** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ORGANIC AGRICULTUREPROVIDES A SUITE OF ENVIRONMENTALBENEFITS SUCH AS IMPROVED SOIL HEALTH AND NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY,WEED CONTROL, DISEASEAND PEST CONTROL, AND REDUCED CARBONEMISSIONS.THEREFORE, ORGANIC FARMING TENDS TOINCREASE ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITY COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL FARMING. THE BROADER SCOPE OF THIS MULTI-DISCIPLINARY AND MULTI-LOCATIONPROJECT IS TO INCREASE SUSTAINABLE ORGANIC PRODUCTION WITHIN THE THREE, EXTREMELY DIVERSE AGRO-ECOLOGICAL REGIONS (PACIFIC NORTHWEST, SOUTHEAST, AND NORTHEAST)OF THE UNITED STATES. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO EVALUATE AND UNDERSTAND THE SOIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE OF FARMS GETTING CONVERTED FROM CONVENTIONAL TO ORGANIC INTEGRATED CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE TO DETERMINETHE IMPACTS OF INTEGRATINGLIVESTOCK GRAZINGUNDER VARIOUS CROPPING SYSTEMS ONFARMS THAT ARE TRANSITIONING TO ORGANIC SYSTEMS. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROJECT ALSO AIMS TO EVALUATETHE IMPROVEMENT OF SOIL HEALTH PARAMETERSUNDER VARIOUS KINDS OF COVER CROPSAND LIVESTOCK GRAZING PRACTICES.FURTHERMORE, THIS PROJECT WILL DETERMINE THE IMPACTS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIC CROP ROTATIONS AND LIVESTOCK GRAZING ON WEED CONTROL.PROVIDING RESEARCHERS, PRODUCERS, AND STAKEHOLDERS WITH TIMELY AND RELEVANT RESOURCES RELATED TO REGIONALLY SPECIFIC ORGANIC FARMING PRACTICES THROUGH HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS, EXTENSION AND SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS, AND CURRICULAR RESOURCES WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS PROJECT. PROJECT OUTCOMES WILL REDUCE THE KNOWLEDGE GAPS, PROMOTE SHARING OF LIVING MULCH AND GRAZING TECHNIQUES AMONGST ORGANIC FARMERS AND ENHANCE THE SUSTAINABILITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF FARMS TRANSITIONING TO ORGANIC SYSTEMS.