NIFA Invests in Project to Build Farmer-Led Organic Research in Ohio

Oct 12, 2023

Ohio’s organic farmers have many questions and fewer resources to answer them, compared to more traditional farmers. A newly funded project through NIFA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) will advance productivity, profitability, and resilience in the organic sector through collaborative on-farm research.

The project will be co-led by The Ohio State University, Central State University, and the Ohio Ecological Farm & Food Association, partnering with organic producers and leveraging personnel, resources, and knowledge of the three lead organizations.

Douglas Jackson-Smith, Kellogg Chair and professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources and Director of the Agroecosystem Management Program in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences is the principal investigator of the project.

To expand farmer-led organic research in Ohio the team will host a series of regional workshops and engagement activities laying the foundation for a robust Ohio Organic Farmer Researcher Network.

Farmers, researchers, educators, and other academic or other non-profit specialists with an interest in collaborative research and organic agriculture are encouraged to participate in the project’s monthly meetings and/or upcoming in-person events.

Source : osu.edu