Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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for this sort of research should be made widely available. Second, most
organic farmers meet and share information, either formally at meetings of
various organic farming organizations, or informally by calling or meeting
individually with fellow organic farmers. Although some organic farmers
are quite careful not to share marketing information, most are still willing
to discuss on-farm production problems. In fact, most have learned to seek
information far and wide and are willing to call anywhere in the world to
obtain information on crop and livestock management.
In addition, a handful of groups have been established to disseminate in-
formation on organic farming. According to their Web site (ofrf.org), “the
Organic Farming Research Foundation is a non-profit foundation founded
to sponsor research related to organic farming practices, to disseminate
research results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting or-
ganic production systems, [and] to educate the public and decision-makers
about organic farming issues.” They are, in fact, one of the few sources
of research on purely organic farming methods, and they encourage other
researchers and government agencies to give attention to organic farming
through activities such as their Scientific Congress on Organic Agricultural
Research (SCOAR).
The OFRF national farmer survey is the only source of national informa-
tion on organic farmers and their farms. This survey, conducted in 1993,
1995, 1997, and 2001, is now sent to over 6,000 certified organic farmers
nationwide and provides data on many aspects of their farms. The re-
sults of the 1997 survey are on-line, in a 130-page document that can be
accessed easily and that provides a useful overview of the issues facing or-
ganic farmers today (Walz 1999). Results of various OFRF-funded research
projects are also referred to on their Web site. It is likely that this sort of
research and information will grow in importance, as organic farmers seek
answers to their specific production questions. Several other international
organizations provide information on organic agriculture, most notably the
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and
the Soil Association in the UK (see appendix).
Very recently, the USDA established the Integrated Organic Program
through the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES). Funds are available for research projects that “solve critical agri-
culture issues, priorities, or problems through the integration of research,
education, and extension activities.” This program seeks to “improve the
competitiveness of organic producers” and help organic producers and
processors “grow and market high quality organic food, feed, and fiber”
(USDA-CSREES 2004). These goals are promising. The research projects
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