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 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.