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,…

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) reintroduced the Agriculture Resilience Act. The research-driven and farmer-focused act paves the way to achieving net-zero agricultural emissions by 2040. With Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Pingree first introduced the Agriculture Resilience Act in April 2021. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) endorsed the bold climate and agriculture marker bill then, and does so again with its reintroduction. Since the Agricultural Resilience Act’s (ARA) original introduction, farmers have increasingly recognized their place on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Not only are they equipped with solutions to enhance climate resilience, but they’re also some of the first to experience the impacts of extreme weather…

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…

Yesterday, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and John Thune (R-SD), U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Jim Baird (R-IN), and members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Agriculture Committee reintroduced the Strengthening Local Processing Act. The bipartisan legislation would support small meat and poultry processors, helping them streamline and strengthen their operations. This legislation is endorsed by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). The bill would provide small meat processors with access to critical information regarding food safety planning. This would enable more inspector-approved meat products to be sold across state lines, and channel federal dollars towards education, training, and technical assistance…

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…

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…

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…