Advocacy & Policy 101 Series - Meet OEFFA: Bringing the Local into State and Federal Ag Policy with Lauren Hirtle & Nicole Wolcott

Lauren Hirtle is the Policy Director at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) where she helps shape food and farm legislation and policy at the state and federal levels. In this role she works closely with farmers, coalition partners, OEFFA members, and policymakers to advance policies that support sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and resilient local food systems. Through research, strategic advocacy and grassroots engagement Lauren helps amplify the voices of OEFFA’s farmers and turn on-the-ground needs into effective policy. Throughout her 8 years at OEFFA, Lauren has previously contributed to the certification program as an Organic and Food Justice Specialist, conducted organic certification inspections, and led the policy team on state issues as a Grassroots Policy Organizer. She has worked on organic vegetable farms and as an educator and organizer with nonprofit organizations throughout New England, New York, and Ohio. 

 

Nicole Wolcott is the Federal Policy Coordinator at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). She started working for OEFFA in 2023 and focuses on creating relationships with farmers and their members of Congress. This includes advocacy on OEFFA’s policy priorities, uplifting the needs of Ohio farmers with federal agencies, and sharing messages from our farmer network to larger communities and the media. While leading OEFFA’s federal policy work, she works in collaboration across internal teams, national and local partners, and with government officials to advance the needs of Ohio’s organic and sustainable agriculture community. Specifically, she regularly submits comments to the USDA on conservation and organic priorities, plans in-districts with farmers, analyzes and provides input on legislation, and meets with members of Congress and their staff virtually and in DC. In addition, she educates consumer communities of Ohio through partnerships and public presentations about how agriculture policy issues affect everyone.