On July 31, Joanna Ory, a Research Associate at OFRF, ran a workshop at the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association Conference on the education and research needs of organic farmers. The conference, hosted by University of California, Santa Cruz, Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, was a dynamic convergence of educators, activists, students, farmers, and other leaders working to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. The theme this year was, “The Ecology of Food Systems: Engaging Interdisciplinary and Applied Education for a Just and Sustainable Agriculture.” Several powerful speakers and presenters led the effort to discuss issues such as the importance of learning from indigenous knowledge regarding food production and healthy diets.
The Soil Health Institute (SHI), an organization consisting of a broad collaboration of agricultural leaders, held its first annual meeting July 27-29 in Louisville, Ky. OFRF’s Research Program Director, Diana Jerkins and OFRF Board member, Klaas Martens serve on the board of the Institute, which includes farmers, land grant university specialists, USDA scientists, conservation leaders, soil laboratory scientists and foundation/non-governmental organization leaders.