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MOSES Organic Farming
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WORKSHOPS
Workshops by Topic | CEUs | Rural Women's Project - Special Session

Workshop Schedule
For workshop descriptions view them by topic.

Workshops by Topic
Soils & Systems | Field Crops | Market Farming | Livestock | Marketing & Business | Misc.

Soils & Systems
Healthy soils provide the foundation for organic farming. These workshops will provide the practical information you need to improve your soil, your yields, and your bottom line.

Farming for Native Bees and Other Beneficial Insects
Friday I – 8:30 am
Predatory insects and pollinators are the unsung champions of the agricultural world. Join Eric Mader and Jennifer Hopwood of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation for an updated exploration into the ecology of these often overlooked and undervalued allies, and practical approaches to enhancing their populations on working farms.

Feeding the Soil that Feeds the Plants
Friday I – 8:30 am
When you feed the soil correctly, whatever plants being grown there will respond positively. Join soil scientist and consultant Neal Kinsey for this look at how to achieve yields and high quality simultaneously in organic food and feed production.

Soil Health and Biodiversity in Practice: Harnessing Biology, Ecology, and Resiliency on the Farm
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Promoting biodiversity both above and below the soil provides a wide variety of ecosystem services that enhance food growing capacity and quality of life. Join organic vegetable farmer and consultant Atina Diffley for this exploration of the natural processes in the environment and how you can work with them.

Managing Soil Nutrients for Optimal Crop Performance
Friday III – 4:00 pm
The balance and availability of soil nutrients has a direct impact on the growth, health, yield, and quality of all crops. Join biological and organic soils consultant Bob Yanda for this basic systems approach to soil balance and nutrient availability, including the important role of soil biology.

Cover Crop Innovation on Organic Farms
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Successful organic farms in the Midwest use a variety of cover cropping practices. Western Illinois University's Joel Gruver will take you on a virtual tour of organic cover crop innovation, including new species, planting methods, and residue management systems.

Basics of Soil Structure and Management Practices that Favor the Development of Soil Health
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Organic farmers have traditionally relied on crop rotations, soil amendments, and tillage to optimize production. Cynthia Cambardella, of the USDA's National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, will explore the relationships among soil organic matter turnover, soil aggregate formation and degradation, nutrient cycling, water retention, and the activity of soil microorganisms.

Introduction to Organic Fertilizers 101
Saturday I – 8:30 am
Crop fertility is critical to successful organic farming. Join Sustane Natural Fertilizer's Craig Holden for this exploration of the wide range of materials available to organic growers, and the differences betweeen them. Craig will help participants understand why more fertilizer is not always better.

Fungal Dynamics Underlying Plant Health
Saturday I – 8:30 am
A holistic understanding of beneficial fungi and bacteria can lead the organic grower to a whole new understanding of how to preempt diseases, from late blight on tomatoes to scab on apples to powdery mildew on ornamentals. Author and orchardist Michael Phillips will show you how to utilize a variety of new tools to leave behind the mineral fungicides of old.

Functional Native Plant Restoration for Organic Farms
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Native plant conservation buffers, pastures, and ground covers are increasingly recognized for their ability to protect soil and water, provide habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects, reduce weeds and pesticide drift from adjacent farms, and beautify farm landscapes. Eric Mader and Jennifer Hopwood of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation will examine the latest science-based organic alternatives for blurring the lines between nature and agriculture.

rf Soil Microbes in Organic Vegetable Production
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Soil microbial communities play fundamental roles in the productivity of agriculture. Join Kansas State University researchers Karen Garrett and Lorena Gomez-Montano for this evaluation of the diversity and general structure of microbial communities in response to different nutrient management strategies.

Visual Assessment of Mineral Deficiencies in Vegetable Crops
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Crops not growing as you would like? Don't have the money for soil tests in every field, every year? Don't give up hope. Although preparing the soil before you plant is best, this workshop will explore how to identify and solve mineral deficiency problems in your crops while they are growing. Join organic vegetable farmer and plant ecologist Kristina Beuning for this review of visual assessment and corrective actions for nutrient deficiencies.

Building Soils for Urban Agriculture
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Urban agriculture has the potential to provide fresh produce, jobs, and ecological services right in the city. Join Julia Govis to learn about the challenges to building soil in an urban setting - and ways to overcome them.

rf Nitrogen Mineralization and Available Nitrogen Patterns in Organic Cropping Systems with Varying Nutrient Inputs
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Synchronizing organic sweet corn crop nitrogen demand timing with soil plant available nitrogen concentrations is essential to maximizing yield goals and reducing nitrogen losses to the environment. Join University of Wisconsin researchers Matt Ruark and A.J. Bussan for this look at how growers can properly time incorporation of crop residues, manures, and fertilizers to time nitrogen release with crop-critical nitrogen demand timing.

Field Crops
Maximize yields and profits on your farm. Learn more about the tools and techniques that will help you do it.

Row Crops in an Organic Rotation
Friday I – 8:30 am
Corn and soybeans form the backbone of most organic crop farms in the Midwest. However, achieving acceptable weed control in these crops while maintaining adequate nutrient levels and soil quality presents a challenge. Join organic crop producer Carmen Fernholz for a look at how to confront these challenges through creative rotations, good cover crop strategies, and steel in the field.

Nutrient Dense Forage Production: The Link between Soils, Fertilizer, Forage, and the Animal
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Mineralized, energized forage improves the health, production and reproduction of any animal that consumes it. Join biological and organic soils consultant Bob Yanda for this discussion of how proper soil nutrient balance can positively affect forage protein, fiber, energy, and minerals - and how you achieve it on your farm.

rf Systems Strategies for Weed Control on Organic Grain Farms
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Targeted rotations of cover crops and cash crops, in-season use of cover crops, and no-till planting systems can all play an important role in reducing weed pressure on organic grain farms. Joel Gruver will share results from the Western Illinois University Research Farm and farmer interviews about systems approaches to reduced weed pressure.

Hitting the Market with High Quality Small Grains
Saturday I – 8:30 am
For organic grain producers, especially those producing food-grade grain or seeds, quality plays an important role. Lakeview Organic Grain's Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens will talk about agronomics, weed control, and storage as it relates to getting a high-quality, in-demand product to market.

rf Advances in Flame Weeding in Agronomic Crops
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Propane flaming can be an effective tool for weed control in organic cropping systems. Join a team of University of Nebraska researchers for this review of four years of research into flame weeding equipment design, propane dose-response curves for crops and weeds, and its potential for use in a variety of row crop species.

Market Farming
Organic farming is knowledge farming. Join the experts for the critical information you need to make the most of your vegetable and fruit operation.

Backstage at a CSA: Member Management, Record Keeping, and Delivery Systems
Friday I – 8:30 am
Successful operation of a Community Supported Agriculture farm means much more than just vegetable production. Beth Kazmar will share the systems developed by Tipi Produce to manage the behind-the-scenes work of member management, record keeping, logistics, and deliveries.

Equipment for High Tunnels
Friday I – 8:30 am
Successful high tunnel crop production involves more than just gardening under plastic. Join experienced high tunnel professionals Adam Montri of Michigan State University and Ten Hens Farm and Mike Bollinger of Four Season Tools and River Root Farm for a look at trellis systems, irrigation, interior coverings, and specialized tools for bed preparation, seeding, cultivating, and harvesting.

Integrating CSA with Other Markets
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Community Supported Agriculture is often the sole enterprise of a farm, but it can also serve as a means to expand into other markets, build capital, and balance risks as part of a diversified marketing strategy. Kat Becker and Tony Schultz of Stoney Acres Farm will discuss their management of the financial and biological diversity CSA has enabled for them.

Practical GAPs Implementation on Organic Farms
Friday II – 2:00 pm
From restaurants to college dining halls, wholesale buyers have begun demanding food safety assurances from fresh market growers. Join Rock Spring Farm's Chris Blanchard for a review of the methods developed at Rock Spring Farm for meeting the procedural, documentation, and record-keeping requirements of the GAPs audit process in a way that flows with the work on the farm.

Holistic Orchard Management
Friday III – 4:00 pm
The primary role of the orchardist is to build system health, and understory management that embraces forest edge ecology that is critical when it comes to getting a leg up on fruit tree diseases. Join orchardist and The Apple Grower author Michael Phillips to learn about fungal allies, root relationships, and the biodiversity that makes good fruit possible.

rf Organic Raspberry and Sweet Cherry Production under High Tunnels
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Growers who want to produce organic perennial fruits face significant challenges in soil, plant, pest, and environmental management, particularly in non-arid cool climate areas like the Midwest and Great Lakes. Join Michigan State University researchers Greg Lang and Eric Hanson and farmer Ben Gluck for a look at using high tunnels to address many of these challenges.

Managing Water and Fertilizer in the High Tunnel
Saturday I – 8:30 am
Managing the root zone in a high tunnel presents challenges not encountered in outdoor production due to intensive cropping, a lack of rainfall, increased soil temperatures, and production in the dead of winter. Join Mike Bollinger of Four Season Tools and River Root Farm and Adam Montri of Michigan State University and Ten Hens Farm for this high-level discussion of the ins-and-outs of root zone management in both stationary and movable houses.

rf Vegetable Variety Selection on Your Farm: Participatory Research and Variety Development
Saturday I – 8:30 am
The Northern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative is investigating vegetable varieties for organic farms. University of Wisconsin Organic Production Specialist Erin Silva and farmers Tricia Bross and Martin Diffley will share the results of two years of vegetable trialing data involving both the UW research station and organic farmers.

Organic Strawberry Production
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Join Northland Community and Technical College's Thaddeus McCamant for this discussion about the basics of organic strawberry production, including site selection and preparation, appropriate varieties, field establishment, and pest and disease control. With an emphasis on production models used by successful organic growers, this workshop will also compare single-year and multiple-year production systems.

Crop Rotation for Vegetable Growers
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Good crop rotation is critical for effective management of diseases, nutrients, weeds and insects on organic farms. Luna Circle Farm's Tricia Bross and Spring Hill Community Farm's Mike Racette will describe their systems, and show you how to plan your vegetable crop rotations, how to adjust to changes necessitated by weather or markets, and how to get back on track or make a new plan.

Organic Cut Flower Production
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Join long-time flower farmer Carol Larsen to learn how to grow organic cut flowers for market. This workshop will focus on the identification of cut flowers that are eye catching, reasonably easy to grow, and have the possibility to make you money, as well as a discussion of fertilizing, succession planting, and insect and disease problems and solutions.

Running a Successful CSA Farm
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
From member management and labor needs to structuring share contents and planning the crop successions, running a Community Supported Agriculture vegetable farm comes with a special set of challenges and opportunities. 24-year veteran CSA farmer Peter Seely of Wisconsin's Springdale Farm will use his 750-member CSA as a case study in this discussion of what it takes to run a successful CSA operation in the Upper Midwest.

Livestock
From dairy to poultry, look to the Organic Farming Conference to provide you with the most up-to-date and practical information you need to succeed.

Ruminant Nutrition & Ruminant Optimization
Friday I – 8:30 am
Ruminant animals play an important role on organic farms in converting cover crops, crop residue, and high quality forage into meat and milk. Join certified organic grass farmer and teacher Doug Gunnink for this discussion of the health and function of the rumen and why the composition of the forage is important.

Demystifying the H Words: Homeopathy, Herbal and Holistic
Friday I – 8:30 am
While these three words have some similarities, they are often confused and incorrectly used interchangeably. Susan Beal will clearly illustrate the differences in "the H words," providing participants with examples of the appropriate uses of these simple but powerful medicines.

Understanding Ground Currents and Animal Health
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Ground currents can affect the health of your animals, reducing production, affecting behavior, and increasing somatic cell counts. Organic Valley staff veterinarian Paul Dettloff will show you how potential planes, transformer location, and electrical fence grounding fields interact with the electrical grid on your farm, and how you can avoid problems with stray electrical currents.

rf Impact of Organic Management on Dairy Animal Health and Well-Being
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Project COW is a 4-year, ongoing study aimed to identify management factors that influence dairy herd health and milk quality. Project participants Pamela Ruegg, Nicole Lennart, and Roxann Richert will provide a look at the animal disease, diagnostic and management data that were collected on 200 organic and 100 conventional dairy farms located in Wisconsin, New York and Oregon.

The Business of Pastured Poultry Production
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Learn about the business of organic pastured poultry with Tim Koegel of Windy Ridge Natural Farms in New York. This workshop will review the financial tools he has developed along with how to determine costs, locate funding, work with spreadsheets, find markets, and make the sale.

Flies and Fly Control on the Organic Dairy
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Large animal veterinarian and organic dairy farmer Sarah Slaby will describe the diseases that are caused by flies, and discuss the methods dairy farmers and others can use to control them, including repellents, predators, and traps.

Stockpiling Pasture
Saturday I – 8:30 am
Winter feed is a livestock farmer's biggest expense, and extending the grazing season with stockpiling can cut those costs by twenty percent or more. Wisconsin Department of Agriculture grazing and organic specialist Laura Paine and Genesis Acres' Mary C. Anderson will describe the best practices to stockpile forages, including appropriate species selection.

A to Z of Tinctures
Saturday I – 8:30 am
Join Organic Valley staff veterinarian Paul Dettloff to learn how to make the best use of tinctures to treat your livestock's health issues. This workshop will cover the functions and mechanisms of a wide variety of herbal tinctures, as well as the synergistic effects of tincturing multiple herbs together.

Pastured Pork – The Other Red Meat: Forest Hogs, Whey-Fed Hogs, and Other Happy Pigs
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Join Minnesota holistic herd health consultant Will Winter for this discussion of raising radiantly healthy, free-range hogs that are completely free of vaccines, antibiotics, hormones, and drugs. Learn about developing your own holistic herd health plan, nutrient-dense and natural rations, and the right kind of pastures, fencing, housing, and watering systems.

Dry Cow Management for Mastitis Control
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
This presentation will explore newly emerging and often-overlooked situations and events that can affect susceptibility to mastitis. Join Helfter Feeds' Senior Veterinary Consultant Richard Holliday to learn about procedures to prepare cows for drying off and freshening in ways that minimize stress and strengthen the immune system for increased health and productivity.

Integrating Livestock with Your Row Crop Operation
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Adding livestock to your row crop operation can provide an important source of financial diversity, as well as contributing to the overall sustainability of your operation. Ash Grove Farm and Iowa State University Extension's Margaret Smith and long-time organic farmer Tom Frantzen will share their experiences successfully incorporating livestock into their farming system.

Organic Sheep Production
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Bonnie Widemen has enjoyed the company of sheep for thirty-five years. This mid-level workshop will focus on the challenges of raising sheep organically, from avoiding synthetic parasiticides to management practices that are compatible with organic standards. Bonnie will also discuss other choices faced by sheep producers, such as guard dogs, handling systems, lambing, and finishing.

Marketing & Business
Growing a great crop is only half of the organic farmer's job. The other half is selling products and managing the business. The marketing and business sessions will help you find your own path to profitability.

Rethinking Farm Management and Planning
Friday I – 8:30 am
Farm planning and management are essential tasks in building a sustainable farm enterprise, but not many farmers enjoy these activities. AgSquared's Giulia Stellari and Jeff Froikin Gordon will guide you through the farm planning and management process, and by digging deeper into selected examples of farm planning and management practices, will illustrate the principles that underlie informed decision making and effective implementation on the farm.

rf Veggie Compass: Which Way Will You Grow? Determining Profitability on Your Diversified Farm
Friday II – 2:00 pm
For the past four years, a team of University of Wisconsin researchers has worked to develop a whole-farm management system to increase farm profitability. Join researchers Erin Silva and John Hendrickson and farmers Jim Munsch and Linda Halley for a look at this spreadsheet-based "Veggie Compass" that allows growers to track their cost of production.

Using Body Mechanics and Other Tools to Do What You Love Longer
Friday III – 4:00 pm
Taking care of your body can ensure a future of doing what you love and farming for as long as you need to. Join Ann Adams and Liz Brensinger of Green Heron Tools for this interactive look at the secrets of body mechanics, and how you can minimize injuries and pain by how you use your body, tools, and equipment.

Hurricanes, Pests, Falling Prices - What Might Organic Crop and Livestock Insurance Do for You?
Friday III – 4:00 pm
No one likes insurance because it always costs too much - that is, until they total their car. Are you worried you will total your farm? Join National Center for Appropriate Technology's Jeff Schahczenski for a review of federally-subsidized crop insurance options for organic production.

In Her Boots: Farm Diversification and Family Integration, for Women, by Women
Saturday I – 8:30 am
Women farmers face unique challenges and opportunities, resulting in innovative ways to champion organic agriculture through creative, diversified livelihoods. Facilitated by Lisa Kivirist, Director of the MOSES Rural Women's Project and co-owner of Inn Serendipity Farm and B&B, the workshop will serve up inspiring examples and resources you can use to follow your dreams.

Big Enough but Not Too Big: Right-Sizing Your Farming Operation
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Scaling up is all the rage, but how do you know how big is big enough to meet your financial goals without being too big for your land, labor, capital, and management resources? Join University of Minnesota applied economist Rob King and farmers Laura Frerichs and Greg Reynolds for an introduction to concepts for right-sizing your operation.

Organic Grain Contracts
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Organic farmers face unique contract issues, whether dealing with pesticide and GMO contamination, transportation, storage, or organic regulations. Amanda Heyman of the Farmer's Legal Action Group will provide information you can use to assess the risks and benefits of organic grain contracts.

Organic Marketing Opportunity
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Decisions about what to grow are some of the most important decisions a grain farmer makes all year, and you need the most current information about supply, demand, and price to make the best decision. NFOrganics marketing consultant Tim Ennis will lead a panel discussion about the market and the challenges of producing organic grains.

Miscellaneous
These workshops may not have a definitive category, but each one tackles an important issue. From seeds to families, these workshops cover a diverse range of topics.

Local Foods in the Cedar Valley
Friday I – 8:30 am
Iowa's Cedar Valley has been home to strategic local food system work since 1996. Andrea Geary will discuss the intentional methodology behind how the Northern Iowa Food and Farm Partnership was formed, its missteps and rebounds, and successes as the group has evolved through the years.

rf Engagement through Student Organic Farms and Participatory Research: Incubators of the Next Generation of Organic Farmers and Researchers
Friday I – 8:30 am
Join Jane Sooby of the Organic Farming Research Foundation and Michelle Wander of University of Illinois for this look at the relative strengths of student farms and other methods of student-farmer engagement.

Producing Biofuels on Your Farm
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Across the Midwest, farmers are becoming more self-sufficient by producing oilseeds right on their farm for fuel and feed. Join Organic Valley's Jake Wederberg for a walk through the different production steps and implementation options for making and using biodiesel and vegetable oil fuels on your farm.

Policy Advocacy
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Current policy decisions affect sustainable, local, and organic farming and food systems in a wide varieties of ways. Join our panel of organic farming policy experts and farmer activists to learn about the latest issues, and how you can influence the debate about the best ways to strengthen rural America and organic agriculture.

Certification Basics
Friday II – 2:00 pm
Becoming certified organic is not easy, but knowing the potential pitfalls and having a plan can make everything easier. Midwest Organic Services Association's Jackie Von Ruden and Indiana Certified Organic's Cissy Bowman will assist farmers ready to take the certification plunge as well as those currently in transition and recently certified.

Federal Conservation and Direct Marketing Programs: An On-Farm Perspective
Friday III – 4:00 pm and Saturday II – 2:00 pm
The Conservation Stewardship Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program Organic Initiative and the Value Added Producer Grant Program can all provide valuable assistance to organic growers. Join our panel of farmers and policy experts to understand how they work from the farmer's perspective.

GMO Contamination: What's an Organic Farmer to Do?
Saturday I – 8:30 am
GMO corn, soy, canola, oh my! What should organic farmers do to prevent contamination of their crops? Jim Riddle will share ideas on steps farmers can take during planning, planting, production, harvest, storage, and transport to protect organic crops from genetic trespass, and then will lead an interactive discussion with producers, processors, and buyers on GMO contamination issues.

Can We Just Talk? Dos and Don'ts in the Organic Conversation
Saturday I – 8:30 am
Organic can be sticky and tricky in some conversations. What happens when organic is under attack? Join Sylvia Tawse of the Fresh Ideas Group for a look at how to reach the mainstream and the organic core with one true voice without sounding like an elitist, and how the organic community can reach out with one true voice.

Local Foods Distribution Systems: The Chicken or the Egg?
Saturday II – 2:00 pm
Which comes first, improvements in the distribution infrastructure for regional food products or increased local production? How do we energize existing infrastructure or build new infrastructure to reach the critical mass for the local foods marketplace? Join University of Wisconsin Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems' Michelle Miller for a discussion of the opportunities and challenges in local food distribution.

Renewable Energy Options for Farms and Value-Added Food Producers
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Renewable energy is a natural match for organic farming. Nick Hylla of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association will review model systems at work in the Midwest to understand how renewable energy systems are used to support a variety of farm processes.

Emerging Issues in Organic Agriculture
Saturday III – 4:00 pm
Organic agriculture and the organic movement are constantly growing, developing, and encountering a diverse array of challenges. Join this session for a discussion of current issues at the cutting edge of organic agriculture.

CEU Credits
Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Credits for Certified Crop Advisors will be applied for through the Certified Crop Advisor Program and will be available for many of the workshops and Organic University courses. Credits available will be listed in the conference program. Please sign up on in-room sign in sheets at the conference if you are eligible for CEU credits.

Rural Women's Project – Special Session
In Her Boots: Tools, Body Mechanics and Collaboration for Women, By Women
Thursday, February 23, 2012 1:00-5:00 pm Cost: $25.00 - SOLD OUT
Facilitated by the MOSES Rural Women’s Project, this special pre-conference session dives into how women farmers can best care for and use their bodies to ensure long-term agricultural success through gender-specific tool use, body mechanics and health and nutrition.  Additionally, challenges and opportunities for female farmers today will be explored with tips on strengthening collaboration, resource sharing and building on our historic agriculture roots.

This unique session features a dynamic line-up of inspiring, diverse team of women farmers and leaders from across the country who, in various ways, are transforming what’s on our plate and the future of agriculture. Download a PDF of speaker bios.

• Women Transforming Our Food System: Inspiration & Ideas
• Body Mechanics Specific to Women: Our Bodies, Our Selves, Our Future in Farming (interactive session)
• Women Connecting the Dots Between Food, Health and Agriculture
• Toolkit: Opportunities & Challenges for Women to Change the Face of Agriculture, from Business to Blogging to Babies.

To register for this pre-conference In Her Boots workshop click here.

Any specific questions related to this pre-conference In Her Boots workshop, please contact Lisa Kivirist, Rural Women’s Project Director, lisa@innserendipity.com

Please see the Rural Women's Project webpage for further details.

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