Sustainable Foundations and Personal Resilience

Friday

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.

Woodhull A

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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.

River Birch D

Zoom

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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.

Woodhull B

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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.

River Birch D

Zoom

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Saturday

Sessions and Tracks

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.

River Birch C

Zoom

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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.

Woodhull B

Zoom

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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.

Woodhull B

Zoom

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# This session was not recorded.
* This session was not recorded due to its conversational aspect.
t This session's recording had technical issues.

Sessions and Tracks