An upcoming organic farming conference will assist growers thinking about transitioning to organic farming and those who are newly certified organic farmers. This one-day conference will focus on the certification process, crop management and marketing for organic grain farms. Panel discussions with organic producers are included in the program.
The event will take place 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center near Mead, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.
“Interest in organic farming is growing. Successful implementation involves careful planning, thorough recordkeeping, and certification,” said Katja Koehler-Cole, University of Nebraska statewide soil health extension educator. “Through this event, we aim to provide helpful information on the process of attaining organic farm certification. We hope that this gathering will foster connections and community among both novice and veteran farmers, alongside agricultural professionals and researchers.”
Registration, coffee and vendor exhibits are open 8:30 a.m.– 9 a.m., followed by the welcome with Katja Koehler-Cole. The first speaker is Karlin Warner with OneCert speaking on organic certification. Other topics include:
- “No-Till Organic Corn Production Using a Living Mulch System,” with Ben Miller of Clear Frontier.
- Panel: “Sharing Experiences from the Transitional to the Long-Term Organic Farmer,” with Nebraska farmers
Group discussions will allow participants to select what interests them most. The topics will be repeated, allowing participants to choose two from:
- Co-ops in the organic sectors
- No-till agronomic management
- Help NRCS and FSA Help You!
- Marketing organic grains
The event will also include time for networking, vendor exhibits and coffee at the end of the day.
There is no fee to attend, but please pre-register online by Nov. 25 for meal planning purposes (including lunch with locally sourced ingredients) and to ensure resource materials are available. Seating is limited.
Please direct questions to Katja Koehler-Cole, 402-624-8042.
For those interested in participating as an event exhibitor, a link is available on the conference webpage for reserving a table by Nov. 25.
This conference is sponsored by Nebraska Extension and the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service — National Organic Program — Transition to Organic Partnership Program.
