm they are interested in comparing, leading to farmer-driven insights.

Changes to the soil microbiome and shifts in plant defenses that followed certain farming practices are shown in a table form.

Some interesting insights found so far are illustrated in this graphic. On the left, some organic practices that participants are using on their farms are listed. In the middle, a summary of the change to the microbiome, and on the right, if the crops there exhibited increased or decreased plant defenses.

Standing on the Shoulders: Recent Microbiome Research and Ongoing Seed Breeding

Another project carried out by Dr. Casteel, Dr. Eli Bloom and Ethan McAnally, Leveraging Soil Microbiomes to Promote Climate Change Resilience and Adoption of Organic Agriculture (funded by USDA/NIFA’s Organic Transitions Program) is looking closely at the soil microbiome and organic seed breeding. Also partnered with organic producers, this time specifically seed breeders, the project again follows the lead of farmers, who seem to be lighting the way toward a more regional approach to seed saving that might help withstand climate change. 

The project builds on previous research on both soil microbiomes and regional seed saving, and explores several themes: 

  • Pest pressure is reduced when crops are grown in soil where they are bred. The same effect was observed when the crops were grown with soil microbiomes from regional organic farms.
  • Crops bred under protection and irrigation performed poorly during droughts. When drought conditions were introduced to the study, kale performed better than tsa tsai. Tsa Tsai has been bred in irrigated, protected conditions (greenhouses), while kale is unirrigated and often outside. These results may reflect the maxim “stress as strength”.
  • Some farms’ soil microbiomes may offer protection against drought. All crops performed slightly better during droughts on certain farms in the study.

Voices from the Organic Seed Breeders

“We believe that soil and seed are everything,” Steven Crist, farmer at Four Fold Farm and Hudson Valley Seed Company, and partner on the project, explains. “The more we grow a crop, the better it becomes.” Crist gives a powerful insight into how stress as strength is working through the long-term relationships formed when seedspeople breed crops over time on their farms.

“Seed crops that make it through the challenge are almost always more resilient, year to year. We believe this has everything to do with adaptation, directly linked to the microbiome, and to seed memory. That is a slightly pseudo-scientific term but that’s how I call it in the field. The more we grow a crop, the better it becomes, is the long and short of it.” -Steven Crist, Four Fold Farm

At Four Fold Farm, Crist utilizes best practices for protecting the living soil including “mulches, compost, cover cropping, rotation, repeat”. He is also experimenting with biochar, utilizing a New York Carbon grant, and incorporating local ecotypes of native plants, which he theorizes may provide unique and potent additions to his farm’s soil microbiome by attracting and promoting native insects. This approach follows the adage “As above, so below” and Crist suggests that the breeding and feeding of native insects might be mirrored by the breeding and feeding of soil microbes below. 

Lia Babitch, organic farmer at Turtle Tree Seed Initiative and another collaborator on the project, suggests that the social and ecological aspects of growing seed are intertwined. 

“The varieties that we carry have become like our children, and like our friends. They’ve grown with us and we’ve watched their steady improvement and occasional shenanigans. And they’ve become rooted in the context of this valley both agriculturally and socially.”  -Lia Babitch, Turtle Tree Seed Initiative

Turtle Tree offers a novel approach to selling seeds that connects buyers to the seedspeople (and potentially the microbiomes there) with what Bloom calls “decision support” for farmers: for varieties of seed in Turtle Tree’s catalog, potential buyers can see the farms and regions where particular lots of seed are from. (Note this option is only available in their catalog, and that it may be added to the website later.)

A field of echinacea grows at Four Fold Farm, an organic farm in New York State.

Conservation or production plantings of native plants like this echinacea at Four Fold Farm can attract specialized, native insects and birds. Some organic farmers are asking how plantings of native species may be affecting the soil microbiome through the introduction and presence of the insects and birds that the plants provide habitat for. 

Looking Ahead: The Triad of People, Plants, and Place

As time goes on, and provided funding for research like this continues, we will see more and more insights about how organic farmers’ practices are affecting the soil microbiome and resulting in increased resiliency to climate change. And along the way, it is clear that when researchers study what farmers are already doing, those insights will remain timely, farmer-driven, and translatable to other farmers eager to learn from each other.

By |2025-12-09T17:42:40-05:00August 18th, 2025|Climate Change, News, On-Farm Research, Plant Breeding & Variety Selection|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Parker Farms

Managing Moisture in Organic Tomatoes on an Urban Farm

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

Parker Farms, located in Warren, Ohio, is a small farm with a big heart, committed to serving their community with sustainable, urban agriculture. The farm provides fresh, locally grown produce through wholesale partnerships with food banks and community programs, supporting local food security. Markisha Parker, owner and founder, specializes in sustainable urban farming and organic production and is in her second year of transitioning to certified organic (a process that typically takes three years). With a background in urban agriculture, education, and research, she offers hands-on experience and community education on soil management, crop rotation, and organic pest control.

Her urban farm spans multiple sites totaling approximately one acre with areas dedicated to cultivating native plants, vegetables, and fruits, allowing Parker Farms to grow their impact and bridge the gap between urban gardening and farming. Markisha’s primary crop is tomatoes, but the farm’s mission extends much further: to empower others in agriculture by offering resources and support to help gardeners build successful commercial farming enterprises. While Markisha has done field trials in the past, she was looking for an opportunity to have support in improving her processes and systems on the farm. After this trial, Parker Farms hopes to integrate educational elements by inviting local farmers, aspiring growers, and community members to observe and learn from their research.

Puddling Problems: Managing Moisture in Tomatoes

With limited space in an urban environment, Parker Farms wants to improve their yield and systems in the area that they have. This means making every square foot count. In previous seasons, Markisha had issues with excess moisture and puddling in the fields. One of her biggest challenges was in her most valuable crop: tomatoes. Episodes of excess rain left much of her crop with splitting or blight.

In order to address these issues, she wanted to trial different materials that were readily available as a mulch material to help her tomatoes get to market. In her area, Markisha knew that woodchips, grass clippings, and straw were readily available. So she asked: does a mulching material help mitigate soil moisture for greater tomato yield?

Farm Trial Plan

With technical support from OFRF, Markisha has set up a trial to compare how straw, grass clippings, or woodchips, impact the yield and marketability of slicer tomatoes, and compare it to a control group with no mulch. The design of the trial includes 4 treatments and 4 replications, in a 16-plot layout. Each plot will have 5 tomato plants.

Trial updates

The tomatoes were transplanted on May 22nd, and the mulch types were laid down just after transplanting. The mulch varieties of aged wood chips, straw from a neighboring farm, and fresh grass clippings from areas around her farm, were applied at an approximate 2” depth. The control plot had no mulch added, and was left as bare soil. An initial harvest is expected at the beginning of August. For data collection, Markisha will take both the total weight of tomatoes and the marketable weight of tomatoes. These measurements will help the farm understand if the different mulching materials impact yield, and especially the marketable yield of tomatoes that don’t have damage related to uneven moisture.

Stay tuned for trial updates and a final report at the end of the season!

Farmer-researcher Markisha Parker

“Participating in the Farmer Led Trials has given me the structure and support to test practices that could improve both the health of my crops and the sustainability of my urban plots.”

– Markisha Parker, Parker Farms

Parker Farms.

Research Results

Markisha decided to trial different readily available materials that could be used as a mulch, in order to mitigate extreme rainfall events and help her tomatoes get to market. In her area, Markisha had access to local sources of woodchips, grass clippings, and straw.

Key Findings

  • Straw mulch showed the greatest increase in yield and appeared to maintain more consistent soil moisture levels, which was crucial during a severe weather event involving heavy rain followed by a heatwave.
  • While grass mulch provided an initial cover and produced good yields, it decomposed quickly and had to be augmented over the growing season, resulting in higher labor requirements.
  • Bare soil was the most vulnerable to environmental stresses like rapid temperature shifts, drought, and heat, as well as to disease pressure, specifically an early onset of blight, which ultimately contributed to the lowest final yield.
Farmer-led trials report cover for Parker Farms.

All three mulch treatments improved yield compared to the bare-soil control. The straw mulch treatment showed the highest final yield. The control plots showed the lowest yield and were the most labor-intensive, demanding the greatest time investment for weekly weeding.

For full details on the study’s methodology and results, read the final report.

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 Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/ 

By |2026-04-09T14:15:17-04:00July 28th, 2025|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Water Management & Irrigation|
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