The Benefit of Organic On My Mind: Resilience in the Face of Extreme Weather
Research for this post draws in part on work by NOC intern Jelana Ortiz for a forthcoming NOC report.
September is National Organic Month, and this year it also marks the two year anniversary of Hurricane Helene: A storm that dropped around 30 inches of rain in two days in Western North Carolina, where I call home, and resulted in over 100 deaths in North Carolina alone. Now, the same region is just getting out of extreme drought conditions. While the benefits of organic are many, the one at the forefront of my mind as I look out on a landscape still scarred by Helene is its resilience.
Organic is a system that works with nature and as a result carries innumerable benefits related to soil and water. For example, a long-term Nebraska trial found 30–50% greater soil aggregate stability and approximately ten times greater water infiltration under organic management (Williams et al., 2017). Similarly, the long-term Rodale Farming Systems Trial in Pennsylvania found greater soil organic matter and water-holding capacity in organic systems, which researchers associated with greater crop resilience and, in many drought years, higher yields than conventional management (Pimentel et al., 2005). More stable soil and the ability to retain more water matter not only to a farmer’s ability to weather the next storm, but also to the community that surrounds it. Such thoughtful land management can reduce the downstream effects when the rain does come.
Callie Herron, NOC Coalition Manager, lives 30-min outside of Asheville, NC with her husband, toddler, and two dogs.
Creating a more resilient future by keeping organic strong requires your voice. Here are a few ways you can show up:
Tell Congress Your Story. Send a message to your Senators explaining why they should prioritize organic in the farm bill.
Get familiar with the National Organic Standards Board — listen in or provide comments. The National Organic Standards Board is a key way the public can provide input into decisions that impact what the USDA Organic Seal means. Ahead of each meeting they take written and in-person oral public comments to gain additional perspectives on their recommendations. Here’s more detail on the upcoming meeting.
Use your purchasing power to support the system you believe in.