Dave Chapman: Why a Scrappy Bunch of Farmers Decided They Could Do It Better Than the USDA

In 2017 a small group of Vermont organic farmers met to decide the next steps after years of failed attempts to reform the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP).  The very foundations of organic were threatened as industry joined and then overwhelmed the NOP. Deciding that it couldn't go on, the farmers began the Real Organic Project. This quickly became a national movement that attracted many of the pioneers of the American organic movement.  Dave will describe the failures that drove the farmers to this action and what progress has been made. Currently, there are over 850 farms across the country certified by the Real Organic Project, which is recognized internationally as the authentic voice of the organic movement in the US.

Dave Chapman is a lifelong organic farmer. He runs Long Wind Farm in East Thetford, Vermont. He is a co-founder of the Vermont Organic Farmers and was among those initially certified by the USDA's National Organic Program. He is co-founder, co-director, and Board Chair of the Real Organic Project. He serves on the Policy Committee of the Organic Farmers Association. He has worked for years as an advocate for reform of the USDA. He has helped to organize 17 rallies across the country to protect organic. Now he works to bring together the organic movement and regain the lost integrity of the organic brand. He has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR's Morning Edition, The New Yorker, BBC World, and many other media outlets. Dave has interviewed many farmers, authors, chefs, activists, politicians, journalists, scientists, and eaters for the Real Organic Podcast. Excerpts of these interviews have appeared in the Real Organic Symposia.

Chapman spoke with UVM on February 18th, 2022. Read more about Dave: https://www.realorganicproject.org/board-members/executive-board/executive-board-dave-chapman/

The Real Organic Project: https://www.realorganicproject.org/

The Real Organic Podcast: https://www.realorganicproject.org/real-organic-podcast/

The Real Organic Symposium: https://www.realorganicsymposium.org/

Learn more about the Gund Institute: www.uvm.edu/gund

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