WHAT IS OATS?

OATS, the Organic Agronomy Training Service, is a collaboratively-managed training program for agricultural advisors and food industry professionals working along the entire organic supply chain from farmers to retailers. We seek to grow domestic organic production by strengthening the network of support professionals working in the industry. Our aim is for everyone in the industry to have robust access to technical expertise to provide unbiased, science-based agronomic support for their organic operation.

OATS began in 2018 when more than a dozen university researchers, extension educators, nonprofit educators, and industry members recognized that farmers were reporting on evaluations and surveys, that they were struggling to use the rich and deep information they received at conferences and field days on their farms. Farmers needed more one-on-one guidance than these organizations were able to supply. And thus, the OATS was launched.

With seed funding provided by the Organic Trade Association’s GRO Organic Voluntary Research, Promotion, and Education program, OATS held a series of pilot trainings on organic grain production in the Midwest in 2019. These trainings demonstrated that our approach is effective and needed. With the lessons from the pilot trainings in hand, OATS launched a full suite of educational programming that includes online, self-paced courses, video-based education, reference materials, webinars, and in-person workshops.