We’re settling into our winter routine out right here at April Pleasure Farm. It’s what I name the season of deferred upkeep! Along with repairing and restoring, we’re organizing barns and the workshop, winterizing the packing shed, and mucking out the poultry coop. This can be a time of yr after I start to take inventory—wanting again at what has been and searching ahead to what could also be, so I can root myself squarely in what is critical on this second.
That is my first yr because the president of OFRF’s Board of Administrators however my sixth yr serving on the board. I’ve to say, the expansion and alter this yr has felt exponential. Within the final 5 years, the group has quietly been constructing essential networks and planting the seeds of latest goals, all whereas making certain the integrity of our foundational work. For me, 2024 marks the yr OFRF has bloomed profoundly—in outstanding and unexpectedly great methods.
Listed here are a number of highlights we’re most pleased with:
- This yr, we funded 10 farmer-led analysis tasks. You may learn tales about their tasks on our web site right here and view the recording of a latest undertaking recap from three farmers in this system.
- We launched a messaging marketing campaign to teach the general public about how natural is nice for the soil, biodiversity, and local weather: Natural Is Regenerative.
AND the Board lately authorized a brand new five-year strategic plan that:
- Helps farmers the place it issues most. Listening to natural producers is on the coronary heart of our work, and this plan strengthens our potential to supply them with the assets and assist they should thrive. One speedy end result is the formation of a brand new Natural Stewardship Council, that may perform as a farmer advisory physique to OFRF.
- Tackles local weather change head-on. We’re amplifying our efforts to showcase how natural farming performs an important position in local weather resilience and environmental sustainability.
- Builds a extra equitable future. Natural farming must be accessible to all. We’re dedicated to breaking down obstacles and making certain that underserved communities have entry to the advantages and alternatives inside natural agriculture.
As a direct market farmer, time is my most important useful resource. Like so many people out right here within the area, there’s a surfeit of essential work that vies for my time and a focus. So why do I proceed to assist OFRF?
The three massive causes I spend valuable time stewarding OFRF’s targets are:
- OFRF is really invested in farmer well-being.
Over the previous six years, I’ve seen how OFRF is concentrated on understanding and advancing the wants of natural producers throughout our nation. This implies persevering with to gather, distill, and disseminate findings and sensible purposes of natural analysis to farmers and agricultural professionals of all backgrounds and expertise ranges, emphasizing the advantages of natural to all farmers striving to farm extra ecologically, responsibly, and profitably. - OFRF is advancing a analysis agenda that helps ALL American farmers, no matter their farming philosophy.
Natural farmers like me require analysis that doesn’t rely upon costly chemical inputs however quite on creating built-in, resilient agroecological techniques. Why does this matter? As a result of not like chemical-based farming analysis, natural farming analysis applies to all farming techniques—and may be (and is being) adopted by farmers throughout the nation. Nationally, the natural market makes up greater than 15% of whole produce meals gross sales. Regardless of this development, natural agriculture analysis funding makes up lower than 2% of the entire analysis finances on the USDA and fewer than 1% of the Agricultural Analysis Service’s finances. - Natural farming is local weather resilient.
Local weather change poses crucial dangers for farmers and ranchers and endangers the soil, water, and different assets on which meals manufacturing relies upon. Rising temperatures have already intensified droughts, warmth waves, and storms, making it more durable to develop crops and lift livestock. Natural techniques that emphasize soil well being assist farmers and ranchers enhance resilience to the impacts of local weather change by capturing and storing extra carbon (CO2) within the soil (carbon sequestration) and releasing fewer greenhouse gases. There may be additionally in depth analysis demonstrating the potential of natural techniques to scale back agriculture’s contribution to local weather change (i.e., mitigate local weather change).
As we glance to 2025, I invite you to discover a solution to construct a connection to or strengthen your ties with OFRF. So many a whole bunch of farmers throughout our nation, like me, are counting in your engagement.
