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2013 MOSES ORGANIC FARMING CONFERENCE
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WORKSHOPS
Schedule | Soils & Systems | Field Crops | Market Farming | Livestock | Business | Miscellaneous

= Research Forum     = New Organic Stewards      = In Her Boots

Field Crops Workshops

Best Practices for High Quality Pastures and Forages
Friday I – 8:30 a.m.
Bob Yanda, Midwestern BioAg
Getting the best quality and production from your forage crops takes planning and good management. Whether you are grazing a few steers or milking 400 cows, it pays to maximize the quality of your forages, both in improved animal health and in improved production. Join Midwestern Bio-ag soils and dairy consultant Bob Yanda, as he discusses management strategies to achieve your forage and pasture production goals.

Bob Yanda, biological and organic soils consultant, has been involved with the production of a wide variety of crops, from corn, soybeans, small grains, and alfalfa to fruits, vegetables, and grapes. He also has an extensive background in dairy nutrition.

Precision Organics: Opportunities for Improved Field Operations
Friday III – 4 p.m.
Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University
This workshop will explore opportunities for using GPS guidance and other precision ag technologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of field operations in organic grain production. The workshop will begin with a brief overview of current precision technologies including scientific principles and economics. The rest of the workshop will consist of case studies - examples of precision cover cropping, cultivation, tillage and soil amendment on the WIU Organic Research Farm and organic grain farms across the Upper Midwest, and a brief discussion of future possibilities.

Joel Gruver was raised on a small diversified farm in Maryland and has been involved in teaching and research related to organic soil management for over 15 years. He currently is an assistant professor of Soil Science and Sustainable Agriculture at Western Illinois University and the Director of the WIU Organic Research Program. Recent research projects have focused on cover crop management, reducing tillage intensity and applications of precision technologies in organic grain production.

Organic Small Grains—Too Important to Overlook
Saturday I – 8:30 a.m.
Klaas Martens, Lakeview Organic Grain and Joe Placke, Placke Organic Acres
Organic small grains are an underutilized asset in many organic crop rotations, especially for organic livestock producers who can extend their feed supply and their grazing season with winter small grains. In addition, the demand for feed and food grade small grains, and increasingly for rare varieties, represents a real opportunity for the cash grain farmer. Join farmers Klaas Martens and Joe Placke for a detailed look at techniques and strategies for producing, using and selling high quality small grains.

Klass Martens, along with his wife and their 3 children, farm 1400 acres of organic grains and processing vegetables in upstate New York and raise organic heifers, hogs and chickens. They also own and operate Lakeview Organic Grain, which supplies animal feed to dairy and chicken farmers throughout New York, and organic field crop/cover crop seed throughout the Northeast.

Joe Placke is an organic dairy and grain farmer and has raised both organic feed and food quality small grains for 16 years. Joe and his wife Rita have 35 cows, farm 265 acres and have been certified organic since 1996 and have been farming for 33 years at their current farm near Cuba City, Wisconsin.

The Art and Science of Weed Control in Organic Field Crops
Saturday II – 2 p.m.
Dave Campbell, Lily Lake Organic Farm and Ron Rosmann, Rosmann Family Farms
To succeed in organic field crop production, you must be able to effectively and consistently control weeds. The art and science of mechanical and cultural weed control can be confusing and daunting, so join organic farmers Dave Campbell of Illinois and Ron Rosmann of Iowa as they share their experiences, equipment choices, and management techniques. Crop rotation, field preparation, planting techniques, and cultivation equipment will all be covered in detail.

Dave Campbell and his wife Mary own and operate Lily Lake Organic Farm which is located in northern Illinois near Lily Lake. The entire 224 acre grain and hay farm has been farmed organically since 1988 and has been certified organic since 1991. Prior to 1988 Dave farmed organically on his father's dairy farms in both Illinois and Wisconsin. He recently completed serving a four year term on the SARE Administrative Council. Dave is presently a member of the MOSES Board of Directors and is also serving as Board President of MOSA.

Flame Weeding Research
Saturday III – 4 p.m.
Stevan Z. Knezevic and George Gogos, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
This workshop is an update on flame weeding and cultivation research in corn and soybean conducted in Nebraska. Research will be presented on propane doses for control of about 20 Midwestern weeds with the latest update on control of winter annual weeds, an overview of crop tolerance data for seven agronomic crops (field corn, sweet corn, popcorn, soybean, sorghum, sunflower and wheat) and results from inter-row cultivation and intra-row flaming combined in a single operation. A new free manual "Flame Weeding in Agronomic Crops" will also be debuted. Organic farmers will share their experiences with the new generation of propane flamers.

Stevan Z. Knezevic is currently a Professor at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL) and Integrated Weed Management Specialist at the UNL Northeast Research and Extension Center – Haskell Agricultural Laboratory. His weed science team has conducted various weed control and crop tolerance projects for the last 20 years, which resulted in over 90 scientific publications. For the last 5 years he has built a nationally and internationally recognized weed flaming program for agronomic crops.

George Gogos is currently a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Over the past five years he has conducted research in propane flaming for weed control in agronomic crops, funded by the Propane Education and Research Council. This research has led to the design of sophisticated weed flamers that he hopes would become a major tool for weed control in organic farming.

Transitioning to Organic Crop Production: Secrets from 40 years of Trying
Saturday III – 4 p.m.
Carmen Fernholz, University of Minnesota
Transitioning a conventional row crop farm, or fallow land, to organic management can be a daunting task for organic beginners. With strong demand, continued growth and profitable prices, there has never been a better time to consider organic crop production- but how do you do it without making rookie mistakes? The answer is simple; join former Organic Farmer of the Year Carmen Fernholz, and learn from his 40 years of organic crop production experience. Soil fertility, crop selection, crop rotation, machinery, weed control and marketing your product will all be covered in the workshop created specifically to get beginners started on the right track.

Carmen Fernholz farms in western Minnesota. He has been a certified organic crop producer since 1974; he also finishes hogs. He is currently involved in coordinating organic research at the University of Minnesota.

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