Mendocino Wine Company
Mendocino Wine Company is located 125 miles north of San Francisco in Ukiah, where extremely hot temperatures and minimal rain make conservation techniques like cover cropping and efficient water management imperative.
OFRF’s Thelma Vélez to Speak to House Agriculture Committee on Agricultural Resiliency, Climate Research
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 14, 2022) — Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) Research & Education Program Manager Thelma Vélez, PhD, will testify before the full House Agriculture Committee hearing on “The Role of Climate Research in Supporting Agricultural Resiliency.” Vélez was invited to share her expertise and will be summarizing research findings that demonstrate the potential for organic systems to mitigate climate change and build resilience. She will also recommend more investment in organic research, education, and extension to support American farmers and ranchers in implementing the best practices for climate mitigation and [...]
OFRF and FFAR Announce Research Grant on Organic Farming Approaches to Coffee Leaf Rust Disease
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 9, 2022) – The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) are pleased to announce its first award for the 2021/22 OFRF organic research grant cycle. Colehour Bondera of Kanalani Ohana Farm was awarded $19,900 to research organic farming systems options for controlling Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) on five organic farms in Kona, Hawaii. This farmer-led research project takes a whole-systems approach to evaluate plant health-based options for managing coffee leaf rust (CLR), a potentially devastating disease for all [...]
Weed Management for Nutsedge
The Organic Farming Research Foundation 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) is a report informed by surveys and focus groups conducted in 2020 with over 1,100 certified organic farmers and ranchers across North America. What Farmers Said In the NORA report, two-thirds of survey respondents (67%) cited weed management as a substantial production challenge. Specific feedback from organic farmers also underscores the need for additional research on controlling weeds such as nutsedge. Knowing Your Weeds Farmers and researchers alike acknowledge that weeds pose the greatest barrier to building healthy soils [...]
Organic Farmer Shares Her Story
Help OFRF Support Organic Farmers For many organic producers, organic is a way of life and they can’t imagine farming any other way. Mary Phipps is one of those farmers. She joined the OFRF board in 2021, but has been using OFRF resources for nearly 15 years. "I first heard about OFRF from another organic farmer in our area in 2008 and started using OFRF information on our farm to help us solve the many challenges we were facing. I immediately signed up for the newsletter and have been following [...]
USDA Announces Up to $300 Million Investment for Transition to Organic Initiative
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Organic Transition Initiative Announced, Organic Production as Climate Strategy (June 1, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a Food System Transformation framework that includes up to $300 million in a new Organic Transition Initiative to provide comprehensive support for farmers to transition to organic production. The new initiative acknowledges that organic production has climate and environmental benefits, allows producers to demand a premium in the marketplace, “and thus take home a greater share of the food dollar,” according to an official USDA statement. [...]
Organic Farming Research Foundation Releases Latest California Organic Research Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Needs Assessment Examines Organic Farmer Challenges in Nation’s Most Agriculturally Productive State (May 31, 2022) - Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has published the new California Organic Research Agenda (CORA), a comprehensive report that examines current needs and challenges of organic farmers and ranchers across California and provides policy and research recommendations to address producer-identified issues. The CORA report is a companion to OFRF’s 2022 National Organic Research Agenda. The national organic survey data boasts responses from over 1,100 producers and 16 listening sessions held across the [...]
Weed Management for Canada Thistle
The Organic Farming Research Foundation 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) is a report informed by surveys and focus groups conducted in 2020 with over 1,100 certified organic farmers and ranchers across North America. What Farmers Said In the NORA report, two-thirds of survey respondents (67%) cited weed management as a substantial production challenge. Specific feedback from organic farmers also underscores the need for additional research on controlling weeds such as Canadian thistle. Knowing Your Weeds Farmers and researchers alike acknowledge that weeds pose the greatest barrier to building healthy [...]
Applications Now Open for Two USDA Programs Geared Toward Organic and Transitioning Producers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 17, 2022) – Certified organic and transitioning to organic agricultural producers and handlers can now apply for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). These United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs help producers and handlers cover organic certification cost and other related expenses. Applications are open now and due October 31, 2022. The two USDA programs cover costs incurred from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022. Organic and transitioning agricultural producers should contact their local Farm Service Agency [...]
OFRF Awards 2021/22 Grant to Research Climate Resilience for Coffee Producers Using Organic Practices
Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR), is pleased to award a 2021-22 Organic Research grant to Alejandra Guzman-Luna, affiliated with Universidad Veracruzana and in collaboration with the Agroecology and Livelihoods Collaborative at the University of Vermont. Guzman-Luna has nearly 15 years of experience working with farmers and Indigenous communities in Mexico. OFRF’s grant program funds research on organic production systems and the dissemination of these research results to organic farmers and agricultural research communities. The 2021/22 grant cycle prioritized early career [...]
