Workshops

The Food and Farm Movement

Farmer Voices in D.C.

Dave Shively, Shively Farm, Alexis Dragovich, Mud Run Organic Farm, Sophia Buggs, Lady Buggs Pharm, Lauren Hirtle, OEFFA

Are Ohio agricultural voices actually impactful on Capitol Hill? Farmer voices are central to OEFFA’s advocacy work, and amplifying their stories is essential to shaping policies that support healthy agricultural communities and economies. Hear directly from OEFFA member-leaders as they share their experiences advocating in D.C.

Sustainable Foundations and Personal Resilience

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.

Backyards, Lots, and Small Plots

Freeze Drying Fundamentals

Shari Gallup and Candace Heer, OSU

Freeze drying has become popular, but there is limited education-based information available. Explore the fundamentals of freeze drying, including the basics, best practices, cost comparisons, and supplies. There will also be taste testing of freeze dried products.

Growing Sustainable Businesses

Recordkeeping: Do More than a Tax Return

Wm. Bruce Clevenger, OSU

Farm business recordkeeping is at times believed to be a painful necessity. While good recordkeeping can do an excellent job of a tax return, it can also describe the profit and loss areas of the business, identify strengths and weaknesses of production efficiencies, and separate the business income from other personal income, telling the whole farm business story.

Grain Crops

When it Rains it Pours (or not!)

Halee Wepking, Meadowlark Community Mill, Mike Stites, Rex Stites Farms, Inc., Casey Brooks, OEFFA

Talk with row crop farmers who are navigating increasingly unpredictable climate conditions, understanding what worked and what didn’t during both the droughts and excessive rain this past growing season.

Livestock and Poultry

Introduction to Dairy Goats

Lauren Cain, Find Hope Farm

Dairy animals provide an incredible opportunity to add endless varieties of fresh food to your family’s table, but getting and caring for them can be intimidating. Learn the basics of selection, care, and management of a dairy goat and how they can be an ideal fit for your homestead.

Vegetables, Fruit, and Specialty Crops

Tools and Techniques

For Peat’s Sake

Nathan Rutz, Tilth Soil

Growing stronger, healthier plants starts with propagation. If you’ve ever had questions about what is, or what should be, in your potting soil, come get your hands dirty (literally!). Learn more about: the role and origin of various components and amendments; how they interact to help plants succeed; and balancing performance, ecological, and financial considerations.

Connecting Communities

BIPOC Breakout Room

August Taylor, OEFFA

This is a space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) attendees to focus on connecting with each other. Together, identifying goals, sharing resources, and finding points of collaboration.