The workshops for the 2010 Organic Farming Conference will be posted in late fall.
To read about our 2009 workshops click on a title below, or scroll down the page.
MP3 and CD recordings of 2009 conference workshops and keynotes are available
through Resource Express.
Healthy Soils
Partnering with Your Ecosystem
Hooray for Roots!
The Art of Tillage
Compost for Mid-Sized Farms
Advanced Management of Organic Soil Fertility
Soil Biology Basics
Designing an Organic Farming System
Practical Methods for Increasing Biodiversity
Biodynamics Ideas Any Farmer Can Use
Outsmarting Your Weeds
Organic No-Till
Managing Soil Nutrients for Optimum Crop Performance
Field Crops and Small Grains
Considerations for Selecting Organic Varieties
Converting Fallow to Fertile
Successful Organic Crop Farmers
Cover Crops and Rotation for Weed Control
State of the Organic Seed Industry
Managing Soil Fertility for Organic Grain and Forage Crops...
Understanding the Systems Approach to Crop Production
Market Farming
Irrigation: A Grower's Roundtable on Designing a System to Fit...
Filling the Gap: How a Passive Solar Greenhouse Provides Fresh Produce...
Grafting Fruit Trees
Organic Strawberry Production
Hoophouse Decisions and Directions
Food Safety on the Market Farm
Using Draft Animals on the Market Farm
Cut Flower Selection, Production, and Marketing
Livestock
Farm Animal Welfare
Extending the Grazing season
Free-Choice Nutrition for Livestock
Energetic Medicine for Organic Livestock: Basic Principles...
How Tall is Too Tall? And Other Pasture Management Questions
Organic Milk Production Costs
Got Grass? The Ultimate Organic Choice!
Herbal Remedies for Cattle and Reading the Bovine Hair Coat
Replacing Corn and Beans in Livestock Rations
Organic Hog Production
Marketing and Business
Positioning Your Farm for Profitability
Media 101: How Organic Farmers Can Work Effectively with the Media
See Jane Grow: How Women Ecopreneurs are Leading America's...
Bookkeeping on the Organic Farm
A History of the Local Organic Food Movement in the Twin Cities
Pump Up Your Volume: Tools and Tactics to Tell Your Story...
Deciding What to Plant: Clues from Your Soil, Market,...
Greenwashing: Media Literacy Tools to Empower Consumers in the Marketplace
Pricing and Marketing Organic Row Crop Commodities
Organic Certification
HOP on NOP: Hear of Progress on the National Organic Program
The ABC's of NOP 4 U & ME: Organic Certification for New Applicants
Misc.
Healthy Honeybees and Pollinators
State of Organic Research
National Organic Action Plan Update
Beyond the Farm Bill: Organizing a Political Response to Other Policy Changes...
GMO Impacts on Organic Production and Processing: Problems and Solutions
Farm to School: Selling Local Food to Local Schools
Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Colleges and Universities
New Funding in the 2008 Farm Bill for Sustainable and Org. Farmers and Ranchers
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS
Healthy Soils
Partnering with Your Ecosystem
Friday I - 8:30am
Strength in diversity is the approach for Nature's Acres farm, where Jane and David Stevens have taken a holistic approach to farming their 130 acres. Join Four Elements Organic Herbals' Jane Hawley Stevens for a look at how integrating native species in their farmers market stand, value-added business, and home has created both interest and income.
Hooray for Roots!
Friday I - 8:30am
If you grow a great root system, the root system will grow a great plant. Join the University of Minnesota's roots guy Bud Markhart to learn about the factors that influence the growth of a plant's root system, and how to grow robust roots under a variety of environmental conditions.
The Art of Tillage
Friday II - 2:00pm
This workshop will explore how careful tool selection, adjustment, operation and strategic integration with other practices will help you to accomplish important tillage objectives while minimizing the negative effects of tillage. Soil scientist and agroecologist Joel Gruver's photos, diagrams and videoclips will provide an inside look at how tillage tools perform under a range of field conditions.
Compost for Mid-Sized Farms
Friday II - 2:00pm
Compost provides a perfect source of food for your living soil, but whether you purchase compost or make your own, it also comes with a lot of questions. Join Michigan State University's John Biernbaum for a down-to-earth look at tools and techniques for making great compost on the mid-sized farm, as well as the tools, techniques, and criteria for evaluating and deciding how to use farm-made or purchased compost.
Advanced Management of Organic Soil Fertility
Friday III - 4:00pm
Soil organic matter forms the basic of soil quality, but its decomposition is necessary in an organic system to provide enough nitrogen and other nutrients required for quality products and high yields. Join Michigan State University soil scientist Sieg Snapp and organic extension educator Vicki Morrone for this advanced exploration of the biology, chemistry, and physical science of organic soil management.
Soil Biology Basics
Friday III - 4:00pm
In an organic farming system, the soil is a living, dynamic community that is the product of a variety of factors. Join University of Wisconsin agriculture and natural resources agent Mark Kopecky for an introductory look at the life in the soil and how you can manage that life to your best advantage.
Designing an Organic Farming System
Friday III - 4:00 pm
We all want loose crumbly soil with lots of earthworms and other soil life, high levels of minerals and fast growing beautiful healthy crops with few or no insects, diseases, or weeds. Join MOSES's 2008 Organic Farmer of the Year Gary Zimmer for a look at how to put together a production system that works for you from tillage and amendments through rotations and green manure crops.
Practical Methods for Increasing Biodiversity
Saturday I - 8:30am
The diversity of life expands at the edge of ecosystems, but the effects of these edges can be difficult to manage on a farm. Farm manager Jeff Moyer will discuss the techniques used at the Rodale Institute to harness the potential of biodiversity while mitigating the negative components, both above and below ground.
Biodynamics Ideas Any Farmer Can Use
Saturday I - 8:30am
The Biodynamic method is one of the original organized approaches to organic and sustainable agriculture dating back to 1924. Open the Biodynamic Tool Box with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute's Janet Gamble and biodynamic farmer Jim Fullmer to learn about the strategies commonly utilized by the Biodynamic farmer to achieve the development of a living farm organism as well as the short term and long term advantages of this approach.
Outsmarting Your Weeds
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Knowledge-based ecological weed management entails understanding how weeds operate as organisms and controlling them by exploiting their biological weaknesses. Join author and longtime organic vegetable farmer (and weed manager) to learn about weed reduction and control strategies including managing the weed seed bank, reducing birth rates and reproduction, and increasing the death rates at different stages of growth.
Organic No-Till
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Organic no-till production of corn and soybeans has the potential to provide multiple environmental and economic benefits, but does it work in the Upper Midwest? Iowa State University researcher Kathleen Delate and Wisconsin farmer Tom Miller will share their experiences and research results about this innovative crop production technology.
Managing Soil Nutrients for Optimum Crop Performance
Saturday III - 4:00pm
While nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are essential for crop growth and yield, other nutrients are equally important. Join biological and organic soils consultant Bob Yanda for an in-depth discussion of trace minerals, how they interact with major nutrients, and their importance in crop production.
Field Crops and Small Grains
Considerations for Selecting Organic Varieties
Friday I - 8:30am
Organic crop production systems can produce yields equivalent to conventional production, but because they lack same corrective tool box, proper variety selection can play an even bigger role in a crop's final outcome. Join Albert Lea Seedhouse's Mac Ehrhardt and Blue River Hybrids' Maury Johnson for this look at the traits you should consider for optimum production in organic field crops.
Converting Fallow to Fertile
Friday II - 2:00pm and Saturday II - 2:00pm
The transition of fallow crop land and CRP land to organic crop production has many challenges, from soil fertility and remineralization concerns to grants and transitional marketing opportunities. Join Lancaster Agriculture Products' Reuben Stoltzfus and Organic Valley's Marty Grosse for strategies you can use to maximize the potential of your crops on formerly fallow ground.
Successful Organic Crop Farmers
Friday II - 2:00pm
Our panel of successful organic crop farmers - Carmen Fernholz, Mary-Howell Martens, Klaas Martens, Keith Wilson, and Stan Schutte - will bring years of knowledge and experimentation to share with you their successes and challenges they have experienced over the years through the many challenging climatic conditions we have faced. Unique systems and equipment will be discussed as well as crop rotations that have been successful over time.
Cover Crops and Rotation for Weed Control
Friday III - 4:00pm
Cover crops can play a valuable role in building soil fertility, especially on farms with limited access to animal manure. Join veteran organic crop farmer Carmen Fernholz for insights into organizing your crop rotation around the twin functions of soil building and weed control.
State of the Organic Seed Industry
Friday III - 4:00pm
Organic seed has seen tremendous progress in recent years, but the organic seed industry faces continued challenges as demand grows. Join Blue River Hybrids' Maury Johnson and Albert Lea Seedhouse's Mac Ehrhardt as they examine the state of the organic seed industry for forage and field crops.
Managing Soil Fertility for Organic Grain and Forage Crops: Yield, Economics, & Environmental Compliance
Saturday I - 8:30am
Kevin Shelley, outreach educator with the University of Wisconsin Nutrient and Pest Management Program, will provide an overview of the University of Wisconsin Extension soil fertility recommendations, including soil sampling and analysis, soil nutrient credits for on-farm and other organic sources, and estimating field and farm nutrient budgets.
Understanding the Systems Approach to Crop Production
Saturday I - 8:30am
Crop production involves much more than just planting and harvesting, and the organic farmer needs to understand the relationship between soil nutrients, soil biology, and the physical properties of the soil to develop a long-term systems approach that results in yield gains and quality crops. Biological and organic soils consultant Bob Yanda will outline the importance of understanding the whole system and the benefits of managing each segment to achieve maximum crop achieve.
Market Farming
Irrigation: A Grower's Roundtable on Designing a System to Fit Your Scale and Resources
Friday I - 8:30am
Join market farmer Dan Guenthner and irrigation specialist Bill Zahrqewski for this roundtable discussion of irrigation systems, including equipment choices, maintenance practices, and troubleshooting when things go wrong. Evaluating your needs and the pros and cons of different systems will be a focus of this workshop, as well as steps you can take to mitigate your irrigation needs.
Filling the Gap: How a Passive Solar Greenhouse Provides Fresh Produce through A Northern Winter with a Miniscule Carbon Footprint
Friday II - 2:00pm
Join Garden Goddess Produce farmers Carol Ford and Chuck Waibel for this detailed look at how they fill their weekly CSA shares from October to April. Carol and Chuck will share their uniquely efficient passive solar greenhouse design, as well as how and what they grow during the winter.
Grafting Fruit Trees
Friday III - 4:00pm
Join long-time orchardists Harry Hoch and Tom Galazen for a demonstration and discussion of grafting techniques and tools, including summer budgrafting, topworking old trees, and dormant grafting. This workshop will include opportunities for hands-on grafting experience, and will be followed by additional grafting time and a scion-wood exchange hosted by the Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network.
Organic Strawberry Production
Saturday I - 8:30am
Orchardist Harry Hoch has been raising strawberries for sale for twenty years. Join Harry for an exploration of the alley cropping system he uses among apple tree, blueberries, and raspberries, as well as a look at his experiments with weeder geese, poultry for pest control, day-neutral cultivars, delayed summer planting, and a low-input organic spray program.
Hoophouse Decisions and Directions
Saturday I - 8:30am
The economic benefits of hoophouses depend on what you grow and how you grow it, as well as how much you invest in the structure itself. This practical workshop with Michigan State University's John Biernbaum will explore the techniques and yields of intensive production, investment options and returns in greenhouse construction and automation, and the effects of the learning curve on hoophouse economics.
Food Safety on the Market Farm
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Food safety begins before the seed hits the ground. A variety of inputs and practices can adversely impact the overall safety of any type of crop whether it is organically or conventionally grown. Join Iowa State Extension's food safety specialist Sam Beattie for a look at a variety of issues associated with unsafe production and processing practices.
Using Draft Animals on the Market Farm
Saturday III - 4:00pm
Using draft animals on the market farm has become more enticing to growers reassessing what it means to be sustainable in a fossil fuel powered economy. Join instructors from Tillers International to learn what resources are available in your own back yard and how you can get started safely using oxen and horses.
Cut Flower Selection, Production, and Marketing
Saturday III - 4:00pm
From selecting appropriate varieties and planning a sunflower succession to harvest, post-harvest handling and sales, cut flower production comes with its own set of unique challenges. Join 24-year veteran cut flower grower Carol Larsen to learn how to make the most of your passion for flowers.
Livestock
Farm Animal Welfare
Friday I - 8:30am
As producers, we are all responsible for animal welfare and how we are perceived by the consumers we serve, so it is imperative that we treat our animals well and with compassion. Join Organic Valley's animal husbandry specialist Wendy Fulwider for a look at how you can treat your animals right and make consumers aware of what you are doing.
Extending the Grazing Season
Friday I - 8:30am
Grazing shouldn't be just a "growing season" thing! Forage grazed in November can be just as profitable as May pasture! Veteran graziers understand that every additional day their stock are out grazing is an extra day of profit, labor savings and herd health benefits. Join Graze editor and publisher Joel McNair along with organic dairy graziers Cheyenne Christianson and Art Thicke for strategies that can keep forage available and livestock grazing when conditions are less than ideal.
Free-Choice Nutrition for Livestock
Friday II - 2:00pm
The internal balance of minerals in livestock is more important than what's on the mineral bag tag. Join Helfter Feeds' Senior Veterinary Consultant Richard Holliday for a discussion of what may cause cows eat dirt, chew on wood and drink urine and some other symptoms of mineral deficiency or imbalance.
Energetic Medicine for Organic Livestock: Basic Principles and Practical Solutions to Animal Health
Friday II - 2:00pm
Join long-time holistic veterinarian and organic dairy farmer Marta Engel as she discusses basic information about energetic healing using techniques from homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and veterinary spinal manipulation. This workshop will include examples of how to get started in a simple-to-use format, as well as ample time to participant interaction.
How Tall is Too Tall? And Other Pasture Management Questions
Friday III - 4:00pm
How tall should that grass be when the cows enter a paddock to graze? How much residual should be left after they leave? How quickly should the cows return to this paddock to graze again? Join Graze editor and publisher Joel McNair along with organic dairy graziers Cheyenne Christianson and Art Thicke for a look at how to find the correct answers depending on your specific situation and goals.
Organic Milk Production Costs
Saturday I - 8:30am
Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance's Ed Maltby joins Wisconsin organic dairy farmer Darlene Coehoorn for a look at the variety of costs that directly affect the bottom line on an organic dairy, whether seasonal, all-grass, or grazing mixed with corn supplementation. Darlene and Ed will share data that questions long-held ideas about the differences in regional production costs, as well as exploring how you can determine where your bottom line is, and how you can improve it.
Got Grass? The Ultimate Organic Choice!
Saturday II - 2:00pm
High quality grass can provide a least-cost production method for livestock production, plus high-quality animal products, carbon sequestration, and improved mineral, water, and energy cycles in the soil. Join certified organic grazier Douglas Gunnink for a discussion of the characteristics of high quality grass, the important factors in monitoring and managing pastures, and feeding your cows without grain.
Herbal Remedies for Cattle and Reading the Bovine Hair Coat
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Dr. Paul Dettloff will cover the ten veterinary tools for alternative treatments in the organic system in this informational workshop, as well as providing an introduction to the science of reading the bovine hair coat as a way to gain insight into a cow's inherited characteristics and glandular status.
Replacing Corn and Beans in Livestock Rations
Saturday III - 4:00pm
The decision to replace corn and beans in your livestock rations depends on a number of factors, from the performance needed to the nutritional needs of different species at different life and prdouction stages. Join nutritional consultant Keith Cuvelier to explore the decision-making process and alternatives to the traditional corn and bean combination.
Organic Hog Production
Saturday III - 4:00pm
Join sixth generation family farmer Jude Becker for a discussion and strategic discussion about the choices you need to make before you start raising and marketing hogs, as well as the varied effects on farm economics and cash flow. Jude will help you think through production and marketing options to get to the practical details of raising organic pork.
Marketing and Business
Positioning Your Farm for Profitability
Friday I - 8:30am
Financial sustainability needs to be managed just like you manage for other results. Join long-time consultant and teacher to farmers and small business (and organic beef farmer) Jim Munsch for a discussion of how to do that. This workshop will focus on what information you need and how to use the information to make good decisions.
Media 101: How Organic Farmers Can Work Effectively with the Media
Friday I - 8:30am
Organic agriculture needs more farmers to serve as media spokespeople, sharing your authentic, personal story and experiences to help grow this movement. Come for a crash course in media relations from Lisa Kivirist, Roger Blobaum, Melinda Hemmelgarn, and Greg Leaf.
See Jane Grow: How Women Ecopreneurs are Leading America's Rural Renaissance
Friday III - 4:00pm
From farmers to fiber artists, from cheesemakers to innkeepers, women launching farm-based businesses prioritize more than profit; they see their business as a tool to transform the world. Join innkeeper and MOSES Rural Women's Project director Lisa Kivirist, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Aimee Witteman, and Food Sleuth columnist Melinda Hemmelgarn to learn about this rural women's ecopreneur movement.
Bookkeeping on the Organic Farm
Saturday I - 8:30am
As though there wasn't enough to do on the farm, the IRS wants you to keep track of your money, too - plus, knowing where your money comes from and where it goes is a critical part of operating a profitable farm enterprise. Tricia Bross, longtime farmer and tax preparer, will guide you through the information you need to make things easy on your tax preparer, as you track the coming and going of money on her farm.
A History of the Local Organic Food Movement in the Twin Cities
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Join Co-op Partners Warehouse buyer and former organic fruit and vegetable grower Rhys Williams for a brief history of how the Twin Cities became a national leader in local organic food and what can be done to insure its continued success in an uncertain future.
Pump Up Your Volume: Tools and Tactics to Tell Your Story, Market Your Business, Grow the Organic Agriculture Movement, and Transform the World
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Learn how to generate awareness of your business as well as the organic movement using a variety of creative tactics such as letters to the editor, opinion essays, and blog postings. Author, innkeeper, and activist Lisa Kivirist will show you how to tap into your own personal underground public relations agency.
Deciding What to Plant: Clues from Your Soil, Market, Equipment, Land, and Climate
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Deciding what vegetables to plant, when and where is a crucial part of a successful fresh market organic vegetable system plan. Join long-time organic farmer Atina Diffley for a look at the assortment of elements to consider and investigate the fundamental decisions that will help shape your farm's crop mix.
Greenwashing: Media Literacy Tools to Empower Consumers in the Marketplace
Saturday III - 4:00pm
Advertising Age reports that 78% of people surveyed in nine countries like to buy "green" brands that have an "eco-conscience." But does "green" mean all things natural, organic, sustainable and earth-friendly? Or is green simply the color of money? Dietician and journalist Melinda Hemmelgarn will help you discover what "green" can really mean.
Pricing and Marketing Organic Row Crop Commodities
Saturday III - 4:00pm
While the agronomics of growing organic grain crops is certainly important, marketing with wisdom and skill can often determine long-term success. Join Mary-Howell Martens, Klaas Martens, Lowell Rheinheimer, and Mike Schulist as they discuss marketing programs, diversification to add value and reduce risk, pricing strategies, and their view of the future and the changing organic grain marketplace.
Organic Certification
HOP on NOP: Hear of Progress on the National Organic Program
Friday III - 4:00pm
What changes have occurred at the NOP during the last year? What changes can we expect under the new Administration? Come hear two leading experts on the USDA National Organic Program - Jim Riddle, UMN, former chair of the National Organic Standards Board, and Emily Brown Rosen, Policy Director for Pennsylvania Certified Organic - explain changes to the regulation, and discuss where the National Organic Program is headed.
The ABC's of NOP 4 U & ME: Organic Certification for New Applicants
Saturday I - 8:30am
Becoming Certified Organic is not easy, but it is definitely worth it - and Midwest Organic Services Association's Jackie Von Ruden and Oregon Tilth Certified Organic's Jim Pierce will provide insights that will make it easier, from choosing a certifier and understanding the certification process to maintaining a good farmer-certifier relationship.
MISC
Healthy Honeybees and Pollinators
Friday I - 8:30am
The recent highly-publicized decline of European honey bees has made pollinator diversification a critical issue for growers who require bees for crop production. Join beekeeper and author Ross Conrad and the Xerxes Society's Eric Mader for to learn about the latest science-based conservation practices for native pollinators, allowing them the reduce (or even eliminate) their dependency on managed honey bees.
State of Organic Research
Friday I - 8:30am
Increased federal funding is providing new opportunities for expanded organic research. The Organic Farming Research Foundation President Steve Ela joins OFRF's Senior Policy Analyst Mark Lipson for an overview of how the Post-Farm Bill context of USDA research and education agencies is morphing into something new.
National Organic Action Plan Update
Friday II - 2:00pm
In nearly three years of meetings and workshops around the United States, hundreds of participants have helped develop goals, mechanisms, and benchmarks to ensure organic integrity and a marketplace for US family farm agriculture, as well as to provide access to healthy food for all income levels. Join the National Organic Action Plan Project organizer Liana Hoodes and University of Minnesota's Organic Outreach Coordinator Jim Riddle to hear the early results of a vision that will form the basis for a United States National Organic Action Plan.
Beyond the Farm Bill: Organizing a Political Response to Other Policy Changes That Would Impact Organic Agriculture in the Midwest
Friday II - 2:00pm
Organic policy extends beyond the Farm Bill, to issues at both the federal and the state levels. Join Washington insiders Roger Blobaum, Steve Etka, and Zachariah Baker for an exploration, including the proposed national sustainable agriculture standards and other controversial initiatives that would impact organic farming.
GMO Impacts on Organic Production and Processing: Problems and Solutions
Friday III - 4:00pm
Genetically modified crops are a major threat to the integrity of organics. Modified crops have contaminated organics causing organic farmers to have crops rejected and lose premiums. The Organic & Non-GMO Report's editor and publisher Ken Roseboro will provide an overview of GM crops currently in production, the issues GMO contamination has created, and strategies to prevent contamination.
Farm to School: Selling Local Food to Local Schools
Saturday II - 2:00pm
Join Great Lakes Farm to School Network coordinator Sara Tedeschi for a panel presentation outlining the opportunities, challenges and available resources for farmers interested in selling to schools. Hear directly from a farmer and food service director about what it takes to make a farm to school connection work, including how small- and medium-sized farms can meet emerging food safety guidelines required by most institutional buyers.
Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Colleges and Universities
Saturday III - 4:00pm
From student gardens and experiential learning to travel courses and innovative classroom strategies, universities and colleges across America are taking new interest in and new approaches to sustainable agriculture. Join veteran sustainable agriculture teacher and researcher Mary Wiedenhoeft to share your school's successes and challenges in teach organic and sustainable agriculture.
New Funding in the 2008 Farm Bill for Sustainable and Organic Farmers and Ranchers
Saturday III - 4:00pm
There is more money in the new farm bill for organic and sustainable agriculture than ever before. The Center for Rural Affairs' Traci Bruckner, Land Stewardship Project's Adam Warthesen, and the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's Aimee Witteman will give detailed information about the 2008 Farm Bill program wins that support organic farming, conservation, and beginning farmers and ranchers, and how farmers can participate in the new programs.
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