The Organic Science Clusters are industry-led research and development endeavors co-managed by the Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) and the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) at Dalhousie University. The OFC and OACC have managed three previous Organic Science Clusters: OSCI (2009-2013); OSCII (2013-2018); and OSCIII (2018-2023).
Organic Science Cluster 4 (2023-2028) will receive up to $6.8 million through the AgriScience Program under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership. The OFC will leverage AAFC’s contribution with an additional $5.3 million from more than 80 Funding Partners for a total investment of $12.1 million over five years.
In 2021, OACC consultations with organic sector stakeholders identified Canadian Organic Research Priorities. OSC 4 research activities were selected to address these priorities, as well as contribute to Government priorities in areas of climate change mitigation, agriculture sector resilience and economic development.
OSC4 brings together close to 50 researchers across 10 universities and 13 research centres working on field crops, horticulture, pest management, livestock and environment. A national knowledge and technology transfer campaign will help to transform research results into use by producers.
OSC4 Management Team
The Organic Federation of Canada (OFC) is a non-profit national organization responsible for the administration of scientific research in organic agriculture and the maintenance, review and interpretation of the Canadian Organic Standards.
The Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) is a national organization based at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in Truro, Nova Scotia. Founded in 2001, the OACC aims to serve Canada’s organic sector through science and education.
Nicole Boudreau, OFC Coordinator
Nicole Boudreau has been managing the Organic Science Clusters in collaboration with the OACC team since 2009. She has also been the coordinator of the OFC since the organization was created in 2007. With a B.Sc. in biology (Université de Sherbrooke) and a B.A. in communications (McGill University), she enjoys popularizing the science of organic agriculture on all platforms: newsletters, website, videos, podcasts, and translation. Designing and disseminating organic news is a great source of motivation for her involvement in the management of the Organic Science Clusters. Before joining OFC, Nicole wrote several biographies, a book on health and a book on family. Her work in the organic field is motivated by the close link between human and environmental health.
Originally from the Eastern Townships of Quebec, her free time is occupied by walking in the forest, playing tennis, friends, family, history and good cinema. Her leitmotif: to reconcile her personal life and her work, and to stay the course with a smile.
Dr. Desirée Jans, OFC Organic Science Project Coordinator
Dr. Desirée Jans is the Organic Science Project Coordinator for the OFC. Joining the team in January of 2024, Desirée’s role is to support implementation and analysis of the OSC4 research activities, and to lead communication, knowledge and technology transfer.
Desirée’s previous experience includes project management for the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) where she had the opportunity to work with organic and ecological farmers and supporters across the Atlantic region. Desirée has been a part-time academic at Dalhousie University for more than 20 years teaching on-line courses in organic agriculture. She takes great pleasure in sharing her passion for organic food production and environmental stewardship – and has learned much from her students over the years.
Desirée earned a PhD in Soil Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Alberta and a BSc in Agriculture at the University of British Columbia. She has worked as a soil conservation agrologist in Alberta and as a research scientist developing agricultural biologicals in Saskatchewan. She now lives in Nova Scotia where she enjoys designing (and sometimes building) tiny houses, carpentry projects, and walking with her dog along the seashore.
Dr. Andrew Hammermeister, OACC Director and OSC4 Science Director
Dr. Andrew Hammermeister is the Science Director for the Organic Science Cluster. He is also the Director of the OACC and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. Andrew sits on the national organic standards review committee, the Sustainability Sector Engagement Table (AAFC-Industry co-led) and several other organic sector committees both nationally and internationally.
Andrew has worked with the OACC since 2002, collaborating in research on grain, vegetable and fruit cropping systems, exploring soil fertility, and weed management. Most recently he has been studying small bush fruits such as haskap, landscape biodiversity, sustainability of organic amendments, and applications of smart technologies to organic agriculture. Andrew is the coordinator and student advisor, as well as a course instructor, for the Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture offered by Dalhousie University.
Andrew grew up on a mixed farm in southeast Saskatchewan and studied at the Universities of Saskatchewan and Alberta. He now lives on an acreage with his wife and child (and two cats: Razzle and Dazzle) on the beautiful north shore of Nova Scotia where he enjoys kayaking in the bay, and keeping active with sports.
Rebecca Veenhuis, OACC Program Administrator
Rebecca Veenhuis is the Program Administrator with the OACC. She has been with the OACC and part of the Organic Science Cluster program since 2021. She holds a BSc. (Agr.) in Agricultural Business and assists in the administration and processing of the financial claims for the Organic Science Cluster. Although not new to agriculture, Rebecca considers herself a ‘student’ of organic and is currently working her way through the Certificate of Specialization in Organic Agriculture, offered through Dalhousie University.
Rebecca enjoys spreadsheets and organization. You can often find her fine-tuning files in Microsoft Excel to automate tasks and produce high quality results. Nothing makes her happier than getting a complex formula to work.
In addition to her work with the OACC, Rebecca shares a busy household with her husband, 4 daughters, 4 horses, a dog, and a cat.
