Workshops

Friday, February 16 | 10:45-Noon

The Food and Farm Movement

Beginning Farmer Tax Credit

Lauren Hirtle, OEFFA, Sarah Huffman, Ohio Department of Agriculture

The new Ohio Beginning Farmer Tax Credit program is an exciting opportunity to encourage farmland transfers to beginning farmers. Explore how it works, how it can benefit your farm business, and how it connects beginning farmers with more affordable land. Also learn about the grassroots efforts that lead to the passing of the bill to create the program in Ohio.

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Sustainable Foundations

Extension and USDA Midwest Climate Hub: Partnership for Climate-Informed Agriculture

Dennis Todey, USDA-ARS, Aaron Wilson, OSU

At the intersection of OSU Extension and USDA Midwest Climate Hub partnerships and activities is pertinent agricultural information on climate change. Hear about the important climate change impacts across multiple production types, and understand where to find the tools and data to help producers build resilience and mitigate future climate change. 

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Backyards, Lots, and Small Plots

Ecological Landscaping and Beyond

Wesley Duren, Marvin’s Organic Gardens

Dive into the world of ecological landscaping for home gardeners and those looking to get into a growing and highly profitable industry. Discuss plant selection, garden styles, weed control, soil building, erosion control, drainage, fertilization, natural building, water conservation, and much more.

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Specialty Crops

Utilizing Integrated Pest Management on Your Farm 

Frank Becker, OSU

Implementing an integrated pest management program on your farm can be overwhelming, but with the right mindset and a heart for learning, you can easily begin to take the right steps. Integrated pest management can be implemented in any system with any crop and can be customized for your farm, your fields, and your production goals.

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Grain Crops

The New Economics of Organics

Ryan Koory, Mercaris

Recent years have seen substantial changes in interest rates, global trade, input costs, and oilseed crushing margins. These changes have reshaped U.S. agricultural markets in meaningful ways, creating new risks and opportunities. Argus will present its latest data and research on organic commodity markets, and how these changes could shape markets into the future.

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Livestock and Poultry

Mobility Matters: Fencing and Housing Pastured Poultry

Denise Natoli Brooks, Central State University

Consider how to design and maintain mobile fencing and mobile housing with both the chickens’ and the farmer’s wellbeing in mind.

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Personal Resilience

The New Paradigm: Promoting Circularity in Agriculture Using Practical, Local Approaches

Charles Bethke, Margaret Cullinan, PittMoss, LLC

We are entering a new era of farming where we must carefully consider the inputs in our agricultural processes and their environmental impact, such as the use of peat, coir, perlite, and other products. To be sustainable in the long term, farming must incorporate the use of recycled and repurposed materials. This workshop will explain the new farming paradigm, the implications of using different inputs in your operation, and how to choose the best, most circular solutions for your farm.

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Business and Marketing

Insider Tips: How to do Your Books in Five Minutes a Day and Get Good Results

Shelly Oswald, Old Time Farm

Whether you DIY or outsource your bookkeeping needs, best practice workflows save time and are necessary to get “good” numbers. Learn how to get your books done in less time and with reliable numbers, understanding the basic bookkeeper’s workflow, the tools to help you know what goes where, and how to spot common errors on your finances.

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Community Conversations

BIPOC Breakout Room

Erica Powell, OEFFA

This is a facilitated discussion for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (non-white people). Together, focus on connecting with each other, identifying goals, sharing resources, finding points of collaboration, and addressing barriers to access. The conversation will also be an opportunity to reflect on the conference themes as they relate to our communities and lived experiences.

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