ORGANIC EDUCATION

EDUCATION IS THE HEART OF OREGON TILTH’S NONPROFIT WORK. OUR STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SHARING TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE FOCUSES ON THREE MAIN AREAS.

FARM VIABILITY.

Our goal is to keep farmers thriving. For over a decade, we’ve collaborated on revolutionary research and education with Oregon State University (OSU), where we built the nation’s first dedicated Organic Extension program. We develop educational programs to support farmers through our partnership with Oregon State University’s Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems. The Know Your Cost To Grow program helps farmers calculate their crop-specific production costs and use cost information for business decision making.

PARTNERS BUILDING A BRIGHTER FOOD FUTURE.

In 2021, we piloted a program focused on delivering business technical assistance to beginning farmers in East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District’s Headwaters Farm Incubator Program. We plan to expand this program to additional beginning farmers at Headwaters Farm as well as to farmers of color in the Oregon Food Bank’s Pathways to Farming Program.

We were honored to host the 5th National Farm Viability Conference in 2021.

This conference advanced service providers’ potential to deliver business technical assistance to farmers. We brought together over 400 farm viability professionals from 44 states for a month-long virtual conference featuring 75 sessions.

From left to right, Lauren Gwin, Leonard Freeman Jr., Garry Stephenson, Chris Schreiner and Ben Bowell at the Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems at Oregon State University.

The partnership between Oregon Tilth and the OSU Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems reaches back decades. The power of our continuous collaboration comes from the complementary strengths of each organization focused on the goal of advancing organic farming. - Garry Stephenson, Director, Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems Coordinator, Small Farms Program

In addition to farmer and handler education, we focus on building organic support networks by providing education to agricultural professionals. By leveraging these networks, our education programs have a ripple effect across the country.

TRANSITION.

We assist producers as they explore the transition to organic certification. Our groundbreaking 12-year national partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides more federal resources to organic and transitioning -to-organic producers. Oregon Tilth has trained NRCS staff across the country.

CONSERVATION.

Organic farming practices regenerate soil, protect water and support biodiversity. Oregon Tilth’s education efforts demonstrate the resiliency in utilizing cover crops, crop rotations, buffers, pollinator plantings and manure management. We help farmers and farm service providers build conservation knowledge, skills and networks for support. Our partnership with NRCS has provided approximately 150 conservation trainings for 3,665 NRCS staff members across the United States.