OEFFA Conference 2025

Cherry Valley
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Cherry Valley
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This celebrated event welcomes hundreds of farmers, gardeners, and food supporters to learn, shop, and connect at Ohio’s largest sustainable agriculture conference.

The 2025 OEFFA Conference is February 13-15 at Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, Ohio. Registration closes February 1. 


Please take a look at the multiple options available for you and your organization to participate in the OEFFA conference through sponsorships, exhibition booths, and advertisements.

Learn More


Our Sponsors

Friends

Dayton Urban Grown
Nourse Farms

Organic Materials Review Institute

Champions

Betty Brown | Christine Hughes | Nick Leone | Nikki Ransom | Route 9 Cooperative | Judy Sauer | Jeannie Seabrook | Anthony Silvernail | Helen Sites | Mardy Townsend | Omar Wahdan


Conference Schedule

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Thursday, February 13

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Food and Farm School*
4 p.m. Registration/Check-In Opens, Exhibit Hall Opens
4-6 p.m. Welcoming Exhibit Hall Happy Hour
6-7:15 p.m. Keynote with Gary Nabhan
7:30-10 p.m. OEFFA Open Mic Night

Friday, February 14

8 a.m. Registration/Check-In Opens, Exhibit Hall Opens
8-9:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:15-10:30 a.m. Workshop Session I
10:45 a.m.-Noon Workshop Session II
Noon-1:30 p.m. Lunch*
1:30-2:45 p.m. Workshop Session III
3-4:15 p.m. Workshop Session IV
5-6:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Happy Hour, Exhibitor Flash Demos, Farmers’
Market Vendor Fair, Seed Social and Swap, Writers Meetup**
6:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Closes
7:30 p.m. Film Screening: Organic Rising

Saturday, February 15

8 a.m. Registration/Check-In Opens, Exhibit Hall Opens
8-9:30 a.m. Breakfast
9-10 a.m. Members’ Meeting**
10:45-Noon Workshop Session V
Noon-1:30 p.m. Lunch*
1:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Closes
1:30-2:45 p.m. Workshop Session VI
3-4:15 p.m. Workshop Session VII
Conference registration closes February 1, 2025. Recordings of workshops and keynotes will be available for registrants to access until April 30, 2025.
*Lunches and Food and Farm School registration must be purchased separately; they are not included in general registration. Breakfast is included in general registration.
**The exhibit hall will open to the public at these times. OEFFA members are invited to attend the members’ meeting at no cost. All other conference events require paid registration.
Shagbark Mill

Gary Nabhan

February 13 Keynote Address

Pathways to a Caring and Sustainable Future

Gary Nabhan is an Arab-American agroecologist, foodshed restorationist, and internationally-celebrated nature writer. He has been honored with a James Beard Award, a MacArthur Genius Award Fellowship, lifetime achievement awards from Slow Food, Chef’s Collaborative, Edible Communities, and other professional societies. Born in the Midwest, he worked on farms and prairie restoration projects there before moving to Arizona, where he focuses on home-grown solutions to climate change, including agrisolar and agroforestry systems. There on the desert’s edge, Gary grows many varieties of perennial fruits and nuts, species of agaves (century plants), and dozens of spice crops. His books and podcasts are featured at garynabhan.com.

Featured Conference Speakers

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Halee Wepking

Meadowlark Community Mill

Halee came to farming with a degree in modern dance and a resume filled with professional cooking jobs. With her husband, John, they manage a 1,000-acre Wisconsin farm of culinary small grains, buckwheat, edible dry beans, and open pollinated corn. In 2021, they launched Meadowlark Community Mill, an on-farm flour mill committed to sourcing grain from regional organic farmers and producing high quality stone-ground flour and other staple food crops.

Patty Lovera

Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment

Patty is the policy advisor for the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, a coalition of state and national groups working to fight factory farms. She previously served as the policy director for the Organic Farmers Association, the food and water program director at Food and Water Watch, and the deputy director of the energy and environment program at Public Citizen.

Jeff Poppen

Long Hungry Creek Farm/Barefoot Farmer

Jeff helped develop an organic farm and Tennessee homestead in the mid 1970s, later beginning to prepare and apply biodynamic methods. His livelihood comes primarily from vegetables and cattle grown on the 270-acre Long Hungry Creek Farm, where cows, compost, and community keep the land vibrant and productive. Jeff advocates for more peaceful agriculture by mentoring, consulting, hosting events, and writing books.

Lauren Cain

Find Hope Farm

Lauren is a registered veterinary technician with a master’s from the Ohio State University in animal welfare science. She founded Find Hope Farm in Pataskala, Ohio, ten years ago, and currently focuses on all things goat—dairy goats, agritourism, and targeted vegetation management using goats.

Donetta Boykin

Endigo’s Herbals & Organics

Donnetta is an urban farmer and seed saver, passionate about providing nutrient-rich produce and herbs to communities facing food insecurity. She is owner of Endigo’s Herbals and Organics and the founder and president of Seven Seed Sowers Co-op in Columbus.

Florentina Rodriguez

Flora Seeds

Florentina is a doctoral candidate researching culturally- and community-informed seed work. She serves as an advisory board member for the BIPOC Food and Farming Network and Seven Seed Sowers Co-op. She founded Flora Seeds with the mission to plant seed education and grow seed commons along with founding the Miami Valley Seed Commons.

OhioCAN

Thursday, February 13 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Intentional Investment: Maximizing Your Time and Dollars for Lasting Impact

Intentional Investment:
Maximizing Your Time and Dollars for Lasting Impact

$97

In today’s fast-paced world, where every hour and every dollar counts, the choices we make on how to invest both are critical. But how do you decide where your next hour of work or your next dollar will have the most meaningful impact? Holistic Management International (HMI) will share a management framework to help make these decisions with greater clarity and confidence. This approach provides a powerful process for aligning your time and money with your personal goals, enabling you to improve the health of your land, boost profits, and enhance your quality of life. Walk away equipped with tools to intelligently balance and prioritize your investments, empowering you to cultivate long-term success, sustainability, and personal satisfaction.

Farm Succession School: Planning for the Future of Your Farm

Farm Succession School:
Planning for the Future of Your Farm

$97

Succession planning can be challenging for landowners. From vision and goal setting to management transfer planning, dive into the key components of a farm succession plan. Discuss strategies for identifying a successor for farms operating without an heir, resources for better family communication, and how to build a team of advisors to turn a succession plan into reality. Facilitators from Land For Good and OSU will provide an overview of the process, a detailed workbook, key resources, and help to create an outline for your farm’s succession. Attendees are encouraged to come with family members and partners so you can work as a team right from the start.

Wholesale for All Scales

Wholesale for All Scales

$57

Whether you’re scaling up or honing your skills to serve current customers, learning from your peers can help improve production systems to work better for you and your farm needs. Take a deep dive into organic vegetable production on two crops—tomatoes and peppers—as three farmers of varying scales share the details of their systems. Hear from a regional buyer about opportunities for sales outlets, and learn about food safety practices.

This project was financed in part or totally through a grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the State of Ohio, and the United States Department of Agriculture under the provisions of the Specialty Crop Block Grant. This project was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 23SCBPOHI204. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

Free

Organic System Plan
Help-Shop

Writing your first Organic Systems Plan (OSP) can be overwhelming. If you are planning to certify for the first time in 2025, OEFFA invites you to bring your draft OSP and your questions to this supported work session. Experienced OEFFA staff will address common stumbling blocks farmers encounter in their first OSP, provide individualized assistance, and answer your questions so your first year of certification goes as smoothly as possible. Space is limited. 

Free

Organic Farmer Researcher
Network DIY Research

Farmers, educators, and researchers are invited to work together in small, facilitated groups to generate specific farmer-led research ideas. First, participants will focus on generating research ideas specifically for livestock farms, then network leaders will be available to assist with further proposal and project development—either with those research ideas or from previous events. Leave with new partnerships, ideas, and resources to address specific on-farm questions.

The Organic Farmer Researcher Network is a collaboration of Ohio organic and regenerative farmers, Central State University Extension, OEFFA, and Ohio State’s OFFER organic program. The workshop is supported by a USDA OREI (Organic Research Education Initiative) grant.

Workshops

Friday, February 14

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Workshop Session I: 9:15-10:30 a.m.

Can Organic Feed the World?—Anneliese Abbott, Abbott Farms

Evaluating and Marketing Animal Welfare—Lauren Cain, Find Hope Farm

Here's How to Impact Organic Rules—Steve Ela, National Organic Coalition

Choosing the Right Variety for Your Farm—Dana Hilfinger, Johnny's Selected Seeds

FlowersInSeason.com Cut Flower Farm App—Michelle Wallace and Marc Amante, CSU

Participatory Community Driven Agriculture—Weston Lombard, Solid Ground Farm

Getting Started with Organic Beekeeping—Ross Conrad, Dancing Bee Gardens

Edible Flowers—Barbara Utendorf, Backyard Nourishment

Drought Mitigation Strategies for Crops—Cody Creech, University of Nebraska

 

Workshop Session II: 10:45 a.m.-Noon

Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program—Jaime Hadji, Ohio Farmers Market Network

The Essential Guide to Pawpaws—Valerie Libbey, Libbey Farm

Perennial Vegetables for Your Plot—Dani Baker, The Enchanted Edible Forest at Cross Island Farms

Heir's Property—Steve Washington, CSU

What is a Foodshed?—Benji Ballmer, Yellowbird Foodshed

Which Tool is the Right Tool?—Joel Dufour, Earth Tools Inc.

Organic Grain Market Outlook: A New Normal—Rachel Nelson, Argus Media

Solar/Agrivoltaics Roundtable—Katie Carothers, Old Slate Farm

Organic Pigs on Pasture—Shara Trierwieler, Agape Organic Farms

Workshop Session III: 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Introduction to Dairy Goats—Lauren Cain, Find Hope Farm

The Forgotten Farm—Bryna Chandler, Drunken Duck Farm & Rescue

Farmer Voices in D.C.—Dave Shively, Shively Farm, Alexis Dragovich, Mud Run Organic Farm, Sophia Buggs, Lady Buggs Pharm, Lauren Hirtle, OEFFA

Recordkeeping: Do More than a Tax Return—Wm. Bruce Clevenger, OSU

For Peat's Sake—Nathan Rutz, Tilth Soil

Freeze Drying Fundamentals—Shari Gallup and Candance Heer, OSU

BIPOC Breakout Room—Erica Powell, OEFFA

Marssonina Leaf Blotch in Organic Apple Production—Zachary Dobbelaer, Charlie's Apples

 

Workshop Session IV: 3-4:15 p.m.

High Tunnel Construction Best Practices—Bob Rimol, Rimol Greenhouse Systems

Solar Applications for the Home or Farm—Tom Rapini and Valerie Garrett, A’s and O’s Farm

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)—Stef Funk, NSAC

Adding Mushrooms to the Market Garden—Thomas Lodge, MidAm Mushrooms

Organic Mite Control in Hives—Ross Conrad, Dancing Bee Gardens

Farming & Family Care Podcast Roadshow—Beth Knorr, FairShare CSA Coalition, Dana Hilfinger, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Shoshanna Inwood, OSU, Bryn Bird, Bird's Haven Farm, Fresh Roberson, Fresher Together

Appalachia Regional Food Business Center—Paul Freedman and Herron Linscott, Rural Action

REAP the Benefits of Clean Energy—Mat Roberts, Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council

 

Saturday, February 15

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Workshop Session V: 10:45 a.m.-Noon

The Fight for Fair Markets—Patty Lovera, Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment

The CSA Retention Road Map—Michelle Keniston, Farmhand

Navigating Climate Impacts of Vegetable Farms—Douglas Jackson-Smith and Matthew Kleinhenz, OSU, Nick Olsen, Land Stewardship Project

Seed Library Starters—Donnetta Boykin, Endigo's Herbals & Organics, Florentina Rodriguez, Miami Valley Seed Commons

Keeping You and Your Produce Safe—Denise Natoli Brooks, CSU

Moved on Pasture Poultry—Eric and Kayla Gibson, Sugar Butte Farms

Prevent Burn-Out—Bryn Bird, Bird's Haven Farm

Adding Value with a Grain-Focused CSA—Halee Wepking, Meadowlark Community Mill

Advocating for Sovereignty: Value-Added Coalition Building—Jennifer Lumpkin, My Grow Connect and Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition, Zainab Pixler, City of Cleveland

 

Workshop Session VI: 1:30-2:45 p.m.

Pest and Disease Scouting for Vegetable Growers—Dan Fillius, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Balancing Ideals and Reality—Amanda Hanger, Gorman Heritage Farm, Steve Edwards, Gorman Heritage Farm and White Oak Farm

Farm Bill Panel—Patty Lovera, Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment, Stef Funk, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Steve Ela, National Organic Coalition, Milo Petruziello, OEFFA

Fiber Farming and Diversification—Dianne Ganslein, Ohio Valley Farm and Fiber Mill

Biodynamics Simplified: Making Biodynamic Preparations—Jeff Poppen, Barefoot Farmer and Long Hungry Creek Farm

Creating Ecology-Based Food Communities—Deb Knapke, The Garden Sage

Queer Breakout Room—Jerah Pettibone, OEFFA

Mentoring on the Farm—Annie Warmke, Blue Rock Station Sustainable Living Center and Farm

 

Workshop Session VII: 3-4:15 p.m.

Models of Community Land Ownership—Ian McSweeny and Kristina Villa, The Farmers Land Trust

Want Your Employees to Work Faster? Create the Right Environment!—Katie Bishop, PrairiErth Farm, Sarah Janes Ugoretz, University of Wisconsin Extension

Drought and Our Way Out—Aaron Wilson, OSU

Is Organic for Me? Panel—Adam Blaney, Blaney Family Farm, Leon Atwell, O Farm, Shara Trierwieler, Agape Organic Farms

Whole Farm Planning—Shoshanna Inwood, OSU

Mini Site Assessment Workshop—Jerah Pettibone, OEFFA

Start Clean, Stay Clean: Weed Control—Mike Stites, Rex Stites Farms, Inc.

Homestead Scale Staple Crop Production—Eleanor and Scott Hucker, Great Lakes Staple Seeds

 

We incorporate organic and/or local meats, dairy products, vegetables, and grains into these conference meals. Given this sourcing work, a limited number of meals are available for purchase and the menu is subject to change. Vegan and gluten-free meals cannot be guaranteed. Lunch must be purchased separately when registering—registrants’ name tags will be checked on site. 

Yogurt and Granola

Yogurt and granola
Sausage and eggs
Veggie tofu scramble
Bread

Tossed salad with microgreens with ranch and vinaigrette dressings
Coleslaw
Pulled pork sandwich with selection of BBQ sauces
Black bean burgers
Roasted Russet potato wedges
Bread

Winter green kale salad with candied walnuts, ranch, and Ohio maple syrup vinaigrette dressing
Meatloaf with brown sugar and tomato glaze
Vegetarian tofu loaf with brown sugar and tomato glaze
Mashed sweet potatoes
Green beans almondine
Apple crisp with chef-crafted butterscotch sauce
Bread


Every piece of conference meals are as local and organic as we can make it. OEFFA thanks the food donors and growers already lined up for the 2025 conference:

If you’re interested in donating food, contact jessica@oeffa.org or (614) 725-1437.  

CSAF Summit

CSAF Summit

Thursday, February 13—10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Organic grain and row crop farmers are invited to a day of instruction and discussion on ground water recharge and drought mitigation and adaptation techniques with researchers from UC Davis and Washington State University. Learn about the Climate Smart Ag and Forestry Grant, a program that assists farmers in implementing NRCS conservation techniques while receiving compensation and participating in carbon sequestration research.

This event is an add-on when registering for the conference. Space is limited. A limited number of scholarships are available (applications are due January 10).

Welcoming Happy Hour and Keynote

Welcoming Happy Hour
and Keynote

Thursday, February 13—4-7 p.m.

We’re kicking things off on Thursday evening with a welcoming happy hour and keynote in the exhibit hall! Reunite with food and farm friends, get a headstart on your conference shopping, and enjoy snacks and a cash bar in the exhibit hall before keynote speaker Gary Nabhan speaks.

Exhibit hall doors open at 4 p.m. The keynote begins at 6 p.m. Access to this event is included in both general and Food and Farm School registration.


Open Mic

Open Mic Night

Thursday, February 13—7:30 p.m.

Come and share your artistic side!

This is a free time to share your songs, poems, stories, skits, and more—share whatever moves you. There will be a sign-up sheet available to claim a spot on a first-come, first-served basis. An acoustic guitar will be available for anyone who needs it.

Organic Rising

Film Screening: Organic Rising

Friday, February 14—7:30 p.m.

Join OEFFA’s Policy team for a screening of Organic Rising, a 2023 award-winning documentary highlighting the need to evolve the American agricultural system in one that conserves natural resources, provides healthy food for communities, and protects food security into the future. Featuring interviews with farmers, researchers, and activists, the film looks at the modern organic movement and the people who make it what it is. 

This film is being shown as the third installment of the 2024-2025 OEFFA Policy Film Screening Series. Enjoy this time together with your fellow conference-goers and enjoy some popcorn with our friends at Shagbark Seed & Mill!


Donnetta Boykin and Florentina Rodriguez

Seed Social and Swap

Friday, February 14—5-6:30 p.m.

Enjoy this time for casual chats and growing community with others passionate about preserving one of the most important resources: seeds. Join Donnetta Boykin and Florentina Rodriguez to explore topics such as choosing varieties, storage and sharing seeds, as well as any seeds you might want to swap.

Writers Meetup

Friday, February 14—5-6:30 p.m.

Calling all wordsmiths! Join writers Deb Knapke and Deborah Fleming in this special creative space for storytellers. Bring examples of your own work to share, hear from published authors, and enjoy camaraderie and inspiration with others.

Deb Knapke and Deborah Fleming

Exhibit Hall

Happy Hours

THURSDAY

4 – 6 pm

FRIDAY

5 – 6:30 pm

Exhibit Hall Hours

Open throughout the conference!

THURSDAY

4 – 6 pm

FRIDAY

8 am – 6:30 pm

SATURDAY

8 am – 1:30 pm

Flash Demos

FRIDAY

5 – 6:30 pm

Exhibit Hall Hours

Open throughout the conference!

THURSDAY

4-6 pm

FRIDAY

8 am-6:30 pm

SATURDAY

8 am-1:30 pm

Happy
Hours

THURSDAY

4-6 pm

FRIDAY

5-6:30 pm

Flash Demos

FRIDAY

5-6:30 pm

With more than 31,000 square feet of space, the exhibit hall is a one-stop shop! Here, you’ll find businesses that can help you find your market, products to maximize your farm or backyard, services to improve your farm or homestead, quality locally-produced merchandise for your pantry and home, and useful information from knowledgeable nonprofit and educational institutions.

Visit the exhibit hall during Friday’s happy hour to see exhibitors showcase their products, tools, and services in a quick, flash demonstration style!

Are you certified organic, or considering it?

OEFFA Certification welcomes your questions at their booth in the exhibit hall. Knowledgeable staff will answer questions about the organic certification process, standards, and guidelines, and provide one-on-one assistance as needed.

Check out the raffle table to try your luck and win a variety of valuable products and services, courtesy of many of our exhibitors, sponsors, and supporters. Funds raised support OEFFA’s educational work.

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Friday, February 14—5-6:30 p.m.

This is an opportunity to connect farmers’ markets/managers with farmers and vendors searching for direct-to-consumer opportunities to sell their products. Market managers looking for new vendors will have informational displays conveniently set up along the way to the exhibit hall, making it easy for farmers and food entrepreneurs to network with potential markets and seek out a good fit.

OEFFA is committed to supporting farmers and land stewards in their quest for farmland and farm succession. A new addition to the conference exhibit hall this year is an OEFFA Land Access booth. Conference-goers can submit and browse posters made by fellow attendees, connect to the LandLink program, chat with experienced OEFFA staff and technical professionals, and find resources on anything related to finding farmland, farmland transfer and succession, site assessment, relationship building, and more.

Landlink

Are you a farmer looking for farmland? Do you have land and need a farmer?

There will be space to prominently display posters and personal ads highlighting your land or your skills and goals as a farmer in the conference exhibit hall. You’ll find templates and instructions at oeffa.org/landlink.


Register Online

General Registration

Individual Registration Friday and Saturday before 1/10 after 1/10
Members $267 $337
Non-Members (Become a member) $337 $397
One-day Only Member Friday or Saturday $197 $267
One-day Only Non-Member Friday or Saturday $257 $327
Student Member $157 $227
Student Non-Member $227 $297
Volunteers more information $217

Food and Farm School

Thursday only, lunch included
Farm Succession School: Planning for the Future of Your Farm $97
Intentional Investment: Maximizing Your Time and Dollars for Lasting Impact $97
CSAF Grower’s Summit more information $97
Wholesale for All Scales $57
Organic System Plan Help Shop free
Organic Farmer Research Network DIY Research free

Kids

Kids’ Conference (6-12 y/o) (Available Friday and Saturday only; rate is per day) $60
Child Care (0-5 y/o) (Available Friday and Saturday only; rate is per day) $60

Lunches

Friday Lunch $37
Saturday Lunch $37

Online registration closes on February 1, 2025

Questions about registration, or aren’t able to register online? Visit conference.oeffa.org/faq or contact OEFFA at (614) 421-2022 or members@oeffa.org.


Scholarships and Inclusiveness

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A welcoming and accessible conference for beginning farmers, and an increasingly diverse community of farmers of all experience levels is important to us.

To further this goal, OEFFA has conference funding available to support people who have been farming less than ten years in the Appalachian counties of Ohio, as well as Black, Indigenous, persons of color (BIPOC) and veterans who are or want to be in food systems work—farmers, farmworkers, food preparation and service workers, food nutrition and food system advocates, or food and farm educators. Funding is also available for organic grain and row crop farmers interested in learning more about groundwater recharge, drought mitigation and adaptation, and NRCS conservation practices. If you fit any of these criteria and are in need of assistance to cover your registration costs, please consider applying.

Current Funding Opportunities

If you are a beginning (farming 1-10 years) farmer in an Appalachian county of Ohio and need assistance with OEFFA Conference registration costs, please fill out this form.

If you are a certified organic grain producer who would like to attend the Grower's Summit on Thursday, February 13, along with the general OEFFA Conference (February 13-15), but need assistance with registration costs, please fill out this form.

If you are a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, or person of color) or veteran farmer/aspiring farmer/food systems worker, but need assistance with OEFFA Conference registration costs, please fill out this form.

Conference participants who purchased their registration prior to applying are not eligible for this funding.

Please apply by Friday, January 10, 2025.

All are welcome here. OEFFA values diversity within our organization and at our annual conference. Like in ecological agriculture, diversity plays an important role in cultivating symbiotic and sustainable relationships between both plants and humans. A community that embraces everyone regardless of race, nationality, creed, political belief, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or ability braves the harshest season and bears the sweetest fruit. We ask that all participants exercise kindness, patience, and respect. OEFFA reserves the right to revoke conference access or remove content if community codes of conduct are broken.

To see OEFFA’s full list of community standards, visit conference.oeffa.org/faq.

OEFFA is committed to making this conference as accessible and welcoming as possible. All conference events will be held on Cherry Valley Hotel and Ohio Event Center’s ground floor, except for Kids’ Conference, which is accessible by elevator. The venue has ADA compliant bathrooms, multiple accessible entrances, and nearby parking. The venue is spread out, so please contact OEFFA if you have any concerns about the distance between different portions of the event. The hotel has two floors with elevators and ADA accessible rooms available; please contact Cherry Valley for more information. If you have any questions, concerns, or special needs, contact oeffa@oeffa.org and we will do our best to assist you.

CONFERENCE FEATURES

The OEFFA Kids’ Conference, for 6- to 12-year-olds, is full of screen-free, hands-on activities related to food, farming, and nature. It is a mix of guided workshops with engaging educators, plus open stations featuring arts and crafts, games, and live chicks. Child care is also available for younger children with age-appropriate activities and naptime.

Registration for the Kids’ Conference and child care are available as add-ons to an adult conference registration.

Private space for nursing will be available. Children must be with parents during meal times.

In exchange for four hours of work, approved volunteers may register for both days of the con- ference for only $217. Meals are not included, no further discount applies, and volunteers must be OEFFA members. Volunteer spots are limited.

The option to register as a volunteer will open soon.

The option to register as a volunteer closes on January 10, 2025 at oeffa.org/volunteer.

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SAREThe North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Farmers Forum is a traveling annual event giving farmers, ranchers, researchers, and others the chance to share information about sustainable agriculture practices with a national audience.

These presentations focus on research, demonstration, and education projects that promote profitable practices that are good for the environment and community. The projects highlighted in these presentations and the Farmers Forum are funded by grants from NCR-SARE, a USDA funded program that supports and promotes sustainable farming and ranching by offering competitive grants and educational opportunities.

For more information about NCR-SARE, visit northcentral.sare.org, or contact ncrsare@umn.edu or (612) 626-3113.

Friday, Saturday 15—9-10 a.m.

Join us for OEFFA’s annual membership meeting to come together to hear the latest about OEFFA and share their thoughts. This is YOUR organization. Please come to listen, learn, and share. This event is free and does not require registration.

Saturday, February 15—12:15-1:15 p.m.

Sit down and eat with your community! Grab your lunch and join your OEFFA chapter in the Barrel Room. Learn more about chapters at oeffa.org/chapters. Contact (614) 947-1611 or members@oeffa.org with questions.

BIPOC Breakout Room

Friday, February 14

For Black, Indigenous, and People of Color conference attendees: this is a safe space to focus on connecting with each other, identifying goals, sharing resources, and finding points of collaboration.

Queer Breakout Room

Saturday, February 15

This is a space intended for farmers who identify as LGBTQIA to come together and make connections. It will be a loosely structured conversation around the different joys and challenges we face as queer farmers. If this applies to you, come, meet, share, and connect in community.


Location and Lodging

Cherry Valley Hotel and Ohio Event Center
2299 Cherry Valley Rd. SE, Newark, Ohio 43055
cherryvalleyhotel.com  |  (740) 788-1200

$139 per night (Visit oeffa.org/stay or call and ask for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association room block rate. A limited number of rooms are available at this rate. Deadline: January 17, 2025.) 

With its renovated rooms and thousands of square feet of space, Cherry Valley Hotel is our home for the whole conference weekend. Parking is complimentary, and guests will enjoy their rooms being only a minute’s walk to all conference activities. There is an indoor pool, fitness center, and multiple places to eat and drink on site.

DISCOVER THE NEWARK
AND GRANVILLE AREA!

Dawes Arboretum

Dawes Arboretum
Stroll through the 2,000 acres of seasonal gardens and walking trails of The Dawes Arboretum. Popular attractions include the Japanese Garden, birdwatching, and a 10,000-year-old glacier ridge.

Granville Downtown Clock

Granville Downtown Square
Experience New England charm in the heart of Ohio by strolling

down Granville’s downtown square. Explore the unique shops and sit down to enjoy the local dining options.

The Works
The Works is an interactive museum for families of all ages! Experience central Ohio’s best destination for hands-on discovery with local history, art, science, and glassblowing.

OEFFA

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
NEW ADDRESS
150 E. Wilson Bridge Rd. Suite 230
Worthington, OH 43085

oeffaoeffaorg

OEFFA: (614) 421-2022 (614) 421-2022
OEFFA Certification: (614) 262-2022 (614) 262-2022

Donate Online