General News
Policy Developments in 2025 and How They Are Affecting Small Farms
Despite messaging around reinvigorated support for small farms, policy choices over the last year have revealed a widespread decline in resources for small farmers. Learn about the program cuts and how they are impacting farmers across the country.
Doing the Unglamorous, Essential Work to Help Organic Agriculture Thrive
As Gordon prepares to step away from his role at OFRF, he reflects on the lessons learned in four years working in organic agriculture policy and how it has shaped the way he thinks about food, farming, and creating policy that serves the people who are integral to our food system.
Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Passion Garden
Passion Garden, in Waco Texas, is a three-acre diversified farm, in the process of transitioning to organic certification. Farmer Kay Bell is participating in OFRF's Farmer-Led Trial Program to experiment with farm-made soil amendments from mesquite bean pods to increase productivity of tomato varieties.
Organic Agriculture Research in Action: High Tunnels and Cover Cropping with Moore Family Farms
Moore Family Farms is a family-owned and operated farm located in Warsaw, North Carolina. Managed by Robert Moore and his son Dakota, this 260-acre farm was founded in 1833 based on principles of sustainability. Learn how they are meeting conservation goals - and what funding for organic research programs can do to support family farms.
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
NRCS’ CSP program offers financial assistance and technical support for farmer who are looking to increase conservation on their farm by adopting new conservation activities or improving upon existing practices.
New Year, Same Farm Bill… Again.
As we turn the calendar to a new year, we are still operating under an extended version of the 2018 Farm Bill. In this month’s Policy Corner, Gordon provides a quick reset on where things stand, what key players are signaling, and how OFRF is approaching organic agriculture policy advocacy for the year ahead to ensure organic agriculture is fully recognized as a research-driven, conservation-forward, and economically significant part of U.S. agriculture.
Organic Agriculture Research in Action: Navigating Urban Farming with Little Lighthouse Farm
Learn how Little Lighthouse Farm, a small-scale certified organic urban farm, is meeting conservation goals - and what funding for organic research programs can do to support urban producers.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
NRCS’ EQIP program offers financial assistance and technical support to implement new conservation practices on your farm, with additional support for historically underserved applicants including socially disadvantaged, beginning, veteran, and limited-resource farmers and ranchers.
Three Springs Farm: Small-scale Farming Rooted in Organic Principles
At Three Springs Farm in eastern Oklahoma, farmers Mike Appel and Emily Oakley grow over over forty different organic crops and more than 150 individual varieties on three acres of land, showcasing the economic viability of small-scale farming.
Lessons from the Plains on the Transition to Organic
Organic farmers face unique challenges in every part of the country. In this article, we look at challenges faced by organic farmers in the Great Lakes, and dive into resources available on the Organic Research Hub that could help farmers address them.
Something to be Grateful For: Northeastern State Secretaries of Agriculture Send Letter to Secretary Rollins about OREI
On November 20th, the state secretaries of agriculture from Connecticut, Delaware, and New Jersey joined Pennsylvania Secretary Redding to submit a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, requesting unreleased FY2025 funding for the Organic Agriculture Research Extension Initiative (OREI) be included on top of new fiscal year funds for the program in FY2026.
Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center
Oxbow Farm and Education Center, in the Snoqualmie Valley of Washington, is a nonprofit focused on trialing climate adaptive and resilient agricultural practices. Farm manager, Anthony Reyes, is participating in OFRF's Farmer-Led Trial Program to experiment with seeding rates of cover crop for biomass and nutrient content.
USDA NIFA Announces 2025 Organic Transitions Program Awards
This week USDA-NIFA announced seven new research project awards through the Organic Transitions Program (ORG), totaling over $6 million to support a better understanding of the processes of organic transition and the best ways to support farmers who are in that process.
OFRF Launches National Organic Farmer Survey to Shape the Future of Organic Agriculture
OFRF has launched its National Organic Farmer Survey, which is conducted every few years, to understand the challenges, priorities, and needs of organic and transitioning farmers across the country. Insights from previous surveys, including the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), have guided farmer-led research projects, influenced university and Extension priorities, and helped policymakers direct more resources to organic producers.
Advancing Organic Agriculture: Examining How to Make the Midwest a Center of Organic Oat and Buckwheat Production with Congressman Scott Fitzgerald
Dr. Nicole Tautges is looking to small grain production in the Midwest to create big change in healthier diets, more resilient farming systems, and stronger local food economies. Her research explores how organic oat and buckwheat production can offer a more nutritious option than wheat and excel in organic crop rotation practices.
How OFRF is Building Bipartisan Support for Organic Research Programs in Congress
At a moment when the organic sector is the fastest growing segment of U.S. agriculture, the need for its fair share of research investments has never been clearer. That's why we are working hard to build bipartispan support for the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act. Discover how the OSRI Act will support all producers.
Funding On-Farm Innovation: SARE Farmer/Rancher Grants
Learn how organic and transitioning farms can access the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program with our new step-by-step guide.
The Organic Science and Research Investment Act: What It Is and How It Benefits All Farmers
Developed with OFRF’s leadership, the bipartisan Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act—introduced by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) and Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07)—expands USDA funding for organic research that benefits all farmers and strengthens the future of American agriculture.
Addressing Challenges Farmers Face in the Great Lakes
Organic farmers face unique challenges in every part of the country. In this article, we look at challenges faced by organic farmers in the Great Lakes, and dive into resources available on the Organic Research Hub that could help farmers address them.
OFRF Announces Applications Opening for 2026 Farmer-Led Trials Program
The Organic Farming Research Foundation is excited to announce that applications are open for the next cohort of organic farmers who will be leading on-farm research trials with OFRF technical assistance in 2026.
