why organic

April 10, 2020 – In January, OFRF and Tuskegee University in partnership with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) presented the 2020 Organic Agriculture Research Forum (OARF) in Little Rock, Arkansas on the day prior to the 2020 SSAWG Conference.

With generous support from Ceres Trust, OFRF was able to provide scholarships to 15 students, farmers, and researchers to help with conference and travel expenses. We are truly grateful to Ceres Trust for working to ensure everyone who wanted to attend was able to do so. The feedback we received from scholarship participants was so positive, we wanted to share a few highlights.

Greg and Carole Lolley, Mayim Farm, Alabama

“What can we say … we didn’t think the SSAWG Conference could get any better but that was before the OFRF Organic Agriculture Research Forum and SSAWG Conference combined for a mind-blowing three days of discussion and learning. We have always enjoyed our yearly SSAWG conference, but having round table discussions with other growers and organic researchers has really broadened our perspectives. Personal stories told by other farmers at the forum have already proven to be helpful. We discussed actual real-world situations and problems that we had experienced. This was the first time I have been able to present an issue I was having on the farm and have a group of farmer peers hear and give advice on how they have dealt with similar issues. I believe this is a great channel for information to flow to the farmer from researchers. OFRF is doing a great service to the farmers by providing this venue for the exchange of information both ways. By that I mean farmers hear new ideas from the researchers and researchers hear firsthand what things the farmers need help with.”

Dr. Clement Akotsen-Mensah, State IPM Specialist, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, Missouri

“I had the privilege to participate in this workshop through the generous provision of a scholarship I received from OFRF. The group discussion in my opinion was an excellent idea since it allowed participants to talk about issues confronting southern organic agriculture. The information I gained at the workshop will enhance my work as the State IPM specialist at Lincoln University because I will be able to extend research-based information to Lincoln University clientele who are mainly socially disadvantaged and minorities.”

Luke Yoder, Shiloh Farm, Tennessee

“At my table I connected with a colleague I haven’t seen in years, a NRCS agent who is going to come visit our farm and help connect with resources to produce some specialty crops, and a new friend who runs a small farm like mine.”

 Carlos Alonso Maldonado, Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa and Ecoagro,Sinaloa, Mexico

“Ever since the date when I was notified by OFRF that the abstract on my investigation had been accepted for a poster presentation, I was very excited about attending the 2020 OARF. Overall, because this meant a turning point in my 18-month research effort, for I had been given the chance to share findings with other US researchers and industry stakeholders, with whom I could network and possibly leverage to take my work from theory into practice.”

Southern SAWG facilitates the development of a more sustainable food and agriculture systems across 13 states in the Southern U.S. Since 1992 they have provided high quality educational materials and training opportunities on sustainable and organic production, marketing strategies, farm management, and community food systems development. Each year the Southern SAWG Conference brings together over 1,000 farmers, researchers, educators, and others in the sustainable agriculture field to share practical tools and information and strengthen their working relationships.

Tuskegee University has initiated an organic farming program for over 10 years to educate Alabama residents on the health benefits of organic vegetables. The program has grown in recent years to include site specific organic farming research on various vegetable crop varieties and integrated pest management throughout the Southern United States to provide recommendations to organic growers. Dr. Kpomblekou-A has served as director of the program at Tuskegee University since 2016.

The conference was supported by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) grant no. 2019-51300-30250 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

All photos by Shirah Dedman

March 30, 2020 – Bob Scowcroft, co-founder and first Executive Director of OFRF, was scheduled to speak at OFRF’s benefit luncheon at Expo West on March 4^th. Unfortunately, the cancellation of Expo West and our luncheon due to COVID-19 was just the beginning of a series of events that none of us could have foreseen. It’s a different world now, one that relies on the heroic efforts of many—not the least of whom are those who grow the food we need to stay nourished and healthy. That’s why we wanted to share his inspirational words with you. It’s about the long game now, continuing the important work OFRF embarked on 30 years ago.

OFRF started as a shoestring guerrilla operation.

We had an answering machine and a P.O. box. Our board consisted of ten certified organic farmers and two scientists. It wasn’t that way for long, thanks to the generosity of three foundations and a number of long- time organic farm operations, funds were raised to launch OFRF’s on-farm research program.

We knew that organic farming and ranching worked but we didn’t have the scientific documentation to back us up. There was no institutional support for on-farm organic systems research nor was there any national “portal” in place to make the few papers that had been published on organic were available to others.

We decided OFRF would fund organic research projects and, thanks to the generosity of every organic verification group in the country, we would write up and share the results with every organic farmer on their membership lists. We felt like we were part of a movement.

We hit a home run relative to the first on-farm research grant OFRF ever made. A grant we made to Carl Rosato* was for peach fruit brown rot disease, which was/is a very serious disease since it affects the fruit and cuts into production and profits. As a result of that grant, Carl (pictured below) developed his mineral-mix bloom spray, which has worked really well for over 20 years. It has been published on the ATTRA web site and is now available in greater detail on eOrganic.

It’s really hard for me to share the brilliance and passion I saw exhibited by the members of the OFRF board. I wanted to bottle it (and sell it at Expo!). Remember, most of them were (and are to this day) full-time organic farmers. Not only was their knowledge “observational” based on their own farming experience but they had the (in some cases, self-taught) academic understanding of similar research reports relevant to the proposals before them. I loved sitting back and watching four or five of the board members play “citation smack-down” in support of, or opposition to, a particular funding request. How they ever managed to read five or seven extra papers in addition to their “day jobs” was beyond me.

Though not easily publicized, one has to understand that those proposals not funded by OFRF made a major impact as well. Nearly 1,000, maybe more, organic research projects came into the office. All of them included organic farmers’ ideas and most of them had academic partners.

Over the years, we heard too many tales of automatic dismissal or refusal to sign off on a proposal by the powers that be in academia. The risk of starting (and ending!) one’s career as an organic outlier was real. Quite a different situation from today, note OFRF’s collaboration with Tuskegee University on a day-long Organic Agriculture Research Forum hosted in conjunction with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group.

Yet, that too wasn’t enough for us. With the publication of Mark Lipson’s Searching for the O-Word, OFRF revealed the utter lack of investment in peer-reviewed organic research (data point: we looked at over 30,000 USDA’s Current Research Information Service (CRIS) online agriculture research reports and found about 32 (nearly) organic reports). Clearly, we were not receiving our fair share of research funds.

With a powerful and focused board, and one of the best group of staff assembled, we took risks to lead, on behalf of organic producers when no one else would or could. We could ONLY do this work thanks to the generosity of literally thousands of donors, making gifts large and small.

We published the results of the research we funded. We walked the halls of Congress with organic farmers, gently reminding our elected officials of the need for a fair share of organic research dollars. We established important collaborations with other environmental, consumer and even industry organizations. We worked with Congressman Sam Farr to found the Organic Caucus. Heck, once I (and two organic farmers) had the very rewarding job of briefing Willie Nelson on his bus before his Fillmore West show, on the size, scale and expansion of organic farming in the USA! Now THAT was an exceptional experience.

What made OFRF such a wonderful place to work was the esprit d’ corps of the staff reinforced by the passion of the board. Though up against great odds, there was joy to our work. We were a movement organization looking to seed organic systems throughout the country.

In my volunteer role as a Trustee of the Nell Newman Foundation, I run across any number of projects that give me great hope for the future. I think that under the current radar (and noise level) there’s a new exciting wave of young people going forward to the land! A few weeks ago, the New York Times published a long piece on the new wave of rural intentional communities coming together around food and farming. In Alaska, young women boat owners are forming policy coalitions and co-ops to manage their fish-shares sustainably. The new Secretary of Agriculture in Colorado is a former farmer and staff member of the NYFC. Kansas has a Democratic governor and a Secretary of Agriculture open to organic farming systems.

Today, it’s your turn. OFRF has the right stuff. Their current board members shine in each of their communities. Every organic sale you make, consumer you inform, even beer you drink, makes a difference. It’s about the long game now. By building relationships, growing grassroots networks and activism, and engaging in policy support, I believe OFRF reflects the very definition of exceptionalism today and into the future. That’s why I support them with my own donations and work with other foundations to support them too.

Thank You! Game on!

*For those of you don’t know, it is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my friend Carl in 2019. His was a life well-lived, an amazing person gone way too soon.

March 31, 2020 – As our world faces the confusion and heartache that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it, we at OFRF are reminded of the power of hope and resilience. For the OFRF team, our lives, like yours, are looking quite different these days. Our office in Santa Cruz is closed as we “shelter in place.” But, we are sticking together and committing to our mission more than ever.

We know the COVID-19 outbreak will have lasting impacts on our farmers and our food system and as always, we are committed to supporting and advocating for our community. While there are more questions than there are answers these days, we want you to know that we are here. Most importantly, we are extremely grateful to our farmers who continue to do the essential work of feeding our communities.

The current global situation reminds us of the importance of building resilient systems. As our climate changes, we will see new diseases and pest pressures, continued degradation and erosion of our soils, and irregular water quantities among many other challenges. We need to act now to mitigate climate change and help farmers adapt to challenges they are already facing.

Organic farming practices have been proven to not only help reverse the effects of climate change but also allow farmers to be more resilient. BUT organic farming only comprises 1% of U.S. agriculture. We hope you will support us in continuing our work to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming—we truly could not do it without you.

Like us, you might be asking yourselves what you can do to support our agricultural and food systems. Farmers are still farming and most grocery stores, farmers’ markets, CSAs and food delivery services are up and running. We encourage you to show up for organic farmers during this difficult time.

As always, all of our research and educational materials are available to access for free at ofrf.org.

Please reach out to us at info@ofrf.org if you have any questions or just want to check in. Stay healthy and thank you for your support.

March 31, 2020 – OFRF’s board is farmer-led and we deeply appreciate the time they devote to our mission of improving and advancing organic agriculture. In the midst of the COVID-19 upheaval, we were grateful that 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, which we believe is critical to protecting food security while stewarding our environmental resource

The board approved changes to the roster and we’re pleased to welcome two new board members!

April Jones Thatcher is the founder of April Joy Farm, a first-generation, diversified farm near Ridgefield, Washington. Her Washington State Dept of Ag certified organic farm has served wholesale and retail customers in Clark County since 2009. April has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering and an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship. She is passionate about soil health, livestock welfare, and nurturing community.

Dr. Joe K. Kpomblekou-A is a Professor of Soil and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences at Tuskegee University. He holds a Ph.D. degree from Iowa State University in Soil Science. Kokoasse is in charge of the organic agriculture and biogas production program at Tuskegee University; together with other scientists at four land-grant universities (Auburn University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, and Oregon State University) and Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network are promoting organic agriculture throughout the Southeast United States.

We bid a fond farewell to Dr. Heather Darby and Dean McIlvaine, who have completed their tenure. “We are excited to have April and Kokoasse join our board of directors,” said Brise Tencer, OFRF’s Executive Director. “Their fresh perspective, strong skills, and diverse expertise will be a huge asset to our board. I am also extremely proud to name Heather as an Honorary Board member in recognition of her service as the longest-serving member of the OFRF board, her passion for on-farm research, and her deep commitment to the mission and vision of OFRF.”

Bryan Hager takes over as Board President. Jeremy Barker Plotkin, owner of Simple Gifts Farm in Amherst, Massachusetts, will continue to serve on the board.

Again, we are so grateful for the wisdom and hard work that each board member brings to the organization.!

Learn more about our staff and board.

View our 2019 Annual Report.

March 5, 2020 – Last week, I returned to the OFRF office feeling rejuvenated and re-energized after attending the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) Conference in La Crosse, WI. This sense of energy and renewal came not only from the opportunity to return to my roots and enjoy the welcoming culture of the Midwest, it was also sparked by my interactions with the robust community of researchers, farmers, and non-profits at the conference. At a time when there is so much uncertainty, it was uplifting to be surrounded by a community of people dedicated to creating sustainable food systems that support people and the environment.

The highlight of my trip was the workshop on Resilient Soils that I hosted with Dr. Jess Gutknecht from the University of Minnesota. Given the extreme rainfall and flooding the Midwest experienced last year, farmers and ranchers were eager to learn about soil health building practices that can help maintain favorable growing conditions in the face of weather extremes. Jess got us off to a strong start with an overview of climate change and the long-term climate trend predictions for the Midwest. Her interactive presentation generated strong discussion among participants who shared not only their perceptions of the changing climate and how they are coping, but also their emotional response to these unpredictable times.

I followed by presenting soil health principles and practices that can improve overall soil health and water-holding capacity, characteristics important to dealing with extreme precipitation events. We concluded the workshop with small group discussions that allowed participants to dive deeper into specific topics like planting cover crops to absorb excess soil moisture and opportunities to reduce tillage to improve soil health.

In addition to hosting a workshop, OFRF also had a table in the exhibit hall displaying our hugely popular soil health guidebooks and resources on soil health management practices to reduce risk and increase the resiliency of farming systems. We also had postcards announcing the launch of two national surveys of farmers and ranchers we recently released in partnership with the Organic Seed Alliance—one survey is for certified organic producers and the other is for producers transitioning to organic certification. More information and links to both surveys can be found here.

I also had the opportunity to attend an organic research social where I met other researchers working to address pressing questions in the field of organic agriculture. The gathering gave everyone the opportunity to introduce themselves and share ideas for projects and collaborations, and was a welcome opportunity to slow down and listen. Throughout the discussions that evening, I was struck by the sense of camaraderie in the room. As a relatively new member to the organic research community, I was impressed by the strong network of researchers and their passion for building healthy food systems. I left feeling grateful to be welcomed into this community and am already looking forward to next year’s conference!

Submitted by Lauren Snyder, Ph.D., Education & Research Program Manager, OFRF

March 5, 2020 – As many of you have heard, Expo West and related events were postponed this week due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, that meant postponing our annual fundraising event, which we have held for 23 years on the day before Expo opens. That would have been yesterday.

A small crew from OFRF, along with our amazing volunteer chefs, had begun prepping the all-organic lunch for over 300 guests this past weekend. When the decision to postpone Expo West was made late Monday afternoon, we immediately contacted Bracken’s Kitchen, a non-profit located in Orange County whose mission is to recover, re-purpose, and restore both food and lives through food recovery, culinary training, and community feeding programs. They happily picked up all the perishable food Tuesday morning. Nothing will go to waste.

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. Despite my knowledge of and passion for organic production systems, my knowledge of organic seed systems seriously lags in comparison. Therefore, the two days I spent at OSG were transformative. I spent time learning about the ways Indigenous communities share seeds, and the current state of organic seed policy on the federal level. The most impactful part of the conference was the time and energy OSA dedicated to showcasing how seeds are the keepers of history, culture, and tradition in our own backyards and across the globe. Through workshops, panels, and keynote speakers, they demonstrated how complex seed ownership is today and has always been, particularly in relation to social and racial justice.

But I wasn’t there to only learn about seeds for myself. With staff from the Organic Seed Alliance, we gathered a group of organic seed farmers to learn about their research priorities and challenges. They voiced concerns about climate change, increased pest pressure, and access to diverse seed varieties.

Overall, the conference was a time to meet new people, and learn about a side of the organic industry that is crucial to the way we improve and increase organic production.

Submitted by Haley Baron, Partnership & Development Manager

February 26, 2020 – Today, Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) announced the Agriculture Resilience Act (H.R. 5861), which would establish climate change mitigation and climate resilience in agriculture as top priorities for USDA research and conservation programs.

OFRF has completed an extensive review of climate-in-agriculture research and we believe the ARA’s goal of making U.S. agriculture climate-neutral by 2040 is achievable. The Act provides a science-based blueprint through which U.S. agriculture and food systems can meet the challenge of the climate crisis. Its provisions include climate resilience and mitigation through soil health management systems, advanced grazing management, public cultivar and livestock breed development for resilience and input efficiency, and the establishment of sustainable, organic, and conservation practices as Good Farming Practices for Risk Management programs.

OFRF has been using research-based analysis to inform public policy for nearly three decades. Recently, we contributed to a report from the National Sustainable Organic Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) titled Moving American Agriculture to “Net Zero”.

One of the principal authors of that report, Dr. Mark Schonbeck, OFRF Research Associate, is also the lead author of OFRF’s educational series on organic farming and soil health. His examination of research related to the capacity of sustainable organic systems to sequester soil carbon and minimize nitrous oxide and methane emissions was published in OFRF’s Organic Practices for Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Carbon Sequestration.

We know organic practices can play a key role in addressing climate change and we are committed to supporting and furthering the exciting potential of organic practices to offset greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.

Science is critical to developing policy recommendations that optimize the net climate impact of agriculture, and we will continue to partner on a national level to both develop and put forth those recommendations.

Read statements of support for the Agriculture Resilience Act here.

To learn more about the Agriculture Resilience Act, visit: https://pingree.house.gov/netzeroagriculture/

February 18, 2020 – The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) have released two national organic surveys—one for certified organic producers and the other for producers transitioning to organic certification. This collaborative effort is part of a USDA-funded project seeking to learn more about the challenges and research priorities of organic farmers and ranchers, and those transitioning land to certified organic production.

OFRF, OSA, and a broad coalition of organic champions were instrumental in securing an increase in federal funding for organic research from $20M to $50M in the 2018 Farm Bill. This increase provides an unprecedented opportunity for researchers to tackle the challenges that inhibit the growth of organic production—strong farmer participation in these surveys is critical to informing that investment.

Survey results will be published in updated versions of OFRF’s National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) report and OSA’s State of Organic Seed (SOS) report, both of which have been invaluable resources for ensuring research funding is relevant and responsive to the needs of organic producers, while also identifying gaps where additional investment is necessary. By collaborating on these surveys, OFRF and OSA hope to reduce survey fatigue and increase grower participation.

“OFRF is committed to advancing the research needed to meet the current challenges of organic farming, with the goal of creating a more resilient and ecologically sustainable agricultural system,” said OFRF’s Executive Director, Brise Tencer.

“Understanding the research needs of organic farmers, including in the area of seed and plant breeding, is critical to the ongoing growth and success of organic agriculture,” Hubbard adds.

If you are a certified organic farmer/rancher, please respond to this survey:

www.opinion.wsu.edu/organicproduction

If you are a farmer/rancher transitioning to certified organic production (this means no land currently certified organic), please take this transitioning producer survey:

www.opinion.wsu.edu/transitionproducers

The survey is being administered by Washington State University and all responses will be kept confidential. Questions about the survey may be directed to Lauren Scott at lauren.n.scott@wsu.edu or 1-800-833-0867.

The project is supported by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) grant no. 2019-51300-30249 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is a non-profit foundation that works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.

Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) is a non-profit that works nationally to advance ethical seed solutions to meet food and farming needs in a changing world. Through research, education, and advocacy, OSA fosters organic seed systems that are democratic and just, support human and environmental health, and deliver genetically diverse and regionally adapted seed to farmers everywhere.

Haley Baron and Kelsey Grimsley at OFRF table at EcoFarm

February 5, 2020 – It was an extra special EcoFarm Conference this year because OFRF had four of our team members attending and participating. We coordinated two workshops at EcoFarm and had a booth in the trade show for the first time ever. It was also a chance to see many old friends, farmers, partner organizations, and board alumni. 

Being at EcoFarm was a further reminder that farmers, agriculture service providers, and more crave information not only about organic farming but also how to make their voices heard. We had 40 people attend the workshop on “Farmer Inspired Research,” during which OFRF shared how our newly funded research projects address grower needs. We also gave a sneak peek at our 2020 national survey of organic farmers (launching soon!) and how it will inform our next National Organic Research Agenda.

We had over 80 people at our “Setting Beginning Organic Farmers up For Success” workshop. Attendees were eager to squeeze in as many questions as possible with our speakers who focused on the guiding principles behind building healthy soils, and the strategy and record-keeping necessary to successfully crop plan and bring products to market. 

At the Legislator Town Hall Friday evening, OFRF’s Executive Director, Brise Tencer, introduced California Congressman Jimmy Panetta and Karen Ross, the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Conversation topics ran the gamut from climate change to how citizens can stay involved in agriculture policy.

And when we weren’t meeting new and old friends or moderating our sessions, we caught a few stunning sunsets over at Asilomar State Beach.