Developing On-Line Training and National Support Networks On Certified Organic Dairy Production Systems Through Eorganic.

Certified organic dairy agriculture has been the fastest growing sector of the organic market, yet little training on organic dairy production systems exists for Extension and other agricultural service providers, and organic farmer support is needed throughout the U.S.

eOrganic.info, the organic agriculture Community of Practice for eXtension.org (a national web initiative for Cooperative Extension), publishes science-, experience- and regulation-based organic agriculture information online.

eOrganic’s dairy team received a USDA Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) grant to develop organic dairy content (articles, videos, webinars, and online courses) for farmers, students, Extension, USDA NRCS, and others. The project is also creating learning hubs around the U.S. to provide: co-learning environments for farmers and service providers; information to farmers who may not have internet access; and project feedback through focus groups.

To date, 548 (115 farmers and 452 ag service providers) have participated in live broadcasts of seven webinars offered. Based on what they learned during the webinars, 80% of participants said they had a better understanding of the topic addressed and 65% said they will make changes to their farm practices or how they advise farmers. An additional 3,557 people have viewed the webinar recordings on our YouTube channel.

As a result of our efforts, a network of providers knowledgeable about organic dairy production systems will better provide direct assistance to current and/or aspiring organic dairy farmers, helping them gain the information they need to guide farming decisions and feel more supported, and ensuring success of the organic dairy community.