OTA.COM 21 Marketing Facilitating marketers by connecting enrolled farmers to buyers and partners across the supply chain. Spreading the word to consumers by letting them know how organic embodies the climate-smart ethos. Implementing Climate-Smart Practices Organic and transitioning to organic producers apply to join the project. Enrolled Producers will receive free soil testing and technical assistance for enhancing climate-smart practices currently in place and/or adding new practices. Soil Analysis Verification Soil samples are collected and lab tested to verify short- and longterm carbon storage responses to climate-smart practices and assess other soil health indictors. OTA submitted a proposal that would incentivize organic and transitioning farmers to implement or improve climatesmart practices through free soil testing and tailored technical assistance in response to soil data. Rewarding and Incentivizing Organic Farming Systems and Continuous Improvement OTA, in collaboration with The Organic Center, worked on a proposal to build a pilot program entitled Advancing Climate Outcomes and Expanding Markets Through Soil Testing and Verification in Organic Systems. Leading up to the submission of the project, OTA collected input on the pilot from OTA members, including those who serve on OTA’s Climate Change Task Force. If selected for funding, the pilot will provide free soil testing and analysis for up to 1,600 organic and transitioning farmers to verify the outcomes of their climate-smart practices. Over the five-year pilot program, organic farms will be sampled twice, and transitioning organic land will be sampled three times. The Organic Center used its expertise to build out the soil-testing element of the pilot program, which will analyze physical, chemical, and biological soil characteristics related to nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and GHG emissions—including carbon sequestration and other indicators of nitrogen use efficiency (i.e., reduction of NO2 emissions). Soil tests results will offer realtime accurate reporting and tracking of GHG benefits (versus
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