Sustainable Foundations and Personal Resilience
Friday
Workshop Session I: 9:15-10:30 a.m.
Can Organic Feed the World?
Anneliese Abbott, Abbott Farms
Since the 1950s, many agricultural scientists have claimed organic farming can’t feed the world. Learn how anti-organic rhetoric emerged from Cold War geopolitics, how the academic consensus prevented scientists from researching organic farming, and how new words like “sustainable” allowed more academic freedom in organic research in the late 1980s and beyond. Use this history to gain the answers and tools to answer common anti-organic arguments.
Workshop Session II: 10:45 a.m.-Noon
Understanding Heirs’ Property at the Community Level
Steve Washington, CSU
Heirs’ property is land passed down informally from generation-to-generation. It’s a significant cause of land loss across the U.S. It usually involves landowners who died without a will and now is owned by “in common” multiple heirs, regardless of whether they live on the land or pay the taxes. Learn how to protect your lands by going through this overview of heirs’ property, strategies for preventing it, and key considerations in resolving heirs’ property risk.
Workshop Session III: 1:30-2:45 p.m.
The Forgotten Farm
Bryna Chandler, Drunken Duck Farm & Rescue
Learn how to transform neglected farmland into sustainable homesteads or productive farms through land health assessment, natural soil restoration, invasive species management, natural irrigation, and permaculture design. Create balanced ecosystems using food forests and restorative farming, and build farms that thrive sustainably.
Workshop Session IV: 3-4:15 p.m

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
Join the Midwest Vegetable Growers Network (MVEG) Farmer Resiliency and Health working group to discuss both challenges and ideas for solutions on balancing family life with farming. Recap the themes and tactics highlighted during the MVEG podcast, share stories and strategies, and brainstorm how to move the needle to help all families as they try to find a sustainable balance.
Saturday
Workshop Session V: 10:45-Noon
Prevent Burn-Out
Bryn Bird, Bird’s Haven Farm, Taylor Wiggins, From Scratch Farms
Half of beginning farms will burn-out in five years according to the USDA. Celebrating their 30th and 5th seasons of mixed vegetable produce farming, speakers will focus on lessons learned from starting and building CSA programs, best practices from farm markets, learning to wholesale, scale up with hired labor, and how to do it all while keeping some sanity.
Workshop Session VI: 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Balancing Ideals and Reality
Amanda Hanger, Gorman Heritage Farm, Steve Edwards, Gorman Heritage Farm and White Oak Farm
Sometimes conceptual farming methods don’t yield the desired results. Learn about real-word applications of sustainable techniques and how to adapt when things don’t go as planned from two southwest Ohio farmers.
Workshop Session VII: 3-4:15 p.m.
Whole Farm Planning
Shoshanna Inwood, OSU
What if farm planning encompassed the unique realities of the day-to-day work? Learn how educators are helping farmers integrate considerations for childcare, healthcare, and health insurance needs into their business model in a way that works for them.
* This session was not recorded due to its conversational aspect.
t This session's recording had technical issues.

Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
NEW ADDRESS
150 E. Wilson Bridge Rd. Suite 230
Worthington, OH 43085
OEFFA: (614) 421-2022 (614) 421-2022
OEFFA Certification: (614) 262-2022 (614) 262-2022