Latest OFRF News
OFRF Welcomes New Board Members
March 31, 2020 - In the midst of the COVID-19 upheaval, we were grateful our staff and board could come together (virtually) for our regularly scheduled board meeting. While we recognize these are challenging and unusual times, we share a commitment to continuing to serve the organic farming sector.
MOSES Conference Provides Community for Researchers & Farmers
March 5, 2020 - It was uplifting to be at the MOSES conference surrounded by a community of people dedicated to creating sustainable food systems that support people and the environment.
Turning Lemons into Lemonade
March 5, 2020 - So, you can make lemonade out of lemons after all! We’re really glad the food from the luncheon will go to community members who don’t have access to sufficient nutritious food to feed themselves and their families.
Reimagining our Seed Systems
February 27, 2020 - On a rainy Valentine’s day, I had the privilege of attending the Organic Seed Growers Conference in Corvallis, Oregon, which is run by the Organic Seed Alliance.
Agriculture Resilience Act Promotes Farmer-Driven Climate Solutions
February 18, 2020 - The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) have released two national surveys—one for certified organic producers and the other for producers transitioning to organic certification.
National Organic Producer Survey Opens Today
February 18, 2020 - The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) have released two national surveys—one for certified organic producers and the other for producers transitioning to organic certification.
OFRF Hosts Packed Workshops at EcoFarm
February 5, 2020 - OFRF coordinated two workshops at EcoFarm and had a booth in the trade show for the first time ever. It was a great opportunity to share research with this farmer community.
Researchers and Farmers Come Together at 2020 OARF
January 31, 2020 - Holding this year’s Organic Agriculture Research Forum in Little Rock provided an opportunity for researchers and farmers to focus on challenges associated with organic farming in the Southern region. The forum was presented jointly by OFRF and Tuskegee University in partnership with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG). Dr. Lauren Snyder, Education and Research Program manager for OFRF welcomed participants to the day-long event before handing it over to Professor Kokoasse Kpomblekou-A from Tuskegee University for an update on organic farming research in the Southeast. [...]
OFRF Leads Organic Soil Heath Workshop at TOFGA
L-R: Diana Jerkins, Scott Snodgrass, Justin Duncan, Tommy Garcia-Prats January 28, 2020 - OFRF was a sponsor of the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners ( TOFGA) annual conference held in Temple, Texas conference from January 16-18. OFRF and TOFGA and OFRF jointly held a panel workshop on soil health, as well as a farmer listening session. Diana Jerkins, OFRF Senior Scientist, led both sessions with 60 participants for the workshop and over 40 for the listening session. Dr. Jerkins is a co-author of OFRF's educational series on Soil [...]
OFRF Researcher Reports on Grant to Study Biosolarization
January 7, 2020 - Soil solarization is an organic method that has been shown to control weeds, pathogens, and nematodes in areas with hot summer temperatures. Biosolarization, a relatively new technique, combines the use of soil solarization and organic soil amendments to enhance the results of solarization. While biosolarization has proven effective in a number of studies, its efficacy varies across study regions, cropping systems, and pathogen communities. In 2018, OFRF provided a grant to Dr. Ashraf Tubeileh at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo to study the effect [...]