Organic agriculture has come to the forefront as an important opportunity for all farm sectors, across the country. Through our efforts, we have increased the research and extension support of these producers. We have identified strategies and developed grower tools to improve production and reduce environmental impacts of organic vegetable and grain systems in the Northeast U.S. A new organic dairy initiative has focused on improving farm management and networking to grow the industry sustainability.

Historically, organic agriculture systems and constraints were not studied by land-grant universities and federal agricultural institutions. With growing interest in organic products, however, there is a need to enhance research and education efforts for these systems in the Northeast U.S. Information needed included economic data, whole farm management challenges, nutrient management strategies, crop rotation planning, and pest management approaches. This type of data could help identify additional areas for future research while providing practical tools for organic farmers.

Several projects have focused on enhancing research and extension in organic agriculture for the Northeast U.S. The Northeast Organic Network (NEON) is a collaborative project designed to develop research and extension networks and programs for organic farmers in the northeastern U.S.. (www.neon.cornell.edu) Our major activities focused on case studies of 11 exemplary organic farms, economic analysis, nutrient budgeting, crop rotation planning, cover crop selection, and organic pesticide efficacy testing. A crop rotation planning manual (forthcoming) includes spreadsheets for planning rotations and detailed chapters on using rotations to manage nutrients, pests, and soils organically. A nutrient budgeting tool for organic systems is being developed that includes a database of crop and soil amendment nutrient contents to be used in calculating initial mass balance budgets. The "Resource Guide to Organic Insect and Disease Management" was published, providing efficacy data on organic approved pesticides against various vegetable pests. The Organic Seed Partnership has engaged diverse private, public and farmer plant breeders to develop new varieties suitable to organic vegetable systems. Additional funding is supporting advanced organic training of extension educators from around the Northeast. New projects are focused on enhancing support for the expanding organic dairy industry. The Organic Work Team continues to build collaborations in NY.

The NEON team has produced practical tools to enhance the sustainability of organic farms in the Northeast. Growers using these tools have demonstrated improved rotations, reduced nutrient losses and improved crop quality. The case studies will be used for teaching students, growers and agricultural service providers about the complexity of managing organic systems. As a result of these efforts, there is greater research and extension interest in supporting organic agriculture. The Organic Dairy Task Force,which includes farmers, processors, educators and nonprofits, has identified research and extension needs to help develop the industry in a sustainable fashion. The Organic Seed Partnership has identified new varieties and breeding material being shared across the country. The Cornell Organic Work Team has expanded to over 120 members committed to collaborative research and education. It includes farmers, educators, faculty and nonprofits.

NE SARE

• Charles Mohler (CSS)
• Brian Caldwell (CSS)
• Tony Shelton (Entomology)
• Wen Fei Uva (AEM)
• Laurie Drinkwater (Horticulture)
• Sarah Johnston (Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY)
• Fay Benson (CCE)