Farmer-Led Trials Program
Forecasted
Farmer-Led Trials Program supports organic and transitioning farmers and ranchers in testing production solutions to improve profitability, environmental sustainability, and farm resilience.
Funder: Organic Farming Research Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): December 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $1,500 plus technical assistance for trials completed within one year
Summary: Supports organic and transitioning farmers and ranchers conducting practical on-farm trials to address production challenges.
Key Information: Research must occur on certified organic land or land formally transitioning to organic certification.
Description
The Organic Farming Research Foundation’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) Program supports farmers and ranchers in testing solutions to their own production challenges. Producers lead practical trials of agricultural practices, inputs, crop varieties, or livestock breeds, with the goals of improving profitability, environmental sustainability, and farm resilience. The program is intended for commercial producers who are relatively new to on-farm research and want to build confidence in their research skills.
OFRF combines financial support with technical assistance throughout the trial. Staff help participants refine research questions, design experiments, develop data-collection protocols, analyze results, and present findings. The free Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research is a core resource, offering examples and worksheets to help producers turn farm-specific questions into structured, achievable trials.
