EVENTS

Three pre-conference workshops (concurrent) will be offered during the daytime on Wednesday, January 7, which will include "Pumpkins," "Biocontrol in High Tunnels & Greenhouses," and "Federal Grantwriting Basics." Two pre-conference seminars will be available on Wednesday evening, January 7, on "AGR-Lite Crop Insurance" and "Labor and Legal Issues." Learn more.

Northern Illinois Farm Show

Now in its 27th year, the Northern Illinois Farm Show features over 270 exhibits, 7,000 producers and a multitude of educational seminars. As the only farm show serving Northern Illinois producers this event is one not to miss! Learn more.

Gather with us to learn, network, share ideas and eat great local food. Hear reports from ongoing projects, make useful connections, bring forth your concerns in the company of like minded local food enthusiasts and help to keep the Wisconsin Local Food momentum rolling.

Time: Thursday Jan. 8th 9am-6pm, Friday Jan. 9th 8:30am-11:30am
Cost: BEFORE December 15th: $60 AFTER December 15th: $75
Questions? Or for scholarship/volunteer info. contact: Jane Hansen at 715­339­2555, or email jane.hansen@ces.uwex.edu. Learn more at wisconsinlocalfood.wetpaint.com or download a brochure.

The Practical Farmers annual conference will cover its usual diverse list of topics: from drug free livestock to using websights and blogs, from saving energy on the farm to the soil to health connection in agriculture, from fledgling farmers to continuing your farm when you are gone, and much more. There is something for everyone. And the King Corn guys are back with a sneak peak at their new movie.
To learn more visit the PFI website.

Location: Marshalltown Community College conference facility, just south of Highway 30.
For registration information please contact: Suzi 515-232-5661 x101 or suzi@practicalfarmers.org

This annual national conference offers 83 sessions, including General Sessions, No-Till Classrooms and No-Till Roundtables. In addition, internationally known soil and fertility consultant Neal Kinsey will zero in on revolutionary ideas to help you feed and balance your soil for more efficient no-till production.
Learn more and/or register. Questions? Call (866) 839-8455.

Author of The New Organic Growers, Four Season Harvest, and Winter Harvest Manual, Eliot Coleman will discuss suitable crops, soils and fertility management, tunnels and tunnel construction, timing of plantings, yearly scheduling, growing crops not normally grown in northern zones, and much more. There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions. Eliot will also deliver the keynote address and a one-hour session on season extension at the 2009 Minnesota Organic Conference on January 16. Following the keynote address, Eliot's books will be available for purchase and MOSES will host a book signing. Download a registration brochure.

Time: 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Location: St. Cloud Civic Center, Opportunities Suite, 1st Floor, 10 Fourth Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN
Cost: $50 Registration Fee includes the workshop, afternoon break, and a copy of Eliot Coleman's book, Winter Harvest Manual. Seating is limited. Preregistration required by January 7th.
Mail registration and payment to: Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Finance and Budget Division 625 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55155-2538
Questions: Mary Hanks, 651-201-6277 or mary.hanks@state.mn.us

The Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers is an intensive, three-day workshop that gives a realistic picture of what it takes to start and operate a successful small-scale produce operation--including capital, management, labor and other resources.

Cost: $275, lunches and snacks are provided and each participant will receive a large resource notebook with handouts. A limited number of scholarships are available for Extension educators through the SARE program. Contact Diane Mayerfeld for more information: dbmayerfeld@wisc.edu or 608-262-8188.
To learn more: contact John Hendrickson at the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, UW-Madison, 608-265-3704 or jhendric@wisc.edu or download a brochure.

This conference provides great information about organic agriculture to excite experienced organic producers as well as people new to this farming system. Besides the keynote speakers there will be more than 30 breakout sessions on organic production of crops, dairy, livestock, fruits and vegetables, marketing, and many more topics. Organic and grass-fed products will be served for snacks and meals, and will highlight the growers and processors at the conference. Learn more!

Eight classes covering farm business issues like market research, legal concerns, and financial planning. Time: 7-9pm
Cost: $85
Questions? Contact Jim Sluyter at 231-889-0199 or visit www.localdifference.org/getfarming/

Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's (Southern SAWG) 18th annual conference will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center and will headquarter at the adjacent Marriott Hotel. Pre-conference events begin on Wednesday and include one-and-a-half day intensive short courses as well as several half-day field trips and mini courses. On Friday and Saturday, the general conference will offer eight tracks of conference sessions, a trade show, silent auction, video show, Taste of Tennessee dinner and more. The general conference offers sustainable production and direct marketing information for horticultural and livestock producers, enterprise management lessons, farm policy education, community food systems development training and the opportunity to have a nice, long chat with peers from across the South. The conference schedule will be available in October at www.ssawg.org or call 678-494-0696 to request a brochure.

Two days filled with agricultural and business information, education and networking brought to you by Hiawatha Valley Resource Conservation & Development and River Country Resource Conservation & Development. Download the brochure to learn more.

Cost: $105 -- if you register BEFORE December 19th, $120 after. Student and child rates available.
Location: Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York hosts their 27th annual winter education conference at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in downtown Rochester, NY. The conference will feature over 75 exhibitors in our exciting Trade Show and Organic Marketplace and over 80 workshops of interest to vegetable, fruit, grain, and livestock farmers, small-scale food processors, gardeners, green businesses, conscientious eaters, consumers, and children! The full conference program and online registration are available at www.nofany.org.

This 3-day conference focuses on Better Production, Safer Handling, Smarter Marketing. The first day looks at what’s new and different for fruit and vegetable production, the second day deals with ensuring food safety, and the final day concentrates on improving markets. Questions? Contact Barbara Lovitt at 515-281-8232 or email barbara.lovitt@iowaagriculture.gov. Learn more.

Keynote speaker is Fred Kirschenmann, former Director of the Leopold Center. Trade Show, 100-mile sourced lunch and workshops featuring season extension with hoophouses, ag and zoning, kitchen incubator, grain grinding and many more.

Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Cost: $45.00 for first person; additional from same farm is $30.00. Youth (18 and younger) $15.00
Learn more at www.msue.msu.edu/antrim

Each year, NAFDMA hosts the premier farm direct marketing convention in North America. The convention includes a three-day Bus Tour, a day of full-day workshops, and a two-day Conference with concurrent sessions. It also includes a Trade Show. Learn more and register!

Keynote speaker Karl Kupers, farmer and co-founder of Shepherd's Grain, will speak. Other presenters include Julie Garreau, Director of Sheyenne River Youth Project and Dr. Francis Thicke, Radiance Dairy, plus 15 workshops, variety of exhibitors, organic meals.

Time: Friday: 8am - 8pm, Sat.: 8am - 7pm
Location: Crossroads Hotel, Huron, S.D
For more information call 1-701-883-4304, e-mail npsas@drtel.net or visit www.npsas.org.

The 17th Annual Wisconsin Grazing Conference features Joel McNair, author and editor of Graze Newspaper and Shannon Hayes, author of The Grassfed Gourmet and The Farmer and The Grill cookbooks. The conference theme is to Value the Past and Grow Our Future. Come and join us to enjoy good food, great sessions and lots of networking.
Time: 10:00 am Thursday to 12:00 pm Saturday
Contact Heather Flashinski at grassheather@hotmail.com, or visit www.grassworks.org to learn more.

Join the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association for their 30th Annual Conference, "The Changing Climate of Agriculture". Keynote speakers: Fred Kirschenmann and Melinda Hemmelgarn, along with 50 workshops, locally sourced organic food, kids conference, trade show, and more! Visit www.oeffa.org to learn more.

The Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota (SFA), a grassroots, non-profit organization that supports sustainable farming, is proud to announce that grass-farmer, author and lecturer Joel Salatin will be the keynote speaker at its 18th Annual Conference. Salatin will close the event with his keynote address, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal, followed by a question and answer session and reception.

Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Registration opens November 15, 2008.
Register online at www.sfa-mn.org or call 320.226.6318 for registration materials.
For more information visit www.sfa-mn.org or contact Anne Borgendale at
communications@sfa-mn.org or (320) 226-6318.
To sponsor, exhibit, or to participate in the conference farmers market, contact
Mary Jo Forbord at mforbord@sfa-mn.org or (320) 760-8732.

National Organic Action Plan Summit 2009

This Summit will be held to review the results of the national input, and work from the draft plan currently being developed to build consensus for a Plan. This Plan can then be used by policy advocates, in advancing federal policy objectives in Washington; state and local governments to work on other policy initiatives; and consumers, retailers and industry to advance innovative marketplace goals to ensure the integrity of organic in their local arena. Join us - just prior to the 20th Anniversary MOSES Organic Farming Conference! Learn more and/or register!

Time: Wednesday, Feb. 25th from 12:30pm - 8pm
Thursday Feb. 26th from 8am - 5:30pm

20th Annual Organic Farming Conference

Celebrating 20 YEARS of sharing knowledge, finding solutions, and moving the organic movement forward together. Learn from a community of over 2,000 farmers, educators, and advocates. Share best practices, enjoy incredible food, choose from over 60 informative and dynamic workshops and experience over 130 informative booths in our exhibit hall!

Help make our 20th Anniversary the BEST YET!
Check out our Conference page to learn more.

Organic Farming Workshop

Workshop will focus on basic organic crop certification requirements and government programs that both offer technical assistance as well as dollars for converting land to organic. Strategies for bringing CRP land into organic production will also be covered. There will be a farmer panel to discuss their organic crop operations as well. More info will be posted in February - check back!

Organic Farm Field Day

Field Day will look at the use of cover crops, some will still be growing and some will be incorporated, illustrating the soil building aspects as well as the erosion control aspects of cover crops. Attendees will also understand cover crop/green manure management and how use of these is an important aspect of the organic farming system. Government programs supporting organics will also be reviewed. More info will be posted in the spring - check back!