Dave Chapman
Long Wind Farm, Vermont
“After One Year: Why Were We Created And Where Are We Heading?”
Dave Chapman, Executive Director of the Real Organic Project, walks farmers and consumers through what happened to Organic and how we can effect change as USDA Organic continues to fail consumers. Watch Dave's full video here and scroll down to watch other Real Organic Project Symposium Videos below.
More 2019 Real Organic Project Symposium Videos
Jean-Paul Courtens
Roxbury Farm, New York
“What Have We Learned? Healthy Soils For A Healthy Climate”
Can small farms truly impact Climate Change? Jean-Paul Courtens of Roxbury Farm CSA, a 425-acre biodynamic farm in New York's Hudson Valley offers positive insight from his own experiences. Watch Jean-Paul's full video here.
Jay Feldman
Beyond Pesticides
“My Time On The National Organic Standards Board”
Jay Feldman of Beyond Pesticides has an interesting outlook on the USDA organic program, which has grown into a $50 billion dollar industry since it began in the 1980s. In his opinion, this result was due to farmers themselves insisting that the program strive to be rigorous – something that can't be overlooked and might in fact be the very secret to Organic's survival and future growth. Watch Jay's full video here.
Francis Thicke
Radiance Dairy, Iowa
“Ecology As A Model For Real Organic Farming”
Francis Thicke (Radiance Dairy, IA) offers scientific insight into how rich prairie soils can be built through proper management of rotational grazing. He also shares his concerns with the integrity of the USDA Organic label.
Emily Oakley
Three Springs Farm, Oklahoma
“Working Toward A Low-Input Organic Vegetable Farm”
Emily Oakley (Three Springs Farm, OK) describes how many of the inputs used by organic farmers come from unsustainable sources and her efforts to grow her farm's own fertility using cover crops.
Anne Biklé
Dig2Grow.com
“Soil Health And Human Health: Forever Bound”
Anne Biklé is a biologist, environmental planner, and co-author of The Hidden Half of Nature. She explores why good health for people, animals and plants, depends on microbiomes.
Paul Muller
Full Belly Farm, California
“400 Acres, 3 Generations, And 34 Years Later: Why Real Organic Matters”
Paul Muller is an organic farmer and one of the great leaders of the Real Organic Project movement. His talk celebrates the constantly evolving community and soil community at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, California.
Eliot Coleman
Four Seasons Farm, Maine
“Defining Organic Farming”
Eliot Coleman video calls his speech into the Real Organic Project Symposium at Dartmouth College on March 2, 2019
Linley Dixon
Adobe House Farm, Colorado
“The 60 Pilot Farms Of The ROP”
Linley Dixon owns a 5-acre mixed vegetable farm and holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology. She served as senior scientist at the Cornucopia Institute, a non-profit dedicated to promoting economic justice for family-scale farming.
Alan Lewis
Natural Grocers
“Why Retail Stores All Look Alike And How ROP Can Stop It”
After helping Natural Grocers's grow into a national chain, Alan explains how the consolidation of brands and distributors have made getting the products from small, local farms onto store shelves increasingly difficult.
Cameron Molberg
Greener Pastures Chicken Farm, Texas
“Pasture Based Poultry And Domestic Grain In Texas”
Cameron Molberg of Greener Pastures Chicken Farm speaks of the stark contrast between a real organic, pasture-based, chicken farm and the CAFO detention camps that are now the standard in certified organic egg production.
Dave Mortensen
University of New Hampshire
“The State of Organic Farming: A Scientist's Perspective”
Dave Mortensen is a current National Organic Standards Board member and the Chair of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Food department at the University of New Hampshire at Durham.
Here he speaks some about failures of decision making within USDA organic and beyond. Not using data, attaching too much importance to industry stakeholders, and not allowing enough time and space for conversation with peers before votes are all contributing factors that have led to some tough and unexpected outcomes.
Harriet Behar
National Organic Standards Board Chair
“Building an Inclusive Message: How Can We Embrace Rather Than Alienate”
As the current chair of the National Organic Standards Board, a certified organic farmer since 1989, an organic inspector since 1992, and one of the original farmers to start the Organic Valley dairy cooperative, Harriet Behar has a unique perspective on what's happening today under the USDA organic label.
Enid Wonnacott
Executive Director, NOFA VT, 1988 – 2019
“A Tribute To Enid Wonnacott”
Caitlin Frame
The Milkhouse Dairy Farm and Creamery, Maine
“Real Organic Dairy Farming in Maine”
Caitlin Frame and her partner Andy Smith are first-generation dairy farmers in Monmouth, Maine with strong beliefs in giving their animals a good life. Caitlin speaks about the pain of having their contract with Horizon Organic terminated in the summer of 2018.