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It’s Been a Great Ride!
A letter from OEFFA Executive Director Carol Goland In July I shared with the board and staff my intention to leave my position as executive director of OEFFA at the end of this year. I’m now including you in that news, and I’d like to take a moment to say more about my decision and to reflect both on my time with OEFFA and what lies ahead for us both. I’ve long had a suspicion that executive directors have a certain shelf life, and I’ve wanted to be mindful of not staying beyond my expiration date. The average tenure of non-profit executive directors is six years. Staying on through the…
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Agricultural Justice Advocate Onika Abraham to Keynote 40th Annual Ohio Sustainable Food and Farm Conference
Healing a history of oppression in agriculture by honoring the contributions of our ancestors will be the focus of a keynote address by farmer and educator Onika Abraham at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 40th annual conference, Just Farming: The Path Before Us, this February in Dayton, Ohio. . In her Saturday, February 16 keynote address, “Unearthing Our Roots,” Abraham, Executive Director of Farm School NYC, will explore why it’s as important for farmers to know where their farming comes from as it is for the public to know where their food comes from. Abraham will explore the history of sustainable growing practices, the contributions of black and brown…
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Organic Farmer Elizabeth Henderson to Keynote 40th Ohio Sustainable Food and Farm Conference
The need to connect soil and human health with social justice and fairness on the farm will be the focus of a keynote address by long-time organic farmer, agricultural justice advocate, and writer Elizabeth Henderson at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 40th annual conference, Just Farming: The Path Before Us, this February in Dayton, Ohio. In her Friday, February 15 keynote address, “Agrarian Justice: Creating a Food System Worth Sustaining,” Henderson will explore why we need to support fair pricing for farmers, instead of subsidizing corporate control of our food system. She’ll also explain why we need to unite family-scale farmers with other food workers and build…
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Reimbursement for Certification Makes Organic an Even Better Deal for Farmers and Processors
For Immediate Release: June 20, 2018 Contact: Carol Goland, OEFFA, (614) 421-2022 Ext. 202, cgoland@oeffa.org ODA Communications, (614) 752-9817, agrcommunications@agri.ohio.gov Columbus, OH—The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) announced that $285,000 is available through the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program to make organic certification more affordable for organic producers and handlers in Ohio. This funding covers as much as 75 percent of an individual applicant’s certification costs, up to a maximum of $750 annually per certification scope. Four scopes of certification are eligible for reimbursement: crops, wild crops, livestock, and handler. Retail sales of organic products grew to nearly $50 billion in the United States in 2017, an increase…
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Senator Sherrod Brown Honored for Promoting Investments in Local Agriculture
For Immediate Release: February 17, 2018 Contact: Amalie Lipstreu, OEFFA Policy Program Coordinator, (614) 947-1607, amalie@oeffa.org Lauren Ketcham, OEFFA Communications Coordinator, (614) 947-1643, lauren@oeffa.org Dayton, OH—At a gathering of more than 1,100 farmers and local food advocates, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) received the Food and Farm Champion Award from the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). The announcement was made in Dayton on Friday, February 16 as part of OEFFA’s 39th annual conference, A Taste for Change. The award recognizes Senator Brown’s commitment to sustainable agriculture and his leadership in making positive investments in local food systems, community economic development, and public health. . “Senator Brown has consistently…
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See, Taste, and Experience Life on the Farm: 2017 Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series Guide Available
Columbus, OH—The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 2017 farm tour, workshop, and event line up offers a multitude of experiences, including: strolling through organic fields and pastures, acquiring basic homesteading skills, learning from early career growers following their farm dreams, hearing stories from Ohio’s founding sustainable farmers, grasping the ins and outs of growing food in the city and on reclaimed urban lots, scaling up vegetable production, choosing the right farm equipment, and processing poultry. . OEFFA’s 27 summer farm tours, workshops, and other special events are part of the 2017 Ohio Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series. Five of these events focus on urban agriculture and are…
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