Workshops 2023

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

The Food and Farm Movement

Climate, Conservation, and Resilience in the 2023 Farm Bill

Heather Dean, OEFFA, Jesse Womack, NSAC 

The 2023 Farm Bill offers a critical opportunity to support organic and sustainable farmers in the fight against climate change. Learn the ways the farm bill can support climate solutions like grass fed grazing, cover crops, perennial systems, state soil health programs, local food systems, composting and food waste reduction, and the development of more resilient public breeds and seeds. Then, discuss how farmers and food advocates can fight for these farm bill priorities.

---

Sustainable Foundations

A Look into Business Ecosystems: Regenerative Poultry 

Diane Christofore, Regenerative Agriculture Alliance 

Hear about the framework used to organize and deploy an ecosystem of enterprises centered on regenerative poultry. The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance’s strategy for growth is to develop models and businesses that lower barriers to entry and participation while ensuring the wealth generated stays within the community. Learn more about these tools so you can integrate them in your vision for a better food system. 

---

Backyards, Lots, and Small Plots

Market Gardening with Livestock Integration: Key Farming Successes, Failures, and Future Directions 

Ian Zeglin, Greenacres Foundation 

Is it possible to build enough fertility for a market garden exclusively using cover crops and animal impact? This session explores six years of work looking into the success and challenges of integrating livestock into a vegetable production system without any added fertility. Join us to explore what worked, what didn’t, and how they’re moving forward in this project. 

---

Specialty Crops

Can the Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program Give Peace of Mind to Vegetable Farmers? 

Andy Hupp and Kendyl Meadows, Three Creeks Produce, Jeff Schazhinski, NCAT

A cost-effective and accessible crop insurance program suited to diversified vegetable operations could have a tremendous impact on the profitability and sustainability of specialty crop farms. Unfortunately, the USDA’s Whole Farm Revenue Protection Program (WFRP) has yet to achieve this goal. Leading national WFRP expert Jeff Schazhinski will talk through the program with experienced Ohio vegetable growers Andy Hupp and Kendyl Meadows to investigate why it currently fails operations like theirs and what can be done to improve it. 

---

Grain Crops

Connecting Field Crop Production Strategies and Cooperative Marketing 

Steve Boyda, OFARM 

Organic grain farmer and Organic Farmers’ Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM) board member Steve Boyda will present his unique approach to crop rotation, crop selection, cover crops, plow downs, harvest, and storage. Get an inside look of how his production strategies and his connection to his marketing co-op complement each other and help him run an ecologically and financially sound business.   

---

Livestock and Poultry

PaddockTrac: Technology to Manage Grazing Systems 

Stacey Hamilton and Ryan Lock, University of Missouri Extension 

Forage management can give beef and milk producers a competitive advantage. But managing forage takes time. PaddockTrac is an innovative technology developed by researchers at the University of Missouri that uses an ATV-mounted sensor to measure forage availability. Join to learn how this technology will make data acquisition easier so farmers can more efficiently increase forage productivity.

---

Personal Resiliance

Writing a Farm Health and Safety Plan for Body, Mind, and Spirit 

Elizabeth Henderson and Jon Magee, Agricultural Justice Project 

Farm safety starts with a comprehensive safety plan that identifies hazards, emergency supplies, and necessary skills and training. Using templates from the Agricultural Justice Project, you will compile a farm health and safety plan that addresses all the hazards in your farm workplace, as well as personal well-being and workplace relationships. You may use a device to work on the templates during this session so you walk away with your farm being on its way toward being a safe and healthy workplace. 

---

Business and Marketing

Establishing a Brick-and-Mortar Farmers’ Market 

Connie and Randall Moores, Moores Heritage Farm 

Learn about Connie and Randall Moores’ experience establishing a brick-and-mortar farmers’ market, as well as their key insights for others considering this opportunity. They will discuss why a farmer would want to establish a physical location, the rules and regulations surrounding food production and sales, the creation of a business plan specifically for this type of business, and firsthand lessons learned from their journey. 

---