[montanafood_ag] Organic Producer Survey Will Set National Research Agenda

[Kristina Hubbard]

Greetings!


Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), and the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center (SESRC) are working to identify the research priorities of certified organic producers, as well as producers transitioning land to certified organic production.



We are conducting two national surveys—one for certified organic producers and the other for producers transitioning to organic certification. If you are a certified organic farmer or rancher OR a farmer or rancher who is currently transitioning to certified organic, this is an opportunity to make your voice heard.


Please help us make sure Montana's farmers and ranchers are well represented in this data by sharing these survey links with your networks:



For certified organic farmers and ranchers, please take the organic survey on our secure website at: https://www.opinion.wsu.edu/organicproduction/



For farmers and ranchers who are transitioning to organic certification, please take the transition survey on our secure website at: https://www.opinion.wsu.edu/transitionproducers/



Survey results will help us ensure our organizational programs meet the needs of organic producers and that the increased funding for organic research secured in the 2018 Farm Bill addresses the unique needs of organic production. Results will be published in updates of OFRF’s National Organic Research Agenda (NORA) report and OSA’s State of Organic Seed (SOS) report to provide a roadmap for future research funding.



If you have any questions about the surveys, please contact Lauren Scott at sesrc.nora.survey at wsu.edu<mailto:sesrc.nora.survey at wsu.edu>.



During these uncertain times, it is more important than ever that farmers and ranchers make their voices heard! The surveys opened on February 18, 2020 and the deadline has been extended from April 1, 2020 to June 1, 2020.



The surveys are voluntary, confidential, and will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. You can skip any questions you prefer not to answer. We welcome you to complete the survey in multiple sittings. The online survey saves your responses as you go along. You can stop at any point, and then resume the survey at any time by following the appropriate link above and entering your survey access code, which will be generated when you first start the survey. The online program will allow you to resume where you left off. Upon completion of the survey, you can enter to win a $100 gift card to REI. If you do not have access to a computer and cannot complete the survey online, please call OFRF at 831-426-6606.



Thank you for your time and support of this project!



Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF)<http://www.ofrf.org/> is a non-profit foundation that works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.



Organic Seed Alliance (OSA)<https://seedalliance.org/> is a non-profit that works nationally to advance ethical seed solutions to meet food and farming needs in a changing world. Through research, education, and advocacy, OSA fosters organic seed systems that are democratic and just, support human and environmental health, and deliver genetically diverse and regionally adapted seed to farmers everywhere.



This project is supported by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) grant no. 2019-51300-30249 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.



Kristina "Kiki" Hubbard

Director of Advocacy & Communications

Organic Seed Alliance

(406) 544-8946

www.seedalliance.org<http://www.seedalliance.org/>


Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/Organic.Seed.Alliance> | Twitter<https://twitter.com/Seed_Alliance> | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/organic_seed_alliance/> | Seed Broadcast<https://seedalliance.org/news/>

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