Resource Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Organic Farming Research Foundation

NRCS Organic Practice 823: Strategies and Best Practices

During this session of the Seeds of Success series OFA explores NRCS Organic Practice 823.

The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has many programs to help farmers convert to organic farming operations. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands. Under EQIP, Organic Transition Initiative 823 (OTI) is specifically meant to help those transitioning to organic operations, by cost-sharing and providing technical support on practices organic and transitioning farmers want to implement on their farms.

This program is relatively new, and a little different than other NRCS practices. Hear directly from ag professionals and farmers about their experiences with 823 and their ideas regarding how to best utilize this valuable conservation planning tool.

By admin|2026-03-02T11:54:58-05:00July 29th, 2024|Certification & Compliance, Federal Assistance, Resource|

Crop Insurance for Organic Farmers: What’s Working, What’s Not, and How We Can Make it Work for Us

In a changing climate, crop insurance can make or break a farmer’s ability to keep farming the next year. But this federally subsidized program, intended as a safety net for farmers, serves some producers, growing a few specific crops, better than others. The program, as currently designed, feeds into consolidation of land and resources in agriculture, with crop insurance being the only subsidized farm program with no upper limit on the funds that a farmer can receive from the federal government, a practice that reinforces existing power structures and leads to fewer, bigger, and less diverse farms.

Organic and transitioning farmers, specifically, find themselves misunderstood and underserved in the crop insurance system, as their practices, rotations, transition, and certification processes are not widely understood by the agents serving them, and can be in conflict with Risk Management Agency requirements.

Noah Wendt of A&W Farms in Iowa and Seth Kroeck of Crystal Spring Farm in Maine share their experiences with crop insurance.

Seeds of Success Webinar | The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), is partnering with the Organic Farmers Association (OFA), and National Organic Coalition (NOC) to host a series of virtual farmer-to-farmer networking sessions, Seeds of Success. These facilitated events will be interactive, informal spaces for farmers to share their challenges and successes, and will give farmers an opportunity to have open conversations on topics most relevant to them.

For more information about the Organic Farmers Association and its programs, resources, and events, please visit: https://organicfarmersassociation.org

This work was supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP). For more information about TOPP or transitioning to organic, please visit: http://www.organictransition.org

By admin|2026-03-02T11:54:16-05:00April 17th, 2024|Federal Assistance, Resource|

TOMI: Organic Management and Improvement of Tomatoes

Building on previous research (TOMI Phase I), the Tomato Organic Management and Improvement – TOMI Phase II project integrates soil microbiome research, induced systemic resistance, and farmer-participatory breeding to develop disease-resistant, flavorful tomatoes for organic systems. Microbial biofungicides and organic amendments support healthy soils while reducing pathogen risks. Advanced breeding lines show promise for regional adaptation and market-ready quality. Download the full report to learn more about tomato varieties and soil-based disease management strategies.

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By admin|2026-03-02T12:19:20-05:00February 12th, 2024|On-Farm Research, Plant Breeding & Variety Selection, Resource|

Carrot Improvement for Organic Agriculture: Leveraging On-Farm and Below-Ground Networks

The Carrot Improvement for Organic Agriculture (CIOA) project develops carrot varieties suited to organic systems, using farmer-participatory trials and soil microbiome research. These efforts improve disease resistance, nutrient uptake, flavor, and market traits. Advanced breeding lines include orange, purple, red, and yellow carrots with improved resilience and quality. Download the full report to learn more about these varieties and on-farm research insights.

Download the Factsheet

By admin|2026-03-02T12:18:10-05:00February 12th, 2024|On-Farm Research, Plant Breeding & Variety Selection, Resource|

Organic Management of Honey Bees

This resource provides a comprehensive factsheet based on Penn State research comparing conventional, chemical-free, and organic honey bee management systems across 288 colonies. It highlights critical findings on colony health, overwintering survival, and the surprising economic superiority of organic methods, which yielded the highest honey production and net profit.

Download the factsheet to discover how organic miticides and mechanical interventions can effectively manage pests like Varroa mites to support resilient, high-yielding apiaries without the use of synthetic chemicals.

Download the Factsheet

image of two-page pdf factsheet on the organic management of honey bees

By admin|2026-03-02T12:27:24-05:00February 12th, 2024|Insects & Diseases, On-Farm Research, Resource|

Demystifying the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) for Farmers

Organic producers and processors must follow strict standards to become certified—but who decides what is and isn’t allowed on organic farms? Not your certifier! The USDA National Organic Program (NOP), in consultation with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), sets these rules.

In 2024, the National Organic Coalition (NOC) hosted a Seeds of Success virtual session for organic and transitioning farmers, where a panel of farmers and advocates demystified the NOSB. Panelists explained the Board’s role in shaping organic standards, how decisions are made, and how written and oral comments can influence outcomes.

Panelists included Steve Ela (Former NOSB Chair, NOC NOSB Specialist, Ela Family Farms, CO), Harriet Behar (Former NOSB Chair, NOC Advisor, OFA Farmer Services Consultant, Sweet Springs Farm, WI), and Amy Bruch (Current NOSB Vice Chair, Cyclone Farms, NE).

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By admin|2026-03-02T11:52:33-05:00January 30th, 2024|Certification & Compliance, Resource|

Farmers are Researchers: Conducting your own on-farm research

Farmers and ranchers conduct experiments all the time. They constantly test and modify new or improved ways to farm. In this webinar, farmers will learn about adding a few scientific steps to their farm tests that can produce more reliable results that they can trust. OFRF is excited to present this workshop as part of the new OFRF Farmer-led Trials Program (FLT) and the accompanying publication Farmers Guide to On Farm Research.

This webinar recording covers the official launch of OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, which promotes farmer-led innovations in organic farming. Learn how this program can support farmers and ranchers like you in conducting practical, on-farm research.

By admin|2026-03-02T12:03:51-05:00November 11th, 2023|Certification & Compliance, On-Farm Research, Resource|

Strategies for Successful Researcher Farmer Collaboration

Have you ever wondered how to connect with a farmer or researcher to conduct on-farm research? This Researcher- Farmer Virtual Networking event highlights the successes and challenges of engaging in farmer-researcher partnerships and focuses on building positive outcomes for farmer and researcher collaboration in organic agriculture. OFRF are joined by four speakers that have participated in successful organic research projects funded by USDA NIFA. Two researchers: Julie Grossman and Eric Gallandt, and their farmer collaborators, Seth Kroeck and KaZoua Berry, share details on their experience and the process of engaging in on-farm research. The session begins with a brief introduction on USDA-NIFA organic programs and featured facilitated conversations on the topic of collaborative farmer-researcher projects that will support information sharing and identify possibilities for future research partnerships. This is the first in the Seeds of Success Networking Sessions from OFRF, from October 2023. To learn more about these and other events from OFRF visit: https://ofrf.org/events/ Funding for this series is provided by a cooperative agreement between OFRF and USDA- NIFA to highlight research investments made through both OREI and ORG grant programs.

By admin|2026-03-02T12:05:05-05:00November 10th, 2023|On-Farm Research, Resource|

Crop Livestock Integration with John Bitter

In OFRF’s 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), organic farmers and ranchers across North America shared a common concern about the lack of technical assistance and educational resources available for Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS). Integrating crops and livestock results in numerous benefits, however the process can also lead to increased complexity, especially for farmers who must adhere to National Organic Program rules and regulations.

This series of resources focused on Crop-Livestock Integration is informed by interviews with four highly-experienced organic producers that shared their challenges, successes, and advice for others interested in integrating livestock and crops on their organic farms.

This video features John Bitter, Production Manager and co-owner of Frog Song Organics. Frog Song is a diversified organic farm producing vegetables, orchard crops, herbs, flowers, pork, and eggs. Operating on 62 acres in north Florida, Frog Song employs about 30 full-time workers, supplies direct and wholesale markets in several nearby cities, and runs an online, customizable CSA program. In this video, John talks about integration of crop and animal production systems at this thriving organic farm.

By admin|2026-03-02T12:00:30-05:00August 30th, 2023|Crop Livestock Integration, Insects & Diseases, Livestock, Resource, Soil Health, Weeds|

Food Safety and Crop-Livestock Integration

In OFRF’s 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), organic farmers and ranchers across North America shared a common concern about the lack of technical assistance and educational resources available for Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems (ICLS). Integrating crops and livestock results in numerous benefits, however the process can also lead to increased complexity, especially for farmers who must adhere to National Organic Program rules and regulations.

This series of resources focused on Crop-Livestock Integration is informed by interviews with four highly-experienced organic producers that shared their challenges, successes, and advice for others interested in integrating livestock and crops on their organic farms.

Food safety is a critical concern for any farmer, and those with integrated systems must take extra precautions. Learn how organic farmers identify and mitigate critical points for food safety and where you can find assistance in developing a food safety plan for your farm.

Download the Factsheet