OFA Opposes Measure J and Here's Why
OFA Opposes Measure J and Here’s Why
This November, voters in Sonoma County, California will have the opportunity to vote on Measure J. If passed, the measure would amend the Sonoma County Code to phase-out existing and prohibit future dairy and poultry Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), including small, medium and large farms with CAFO designation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assigns the designation of CAFO in order to regulate operations that could pose a risk to natural resources. The definition of CAFO includes confinement of animals for 45 days or more, and categorizes operations based on size and contact with surface water.
Organic Farmers Association (OFA) recognizes that factory farms are disastrous for the environment, human health, and animal welfare. Promoting animal welfare and fighting corporate consolidation are consistent policy priorities of OFA. However, this measure is so broadly written that it would include small to medium pasture-based and certified organic farmers. These farmers independent organic farmers would become collateral damage, outweighing whatever benefit it might generate.
In Sonoma County, 100% of dairies are pasture-based and 84% of these dairies are organic (1), with cows managed on pasture and with stringent requirements for animal welfare. If Measure J were to pass, it would prohibit all dairies over 700 cows from operating regardless of how those cows are managed. However, since organic and pasture based dairies in Sonoma County must often house their animals in the winter months to protect soil and pasture health, operations as small as 200 cows could also be forced to close or downsize. This would have a ripple effect throughout the region, impacting agricultural equipment and processing businesses and leaving thousands of acres of farmland and pasture at risk for development.
While OFA does not often weigh in on local policies, we have chosen to support our California members and allies in opposition of Measure J.
For more information on Measure J, read this statement from Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and visit No On Measure J or Sonoma Food No On J.
If you are interested in finding ways to oppose factory farms around the country, OFA supports the Farm System Reform Act. The Farm System Reform Act would:
- Place an immediate moratorium on new and expanding large CAFOs, and phase out by 2040 the largest CAFOs as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency
- Hold corporate integrators responsible for pollution and other harm caused by CAFOs
- Provide a voluntary buyout for farmers who want to transition out of operating a CAFO
- Strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act to protect family farmers and ranchers, including:
- Prohibit the use of unfair tournament or ranking systems for paying contract growers
- Protect livestock and poultry farmers from retaliation
- Create market transparency and protect farmers and ranchers from predatory purchasing practices
- Restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef and pork and expand to dairy products
- Prohibit the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from labeling foreign imported meat products as “Product of USA”
Please find your Legislators’ information here, and ask them to support the Farm System Reform Act (S. 271, H.R. 797) to fight factory farming and provide a more just food system.
September 2024 Member Spotlight: Amy Bruch
You’ve maybe heard the idea that farming isn’t a job, it’s a calling. Our September member spotlight shines on Amy Bruch of Cyclone Farms in East Central Nebraska, and that’s her philosophy. To Amy, organic farming is a lifestyle and for nearly a decade Amy has been dedicated to growing her organic farm and thriving in this system.
Amy grew up doing farm chores with her father and it didn’t take long for her to realize she wanted to turn farming into a profession. Amy began her career as an agricultural engineer for General Mills, but soon found herself farming in Brazil with her future husband. The two farmed in a developing agricultural area, and this would become one of those life experiences that would stay with Amy throughout her career and shape her farming ideology.
The farmland in Brazil was called cerrado in Portuguese, which translates into scrubland; it was the frontier and had highly acidic soil that needed improving. However, by learning more about the soil and how to balance the ecosystem they were working with, their crops started to succeed. But soon, home and the farm in Nebraska called due to the sudden passing of Amy’s father. Amy and her husband, Tyler, returned to the U.S. and as 6th generation farmers began a new farming journey.
The farm wasn’t organic at the time, but by using what they learned from their work in Brazil, they brought the idea of a balanced system—especially a balanced soil system—to the farm. Now, after almost a decade of farming organically, Amy has found that innovation, balance, learning from other farmers, and using her experiences to help the next generation of organic farmers is what’s most meaningful.
Amy’s vision is to get more people involved in organic farming, especially young people. The more farmers there are in this movement, the more continuous improvement can occur and protect integrity and further enhance programs like crop insurance for organic producers and market availability. But Amy realized one way in which to create positive change was to apply for an NOSB board farmer seat and was appointed for a five-year term. Now Amy is working on expanding the resources, tools, and systems available to organic farmers. Amy’s focus includes continuing to improve organic integrity and exploring how the private sector can rally around organic to help grow the industry.
To Amy, these two ideas can work in tandem to lift up the industry. With the addition of the transition to organic partnership program (TOPP), there is a renewed energy to assist growers to transition to organic. Amy believes this is important and that encouraging a focus on retention of existing organic producers and continuing to ensure integrity while focusing on market outlets is a good place to start. The USA is a net exporter of conventional commodities and almost a net importer of the organic commodity counterparts such as organic corn and organic soybeans. If companies made the choice to buy from domestic organic farmers first they could create a more efficient and transparent organic supply chain, grow organic market opportunities for domestic producers, diversify farmers’ crops, and support soil health. Domestic producers want to ensure all are playing by the same rules and many have long been worried about the impact on the market as fraud increased, but the solution has been slow to come.
Another lesson Amy learned from her time in Brazil is that any situation can be overcome with the right approach, and she knows that farmer voices are critical to making policy changes that support and protect organic farmers. Another way to promote positive change in organics is to become active in advocacy, and that is one of the reasons Amy really appreciates teaming up with OFA which aggregates the voice of the farmer to create positive policy changes for the organic community. By digging deeper into these issues through advocacy and getting involved in policy work, farmers can be their own best advocates when it comes to helping the industry grow. Amy’s goal with this work is to create a future where kids growing up on family farms today will have market access, a pathway to continue the family operation, and most of all, fair policy support to protect their farming businesses.
You have to have an entrepreneurial spirit to be in organic farming, Amy pointed out, and that seems especially true when you think you only have a limited number of seasons in your lifetime to do what you love. She reminds us all that learning from and overcoming challenges, getting to know other farmers and processes, and embracing innovation every year is a gift that this system provides for organic farmers. It’s what keeps us all going so we have the ability to breathe more life into the work each season.
Would you like to nominate someone for the Member Spotlight? Please email your recommendation to madison[@]organicfarmersassociation.org.
Summer Interns Join OFA to Explore Organic Careers
OFA Summer 2024 Interns Explore Organic Careers
Organic Farmers Association welcomed two interns to the team to learn, contribute, and experience organic agriculture advocacy in action. As a part of the Organic Career Network (OCN), OFA has set a goal to increase diversity and equity in the organic sector including support for the exploration of career opportunities in the industry.
OCN connects organic organizations to underrepresented students who are interested in exploring career pathways in the organic industry. The OCN aims to provide students with the opportunity to get hands-on experience with organic certification, inspection, advocacy, and farmer education organizations and agencies.
Welcome Summer Interns
Sofia Caracci
Farmer Services Intern
Having begun her academic studies in nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Sofia has always had an interest in health and wellness. As a Mellon Scholar in Food Policy, she began to examine the broader context between nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and public health, where her interest in farming grew. Since then, she has coordinated a local farmers market, worked in sustainability curriculum development, and joined the Advisory Board at Chicago Grows Food. In her role as a Farmer Services Intern, Sofia hopes to learn more about farm policy, while leveraging her skills in grassroots organizing and community outreach.
Sancha Gonzalez
Communications Intern
Sancha is a rising senior at Wellesley College pursuing a double major in American Politics and American Studies. She is passionate about fostering equitable and inclusive communities and is driven by the belief that effective policy and community engagement can inspire real political action. Sancha’s interest in sustainable practices extends to organic farming, where she hopes to advocate for environmentally friendly agricultural methods that also value the relationship between community and the land. She believes that organic farming not only benefits the environment but also betters the well-being of the community by providing access to healthy, locally grown food.
July 2024 Member Spotlight: Harriet Behar
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about how a particular piece of the organic movement began, when a policy was launched, or how new farm practices caught on, we know a person who will know the back story. Our July member spotlight is Harriet Behar, long-time OFA member, organic farmer, and one could say organic farming savant.
Harriet earns that high praise for one, she’s a great storyteller and has collected some incredible tales from her 50 years as an organic farmer, but also from everyone she’s worked with in the industry over the years. She also earned her place in organic farming from years of pushing the boundaries and asking questions.
Her journey started when Harriet was studying journalism at the University of Wisconsin and had a summer job at the botanical gardens. She had started working outdoors with plants and enjoyed the experience of seeing how nature worked together. (Side story, this was 1972 and Harriet was the first woman they ever hired. Ask her to tell you this story next time your paths cross, it’s worth the time, the laughs, and the reflection on how far we’ve come!) Around this time Harriet met new friends who were living on a farm. It wasn’t long before she moved there, dropped out of school, and became a farmer. Age-old story of how to become an organic farmer, right?
Soon she moved to a farm to grow vegetables for the community based on relationships she built with the Madison co-ops and restaurants, and also collaborated with other farmers mainly through the natural foods cooperative. This was during the same time the Madison farmers market launched where Harriet was one of the first vendors.
Then one fateful day, Harriet received a postcard in the mail about a new co-op, the Cropp Cooperative, today you know it as Organic Valley. Harriet worked there as the farmer liaison where she got to visit a lot of farms, ask a lot of questions, and learn new farm practices. One day, the head seller asked her to step in for him during peak harvest. He handed her a rolodex and not much advice on how to get started. It was a rough few days of not selling anything, but if you know Harriet, you know this wasn’t going to stand. She started up the refrigerator truck and took the sales on the road for the first time. She earned higher prices for her sales, built new relationships with partners, and after her colleague returned, she found herself in a new role based on her success and creative approach to getting organic products into more markets.
Here she made connecting buyers and consumers with farmers and the stories of where their food came from the cornerstone of her approach—and this was long before the “Know Your Farmer” campaigns we all know today.
Harriet learned advocacy during this time and carried those lessons on as she became an organic inspector, served on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), was a representative to the National Organic Coalition (NOC), and sat on the committee that started the Organic Farmers Association, and now she’s OFA’s Farmer Services Consultant where she supports transitioning and organic farmers. Her stance on advocacy work is, “If you agree to be invisible you will be. So if you want something you have to speak up—be prepared with a good argument, and understand what the other side wants too.”
Harriet has some advice for anyone looking to get started with advocacy:
- Look into different associations for your particular type of farming or in your region to find a group of farmers to learn from and share with
Talk with people and get different perspectives—there’s strength in discussing issues in a larger group - Farming can be solitary, but building relationships is rewarding and enriching and can lead to change
- And of course, you can reach out to Harriet. Swap stories, ask all the questions you can think of (even if you think they’re silly questions), and make a new organic farm friend.
Would you like to nominate someone for the Member Spotlight? Please email your recommendation to madison[@]organicfarmersassociation.org.
June 2024 Member Spotlight: Emily Oakley and Mike Appel
The start of summer is a few days away and it’s said that no matter how many years a farmer has been farming, there are always surprises and challenges to face. Emily Oakley and Mike Appel of Three Springs Farm are our June member spotlight, and that old adage is definitely true for them this season.
Emily and Mike met where you imagine all future organic farmers would meet… In an agroecology class on the first day of college. The two worked together, routinely outlasting their classmates in the Long Island heat and humidity, and soon Emily was convincing Mike that Oklahoma was the perfect location to build an organic farm.
Emily is a first-generation farmer who grew up in Oklahoma and knew the market was ready for an organic farm and CSA program, plus the land was more affordable and Emily had local connections to help jumpstart the business. For three years they borrowed land in Tulsa thanks to the generosity of a local woman who let them use a few acres of her horse pasture. Emily looks back now and realizes what a sacrifice that was to give up that farm space, and she still refers to the landowner as a fairy godmother.
However, the pair soon needed more space and were hunting for property that they could certify and turn into a home as well. Another community member who had been watching their success grow stepped up to help them find their next farm, and they’ve been farming there for just over 17 years now. Each week they deliver organic produce to customers in central Tulsa via a tab model CSA program. This way they can deliver flexibility, affordability, and more options to the community as they can choose the products they want in their share, when they want them, and charge against a balance they paid earlier in the season. Mike and some friends even developed an app to make online share ordering easier for shoppers and the farm, and recently applied for a USDA grant to try to make it available to farmers across the country!
But while the farm is doing well and the CSA has great shopper retention, the farm is facing a challenge they thought they were protected against. Mike and Emily realized they were drifted on recently despite taking all the precautions to protect themselves from this calamity. The farm rests in a valley without neighboring farms, so they never thought it could happen to them. Currently they are working with their certifier, the department of agriculture, and have shared samples with Oklahoma State pathologists to begin to sort out what was sprayed and by whom. While they’ve notified their CSA members of the incident, it’s now a waiting game to see what the damage is and if they’ll lose their certification.
It’s easy to imagine this experience will make Emily and Mike even more hardened advocates for the health of their environment and community. Both are working on local grassroots efforts to prevent CAFO expansion, and Mike, who serves on OFA’s Policy Committee, is particularly passionate about national issues like strengthening organic standards and making farming policies more organically focused.
While these two are busier than expected this season, Emily shared a centering thought: Working with others, like being a part of OFA, brings a connection with other growers, a sense of community that cuts across farming systems and regions, and can give a farmer the impetus to keep going. “It feels like you’ll never make it past 5 years, or 10 years, then you do. But you wonder if you’ll keep going. But once we got 12 or 15 years in, we felt our systems were solidified and knowledge was increasing. Now we have an amazing community and farm set up—and nothing would give us greater reward and gratification than this.”
Would you like to nominate someone for the Member Spotlight? Please email your recommendation to madison[@]organicfarmersassociation.org.
May 2024 Member Spotlight: Linda Halley
As we break into peak spring, it’s a good time to remember that we all have to create our own solutions to challenges. Our May Member Spotlight is Linda Halley, General Manager at Gwenyn Hill Farm and she’s been doing just that as an organic farmer for 30 years. Linda is preparing for retirement this summer, but also gearing up for the next chapter in her organic story—being a voice for farmers by influencing organic policy.
Linda grew up on a conventional farm that started as a dairy in the 50s, added crops in the 60s, and transitioned into corn, soy, and pastured beef in the 70s. But Linda didn’t identify with that path, and decided there might not be a place for her on the family farm. Instead, Linda studied to be a teacher. But after some years she decided she wanted to return home. Linda’s father had always inspired her to do anything, including taking risks. That belief, combined with Linda’s prediction that organic would be the new forefront of farming, convinced Linda to take the leap. With the support of her family, she took on a little piece of the family farm and started managing it organically.
But Linda soon discovered farming alone was hard and isolating. So Linda created her own solution. She started working with a farmer who would mentor her in organic vegetable growing. She found community and eventually jumped onto the first wave of the CSA movement in Madison, Wisconsin. She convinced her mentor farmer to start growing for a CSA–one of the first serving the Madison community in 1993—and she stayed to work on the farm.
They worked that farm for 15 years, and it’s still a successful CSA farm under new owners today. In that transition, Linda decided not to buy another farm, but rather she took all her experience and built a career managing other organic farms. That’s where Linda got the opportunity to provide mentorship to the next generation. Where she didn’t have educational opportunities to learn organic skills, and had to teach herself and find her own mentor, she now could provide all that to students and help the organic movement grow in a positive way.
The farm Linda manages today partners with the state’s department of workforce development and a local community college to manage an apprenticeship program. Some of these students have even graduated and returned to the farm to become employees. While the reward of supporting these new farmers is immense, the work of mentoring isn’t easy for farmers. The apprentices ask tough questions and push those around them to be better farmers. At the same time, it’s hard to tell these young farmers to embrace the organic label and certification process in its current form knowing how challenging it can be when you’re first getting started. The fees, paperwork, and burden of building a local customer base are all topics apprentices weigh during their journey—all questions without easy solutions that weigh heavy on mentors’ minds.
This is one reason why Linda wants to continue being an advocate for organic agriculture during retirement. Certification processes could be more approachable for all organic farmers, and getting to that point requires farmer action. Policy work isn’t something the average organic farmer has time for, but Linda feels she has the experience to help others and will soon have more time to do just that.
Linda kicked off this part of her organic journey by submitting comments to the NOSB for the first time in her career in Milwaukee this spring, and she’s looking forward to the next opportunity to take action. By keeping the big picture in mind and moving the needle on organic policy, Linda is creating the next solution to the next challenge on her list—which we bet she’ll surely conquer as well.
Would you like to nominate someone for the Member Spotlight? Please email your recommendation to madison[@]organicfarmersassociation.org.
OFA Applauds Senate's Farm Bill Framework
Organic Farmers Association Applauds Senate Farm Bill Framework
Washington, D.C., May 3, 2024 —The Organic Farmers Association (OFA) praises the inclusion of improved organic agriculture policies in the Farm Bill framework Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow released this week.
“OFA is pleased to see movement on the long-awaited Farm Bill,” said Lily Hawkins, OFA’s Policy Director. “Policies in the framework presented by Chairwoman Stabenow can help move more U.S. agriculture to organic methods and make a positive impact for organic producers who help support rural economic growth, protect the environment, and promote human health.”
The framework, released as the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, provides authorization of funding that will allow the National Organic Program (NOP) to keep pace with the growth in the organic sector and will advance OFA’s Farm Bill priorities in numerous ways:
Promoting Organic Integrity
- Directs the National Organic Program to solicit public input on the prioritization of organic regulations to be promulgated or revised
- Directs the Secretary to publish an annual report regarding recommendations received from the National Organic Standards Board, all regulatory and administrative actions taken, and justifications on why actions were or were not taken on those recommendations
- Directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on the efforts of the NOP to improve organic standards and provide recommendations on how the NOP can ensure that organic program standards evolve in a timely manner to meet consumer expectations and benefit organic producers
Providing Assistance for Organic Dairy Farmers
- Directs the Department of Agriculture to improve collection of organic dairy market data
Improving Climate and Conservation Programs
- Clarifies the calculation of Conservation Stewardship Program payments for income forgone by a producer transitioning to an organic resource-conserving system
Funding Organic Research
- Continues funding for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative
- Provides enhanced coordination of organic agriculture research within USDA
- Provides mandatory funding for organic production and market data initiatives
Making USDA Programs Work for Organic Farmers
- Provides stable funding for the Certification Cost-Share Program and increases the maximum payment to a producer or handler to $1,000
- Directs research and development on ways to increase participation of organic producers in Federal crop insurance
Increasing Organic Infrastructure
- Authorizes an Organic Market Development Grant program
- Increases the EQIP payment cap for organic producers, making the organic cap equal to the conventional payment cap
The House Agriculture Committee is expected to unveil their Farm Bill proposal soon after Chair G.T. Thompson holds a markup this month. Once each Agriculture Committee has passed its own version of the bill, leaders from the House and Senate will work to combine the two bills, which will then be voted on by the full chambers.
OFA will continue to advocate for the inclusion of the important policies from the Senate framework and key marker bills in the final Farm Bill.
April 2024 Member Spotlight: Pryor Garnett
April’s Member Spotlight belongs to OFA’s newly elected Governing Council President, Pryor Garnett of Garnetts Red Prairie Farm in Sheridan, Oregon. Like all good farmer stories, Pryor’s starts with a twist.
Despite being a farm owner since 2009 and farming himself since 2016, Pryor still calls himself a beginning farmer. That’s because Pryor spent most of his career before farming as a patent lawyer. While Pryor was a dedicated gardener for many years, he always thought he’d be a landowner one day. His experience growing his own food had long ago converted him to believing that organic is the healthiest way to eat, and that what’s good for us to eat is also more likely to be sustainable in the face of climate change and in the face of system disruptions.
When Pryor was ready for a change, and as the farmers who rented his farm moved on, he began farming. He received advice from NRCS and Oregon Tilth and worked toward today where his 92-acre farm specializes in growing certified organic wheat and other small grains for food, seed, and animal consumption. Successfully farming with just organic practices is very difficult, Pryor shared. A lot of expertise is needed and he’s still learning, but Pryor believes if he can do it, others in the region may see the opportunity as well. Currently, 62 acres are certified organic or in transition toward organic certification.
But Pryor knew there was more he could offer to the organic movement than just farming alone. When Oregon Tilth asked if he’d be interested in policy work, he knew he could use his skills as a lawyer to advocate in favor of positions that would protect and promote further development of organic agriculture. Since then, Pryor has been no stranger to policy work.
Last summer he hosted a staffer from Congresswoman Andrea Salinas’ office with the help of Oregon Climate Action Network and Oregon Tilth. That work paid off as it earned Pryor an invitation from the congresswoman’s office in January to participate in the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) roundtable as the only organic voice speaking for climate-resilient food supply chain changes in the upcoming Farm Bill.
Pryor notes that most farmers dread advocacy work and will go to great lengths to avoid it, but everyone who has tried it has come away wanting to try it again in his experience. Once a farmer can start building relationships with their members of congress, it’s easier to gain momentum and move the organic movement forward.
Would you like to nominate someone for the Member Spotlight? Please email your recommendation to madison[@]organicfarmersassociation.org.
OFA's Spring Interns Help Elevate Farmer Voices
Policy, Farmer Services, and Communications Interns Explore Organic Careers
This spring, Organic Farmers Association welcomed three interns to the team to learn, contribute, and experience organic agriculture advocacy in action. As a part of the Organic Career Network (OCN), OFA has set a goal to increase diversity and equity in the organic sector including support for the exploration of career opportunities in the industry.
OCN connects organic organizations to underrepresented students who are interested in exploring career pathways in the organic industry. The OCN aims to provide students with the opportunity to get hands-on experience with organic certification, inspection, advocacy, and farmer education organizations and agencies.
Welcome Spring Interns
Amanda Jones
Policy Intern
Amanda is a passionate naturalist, gardener, and systems thinker. She has worked in organic agriculture and conservation in her home state of Virginia. She aspires to empower communities to create healthier and more sustainable ecosystems. She is graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus on sustainable food systems at George Mason University.
Brooke Tokushige
Farmer Services Intern
Brooke is a fourth year student-athlete at the University of California, Davis pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems. Brooke has engaged in some farm work in the past and is interested in the social aspects of the agricultural industry. Giving farmers every chance they have at succeeding in their practice is important to Brooke who is working with OFA to create equity and justice throughout food systems and make farmers’ voices heard!
Louise Brownell
Communications Intern
Louise recently graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy with a Master’s in Agroecology & Food Sovereignty. She is passionate about food system transformation, and wrote her thesis about local food related to the experience of visitors at Podere il Casale, a 60 hectare farm in Tuscany where she volunteered as part of the Master’s program. Prior to this experience, she worked in Washington, D.C. as the Director of Operations for a Wisconsin congressman, and earned her Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University.
March 2024 Member Spotlight: Noah Wendt
This Month’s Member Spotlight is Noah Wendt of A&W Farms in Cambridge, Iowa. Noah is a first generation farmer who, while he didn’t grow up on a farm himself, was always interested in the crops and livestock he saw his extended family grow and raise. Noah was pushed by family not to go into the volatile agriculture business as a farmer, so he did the next best thing—he went to ag business school.
Regardless of his parents' attempts, Noah was drawn back to try his hand at production agriculture and away from his career in ag business. So in 2006, Noah partnered with Caleb Akin, another first generation farmer, and started A&W Farms. It wasn’t long before the economics of farming had the pair looking for another way to farm. And so, starting in 2014 with some encouragement from friends who also transitioned, A&W Farms began on a 10-year plan to convert as much of their land to organic as possible.
While the original motivation to move to organic production was a financial one, Noah looks back at the decade he’s spent as an organic farmer and sees how his reasons have changed. Now Noah sees organic farming as a way of doing better justice to the soil, environment, and humanity. This new way of seeing his farm is one reason why Noah has started speaking up about agricultural topics on a policy level.
Since starting an organic grain facility with partners, he’s heard more stories from farmers about the same topics—crop insurance, crop rotation, soil health, etc. Topics Noah could now see at a deeper level and knew required farmer voices to advocate for change.
As an OFA member, Noah just returned from his first Farmer Fly-In Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. Admittedly, he was nervous, but once he joined the group of other experienced advocate-farmers his confidence increased. Noah was able to share his requests for the next Farm Bill with his legislators, and he plans to join OFA at future Fly-Ins, too.
Reflecting on the greatest lesson he’s learned during his organic journey so far, Noah says he sees there’s a bigger sense of community in the organic movement. People are willing to bend over backwards to help and there’s no advice a farmer won’t share with another farmer if it helps them succeed—it’s unlike anything he ever found in his conventional farming experience.