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A Letter from the OEFFA Board
Summer is a time of growth and opportunity, where we embrace new beginnings and evaluate our path forward in the growing season. Under the guidance of Carol Goland, our former executive director, OEFFA flourished from a grassroots movement to a thriving organization. With Carol’s leadership, we now certify more than 1,100 organic operations annually, manage a $3.6 million budget, and actively contribute to the national discourse on farm policy. Her diligent work has set the stage for tremendous growth. Upon Carol’s departure, Rachel Tayse filled her shoes with fresh insights and a different perspective on the executive director position, strengthening internal procedures, increasing efficiency in our growing organization, and creating…
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From Friendship to Land Legacy Preservation: A Tale of Non-Heir Land Transfer
By Kelly Cabral, OEFFA Farmland Specialist On one rainy morning in late April 2022, I met farmers Mary Lou and Tom Shaw of Milk and Honey Farm to tour their land, meet their animated heritage breed Narragansett turkeys and Dorking chickens, and the farmer who is taking over their farm when they move out at the end of May. Twenty five years ago, Mary Lou and Tom purchased the 48-acre property. Over time, Tom built a 30-acre wetland and prairie on the property to accommodate the flourishing native biodiversity. It is a quaint farm, with a small farm house, seven outbuildings, animal housing, and a working windmill. In 2021, due…
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Explore Sustainable Agriculture at an OEFFA Farm Tour or Workshop
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) and its partners invite you to get a taste of the farm this summer during the 2023 Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series. This annual series of public tours and workshops features more than 13 organic and ecological farms and businesses across the state, opening the door for farmers, gardeners, educators, and eaters to learn about agriculture and local foods on the farm. Tour guests can walk through farm fields, garden beds, livestock pastures, and more during these OEFFA farm tours: Attendees can explore farming technology, sharpen advocacy skills, navigate farm jobs, and more during these OEFFA workshops: In addition to OEFFA,…
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OEFFA Announces 2023 Award Recipients: Jeff Dean, Jeff Dickinson, Scott Myers
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has named the 2023 recipients of its Stewardship, Service, and Policy Leader awards. Jeff Dean of Sandusky County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the cultivation of sustainable agriculture; Jeff Dickinson of Delaware County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture; and Scott Myers of Wayne County was named the Policy Leader of the Year, which recognizes members whose actions have promoted effective policy work for OEFFA. These awards were announced February 16-18 as part of OEFFA’s 44th annual conference in Newark, Ohio. 2023 Stewardship Award Winner—Jeff Dean Almost 30 years ago, Jeff…
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Mohawk Seedkeeper Rowen White and Agronomist Ricardo Salvador to Keynote 44th OEFFA Conference
Cultivating a diverse regenerative agricultural movement and shaping a more current and equitable farm bill will be the respective focal points of keynote addresses by Mohawk seedkeeper Rowen White and agronomist Ricardo Salvador at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 44th annual conference, Germinate, Regenerate, Agitate. In her Thursday, February 16 keynote address, “Reseeding Imaginations of a Relational Agricultural System,” Rowen White will speak on Indigenous leadership, ecological knowledge, cultural memory, and the cultural inheritance of land and seeds. “Seeds are the foundation of agriculture, but they also encode a memory of the land, the climate, the weather, as well as people’s cultural values, aesthetics and stories,” White…
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OEFFA Announces Rachel Tayse as Executive Director
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association is pleased to announce that Rachel Tayse joins the organization as executive director, effective January 1, 2023. “OEFFA Certification Board President Bryn Bird and I want to extend heartfelt gratitude to our executive director, Carol Goland, who has guided and grown OEFFA expertly for 18 years. She has decided to ‘pass the torch’ to the next leader, and the board, staff, and stakeholders have been working diligently to find a replacement. As the natural and social environments continue to change, so does OEFFA,” said OEFFA Board President Steve Edwards. “Our new director, Rachel, along with the board and our other great staff, will continue to serve our…
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44th Annual Ohio Food and Farm Conference Opens Registration
Registration is now open for Ohio’s premier three-day educational and networking conference on sustainable agriculture, local food, and green living. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 44th annual conference, Germinate, Regenerate, Agitate, will take place Thursday, February 16 through Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Cherry Valley Hotel and Ohio Event Center in Newark, Ohio. Online registration is now open at conference.oeffa.org. Keynote Speakers Thursday, February 16: Rowen White will speak on Indigenous leadership, ecological knowledge, cultural memory, cultural inheritance of land, seeds, and more. A seedkeeper and farmer from the Mohawk community of Akwesasne, White is a passionate activist for indigenous seed and food sovereignty. Saturday, February 18:…
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OEFFA Announces 2023 Farm Bill Platform
Today, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) released its 2023 Farm Bill Platform, comprised of five planks: Promote soil health and climate resilience through conservation policy; Increase investments in local and regional food systems; Address consolidation in the food and agricultural system; Invest in organic and sustainable research; and Provide more support to beginning and BIPOC farmers. The farm bill virtually structures the entire food and agricultural system in the United States. It is a major commitment by the government–and, by extension, taxpayers–to provide nutrition assistance, commodity and crop insurance subsidies, funding for on-farm conservation, support for renewable energy, and much more. The OEFFA 2023 Farm Bill…
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