Workshops 2023

Workshop Session III: 1-2:15 p.m.
Keeping the LAMP Lit: Growing Local Food System Support in the 2023 Farm Bill
Wes King, Office of Senator Sherrod Brown
Building on previous farm bills, the 2018 Farm Bill created the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP), a permanent program to help farmers and communities build and expand local and regional food systems. Hear about ways Senator Brown is already working to improve LAMP in the next farm bill and share your ideas for ways the farm bill can better support Ohio farmers.
Cover Crop Strategies for Annual and Perennial Crops
Dan Kneier, Hocking College
Cover crops can speed up long term soil fertility and regeneration, but appropriate management is key to success. This session will take a comprehensive look at cover cropping strategies to help growers identify the best cover crop approaches for their goals. You’ll hear sowing methods, seeding rates, timing considerations, and seasonally appropriate species.
Backyards, Lots, and Small Plots
Chicken Breed Selection: Choosing the Best Chickens for Your Space
Denise Natoli Brooks, CSU Extension
Building a small-scale poultry flock is exciting because there are so many possibilities. This session will consider bird size, egg production, egg color and meat quality, cold hardiness, coop needs, and behavior to best fit your goals.
Homemade Fertilizers
Bryan O’Hara, Tobacco Road Farm
Preparing your own fertilizers can reduce expenses and produce materials of superior quality. Join this session to learn about methods for preparing fertilization materials to achieve growth and vitality at various stages of your crops. See how to blend composts, side dress fertilizers, and foliar materials, as well as specific preparation of materials like liquid fish extract, liquid calcium extracts, and plant extracts.
Organic Grain Markets: What to Watch in 2023
Abigail Edel, Mercaris
This session will provide an overview of the market and economic forces shaping organic grain and livestock in the U.S. Supply, demand, and price trends will be covered, with an eye on coming opportunities and challenges for organic producers.
Holistic Planned Grazing—Getting Animals to the Right Place at the Right Time for the Right Reason
Wayne Knight, HMI
Walk through Holistic Management International’s approach to planning your grazing for healthy, productive animals on an ecologically and economically vibrant farm so you can live a farming lifestyle that works for you.
Sustainability in Pure Maple Syrup Production
Kevin Milligan, Milligan’s Maple Products
Hear about pure maple syrup production, from tree selection to enjoying pure maple syrup at your kitchen table. Topics will include hobby production, leasing of woods, maple sap and syrup sales opportunities, equipment investments, forestry management to maximize maple sap yield, value-added products, marketing of maple syrup, and cooking applications.
Farm Leadership: How to Build an Efficient Team
Danielle Vogel, Procter Center Farm
Managing workers on a vegetable and livestock farm is different from managing people in an office setting. Farm manager Danielle Vogel will share her hiring and managing techniques to ensure farm hands are having an enjoyable learning experience, while also keeping production on schedule. Learn useful approaches to hiring practices, interview questions, onboarding employees, and managing different personality types in the workplace.
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
41 Croswell Rd.
Columbus OH 43214
OEFFA:(614) 421-2022 (614) 421-2022
OEFFA Certification:(614) 262-2022 (614) 262-2022