Workshops - OEFFA Conference

Session II

Saturday, February 14 | 9:45-10:45 a.m.

Flowers Under Cover

Dana Hilfinger, Johnny’s Selected Seeds

Want to learn the basics for how to maximize your high and low tunnel space for flower production? Talk about what varieties and types of flowers would benefit from tunnel production, low cost ways to get started if you don’t have a high tunnel, and how to schedule your plantings so that you hit key sales windows.

River Birch A

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Grain

More Bang for Your Buck(wheat)!

Jillian Horan, CSU

Buckwheat is more than just a fast-growing cover crop—it’s a hidden gem for small-scale farmers looking to diversify and stand out. Explore how buckwheat bridges the gap between soil-building ally, pollinator magnet, and profitable niche crop. Learn how to grow, manage, and harvest buckwheat effectively, and how to build a simple, human-powered bicycle mill to turn seed into flour. With rising interest in regional grains and on-farm specialty products, buckwheat offers a unique opportunity to add both ecological and economic value to your farm.

River Birch B

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Livestock

Revisiting Drum Silage

Jonathan Busse, Homestead Technologies

Forage independence is an elusive dream for many homesteaders and small producers. The cost of equipment and enough healthy land to produce a viable grazing system is difficult to acquire. The need for a modern guide with data to give confidence to small producers to branch out and try ensiling is needed. Ensiling could be a tool to help small producers to become forage independent, weather drought and long winters, all while taking advantage of the power of annual cover crops and abundant forage production.

River Birch C

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Food and Farm Movement

From Policy to Plate: Can MAHA Deliver a Healthy Food System?

Angela Huffman, Joe Maxwell, Farm Action

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement began with a bold promise: to put farmers at the center of the nation’s health. Its first reports named real problems—corporate consolidation, chemical dependence, and the loss of local food infrastructure—but recent actions have raised questions about whether those goals will be realized. At its best, MAHA creates a political opening to align food and farm policy with public health, shifting support away from chemical- and commodity-driven systems toward foods and farming that make Americans healthier. Explore where MAHA stands today, what it means for independent farmers and local food systems, and where grassroots advocacy can make the biggest impact over the next three years and beyond.

River Birch D

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Sustainable Foundations

Soil and Crop Biology Testing

Alan Sundermeier, Conservation Action Project

Hear about the many options organic growers have for testing plants and soil. Learn about what they tell you and how test results can guide best management decisions on production.

Woodhull C

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