Senate Agriculture Committee Passes Farm Bill with Big Wins for Organic
June 13, 2018 – Today the Senate Agriculture Committee voted to favorably report the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (S. 3042), the Senate Farm Bill, out of Committee by a vote of 20-1. Senator Grassley (R-IA) voted against the bill. The next step is the floor of the Senate, where members will vote on passage of the Farm Bill. During the debate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-MY) promised that the bill will reach the Senate floor before the Fourth of July. With the Senate Agriculture Committee’s passage, organic agriculture [...]
Farm Bill Draft Includes Much Needed Investment in Organic Research and Education
June 8, 2018 – We are extremely excited to share the news that the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill draft, released today, includes a much needed increased investment in organic research and education. The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), which was funded at $20 million annually in the last Farm Bill, has been increased to $40 million annually for the next two years and ramps up to $50 million annually by 2022. Since its inception, OREI has developed a substantial body of research-based information to address the challenges [...]
Simple Gifts Farm
May 15, 2018 – We recently had the opportunity to talk with OFRF Board President Jeremy Barker Plotkin of Simple Gifts Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts. Jeremy and his team are stewards of the North Amherst Community Farm (NACF), community-owned land preserved in perpetuity for farming. They are working to ensure the land remains an organic community farm, a wildlife corridor, and a place for local residents to enjoy nature and walking trails. They run the farm as an ecological unit, integrating vegetable crops and livestock, and connecting the community with their [...]
Ferd Hoefner Honored by James Beard Foundation
May 10, 2018 – OFRF is thrilled to share the news that Ferd Hoefner, Senior Strategic Advisor at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), was honored with a 2018 Leadership Award from the James Beard Foundation. Ferd, a long-time member of OFRF’s Advisory Board, was recognized for his dedication to ensuring the voices of family farmers and the sustainable agriculture movement are heard on Capitol Hill. “I am inspired by the commitment I see from so many dedicated sustainable farmers and ranchers all over the country to land stewardship and [...]
Observations from Spring NOSB Meeting
May 8, 2018 – At the end of April, the organic community descended on Tucson, Arizona for the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) spring public meeting. These meetings allow organic stakeholders from across the sector to give input on the shape and direction of organics. OFRF’s Policy Associate attended to engage in discussions around organic research needs, as well as ensure that OFRF stays plugged in to the continuous development and discussions of organic policy. The day before the official meeting, National Organic Coalition hosted their regular pre-NOSB meeting. This [...]
OFRF Announces First Research Grant of 2018
May 2, 2018 – OFRF’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce a research grant award to Edmund Frost of Common Wealth Seed Growers. The project will assess resistance to both Bacterial Wilt and Cucurbit Downy Mildew among selected cucumber and muskmelon seedstocks, continuing with the development of a pickling cucumber that is resistant to both diseases. Frost has been producing certified organic vegetable seeds at Twin Oaks Seed Farm in Louisa, Virginia since 2008, and pursuing variety trials and breeding work since 2011. He leads Common Wealth Seed Growers, [...]
Initial Draft of Legislation to Reauthorize the Farm Bill Released
April 13, 2018 – Working closely with both Republicans and Democrats, OFRF has been advocating strongly for the inclusion of important organic provisions in the Farm Bill. We are very pleased the House Agriculture Committee has included increased support for organic research, data collection, and organic enforcement in the initial draft (House mark). The language will be discussed, debated, and potentially amended by the House Agriculture Committee next week. Once the Committee votes to pass the bill to the floor of the House, the Farm Bill will be subject to [...]
Congressman Davis Visits Central Coast
February 23, 2019 – Congressman Jimmy Panetta brought a group of organic growers and researchers to his office in Salinas on February 22nd to discuss organic production on the Central Coast with Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL). Davis serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and is chair of the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research. The discussion focused on the needs of the industry going into the 2018 Farm Bill. OFRF Executive Director Brise Tencer was invited to talk about the importance of organic research in helping farmers meet the [...]
OFRF Board Approves New President
February 22, 2018—Today, longtime board member and organic farmer Jeremy Barker Plotkin, was approved by unanimous vote to serve as OFRF’s Board President. Jeremy has been a vegetable farmer for 19 years. After earning his M.S. in Plant and Soil Sciences from the University of Maine, he founded Simple Gifts Farm at the New England Small Farm Institute in Belchertown in 1999. Over the next seven years, he grew the farm tenfold, from a half-acre to five. In 2006 he moved his operation to the 37.8-acre North Amherst Community Farm and brought [...]
Brise Tencer Interview in Organic Matters
February 21, 2018 – Organic Matters is a highly influential blog published by Melody Myer, a longtime leader in the organic industry. Melody currently serves as Vice President of Policy and Industry Relations for United Natural Foods (UNFI) and her career spans several decades in the organic and natural foods industry. Melody recently published an interview with OFRF's Executive Director, Brise Tencer in which the two discuss the importance of research, education, and policy in advancing organic agriculture, in particular, OFRF's work to increase investment for organic research in the [...]
