New OFARM Position Statement: Dicamba Threatens Organic Integrity
Adopted 08/05/2025
As an alliance representing organic grain and livestock producers across the Midwest, the Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) strongly opposes the continued use and the expanded registration of dicamba-based herbicides.
Dicamba poses a direct and documented threat to both organic and non-organic farming operations, particularly those who rely on diversified cropping systems, pollinator habitat, and sensitive broadleaf crops including many fruits and vegetables and long-standing woodland stands. The volatility and drift potential of dicamba—even under label-compliant use—has led to widespread and costly crop damage, disrupted market access, and legal uncertainty for producers who strive to meet the highest standards of environmental stewardship and food integrity.
Organic producers, unlike non-organic growers, have no recourse to herbicide rescue treatments. Damage from dicamba drift can result in the total loss of certified organic status for affected fields, devastating years of investment and threatening farm livelihoods.
OFARM supports a regulatory framework that prioritizes co-existence, fairness, and science and ecologically based safeguards for all farming systems. Dicamba has repeatedly demonstrated it cannot be used without imposing unacceptable risks on neighboring farms, ecosystems, and rural communities.
We urge the EPA and state regulatory agencies to immediately revoke approval for dicamba use and to take decisive action to protect the integrity of all crops and especially organic and specialty crop agriculture.
MAHA roundtable news release, July, 2025
Oren Holle, OFARM Board Member, attended Washington, DC Make America Healthy Again Roundtable Discussion, July, 2025
MAHA roundtable news release, July, 2025
ORGANIC LEADERS PARTICIPATE IN A HISTORIC ROUNDTABLE CENTERED AROUND THE ADMINISTRATION MANTRA ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ (MAHA)
Fully on Board with this Trump Administration, initiative Senator Roger Marshall (R) Kansas convened this historic roundtable with invitations to various Ag industry leaders from fields of production, business, research, education, innovation, and investment. The central theme of the event was Healthy Soil – Healthy Crops – Healthy People.
Senator Marshall issued this press release:
“Today, on Capitol Hill, I was privileged to welcome Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, farmers, and agriculture experts from across the country for a roundtable targeted at the importance of soil health. Our farmers and ranchers are the backbone of the Make America Healthy Again movement; without their support and voices in our ears, this will not succeed.
As a fifth-generation Kansas farm kid and an OBGYN, I understand how important agriculture is and also how important nutritious foods are for a mother and her baby.
Soil health is where MAHA meets agriculture, and where we can foster healthy people and a healthier America.
Today, we were educated by our agriculture experts on the ways we can encourage better practices to improve the health of our soil.
It is my belief that we must work as one team to encourage public-private partnerships between farmers and the federal government and between the Trump Administration and Capitol Hill.
MAHA will not succeed without the cooperation and partnership of the people who are in this room.”
In addition to Senator Marshall’s comments, Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins indicated support for a healthy soil initiative, and Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stayed true to form in his support for the healthy soil element as a primary underlying factor in addressing our current health crisis.
The ‘experts’ included two bonified organic producers with a combined seventy years of organic production experience.
Bob Quinn, Big Sandy MT, a leading green businessman, offering leadership in the Real Organic Project, an acclaimed organic industry leader, and past National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) member, and Oren Holle, Bremen KS, a three decade organic producer, past President of Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) and Board Member of Central Plains Organic Farmers Association (CPOFA) were invited with the opportunity to champion the underlying Healthy Soil Principle of the organic industry.
In the participants’ opinion it was a great opportunity to include the perspective that organic farming is a viable part of the equation to address a growing concern for the continuing increase in chronic health issues.
Finally, this mantra has moved into the mainstream conversation; “Healthy soil produces healthy crops and results in healthy people.”
They reinforced the point that the organic production movement was born and grown based on the basic principle, healthy soil to produce healthy food.
In this landmark roundtable this was frequently repeated and reinforced.
Additional participating panelists included:
Dr. Chuck Rice, distinguished professor of microbiology at K-State, laid the ground work for the healthy soil element of the equation. In my opinion he made a fantastic case for the returning to the basics of organic farming as realistic solution to our depleting soil health epidemic.
Dr. Duriusch Mozaffarin, Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Medford MA, very pointedly verified the connection of nutrition in our food to our long-term health.
Dr. Stanley Culpepper, Professor and Extension Agronomist in the Crop and Soil Science Department, University of Georgia, reiterated the need for more responsible use of pest control practices.
Blaine Gunther, founder of SureFire Ag, Atwood KS, and Lucas Koch, Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems/Heinen Bros Agra Services, Seneca KS, along with Ray Flickner, Innovation Farm, Moundridge KS, added the element of new and innovative technologies that have huge potential in reduction of the amount of chemicals needed for pest control.
Earl Roemer, Nu Life Markets championed his work in Grain Sorghum, as an alternative non-GMO and more drought tolerant crop alternative, while developing market alternatives as a gluten free food source.
Carter Williams, iSelect Fund, encouraged investments in accessible, scalable nutrition solutions, to improve public health.
Mr. Holle and Mr. Quinn presented some historical, commonsense perspective that crop production is possible without the high cost, and often proven, detrimental application of the host of new technologies that have been brought into the mainstream industrial model agriculture. Oren submitted the observation that, had our Ag Universities and Extension programs continued to pursue best practices to maintain healthy soils to produce healthy crops we could be better positioned with solutions to the ensuing health issue at hand. He also pointed out that the organic movement was born out of the need to address this agriculture production paradigm shift.
They, at least, used this opportunity to present the organic alternative as a viable piece of the solution to rebuild the emphasis on soil health as a basic premise to improving human health. They made the point that healthy, abundant food production is proven to be possible with a departure from the, often proven, detrimental applications of the current host of chemical products and often questionable and long-range failures of GMOs that accompany the process.
The panelists reminded the Ag Secretary that current Farm Bill and Government subsidized Crop Insurance policies continue to promote the maximizing of yield, in fence row to fence production, with an unbearable high cost of newly innovative technologies. These continue to become departures from addressing the need for a return to real-time soil health basics. Along with the phenomenal input cost, the continued overproduction of crops that the market cannot bear, or production of modified crops that our trading partners don’t even want, have caused the current dilemma of lost profitability opportunities and another round of loss of family farms.
In private conversation with Senator Marshall, they had the opportunity to thank the Senator for the current support for effective conservation practices in NRCS and pointed to the need for program support for organic farming practices. We still fall far short of a fair share of farm program funding compared to our share of the farm economy.
The organic community, needs to appreciate Sen. Marshall’s efforts to build the communication bridge between the HHS Secretary Kennedy and Ag Secretary Rollins in the Make America Great Again mantra.
On the other hand, it was disappointing that while gathering this Round Table discussion group, time was very limited when a day long symposium could have served to further explore ideas that could become part of a practical steps toward real change. If our participation was truly perceived as important then further dialog would appear to have been a positive step.
Oren added this observation. It was a personal disappointment, that while we had already cleared security, as soon as the meeting ended, we were promptly shooed out of ‘our’ capitol building. To me it would have seemed logical that we, at least, could have spent some time to experience and admire the grandiose architecture of this amazing pillar of our democracy, which the Senator’s aids would have been willing to accommodate. In order to have this opportunity to fully experience a capitol visit, we had to go to the visitor’s center and await our turn to join a tour group.
Given the Administration emphasis for the Make America Healthy Again initiative, and the attention of several cabinet positions, we can at least hold some hope that we may see, at least, some meaningful moves in a positive direction to address soil health issues. It is long overdue.
Oren Holle
OFARM’s Carmen Fernholz Honored with 2025 Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture - Production
Bell Museum, Minnesota — May 28, 2025 — Carmen Fernholz, longtime organic farmer, agricultural thought leader, and current board member and past vice president of OFARM (Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing), has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture in the category of Production Agriculture. The award ceremony, held at the University of Minnesota, at the historical Bell Museum, celebrated Fernholz’s decades-long commitment to sustainable farming, organic innovation, and building a more equitable food system.
The Siehl Prize, established through the generosity of philanthropist Eldon Siehl, honors those who dedicate their lives to feeding the world and fostering sustainable agricultural futures. The 2025 award was presented by University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences Dean Brian Buhr and University of Minnesota Regent Doug Huebsch.
Carmen Fernholz’s acceptance speech eloquently captured his philosophy of farming as a life’s work rooted in joy, interdependence, and stewardship. Speaking with humility and depth, Fernholz reflected on the evolution of his career, shaped by the values of health, ecology, fairness, and care as defined by organic principles. He credited the land itself—and the relationships nurtured through it—as his most enduring teacher.
"For me," Fernholz said, "the dream is people again populating the prairies of western Minnesota … understanding that we create economic, social, and environmentally balanced opportunities here on the land." His remarks emphasized the need to move from independence to greater interdependence, highlighting the essential role of community, shared knowledge, and institutional trust in a resilient agricultural future.
A leader in the organic movement for more than four decades, Fernholz helped shape national dialogue around organic standards, regenerative practices, and farmer-led research. Through his work with OFARM, he advocated stronger market opportunities and collective action among organic producers.
“The story of my farming career is about the organic farmer and the weed scientist,” Fernholz shared, reflecting on his work with the late Dr. Don Wyse, co-founder of the Forever Green Initiative. “We were both farm boys and remained farm boys at heart. We just took different roads that ended up at the same place.” Dr. Don Wyse was also a recipient of the 2025 Siehl Prize in the Knowledge category. His wife, Beverly Wyse, accepted the award on his behalf
The 2025 Siehl Prize ceremony was not only a celebration of Fernholz’s achievements but also a tribute to the enduring power of passion, persistence, and place in shaping the future of agriculture.
2025 ANNUAL MEETING RECAP
February 2025. It’s never a doubt to be cold in LaCrosse in February, but it’s also beautiful with the sun glistening and the bridge in the background.
ANNUAL MEETING RECAP
“The entry of corporate entities into organic grain and livestock production remains the biggest threat to family farm organic agriculture. The ongoing influx of corporate consolidation and its related impact on market prices and manipulation in the organic industry remains the major concern for OFARM and our members.”
So stated Oren Holle, President of the marketing bargaining cooperative OFARM (Organic Farmers’ Agency for Cooperative Marketing) as it wrapped up its annual meeting in February in LaCrosse, WI. Organic field crop farmers came to the Marbleseed Organic Farming Conference experiencing field crop marketing opportunities and farm gate prices at ten-year lows leaving organic producers with, in many cases, negative net returns. This has stymied potential consideration for new transition acres and, in fact, has some organic producers abandoning their organic status.
OFARM’s decade-long exposure of the fraudulent activity in the organic certification arena, both domestic and international has been a productive collaborative effort among its members and its partners, and did result in the formation and implementation of the SOE (Strengthening Organic Enforcement).
Additionally, the collaborative initiatives of concerned organizations resulted in significant increases in funding for the National Organic Program opportunities and thus providing for more robust surveillance and enforcement. It is becoming more evident, however, that increased direct oversite is needed with more authority to address penalties for noncompliance. It further appears that a significantly greater involvement by NOP personnel will be required to more fully, and directly, investigate high risk activities where gaping shortcomings in meaningful surveillance and enforcement still exist. The ongoing rhetoric to relegate the responsibility to NOP sanctioned certifiers for action on non-compliances is a ‘fox guarding the chicken house’ scenario. Authority now exists in the SOE for more direct action. In plain English, we just ask NOP enforcement to do its job.
Ever-increasing uncertainty surrounding funding for organic initiatives under the new administration is an added huge concern. Any funding cuts would severely impact a number of very important programs which address areas of research and promotion of organic as environmentally beneficial while enhancing the increased food security where in many instances our industrial model of agriculture falls short.
In light of these critical concerns, OFARM leadership remains committed to its ongoing mission to provide an environment for cooperative marketing initiatives as the only viable answer to addressing this dismal atmosphere
Our collective collaboration remains committed to preserve these beneficial initiatives, as it is not only the funding that is in jeopardy but also the workforce which needs to be maintained to bring the benefits to fruition
For the present, organic family farms are left with a dim hope for any real action that our political leadership will take a more active role to assist in these endeavors as it appears they remain unable to finalize a new farm bill let alone take into account the desperate need to update our food security policy.
The marketing bargaining cooperative approach continues to remain the most durable approach to providing a platform for real-time marketing assistance, as well as the best venue to address the many related issues that affect the multiple economic opportunities in organic crop production.
OFARM continues to adhere to its mission of establishing and maintaining sustainable prices for organic farm production through coordinated efforts of organic farmer cooperative marketing groups. And to protect and defend organic standards that promote environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable food production systems.
01/28/2025
Tiryaki Agro/Sunrise Foods issue
01/28/2025
New Orleans residents in the lower 9th ward, Holy Cross, and Arabi communities are fighting an effort to a significant expansion of the Alabo Street Wharf into a grain terminal for receiving imported organic grain. Residents oppose the project due to what they fear are significant impacts to the community ranging from dust, rail traffic through residential areas, increased rodent pressure, etc.
In addition to the environmental impact of the industrial activities related to the project, residents have concerns about the corporations that will be moving into their community: Sunrise Foods International and Norfolk Southern Railroad.
Norfolk Southern (NS) operates 22,000 miles of track in the southern US and has a long history of safety violations and accidents. Additionally, NS spends millions of dollars lobbying for weaker safety regulations in the rail industry.
Sunrise Foods International has signed a lease agreement with the NOLA port authority to operate the proposed facility. Founded in Saskatchewan Canada in 1997, Sunrise Foods is a major importer/exporter of organic products, boasting a 25% market share of the US organic product industry. In 2018, Sunrise was purchased by Tiryaki Agro, a $1.5 billion conglomerate based in Istanbul Turkey. Tiryaki conducts business in many countries including Russia, UAE, Turkey, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Iraq and others. Through its Sunrise subsidiary, Tiryaki has successfully purchased US organic companies such as its recent September 2024 acquisition of Ozark Organics located in Missouri.
Since being acquired by Tiryaki Agro, court documents show that Sunrise Foods has been actively bringing non-organic grain sourced in Eastern Europe into the US through varies entry points in the US and Canada, and selling it as “organic” to American end users. These fraudulent imports have damaged the organic grain market for domestic producers and has harmed organic cooperatives in the US. The NOP has worked to close the loopholes that these foreign owned entities have been exploiting but Tiryaki Agro has quietly been funding groups like FOG (Florida Organic Growers) who lobby on their behalf for looser Government oversight into organic imports.
SIGN THE PETITION HERE: www.stopthegraintrain.com
Other Sources: organiceye.org; cornucopia.org; https://feedplanetmagazine.com/tag/tiryaki-agro/3533
01-22-2025 NOC and AOAC Webinar Overviews
(links to webinar recordings below)
Last week I had some spare time after feeding cattle and, needing an excuse to stay indoors, I attended two webinars that may impact members of CPOFA and OFARM in the future.
The first one was hosted by NOC (National Organic Coalition) and focused on helping organic producers to access NRCS Organic Programs. Having some personal experience in the difficulties in participation with organic specific NRCS initiatives I was hoping this webinar would end my frustration. It didn’t. However, it appears there may be help coming.
The overall information gained was that there has been a significant lag in Organic Specific Programs being approved and the actual implementation of those programs. To make matters worse, local offices have simply not had the training nor have they been given the appropriate information to move forward. Some states, such as Montana, have been more proactive than others only due to outspoken organic farmers taking the initiative to hold local offices and NRCS state officials accountable.
The takeaway from the webinar is that you, as an organic producer or one looking to transition to organic, need to go in and introduce yourself to your local office and ask for assistance. If you are not satisfied with the response, you need to work your way up the administrative chain of command until you get answers.
My experience has been that it is simply a lack of knowledge by local employees of NRCS. It isn’t their lack of willingness to help.
On January 16 there was another webinar hosted by AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) going over proposed residue testing for both organic imports and organic domestic production. Although there is still a long way to go, and support from domestic organic producers is needed, it appears there is some momentum to require some sort of residue testing for both imports and domestic production. There was discussion on types of residue testing (herbicide, pesticide and petroleum-based fertility) that should be included and there is no reason why any legitimate organic producer would object.
I would encourage all producers to express your support for residue testing requirements to your US Representatives and Senators as well as any NGO’s representing organic farming that you have a membership in.
Stephen C. Boyda, Organic farmer from NE KS and proud member of CPOFA and OFARM.
Links to both webinar recordings:
01.15.2025 Helping Producers access NRCS Programs — National Organic Coalition
Advancing Authenticity Testing in Certified Organic Products Webinar - AOAC INTERNATIONAL
FARM BILL NEWS Links from our partnerships:
9/29/23: From NOC: Expired Farm Bill Could Jeopardize Organic Certification Cost Share Program Online: https://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/blog/2023/9/29/expired-farm-bill-could-jeopardize-organic-certification-cost-share-program
9/29/23: From NSAC: Last night, the House's FY2024 Agriculture-FDA Appropriations bill failed on the House floor - 191-237. Twenty-seven House Republicans joined all Democrats in opposing the bill. The failure of this bill on the House floor brings a temporary close to what has been a rollercoaster ride for FY24 Agriculture Appropriations during the past four months.
Now, today and tomorrow (Saturday), both the Senate and House will exclusively focus on passing disparate versions of a continuing resolution (CR) in hopes of preventing a government shutdown. However, it is extremely unlikely that the two chambers will reach an agreement by midnight Eastern time on Saturday - and by Sunday morning we fully expect the shutdown to have begun.
https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/whats-at-stake-appropriations-shutdown-and-farm-bill/
https://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/action-alerts
https://marbleseed.org/news/blog/post/support-organic-in-the-farm-bill
https://organicfarmersassociation.org/farm-bill/
2023 Benefits of OFARM Membership Timeline Attachment
2023 Annual Meeting Press Release Full Detail Notes
2022 Fall Meeting Press Release
2022 Annual Meeting Press Release
2021 Fall Meeting Press Release
December 2020 OFarm letter to Organic Grain Producers
Press Release
September 2020
Press Release
February 2020
Press Release September 5, 2019
Star Tribune Article July 7, 2019