Crager Hager Farm
October 23, 2019 – Crager Hager Farm is located in Northern Carroll County, Georgia, a community on the periphery of metro Atlanta. Bryan and his wife Wendy grow over 100 different varieties of fruits and vegetables on the 123-year old farm that Wendy originally purchased as a rural retreat in the 1980’s. They soon expanded their large organic garden into a small diversified organic farm to help serve a community that had lost many of its farmers in the 1960’s. “We [...]
Tips to Enhance Carbon Sequestration
October 23, 2019 – Research shows that building soil health through sustainable organic management practices can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and lessen the impacts of climate change on production. OFRF's series of guidebooks and webinars for building soil health help farmers and ranchers select the best management practices for their particular circumstances, while leading the way to more sustainable agricultural systems. In the guidebook titled, "Organic Practices for Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Carbon Sequestration," lead author Mark Schonbeck offers ten tips to enhance carbon sequestration. Implement conservation practices such as diversified crop [...]
NIFA and ERS Relocation Delaying Farm Bill Implementation
October 18, 2019 – The House Agriculture Committee’s Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee held a hearing on October 17th to review the implementation of USDA Farm Bill research programs. The hearing centered on discussion of the agency’s move to Kansas City and the deep loss of expertise and experience that is resulting from the relocation. For organizations like OFRF, a 2019 recipient of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) grants awarded through NIFA’s Organic Research and Extension Initiative, a particular concern is the reimbursement process for work already [...]
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.
