Organic Report Fall 2021 - Flipbook - Page 9
advocacy opportunities.”
Stacy Kraker, chair of the Oregon Organic Coalition,
“Our strategic partnerships with Oregon State University
completes the Oregon triumvirate on the steering committee.
(OSU) and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Oregon Organic Coalition (OCC) was formed in 2006 to
are based on identifying
address the lack of a unified
common goals and our
effort for promoting organic
unique strengths. Our
in Oregon. The coalition
legislative wins at the state
brings together
level have also been founded
representatives of Oregonon cultivating good
based constituencies, both
relationships with key
from the organic trade and
legislators. We’ve framed our
from other stakeholders who
messaging and priorities
are active in the organic
through a positive lens,” says
community, to galvanize
Schreiner.
support and provide
Schreiner encourages
direction for state-level
organic leaders in other states
policy initiatives that
to work with their state’s
promote Oregon's organic
traditional agricultural service
agriculture and trade.
providers, and notes that
The coalition focuses on
Oregon Tilth meets regularly
two key activities: an
with the Oregon Department
“Organically Grown in
of Agriculture’s leadership
Oregon Week” every
team well as top
September that has become a
administrators at OSU’s
mainstay event in the state
College of Ag Sciences to
and recognizes state leaders
discuss organic issues and
in the organic sector; and
opportunities that could
organic policy advocacy at
impact their agendas.
the state level, including
“There are a lot of
organizing a lobby day in
decisions regarding
Salem, Oregon, during the
programs, policies, resources
legislative session. OCC is a
and investment of public
volunteer-run organization,
funds that occur at the state
and is financially supported
level…Conventional
by a handful of organic
agriculture understands this
organizations, with
and invests significant time
Organically Grown
and resources engaging in
Company being its main
state-level efforts. We’ve been
financial donor for many
told by state legislators that if
years.
the organic community is not
Kraker points to the
at the table, then we risk
development of an Organic
being on the menu,” states
Action Plan for Oregon as
Schreiner.
the most impactful action the
Oregon Tilth has also
Coalition has taken.
been willing to put some skin
“Our action plan has
in the game. It has donated
served as a galvanizing point
over $250,000 to OSU’s Ag
of interest and has brought
Research Foundation over the
together leaders from across
years, helping to protect
the organic community…we
Rodale Institute research on organic no-till agriculture
faculty positions in difficult
were able to create an initial
uses a roller crimper. Rodale offers free consulting to
fiscal years. In 2017, Oregon
policy platform for the 2021
farmers transitioning to organic through a partnership
Tilth’s Board committed
Oregon Legislative Session,
with Pennsylvania Ag Department.
funds to match the costs of a
while also bringing together
half-time Organic Extension
stakeholders to create a
Agent position, which
vision for a long-term
eventually led to the successful advocacy for two full-time
strategy to grow organic in our state;” said Kraker.
Organic Extension Agents and the current effort for five more.
Kraker believes OOC can be a model for other states. She’s
convinced that without organized effort at the state level,
Organic Report • Fall 2021
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