Having grown up on a conventional farm in Salinas, California, Jessy Beckett Parr knows personally the realities farmers face. After tragically losing her stepdad to cancer as a teenager, Jessy became aware of the effects that chemical exposure can have on both environmental and physical health. She has dedicated her career to removing chemicals from the food system to ensure community health and safety. As Chief Program Officer at California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Jessy is on a mission to make organic the norm by making it easier for farmers to transition into organic farming.
Why Organic Matters
Transitioning to organic agriculture creates benefits that reach far beyond the farm. “It's all of us who benefit because we have healthier soil, healthier water, healthier food, and healthier communities,” Jessy says.
“Here in the US, we have an ever-increasing share of imported food that's Certified Organic, which means that other countries are reaping those benefits: environmental, public health, economic,” Jessy notes. There is demand for organic food in the US, but there is very little structural support or incentive for farmers to adopt organic farming practices, and farmers often take on all of the risks and challenges.
The Three-Year Transition: Challenges for Farmers
For many farmers, the switch to organic is a question of finances, not a question of values. As a federally regulated food label, the USDA Organic Certification requires that in order for food to be labeled as organic, there can be no prohibited materials (namely pesticides) used on the crops for at least three years.
“When farmers stop using those synthetic or chemical inputs . . .and start to use biology and ecology to manage their soil and their ecosystems, there's just a lot of disruption. It takes a long time to build biological soil fertility.” Yields drop as the soil and ecology rebuild themselves. During those three years of lower yields, farming becomes more expensive, and income is lower.
Once they get on the other side of the transition, the organic benefits emerge. Soil and ecology manage themselves without a need for chemicals, and farmers receive a premium for their Certified Organic crops. Then, they’re spending less on inputs and making more money. In the long term, “getting across that bridge really can help save the family farm,’ explains Jessy.
Partnership and Community: CCOF and TOPP
To reduce reliance on organic imports, the USDA launched the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) in 2022. The $100 million investment aims to shift conventional farms through three main focal areas: community building, technical assistance, and mentorship.
Across the country, 200 organizations have been involved in deploying these initiatives. CCOF leads the West and Southwest region. Among their chief priorities is establishing farmer-to-farmer mentorship connections. “We have hundreds and hundreds of folks who have gone through the mentorship program direct one-on-one, hiring veteran organic farmers to provide that phone call in the middle of a harvest when you're like, ‘Oh no, I just found this bug. What's going to happen to my X, Y, and Z?’” Experienced organic farmers are available to provide real-time technical guidance to those transitioning.
Remarkably, “the program put on about almost 3,000 events, reached over 150,000 people, conferences, field days, webinars, seminars, virtual, online, in person. And we've transitioned hundreds of thousands of acres to organic.”
Investing in the Future
TOPP is scheduled to sunset in late fall of 2026, but the invaluable mentorship network established by the leading organizations will remain. As a test case, TOPP has proven that large-scale federal investment into organic agriculture works. Jessy says, “I hope to make the case to the USDA about why they should continue to invest in this rural infrastructure here in the US so that we can reap the benefits of Certified Organic instead of sending those consumer dollars overseas to import things.”
Jessy views the growing $70 billion organic market as a market opportunity: “It's an investment. And there's many ways that the investment can happen. It can happen federally, it can happen on the state side, it can happen from philanthropic interests, it can happen from companies.” CCOF is contributing through the establishment of the new CCOF Foundation which will advance organic through education and financial support for farmers, led by farmers.
Independent Retailer’s Role in the Organic Movement
Independent natural food retailers are crucial in growing demand for organic. “In the food systems movement, everybody thinks somebody else is driving. Buyers think that farmers are driving, farmers think that buyers are driving,” Jessy says. “From CCOF’s perspective, led by farmers, we have an expectation and a desire for buyers to help create demand.”
CCOF’s ask of independents is simple: “Buy more organic, merchandise it better, and help consumers understand why it matters.” Storytelling around organic is essential in educating customers through signage, better placement, and promotions. Retail staff should be trained and equipped in talking to customers about the importance of organic.
Ultimately, the expansion of organic must be a partnership among farmers, buyers, and shoppers: “We need buyers to make organic worth the cost, risk, paperwork, and discipline it takes to stay certified.”
Learn more about Jessy Beckett Parr and CCOF on The Buyer’s Desk here.
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