Interest in organic food and farming is growing rapidly. As a source of objective, research-based information, the University of Minnesota has expanded its organic research programs to provide farmers and others with information on effective, profitable, and environmentally responsible management systems, so that both new and experienced organic farmers can be successful.

Just as organic farming is based on working with the natural ecology of the farm operation, organic research is conducted as “systems-based� research. For example, soil-building crops, integral to certified organic production, are included in organic crop rotation in research projects. Rather than simply meansuring the effects of replacing prohibited synthetic pesticides with approved botanical pesticides, organic pest management research looks at the effects of enhancing habitats for beneficial organisims, release of insect predators, and selection of crop varieties that withstand pest pressures without yield losses.

Organic research is conducted by the University of ROC land that is certified organic; in transition to certified organic production; or on certified organic land that is owned and managed by one of the University’s on-farm research cooperators. By conducting research on certified organic or transtional land, the findings are more likely to be accepted and respected by farmers, because the University has had to follow the National Organic Standards, established by the United States Department of Agriculture, when conducting the research.