OFA 2025 FARMER FLY-IN

Farmer Voices Matter

On March 4, 2025, OFA gathered with farmer and organic organization members to advocate for organic ag policies, a robust Farm Bill, and to bring attention to the impact of funding freezes and tariffs on organic farmers.

OFA Farmer Fly-In

Each year, OFA organizes a Farmer Fly-In to Washington D.C. to take farmers’ priorities directly to policymakers.

OFA farmer members, organization leaders, and staff held meetings with decision makers in D.C.

Members representing 16 states built relationships with and educated policymakers on why organic is important

Meetings to discuss the future of organic and policy priorities with USDA leaders and staff from the Senate & House Ag Committees

Members bring their own stories to meetings with their congressional offices to highlight policy needs. Mark Schlesinger and Sara

Tashker shared why hydroponic growing isn’t organic with their California offices.

OFA’s policy priorities are set each year through an annual policy survey available to all certified organic famers.

OFA’s Executive Director Kate Mendenhall & other farmer members were able to share their Fly-In goals with the Washington Post, including cost-share certification support and unfreezing USDA farmer funds.

You can help advocate for organic farmers too! Write a letter to your members of Congress and tell them to support organic agriculture.

The Many Benefits of
Grass-Fed Bison and Beef

Grass-fed livestock produce healthier meat

Raising bison and beef on grasslands promotes healthy ecosystems, animals and people.

Bison and beef raised on grass have healthier fat qualities in their meat, as well as higher antioxidants and nutrients, than ruminants raised on grain in confinement.

RUMINANTS

Ruminant animals evolved over the millennia to roam and consume grass. When they are raised in confinement
on grain, we see an increase in health and

welfare issues for
the concentrated animals, less nutritious food for humans, and a damaged environment.

Grass farming to heal the earth

Well managed grasslands sequester carbon

The movement of animals in an intensive grazing system improves the natural resources for healthy regeneration

The future 
& the Past

The wisdom of indigenous people and modern scientific research has improved pasture management, and has led to a resurgence of bison roaming their native lands resulting in healthier food.

Food is Medicine

How Organic Farming
& Healthcare Can
Work Together

Food as medicine is the idea that access to nutritious food is essential for health and well-being.

Chronic Illness in the U.S.

Our food now has fewer nutrients than the fresh foods our grandparents ate.

New research is giving evidence that these chemicals in our food and water may be far more insidiously destructive than we first imagined...

 “It never occurred to me before then that food was the source of poor health in America”

More substantive research on the impacts of pesticides and organic food on human health

Increased consumer & medical education focused on the source of nutrition (soil health)

Policies & programs that incentivize the integration of medical care with access to organic food

Support for programs like TOPP to assist farmers interested in transitioning to organic farming

Produce Prescription

Medically
Tailored Meals

Insurance- Sponsored CSAs

Nutrition Incentives

Organic Dairy in Schools: Nourishing the Next Generation

By Ella Lucabaugh

Switching to organic dairy in schools creates cascading benefits:

it supports local farmers, reduces environmental impact, and builds resilient food systems.

Yet, this transition faces significant challenges: policy barriers and distribution logistics

Senator Cory Booker’s Safe School Meals Act (SSMA), aims to address food quality in public schools and to protect children from harmful toxins in school meals.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) launched the Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP) program.

While federal legislation like the SSMA works to create systemic change, innovative organic dairy farmers are taking matters into their own hands, and are partnering with school food directors to overcome traditional barriers.

Straus Family Creamery: Milk dispensers that can hold up to 5 gallon bags of Straus Family Creamery organic milk

“The USDA requires 8oz of milk to go to each student, and noticeably many of these cartons were going to waste, up to 18 gallons a day from one school,” Straus explained.

Although organics often come at a premium, Straus Creamery was able to offset costs by diverting milk waste using milk dispensers allowing kids to get the amount of milk they actually wanted.

Through the USDA Local Food Promotion Program grant, Rumiano Cheese also has established a program to supply organic dairy products to a targeted 50 school districts across the state. Their organic cheeses appear in students' favorites across K-12 public schools—including pizzas, lasagnas, cheeseburgers, and cheese crisps.

Miller Farms of Vermont supplies 13 schools, and they now work with a distributor.

Lauren Griswold, Wholesale Market Foods Director of NOFA-VT, explained Miller's program's roots and success. “The kids love it, it's delicious, the parents feel good!”

The movement to integrate organic dairy into schools represents more than just a change in milk suppliers— it signals a fundamental shift in how schools approach nutrition, sustainability, and community support.

THE AFTERMATH OF THE PIPELINE FOODS BANKRUPTCY

By Harriet Behar

Farmers Weren't
Paid...

On July 8, 2021, Pipeline Foods, a grain buyer, processor, and marketer of organic and non-GMO grains declared bankruptcy.

Farmers Were Impacted

They delivered grain but weren't paid & wouldn’t be paid by Pipeline Foods

OR

They had outstanding delivery contracts with the bankrupt company who wouldn’t be able to pay

Approximately one year after the bankruptcy, some farmers who received payment for delivered grain started to receive “clawback” letters 

demanding they send back all payments within 21 days.

Unfortunately, a farmer can’t protect themselves from future clawbacks within their contracts, nor specify that if the grain buyer enters bankruptcy, the contract would be null and void.

Farmers argued the payments were made “in 
the ordinary course of 
their 
business relationship”
and also 
stated the payment 
received 
was not 
“preferential payment treatment.”

FARMERS RESPOND

These two phrases are important, and at least one farmer wrote a letter back to the Pipeline Foods using these phrases stating they would not be returning any money. Almost a year went by without a response.

Another farmer hired an attorney to cut the amount demanded in the clawback letters

SETTLEMENTS

IGNORED THE LETTER

One farmer represented himself in bankruptcy court after ignoring the letter, but his case was dismissed

ARGUED CASH PAYMENTS

Cash payments, including those wired to banks, may not be clawedback according to one farmer’s experience

While Pipeline Foods appeared to be a dynamic & growing business, their rapid growth was a warning sign.

To grow the business in their early years, they offered the highest price in the market to attract growers. This also caused them to incur debt that would ultimately be their undoing.

Protect yourself against buyer bankruptcy

Know the rules and protections of both the state where the grain was produced and delivered so you can protect yourself.

Some states have indemnity funds to protect farmers. Review your state’s limits and requirements before you enter into contracts.