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Regional Organic Conservation Specialists: An expanded agreement with NRCS

The Organic Conservation Specialist agreement is with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and aims to help increase conservation planning and implementation on organic and transitioning-to-organic farms. Six Organic Conservation Specialists, who hold join positions with NRCS, have been established to assist with the education and facilitation of organic resources and education. The organic partners that house the joint positions are: Oregon Tilth, Marbleseed, California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation (CCOF), Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), and the Organic Trade Association (OTA). Each organization has extensive expertise in providing organic training and resources to growers, industry professionals, government officials, and the public.

The overall objectives of this project include:

  • Developing knowledge within NRCS about organic systems and the unique needs of organic growers.
  • Instilling comfort and confidence in NRCS staff working with organic farmers.​
  • Supporting the certification of more Technical Service Providers (TSPs) to work with organic farmers.
  • Building more relationships between the organic community and NRCS.
  • Building awareness within the organic community regarding opportunities for support from NRCS programs.

The country is broken into three regions, each with two specialists who assist with organizing training and resources specifically for the states in the assigned region. Additional nationwide resources and activities are facilitated by the entire team.

Image of the Organic Conservation Specialist regions.

Each year there are 24 trainings throughout the country, topics of the trainings include but are not limited to:

  • Working Effectively with Organic Producers (WEWOP)
  • ICPS 823: Organic Management
  • CPA 138/DIA 140 and the Organic System Plan (OSP)
  • Technical Service Providers (TSPs) - host regional TSP trainings and conduct outreach to prospective TSPs
  • Organic pest, nutrient, livestock, and pasture management

Marbleseed works in collaboration with OTA/OATS to serve the central region. If you are NRCS staff or a TSP and are interested in attending a training, you can contact mercedes.talvitie@marbleseed.org. If you are interested in the work this project is doing but are not NRCS staff or a TSP you are still encouraged to reach out!

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number FBC24CPT0013866.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific brands or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

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