General News
Help for Delayed Planting
June 27, 2019 – Late snow and lots of rain have prevented or delayed planting on many farms. USDA provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters. Learn about coverage, technical and financial assistance, and more at farmers.gov. OFRF offers several resources to help farmers and ranchers manage risk. All resources are available to download for free. Print quantities may be available upon request. Downloads A Guide to the USDA Noninsured Crop Disaster [...]
Beyercrest, LLC
June 19, 2019 – Rory Beyer was raised on the dairy farm his parents have owned since 1973. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Animal Science, he returned to the farm and several years later, made the transition to organic production. Today, the Beyers farm 385 acres, raising dairy, beef, corn, and small grains. Since going organic, Rory says the cows are healthier and producing more and, in seven years, they’ve seen their soil organic matter (SOM) go from 1.7% to 4.4% as [...]
OFRF Executive Director Testifies in DC
June 12, 2019, Washington, DC - This spring, flooding left farm fields across the Midwest under water. Meanwhile, growers across the Southeast are continuing the hard work to recover from devastating hurricanes and tropical storms. In California, farmers and ranchers are still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s record-breaking wildfires intensified by increasingly warm and dry weather. Today, OFRF’s Executive Director, Brise Tencer, had the honor of appearing before the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research of the House Committee on Agriculture to discuss issues of resiliency and risk in [...]
How Do You Manage On-Farm Risk? Take the Survey
June 6, 2019 – From the uncertainty of weather and the markets, to understanding which events are most likely to impact you—risk management is an important part of decision making on the farm. As OFRF works to make programs and policies related to crop insurance, conservation, and soil health better for organic farmers and sustainable agriculture, it is vital for us to have your input on the programs and practices you use to manage risk. Having risk management systems that provide support for farmers, such as crop insurance, can [...]
Webinar Series on Soil Health Now Available On-Demand
May 30, 2019 – OFRF's wildly popular webinar series on soil health and organic farming is now archived and available to view on-demand. Registration numbers for the live webinars were off the charts, causing eOrganic to have to upgrade their platform to handle the volume. Thousands of farmers, agriculture professionals, and researchers from 48 states and 14 countries attended the live webinars. The archived versions have been viewed over 7,000 times! The webinars align with topics covered in OFRF's Soil Health and Organic Farming Guidebooks to explore the most recent [...]
OFRF at Organic Week in DC
May 28, 2019 – Last week, OFRF and the organic community were in Washington, DC in full force advocating on behalf of the organic sector. Organic Week provides a great opportunity to bring the needs of organic farmers and ranchers to Congress and USDA, discuss issues, showcase outstanding work, and thank our organic champions. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) named Congressman Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) the 2019 Organic Champions. Working in a strong bipartisan fashion, Newhouse and Pingree introduced and advanced the Organic Agriculture Research Act of [...]
OFRF Grantee to Examine Barriers to Adoption
May 21, 2019 – OFRF has awarded a grant to Aysha Peterson at UC Santa Cruz to examine barriers to adoption of plant-based nutrient management strategies among organic, socially disadvantaged farmers in Salinas, California. Peterson hopes to bridge the gap between research and implementation by using qualitative data to answer questions about adoption and decision-making processes.
Muramoto to Lead Statewide Program Supporting Organic Growers
May 15, 2019 – Congratulations to longtime research associate at UC California Santa Cruz, Dr. Joji Muramoto, who recently became the first Cooperative Extension Specialist in the UC system dedicated to organic agriculture. Leading a statewide program focused on organic production of strawberries and vegetables, Muramoto plans to focus on soil fertility and the organic management of soil-borne diseases. Some of the most significant scientific advancements in strawberry research have been made by Muramoto and Dr. Carol Shennan at UC Santa Cruz, where they have pioneered alternatives to methyl bromide [...]
Organic Research Matters
Jeremy Barker-Plotkin, OFRF Board President and Farmer, Simple Gifts Farm, Amherst, Massachusetts May 8, 2019 – Greetings! With just days to spare, we exited 2018 with a Farm Bill that makes long overdue investments in organic agriculture, including $395 million for organic research and education over the next ten years. Thanks to the hard work of OFRF and a broad coalition of organic champions, we achieved historic permanent baseline funding for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). For nearly 30 years, OFRF has played a critical [...]
Proceedings from 2019 Organic Agriculture Research Forum
May 5, 2019 – Proceedings from the 2019 Organic Agriculture Research Forum are now available. This day-long event held on February 16th in Portland Oregon, featured innovative presentations from researchers across all disciplines related to organic farming and food systems. Download the proceedings Presentations from the 2019 Organic Agriculture Research Forum were recorded by eOrganic and are also available. View the presentations Special thanks to Ceres Trust for their scholarship support.
OFRF Continues Funding for Plant Breeding Project
April 29, 2019 – Development, testing, and release of resistant varieties is essential to controlling downy mildew and bacterial wilt, diseases that pose a significant and costly production challenge for organic farmers. OFRF is pleased to announce a second-year research grant to Edmund Frost of Common Wealth Seed Growers to continue his assessment of downy mildew resistant cucumber seedstocks. Frost will focus on evaluating and advancing cucumber seedstock lines that performed well in his 2018 trials. Frost has been producing certified organic vegetable seeds at Twin Oaks Seed Farm in [...]
OFRF Awards First Soil Health Research Grant of 2019
April 16, 2019 – OFRF announced the first of five grants the organization will award this year focused on the most pressing challenges facing organic farmers and ranchers today. The grant is funded in part by a match from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) aimed at funding research related to improving soil health and reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture.
Home / OARF Scholarship Recipients Share Experiences OARF Scholarship Recipients Share Experiences
March 22, 2019 – We were thrilled to offer scholarships to attend our Organic Agriculture Research Forum in February and wanted share feedback we received from some of the recipients. Thanks once again to Ceres Trust for funding the scholarship program. As you will see from the comments below, their investment yields a strong return in the continuing education of both farmers and researchers. DeLisa A. Lewis, Green Fire Farm I came to the Organic Agriculture Research Forum in Portland wearing two different hats, farmer and researcher. My family [...]
OARF Presentations Now Available Online
March 22, 2019 – Recordings from the 2019 Organic Agriculture Research Forum held in February are now posted. There are 15 sessions covering a wide range of topics available to view. View 2019 Organic Agriculture Research Forum sessions. Thanks to eOrganic for recording the sessions and making them available!
Insects are Vanishing. Help Them by Eating Organic.
March 12, 2019 – By Lauren Snyder, Research & Education Associate, OFRF March 12, 2019 – As I was eating my breakfast this morning, I looked out the window and caught a glimpse of a bobcat passing through our field. It was such an incredible way to start the day; feeling inspired by nature and grateful to live in such a beautiful environment. However, my cheery mood quickly evaporated when I got to the office and skimmed the latest headlines. These days, it seems every time we open our devices, [...]
22nd Annual Luncheon at Expo West Raises Over $100,000
March 7, 2019 – Despite the rain and wind that blew through Southern California yesterday, hundreds of organic supporters made their way to the National Grove of Anaheim for OFRF's all-organic luncheon. The meal, the people, and the atmosphere make this traditional kick-off to Expo West a much-loved tradition. The event raised over $100,000 for OFRF's research, education, and advocacy programs. We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended and to all of the supporters that made this event a success. Legends in the organic industry mixed with the next generation [...]
Brise Tencer Joins ASI Board
February 12, 2019 – Newly appointed to the External Advisory Board of the UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI), OFRF Executive Director Brise Tencer was introduced at the annual meeting in January in Davis, California. “As a member of the ASI Board, I am honored to have this opportunity to represent the needs of the organic community,” said Tencer, adding that she looks forward to seeing organic initiatives and education grow within the UC system. ASI brings together the expertise of more than 70 UC Davis faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, [...]
FFAR Awards Matching Funds for OFRF’s 2019 Research Grants
January 29, 2019 – OFRF’s research program got a big boost thanks to a matching grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR). The $66,000 match will be used to support OFRF’s 2019 organic research grant awards related to soil health, including carbon sequestration, reduced tillage systems, and fertility management focused on reducing environmental impacts and improving soil health. “While modest in size, our competitive grant program plays a crucial role in advancing innovative projects on working farms and ranches, with strong collaboration between organic farmers and researchers,” [...]
April Joy Farm
January 2, 2019 – April Joy Farm is located near Ridgefield, Washington on 24 acres above the Columbia River Slough. The farm was purchased on contract from Annie Peterson in 2003. Coming “home” to this farm was the realization of a dream for April Thatcher née Jones, who spent many happy childhood days helping the previous owners with farm chores. Today, April and her husband Brad provide healthy food to over sixty families in Clark County through their CSA, as well as top local restaurants. “I grew up down [...]
Legislation Introduced to Preserve and Protect the Scientific Integrity of USDA
December 20, 2018 – Earlier this year, the Administration proposed to reorganize and relocate key research branches at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). There has been widespread concern within the research and farming communities about how the proposal could disrupt the scientific integrity of the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), and further marginalize critical research. In an effort to address these concerns, OFRF and the Union of Concerned Scientists sent a letter to Congressional leaders from over 1,100 scientists and economists, urging Congress to [...]
