As human health and climate change crises dominate our daily headlines, regenerative organic food production is being increasingly recognized as a solution to cleaner soil, water and food. The Rodale Institute, a nonprofit that has advocated for and educated in regenerative organic farming since 1947, has made a major impact on our food system, from our backyards all the way to Washington, D.C.

Rodale Institute’s new apprenticeship program for organic food inspectors will help meet a growing need for these positions that help advance organic production. Dave Pryor, senior director of marketing and communications for the Rodale Institute, says that their programs have successfully assisted farmers transitioning to regenerative organic farming methods.

“But we’ve seen a lot of bottlenecks on the processing side, one of the biggest being a lack of certifiers for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic food program,” he observes. “We need more organic certifiers, so we need more training for them.”

Rodale Institute’s new organic certification apprenticeship program—the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and made possible through a $350,000 grant from Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration—will create career opportunities for organic certifiers.

The components are classroom instruction (hybrid), on-the-job training and mentorship, all designed to set them up to get International Organic Inspectors Association certified through Rodale education. Apprentices will learn proprietary knowledge of certification standards and compliance regulations while receiving an introduction to standard organic agriculture.

“Upon completion of the 2,000 hours of training over the course of the program, apprentices will be able to advise farmers and be competent in compliance, communication and recordkeeping protocols,” Pryor mentions. “Among the possible career paths are becoming a certifying agent for the USDA or compliance specialist within food processing companies that want to maintain their organic certification or achieve ROC certification.”

Rodale Institute also advises organizations that advocate and lobby for policies benefitting organic farmers such as the Organic Farmers Association. “They use Rodale Institute’s science, trial research and farmer training program experience to document to lawmakers how certain policies would affect organic farming,” Pryor says.

While many of the Rodale Institute’s programs cater to small farmers, they also provide myriad educational opportunities for home gardeners. Learning opportunities are available through on-site workshops, but they also have an entire library of online courses available through YouTube.

“Composting is one of our most popular programs,” Pryor remarks. “We have workshops on our campus throughout the year. Our YouTube channel features much programming about backyard composting, all presented by experts. Viewers can ask questions about composting, learn about its positive impacts and how it is advantageous over chemical fertilizers.”

Many of the online courses cover all aspects of organic farming, including composting and beekeeping. They’re now free and available in 13 languages, thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.

There are also many courses geared toward being a regenerative consumer. Topics include deciphering terms such as organic, regenerative and regenerative organic; how to support local farms; and how consumer purchases can support climate-responsible foods.

Since its inception in 2022, the Regenerative Healthcare Conference by the Rodale Institute has united healthcare professionals, farmers and health food advocates annually. The conference educates attendees on the impact of soil health on human health. This year’s event will be held from September 9 through 12 at the main campus in Kutztown.

Attendees can enjoy farm-to-table meals prepared by chefs dedicated to regenerative organic farming. Lectures are led by regenerative health and food leaders such as Steven Chen, M.D., chief medical officer for Alameda County Recipe4Heath; Scott Stoll, M.D., an international leader in food lifestyle medicine; and Will Harris, a regenerative farmer and founder of the Center for Agricultural Resilience.

“This year’s theme, Rooting Health in the Soil, focuses on how what we put into our bodies affects our health,” Pryor affirms. “People can learn from top health practitioners about how the biome of soil affects the biome in our bodies. Healthy food grown in nutrient-dense soil will have more phytonutrients and properties that help control inflammation.”

Rodale Institute is open for educational tours each Thursday at the Kutztown campus. With the variety of events, a farm-to-table dinner series, online classes and more, Pryor says it’s an exciting place to meet and talk about healthy food production.

“It’s exciting that this movement the Rodale family helped kick start in America more than 75 years ago has become much more than a niche. Now it’s a powerful movement in how we eat and consume our food.”

Sheila Julson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.