Organic Farmers Association

What Organic Farmers Association does

Organic Farmers Association (OFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 2016 to serve as the unified national voice for U.S. certified organic farmers. Headquartered at a Spirit Lake, Iowa mailing address with advocacy operations in Washington D.C., OFA runs a tiered membership structure consisting of Farm Membership (for certified organic producers with full voting rights on policy positions), Supporter Membership (for consumers and retired farmers starting at $25/year), and Organization Membership (for regional organic farming associations). Its mission is to give domestic certified organic producers a farmer-led voice on federal policy, particularly Farm Bill priorities, USDA National Organic Program enforcement, organic import fraud prevention, crop insurance accessibility, and conservation support.

OFA's core products and services are organized around policy advocacy and farmer support. The product surface includes the Farmer HelpLine (a (833)-724-3834 phone support line), educational webinars, issue factsheets, the Organic Voice Magazine, a Farm Bill Tracker, the Organic Career Network (connecting students to organic organizations), farmer workgroups (including a Dairy Workgroup), and an annual Policy Survey that shapes the organization's positions. Distribution is community-led and event-driven: an Annual Fly-In brings farmers from across the country to Washington D.C. for legislator meetings (the 2026 fly-in was scheduled for March 3, 2026), supplemented by email action alerts, social media, the OFA website, and reciprocal partnerships with regional organic associations including MOSES, MOFGA, OAK, CFSA, NODPA, WODPA, and Tilth Alliance. Underlying technology is a standard web platform with email communications and online advocacy tools; there is no mobile app and no proprietary AI/ML capability.

OFA's business model is a subscription-and-donation hybrid typical of grassroots advocacy nonprofits. Recurring annual membership dues (starting at $25, with higher tiers for farms and organizations) form a stable revenue base, supplemented by individual donations and fundraising campaigns such as Giving Tuesday, where partnership with Bluestone Life provides up to $5,000 in donation matching. OFA was originally a 501(c)(5), became an independent nonprofit in 2020, and recently obtained 501(c)(3) status in 2025, a structural upgrade that materially expands its access to tax-deductible donations. Governance is farmer-democratic, with elected Governing Council and Policy Committee representation across six U.S. regions; leadership includes Executive Director Kate Mendenhall, Policy Director Lily Hawkins, and Farmer Services Director Julia Barton.

Name

Organic Farmers Association

Legal name

Organic Farmers Association

Website

https://organicfarmersassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Organic Farmers Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing a unified national voice for U.S. certified organic farmers through tiered memberships, grassroots policy advocacy, Farm Bill tracking, and annual Washington D.C. fly-ins.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Spirit Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual memberships starting at $25 for supporters, with Farm, Supporter, and Organization membership tiers. Farm members get full voting rights on policy positions.
2. Donations and fundraising: Individual donations, Giving Tuesday campaigns with matching donations from partners like Bluestone Life. The organization relies on donations and memberships to fund advocacy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Organic Farmers Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that provides a national voice for U.S. certified organic producers through tiered memberships (Farm, Supporter, Organization), policy advocacy in Washington D.C., farmer support services, and educational programming. Its core purpose is grassroots policy work where certified organic farmers set and lead OFA's policy positions on Farm Bill priorities, organic import fraud, crop insurance, conservation, and certification issues. The organization also runs the Organic Career Network, a Farmer HelpLine, webinars, and the Organic Voice Magazine.

Product overview

Organic Farmers Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that provides a national voice for domestic certified organic producers. The organization operates a tiered membership structure consisting of Farm Membership (for certified organic farmers with voting rights), Supporter Membership (for non-certified individuals), and Organization Membership (for organizations serving organic farmers). OFA's core services include policy advocacy in Washington D.C., a Farmer HelpLine support service, educational webinars, and the Organic Voice Magazine publication. The organization also runs the Organic Career Network connecting students to organic sector careers, maintains a Farm Bill Tracker for legislative monitoring, and convenes Farmer Workgroups including a Dairy Workgroup. Annual programming includes an Annual Policy Survey of certified organic farmers and an Annual Fly-In event bringing farmers to Washington D.C. for advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm Membership
• Supporter Membership
• Organization Membership
• Farmer HelpLine
• Webinars
• Organic Voice Magazine
• Organic Career Network
• Farm Bill Tracker
• Farmer Workgroups
• Annual Fly-In
• Education Topics
• Issue Factsheets

Quantifiable outcome

• 942 farmer signatures collected for letter to USDA Secretary Rollins about National Organic Program staffing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bluestone LifecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 November 2025Giving Tuesday partnership with donation matching. Bluestone Life matches donations up to $5,000, doubling the impact for organic farmer advocacy. Bluestone Life is a certified B Corp that invests premiums in values-driven nonprofits and aligns with organic farming values of doing business ethically.
• Rodale InstitutecoreOthersFiscal sponsor for educational programming support. Rodale Institute worked to create a national organization for organic farmers and merged efforts with the Organic Farmer Alliance to form OFA. Rodale Institute was instrumental in OFA's founding in 2016.
• Whole Foods MarketminorOthersOFA worked with Whole Foods to halt a mandatory and costly invoicing system (SPS Commerce) that would have negatively impacted organic farmers' bottom line. Whole Foods clarified the system was optional, not required.
• MOSES (Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOSES represents North Central Region on OFA Governing Council. MOSES operates the country's largest organic farming conference (3,000+ attendees) and provides farmer education through field days and the Organic Answer Line.
• NODPA (Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNODPA represents organic dairy producers in the Northeast on OFA Policy Committee and Governing Council. NODPA is the largest grassroots organization of organic dairy producers, advocating for sustainable pay prices and organic integrity.
• WODPA (Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWODPA represents organic dairy farmers in the Western United States. Their mission is to preserve, protect, and ensure sustainability and integrity of organic dairy farming across the west.
• Organic Career Network (OCN)minorOthersOFA hosts interns through the Organic Career Network, which connects organic organizations to students interested in organic sector careers. OCN provides hands-on experience with organic certification, inspection, advocacy, and farmer education.
• MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the oldest regional organic farming organizations (founded 1971), representing organic farmers and gardeners in Maine and beyond.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC): National coalition advocating for federal sustainable and organic agriculture policy. Directly comparable policy-advocacy structure, federal engagement model, and member-driven governance.
• National Farmers Union (NFU): National farm advocacy organization with grassroots policy development and federal lobbying. Comparable mission to amplify farmer voices in Washington, though broader than organic-only.
• CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers): Organic certification and advocacy organization that combines certification services with farmer policy advocacy. Highly comparable on farmer-services and education, though California-focused rather than national.
• Organic Trade Association (OTA): National trade association for the organic sector including producers, handlers, and retailers. Directly comparable as the most prominent organic-industry advocacy body; OFA differentiates by being farmer-only and grassroots-led.
• Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES): Midwest-focused organic farmer education and advocacy organization operating the country's largest organic farming conference. Direct peer on organic farmer education, networking, and policy engagement.

Others

• Rodale Institute: Organic agriculture research and education organization; OFA's fiscal sponsor and original co-founding partner. Highly relevant ecosystem player, though focused on research rather than policy advocacy.

Broad incumbents

• American Farm Bureau Federation: Largest U.S. general farm advocacy organization with state-level federation structure. Comparable national advocacy model, but broader (conventional and organic) and significantly larger in scale and budget.

Emerging players

• Pesticide Action Network (PAN): Advocacy network focused on reducing pesticide use and promoting agroecology. Adjacent advocacy overlap with organic farming goals, particularly on import fraud and certification integrity issues.

Regional players

• IFOAM – Organics International: International umbrella organization for the organic agriculture movement. Comparable organic-sector advocacy mission, but operates globally rather than U.S.-focused like OFA.
• Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA): Regional umbrella of seven state chapters promoting organic and sustainable farming in the Northeast. Comparable membership model and farmer education focus, but geographically limited.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/organicfarmersa
• Facebookfacebook.com/OrganicFarmersAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/organic-farmers-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Organic Farmers Association