Nov. 7-9: The Dairy Practices Council Annual Conference will be held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Harrisburg, Penn. Topics will focus on issues challenging the dairy industry. For further information, call 732-203-1947 or e-mail dairypc@dairypc.org

ILLINOIS

Nov. 3: “Putting Small Acreages to Work,” will provide practical, hands-on advice to beginning, as well as transitioning farmers in Belleville, Ill. To register, contact U of I Extension Madison/St.Clair Unit Office 618-650-7050 or visit web.extension.uiuc. edu/madisonstclair/findus.html

Nov. 10: Horse Sense 101: Basics of Horse Ownership is designed to help interested individuals make wise decisions prior to purchasing a horse. The event will be at the Cook County Farm Bureau in Countryside, Ill. For more information and a brochure call 708-354-3276 or visit www.cookcfb.org

Nov. 10: A soap making workshop in Clinton, Ill. will provide an overview of the process, including specifics about glycerin, goat’s milk, botanical and herb soaps. To register contact Illinois Stewardship Alliance, 217-498-9707; isa@illinoisstewardshipalliance.org

Nov. 11-13: Soya and Oilseed Summit 2007: Nourishing Innovation in Food and Energy will take place at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago, Ill. For more info, go to www.soyasummit.com or contact by phone at 800-424-7692, ext. 114.

Nov. 20: Producers interested in "Going For The Green: Seeing Agriculture's Future" can attend this year's Illinois Commodity Conference at the DoubleTree Hotel and Convention Center in Bloomington, Ill. More information and a registration brochure is available at www.ilsoy.org

INDIANA

Oct. 31: Agricultural Outlook 2008 will take place at the Purdue University Extension Office in Hancock County in Greenfield, Ind. The program will begin with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. Contact Roy Ballard at rballard@purdue.edu

Oct. 31: Purdue University will unveil the new Beck Agricultural Center at the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education west of West Lafayette, Ind. The open house will be from 1-2 p.m. For more details call Jim Beaty at 765-463-2632 or e-mail him at jbeaty@purdue.edu

Nov. 1: “Slow Cookery at its best” will take place at the Allen County Extension Office in Ft. Wayne, Ind. No registration is required. Questions, contact Vickie Hadley at the Allen County Extension Office, 260-481-6826.

Nov. 1: Watershed Networking Meeting will take place at Camp Atterbury Indiana Military Academy Building 5 in Edinburgh, Ind. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register in advance by contacting Karla Kindrick at kkindric@idem.in.gov

Nov. 1-2: Hospice Professionals from five Great Lakes states will convene in Indianapolis, Ind. to kickoff National Home Care & Hospice Month at the University Place Conference Center. Program information and online registration are available at www.iahhc.org or call Todd Stallings at 317-844-6630.

Nov. 7: Watershed Networking Meeting will take place at Angel Mounds State Historic Site Interpretive Center, Evansville, Ind. from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register in advance by contacting Karla Kindrick at kkindric@idem.in.gov

Nov. 8-9: Indiana Farm Bureau will host a campaign management training seminar targeted to potential candidates for next spring’s primary elections. The seminar takes place at the IFB downtown office in Indianapolis, Ind. The seminar is limited to the first 28 people who sign up. Registration is available online at www.infarmbureau.org under “Public Policy” or by calling at 317-692-7811.

Nov. 12: Farmers interested in transitioning to organic production or certifying existing organic practices can attend a Purdue Extension IP video series show in Greenfield, Ind. and New Castle, Ind. Deadline to register is Nov. 12. To register contact Lynn Stocksick at 765-494-2753 or 800-359-2968.

Nov. 14-15: 2nd annual Rural Indiana Rural Summit will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind. The summit provides a forum where civic and economic development leaders can share ideas on rural growth and progress. Summit registration includes a breakfast, two lunches, refreshments and materials. To register, log onto www.in.gov/ocra/conferences.shtml

MICHIGAN

Nov. 2: A session entitled “Growing Your Business,” will take place at the Michigan State University Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing, Mich. Pre-register by calling the MSU Product Center at 517-432-4608 or logging onto their website at www.productcenter.msu.edu/conference.htm

Nov. 2: The latest research on organic fruit and orchards will be the focus of a Michigan State University field day near Flushing, Mich. For more information, contact David Epstein at 517-432-4766; epstei10@msu.edu

Nov. 3: 73rd annual Michigan Bred Ewe Sale will take place at the Michigan State University Livestock Pavilion in Lansing, Mich. For information or a sale catalog, visit www.misheep.org or call 517-543-7395.

Nov. 9: Michigan Cattlemen’s Association will host its annual Graded and Vaccinated Feeder Calf Sale at the United Producers site in St. Louis, Mich. For details, call 517-347-8117.

KENTUCKY

Oct. 31-Nov. 2: The Kentucky Women in Agriculture Conference will focus on local foods at the Crown Plaza-Campbell House in Lexington, Ky. To register, go online at www.kywomeninag.org or contact Ashley Osborne at 877-266-8823.

Nov. 3-5: The 55th annual All American Jersey Show and Sale will return to the North American Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. this year. Premium lists and entry forms are available online at www.livestockexpo.org Nov. 5: The 17th annual Elite Heifer sale in Bourbon, County, Ky. will feature some of the best beef heifers from across the Midwest and sell its 10,000th heifer. Contact Clarence Abney at 859-229-2462.

Nov. 13-15: The theme for the 2007 Kentucky Small Farmers Conference is “Turning Challenges into Opportunities,” at the Capital Plaza Hotel and Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Ky. For more information call 502-597-5905 or e-mail louie.rivers@kysu.edu

Nov. 15: University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service will host an early bird meeting at the Sedalia Restaurant in Sedalia, Ky. to help farmers make the best decisions about their pre-pay dollars. Contact Lincoln Martin at 270-527-3285.

OHIO

Nov. 1: The Ohio Department of Agriculture will host the eighth annual Ohio Farmland Preservation Summit in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Topics will focus on growing local economies through food and agriculture. For additional information, visit http://cffpi.osu.edu/summit or call 614-728-6210.

Nov. 2: “Are Deer Eating Your Profits,” will be held at the Ohio State University South Center in Piketon, Ohio. Cost to register is $30. For details, call 740-289-2071 ext. 223, or visit southcenters.osu.edu

Nov. 3: The Tri-State Woodland and Wildlife Workshop, featuring forestry and wildlife experts from across the Midwest will take place in Bryan, Ohio. To register online, visit http://woodland stewards.osu.edu For more details, contact Brian MacGowan at 765 647-3538, macgowan@purdue.edu

Nov. 6: An agricultural outlook and policy program on grains, inputs and ag law will be in Wilmington, Ohio. Contact Tony Nye at 937-382-0901.