Journal Article

Supporting organic farmers through information and technical assistance

Dimitri, Carolyn, Oberholtzer, Lydia, Pressman, Andy

2025

Overview

In the US, technical assistance for farmers has historically been an important aspect of farm support, yet there are questions about whether such technical assistance is available for organic producers. Research examining technical assistance for organic farmers is scant, but the small body of literature suggests that organic farmers prefer getting support for their operations from other farmers. We examine organic farmer and technical assistance provider views to better understand the current state of agricultural outreach and extension for organic farmers and ranchers. The mixed methods study used surveys and farmer focus groups to gather data. Four key findings are (1) many, but not all, organic farmers believe that technical assistance providers may lack necessary organic expertise, (2) organic farmers prefer learning from other farmers, (3) non-land grant providers have a key role in supporting organic farmers, and (4) little support is available for nonproduction aspects such as marketing and access to farm programs. The findings of this study deepen the understanding of organic farmers needs for technical assistance, as well as understand the capacity of providers to meet their needs. We suggest that technical assistance would be improved if TA providers adopted a collaborative approach by working more closely with organic farmers. Furthermore, TA providers may be better able to serve organic farmers by organizing region or crop-specific organic centers that work with farmers around the nation.

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Subject: Agricultural cooperatives / Agriculture / Farmers / Farms / Focus groups / Historically Black Colleges & Universities / Knowledge / Land grants / Organic farming / Technology adoption / Tribal Colleges & Universities