By SUSAN MYKRANTZ Ohio Correspondent MOUNT HOPE, Ohio — The goals of the planning committee for the 2019 Organic Farming Conference are simple, if lengthy to list. They are building local agriculture with practices that benefit rural and urban communities; advocating a way of farming offering products that are nutritious, wholesome, and delicious; promoting growing practices that conserve, renew, and improve soils; and providing healthy foods for the well-being of families, communities, and all inhabitants that share their farms and land. “The conference is geared towards producers,” said Martha Kline, who, along with her husband, Tim, is a member of the conference planning committee. “But consumers are welcome as well; they need to know where their food comes from.” The conference will be Nov. 7-8 at the Mt. Hope Event Center, located at 8076 State Route 241. This year, the conference focuses on the importance of planning the farming operation. Topics such as planning the genetics for a dairy operation stemmed from an earlier grazing conference, according to Tim Kline. He explained whether producers are crossbreeding their animals or maintaining a purebred herd, they need to study genetics in order to breed the type of animal that will work for their grazing operation. The conference opens Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m. with an overview on the importance of having a plan for your farm, followed by the first of two breakout sessions with a choice of three topics: “Do You Have a Dairy Genetic Plan?” with Amos Nolt, Jon Bansen, and Jonas Yoder; “Produce Foundation; Soils” with Stephan Eash; and Organic Home featuring a panel of homemakers. The second breakout session will include a choice of three topics as well: “Is Your Farm Suited for Raising Sheep?” by Leroy Kuhns; “Organic Home Demonstrations, Home Food Drying, and Sampling and Easy Sewing Projects;” and “The Challenges of the Organic Marketplace” by Preston Green. At 1 p.m., Jon Bansen will present the keynote address on “Planning for Healthy Soils, Reinvigorating Soil with Cover Crops.” He and his wife, Juli, operate an organic dairy farm in Monmouth, Ore., and market milk from their 160-head Jersey dairy through Organic Valley’s Grassmilk label. The afternoon breakout sessions include a farmer panel on “Producing High-Quality Forages” with Dennis Wood, Jonathan Yoder, Marcus Schlabach, and moderated by Scott Myers. Quality forage is critical for dairy producers, said Kline. “If you can’t produce high-quality forage, you can’t produce milk. The quality of forage is tied to milk production in a grass-based dairy.” He said while 2019 was not ideal for high-quality forage, there were producers doing things to make up for it. “It may not be as good as it would be in a good year, but it is still good-quality forage,” he noted. Other sessions include “Weed Control and Diseases in Produce” by Dennis Eash and the Organic Home with a session on “Getting Your Children Interested in Nature.” On Nov. 8, the sessions begin at 8:45 a.m. with a presentation by Stephanie Frischie on “Planting for Pollinators and Habitat on Your Farm.” Following this, the morning will continue with a choice of two breakout sessions; “Figuring Out Sheep Raising” by John Anderson and Kathy Bielek or “It is More Than Putting Seeds Into the Ground” by representatives of the Family Farm Fresh Co-op. The afternoon session begins with a Farmers’ Roundtable featuring Jeff Miller, Levi Raber, Joseph Yoder, Leroy Oberholz, Jon Bansen, David Erb, Adam Yoder, and Scott Myers discussing what has and hasn’t worked for them in their organic operations; or you may attend a demonstration in the Organic Home on making homemade noodles. These are followed by breakout sessions, including a presentation by Guy Denny on “Pollinators in Your Fence Row and Roadsides,” an audience Q&A on farmer roundtable comments, and a session on “Wool Spinning” in the Organic Home area. The deadline for early-bird registrations is Oct. 23. Cost of the conference for one day is $20 per person, or $30 after Oct. 23. The cost for both days is $30 before Oct. 23 or $40 after that date. Children 5 and under are free. After Nov. 1, registrations may also be made at the door. New and transitioning farmers may register for free by visiting the conference website at www.organicfarmingconf.com The conference fee includes meals, breaks, registration, and the vendor show. Checks should be made payable to the Organic Farming Conference and mailed to P.O. Box 214, Millersburg, OH 44654. For more information, contact 330-674-1892 or info@organicfarmingconf.com or visit www.organicfarmingconf.com |
