VEGETABLE PRODUCTION FIELDS THAT ARE BEING CONVERTED TO ORGANIC MANAGEMENT OFTEN ARE OF POOR SOIL QUALITY AND LACK ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCY, WHICH RESULTS IN VEGETABLE GROWERS OFTEN FACING LOW YIELDS DUE TO INADEQUATE SOIL FERTILITY, POOR SOIL HEALTH AND INCREASED WEED PRESSURE AS THEY TRANSITION TO ORGANIC PRACTICES. WHILE SOME VEGETABLE GROWERS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN USING ANNUAL COVER CROPS, LOW SOIL FERTILITY CAN STILL LIMIT COVER CROP BIOMASS PRODUCTION NEEDED TO EFFECTIVELY SUPPRESS WEEDS AND BUILD UP ORGANIC MATTER (SOM), UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR MORE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES TO REBUILD DEPLETED SOILS AND ENSURE SOIL HEALTH AND PROFITABILITY INTO THE FUTURE. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL STAKEHOLDER NEEDS BY EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BIOCHAR-BASED TREATMENTS ON SOIL HEALTH, VEGETABLE YIELD, AND ECONOMIC PROFITABILITY DURING ORGANIC TRANSITION. SYNERGISTIC SOIL HEALTH BENEFITS COULD ARISE WHEN SOIL AMENDMENTS SUCH AS BIOCHAR ARE PAIRED WITH COMPOST AND/OR BIOLOGICALS RESULTING IN GREATER AGRONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS DURING TRANSITION TO ORGANIC MANAGEMENT. WE WILL WORK WITH FARMERS TO CONDUCT ON-FARM LEARNING TRIALS, WHICH COMPLEMENT RESEARCH CONDUCTED AT UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTERS WHERE A FULL SUITE OF BIOCHAR-BASED AMENDMENT APPLICATION FREQUENCY SCENARIOS WILL BE EXPERIMENTED. PROJECT RESULTS WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO A BROAD AUDIENCE THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS INCLUDING VIRTUAL FIELD-DAYS, VIDEO STORIES, PODCASTS, PRESENTATIONS AT GROWER-FOCUSED AND PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES.