Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The recorded webinar at the Tri-Societies meeting remains active on the eOrganic site and has received over 1,000 views. Post session meetings with extension and students provided information for their resource use and encouragement to study and do research related to organic agriculture. Presentations and handouts were provided at the conferences. Power point slides and supporting materials remain available on the eOrganic website, OFRF website, and were sent to conference leadership and other supporting organizations for dissemination. There is a page on the eOrganic website, https://articles.extension.org/pages/74555, that describes the symposium and links to all the recordings which are on YouTube as a playlist. The link to the YouTube playlist is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=PorE-2cu9OY&list=PLZMuQJAj6rOpvKfHasJQ1WaVHJaK3PKLz Views for each of the 8 videos can be seen by clicking on each video. The first one has had 673 views. 256 people registered for the live webinar and 120 attended. Demographics of the participants are attached in the appendix as well as the evaluation report. The conference presentations at the Tri-Societies symposium continue to receive views. A Proceedings has been written on the results of the Tri-Society conference, including the presentations at the symposium and individual presentation throughout different sessions at the conference. This report is located on the OFRF website. All of these documents are attached in the Appendix of this report for use by USDA. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Each conference presented to different primary audiences. The Tri-Society and American Horticultural Society attendees were composed of researchers, educators, crop advisors, and students. Continuing education credits were provided at the Tri-Society meeting. The SSAWG attendees were predominately farmers, ranchers, crop advisors and students. NSAC attendees were composed of policy advocates, NGOs, and other agricultural farmer representatives. The diversity of these conferences allowed presentations and workshops to be appropriate for understanding research results and adoption of research recommendations. Above all, a better understanding of organic agriculture and management options was provided. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Presentations and handouts were provided at the conferences. Power point slides and supporting materials remain available on the eOrganic website, OFRF website, and were sent to conference leadership and other supporting organizations for dissemination. There is a page on the eOrganic website, https://articles.extension.org/pages/74555, that describes the symposium and links to all the recordings which are on YouTube as a playlist. The link to the YouTube playlist is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=PorE-2cu9OY&list=PLZMuQJAj6rOpvKfHasJQ1WaVHJaK3PKLz Views for each of the 8 videos can be seen by clicking on each video. The first one has had 673 views. 256 people registered for the live webinar and 120 attended. Demographics of the participants are attached in the appendix as well as the evaluation report. The conference presentations at the Tri-Societies symposium continue to receive views. A Proceedings has been written on the results of the Tri-Society conference, including the presentations at the symposium and individual presentation throughout different sessions at the conference. This report is located on the OFRF website. All of these documents are attached in the Appendix of this report for use by USDA. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?All goals have been accomplished. This is the final report.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Two national and two regional conferences provided for presentations and workshops on organic agriculture and soil health. In the post conferences surveys, the majority of attendees felt that their understanding or current organic research results and soil health practices related to organic production methods was improved and transfer of this knowledge to producers and students would be valuable and adoptable. The recorded webinar at the Tri-Societies meeting remains active on the eOrganic site and has received over 1,000 views. Post session meetings with extension and students provided information for their resource use and encouragement to study and do research related to organic agriculture. Conference Presentations: Agronomy, Crop, and Soil Science Societies, October, 2017, Tampa, FL The 2017 Organic Agriculture Soil Health Research Symposium (OASHR) will be held in Tampa, Florida on October 25, 2017 as a Special Session in conjunction with the 2017 Tri-Societies meeting. The Special Session was presented in conjunction with co-sponsors Organic Management Systems Community and Soil Health Community. The symposium focused on research presentations, research needs discussion, and poster session. Based on OFRF feedback from producers and researchers, soil health is the highest propriety for research. The symposium allowed researchers to learn about current organic research results, peer interaction, and identification of future research needs. Nine issues were identified--ranging from the effects of cover crops, compost, and rotation--to the influence of soil management practices on economic returns and best ways to disseminate information to producers. The symposium was national and international in scope, and interdisciplinary with an additional focus on the southern US region. Outreach supported students to learn about organic research and the potential for education in organic agriculture. Researchers, educators, and extension personal were invited to submit abstracts for presentations. Advisory and Program committees peer reviewed the abstracts for highest quality. The venue was structured to facilitate interaction and discussions with farmers and other interested parties. As a result of invited presenters, the Organic Agriculture Soil Health Research Symposium brought together researchers, educators, extension personnel, industry leaders, farmers and ranchers to report on current research results in improving organic agriculture, identify research, education and extension needs, and advance the understanding of organic issues and problems using a systems-based approach related to soil health. The discussion was applicable to both organic and conventional production systems to improve sustainability and profit. The meeting attracted many researchers working in conventional systems who were looking for a better understanding of organic methods that could enhance conventional production systems. There were approximately 100 attends at the symposium, including researchers, farmers, students, and agricultural advisors. Scholarships were available to encourage the attendance of students and farmers to learn about and use the research results that was presented. Concurrent with the presentations was a live webinar and recording of the session by eOrganic. This recording has been maintained by eOrganic for future viewing. 120 attended the initial webinar and with continuing viewing of the site to date. A survey was distributed to attendees to determine knowledge gained from the presentation related to soil health. (See appendix for survey documents) OFRF issued a call for abstracts to support presenters for several other sessions throughout the conference. In addition to the symposium, several individual oral and poster presentations were done in six other sessions of the Tri-Societies meetings. (See proceedings in the appendix for presentation topics) A policy topic was presented by OFRF staff at the American Society of Agronomy's National and International Policy and Incentives for Soil Health Oral Session. The presentation discussed the need to increase public support for organic agricultural research in the 2018 Farm Bill. Other presentation sessionsincluded the Soil Health for Agroecosystems Oral Session, General Organic Management Systems Oral I session, Soil Health for Agroecosystems Poster Session, General Organic Management Systems Oral II, and the Influence of Organic Manures on Growth and Yield of Soybean and on Soil Quality. Summary of these talks are in the Proceedings. Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, February, 2018 workshop National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition conference, June, 2018 Approximately 100 attendees at the NSAC annual meeting were provided with crop insurance and soil health booklets developed by OFR based on current research results and support options available to organic farmers and ranchers. American Society of Horticultural Science, August, 2018, Washington, DC The ASHS oral presentation was on organic research results. The growing body of organic research that is available to researchers, extension, and farmers was discussed. The presentation provided information about current research topics and results that are adoptable for farmers and ranchers and furthering the next generation of research. Results on production practices, breeding, and economic trends from USDA-funded and OFRF-funded research from the past decade were highlighted. Special focus was on soil health and organic production. Participants learned who funds major organic research and where funds have been spent. An interactive discussion was held to gather input about future organic research needs. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, November, 2018, Durham, NC Putting Organic Research into Practice on Your Farm and Information Resources was the topic for this workshop. A power point presentation on Organic Production and Soil Health and accompanying presentation notes was provided to the forty attendees. After the presentation, discussion allowed those attending to ask more detailed questions specific to their farming operations and provide additional results from their production practices. The group was especially knowledgeable about organic agriculture and contributed to the information that was provided in the detailed presentation. The attendees appreciated the written handouts that accompanied the presentation. The power point and notes are provided in the Appendix.
Publications
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