USA: Organic research and outreach report released

The Ceres Trust has announced the release of their new report, “Organic Research and Outreach in the North Central Region.” There are over 1970 acres (close to 800 ha) of university land being used for organic research in the North Central Region (NCR) in the USA, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. As demand for organic products continues to grow, so does the need for organic agriculture research and outreach. Many land grant universities in the NCR have responded by investing in organic research infrastructure, supporting faculty endeavors, and providing courses on organic production systems. In addition, many universities in the Upper Midwest conduct robust on-farm, participatory research on organic farms.

This Ceres Trust report documents the growth in organic research, extension, outreach and teaching in the 12-state region eligible for Ceres Trust organic research grants. It includes state-specific details about student organic farms; certified organic research land and animals; sources of organic research funding; dissemination of organic research results through field days and peer-reviewed journals; organic academic curricula; and other relevant information. The 2015 edition also features descriptions of on-farm research activities in each state. The full report is available here.