Senate Holds Hearing for the Chief Scientist at USDA
November 30, 2018 – Even in the midst of a tense Farm Bill negotiation, the Senate Agriculture Committee convened to hear from the nominees for key positions at USDA. The nominees are, Mindy Brashears for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety, Naomi C. Earp for Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Civil Rights, and Scott Hutchins, for Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research, Education, and Economics also known as the “Chief Scientist” at USDA. For organic research, it is the “Chief Scientist” who coordinates and oversees a number of federal [...]
OFRF Board Member Heather Darby Receives USDA OREI Grant
November 11, 2018 – Until recently, organic milk was one of the fastest growing sectors in organic agriculture. However, with prices declining, interest in transitioning to grass-fed production methods is increasing. Expansion in this market has been particularly significant in the Northeast where farmers face challenging climate conditions that complicate cropping of traditional feed crops such as corn silage and therefore encourage more grass-based systems. This expansion, now estimated to be over 300 grass-fed dairy farms, has outpaced research, leading to knowledge gaps for both farmers and technical service providers. [...]
Elmwood Stock Farm
October 31, 2018 – Elmwood Stock Farm is a 6th-generation family farm in Lexington, Kentucky that began as a producer of Black Angus breeding-stock cattle. The cattle are still an important part of the farm ecosystem and farm business, though over the past decade the family has branched out to produce a variety of organic vegetables, fruits, meats, eggs, and cornmeal. Organic certification and close family involvement ensure that safe and sustainable farming practices are followed, livestock are well cared for, and land [...]
USDA Organic Research Program Stalled Until New Farm Bill Passes
October 26, 2018 – With the expiration of the 2014 Farm Bill on September 30, 2018, Congress allowed a wide range of important food and farm programs to also expire. These programs lost their authority to operate, and in some cases their funding. Among the programs thrown into limbo by this delayed Farm Bill is the main competitive organic research grant program at USDA, the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). While, USDA was able to make organic research grants for 2018 (a more detailed overview of 2018 projects can be [...]
OFRF at SupplySide West
October 26, 2018 – SupplySide West is coming up in Las Vegas November 6th through the 10th. OFRF's Executive Director, Brise Tencer, will be speaking on "The State of Organic" on Friday, November 9th at 11:30 as part of Esca Bona at SupplySide West Education, a platform to engage and serve companies working to create a better food system. Leading up to the event, Brise was interviewed by Heather Granato, Vice President of Content for SupplyWide West for their Healthy Insider Podcast. Among other things, they discuss: Steps that companies can take [...]
New Study Associates Organic Diet with Reduced Risk of Cancer
October 25, 2018 – A new study reported in the New York Times on October 22nd examines the relationship between an organic food-based diet and cancer risk. Funded entirely by public and government funds at the Center of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cite, researchers collected data for five years on the consumption frequency and dietary intake of 68,946 French adults, primarily women. They concluded that a higher frequency of organic food consumption was associated with a reduced risk of cancer. The most frequent consumers of organic food had [...]
New Webinar Series on Soil Health in the Western U.S.
October 11, 2018 – Please join OFRF and eOrganic for a series of eight free webinar trainings on organic farming and soil health in the Western U.S. The webinars will target agricultural professionals including Extension personnel, other agency personnel, and agricultural consultants in an effort to increase expertise in organic practices that promote soil health. As a complement to OFRF's Organic Farming and Soil Health Guidebooks, this series will highlight soil health research and practices specific to the Western Region. The goal is to address the need for region-specific resources [...]
More than 1,100 Scientists Oppose USDA Agency Moves
October 1, 2018 – More than 1,100 scientists and economists from across the country sent a letter to congressional leaders today, opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to reorganize and relocate key research branches at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The proposed changes threaten scientific integrity at the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and could further marginalize their critical research from policymaking, according to the letter. If Secretary Perdue’s plans are realized, the ERS and NIFA will be relocated from their current offices in [...]
Passage of New Farm Bill Unlikely to Meet Deadline
September 25, 2018 – Congress has less than a week to pass a new Farm Bill before the current law expires on September 30th. With the Ag Committee negotiators far apart on major issues, the chances of a Farm Bill getting done on time are slim. The last time this happened, in 2012, Congress passed short term extensions to keep Farm Bill programs running. This time, an extension of current law isn't being considered yet. Both Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking member Debbie Stabenow have suggested an extension may not [...]
Expo East – Braving the Storm
September 19, 2018 – By Tim Schultz, Vice President of Research & Development for Lundberg Family Farms and OFRF Board Member This year’s Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore began with a flurry of excitement as Hurricane Florence headed for the Southeast Coast of the United States. Early in the week, the Governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency in anticipation of potentially devastating wind, rain, and storm surge. By the time the show opened, it was pretty clear the storm and its horrendous damage, would be focused much further south, [...]
