By admin|2025-08-15T12:06:27-04:00December 20th, 2023|Board|
Organic Consultant
Charlotte Vallaeys is a leading independent consultant dedicated to catalyzing the continued growth of the organic sector. With nearly 20 years of deep engagement in food system sustainability and the organic community, Charlotte’s career spans key roles at General Mills, The Cornucopia Institute and Consumers Union, as well as prior consulting for organizations like the National Organic Coalition and Funders for Regenerative Agriculture. She has cultivated a reputation as a prominent, passionate, dedicated, and science-driven voice for organic agriculture. She holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University and a Master of Science in the Agriculture, Food and Environment program from Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Charlotte lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two teenage sons.
2023 was a historic year by many measures. Many of those measures were, for lack of a better word, bad. We’ve written before about the climate effects of this year, and now we have confirmed that we’ve experienced the hottest summer ever recorded, which coincided with record low sea ice levels. In politics, we witnessed a tumultuous speaker election for the first time in nearly a century, followed by the first ever ouster of a speaker just months later. All while narrowly avoiding a government shutdown. We are once again in a political and financial environment that makes work on a new Farm Bill and Appropriations legislation feel somewhat futile.
But, there were historic movements of progress for the organic sector this year as well:
The National Organic Program has promulgated multiple long-awaited rules: the Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards, Strengthening Organic Enforcement, and Organic Livestock Origin Rules, among others.
We at OFRF worked with Congressional partners and organic champions to introduce pieces of legislation that would continue to advance organic agriculture research by doubling the funds available to OREI and ORG research programs.
Because of past efforts of OFRF and our allies, the Organic Research and Extension Initiative’s mandatory funding level was not at issue in Farm Bill extension negotiations, ensuring that this program is insulated from political turmoil.
And OFRF board member April Thatcher was named “Organic Farmer of the Year” by the Organic Trade Association, which is a piece of history that hits close to home for us!
Sometimes paying attention to the current events can lead to getting lost in the noise, but for every headline-warranting piece of bad news there’s certainly a positive development or generous act of kindness that goes unnoticed. As we enter the end of year period and reflect over the past year, try to take a moment and revisit some of those positive moments or acts of kindness.
As Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series put it: “happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Wishing you all many moments of light and happiness this winter.
By admin|2024-06-18T18:04:29-04:00December 8th, 2023|News|
Kelsey Grimsley, OFRF’s Office and Administrative Manage (left) and Jose Perez, OFRF’s Research and Education Engagement Coordinator (right) at the Latino Farmer Conference.
By Jose Perez, OFRF’s Research and Education Engagement Coordinator
Lea la versión en español abajo.
I recently had the fortune to take part in the 9th Latino Farmer Conference, November 1st and 2nd, organized by ATTRA/NCAT and NRCS in Stockton, California, the ancestral lands of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, Miwok and Yokuts nations. Along with my OFRF colleague Kelsey Grimsley, I enjoyed making connections with Latinx farmers and introducing our new online Soil Health Course in Spanish, Los Fundamentos de la Salud del Suelo. As a native Guatemalan, it was exciting for me to connect with other farmers in my native language. At least two hundred farmers and farmer stakeholders were present.
Latinx farmworkers have provided the great majority of labor that make farming possible in US agricultural fields for many decades. But Latinx farmers represent only 3.3% of all US farm owners, according to the 2017 USDA census of Agriculture. In this blog I want to share two themes that resonated throughout this event.
Perseverance and faith
On the first day of the conference, we heard the testimony of various Latinx farmers. Farmer Noel Ledesma, a farmworker turned farmer, shared his farming experiences with brutal honesty, recalling failed crops and ventures in farming that made his family lose everything they had worked for. Instead of giving up, he persisted. Eventually, he found niche markets that were profitable, but then again, the market changed when big operations got in the game. Yet, he persisted, and he learned. Step by step, using trial and error, he and his family found a way to create a successful farming operation.
Participants at the Latino Farmer Conference on a field walk.
“Todo es posible cuando hay perseverancia, cuando hay fe”
“Everything is possible when there is perseverance, when there is faith”
– Farmer Noel Ledesma
Farming is a continuous process of experimentation and adaptation to change. The market and the weather rarely forgive a lack of innovation. Farmer Noel Ledesma’s testimony showed how constant dedication and a strong belief that you can make it are critical ingredients in the journey from farmworker to successful farm owner. Now he is passing his wisdom to other Latinx farmers.
Making connections
Jose Perez introducing OFRF’s new online Soil Health Course in Spanish, Los Fundamentos de la Salud del Suelo.
The importance of connections and relationships was apparent in the conference. Farming can be isolating, and there is much value in having a network of peers and service providers that can provide more ideas and resources. Latinx farmers often struggle to get support from farming programs due to additional language, education and immigration status barriers. Not all USDA offices or farming organizations have a Latinx or Spanish-speaking staff member who can connect with the culture, concerns and language of these farmers. The conference was the place to make these connections and facilitate access to farming support programs. Given that this event is the only farming conference conducted in Spanish for Latinx farmers in the country, it is essential for this farming community.
At the end of the day, the health of our farmers and our agricultural sector will be reflected in the health of our society. More effort and investment is needed to support Latinx farmers and farmworkers.
Starkweather, K., et al. (2011). Improving the use of USDA programs among Hispanic and Latino farmers and ranchers. Center for Rural Affairs and Cambio Center. 201204USDAHispanicFarmersRanchers.pdf
Reflexiones de la Conferencia de Agricultores Latinos 2023
Por Jose Perez, Coordinador de Educación e Investigación de OFRF.
Kelsey Grimsley, Oficina y Gestión Administrativa de la OFRF (izquierda) y José Pérez, Coordinador de Participación en Investigación y Educación de la OFRF (derecha) en la Conferencia de Agricultores Latinos.
Este pasado Noviembre 1 y 2, tuve la fortuna de participar en la Novena Conferencia de Agricultores Latinos organizada por ATTRA/NCAT y el Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS) en Stockton, California, que son tierras ancestrales de las naciones Villas Confederadas de Lisjan, Miwok y Yokuts. Mi colega Kelsey Grimsley y yo disfrutamos conectando con agricultoras y agricultores latinos. Además, tuvimos la oportunidad de presentar un nuevo curso gratuito en línea llamado Los Fundamentos del Suelo, que es un curso totalmente en español. Al menos doscientas personas participaron en este evento.
Trabajadores agrícolas Latinos han proveído la mano de obra necesaria para que la agricultura funcione en Estados Unidos por muchas décadas. Por otro lado, solo el 3.3% de productoras y productores agrícolas de todo el país son latinos, de acuerdo al censo de agricultura del USDA del 2017. En este artículo quiero compartir dos temas que resonaron en este importante evento.
Perseverancia y fe
En el primer día de la conferencia, escuchamos testimonios de varios productores latinos. Entre ellos estaba el productor Noel Ledesma, que comenzó en la agricultura como trabajador agrícola y ahora es un productor. Noel compartió sus experiencias con una honestidad rotunda, pues contaba sobre cultivos y cosechas perdidas, proyectos agrícolas que no fueron exitosos, que hicieron que su familia perdiera todo lo que habían conseguido hasta entonces. Pero en lugar de rendirse, él perseveró. Eventualmente, encontró un buen mercado produciendo cultivos para minorías étnicas. Cuando este mercado creció y otras empresas más grandes entraron a competir, las cosas se complicaron otra vez. Aun así, él perseveró y aprendió de estas experiencias. Paso a paso, probando varias cosas y aprendiendo de los errores, él y su familia encontraron una forma de crear una operación agrícola exitosa.
Participantes de la Conferencia de Agricultores Latinos en una caminata por el campo.
“Todo es posible cuando hay perseverancia, cuando hay fe”
– Farmer Noel Ledesma
La producción agrícola es un proceso de experimentación y adaptación al cambio. El mercado y el clima casi nunca perdonan cuando hay falta de innovación. El testimonio del agricultor Noel Ledesma muestra que una dedicación constante y una fe sólida son ingredientes esenciales para convertirse de trabajador agrícola a productor agrícola exitoso. Ahora Noel comparte su sabiduría con otros productores latinos.
Creando conexiones
José Pérez presenta el nuevo curso en línea sobre salud del suelo de la OFRF en español, Los Fundamentos de la Salud del Suelo.
La importancia de crear y mantener buenas conexiones y relaciones con otros productores y organizaciones que asisten en la agricultura fue muy aparente en este evento. Los productores agrícolas pueden sentirse muy solos a veces, y es claro que tener una red de apoyo donde encontrar recursos e ideas puede ser de mucho valor. Para los productores latinos es muchas veces difícil
acceder a programas de asistencia agrícola, ya que enfrentan barreras adicionales de lenguaje, educación y estatus legal. No todas las oficinas de USDA y de otras organizaciones de apoyo al campo tienen algún personal latino o que pueda comunicarse en español, para poder conectar con el lenguaje, cultura e intereses de estos productores. Esta conferencia fue el lugar para hacer esas conexiones y facilitar el acceso a financiamiento y apoyo técnico. Dado que esta es la única conferencia agrícola llevada a cabo en español en todo el país, es de suma importancia para esta comunidad.
La salud de nuestras granjas y del sector agrícola tiende a ser reflejado en la salud de la sociedad. Más esfuerzo e inversión son necesarios para apoyar a productores y trabajadores agrícolas latinos.
Starkweather, K., et al. (2011). Improving the use of USDA programs among Hispanic and Latino farmers and ranchers. Center for Rural Affairs and Cambio Center. 201204USDAHispanicFarmersRanchers.pdf
Farmers across the U.S. may now receive up to $750 per scope for organic certification costs
As a farmer or a technical service provider to farms, you understand the importance of organic certification. It not only adds value to your products but also opens doors to a growing market of health-conscious consumers. However, the process of obtaining and maintaining organic certification can be costly. Financial assistance was last available in 2024, through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) to help ease this burden. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the basic steps to access up to $750 in financial assistance for each organic certification scope if this program funding is available.
Note: all of this information is summarized in printable, downloadable PDF’s, available in English and Spanish, at the bottom of this blogpost.
Nota: toda esta información se resume en archivos PDF imprimibles y descargables, disponibles en inglés y español, al final de esta publicación de blog.
1. Start with Research
Before diving into the application process, it’s wise to build up some knowledge of the program and who you will apply to. The OCCSP is administered by the USDA, and their website provides a wealth of general information. Additionally, some states have their own supplements to the program. If you’re in Arizona, California, or Texas, consider checking your state’s agriculture agency website for state-specific resources.
Below are factsheets from the USDA about the OCCSP, one in English and one in Spanish.
2. Finding the Right Application
Certified organic operations can apply for OCCSP assistance through their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office or, in some cases, through a participating State Agency. Here’s how to proceed:
Through a State Agency: If your state participates in the OCCSP, you likely have the option to apply through your state agency. In this case, use the application form provided by your state’s program. States like Arizona and California have their own forms, while Texas offers an online application platform along with a Request for Assistance (RFA) providing information.
3. Gathering Financial Information
To access government payments through OCCSP, you’ll need to provide certain financial information. The information must be provided in the correct format, depending on how you are applying. Here’s a brief explanation of the options in the Southwest:
FSA: If you’re applying through the FSA, they typically require an IRS W-9 form as part of your application.
California: In California, you’ll need to complete a Payee Data Record Form as part of your application.
Arizona: In Arizona, they require an AZ W-9 form to be submitted along with your application.
Alongside your application and financial information, you’ll also need to include certain documents:
A copy of your organic certification.
Proof of payment for your certification fees.
Itemized receipts for any other covered expenses related to organic certification that you’re seeking reimbursement for.
Covered expenses under the OCCSP include application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement/arrangement requirements, travel/per diem for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments, and postage. However, covered expenses do not include equipment, materials, supplies, transitional certification fees, late fees, and inspections necessary to address National Organic Program regulatory violations.
5. Submission
Once you’ve gathered all the required information and documents, it’s time to submit your OCCSP application. Double-check your application to ensure everything is complete and accurate. Ensure you send this information to the appropriate state or federal agency office based on your chosen application method.
The OCCSP can be a valuable resource for farmers and technical service providers seeking financial assistance for their organic certifications. By following these steps and meeting the program’s requirements, you can access up to $750 to support your commitment to organic farming practices.
For more detailed information and access to specific application forms, be sure to visit the OCCSP USDA website or consult your state’s agriculture agency website if they operate their own OCCSP program (Arizona, California, Texas). Your organic journey just got a little more affordable.
Apply for OCCSP assistance now, and reap the benefits of a more affordable path to organic certification. Your commitment to organic farming deserves the support it needs.
All of this information is summarized in a printable, downloadable PDF below, available in English and Spanish.
Federal support is bringing new production systems and researchers to organic agriculture in the upper Midwest
Written by Brian Geier
Dr. Amaya Atucha is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), specializing in crop ecophysiology and production of small fruit and cold climate viticulture. Until recently she had not worked with organic production systems. “One of the reasons why I was not working on organic production,” she explains, “is because of the difficulty of being able to produce organic fruit in climates like the upper midwest.”
While strawberries represent the third largest fruit crop in Wisconsin, and Wisconsin ranks in the top 10 states for organic production in the United States, organic strawberry production is negligible in the region. This is despite what preliminary research shows: that there is an interest among growers in organic strawberry production, there is an excess demand from consumers in the region, and premium prices are being fetched for organic strawberries at local markets.
Dr. Atucha’s current research project, Transitioning to organic day-neutral strawberry production in the upper midwest – A systems approach, funded by USDA/NIFA’s Organic Transitions Program (ORG), has provided opportunities for her to expand her research into organic production and is providing growers with research-based information on the profitability of new production systems for organic strawberries.
“Something that I would share with other researchers like me who were not doing any research on organic production is that if you want to expand on organic production and you might not feel that you are an expert, the ORG is a wonderful opportunity to get your foot into doing organic research. It will allow you to become an expert and become familiar with organic practices, and then to expand into these great production systems that can have fantastic benefits for our stakeholders.” -Dr. Amaya Atucha
To help increase organic production of strawberries, the project is taking a systems approach. The production system currently used in the region is a perennial matted row system that increases weed, insect, and disease pressure over multiple seasons that are challenging to control with organic practices. Her project proposes a shift from a perennial to an annual production system, and is evaluating yields, pest pressure, fruit quality, and profitability of day-neutral strawberries grown on four different mulches.
To keep up to date on this research project, visit UW’s Fruit Program website. See an excerpt from OFRF’s conversation with Dr. Amaya Atucha about the importance of the ORG program for her research and farmers in her region here:
This research is funded by the USDA/NIFA’s Organic Transitions Program. To learn more about OFRF’s advocacy work to protect and increase this type of funding, and how you can help become an advocate for organic farming with us, see our Advocacy page.
OFRF, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), has co-created a webinar series focused on soil health and organic farming. This series is facilitated by Jennifer Ryan and Lindsay Haines of NRCS and Thelma Velez and Mary Hathaway of OFRF. Each of the webinars is led by Mark Schonbeck, OFRF’s Research Associate. Topics covered in this series include soil health, nutrient management, weed management, cover crops, plant genetics, water management, conservation tillage, and climate resilience. Each webinar shares organic farming practices and research findings, and many share stories of farmer experiences in organic farming as they pertain to the topic of the specific webinar in the series.
Webinar 1: Why “Organic” Matters – Soil Organic Matter, Soil Health and USDA-Certified Organic Farming
Soil is a living system that cycles nutrients and supplies crops with essential nutrients. Organic farmers must focus on building soil organic matter (SOM), returning crop residues to the soil, and using fertilizers of organic origin. After a brief history of organic farming, this webinar focuses on soil organic matter: the nature of soil organic matter, its relationship to organic farming practices, its functions, and practices to build it in agricultural soils. The webinar concludes with the story of Rick and Janice Felker of Mattawoman Creek Farmers in Virginia, and the organic practices they used to SOM and fertility in their sandy soils.
Webinar 2: Soil Life in Organic Farming: The Role of Soil Organisms in Soil Health and Resource Conservation
Although soil life makes up just a small portion of the soil mass, it performs all of the major functions in a healthy soil. Organic farmers understand this point and capitalize on it by feeding their soil to feed their crops. After a brief introduction to the community of life within the soil, this webinar delves into how soil organisms function in crop production, and provides an overview of organic farming for soil biology and its challenges, opportunities, and recent research findings, as well as some guidelines for optimizing practices and outcomes.
Webinar 3: Biological Nutrient Management: Best Organic Practices for Soil Fertility and Resource Stewardship
Nutrient management focuses on production, soil health, and conservation. According to the NRCS, nutrient management criteria is based on the “4Rs of nutrient stewardship”: right source, right rate, right time, right place. After a brief summary of the changes throughout history in organic nutrient management, this webinar focuses on the challenges and opportunities in organic nutrient management, through the use of the 4Rs and offers examples from current research. The webinar ends with a summary of organic nutrient management tips.
Webinar 4: Beating the Weeds Without Herbicides: Soil-Friendly Organic Weed Management
According to the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda report, weeds are the #1 challenge to organic farmers. After defining weeds, this webinar focuses on two tactics in managing weeds: prevention and control. First, five preventive steps for organic producers are presented, each complete with example practices. These steps are followed by a discussion of organic integrated weed management control practices, focusing on practices to increase weed control while decreasing damage to the soil, and sharing farmer innovations and research findings. The webinar concludes with a practical summary of weed prevention and control practices.
Webinar 5: Cover Cropping for Soil Health and Fertility in Organic Production
Cover crops play a multi-functional role in organic farming, as they contribute to all five principles of soil health. This webinar focuses on the challenges and strategies of using cover crops: selecting the best cover crop for a farmer’s objectives, rotation niche, and soil challenges; timely establishment and termination of cover crops, termination without herbicides, and optimizing nitrogen release from the crop; and region-specific challenges and strategies. The webinar concludes with four farmer stories of using cover crops in context.
Webinar 6: The Role of Plant Genetics in Soil Health: Selecting Crop Cultivars for Organic Production
According to the 2022 National Organic Research Agenda report, farmers find it difficult to find appropriate crop varieties and seeds for organic production. Breeding priorities for the organic farming sector include disease and pest resistance, overall vigor, and resilience to drought and other climate related challenges. This webinar discusses the challenges for obtaining seeds and cultivars for organic systems and ways to address these challenges; and organic plant breeding research in vegetable crops, grains, and cover crops.
Webinar 7: Organic Soil Health Practices for Water Management and Water Quality
Can organic soil health practices buffer the farm against drought and deluge? After a brief overview of soil moisture and the effects of inherent and dynamic soil properties on plant available water, this webinar discusses the impacts of climate change on soil health and farm water supply, ways to manage water quantity and quality in organic farming systems, the use of cover crops and soil water in challenging climates, and some irrigation challenges in organic production.
Webinar 8: Practical Conservation Tillage for Organic Cropping Systems
Although intense tillage may be costly to a farmer’s soil health, there are methods and tools organic farmers can use when tilling to maintain or improve their soil health. This webinar discusses tools to reduce tillage intensity in organic systems, the organic rotational no-till systems and its four steps, and soil disturbance. The webinar concludes with farmer stories of tillage reduction in organic production, focusing on vegetable, mixed crop and livestock, and grain farms throughout the U.S.
Webinar 9: Sequestering Carbon, Reducing Greenhouse Gases, and Building Climate Resilience through Organic Soil Health Practices
Climate change affects agriculture, and agriculture also contributes to climate change. After sharing some ways in which U.S. agricultural systems can be part of the solution, this webinar dives into organic agriculture as a climate solution: its opportunities and challenges, best practices for carbon sequestration, and best practices for greenhouse gas mitigation. The webinar concludes with a presentation of recent research findings, and their implications for organic agriculture.
By admin|2024-06-18T18:06:16-04:00November 12th, 2023|News|
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a concept that has been gaining attention in non-native communities in recent years, and frequently coming up in conversation at OFRF. It is hard to provide one all-encompassing definition of TEK, but generally TEK references ecological knowledge that is place-based and also inherently tied to a culture. It is not only a system of knowledge that has been handed down generationally, but a holistic way to view all living things in relationship to the landscape; that means not seeing ourselves as separate from it, but as embedded within the ecological system. To some, TEK represents a wholly-separate knowledge system than Western scientific knowledge, or Western Science, which prioritizes reductionism and transportability. Instead, TEK recognizes that there are pieces of knowledge, especially in the agroecological context, that are too complex to be reduced to their specific constituent parts, and that cannot be replicated elsewhere because the ecological and social factors are not the same.
We recognize that some of the focus on TEK includes examples of white individuals and white-led organizations claiming ancestral and cultural knowledge that belongs to the Indigenous peoples of what is now called North America. As a white-led organization in the agricultural sector, we at OFRF are actively working to properly acknowledge the importance of TEK to organic practices in a way that honors the cultures that hold this deep knowledge and understanding. There are some institutions and communities that are actively trying to facilitate interactions with Western Science and TEK, and integrate this knowledge system and indigenous perspective. Institutions like Cal Poly Humboldt, who are developing and using programming on Place-based Learning Communities. Outside of the agricultural space, arctic researchers are working with tribal nations to gain a better understanding of how the arctic is changing.
There are many that claim the knowledge and principles associated with TEK is a crucial piece of meeting the stacking challenges of our time, especially climate change, even the White House has announced guidance on utilizing TEK. That is one reason why we are working with Senators in Washington D.C. to ensure that TEK is not co-opted by academia, but facilitated by it. But, we acknowledge that these are just small steps when large leaps are needed.
As an organization, we are committed to learning and growing by listening to the needs of communities we aim to serve. We are exploring ways to engage in this path meaningfully while also being mindful of the space we occupy. We know we have a lot to learn, and we hope you will join us in this work.
Farmers and ranchers conduct experiments all the time. They constantly test and modify new or improved ways to farm. In this webinar, farmers will learn about adding a few scientific steps to their farm tests that can produce more reliable results that they can trust. OFRF is excited to present this workshop as part of the new OFRF Farmer-led Trials Program (FLT) and the accompanying publication Farmers Guide to On Farm Research.
This webinar recording covers the official launch of OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, which promotes farmer-led innovations in organic farming. Learn how this program can support farmers and ranchers like you in conducting practical, on-farm research.
Until last year, I could not imagine a career path for myself other than farming. Working in sustainable agriculture for the last 14 years has inextricably linked my profession to my identity. However, after closing my small vegetable farm business in Oregon and moving to Maryland, I realized that I didn’t have it in me to start over. I also knew I was not alone. Many of my fellow small farm owners in Portland had also left farming due to financial hardship and lack of work-life balance. The unavoidable difficulties of farming as a profession was my inspiration for pursuing a graduate degree at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where I now study the intersection of public health, policy, and occupational sustainability and health for the ag community. OFRF’s meaningful work addresses these issues and more, and, as the fall Policy & Communications intern, I’m honored to be part of the team. This month, I’m taking over Gordon’s Policy Corner to talk about a few critical ways organic agricultural research and policy impact health outcomes for farmers.
How do policy, research, organic farming, and public health intersect?
Low socioeconomic status – farm workers and farm owners both earn a lower average wage than nonagricultural workers. Unlike in other industries, individual farm business owners have limited influence over market pricing due to a variety of reasons, including consolidation in the food sector.
Organic farmers are particularly susceptible to price fluctuations due to the higher input costs and greater dependance on natural systems to produce their crops. As seen recently in the organic dairy industry, for instance, climate events can trigger price fluctuations that, when met with increased competition from factory farms, result in intensified financial hardship for smaller farms.
Increased vulnerability to climate-change and its effects on human health.
Farmers are simultaneously among the most vulnerable and most vital members of our food system. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of a food system built within our current market dynamics, there are significant barriers to these circumstances changing.
How can research guide food system policy?
The first step toward promoting a healthier, more sustainable food system is ensuring federal and state governments support farm workers and local agricultural markets. Policymakers rely on researchers to demonstrate quantifiable issues within our food system and tangible opportunities to solve them. Only with this evidence, can advocates and policymakers demonstrate a critical need and rally support for meaningful policy development. Additionally, research can provide much needed technical and economic support for farmers to help improve their growing practices, increase yields, and make farming as profitable as it can be in light of the many barriers they face. In OFRF’s 2022 National Organic Research Agenda, which reported on surveys and focus groups conducted with transitioning and certified organic producers across North America, participants named the availability of organic research funds (54%), access to knowledgeable agricultural service providers (53%), and the imbalance of organic supply and demand (58%) among their top concerns.
OFRF’s role in addressing food system complexity:
The needs of small and organic farmers are still underrepresented in the Farm Bill, but, thanks in part to the work of ag support organizations, USDA is now implementing more programs geared toward small, beginning, and historically underserved communities. Through my internship with OFRF, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how individual organizations can promote policy reform through coalition building. For instance, OFRF’s policy team continues to champion the Strengthening Organic Agriculture Research Act (SOAR Act) as well as the Organic Science & Research Initiative Act (OSRI Act), which both aim to obtain necessary Farm Bill research funding to solidify our path toward a more equitable and resilient agricultural industry.
OFRF is also excited to be part of USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), a program investing up to $100M over 5 years in cooperative agreements with organizations like OFRF to provide technical assistance and mentorship for transitioning and existing organic farmers. Knowing that small, beginning, and historically-marginalized farmers are particularly vulnerable to financial hardship and time constraints, the OFRF policy team has been working with TOPP West to develop toolkits for farmers to mitigate the common barriers they face when it comes to accessing USDA’s grants, loans, and technical support. Lately, I’ve been working to unpack NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in a brief guide to help farmers know exactly when and how to apply for financial assistance.
How can you promote public health and a more equitable food system?
To reduce the impact of global warming, we will need a societal shift toward supporting local food systems and organic farming practices. In doing so, we can also promote a stronger local economy, combat the ongoing health disparities disproportionately affecting the farming community, and ensure that the people growing our food are able to earn a livable wage. Please prioritize buying from local producers using organic growing methods whenever possible. Consider reaching out to your representatives to highlight the need for more financial and policy support to help reshape sustainable agriculture into a tenable profession. And, please join us for an upcoming virtual OFRF event, where you can learn new skills for communicating with legislators or get involved with your own farmer-led research.
These “Seeds of Success” events are designed to empower organic producers and transitioning farmers with engaging peer-to-peer conversation. Each session will act as an interactive, informal space for farmers to share their challenges and successes and will give farmers an opportunity to have open conversations on topics most relevant to them.
Below you’ll find recordings for past events. The most recent events are added at the bottom of this list.
Strategies for Identifying and Navigating Organic Markets
Hosted by OFRF on November 10, 2023.
In this virtual networking session, we address the number one non-production challenge identified by organic producers: finding and developing markets for organic products.
This session featured three women farmers who have creatively grown their markets for organic products: Amy Van Scoik of Frog Song Organics in Florida, Pam Mack of L Marie LTD in Ohio, and Anna Jones-Crabtree of Vilicus Farms in Montana.
Watch Recording:
Demystifying the National Organic Standards Board: What It Is, How It Works, and How It Impacts Your Farm
Hosted by NOC on January 30, 2024
Organic producers and processors must follow strict standards to become organically certified. Who decides what is and is not allowed on organic farms and in organic processing facilities? Not your certifier! Rather, it’s the USDA National Organic Program, in consultation with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
On Tuesday, January 30, 2024, the NOC hosted a virtual meeting for organic and transitioning farmers, where a panel of farmers and advocates demystified the NOSB. Panelists explained the role of the NOSB in shaping organic standards and allowed materials, the process the Board uses to make decisions, and explained how written and oral comments can make a difference in Board decisions.
Panelists included Steve Ela, Former NOSB Chair, NOC NOSB Specialist, and Organic Producer at Ela Family Farms in Colorado; Harriet Behar, Former NOSB Chair, NOC Advisor, OFA Farmer Services Consultant, and Organic Producer at Sweet Springs Farm in Wisconsin; and Amy Bruch, Current NOSB Vice Chair and Organic Producer at Cyclone Farms in Nebraska.
Learn more about this session and your role in providing input to the Board and lifting up farmer voices in the NOSB process on NOC’s website.
Crop Insurance for Organic Farmers: What’s Working, What’s Not, and How We Can Make it Work for Us
Hosted on OFA on April 16, 2024.
In a changing climate, crop insurance can make or break a farmer’s ability to keep farming the next year. But this federally-subsidized program, intended as a safety net for farmers, serves some producers growing a few specific crops better than others. The program, as currently designed, feeds into the consolidation of land and resources in agriculture, with crop insurance being the only subsidized farm program with no upper limit on the funds that a farmer can receive from the federal government, a practice that reinforces existing power structures and leads to fewer, bigger, and less diverse farms.
Organic and transitioning farmers, specifically, find themselves misunderstood and underserved in the crop insurance system, as their practices, rotations, transition, and certification processes are not widely understood by the agents serving them and can be in conflict with Risk Management Agency requirements.
Noah Wendt of A&W Farms in Iowa and Seth Kroeck of Crystal Spring Farm in Maine share their experiences with crop insurance.
Watch Recording:
NRCS Organic Practice 823: Strategies and Best Practices
Hosted by OFA on July 24, 2024.
The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has many programs to help farmers convert to organic farming operations. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands. Under EQIP, Organic Transition Initiative 823 (OTI) is specifically meant to help those transitioning to organic operations, by cost-sharing and providing technical support on practices organic and transitioning farmers want to implement on their farms. This program is relatively new, and a little different than other NRCS practices. Hear directly from ag professionals and farmers about their experiences with 823 and their ideas regarding how to best utilize this valuable conservation planning tool.
This session was presented by OFA’s Farmer Services Consultant Harriet Behar, Marbleseed’s Climate and Conservation Director/Organic Conservation Specialist Thomas Manley, and Lehman Farms Ltd.’s Aaron Lehman.
Watch Recording:
Adding the “O”: Farmer Perspectives and Experiences Transitioning to Organic
Hosted by OFRF on November 10, 2024.
This webinar features two farmers that share their experiences and thoughts for demystifying some of the challenges they faced while developing, conducting and evaluating research projects on their farms through OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials project.
Watch Recording:
Lessons from OFRF’s Organic Seed Usage Farmer Listening Session
Hosted by OFRF on March 5, 2025.
In the sixth Seeds of Success networking session, over 40 participants gathered (virtually) to share their thoughts and firsthand experiences using and producing organic seed. The session was not recorded to allow participants to share more freely. ReadOFRF’s summary of key takeaways from seed growers, organic producers, researchers, and technical service providers.
Are you an organic farmer that is interested in using your livestock in your crop rotation? Are you wondering how others have overcome some of the complexities of integrating your farm system? Would you like to hear directly from farmers who have experience in this topic? If so, then this webinar is for you.
This Seeds of Success farmer-to-farmer networking session was an engaging opportunity where farmers came together to ask questions and share their lived experience in integrating crops and livestock in their production systems. This session we will features three farmers that have built resilience and a dynamic organic system:
Farmer Perspectives on Transitioning to Organic in the Northwest
Hosted by OFRF December, 2025.
Farmers transitioning to organic production face unique challenges that require technical assistance on a wide range of production and non-production issues. During the transition period farmers must consider financially viable strategies for the three-year transition period, how to restore soil health while learning to manage weeds without herbicides, acquiring new equipment and infrastructure needed for organic production, and navigating NOP-related paperwork during the last year of transition and first year of certification. This webinar features three farmers that have worked through these issues, who share their experiences and thoughts for demystifying some of the challenges they faced in the process. In this session we feature three farmers in the Northwest that have built resilience and a dynamic organic system: Lynn Schaal, Life Springs Farm – Idaho Tracey Dion, Yellowstone River Farms – Montana Aaron Flansburg, Flansburg Farm – Washington. Read a recap of the session here.
Watch Recording:
Accessing USDA Farmer Resources on the Ground: NRCS and FSA
Hosted by the Organic Farmers Association on January 27, 2026.
Recent changes to USDA offices have real impacts for organic farmers. Join the Organic Farmers Association, OFRF, and the National Organic Coalition (NOC) for this Seeds of Success session: Accessing USDA Farmer Resources on the Ground: NRCS and FSA – Seeds of Success. This session can help farmers understand how they can navigate these changes with insights straight from USDA staff. Participants take the opportunity to engage directly with representatives from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA). During the hour, we delve into the specific changes in the structure, staffing, and location of NRCS and FSA offices. Farmers can learn the most effective ways to access essential resources. The session also provides guidance and updates on available loans, programs, and technical assistance to support farm and business goals.
Watch Recording:
Organic 101 for Extension Agents: Understanding Certification, Standards, and Producer Journeys
Hosted by OFRF January, 2025.
This webinar is for extension agents, technical service providers, or anyone who wants to understand organic certification and help growers make the transition to organic farming. In the first half of this informative session, you will learn the basic principles of organic certification, and become familiar with organic standards. During the second half, you will have the opportunity to interact with farmer panelists as they share their experiences in becoming certified organic producers. Panelists include April Thatcher of April Joy Farm in Washington, Beth Hoinacki of Goodfoot Farm in Oregon, and Diane Green of Greentree Naturals in Idaho. This webinar is brought to you by the Organic Farming Research Foundation, Oregon Tilth, and Western SARE.
Watch Recording:
Stay tuned for our next farmer-to-farmer networking session. You can view all upcoming OFRF-related events at ofrf.org/events/ and by subscribing to our newsletter here.
The Seeds of Success project is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).
Dr. Amaya Atucha is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), specializing in 
Can organic soil health practices buffer the farm against drought and deluge? After a brief overview of soil moisture and the effects of inherent and dynamic soil properties on plant available water, this webinar discusses the impacts of climate change on soil health and farm water supply, ways to manage water quantity and quality in organic farming systems, the use of cover crops and soil water in challenging climates, and some irrigation challenges in organic production. 
The first step toward promoting a healthier, more sustainable food system is ensuring federal and state governments support farm workers and local agricultural markets. Policymakers rely on researchers to demonstrate quantifiable issues within our food system and tangible opportunities to solve them. Only with this evidence, can advocates and policymakers demonstrate a critical need and rally support for meaningful policy development. Additionally, research can provide much needed technical and economic support for farmers to help improve their growing practices, increase yields, and make farming as profitable as it can be in light of the many barriers they face. In 
OFRF is also excited to be part of USDA’s 
