Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA)

In just the past 5 months, we've visited 9 farms across Ohio and hosted 20 workshops. From learning about dairy goats to hands-on indigo dying, and from sweltering summer heat to chilly fall rain, we've seen it all this year! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2024 OEFFA Farm Tour and Workshop Series, and an especially huge thank you to our hosts. We couldn't coordinate this series every year without their generous time and energy to welcome us to their farms and businesses. See y'all on the farm next year ??

Last week, an impressive 724 people came together across 19 events celebrating 1 vital resource: our soil! ?? The inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week far exceeded our expectations. Thank you to all of the organizations and attendees who made it so special. Planning for next year's celebration will soon be underway. Check ohiosoilhealthweek.com for updates. We hope you'll join us in 2025!

At this time of year, many of us are reaping the benefits of our hard work and dedication from the spring. Whether you have a balcony garden or raise cattle in fields, there’s a shift that happens in the fall when we move from production to harvest. Over the last six months, OEFFA has been sowing the seeds for a bountiful harvest; testing new varieties and techniques for our continued success at organic certification, education, and advocacy. With new leadership in place, we can focus on charting a path forward and aligning mission-critical priorities as we think more broadly about OEFFA’s goals into 2025 and beyond. One of the most important ways you can support OEFFA and our work is through a tax-deductible donation. For just $60, or $5 a month, you and your family can enjoy an OEFFA membership and its benefits. We thank you for the ways you contribute to OEFFA’s mission by producing local organic foods, attending farmers’ markets, and advocating for sustainable agriculture. Please consider becoming an OEFFA member and helping to further our collective work ?? To donate and join OEFFA's growing community, visit oeffa.org/donate.

Do you know someone who has made a significant difference in building a sustainable food system? Nominate them for an OEFFA award! ?? The OEFFA Stewardship Award recognizes farmers with at least ten years of commercial production experience and have demonstrated innovation and/or commitment to ecological, profitable, and/or socially just production and marketing practices. ?? The OEFFA Beginning Farmer Award recognizes farmers who have three to ten years of commercial production experience and have used innovative strategies to overcome systemic barriers faced by new farmers. ?? The OEFFA Service Award recognizes individuals who have made significant non-farming contributions of service that improve the adoption of ecological, profitable or socially just agricultural practices or systems. Nominations are due January 1. Winners will be announced at the 2025 OEFFA Conference in February. Visit news.oeffa.org/awards to submit your nomination!

Our Autumn 2024 Newsletter is hitting mailboxes! This issue is full of big news, events, stories, and resources ?? ?? This quarterly newsletter has been around for decades and is an exclusive perk for OEFFA members. To join our growing membership, visit oeffa.org/donate and get the latest news delivered right to you!

We're still buzzing after a great trip to Portland, OR last week for the Fall 2024 National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Meeting. Some of our team were joined by Kendyl Meadows of Three Creeks Produce. Thanks to the National Organic Coalition for a great kickoff to the meeting! It was wonderful to be in community with other farmers and advocates working to strengthen the organic movement. There was an organic seed usage panel moderated by Organic Seed Alliance and attendees got to hear from Dr. Jenny Tucker, who leads the USDA National Organic Program (Agricultural Marketing Service). Then, Kendyl and OEFFA Policy Director Milo provided comments to the NOSB before connecting with other Ohio farmers, like Martha Gaffney of Martha's Farm.

Applications for the OEFFA Policy Fellowship are due next Monday, November 4. If you're interested in advancing your advocacy skills, getting firsthand experience in the food and farm policy world, and working on a policy topic area that's important to you, be sure to get your application in ASAP. Visit oeffa.org/employment to learn more and see the full position description.

Our staff got their hands dirty doing some baseline soil sampling at Tuck Farms in Crawford County last week! The farm recently planted the field in alfalfa for hay and, despite the dry weather, had a pretty solid stand ?? This visit was a part of our work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry program. To learn more about this project, visit oeffa.org/climatesmartag.

The OEFFA Policy team has been hard at work, visiting with gardeners, farmers, academics, and activists to hear about their relationships with the soil. The?Soil Stories?series features short videos highlighting the importance of this natural resource, and will be slowly launched in the weeks leading up to the inaugural Ohio Soil Health Week (November 10-16): https://lnkd.in/eP5xywmU ??

We have an immediate opening for OEFFA members to get more involved in our policy work to broaden their food and farm education and see how it is affected by policy. If you've wanted to deepen your knowledge about the policy making process or advocate for agricultural policy issues that are important to you, THIS is your opportunity! The OEFFA Policy Fellow will work directly with the OEFFA Policy Director to define and complete a self-determined project. They will receive a stipend of $3,000 (paid in monthly increments), along with other support. The fellowship will last for 6 months with flexible start and end dates from late fall 2024 to spring 2025. Learn more and apply now by visiting oeffa.org/employment.