Something to be Grateful For: Northeastern State Secretaries of Agriculture Send Letter to Secretary Rollins about OREI

Something to be Grateful For: Northeastern State Secretaries of Agriculture Send Letter to Secretary Rollins about OREI

By |2025-12-09T09:02:15-05:00December 5th, 2025|Gordon's Policy Corner, News|

Written by Vinnie Trometter and Gordon Merrick of OFRF’s Policy Team

Before we all rushed to our dinner tables for Thanksgiving, we at the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), organic agriculture researchers, and organic farmers were thankful for actions taken by several state capitols across the country. 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.

OFRF’s policy team spurred this effort because we wanted to make sure that state departments of agriculture were aware that their land-grant universities did not have an opportunity to apply for the largest organic research program under USDA despite it being a permanent and mandatory program under the Farm Bill. OREI represents $50 million out of the $72.5 million which USDA dedicates to answering organic farmer’s questions each year. However, USDA did not release an RFA for the program for FY25, resulting in zero awards being given out. Consequently, researchers have endured disruptions in the continuation of their work and in the delayed study of organic topics that focus on many new and emerging issues facing organic farmers.

OREI recipients are overwhelmingly agriculture researchers at land-grant universities who develop projects in partnership with working certified-organic farms. These projects are critical steps towards finding ways to unlock organic producers’ ability to be more productive and better market their goods. The need for programs that study organic productivity and supply chains is becoming increasingly important because the U.S. has a spiraling organic trade deficit and has lost more than 16% of its certified acreage since 2021. Yet at the same time, domestic demand for organically produced goods grew 5.2% last year, more than double the rate of the overall marketplace.

Shortly after the release of this letter, OFRF received word from USDA that FY2026 OREI funding will include all of FY2025’s monies, which is an outcome we are very thankful for. State-level advocacy is an important and effective strategy that OFRF uses to inform federal officials about the localized impacts of federal policy.

We encourage organic farmers, researchers, and stakeholders to engage with their state representatives, senators, and departments of agriculture to amplify their challenges and successes as it comes to deployment of federal funds targeting organic agriculture research topics.

If you want to read more blogs like this, sign up for our newsletter here; if you want to take a next step in engaging with the policy process at a local, state, or federal level, sign up for our free, email-based Communicating with Legislators course!

Eat well and breathe deep,

Vinnie and Gordon

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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

By |2025-12-03T20:26:34-05:00December 2nd, 2025|Farmer Stories, FLT Highlight, News|

Investigating Seeding Rate of Cover Crops for Biomass and Nutrient Content

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager, and Anthony Reyes, FLT Program participant

Anthony Reyes, FLT Program Participant. Photo credit Washington Soil Health Initiative, https://washingtonsoilhealthinitiative.com/2025/02/soil-health-ambassador-anthony-reyes-cover-crops/

Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center is a nonprofit farm in the floodplains of Snoqualmie Valley, WA. Anthony Reyes, the Agricultural Program Manager, manages 81 acres of certified organic land by experimenting and trialing climate adaptive and resilient agricultural practices. Along with his team, he works to reconcile our expanding human needs and the health of our ecosystem through sustainable agriculture, thoughtful management of our forests, ecological restoration, and education.

Oxbow Farm cultivates a variety of different crops well suited to the Snoqualmie Valley floodplain, and maintains a crop rotation to allow the soil to recover and regenerate. Anthony strategically removes fields from production each year and leaves them fallowed in cover crop to help protect the watershed, build up nutrients, and manage weeds, pests, and diseases.

Finding a Cover Crop that Works

Anthony was interested in understanding how to find a cover crop that would meet the needs of the farm – managing climatic challenges, erosion, and weed pressure. Ideally, anything that would be planted would help add biomass and could withstand drought conditions. Manipulating the seeding rate of the cover crops had been one way that the farm had considered better coverage of the soil, and Anthony was curious if the recommended seeding rate was the right density for their soil.

Farm Trial Plan

A portion of the cover cropped trial field.

With technical support from OFRF, Anthony is investigating the impact of seeding rate on biomass and nutrient content for German Foxtail, Pearl Millet, and Sudex cover crops. He will plant single varieties at two different seeding rates: the recommended rate and 25% above the recommended drilling rate.

The trial was arranged in  a randomized complete block design, with 24 rows, each 100’ x 10’ wide, with 1’ pathways and borders on outside rows. Each of the 4 replications contained  6 plots (3 varieties at 2 different seeding rates), for a total of 24 plots.

Measurements were taken from a random 3×3’ quadrat from each plot, including a biomass and leaf tissue sample. These samples were sent to Ward Lab for analysis of biomass, nutrient content, dry matter, and C:N ratio of the crop matter.

Trial updates

The quadrat samples were taken in September and lab results were returned in late October. The OFRF team is now reviewing the data with Anthony, for a full report on how the trial went and findings from the data.

Trial fields at Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

“I have long been interested in conducting and furthering our on-farm research, having worked on and set up many trials throughout my career. The Farmer-Led Trial Program goes beyond and centers the experience and voice of farmers by identifying us as the content experts and by playing a highly supportive and facilitative role in creating sound research from our identified goals. I have greatly valued the time and care given by OFRF staff and am so appreciative of this program.” 

– Anthony Reyes, Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

An overhead drone shot of Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center

This is part of a series of blogs highlighting farmers who are participating in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program. Farmers receive technical support to address their production challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/ 

To learn more about Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center, visit their website at https://www.oxbow.org/ 

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Organic Agriculture Research Programs at the USDA

By |2025-11-25T11:47:36-05:00November 25th, 2025|Uncategorized|

The USDA agencies and programs outlined below are the primary drivers of organic research and extension activities.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – Research into organic agriculture topics

USDA’s in-house research agency, ARS operates labs and field stations nationwide. Organic research has included projects on cover crop integration in vegetable systems in CA, organic dairy herd health in WI, and long-term crop trials in MD.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) – Competitive Grant Programs

While ARS conducts research for the USDA, NIFA’s mission is to provide grants to research institutions, including ARS and the Land-Grant Universities.

  • Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) – The flagship NIFA competitive grant program is dedicated to organic agricultural research. It supports research, education, and extension programs that enhance the ability of organic producers and processors to grow and market high-quality products.
  • Organic Transitions Program (ORG) – Awards grants for production and competitive-based agricultural issues, especially for farmers transitioning to organic production systems.
  • Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) – USDA’s longest-running sustainable agriculture grants program. While not exclusively organic, SARE has funded thousands of farmer-driven projects, including many led by organic and transitioning producers.
  • Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) – SCRI is a NIFA competitive grant program that provides resources for research and extension projects for the specialty crop industry. Organic’s share of SCRI-funded projects is highly variable — as low as 3% in 2023, but as high as 13% in 2021 — depending on applicant pool and USDA priorities.
  • Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) – AFRI is a research, education, and extension competitive grant program that covers a wide range of topics, from improving rural economies, increasing food production, ensuring food safety and security, enhancing human nutrition, and training the next generation of the agricultural workforce. A range of 2-5% of AFRI funds are awarded to organic topics on an annual basis.

The best way to get these updates from OFRF is to Join the OFRF newsletter.

OFRF’s newsletter provides regular updates to organic agriculture research program at the USDA, including timeline updates, announcements of USDA’s calls for proposals, and advocacy updates via Gordon’s Policy Corner.  We also provide details on how farmers, researchers, and advocates can work with us to protect and bolster federal support for organic farmers and researchers in the US.

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USDA NIFA Announces 2025 Organic Transitions Program Awards

By |2025-11-20T12:57:32-05:00November 20th, 2025|News|

November 20, 2025

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.

Photo of electric weed control equipment from https://theweedzapper.oldschoolmanufacturing.com/electric-weed-control-organic-farms/

The ORG program funds research and extension work that help those farmers stay competitive during the transition process, while also strengthening our understanding of the ecological benefits related to organic production. This program prioritizes the development of educational tools for farmers, technical service providers, and extension to support a farm during the sometimes tumultuous transition process.

The awards announced are going to Land Grant Universities across the country, and taken together, these projects are tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing organic and transitioning farms. 

The projects represent a continued step towards supporting practical, farmer-focused science that will help more producers transition successfully to organic systems, maintain profitability, and meet growing consumer demand for organic food. 

They also highlight the continued importance of programs like ORG and the Organic Research and Extension Initiative in driving innovation across the organic sector and beyond. We are looking forward to the release of the FY26 OREI and ORG Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs).

Want to stay in the know about opportunities for funding like this? Sign up for our newsletter.

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OFRF Launches National Organic Farmer Survey to Shape the Future of Organic Agriculture

By |2025-11-19T14:04:05-05:00November 19th, 2025|News, Press Release|

SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Nov. 19, 2025 — The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has launched its 2025-2026 National Organic Farmer Survey, a nationwide effort to understand the challenges, priorities, and needs of organic and transitioning farmers. The survey will remain open through January 31, 2026, and will inform research, education, and policy decisions that directly impact the future of organic agriculture in the United States and across North America.

Since 1990, OFRF has worked to support the producers who grow the nation’s food and fiber. Farmer input is central to the organization’s work. 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.

“Organic farmers are experts in their fields, and their perspectives must guide decisions about agricultural research, education, and policy,” said Brise Tencer, executive director of OFRF. “This survey ensures that investments in the organic sector reflect the real needs of producers on the ground.”

The survey is open to all certified and in-transition organic farmers nationwide. Participation takes approximately 25 minutes, and upon completion, all respondents will receive a discount code to Johnny’s Selected Seeds and have the opportunity to enter to win prizes, including boots from The Original Muck Boot Company, FELCO pruners, and a farm consultation with a veteran organic farming expert.

Dr. Alex Woodley, associate professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at North Carolina State University, emphasizes the importance of this survey: “It’s important to make it clear that the surveys OFRF conducts on farmers’ needs are incredibly valuable. I’ve used the results to justify knowledge gaps in my grants, and that’s been really important. Getting a pulse on what farmers need right now is something we don’t always know—especially because I’m in research, not full Extension—so these surveys have been really important to me.”

Farmers can access by emailing communications[at]ofrf.org. The survey is available in English and Spanish, and paper copies are available upon request. The 2022 NORA report, which shares the findings from the most recent survey, can be found at www.ofrf.org/research/nora/.

– end – 

About Organic Farming Research Foundation

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), headquartered in Santa Cruz, California, with a remote team based across the U.S., 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. For more information about OFRF, please visit our website: www.ofrf.org.

 

Media Contact

Ashley Dulaney, Communications Director, OFRF
ashley[at]ofrf.org, ‪(518) 310-6771‬‬
P.O. Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061

Photo in featured image: Claire Lichtenfels, Whitestone Mountain Orchard in Tonasket, WA

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Advancing Organic Agriculture: Examining How to Make the Midwest a Center of Organic Oat and Buckwheat Production with Congressman Scott Fitzgerald

By |2025-11-11T10:09:01-05:00November 10th, 2025|News|

Different buckwheat flour formulations are being tested by evaluating different milling techniques. This photo shows light (left) vs. dark (right) buckwheat flours, which have different flavor and texture properties.

By Dr. Nicole Tautges with support from Vinnie Trometter, OFRF Policy Manager

As the Research Director of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in Wisconsin, I recently had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Scott Fitzgerald’s (R-WI-05) staff to discuss how the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program supports our research developing markets and supply chains for Midwestern organic oat and buckwheat producers.

Growing Small Grains for Big Impact

Carbohydrates make up about 75% of the calories in a typical diet, with most of those carbohydrate calories coming from grains. However, grains have received very little attention in terms of origins/sourcing, health benefits, quality factors, and organic share of consumption. Even for basic grain items like wheat flour, few consumers know where their flour comes from, or the differences among grains other than wheat.

This is where organic oat and buckwheat come in. Not only can these grains replace wheat for many uses but they are also more nutritious and excel in organic crop rotations. Our research focuses on how the Midwest can become a center of oat and buckwheat production in the United States. There is much work to do considering most of the oat and buckwheat consumed in the country is imported. However, there is no reason why these grains cannot be grown right here in the Midwest if the right markets and supply chains are in place.

Our research seeks to accomplish this by highlighting the nutritional and crop rotation benefits while building the knowledge and supply chains needed to make these grains more widely available. We do this by organizing focus groups with farmers and other grain supply chain actors to understand what the problems are, and design research trials to address management knowledge constraints.

Oat variety trial—different oat varieties that are currently available are being tested in organic production environments (oats are typically not bred under organic conditions, and can perform differently in organic production systems).

Our trials cover all segments of the oat and buckwheat supply chain. On the grower side, we intend to perform organic fertility trials to improve nutrient recommendations for growers. For example, we are testing no-till establishment of spring oats, which helps ensure earlier planting and higher-quality food-grade oats. We have also completed a trial that demonstrates buckwheat can be planted after small grain harvest in the same season, with enough time to produce a harvestable crop. On the processing side, we are performing milling and processing trials with oats and buckwheat. Lastly, we are performing product testing with consumers, to better understand consumer preferences and to provide guidance to organic grain millers.

Collaboration and Networking are Key to Success

We are collaborating on this project with partners such as Dr. Jacob Jungers at the University of Minnesota, the Artisan Grain Collaborative, Rooster Milling in East Troy, WI, and several dedicated organic farmers across the Upper Midwest.

To share our results, we host field days, present at grower conferences, give webinars, and post videos on YouTube and Facebook. These efforts ensure that both farmers and consumers can see what’s happening and why it matters.

Support from the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) has been fundamental for us. OREI is one of the few USDA programs that consistently supports organic research, which has often been neglected compared to conventional agriculture, despite rising consumer demand for agrochemical-free food.

Sharing Organic Research with Midwest Policymakers

It is important now more than ever to communicate to our legislators how organic agriculture research plays out on the ground. Agricultural science can feel abstract and difficult to understand for those outside the field. And let’s be honest—scientists aren’t always the best communicators! By sharing names, faces, and stories from real farms, we help policymakers connect research to human impact in their districts.

Buckwheat is a pseudocereal and a staple grain of northeastern Europe. It is actually in the rhubarb family! It has a pyramidal shaped grain (the dark brown part of the flower as seen above) that can be milled into flour, or dehulled and the “groat” eaten in porridge or granola.

I feel confident that I connected human impact with our research when I spoke with Congressman Fitzgerald’s staff. I deeply appreciated how receptive his office was to learning about innovative farming practices happening right here in the 1st Wisconsin Congressional District and across the Midwest. With so many demands on their time, it meant a lot to see agriculture innovation recognized as important.

I’m incredibly grateful to the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) for facilitating this meeting. Without their support, I wouldn’t have had the chance to share our stories directly with lawmakers.

Looking ahead, whether it be research trials or policymaker conversations, our work is about building bridges—between farms and markets, between science and consumers, and between research and policy. Oats and buckwheat may be small grains, but they represent a big opportunity for healthier diets, more resilient farming systems, and stronger local food economies in the Midwest.

Use Your Voice

Interested in sharing your research with legislators and the importance of continued public investment in organic research? Enroll in OFRF’s self-paced email course, Communicating with Legislators. This free, educational workshop is designed to equip researchers within the organic farming community with the tools and resources they need to effectively engage with and educate policymakers about the impact of their work.

Dr. Nicole Tautges

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How OFRF is Building Bipartisan Support for Organic Research Programs in Congress

By |2025-11-05T13:00:46-05:00November 5th, 2025|Gordon's Policy Corner, News|

Written by Vinnie Trometter and Gordon Merrick

As we alluded in last month’s Policy Corner, there is some semblance of good news legislatively regarding OFRF’s policy priorities!  Reps. Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) introduced OFRF’s flagship marker bill, the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act in the House of Representatives with broad sector support. With a companion bill already introduced in the Senate by Sens. Fetterman (D-PA) and Schiff (D-CA), this legislation is now introduced in both chambers.

At its core, the OSRI Act is about finally investing in the research capacity needed to keep pace with a fast-growing organic sector. This bill would:

  • Increase funding for the only two USDA research programs dedicated to organic research: the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and the Organic Transitions Program (ORG).
  • Direct USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area to catalog existing organic research and recommend pathways to expand the work.
  • Charge the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) to examine the economic impact of organic agriculture on rural and urban communities.
  • Continue the growth of the Organic Data Initiative, ensuring robust market and production data remains available to farmers, businesses, researchers, and policymakers.

Taken together, these provisions would strengthen the scientific foundation of organic agriculture, ensure farmers have access to regionally relevant research, and support a new generation of scientists committed to agroecological approaches.

Bipartisan By Design

The bipartisan approach we are pursuing is an intentional attempt to communicate that the growth of the organic agriculture sector is a national priority, not a partisan project, and we aim to have the cosponsor list reflect that reality.

While quiet support for organic agriculture does exist across both parties, public leadership on organic issues has historically been stronger among Democrats. That’s shifting. Interest in soil health, regenerative systems, and farmer-driven innovation is growing in Republican circles, but many offices prefer to see key agricultural interests and members support policies before they cosponsor legislation.

This strategy is especially important because the House introduction occurred at the outset of what has become the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. In an environment where basic governing has become difficult, moving new legislation requires patience, persistence, and a fundamentally nonpartisan posture. That is exactly how OFRF operates, and we are here to meet this moment.

Moving Forward

Because of the current political landscape exacerbated by the current shutdown, Farm Bill 2.0 discussions have slowed to a standstill. But this pause also creates space. As Congress turns back toward core Farm Bill negotiations in the coming months, the OSRI Act is well-positioned to gain traction, especially if organic research is understood as an economic development and competitiveness package rather than a niche priority.

That’s why your outreach matters.

Over the coming months, OFRF will continue to share targeted district-level information, elevate producer voices, and build bipartisan support so that organic research is properly valued, and fully funded, in the next Farm Bill. Check out our Communicating with Legislators course and reach out to us to get started!

OFRF and our allies are continuing to meet with Congressional offices to highlight how organic research delivers tangible benefits to farmers through practical tools to strengthen on farm resilience, expanded market opportunities, and rural economic revitalization.

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. Farmers are on the front lines of climate disruption and supply-chain volatility, and organic research projects have actively provided methods to help them continue to thrive.

When the tide rises for organic research, all producers benefit.

Stay tuned for more, and thanks for being in this work with us.

Vinnie and Gordon

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Funding On-Farm Innovation: SARE Farmer/Rancher Grants

By |2025-11-11T15:43:28-05:00October 30th, 2025|News, TOPP West|

By Gordon Merrick, Policy Program Director at OFRF

Versión en español a continuación.

At the Organic Farming Research Foundation, we’ve seen firsthand that some of the most meaningful innovation happens on working farms, not just research plots. When farmers take the lead in experimenting and observing what works on their land, they build confidence, share new knowledge, and drive progress across the organic movement. That’s the spirit behind our Farmer-Led Trials Program—and the reason why we’re excited to release a new toolkit to help producers who utilize organic farming systems to access the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher Grant Program.

SARE provides direct funding for producers to test ideas and share solutions with their communities. This toolkit is designed to make that process more accessible than ever for organic and transitioning-to-organic producers.

What Is the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program?

A farmer leans down in a field with a clip board, conducting research.The SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to producers who have designed their own research projects and teams. This program aims to award funding to projects that address real-world, on-farm challenges and include both research and outreach components.

Farmers and ranchers apply as the Principal Investigator and work with Technical Advisors, like Extension agents, university researchers, or nonprofit organizations. Together, they run projects lasting one to three years, testing new practices while sharing their findings with others.

The 2026 Call for Proposals was recently released and offers a funding limit of $15,000-35,000 for projects, depending on your region! 

For farms in the SARE Western Region

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)

  • Up to $35,000 of funding available for 1-3 year projects. 
  • The submission deadline is Noon (12 pm Mountain Time) on November 20, 2025, and projects must start between May and October of 2026. Learn more and apply here.

For farms in the SARE North Central Region

(North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

  • Up to $15,000 of funding for individuals, and up to $30,000 for teams, available for 23 month projects. 
  • The submission deadline is 4 pm Central Time on December 4, 2025. Learn more and apply here.

For farms in the SARE Southern Region

(Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands)

  • Up to $20,000 of funding for individuals, and up to $25,000 for teams, available for 2 year projects. 
  • The submission deadline is Noon (12 pm Eastern Time) on December 5, 2025. Learn more and apply here.

Why Does SARE Matter for Organic and Transitioning-To-Organic Producers?

Organic producers have long been at the forefront of innovation, whether experimenting with cover cropping strategies, biological pest and disease controls, diversified rotations, or the interaction of all of these different practices.

Research shows that farmers benefit greatly when they lead on-farm research trials at their farms. Conducting your own research allows you to address your farm-specific questions and has historically supported the adoption and innovation of sustainable agricultural practices worldwide.

Programs like SARE’s Farmer/Rancher Grant Program give farmers the opportunity to test what works under real conditions on their farms and ensure that knowledge benefits others in their communities.

The outreach component required by the program guarantees that the benefits extend beyond a single farm. For operations transitioning to organic certification, this grant offers a valuable chance to research how best to manage that transition, making it easier for others to follow suit.

How To Get Started With a SARE Proposal

Our new toolkit walks you through the process, from project idea to submission, offering resources and general guidance tailored to organic operations. There are five primary steps:

  • Define Your Project Idea. Think about a real challenge on your farm. Use the SARE project database to make sure you’re not repeating a funded study, and ask how the project will improve sustainability for more than just your farm.
  • Build Your Team. In the Western region, a Technical Advisor is required, ideally this is a preexisting relationship with an Extension agent, university researcher, or a non-profit organization. In the North Central and Southern regions, you can apply as an individual farm, or as part of a group of multiple farms.
  • Design the Research and Outreach. Outline your methods, timeline, budget, and outreach plan. Use our free guidebook, Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research, to support you at every step of this process.
  • Submit Your Application Before Your Region’s Deadline. The best way to avoid any technical difficulties is to submit your application earlier than the deadline, and to make sure you have an active account on their platform!
  • Conduct Your Research and Share What You Learn. If awarded, you’ll conduct the research you’ve outlined and then report results, host outreach activities, and help build the region’s body of applied research and connected producers.

SARE In Action

Across the country, past SARE-funded projects have examined a wide range of topics. In the western region, a few funded projects look at organic pest control in pastured pork production and varroa mite management for beekeepers in Hawaii. These are tangible, farmer-driven projects that answer real questions and create resilient resources others can use—exactly the kind of work this grant aims to support.

Farmer-led research isn’t just a nice idea; it is essential for advancing organic production systems that are resilient, profitable, and rooted in ecological stewardship. With this toolkit and the updated SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Program, we hope you’ll see a clear path to turning your ideas into action.

When good ideas aren’t kept bottled up, but are spread and shared abundantly within communities, that’s when real change happens.

All of this information is summarized in a printable, downloadable PDF.

visual of the first page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF
visual of the second page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF

Fondos para proyectos de innovación en la granja: becas de SARE para agricultores / ganaderos

En la Fundación de Investigación de Agricultura Orgánica (Organic Farming Research Foundation), hemos visto de primera mano que algunas de las innovaciones más significativas ocurren en granjas en funcionamiento, no solo en parcelas de investigación. Cuando los agricultores toman la iniciativa de experimentar y observar lo que funciona en sus tierras, generan confianza, comparten nuevos conocimientos e impulsan el progreso en todo el movimiento orgánico. Ese es el espíritu detrás de nuestro Programa de Ensayos Dirigidos por Agricultores, y la razón por la que estamos entusiasmados de lanzar un nuevo conjunto de herramientas para ayudar a los productores que utilizan sistemas de agricultura orgánica a acceder al Programa de becas para agricultores/ganaderos de Investigación y Educación en Agricultura Sostenible (SARE).

SARE proporciona fondos directos para que los productores prueben ideas y compartan soluciones con sus comunidades. Este kit de herramientas está diseñado para hacer que ese proceso sea más accesible que nunca para los productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos.

¿Qué es el Programa de Investigación y Educación sobre Agricultura Sostenible?

A farmer leans down in a field with a clip board, conducting research.El Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE es un programa de becas competitivo que proporciona fondos a los productores que han diseñado sus propios proyectos y equipos de investigación. Este programa tiene como objetivo otorgar fondos a proyectos que abordan desafíos del mundo real en la granja e incluyen componentes de investigación y divulgación.

Los agricultores y ganaderos se postulan como Investigador Principal y trabajan con Asesores Técnicos, como agentes de extensión, investigadores universitarios u organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Juntos, ejecutan proyectos que duran de uno a tres años, probando nuevas prácticas mientras comparten sus hallazgos con otros.

¡La Convocatoria de Propuestas 2026 se publicó recientemente y ofrece un límite de financiamiento de $15,000-35,000 por proyecto, dependiendo de la región!

Para granjas en la región occidental de SARE

(Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawái, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Nuevo México, Oregón, Utah, Washington y Wyoming)

  • Hasta $35,000 de financiación para proyectos de 1 a 3 años.
  • La fecha límite de presentación es el mediodía (12 pm hora de la montaña) del 20 de noviembre de 2025, y los proyectos deben comenzar entre mayo y octubre de 2026. Obtenga más información y presente su solicitud aquí.

Para granjas en la región central norte de SARE

(Dakota del Norte, Dakota del Sur, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio)

Para granjas en la región sur de SARE

(Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Carolina del Sur, Carolina del Norte, Virginia, Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de EE. UU.)

¿Por qué es importante SARE para productores orgánicos y en transición a orgánicos?

Los productores orgánicos han estado durante mucho tiempo a la vanguardia de la innovación, ya sea experimentando con estrategias de cultivos de cobertura, controles biológicos de plagas y enfermedades, rotaciones diversificadas o la interacción de todas estas prácticas diferentes.

La investigación muestra que los agricultores se benefician enormemente cuando lideran ensayos de investigación en sus granjas. Realizando su propia investigación le permite abordar sus preguntas específicas de la granja e históricamente ha apoyado la adopción e innovación de prácticas agrícolas sostenibles en todo el mundo.

Programas como el Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE brindan a los agricultores la oportunidad de probar lo que funciona en condiciones reales en sus granjas y garantizar que el conocimiento beneficie a otros en sus comunidades.

El componente de divulgación requerido por el programa garantiza que los beneficios se extiendan más allá de una sola granja. Para las operaciones que hacen la transición a la certificación orgánica, esta beca ofrece una valiosa oportunidad para investigar la mejor manera de gestionar esa transición, lo que facilita que otros sigan su ejemplo.

Cómo empezar con una propuesta de SARE

Nuestro nuevo kit de herramientas lo guía a través del proceso, desde la idea del proyecto hasta la presentación, ofreciendo recursos y orientación general adaptados a las operaciones orgánicas. Hay cinco pasos principales:

  • Defina su idea de proyecto. Piense en un verdadero desafío en su granja. Utilice la base de datos del proyecto SARE para asegurarse de que no está repitiendo un estudio financiado y pregunte cómo el proyecto mejorará la sostenibilidad para algo más que su granja.
  • Construya su equipo. En la región occidental, se requiere un Asesor Técnico, idealmente se trata de una relación preexistente con un agente de Extensión, investigador universitario o una organización sin fines de lucro.
  • Diseñar la investigación y la divulgación. Describa sus métodos, cronograma, presupuesto y plan de divulgación. Utilice nuestra guía gratuita Guía Para Agricultores: Cómo Realizar Investigación en Su Campo para apoyarle en cada paso de este proceso
  • Envíe su solicitud antes de la fecha límite de su región. La mejor manera de evitar cualquier dificultad técnica es enviar su solicitud antes de la fecha límite y asegurarse de tener una cuenta activa en su plataforma.

Realice su investigación y comparta lo que aprende. Si se le otorga, llevará a cabo la investigación que ha descrito y luego informará los resultados, organizará actividades de divulgación y ayudará a construir el cuerpo de investigación aplicada y productores conectados de la región.

SARE en acción

En todo el país, los proyectos anteriores financiados por SARE han examinado una amplia gama de temas. En la región occidental, algunos proyectos financiados analizan el control orgánico de plagas en la producción de carne de cerdo de pastoreo y el manejo de ácaros varroa para apicultores en Hawái. Estos son proyectos tangibles impulsados por agricultores que responden preguntas reales y crean recursos resilientes que otros pueden usar, exactamente el tipo de trabajo que esta beca pretende apoyar.

Conclusión

La investigación dirigida por agricultores no es solo una buena idea; Es esencial para avanzar en sistemas de producción orgánica que sean resilientes, rentables y arraigados en la administración ecológica. Con este kit de herramientas y el Programa de Becas para Agricultores/Ganaderos de SARE actualizado, esperamos que vea un camino claro para convertir sus ideas en acción.

Cuando las buenas ideas no se mantienen reprimidas, sino que se difunden y comparten abundantemente dentro de las comunidades, es cuando ocurre el cambio real.

Toda esta información se resume en un PDF imprimible y descargable.

first page of a SARE info flyer created by OFRF in Spanish
visual of the second page of a SARE flyer made by OFRF

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The Organic Science and Research Investment Act: What It Is and How It Benefits All Farmers

By |2025-10-30T13:30:19-04:00October 27th, 2025|Gordon's Policy Corner, News|

By Gordon Merrick, OFRF Policy Program Director

Ensuring that there are sufficient research resources for organic producers is central to OFRF’s mission and represents the backbone of a resilient food system. That’s why we’re proud to announce that we have led the development of a letter urging Congress to include the Organic Science and Research Investment (OSRI) Act in the next Farm Bill, just introduced this month by Representatives Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17). This bill provides substantial support and funding for agricultural research programming that benefits all farmers, from those certified organic, transitioning to organic farming, and those who are not certified. The bipartisan introduction of the OSRI Act builds on the collaborative work with Senator John Fetterman’s (D-PA) and Senator Alex Schiff’s (D-CA) offices to introduce this bill in the Senate earlier this year.

What Is the Organic Science and Research Investment Act?

The OSRI Act would strategically identify and expand the USDA’s investments into organic research and data programs. Key provisions include:

  • Coordinating and Expanding Organic Research Initiative – Directs USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics agencies to catalog and strengthen organic research, ensuring coordination and growth across programs.
  • Increased funding for Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) – Steps up funding from $60 million in 2026 to $100 million by 2031, while expanding priorities to include climate change, organic alternatives to prohibited substances, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
  • Authorization of Researching the Transition to Organic Program (RTOP) – Provides Congressional authorization for the RTOP, currently known as the Organic Transitions Research Program (ORG), with $10 million annually from 2026–27 and $12 million from 2028–31.
  • Doubling funding for the Organic Data Initiative (ODI) – $10 million over the life of the Farm Bill to improve data for risk management and market development, while directing ERS to conduct a comprehensive study of the economic impacts of organic agriculture.

These policies directly respond to the reality that organic agriculture currently represents over 6% of U.S. food sales and 15% of produce sales, yet the USDA’s investments into organic-applicable research are less than 2% of research budgets.  Importantly, organic agricultural research is applicable to all farm operations, while research into more efficient use of synthetic inputs, or compatibility of genetic engineering with chemistry applications can never apply to an organic farm.

How Does the OSRI Act Help All Farmers?

Investing in organic agriculture research isn’t just about advancing one production system; it’s about giving farmers across the United States the tools, knowledge, and resources to stay resilient in the face of a variety of consistent issues, from climate disruptions and volatile supply chains to rapidly changing market dynamics. While the OSRI Act focuses on organic systems, the innovations developed through these programs regularly spill over to the broader agricultural sector. From cover cropping to integrated pest management, organic innovations often set the stage for widespread adoption of ecologically sustainable and economically beneficial practices and systems. Ultimately, these investments empower farmers to make the right choices for their land and market opportunities.

Alongside this direct benefit to farmers through answering questions and addressing agronomic issues, this research funding also flows to the rural communities that host agricultural research stations. According to analysis done by the Economic Research Service, for every $1 invested into agricultural research, over $20 of economic benefit is triggered, both through the project work itself—which can be high-paying and not require an advanced degree—but also through the long-term gains in farm profitability and competitiveness that are the backbones of rural economies.

Broad Support for the OSRI Act Exists, You Can Help!

OFRF is joined by over 100 farms, businesses, and organizations from across the country in signing a letter urging the House Agriculture Committee to incorporate OSRI into the Farm Bill.  But there is always more we can do to ensure Congress understands the importance of this bill and the policies it represents.

You can help strengthen the future of agricultural research by:

Please reach out if you have any questions about how to get involved, we’re here to help! Contact gordon[at]ofrf.org

. . . . .

Support for the OSRI Act:

“Investing in organic agriculture research helps farmers and communities improve resiliency to both climate and supply chain disruption. These research programs build essential knowledge that empowers regionally appropriate organic programs to thrive. In turn, the benefits ripple across society by lifting rural communities, strengthening organic supply chains, and expanding healthy options for consumers.” – Renaud des Rosiers, Amy’s Kitchen

“The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition strongly endorses the Organic Science and Research Investment Act (OSRI Act). The OSRI Act makes meaningful investments in providing organic producers with the research and tools they need to continue to improve upon already resilient farming systems and meet the growing market demand for organic products. A boost in funding for scientific research and economic data and analysis within NIFA and ARS will support both organic and conventional agricultural producers so they can sustain and improve their operations while helping us reach meaningful solutions for the climate crisis.” – Nick Rossi, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

“Research is critical to the growth of the organic sector, which is an extraordinarily important tool in mitigating the threats to health, biodiversity, and climate.”  – Jay Feldman, Beyond Pesticides

“Expanding American consumers’ access to healthy foods, free of synthetic pesticides, will significantly contribute to Making America Healthy Again. Organic agriculture remains the single best way to achieve this goal. Developing strong research and extension programs to support US organic agriculture are critical to the expansion of this important sector of our food economy.” – Matthew Grieshop, Grimm Family Center for Organic Production and Research at California Polytechnic State University

“Organic research is vital to maintain the backbone of critical agricultural efforts that help small-scale farmers and ensure that farming works for consumers as well.” – Colehour Bondera, Kanalani Ohana Farm

“Supporting the Organic Science and Research Investment Act means investing in soil health, the living foundation of organic farming and long-term sustainability.” – Karlin Warner, OneCert, Inc.

“We have heard time and time again from our local organic extension office that their organic extension agents serve more non-organic producers than they do already certified producers.  There is a lot of interest from non-organic producers in learning new and innovative ways to incorporate organic practices on their farms.  This reinforces what organic advocates have been suggesting for decades – that investments in organic research benefits ALL producers.” – Mike Dill, Organically Grown Company

“Strong, verifiable peer-reviewed research is needed to give organic farmers the tools that they need to be successful and competitive with sustainable organic cropping systems.   Funding research so that researchers, such as those in the American Society for Horticultural Science, can continue to develop innovative research-based solutions and technologies is critically important to farm success.” – Curt R Rom, American Society for Horticultural Science

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Addressing Challenges Farmers Face in the Great Lakes

By |2025-10-20T10:17:53-04:00October 16th, 2025|News|

The Organic Research Hub

By Brian Geier, OFRF Communications Manager. This article was originally published in the Fall 2025 Organic Broadcaster by Marbleseed.

Every day, farmers make decisions that can have short-term and long-term effects on our farms. And as organic farmers, we depend on complex, intertwining relationships amongst all the moving parts of an organic system to work with us: plants, animals, soils, climate, microbes, workers, insects, processors, consumers, and more. To put it mildly, good information is key for our success, and wrong or misguided information can be costly.

Many farmers will tell you that the best information comes from our experiences on the land. “A farmer’s footstep is the best fertilizer,” they say. Our second-best source of information, reflected in survey after survey, is the information farmers get from other farmers. Third may arguably be what we find using the internet. But there, we risk running into an overwhelming array of sources of info with varying degrees of reliability, which may or may not be accessible or useful to anyone, let alone organic farmers!

Introducing the Organic Research Hub

A new tool seeks to remedy this overwhelm, and it is worthy of a close look. The Organic Research Hub, launched in early 2025 by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), is a curated collection of scientific and technical resources to help organic farmers understand and solve their challenges. It is a gateway to research and resources that are applicable to organic farmers, and it is a connection place between farmers, researchers, technical service providers, and extension agents. 

Ohio dairy farmer Jordan Settlage, who serves on the Organic Stewardship Council for OFRF, described his first experience testing out the “Hub” at a recent advisory meeting:

“We’re changing our compost management right now, and I had some questions about it. I searched the site, and within about 30 seconds, I found the answers I was looking for. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a powerful tool. This is fantastic.’ What really stood out is that it wasn’t just some random person on YouTube or a questionable link from Google. The information came from Rodale and other credible sources. It was actually helpful—and I was able to make real management decisions based on what I read.” –Jordan Settlage, Settlage and Settlage Farms

The Hub is easy to use. It can be searched by typing a keyword, by selecting from one or more of 17 topics (for example, Cropping Systems, Tools and Technology, or Livestock Feeding), by choosing a USDA-SARE region, or filtering by production category. You can also combine these options for a more refined search. Let’s take a look at how it works, using the Great Lakes region as an example.

Challenges for Organic Farmers in the Great Lakes Agro-Ecoregion

The Great Lakes agro-ecoregion, as defined by the National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), includes Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. (National data and larger USDA-SARE regions, including the “Northcentral” region, are also used in the NORA report. Smaller agro-ecoregions like the Great Lakes are used to provide a finer scale of categorization that reflects geographical specialization of farm commodities, and regional differences in soil types, climates, and environmental stressors.) In the NORA report, Great Lakes organic farmers identified the following challenges:

  • The top production challenges are: controlling weeds (66% of respondents struggle with this), maintaining adequate yields (50%), and managing production costs (45%).
  • The non-production challenges are: finding and developing markets for organic products (56%) and accessing labor (52%).
  • The preferred source of information is other organic farmers (91% of respondents say so, a preference observed in all regions but strongest in the Great Lakes). 
  • The most influential methods for learning are field days, followed by printed materials, then online resources, and then conferences. 

The top concerns are organic fraud and integrity, industrial organic, crop contamination, imbalance of domestic certified organic supply and demand, and funds for organic research.

Addressing the Top Organic Production Challenge of the Great Lakes: Weed Management

What would an organic farmer find on the Hub if they chose the Weed Management topic and the North Central region? At the time of this writing, this search generates 19 resources that farmers in the Great Lakes may find helpful when addressing their #1 production issue.

For example, farmers using plastic mulches might be interested in a study at Michigan State University that looked at the effects of several weed prevention strategies (cultivation, dead mulch, living mulch cover crops, and mowing) between plastic mulch rows on weed control, soil health, and cash crop quality/yield. 

Producers interested in using reusable black tarps to smother weeds might note that in a recent study at Cornell, it only took 3 weeks to kill weeds with tarps, and results suggest that following tarping, mechanical cultivation, or field prep can be accomplished with less depth (and fuel). 

And, with other results from this search, any farmer could: 

Mike Lucas, of Farmacea in Munith, Michigan, like most organic farmers in the Great Lakes, is looking for ways to successfully address weed management. An on-farm research trial led by Farmacea is looking at comparing synthetic and living mulches. Results are forthcoming and will be available on the Hub. 

Resources for the Top Non-production Challenge: Finding and Navigating Markets

Over half of the organic farmers in the Great Lakes say that finding and navigating organic markets is a significant challenge. Looking at Hub results for the “Managing Production Costs: Business and Marketing” topic and the Northcentral region reveals an array of resources that provide valuable insights. 

There are podcasts like Field, Lab, Earth Podcast, where filmmaker Anders Gurda and agricultural professional Paul Dietmann discuss finding markets for organic grains and the business side of transitioning to organic. A video from the Organic Agronomy Training Service explains the opportunities with locking in prices for future sales using ‘forward contracts’. Another publication could help producers price organic products where organic markets may not already be established. And although not directly market-related, another search result is a podcast with farmer Tom Frantzen exploring the importance of long-term planning and thinking for organic farmers.

Organic Farming Extension Directory and Other Resources From OFRF

In addition to digital resources like factsheets, videos, and podcasts, farmers can now find a list of Extension agents and Technical Service Providers with organic expertise on the Hub. At the time of this writing, the Hub’s “Organic Farming Extension Directory” lists 15 organic farming experts in Wisconsin, two in Michigan, and nine in Minnesota. More specialists are expected to be added, and nominations are welcome (see below). 

In addition to the Hub and Directory, this Resource page is the go-to spot for OFRF factsheets, webinars, networking sessions, and farmer-led resources like this suite on Crop-Livestock Integration. The Advocacy page also hosts our Organic Research State-by-State factsheets, which detail the size of the organic market, the importance of organic research investments, local organic research projects, and regional research priorities in each state, including Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

Building and Farming Into the Future

The Hub and the Directory are living resources open to additions. Feedback or suggestions for additions can be submitted via this form or by contacting OFRF staff at the email on the form. If farmers, ranchers, researchers, extension agents, or anyone has suggestions for additions to these resources, OFRF welcomes your input! 

Results from on-farm trials being conducted by organic farmers in the Great Lakes are among the latest additions to the Hub. OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program provides financial and technical support to organic farmers to investigate and learn about solutions to their most pressing production challenges. Applications for the next round of FLT projects will be open this fall. Recent and forthcoming additions to the Hub from Great Lakes farmers in the FLT program include:

Results on anaerobic fermentation as a closed-loop farm-made fertilizer from Samantha Otto of The Woven Trifecta, in Whitehall, Michigan.

Samantha Otto, at The Woven Trifecta in western Michigan, leads an on-farm trial looking at incorporating waste from her livestock and compost into anaerobic ferments to improve soil fertility and plant health. Results are forthcoming and will be posted on the Hub.

Addressing the myriad of challenges organic farmers face is not easy or formulaic. We need relevant, updated information from a wide swath of science areas. We want to see real results on working farms. Our information needs to be specific to production systems and regional factors. The Hub is a powerful step in this direction, and I hope readers will join me in using it and sharing it.

Want to stay up-to-date with OFRF? The best way is to join our monthly newsletter, where you’ll receive alerts about new resources, upcoming events and webinars, paid internships with the organization, federal programs and funding for organic farmers and research, and policy updates relevant to the organic community.

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