OFRF and FFAR announce third award for current grant cycle

Dr. Jennifer Taylor of Lola’s Organic Farm was awarded a grant for $20,000 to conduct participatory research and outreach to build capacity for access to and engagement in organic farming systems and organic agriculture for BIPOC and socially disadvantaged farmers.

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) are pleased to announce this third award for the 2021/22 OFRF organic research grant cycle.

This farmer-led research grant project, Organic For All, is a participatory capacity building agricultural research and outreach project that will help identify needs, hindrances and barriers with BIPOC farmers and work together to develop solutions and resources through relevant learning sessions that provide education, hands-on training and technical assistance. The project is designed to help farmers walk through the development of their own organic farming systems or organic agroecology farm practices and organic agriculture.

“This project, and on-farm research in general, enables relationship-building with the farmer, the community, and researchers. It builds a unique opportunity to support the specific needs of that farmer and says to the world that farmers have important knowledge to share,” said Taylor. “This is particularly true for BIPOC farmers and communities because it gives us hope and empowerment that our voice matters. It brings our voices to the forefront of this movement.”

This project will address the gap in participation and access opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers, BIPOC farmers and underserved farming populations to provide training and education. Outreach efforts will build relationships for greater access and participation in organic farming systems and organic agriculture.

This year’s program prioritized farmers, early career researchers and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) applicants. Six projects focused on climate mitigation and building on-farm resilience have been awarded a grand total of $119,817.00 in funding. The 2021/22 cycle was made possible by a $66,000.00 grant from FFAR and matching funds from OFRF and its research partners.

To date, OFRF has invested over $3 million in 361 grants across North America to advance scientific knowledge and improve the ecological sustainability and economic prosperity of organic farming systems. All OFRF-funded research must involve farmers or ranchers in project design and implementation, take place on certified organic land, and include strong education and outreach components. All research results are freely available in OFRF’s online database.