In honor of the Organic Farmers Association’s 10 year anniversary in 2026, we wanted to recount a small piece of America’s organic history and recognize the groups, movements, and people that led to the creation of this organization. The entire history of organic agriculture is nearly as old as human civilization; recounting our current organic movement cannot overshadow centuries of agricultural innovation. In North America, Indigenous peoples managed regenerative organic agricultural systems for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. Following colonization enslaved people and migrants continued to influence organic practices and principles in the United States. Within this larger history, the current U.S. organic movement, which is in essence a modern adaptation of indigenous knowledge from around the world, has just been around for under a century.

Early U.S. Organic History

In 1940, J.I. Rodale founded the Rodale Organic Gardening Experimental Farm in Pennsylvania, (1) educating readers across the country about organic principles and techniques through his magazine. In the 1950’s the U.S organic movement saw a groundswell of momentum as public awareness about the health and environmental impacts of synthetic agricultural chemicals grew. The 1960s counterculture motivated back-to-the-landers to begin organic farms across the country, and by the 1970s, people were organizing around the concept of organic.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) (2) and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) (3) both formed in 1971. IFOAM-Organics International was formed in 1972, (4) California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) was founded in 1973, (5) followed by Oregon Tilth in 1974, (6) and the Organic Growers and Buyers Association (MN) in 1976. (7)

Consumer interest continued to grow through the 1970s and 80s, leading to a growing number of organic farmers and processors to meet this demand, and more state organizations and organic certification bodies to support these growers. Though the federal government declined to regulate this growing industry, these organic farming organizations created early standards for organic certification. Some state legislatures also saw the need to establish standards for certified organic foods, and in 1973, Oregon became the first state to pass a law defining the term “organic.” By 1997, 40 organic certification agencies–12 state and 28 private or nonprofit– conducted third-party organic certification. (8)

Despite having a shared goal, the process by which individual states and other certification agencies regulated organic agriculture differed. While general organic principles were similar, the rigor and enforcement of the regulations across states and certification agencies were inconsistent. (9)

While having a nonuniform standard state-by-state may have been confusing for consumers, it actually awarded farmers significant power when it came to setting certification standards. Founder of the International Organic Inspectors Association and former NOSB chair (certifier seat), Jim Riddle recounts that prior to the formation of OFA (and other current organic coalitions, boards, and associations), organic certification agencies provided a place for organic farmers to engage in determining what certification standards would look like. Additionally, some certification organizations were involved in research, education, and advocacy, and represented farmers in local and regional issues.

However, as the organic sector continued to grow in popularity and see commercial expansion, conflicting state and private organic labels became a greater issue, and by the late 80s, stakeholders of the organic sector recognized a need for a single standard. (10)

Early U.S. Organic History

Engaging On the National Level

Organic Farmers Association

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