**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WHILE NATIONAL ORGANIC SALES AND CERTIFIED ACREAGE IS GROWING, ORGANIC PRODUCTION IS HISTORICALLY LOW IN THE SOUTHEAST (SE). SE ORGANIC PRODUCERS FACE CHALLENGES OF MORE INTENSE PEST PRESSURES FROM WARMER CLIMATES AND LONGER GROWING SEASONS, POOR SOILS WITH FERTILITY AND CARBON BUILDING LIMITATIONS. A LACK OF REGIONAL RESEARCH IS A CRITICAL LIMITATION FOR SE GROWERS. THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO BRING TOGETHER REGIONAL RESEARCHERS, FARMER ORGANIZATIONS AND GROWERS IN A ONE-DAY SOUTHEAST ORGANIC AGRICULTURE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM TO IDENTIFY FARMER-FOCUSED RESEARCH PRIORITIES. THIS SYMPOSIUM HAS TWO OBJECTIVES: 1) SHARE CURRENT SE ORGANIC RESEARCH TOGETHER WITH FARMER-IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES AND 2) IDENTIFY SE RESEARCH PRIORITIES THAT INCREASE PRODUCTION, ECONOMIC RETURNS AND IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. RESEARCH SHARING AND PRIORITY SETTING WILL FOCUS ON SYSTEMS-LEVEL TOPICS FROM PLANT BREEDING, PEST MANAGEMENT, SOIL HEALTH, AND COVER CROPS. ORGANIZED BY THE CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP (CFSA) AND THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL FARMING SYSTEMS (CEFS) AT NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY (NCSU), THE SYMPOSIUM WILL OCCUR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NC ORGANIC COMMODITY AND LIVESTOCK CONFERENCE (OCLC) PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LARGE DIVERSITY OF FARMERS TO HEAR FROM RESEARCH ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. SYMPOSIUM PARTICIPANTS WILL BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN OCLC AND THE SOUTHEAST ORGANIC AGRICULTURE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM WILL OCCUR THE DAY AFTERWARDS. AN OUTCOME OF THE SYMPOSIUM WILL BE A CONFERENCE REPORT: RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PRIORITIES FOR ADVANCING SOUTHEAST ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION. OUR AIM IS TO INCREASE MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND INTER-INSTITUTIONAL COLLABORATIONS TO SUPPORT AND EXPAND SE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND A TEAM READY TO ADDRESS THESE.