The Ozarks Resource Center, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, was formed in 1978 and serves as a
not-for-profit fiscal umbrella for projects that further its mission.

The organization’s purpose is “to provide research, education, technical assistance, and dissemination of information”
on appropriate technology that is sustainable, environmentally-responsible, and based on renewable resources.  Also to be promoted are economic and agricultural strategies that foster “bioregional self-reliance for the family, farm, community, the Ozarks, and other bioregions.” — as stated in the by-laws.

ORC was originally located at New Life Farm, a demonstration farm in eastern Douglas County, Missouri, that operated for about a decade. The group held workshops and produced educational materials about the alternative technologies in place on this farm, such as solar panels, a methane digester, hydraulic ram, organic gardens, and composting toilets.

Currently, the Ozarks Resource Center sponsors educational projects and hosts annual events, such as the Backyard Concert, Earth Day activities, and the Ozark Area Community Congress (OACC, or ‘oak’), an environmentally-focused gathering which celebrated its 43th anniversary in 2022.