Organic Farmers Association launches free fall story workshops for organic farmers

Organic Farmers Association is offering two free virtual Story Lab workshops this fall to help certified organic, transitioning and curious farmers turn everyday farm experiences into audience-specific stories. The program ties into a broader storytelling project aimed at helping farmers build trust, explain organic practices and support demand for domestic organic food.

Why it matters: - Organic farmers often compete with big food marketing budgets, but direct farmer stories can carry more trust with buyers and consumers. - The workshops are designed to help farmers explain why they chose organic and why domestic and local organic production matters. - The project aims to strengthen consumer understanding of organic farming and support demand for U.S.-grown organic products.

What happened: - Organic Farmers Association will host two free virtual Story Lab 101 workshops this fall for certified organic farmers, organic transitioning farmers and farmers curious about organic. - The sessions are scheduled for Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. EST and Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. EST. - Each workshop will run 90 minutes and will be interactive and hands-on. - Farmers can register through the Storytelling Resource Page.

The details: - Story Lab 101 focuses on why farmers choose organic, why domestic and local organic matters, and how one story can be adapted for different audiences. - Participants will work through their own ideas, share them with other farmers and get feedback as they practice telling those stories. - The workshops are part of the Organic Farmer Storytelling Project, a set of free resources built to help farmers share more about their farms, organic practices and production choices. - The project includes live and on-demand workshops, workbooks and guides, an interactive knowledge base and free one-on-one technical support. - OFA is also working with other organic organizations on preview webinars and planning additional workshops for winter. - Farmers who complete Story Lab 101 can move on to Story Lab 102. - Story Lab 102 goes deeper into the practices behind organic farming and offers frameworks for documenting and sharing those practices with consumers. - Farmers who complete both workshops will be entered into a drawing for one of 50 virtual video production packages and 5 in-person video production packages. - The free video packages are intended to help farmers turn one farm story into marketing content. - The storytelling resources and Story Labs were designed and facilitated by Organic Farmers Association and Modern Species. - Modern Species is a creative agency that works with farmers and food system organizations. - The project is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Transition to Organic Partnership Program. - The Organic Farmer Storytelling Project Resource Page collects the free storytelling resources.

Between the lines: - The project leans on a key market insight: buyers and consumers trust farmers most when it comes to understanding food. - That trust gives organic farmers a direct way to explain farming practices without relying on intermediaries or broad advertising. - The workshop format suggests OFA wants farmers to leave with usable messaging, not just background information. - The video package drawing adds a practical incentive that could help farmers turn workshop lessons into marketing assets.

What's next: - Farmers can sign up for the September and October Story Lab 101 sessions now. - OFA plans to continue the program with winter workshops and related webinars. - Farmers who finish Story Lab 101 can advance to Story Lab 102 and, if they complete both, enter the video package drawing. - More information is available through the Storytelling Resource Page and the Organic Farmer Storytelling Project Resource Page.

The bottom line: - OFA is betting that better storytelling can help organic farmers build trust, explain their work and strengthen the domestic organic market.