Join Us for the 2020 Organic Agriculture Research Forum
October 15, 2019 – OFRF and Tuskegee University are pleased to announce the 2020 Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) to be presented in partnership with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG). The Forum takes place on Thursday, January 23, 2020 in Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of the 2020 SSAWG Conference. Farmers, students, and researchers who would like to apply for a scholarship of up to $600 to attend the forum should fill out the scholarship application no later than November 22nd, 2019. The day-long forum will bring together scientists, organic farmers and ranchers, [...]
OFRF is Turning 30! Save the Date!
October 9, 2019 – We're celebrating a very significant milestone at our annual benefit luncheon at Expo West and we want you to join us! This must-attend event for organic industry leaders, market innovators, and brand-conscious consumers is the ideal place to network before the big show, and the all-organic lunch is always amazing! Sponsorships are available now. Individual tickets go on sale December 1, 2019. BUY OFRF 2020 Benefit Luncheon at EXPO West TICKETS
NIFA Awards Grant for National Organic Survey to OFRF and OSA
October 7, 2019 - The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) are pleased to be among the recipients of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awards announced last week. The grant was awarded through NIFA’s Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). Through the competitive grant process, the organizations have been jointly awarded funding for their proposal titled A National Agenda for Organic and Transitioning Research. This funding will allow OFRF and OSA to combine their considerable expertise in conducting national surveys of [...]
A Visit to Lakeside Organic Gardens
October 4, 2019 – Every once in a while, you’ve got to get out from behind the computer and stick your feet in the dirt to remember why you do what you do and how that beautiful organic salad got on your plate. The team at OFRF had a chance to visit Lakeside Organic Gardens in Watsonville this week and talk with owner Dick Peixoto and his team. Even working in the organic sector, it is still awe inspiring to see the hard work and dedication that it takes [...]
Stakeholders Meet to Talk Organic Policy Stakeholders Meet to Talk Organic Policy
September 24, 2019 – On September 18th and 19th, I had the privilege of joining CCOF staff and 13 other stakeholders at Paicines Ranch in Paicines, CA to discuss policy recommendations that will help build an organic California. Through facilitated discussion over the two days, we shared our perspectives on CCOF’s proposed policy initiatives and learned about one another across sectors.
Panetta Joins OFRF Field Day at UCSC
September 9, 2019 – On September 3rd, OFRF hosted a research field day at the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden. Researchers and others from UCSC joined OFRF to talk with Congressman Jimmy Panetta about the highly innovative organic research taking place there, throughout his district, and across the U.S. Carol Shennan, Professor and Head Researcher at the Shennan Lab began the tour with an introduction to her research on anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), an alternative to using harmful fumigants such as methyl bromide. Dr. Shennan learned about ASD from colleagues in the Netherlands and Japan and [...]
Musings from the Office of Partnership Development
September 6, 2019 – This month, I’m excited to highlight one of OFRF’s close partners, OGEE. An award-winning, 100% organic, cosmetic company, OGEE became OFRF’s first co-venture partner in 2016. Co-venture partnerships offer organic companies the opportunity to use OFRF branding on their products.
New Soil Health and Organic Farming Guide Examines Soil Life
August 27, 2019—It is now widely understood that living healthy soil provides the foundation for successful farming, and supports plant, animal, and human life. However, while the concept of “feeding the soil” has been around for a long time, for many it is still uncharted territory. To support farmers and ranchers in selecting the best management practices for building soil life and soil health, the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has released the ninth topic in their immensely popular Soil Health and Organic Farming Series of guidebooks and webinars, Understanding and [...]
Implications of the ERS Move to Kansas, an Update
September 5, 2019 – Despite widespread opposition from researchers and members of Congress, along with questions of the legality of the move from the USDA’s inspector general, moving the Economic Research Service out of Washington DC and into Kansas City is well underway. Compounding the controversy is the bold statement of Mick Mulvaney, who, in early August, celebrated the move as an effective way to “drain the swamp.”
Seeking Abstracts for Organic Agriculture Research Forum
September 4, 2019 –The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Tuskegee University are pleased to announce the 2020 Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) to be presented in partnership with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) on Thursday, January 23, 2020 in Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of the 2020 SSAWG Conference. This year’s research forum will feature oral presentations, facilitated round table discussions, and a robust joint poster session with SSAWG. Presenters are invited to submit abstracts for the forum. Oral and poster presentations will be selected based on their innovative excellence, [...]
