PORT TOWNSEND — The Organic Seed Alliance has released a new report outlining challenges such as climate change and disease that face organic farmers in the Pacific Northwest.
The “State of Organic Seed, 2016” was released Monday by the Port Townsend-based Organic Seed Alliance (OSA).
The project, performed in cooperation with Oregon State University and Washington State University, brought together farmers, university plant breeders and seed industry representatives in surveys and round-table discussions to identify the challenges of growing organic food in the area, said Cara Loriz, OSA executive director.
“OSA is a key player in the development of new organic plant varieties,” said Loriz on Monday. “This report will help ensure that new varieties have the characteristics that local farmers need.”
As organic farming has grown in popularity, more local farmers are looking for alternatives to pesticides to protect their crops, she said.
That’s where OSA comes in.
“We work with plant breeders at universities to create new organic plants and make them more resilient to challenges they face in their area,” Loriz said.
Farmers want plants that are resistant to disease, and they are looking to OSA and local universities to help them prepare for a future shaped both by consumer demand and climate change by developing plants that are resistant to pests and disease, she said.
“Farmers who use organic practices focus more on prevention and resistance because they have fewer inputs at their disposal,” said Micaela Colley, report co-author, in a news release.
“They need crop varieties developed specifically for low-input systems — crops that mitigate pest and disease pressures, and that are adapted to their local conditions and climates,” Colley said.
In the Northwest, farmers are most interested in crop-specific breeding — specifically more nutrient- and water-efficient sweet corn, fungus-resistant potatoes and organic no-till systems for small grains, according to the release.
The group also will work to provide better models to predict the impacts of climate change on organic farming, its report says.
Loriz said the group is working to develop plant varieties that meet agricultural needs and culinary demands.
“A range of crop-specific traits and industrywide priorities are documented in the report,” Loriz said.
“The report is intended to inform current and future plant breeding efforts and support the long-term growth of the organic industry in the Pacific Northwest.”
Loriz said the efforts could benefit local organic farms and businesses such as Finnriver Farm, Red Dog Farm and Alpenfire Cider — along with the many other certified organic farms on the Olympic Peninsula and throughout the Northwest.
A similar survey in cooperation with Cornell University in New York was done with East Coast farmers, according to OSA.
Between the two reports, there were 62 participants, 23 of whom were from Western Washington.
The report can be read in full at stateoforganicseed.org.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
