Soil Health and Biodiversity in Practice:
Harnessing Biology, Ecology, and Resiliency on the Farm
A healthy farm reflects a diverse ecosystem as complex as any rainforest. Join veteran grower Atina Diffley of Minnesota's Gardens of Eagan to develop an understanding of biodiversity and how this complex living system works. Learn how to promote a bio-diverse system that includes all forms of life - from bacteria to fungi to trees and grasses - and a range of natural processes. Friday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors applied for: CM (1.5)

Hay First, then Corn: An Organic Farming Plan that Makes Your Farming Life Easier, More Profitable, and More Successful
Organic production systems centered around hay with corn where it makes sense sets the stage for better quality forages, spreads out the work load, and make corn production - including weed control - a breeze. Midwestern Bio-Ag president, Gary Zimmer, shares the details of the system as they have used it at the family's Otter Creek Organic Farm.
Friday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PM (1.5)

Weed Biology
Weed biology provides the key to a low-input weed management strategy. University of Wisconsin weed scientist, Jed Colquhoun, joins Kathleen Delate and Matt Liebman of Iowa State University for this informative look at research results and applied weed ecology, and the implications for weed management in the context of favoring the crop over weeds in organic production systems. Friday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PM (1.5)

Soil Remineralization
Natural forces and humankind both demineralize soil over time, with deleterious effects on crops and civilizations. Join SeaAgri's Bob Cain for an in-depth look at the Earth's soils and cycles of fertility, and solutions for the remineralization of our agricultural soils.
Saturday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: SW (1.5)

Farm-Scale Composting: Production and Use
In an organic farming system, the soil is alive, and this life needs to be nurtured and fed. Join veteran Rodale Institute farm manager, Jeff Moyer, for a discussion about how you can turn manure, municipal yard material, or food waste into compost. This discussion will take place in the context of farm scale operations, including equipment and tools for daily management. Saturday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: NM (1.5)

From Soil Problems to Progress: Advanced Cover Crop Systems Planning
University of Michigan soils and cropping system ecologist Sieg Snapp and organic vegetable and crop outreach specialist Vicki Morrone will discuss cover crop combinations for Upper Midwest agricultural systems, including a hands-on exercise with living plants to evaluate their impact on soil tilth and organic nitrogen management. Saturday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: SW (1.0), CM (0.5)

No Till, Ridge Till and Zone Till Panel
Ridge tillage, zone tillage and no till systems are all methods being used by organic farmers to control weeds, control erosion, and contribute to organic matter buildup in their row crop fields. Join University of Iowa researcher, Kathleen Delate, ridge-till farmer, Daniel Rosmann, and no-till experimenter, Tom Miller, as they compare and contrast the techniques, tools, and results in their organic row cropping operations. Saturday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: SW (0.5), CM (1.0)

Effective Weed Management Strategies for Organic Farming
Successful weed management without herbicides requires more than better cultivation equipment. Join Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture, Matt Liebman, for a look at how to weave multiple physical, biological, and cultural tactics together with basic ecological principles to achieve more-effective, lower-cost weed suppression. Saturday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: IPM (1.5)

Monitoring Soil Quality
Soils are dynamic communities that are the products of a variety of factors, some intrinsic, and some the result of our management. Join Mark Kopecky of the University of Wisconsin Extension Soil Quality Team for a nuts and bolts look at how to understand and monitor the characteristics of soil characteristics such as infiltration, compaction, structure, stability, and biological activity. Saturday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: SW (1.5)

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On-farm Crushing of Oilseeds Crops
Biodiesel makes use of raw materials you already raise on your farm, so why not make your own? University of Minnesota cropping systems agronomist Paul Porter and graduate student Seth Fore will explore the feasibility of on-farm biodiesel and vegetable oil production and utilization, and provide a demonstration of an oilseed press in action. Friday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors applied for: CM (1.5)

Growing Profitable Small Grains: The Agronomics and Economics of Success
Small grains play a valuable role in organic crop rotations. Join Lakeview Organic Grain's Mary-Howell Martens for a discussion about the profitable growing and marketing of small grains such as barley, spelt, wheat, oats, and triticale, including topics such as weed control, fertility management, and marketing for feed, food, and seed. Friday II - 2:00pm

Going with the Grain: Suggestions for Drying, Storage, and Handling of Organic Grains
Profitable organic grain farming means maintaining the quality and value of grain until it is fed or sold. University of Minnesota Extension grain postharvest specialist Bill Wilcke and long-time organic farmer Carmen Fernholz will share their best tips and techniques for drying, storing, and handling organic grains. Friday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: CM (1.5)

Going beyond Insecticides: The Future of Soybean Aphid Management
Effective management of insect pests requires incorporating multiple tactics. ISU soybean entomologist Matt O'Neal will discuss soybean aphid management for organic systems, using this pest to highlight how host plant resistance, biological control, and conservation can reduce the impact of this and other pests. Saturday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PM (1.5)

Optimizing Forage Quality and Hay Profitability
Whether you produce forages for your own farm or for sale, optimizing quality and yield provides the key to profit and livestock health. Karl Dallefield, forage specialist for Midwestern Bio-Ag, will explore the four rules of quality forage production, as well as looking at forage systems, storage, harvest timing, and forage choices for harvested or grazing operations. Saturday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: NM (0.5), CM (1.0)

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Marketing as an Independent in a Highly-Competitive Market
Independent natural foods stores have something special to offer consumers beyond low prices and broad selection. Join Outpost Natural Foods general manager, Pam Mehnert, and marketing director, Lisa Malmarowski, for a look out how their store survived and thrived in the face of national chains moving into the natural and organic foods markets. Saturday II - 2:00pm

Merchandising Organic Produce: Beyond Displaymaking
Displaymaking plays an essential role in your overall merchandising, but the true art of merchandising can best be described as storytelling. Join Albert's Organics promotions director and retail specialist Simcha Weinstein to learn how to best tell the organic story in your retail operation. Saturday III - 4:00pm

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Equipment for the Produce Farmer
Veteran market farmer and motorhead Martin Diffley will talk about new and used equipment specific to vegetable production. Learn how to determine what your equipment needs are and what options are available to you, as well as how to source appropriate equipment. This workshop will focus on tractors and tractor-scale equipment for market farmers.
Friday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors applied for: CM (1.5)

Steel and Strategies: Weed Control on the Organic Vegetable Farm
Join University of Wisconsin weed scientist, Jed Colquhoun, for an in-depth look at practical weed control strategies for the organic market garden. This workshop will examine the tools and techniques that you can use to keep your weeds under control, as well as the pitfalls you'll want to avoid. Friday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PM (1.5)

No-Till Tomatoes and Eggplants
Wide spacing and short seasons in the Upper Midwest can leave soil exposed for long periods of time in heat-loving crops like tomatoes, so market farmers like Cleve Pulley have recently begun experimenting with organic no-till cropping systems. This workshop will focus on Pulley's accomplishments and challenges with adapting these techniques to tomato and eggplant production on his south-central Iowa farm. Friday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: CM (1.5)

Cucumber Beetles and Flea Beetles:
Their Life Histories, Natural Enemies, and Organic Control Strategies
British scientist J.B.S. Haldane once stated that the Creator has "an inordinate fondness for beetles," but few organic growers feel this way about cucumber and flea beetles. Join the University of Wisconsin's Paul Whitaker for an exploration of the biology of these pests and their natural enemies to understand why organic control is so difficult, and an evaluation of organic control strategies based on old and new research. Friday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: IPM (1.5)

Small-Scale Equipment for the Organic Market Gardener
Market farmer and University of Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Systems researcher John Hendrickson will lead a roundtable discussion about the best tools and equipment for the small-scale and diversified market gardener. Share your knowledge and experience while you learn from others about successes and failures with hand tools and small equipment.
Saturday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: CM (1.5)

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) 101
If you have started a CSA in the past year, or if you are thinking of starting one soon, this workshop is for you. Twenty-year veteran CSA farmer and author of Sharing the Harvest, Elizabeth Henderson will help you think about whether CSA is right for you, what crops to grow, how to find and organize members, and how to price your shares. Saturday II - 2:00pm

Broccoli to Kale: Growing Organic Brassica
This highly nutritious family contains many of the top sellers in the produce market - in fact, Gardens of Eagan broccoli regularly beats bananas out as the number one produce seller in Twin Cities co-ops. Join veteran grower Atina Diffley of Minnesota's Gardens of Eagan for a seed-to-sale look at the brassica family. Saturday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: NM (0.5), PM (0.50), CM (0.5)

Biological Control in Vegetables
Biological control uses predators, parasites, and pathogens to control pests, and can play an important role in organic insect management. Join University of Wisconsin biologist, Paul Whitaker and a panel of farmers will describe general approaches to biological control as well as practical issues in implementation. Saturday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: IPM (1.5)

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Back to the Basics: Building a Foundation for Holistic Animal Health
Rather than a litany of how to treat animal health problems, forty-year veteran veterinarian Richard Holliday prefers to look at a regimen to enhance animal health. Join him for this exploration of the true causes of disease, including the role of domestication as a predisposing factor to animal disease and how to use knowledge of the innate nature of livestock to improve animal health. Friday I - 8:30am

Practical Fly Control
KOW Consulting's Tom Weaver will discuss how to prevent high fly populations using knowledge about the reproductive cycles of various fly species, their food, and their habitat needs. Walk-through fly traps for pasture use, best placement of sticky tapes and zappers as well as other types of physical controls will also be covered in detail. Friday I - 8:30am

Basics of Organic Hog Production
Thinking about beginning or transitioning your hog operation to organic to meet the strong market demand? Join CROPP pork consultant, Tracy Harper, to learn about housing, genetics, animal health and management practices that are used by many successful organic hog producers. Friday II - 2:00pm

Yes, You Can Balance a Dairy Ration
Getting in the driver's seat on your dairy herd's nutrition management can make a great difference in feed, vet, and replacement costs. KOW Consulting's Tom Weaver will show you how to separate common sense from the overwhelming terms and numbers that dairy supplement marketers send your way by using low-input, high forage, sustainable rations. Friday II - 2:00pm

Raising Organic Poultry on Pasture
With relatively low startup costs, improved pasture fertility, and an in-demand, fantastic-tasting end product, pastured poultry can prove enjoyable and profitable as an additional farm enterprise. Join organic pastured poultry producers Julie and Vince Maro of Coon Creek Family Farm for a look at the techniques they use to produce and market broilers and turkey on pasture. Friday III - 4:00pm

Utilizing Your Grass Resource
Many farmers raising ruminants look at pasture as a place to keep the animal rather than a cost-effective source of animal nutrition. Organic beef graziers Jim Munsch and Jim Goodman will focus on ways to manage pasture for the best economic balance of the output of plant nutrition and the inputs of labor and cost. Saturday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: NM (1.0), CM (0.5)

Managing Health on Organic Dairy Farms
This workshop by dairy veterinarian Hubert Karreman will focus on various angles of preventing health problems as well as a multi-prong approach to dealing with problems should they arise. Dr. Karreman will also present DHIA information that compares organic and conventional farms and organic management practices that yield good DHIA data. Saturday I - 8:30am

Parasite Control for Small Ruminants
Managing parasites may well be the largest challenge in organic small ruminant production. Ann Wells will outline management techniques and strategies she has found successful in both her own flocks and herds, from her holistic veterinary practice and through research she has conducted. Saturday II - 2:00pm

Mastitis on Organic Dairies: Advanced Tools and Techniques
Mastitis remains the number one disease problem on dairy farms today. Organic guidelines specify that preventative measures are required to limit the number of medical problems requiring treatment. Holistic veterinarian Guy Jodarski and veteran organic dairy farmer Darlene Coehorn will highlight the preventative measures they have found useful for reducing mastitis. as well as treatment options available to organic dairies. Saturday II - 2:00pm

Meeting the Methionine Needs of Organic Poultry with Corn
The amino acid methionine plays a crucial role in rations for healthy and productive chickens, but the NOP will no longer allow synthetic methionine after 2008. Join Michael Fields Agricultural Institute research director, Walter Goldstein, and Organic Valley egg pool coordinator, Nick Levendoski, for a look at the development of high-methionine corn varieties suitable for use in poultry rations Saturday III - 4:00pm

Mother Knows Best: Suckling Systems for Organic Dairy Farms
From birth to weaning, dairy calves born in a mother-nurtured grazing system are stronger and healthier then their counterparts who are raised separated from their mothers. Mother-nurtured calves exposed to the herd's social structure during the early part of life seem to be calmer and more herd-oriented. Join 2007 MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year Dave and Florence Minar for a look at Cedar Summit Farm’s system for raising dairy calves. Saturday III - 4:00pm

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Training, Supervising, Managing, and Partnering with Employees
Become an employer is usually an unintentional consequence of farming, but intentionally honing your skills as a good employer may be one of your most valuable farming tools. Join Steve Pincus of Tipi Produce and Linda Halley, farm manager at Gardens of Eagan, as they share insights gained and lessons learned in employee management and training.
Friday I - 8:30am

Moving toward Stability:
Developing Cooperative Models for Marketing Organic Feedstuffs
Competition for acreage from ethanol corn combined with rapid growth in the organic dairy and egg market have created high prices for organic feedstuffs and a crisis of affordability for organic livestock producers. Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative farm resources manager, Lowell Rheinheimer, will explore emerging models of direct farmer-to-farmer marketing aimed at providing stability, profitability, and sustainability for both field crop growers and their fellow livestock-producing farmers. Friday I - 8:30am

AGR-LITE Crop Insurance for the Organic Farmer
ARMtech Insurance Services' Tom Gowdy will review the AGR-LITE program from a farmer’s perspective and demonstrate its usefulness to the organic farmer. This workshop will include a review of several different examples, including situations when AGR-LITE works for growers and when it might not. Friday I - 8:30am

Making the Right Financial Decisions on Your Farm
Organic beef farmer and small business consultant Jim Munsch will help you determine which decisions are most critical to the sustainability of your operation and how to identify the information that is necessary to make smart decisions - not all of it comes from your farm accounting system! This workshop's emphasis will be on keeping things simple so that measurements and decision-making become an effective tool you will use on a daily basis. Friday II - 2:00pm

Organic Paperwork: It's Easier Than You Think
Most organic farmers think of certification paperwork as a necessary evil. Join MOSA certification specialists, Dave Ebbert and Jackie Von Ruden, as they explain what Goldilocks has to do with organic paperwork on their way to showing you how to develop and maintain paperwork that is simple, easy to use, and an invaluable tool in managing your operation. Friday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PD (1.5)

Shaking the Federal Money Tree: Using Federal Programs to Support Your Work
Federal programs can provide a valuable way to support the work you do as an organic farmer. Join Michael Fields Agricultural Institute's Jeanne Merrill to learn how to design sound and effective projects, identify federal programs that might help support your work, and maximize the likelihood of obtaining resources from them. Friday III - 4:00pm

Postharvest Handling and Packing for Wholesale Markets
Knowing how to make your produce meet the expectations of wholesale buyers can make the difference between market farming success and failure. Join Sustain's Dennis Fiser and Garden of Eagan farm manager, Linda Halley, for a look at how to store, handle, and package your produce, as well as the oft-neglected topics of food safety, audits, record-keeping, and more. Saturday I - 8:30am

So You Want to Be a Farmer:
Successful Farmers, Successful Farmer Training
Whether you are looking for land, have just purchased land, are interested in tweaking your current operation, or are considering starting a beginning farmer training program, join Deborah Cavanagh-Grant, Central Illinois Farm Beginnings co-coordinator, and Karen Stettler, Land Stewardship Project Farm Beginnings program director, as they outline important key points to consider as you plan for a viable organic farm. Saturday I - 8:30am

Before the Next Storm:
Disaster Preparedness for Organic Farmers
As 2007 showed, natural disasters threaten the physical and financial well-being of organic farms. Join Farmers' Legal Action Group staff attorney, Jill Krueger, to learn about federal programs that can help minimize risk before the next flood, drought, or blizzard strikes, or aid recovery after disaster hits, as well as ways that current disaster assistance programs fall short for organic farmers. Saturday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PD (1.5)

Direct Marketing Meats: Sell What You Raise, Raise What Sells
Each year, Earth-Be-Glad Farm's Mike and Jennifer Rupprecht market more than sixty grass-fed beef, two thousand organic chicken, and fresh organic turkeys direct to consumers, food co-ops, and farmers market customers. Join them as they share more than fifteen years of experience raising and marketing meat from their certified organic farm near Lewiston, Minnesota. Saturday II - 2:00pm

Balancing the Scales:
Options and Opportunities for Market Farmers to Earn a Livelihood
While no set answer exists to the question of how fresh-produce growers can make a decent, full-time living, various options and examples abound in the Upper Midwest. Market farmer and University of Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Systems researcher, John Hendrickson, will address the thorny issues of farm size, income, labor, equipment, and markets based on his research, observations, and personal experience. Saturday III - 4:00pm

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Growing Raspberries from Soil to Market
In this wide-ranging workshop, veteran berry farmer and Northland Berry News publisher, Paul Otten, will cover the fundamentals of producing raspberries in an organic system, including discussions of soil stewardship, site considerations, cultivar selection, critical cultural practices, crop budgets, tools and equipment, marketing tips, resources and much more.
Friday I – 8:30 am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: SW (0.5), CM (0.5), PM (0.5)

Start Your Farming Year in September: Year-round Growing in Hoop Houses
Hoop houses can provide a competitive advantage to your market and enable you to choose which season gives your product the most value. Join Judy Hageman and Bill Warner as they follow the cycle of production from September through August at Snug Haven Farm in south central Wisconsin, where they have grown crops in hoophouses since 1994.
Saturday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: CM (1.5)

Organic Management of Apple Insect Pests
Join Michigan organic apple orchardist, Jim Koan, and Michigan State University entomologist, Mark Whalon, for a discussion of the practical tools and innovative strategies they use for controlling the major insect pests of the apple orchard. Saturday III - 4:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: IPM (1.5)

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Where in Academia to Learn about Organic Agriculture
Have you wondered which colleges and universities are offering programs and majors in sustainable agriculture? Join Juliet Tomkins, an Adjunct Professor at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, along with other panelists to discuss various institutions' current and planned sustainable agriculture programs and majors. Friday I - 8:30am Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: PD (1.5)

2007 Farm Bill Update: Victories for Sustainable and Organic Agriculture and a Recap of Successful Grassroots Involvement
Come learn about the 2007 farm bill and the victories for sustainable agriculture. Center for Rural Affairs’ Traci Bruckner, Land Stewardship Project's Adam Warthesen, and the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Aimee Witteman will provide an overview of the sustainable and organic agriculture programs which survived the farm bill debate, as well as the necessary grassroots action to move forward. Friday II - 2:00pm

Telling the Story of Sustainable Agriculture
The men and women of the sustainable ag movement need to write their stories. Join author and former Chicago Tribune columnist, Robert Wolf, for the presentation of an orally-oriented method of group writing that is easily adapted to the teacherless class. Friday II - 2:00pm

Intensive Urban Agriculture
Farmer and community activist, Will Allen, will share examples and lessons from Growing Power's urban agriculture initiatives in Milwaukee and around the world, including community outreach, composting, vermiculture, aquaponics, bee keeping, greenhouse construction, project planning, intensive planting technology, marketing, packaging, post harvest handling, and product delivery. Friday III - 4:00pm

National Organic Action Plan: What We've Learned and Where We're Going
In 2006, a coalition of organic activists began a national dialogue process listening to farmers and consumers around the country about their visions for organic in the next decades. While they're not done listening yet, the National Organic Coalition's Liana Hoodes and the Rural Advancement Foundation International's Michael Sligh have some preliminary results to share, leading up to increased participation at a National Summit in 2009 to develop a National Organic Action Plan. Friday III - 4:00pm

Matching Energy Needs to Farm Sources
Every farm or ranch has energy needs, and every farm or ranch has energy sources. Long-time organic farmer, Martin Kleinschmit, will draw on his experience, which began with the Small Farm Energy Project in the late 1970's, to explore how you can meet your energy needs with your own energy sources. Friday III - 4:00pm

Government Programs: Opportunities for Organic Farmers and Ranchers
Traci Bruckner of the Center for Rural Affairs will give detailed information on farm bill programs that support sustainable agriculture and beginning farmers and ranchers, including details about how to apply for programs as well as program contacts. Saturday I - 8:30am

Biotech v. U.S. Farmer: The Tide Is Turning
As the biotech industry pushes more genetically-modified crops into the market, farmer risk and resistance has grown. Genetic contamination and patent infringement lawsuits threaten farmers, yet new legal victories spell the beginning of the end for GMOs. Join the Center for Food Safety's Andrew Kimbrell and Kevin Zelig Golden for a look at recent legal victories stopping GE crops, new scientific roadblocks, and the growing resistance to GMOs. Saturday II - 2:00pm Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors Applied for: CM (1.5)

Local Food Systems Movement
Throughout the Upper Midwest, local food movements are gaining momentum and offering the opportunity for communities to support sustainable and organic farmers. Join the Minnesota Food Association's Teresa Cuperus, Drake University Agricultural Law Center's Matt Russell, and the Northwest Wisconsin Regional Food Network's Tracey Mofle for a look at the opportunities and challenges for the development of a vibrant system of local food production and distribution. Saturday III - 4:00pm

China's Agricultural Past, Present and Future
Roger Blobaum is a MOSES board member who recently completed his eleventh agricultural visit to China and will present a special illustrated China program Friday evening. The program will show Chinese agriculture as it was practiced for 4000 years. Roger will report on his participation in an Asia Pacific organic seminar in Bejing and his discussions with government officials regulating China's organic food export sector. It will examine government-funded initiatives in China, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines which are expected to substantially increase organic imports to the US. And this presentation will suggest what organic farmers in the US may do about it.
SPECIAL EVENING SESSION - Friday - 9 pm