Organic Advocacy in Action: Reflections on NSAC Lobby Day
Gordon's Policy Corner has a guest author this month - Annika LaFave, OFRF Policy and Communications Intern OFRF Policy & Communications Intern, Annika LaFave in front of the capitol after 8 official meetings during NSAC's annual lobby day, and a "meet and greet" coffee chat. Earlier this month, I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) Lobby Day with Gordon (OFRF's Policy & Programs Manager). As the Policy and Communications intern for the Organic Farming Research Foundation and a recent newcomer [...]
Cultivating Connections
EcoFarm 2024 & OFRF's Organic Agriculture Research Forum This January, almost half of the OFRF team traveled to Monterey, CA to meet in-person for the OFRF Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) which was held in conjunction with EcoFarm. Considering we are a fully remote team spread across the country, this was a big opportunity for us to connect and showcase our work. OFRF research forum consisted of eight workshops embedded within the 2024 EcoFarm conference. The forum focused on sharing the latest research relevant to organic producers, with a [...]
Organic Transition Initiative (OTI)
OFRF has developed a PDF to help farmers communicate with NRCS about accessing the Organic Transition Initiative. It is available in both English and Spanish. >>> "How to talk to your NRCS office about the Organic Transition Initiative (OTI) resources available for you" "Cómo hablar con su oficina del NRCS sobre los programas de apoyo para la transición a orgánico" Organic farmers must manage their land without prohibited inputs for 3 years for their products to be certified. [...]
From Regulations to Legislation: Advocating for Organic Agriculture in 2024
2024 presents a challenging political landscape with pending appropriations, a new Farm Bill deadline, and a Presidential election fast approaching. OFRF chooses to view all these events as opportunities to advocate for increased public investments in organic agriculture research and to ensure that organic agriculture gets its fair share of USDA research funding.
Organic Agriculture Shines in the Face of 2023’s Challenges
2023 has been a year marked by environmental distress and political upheaval, but the organic sector emerged as a stronghold of resilience and progress. Amidst the disquieting headlines of the hottest recorded summer and unprecedented political twists, there are several organic milestones worth celebrating. This blog post focuses on those moments of light amid the darkness.
Reflections on the 2023 Latino Farmer Conference
Jose Perez, OFRF's Research & Education Engagement Coordinator, shares some highlights and takeaways from the recent Latino Farmer Conference.
Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
The process of obtaining and maintaining organic certification can be costly. The good news is that financial assistance is available through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) to help ease this burden.
Organic Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Amaya Atucha
Dr. Amaya Atucha is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW working on a research project with organic day-neutral strawberry production in the upper midwest, funded by USDA/NIFA’s Organic Transitions Program (ORG).
Conservation Agriculture webinar series
OFRF, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has co-created a webinar series focused on soil health and organic farming. This series is facilitated by Jennifer Ryan and Lindsay Haines of NRCS and Thelma Velez and Mary Hathaway of OFRF. Each of the webinars is led by Mark Schonbeck, OFRF’s Research Associate. Topics covered in this series include soil health, nutrient management, weed management, cover crops, plant genetics, water management, conservation tillage, and climate resilience. Each webinar shares organic farming practices and research findings, and many share [...]
Respecting the Roots: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Organic Agriculture
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a concept refers to ecological knowledge that is place-based and also inherently tied to a culture. It is not only a system of knowledge that has been handed down generationally, but a holistic way to view all living things in relationship to the landscape. This is a perspective that's incredibly valuable for organic agriculture - if we can learn to appreciate it without appropriating it.
