DAVIS, Calif. — The explosive growth of organic agriculture in the U.S. – reflected in a 90% increase in organic farms from 2011 to 2021, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics – has come at a cost for some farmers. With new farming operations increasing the supply of organic commodities, along with consolidation of buyers, growers report that their profit margins are not what they used to be.

Those market size considerations are among the challenges highlighted in a new report detailing the initial findings by the University of California Organic Agriculture Institute on the most pressing needs of the state’s organic sector. OAI gathered and analyzed data from 423 responses to an online grower survey, over 60 interviews with stakeholders across the organic community, and additional observations from farm visits and workshops.

The report describes other frequently mentioned systemic priorities, such as maintaining integrity of the term “organic,” developing a market for organic seeds, spreading consumer awareness, and alleviating the burdens of organic certification and reporting.

Shriya Rangarajan, the postdoctoral researcher with OAI leading this statewide needs assessment, said that the reported challenges varied by organic status (fully certified, transitioning to organic, or a mixed farm with some conventional), type of crop, as well as size of the operation. She noted survey respondents were roughly representative of the sector overall – 70% small-scale growers and 30% medium and large.

“Organic is not a homogenous industry, to say the least – small growers and large growers are very different; for small growers, their challenges tend to be financial and regulatory, especially relating to certification requirements and labor,” said Rangarajan. She added that larger growers mentioned different types of challenges, weeds and pest pressures for instance, given the difficulty in controlling managing these at scale without the use or availability of organic inputs.

Organic Agriculture Institute key to sharing resources across state

Another common theme from the assessment is that the organic sector needs more accessible resources to address those myriad concerns. For OAI, established in 2020 under UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, the initial findings validated and refined the direction of its research and extension programs.

“As a new organization, we’ve been trying to figure out where we fit into this ecosystem and how we can support it,” said Houston Wilson, a UC Cooperative Extension entomology specialist who has served as OAI’s director since its founding.

Because OAI was envisioned as a hub of resources and connections for California’s organic community, Wilson and his colleagues are especially interested in understanding how its constituent members obtain information – and how OAI can improve their access.

“Growers are finding it difficult to navigate the resources that exist for organic agriculture, like technical information, financial support, compliance and certification support,” Wilson said. “While we’d like to see more resources for organic in general, those that currently exist can sometimes be hard to navigate or it can be hard to know where to go for the right thing – that became really apparent early on.”

While some producers are contacting OAI directly with their questions, Wilson is eager to develop tools and systems that can serve the community more broadly. For example, Wilson and Krista Marshall – OAI’s policy and partnerships coordinator – are currently beta-testing a new map tool, built in conjunction with UC ANR’s Informatics and GIS (IGIS) team. The map, expected to be ready in fall 2024, will enable users to click on their county and see all available resources related to organic agriculture.

Wilson added that OAI will have four full-time staffers by fall, further expanding its research, extension, and education efforts. After holding four field events this past year, OAI aims to increase activities in the coming year, including not just field events but also online resources, webinars and more. Also, a new training and technical assistance coordinator will be tasked with bringing Cooperative Extension advisors and other technical assistance personnel across the state up to speed on a range of organic topics, so they can more effectively answer questions from clientele in their region.

New survey aims to trace crucial organic knowledge networks

Although the OAI team has gained a sense of how information is shared across the organic community (and started to formalize those interconnections through a California Organic Agriculture Knowledge Network), they are now developing a survey to study those relationships more systematically.

“We’re trying to understand what kind of knowledge resources people tap into, which is something that has come up repeatedly in our needs assessment,” Rangarajan said. “We’re trying to understand who people are speaking to because, at the end of the day, organic is still a relatively small part of agriculture in California, and that makes it more fragmented. So trying to connect those different parts becomes important.”

Once Wilson has a more nuanced understanding of organic knowledge networks, he will be able to strategize and position OAI – and the UC – as a more effective partner and contributor in the sector.

“Given the history of organic, growers have had to rely on each other a lot,” Wilson explained. “We understand that the university has unique expertise to bring to the table, but we also acknowledge that there’s all these other knowledge holders out there, so one of the roles that we see ourselves having is helping to facilitate those connections, strengthen them and increase the frequency of interaction.”

That may include further supporting efforts that connect transitioning organic farmers with experienced growers (a mentorship program led by Certified California Organic Farmers, or CCOF), or giving more structure to grower-researcher partnerships that can help address a host of production challenges. In OAI’s grower survey, weed management topped the list, followed by water and disease issues, all exacerbated by climate variability.

“I think a lot of the real innovation changes are coming through growers experimenting with their own practice,” Rangarajan explained. “From a research perspective, one of the best ways to take this forward would be to formalize those experiments in some way so that knowledge becomes more reportable.”

And collaboration on “organic topics,” such as finding alternatives to synthetic pesticides, are a boon to the entire agricultural sector – conventional growers included.

“Everyone is trying to reduce pesticide use; everyone is trying to reduce environmental impacts,” Wilson said. “You don’t have to be certified organic to benefit from organic research; these practices can be used by anyone.”

The report with OAI’s initial findings on organic needs can be found at: https://ucanr.edu/sites/organic/files/396228.pdf.

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

–UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

Farmers are stewards of everything from soil and the crops that pop out of it to the microbes teeming with life underneath the surface, which together creates a biodiverse environment that enriches and renews the land for generations to come.

Culinary and agriculture power couple Matthew and Tia Raiford, along with Matthew’s sister Althea Raiford Billingsley, are shining examples of how to work with the environment rather than against it at their inherited 50-acre farm along the coast of Brunswick, Georgia.

“There’s a lot of words that are used — regenerative organic agriculture, intercropping, ‘the old way,'” Matthew Raiford told “Good Morning America” of the farming practices intrinsic to Gilliard Farms, which sits on the land his great-great-great-grandfather purchased as a free slave in 1874.

Quoting his sister, he said they can either do one of two things: “Either we’re trying to argue with Mother Nature or we’re having a conversation with Mother Nature — and the time that you really come out on top and help everyone is to work with Mother Nature.”

“Not one of the three of us just own this. We’re stewarding to ensure that not only our family has a legacy that can continue on, but the soil has a legacy that it can continue on,” Tia Raiford said.

The trio have long cultivated a wide variety of crops harvested by hand, forage wild seeds to develop heirloom varietals, grow cut flowers to improve pollination, and continually work to educate others on environmentally-friendly methods to serve as a model for others in agriculture.

“My children are the seventh generation to have planted, harvested and eaten a crop off of this land. We are always and consistently looking at and listening to the plants — which is a very timely conversation around climate change and planting,” Matthew Raiford said.

In a world with a changing climate and micro-environmental nuances that vary based on region and land type, there are certain planting methods the Raifords implement in order to produce nutrient-dense food crops as well as ensure a thriving, biodiverse plot of land.

Sustainable farming at work: What is intercropping and companion planting?

“One of the things that we do at the farm is a lot of intercropping. Instead of just planting one crop and mono-cropping it, we plant plants together that can help feed each other, which helps improve the soil,” Matthew Raiford explained. “We use a lot of intercropping and cover cropping to keep our soil and the environment going.”

“That style of planting allows us to pull out two, sometimes three crops — it’s also a full meal from just those ingredients that we’re planting and harvesting in similar timeframes,” he added.

A “salsa garden” is another prime example of how “planting a mixed garden is beneficial to each other,” Billingsley told “GMA” of the companion planting method. “All the things you put in there are the ingredients needed to make a really good salsa, but at the same time, each one of those require a different pollinator to make them extra productive, and they help season each other and actually gain flavor from the other one.”

By paying attention to everything that grows on the land, including various weeds, the Raifords “identify any possible soil biology deficiencies that might be in place.”

“Whenever we see pennywort, we know that there’s excess of water in that particular area,” Matthew Raiford said of the hydrotropic weed, which can be eaten like wild dandelions. “The root can be used as a substitute for coffee even and the dandelion itself is a bitter green that’s good for your digestive system.”

The family of farmers implement the Cornell University College of Agriculture’s “system of rice intensive farming, where we plant rice and instead of flooding the field, we keep the root ball system at 60% moisture and intercrop with sea island red peas and rice peas that helps fix nitrogen into the soil,” Matthew Raiford said of the climate-smart agroecological method that increases production and naturally helps improve the area.

Matthew and Tia Raiford, the “CheFarmer” co-founders of Strong Roots 9 who first met at the Culinary Institute of America, share over 70 years of combined culinary and farming expertise that has been recognized by Alice Waters and the Edible Schoolyard project, as well as the Rodale Institute, for their organic stewardship in the midst of unintended consequences of chemical-involved agriculture that has drastically changed our nation’s food system.

“One of the key parts of being a well-rounded farmer that truly works within the environment they’re in is not only listening to the land and paying attention, it’s having conversations with those that have either been on the land before you or do something similar to what you’re interested in,” Billingsley said.

Wild staghorn sumac, a reddish-purple seed that grows in large bunches and has a slightly tart flavor, has grown on Gilliard Farms for decades and can be used for everything from indigenous lemonade to za’atar seasoning. In more recent years, they’ve planted hibiscus, turmeric, pineapple, garlic and ginger, all of which weren’t traditionally grown on the land, but have proven to thrive in the Zone 9A, the tropic-like warm and wet climate of coastal Georgia.

Thinking to the future, Matthew Raiford said that detailed observation even when the work is tedious and difficult is crucial.

“Part of our planning and our stewarding at the farm is to try our best to stay consistent with the exchange of knowledge — not just relying so heavily on just technology to give us the answers. Because Mother Nature has no idea that the technology is there,” he said. “Our goal right now is to ensure there’s another seven generations that can say the same things. It’s intentional work.”

The future of regenerative farms and agritourism

With more than a decade of real estate development under her belt, Lisel Morris has translated her passion for sustainable agritourism to start a consulting firm dedicated to helping small regenerative farmers and landowners.

“If you take care of the soil, the soil feeds the plants, the plants feed the animals and the plants and the animals feed you,” she told “GMA” of how sustainably-minded farming is inimitable from the industrial model.

The Meter Haus co-founder, who spent a year and a half learning organic farming in France, Ireland and Italy, said she was initially struck by the need for positive agricultural impact while doing nonprofit work in India. “All the beautiful farmland around the orphanage was disappearing — then they stopped cooking some of the traditional dishes and then they started serving Western preserved food,” she recalled.

When Morris asked locals what was happening, she said, “Their answer was that they couldn’t find the vegetables in the market anymore, and it was so shocking to me that it led to the beginning of a deep dive where I understood that fruits and vegetables were becoming extinct in our lifetime.”

She recently worked with Wonderfield Farm, a legacy citrus grove formerly known as Banes Grove in Florida, where she’s helping with its regenerative agritourism plans as the owners work to preserve agricultural distinction and natural resources like freshwater springs. Despite outside pressures to change their farming tactics for higher-yield fruits, Morris said “the citrus hasn’t died” because the owners are “companion planting next to oaks, and they have this large spring dug all the way around the site to maintain an even temperature year round.”

Morris likened support of local farms to buying American-made products: “We have small to mid-scale size farms that are able to pass down knowledge generation after generation on the same piece of land, and when we’re not buying local, those farmers can no longer stay on that land and can no longer pass that knowledge on, and the land is gobbled up, aggregated, owned by corporations not thinking of long-term land stewardship, and that greatly affects our communities and what’s being grown.”

Hospitality that’s rooted in eco-friendly farming practices is blooming at Wildflower Farms in Gardiner, New York, where seasonal, farm-to-table educational experiences are regularly highlighted for guests.

The property’s resident farmer Will Conway, who oversees 3.5 acres with more than 50 different annual and perennial crops, has fostered practices like “cultivating a bed, which we call a bed flip, that happens three times a season,” unlike industrial farms that “till and harvest each bed just once a season.”

“The most important aspects would be composting, cover cropping, and of course, diversity,” Conway said of the farm’s sustainable initiatives. “Diversity in terms of what we’re planting in the garden, the varieties of fruits in the orchard and the variety of wild spaces we allow to cultivate.”

No matter where it’s put into place, the Raifords, Morris and Conway would all agree that the larger mission of regenerative, organic farms exists to support the supply and future of local nutrient dense food.

For 48 years, University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners have measured success by gardens planted, insects identified, produce harvested and the millions of hours volunteers have logged by helping others learn to grow.

From farms and small towns to suburbs and the inner city, more than 2,600 volunteers statewide put their mission of helping others learn to grow into practice by providing gardening education and outreach in their communities. Take your love of gardening to the next level by becoming a Master Gardener in 2023.

This year, there are two online training options– self-paced or hybrid with live sessions.

“Our online training is a great opportunity for folks who need more flexibility to participate,” said Extension State Master Gardener Specialist Candice Anderson. “Both options have self-paced components that can be completed at your own pace.”

Both training options may be taken from the comfort of home on a desktop, laptop or tablet. Participants will be introduced to in-depth horticulture content through 13 modules, including soils and fertilizers, plant diseases, entomology, pest management, organic gardening and more. The training includes videos, a manual, reading materials and quizzes. A strong internet connection is highly recommended.

After completing the training, volunteers participate in educational programs in their communities. Those opportunities may include speaking at garden clubs, civic groups, or schools, answering calls or emails at garden help desks, establishing demonstration gardens that serve as educational tools and educating citizens on how to establish community gardens.

The self-paced course starts Oct. 2 and can be completed in 14 weeks with approximately four to six hours of weekly work. The course costs $300, and registration is open until Sept. 11.

The hybrid course starts Sept. 12 and includes 12 weeks of hybrid online materials and in-person sessions on Tuesday mornings. The live sessions may be accessed remotely or in-person at an Extension office, depending on the local requirements. Registration is open until Sept. 1. The cost is set by the county providing the training.

Both Master Gardener training programs are coordinated by Extension staff at the county level. Training options, dates and availability may vary by county. For more information or to fill out an application form, contact your local Illinois Extension Office at go.illinois.edu/ExtensionOffice.

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in programming, contact Candice Anderson at 217-935-5764 or by email at mille116@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time for meeting participant needs.