Grants Awarded and Project Results
OFRF organic research and education & outreach
grants are awarded twice annually, during spring and
fall Board of Directors meetings. Projects generally are funded for
one year, and project investigators submit written results
of their work to OFRF upon completion of their project. These final
project reports are solely the work of the investigators and their
cooperators, are unedited, and are not normally subject to peer review.
This section of our website is where to find information about OFRF grants awarded and project results.
You can search for project information on a particular topic by using our search bar below. Or peruse project results by general topic area using the funded projects contents menu in the right sidebar.
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Grants Awarded Fall 2011
The OFRF Board of Directors awarded four new grants in November 2011 totalling $50,640.
Research projects
Measuring active carbon to predict seasonal nitrate mineralization on organic farms
--Douglas Collins, Washington State University Center for Sustaining Ag and Natural Resources,
Puyallup, Washington
The overall goal of this project is to make organic farming more profitable for growers by linking fertilizer applications to plant requirements. The project will protect waterways by eliminating runoff of excess fertilizers and will help growers reduce costs. Soil tests will be conducted at eight organic farms in western Washington to measure the release of nitrogen from organic materials. That information will ultimately help organic farmers adjust the timing and amount of fertilizers they use to maximize crop production, and avoid waste and protect water quality in surrounding areas.
(image source: Washington State Magazine, Fall 2011)
Creating two open pollinated, surgary enhanced sweet corn varieties (year 2)
--Jonathan Spero, Lupine Knoll Farm, Williams, Oregon
Awarded in partnership with the Clif Bar Family Foundation, this grant continues research to develop two varieties of open pollinated organic sweet corn. In 2011, Spero grew the Top Hat and Tuxana varieties of corn. By harvesting firm kernels from the sweetest ears to plant in 2012, he expects to produce vigorous seedlings that are able to successfully compete with weeds and develop long husks to discourage insects from reaching the developing ears of corn. His research and results will be documented to establish a protocol for selecting sweeter corn from crosses with older varieties carrying organic-friendly traits. The method, which relies on greater osmotic pressure to slow the onset of kernel wrinkling, is simple to replicate, does not require expensive equipment or extensive training, and could be used by other organic growers to develop additional varieties of sweet corn.
Participatory screening of broccoli varieties for organic systems in western North Carolina
--Jeanine Davis, North Carolina State University, Mountain Research Station, Mills River, North Carolina
This grant was awarded in partnership with the Clif Bar Family Foundation and will allow organic farmers in western North Carolina to work with researchers to identify the best existing and new broccoli varieties for their region. Farmers will select the varieties and will identify which traits should be evaluated. In addition to growing broccoli that is resistant to the weather and pests in the mountainous area, the project is expected to improve the quality of organic research in North Carolina and pave the way for future projects involving organic growers in the area.
(image source: Watauga County Cooperative Extension Center)
Education & Outreach Projects
Pollinator conservation strategies for organic seed producers
--Eric Mader, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Preservation
Portland, Oregon This award will help organic seed producers increase their yields, reduce the risk of having their crops contaminated with pollen from GMO varieties, and improve biodiversity on their farms. Growers who raise organic seed crops that are pollinated by bees, such as alfalfa, canola, cotton and beets, have increasingly had their plants contaminated with pollen from GMO varieties. To combat that problem, researchers will develop training materials on the wide range of native bees that are drawn to specific crops and the best ways to conserve those valuable pollinators. In addition to preventing contamination, specialist native bees have been documented to significantly increase seed production. The grant will also fund classes tailored to the needs of organic seed producers that will be held at three or more organic conferences. In addition, those course materials developed under this grant will be used during one-on-one training with growers in years to come.
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