Tomato Grafting Workshop at Southwest Center

Here's an upcoming tomato grafting workshop that many folks might be interested in attending in the southern part of the state from the Farmers' Market Blog.

While many of us are aware of the benefits and necessity of grafting fruit and nut tree crops, vegetable grafting is not yet widespread or well-known in the US. The idea of grafting tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash, and even watermelon seems far-fetched, but in reality is one of the most exciting and promising recent trends in horticulture. Vegetable grafting is relatively easy to learn and the benefits can be enormous. So that Missouri vegetable growers can keep up with and take advantage of this rapidly-developing technology, we are hosting a Tomato Grafting Workshop at the Southwest Center, Mt. Vernon, MO, on Wednesday, May 6, from 8:30 to 12:00 noon. The registration fee for the workshop is $8.00.

High Tunnel Workshop March 12

Attend a day-long high tunnel workshop at the Missouri State - Mountain Grove Campus on Thursday, March 12.

Dr. Ted Carey of Kansas State University studies season extension using high tunnels research and production. He will present high tunnel basics as well as research results from his work at the Kansas State Horticulture Research and Extension Center at Olathe. Other excellent speakers will address the various crops produced in high tunnels.

Many growers use high tunnels to extend the production season for many different horticultural crops – vegetables, cut flowers and even fruit. High tunnels are solar-heated structures, like a giant cold frame, used to extend the traditional growing season at both ends – allowing for earlier plant growth in the spring and later plant growth into fall. Typically, no electricity is used in high tunnels to operate fans, vents, heater, etc. Manual ventilation is instead provided through roll-up sidewalls or through the end walls. Other typical components of high tunnels are that they are irrigated via drip irrigation system and crops are grown in the soil that is under the tunnel cover.

Cost for the workshop is $20 which includes lunch and handouts. PLEASE SEND IN REGISTRATION ASAP TO ASSURE LUNCH AND SEATING.

Get the registration form online or contact Pamela Mayer - via email PMayer@MissouriState.edu or by phone at 417-547-7533.

Organic Producers Offered New Ideas for Growing Their Small Farms

The Missouri Department of Agriculture is sponsoring an upcoming event for organic producers to learn more about sustainable agriculture and how to add more value to their small family farms.

The Missouri Organic Association’s annual conference will be held Sat. Feb. 21, 2009 at the Carver Farm – a research farm and extension of Lincoln University located in Jefferson City, Mo. Topics during the conference will include organic dairy, organic corn and soybeans, improving soil fertility and becoming organic certified.

Read the entire story here.

Day 1: Blogging from NAFDMA

The beauty of the south is something special (sweet tea, grits, pralines, seafood and that southern hospitality) you just can’t go wrong. Waking up this morning to a view of the Savannah River was an incredible sight, as I took part the first day of the NAFDMA Convention in Georgia.

(Photo: Convention participants at the trade show, courtesy of the NAFDMA Blog)

Familiar faces from Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Iowa are all around (some 400 + folks from around the nation and Canada are attending this week long convention).

Today was Innovation Day and participants started the day with an early morning breakfast cruise along the scenic Savannah River on the Savannah Riverboat Queen. Not a bad way to start off a morning…

Networking was the word of the day, as I talked with some of our “new” agritourism operators and met others from surrounding states. Most of the morning was spent discussing with producers marketing ideas such as blogging and e-commerce.

Later in the day started the Trade Show and voting for the NAFDMA Agritourism Awards.

For more information about the NAFDMA Convention head over to the NAFDMA Blog (Yes – that’s right. Everyone is blogging these days. All I can say is “bout time.”)

Missouri Organic Association 2009 Conference

Missouri Organic Association 2009 Conference
“Organic Opportunities for Rookies and Veterans”
Saturday, February 21, 2009Lincoln University’s Carver Farm
Jefferson City, MO

Track: Experienced and Veteran Farmers (50 minutes each)
8:30 am Room A
Organic Dairying, Scott Poock, DVM, PhD, MU State Veterinary Medicine Extension Specialist

9:30 am Room A
Raw Milk & Raw Cheese Marketing Regulations, Rachel Bax, Missouri Milk Board

Room C
Organic corn and soybeans, Joel Gruver, PhD, Western Illinois University

10:30 am Break

10:45 am Room A
Improving Soil Fertility, Joel Gruver, PhD, Western Illinois UniversityTrack: Prospective and Beginning Farmers Track (25 minutes each)

All in Room B
8:30 am Programs for Prospective and Beginning Farmers, Lane McConnell, Marketing Specialist, MO Department of Agriculture

9:00 am Grow Your Farm, Dean Wilson, MU Extension, Jefferson County

9:30 am Small Farmers’ Outreach Program, K. B. Paul, PhD, Lincoln University

10:00 am Growing Growers and Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (KCCUA), Katherine Kelly, Executive Director

10:30 am Break and Networking Time

10:45 am EarthDance Organic Farming Apprenticeship Program, Molly Rockamann, EarthDance, Ferguson, MO

11:15 am Organic Certification, Sue Baird

Joint Sessions
11:45 am MOA Business Meeting

12:15 pm Lunch

1:15 pm Marketing Opportunities (7 minutes each)
A. Grains and feed ingredients - Nancy Birch, All Star Trading, Perry, MO
B. Farm-to-School and Farm-to-Childcare, Randy Wood, Missouri Farmers Union
C. Coops, Walt Gregory, Midwest Organic Farmers Coop, Dow, IL
D. Farmers’ markets, Lane McConnell, Marketing Specialist, MDA
E. Whole Foods, Krista Durlas, St. Louis
F. Whole Foods, Kansas City
G. St. Louis University, Michael Milster, Manager, Fresh Gatherings Café

2:15 pm Break and Networking Time

2:45 pm Room A - Vegetable Grafting, Sanjun Gu, PhD, Lincoln University, State Horticulture Specialist

2:45 pm Room B - Improving Compacted and Waterlogged Soils, Bob Kremer, PhD, USDA Agricultural Research Services

3:45 pm Adjourn

Registration
$20/person with $10 extra for lunch$30/couple with $20 extra for lunch$15 for student/scholarship includes lunch

Trade Show
$50 per booth which includes an 8 foot table and two chairs. Electricity available upon request prior to the conference.

MOA members receive a 20% discount on a booth. Registration will be available online soon at http://www.missouriorganic.org/

New Year...New Opportunities

Happy New Year!

Only 3 ½ months until the growing season offically begins for the 2009. As winter rolls on here in Missouri there are many opportunities for farmers to take advantage of to learn new innovative growing techniques. January and February are usually the busy time for conference and meetings around the state and this year is no exception.

Schedule of Events:

January 8-10 Great Plains Vegetable Growers Conference - St Joseph

January 13-15 Mid America Fruit Growers Conference – Columbia

January 16-17 Missouri Agritourism Conference and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Annual Meeting - Lake Ozark

January 20 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Food Safety - Columbia

January 27 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Salesmanship - Blue Springs

February 1-7 NAFDMA- Savannah, GA

February 10 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Food Safety - St. Peters

February 16-18 Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference - Springfield

February 21 Missouri Organic Association Conference - Jefferson City

March 6 Missouri Farmers’ Market Workshop on Growing for Market – Springfield

The Missouri Department of Agriculture will be represented at all these upcoming events. Hope to see you there.

Learn Innovative Trends at Great Plains Vegetable Growers Conference

Addressing current and trend setting topics, the 2009 Great Plains Vegetable Conference will be held Jan. 8-10, 2009 at the Fulkerson Conference Center at Missouri Western University in St. Joseph, Mo. The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Ag Business Development division is a sponsor of this event that will stress innovation and will feature over 50 presentations on subjects related to the production and marketing of vegetables, cut flowers and small fruit. The conference and trade show is a collaborative effort of growers associations and extension services from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota that each year draws hundreds of producers from all regions.

Attendees will have the option to attend a High Tunnels Workshop or a Community Supported Agriculture mini-school on Thurs., Jan. 8. The following days will include presentations on small fruit, farmers’ markets, cut flowers, greenhouse production, ethnic markets and more. Lane McConnell, marketing specialist, and Sarah Gehring, AgriMissouri member services coordinator, both employees of MDA, are speakers at the conference.

“The conference organizing committee strives to include current and trend setting topics,” said John Quinn, regional horticulture specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. ” We have added tracts focusing on farm business, energy conservation and greenhouses.”

For more information or to register for the event, contact Katie Cook at cookkm@missouri.edu or (816) 279-1691 or visit http://extension.missouri.edu/buchanan/GPVGC.html to learn more.

Learn to Keep your Agritourism Business Looking Bright at 2009 Conference

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) will host the 2009 Missouri Agritourism Conference, themed “The Future Looks Bright”, on Jan 16-17, 2009 at Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Mo. The conference will be a two-day learning experience for those who are looking to enter the agritourism industry, are agritourism operators or are extension agents. The conference is sponsored cooperatively by MDA, AgriMissouri and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association.

Conference participants will hear on topics including: Identify Your Potential and Business Planning, How to Conduct School Tours, Running a Retail Shop on Your Farm, Romancing the Media, Bragging Rights: Successful Missouri Agritourism Operations, How to Use Social and Online Media to Brand Yourself, Adding Haunted Attractions: The Pros & Cons, Food Safety and much more.

The Missouri Farmers’ Market Association will hold their annual membership meeting in conjunction with the conference on Jan. 17. Farmers’ market masters and market vendors are encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about growing heirloom tomatoes, gain salesmanship skills, innovative marketing ideas and hear the 2008 successes of markets and vendors across the state. Farmers’ market participants need to register with Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Secretary Eileen Nichols at eileennichols@sbcglobal.net.

For more information about the conference program, contact Sarah Gehring or Lane McConnell at (573) 751-4339 or via email Sarah.Gehring@mda.mo.gov or Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov .

Get Registered for the Small Fruit & Vegetable Conference

The 2009 Missouri Small Fruit & Vegetable Conference “Sustainable Family, Food and Farm” is taking registrations online. The conference will be held February 16-18 in Springfield at the Clarion Hotel.

The keynote address will be from Dr. Joe Kovach on Modular Ecological Design: A Fruit and Vegetable Polyculture System

The conference is sponsored by the Missouri State University, University of Missouri, Lincoln University, and the Missouri Dept of Agriculture.

For additional information please contact:
Pamela Mayer PMayer@MissouriState.edu
Conference Facilitator
417-547-7533
Missouri State Fruit Experiment Station
9740 Red Spring Road
Mountain Grove, MO 65711-2999

6th Annual Missouri Chestnut Roast

Celebrating fall harvest season has never been more fun.

Missouri’s agricultural specialty products will be front and center at the sixth annual Missouri Chestnut Roast, Saturday, Oct. 18, at the University of Missouri Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin, Mo.

The roast, sponsored by the MU Center for Agroforestry and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, features fall family fun with chestnuts as the main ingredient. Activities include samples of fire-roasted, Missouri-grown chestnuts, live bluegrass and Caribbean/Spanish guitar music, displays and sales of Missouri specialty agricultural products, farm tours and cooking demonstrations with chestnuts.

The Center for Agroforestry supports the nation’s most comprehensive research program for developing the Chinese chestnut as a nut crop to bring the chestnut back to the nation’s dinner (and dessert) plates. Mike Gold, UMCA associate director, explains that the American chestnut was almost wiped out in the early 20th century due to blight. However, closely related Chinese chestnuts grow well in Missouri soil and are increasingly in demand as gourmet restaurants and food stores discover their versatility.

Activities begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m. The Ironweed Bluegrass Band and Eco Gitano, a group specializing in a blend of Caribbean and Spanish guitar, will provide musical entertainment. The New Franklin High School Athletic Booster Club will operate a concessions stand offering grilled elk, buffalo and beef products for sale.

Craig Cyr, executive chef of The Wine Cellar and Bistro in Columbia, and Eric Cartwright, executive chef at MU Campus Dining Services-Plaza 900, will prepare recipes that incorporate chestnuts and local foods during cooking demonstrations. Attendees can watch the creation of and taste these one-of-a-kind chestnut creations.

Vendors will feature a variety of locally grown agricultural specialty products including chestnut, pecan and walnut products; wines and specialty beers; ice cream; mustard; goat cheeses; tomato products; meat products; and elderberry products.

The Missouri Chestnut Roast is a kid-friendly event. Children will have plenty to keep them busy, including a live bat presentation by the U.S. Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station, at 12:45 p.m.; Missouri Chestnut Roast Fact Hunt; and a straw bale maze.

The Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center is the site of the 1819 Thomas Hickman house, one of the state’s oldest intact brick houses, which is currently undergoing an historic rehabilitation. Tours will be available throughout the day.

There will be guided bus and walking tours of the research center for those interested in learning more about agroforestry practices.

The event wraps up National Chestnut Week, which runs Oct. 12-18.

Admission to the Missouri Chestnut Roast is free. Most activities will take place under tents for comfort rain or shine. Service animals are permitted at the roast, but pets are not allowed.For directions and a schedule of the day’s events check out the website or contact Julie Rhoads at 573-882-3234 or rhoadsj@missouri.edu.

Field Day in Lexington to Focus on Specialty Crops and Extending the Growing Season

The specialty crop industry continues to grow across Missouri. On June 23, Fahrmeier Farms in Lexington, Mo. will host a farm field day to promote specialty crops and provide education to producers about the crops. Director of Agriculture Katie Smith will be in attendance as a guest speaker as well as Brandon and Bret Fahrmeier, Robin Franks of Netrafim Irrigation and Ralph Carmer of HayGrove.

"Many specialty crops including fruits and vegetables, tree and dried nuts and nursery crops in Missouri are grown on small farms and on less land than traditional crops," said Katie Smith.

"Specialty crops are a great way for young farmers to begin careers in agriculture allowing them to return to the farm. It is important that we give encouragement and assistance to the next generation of Missouri farmers. The Fahrmeier Field Day is the perfect opportunity to learn from their operation and hear from others about what has worked and what has not in the industry."

The specialty crop field day will be held on June 23 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (registration begins at 9 a.m.) Cost for the field day is $10 per person if pre-registered and $15 for registration at the event. Registration includes lunch. The Fahrmeier Farm is located at 9374 Mitchell Trail, Lexington, Mo.

The day will focus on creating awareness of education in the Midwest for specialty crop growers, provide an overview of the types of specialty crops that produce well in high tunnels and provide information on irrigation techniques for specialty crops.

"In its second year, we began the field day event to give back to growers willing to learn about the industry and to thank growers that have shared information with us in the past," said Brandon Fahrmeier. "We try to be very progressive and find it beneficial to share knowledge as well as learn from other growers. High tunnels have changed our business and made us better growers making it easier to grow high quality products for local farmers’ markets and grocery stores."

Fahrmeier Farms was started in 1947 as a diversified livestock and row crop farm. The entire Fahrmeier family lives in Lafayette County; the majority are farmers and ranchers. The operation currently consists of greenhouses, vegetable production, a winery and diversified livestock including cattle, goats and hogs.

In addition, the Fahrmeier family farm will also be host to a demonstration grape vineyard this year, as part of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Project - a joint partnership between the Missouri Department of Agriculture, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry and the Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology.

To pre-register for the field day, contact Charlotte Jackson at (573) 526-2061 or Charlotte.Jackson@mda.mo.gov. To learn more about specialty crops, visit www.mda.mo.gov.

All Things Organic Show

I’m blogging from the Windy City for the next three days…Chicago that is.

Missouri companies are headed to Chicago this weekend to exhibit their businesses at the U.S. Food Export Showcase and All Things Organic Trade Show, April 27-29, at the McCormick Place under the Missouri Pavilion sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Ag Business Development Division and AgriMissouri™. For the first time, the U.S. Food Export Showcase will be combined with The Fancy Food Show and All Things Organic becoming the Global Food & Style Expo. This new event creates the largest display of specialty, ethnic, natural, organic and American ready-to-export products in the U.S.

“Missouri agribusinesses will have a great opportunity to meet with domestic and international buyers and potentially expand their exports,” said Sarah Gehring, member services coordinator with AgriMissouri™. “Educational seminars offer valuable insight into rapidly expanding global markets and Missouri businesses can learn current issues and trends in the food industry. AgriMissouri™ has been a sponsor of the Missouri Pavilion for three years.”

Four Missouri companies will be among over 1000 exhibitors offering over 56,000 products at this year’s show including AgriMissouri™ members Missouri Northern Pecan Growers and Berhanu Organics as well as American Botanicals and Flax Organics. In addition, AgriMissouri™ member Hendrickson’s Inc. will be showcasing their salad dressing at the expo.

“This will be our fifth year to display at All Things Organic in Chicago. This is our most important show of the year giving us valuable national and worldwide exposure. It has resulted in many orders from across the U.S., England, Dubai and other countries,” said Drew Kimmell, managing partner with Missouri Northern Pecan Growers. “The attendees vary from mom and pop health food stores to ingredient buyers to national chains and offers very important face to face time with buyers.”

Blogging from SARE Day 2 News: Online Organic Training Manuals

I get a lot of phone calls and emails from producers that are interested in transitioning into organic agriculture, but don’t know where to start. I’ve found there are many, many resources out there on this very topic, so instead of re-inventing the wheel…which happens a lot of the time…the Missouri Department of Agriculture is working to build partnerships with a variety of associations, organizations and other state agencies.

When I first started this position in June there were a lot of producers that wanted info about becoming certified organic. I pulled many resources from many different places, depending on what type of products the farmer raised. Which can sometimes get a little overwhelming…but today after the first breakout session of the day at the SARE Conference I listened to speakers talk about some different training manuals available that might just make my job much easier, while at the same time providing the resources to educate producers on organic agriculture and provide our Missouri farmers the best training available.

The National Organic Standards Training Materials: Participant's Manual can be found online from the University of Florida and provides agricultural service providers with enough knowledge to answer questions regarding the National Organic Standards of the USDA's National Organic Program. The development of the modules was accomplished through the contributions of individuals from the University of Florida, University of the Virgin Islands and Kentucky State University.

Read more about the training materials.

Also, check out the Advanced Training in Organic Agriculture Resources from the Northeast Region of SARE.

As organic agriculture continues to grow in popularity, there is an ever-increasing need for agricultural professionals to be better-versed in organic production and certification to provide support to interested farmers. These are just a few resources out there to help fill the education need for organic agriculture.

Day 2: Blogging for 2008 SARE Conference

Off to s good start this morning for Day Two of the 2008 SARE Conference. Many Missouri producers and education staff at the conference and familiar faces all around.

Another busy conference schedule today with the first breakout session of the day starting in about 20 minutes.

Breakout Sessions Today Include:
Assistance and Education: Where are we in Organic?
As more farmers and ranchers think about going organic, training the trainers and educators is a top priority. Find out what agriculture educators and technical assistance providers are doing to educate themselves and farmers about sustainable practices and innovations.
• Rex Dufour, National Center for Appropriate Technology, California
• Vern Grubinger, University of Vermont, NE SARE
• Rose Koenig, Rosie’s Organic Farm/University of Florida

eOrganic Workshop
eXtension is a new national, web-based, information source for Land Grant University (LGU) faculty and Extension agents to consolidate research findings and outreach materials. Within the framework of eXtension, eOrganic is being developed as the new organic agriculture Extension Service website to provide accurate and up-to-date information for organic farmers, conventional farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals. Join members of the eOrganic team for a sneak peek and tour of the eOrganic workspace.

Scale It Up: Growing Marketing Enterprises
How can we scale up local and regional markets so they better serve more (and larger scale) farmers and ranchers? Learn from those who’ve developed sustainable value chain models and experienced scaling up in action.
• Fred Kirschenmann, Leopold Center, Iowa
• Michael Rozyne, Red Tomato, Massachusetts

Stay tuned today for more blogging for the 2008 SARE Conference…

SARE Events Day 1

Day One at the 2008 SARE Conference started off great and it's already Day Two! The Opening Plenary was a great start to the conference with a welcoming address and keynote that was both motivating and informative.

Jerry DeWitt with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture had some very powerful points to his presentation. Dewitt stated that one thing that we have learned over the past 10 years is a new ag vocabulary that now includes words like locavore, food miles, slow food, grass fed). He went on to state that some of the next steps we must take are to re-define agriculture (as it’s alive and changing), we must bring new voices to the table, research and document the economic components of sustainable agriculture and concentrate on the food-health and agriculture relationship.

The rest of the afternoon will be spent at breakout sessions and then at dinner we will hear from Judy Gifford and Karl Kupers on Advancing the Frontier of Sustainable Agriculture in the Field: Innovations for Farm, Ranch and Market.

View a complete schedule of the SARE Conference or learn more about the speakers.

Blogging from SARE Conference This Week

Another conference is about ready to roll around…that’s right the 2008 SARE Conference kicks off tomorrow in Kansas City. I’ll be posting each day about the speakers and news from the conference. I will be out of the office the entire week, but I’ll be checking email.Check the blog each day for photos and information from the conference.

From the SARE Conference Website…
Learn the ins and outs of marketing and production
Tour local farms to see sustainable agriculture at work
Talk with state-of-the-art researchers and innovators
Meet others, build partnerships
Explore SARE grant opportunities for your cutting-edge ideas

Never before has the American public cared more about how and where its food is produced. New, lucrative markets are opening up: “natural”, “organic”, “local.” People are growing more concerned about the quality of our nation’s natural resources – and the communities they sustain.

More and more farmers and ranchers are turning to sustainable agriculture to boost profits, protect the land, air and water, and continue a rewarding way of life.

Learn more about how sustainable farming is rapidly changing the face of American agriculture. Come to the New American Farm conference – a gathering for farmers, ranchers, educators, researchers, students, advocates and the curious consumer. Meet others who share a passion for quality agriculture.

Food Safety Presentations Online

Presentations from the Food Safety for Organic Production and Handling of Fresh Produce Conference are available on-line. Growers, industry and research professionals collaborated to create a two-day course on the topic, with content customized specifically to address the needs and concerns of organic growers and handlers. Attendees learned about: pre- and post-harvest best management practices for food safety in fresh organic production; water, wildlife, workers and amendments; post-harvest plant pathology and factors that influence food safety; state and federal regulations impacting organic growers and handlers; and more. PowerPoint presentations from the conference can be viewed and downloaded from the web site.

Organics on the Move – Conference Brings Producers, Consumers and Leaders to Discuss Organic Production

The Missouri Organic Association is bringing together producers, consumers and organic leaders on Feb. 15-16 for a two day conference in Jefferson City. The annual conference held at the Carver Research Farm, will include presentations, workshops, discussions, networking and trade show exhibits focused on agricultural marketing and organic production.

The event offers an opportunity for producers and consumers to gather in one location to share ideas, experiences and resources to promote sustainable living. Highlighting this year’s conference is Kathleen Delate, state organic specialist from Iowa State University and the first organic specialist at a major university. Delate will present on topics including organic grains and vegetables.

The keynote speaker is Pat Garrity, executive director of Floyd Boulevard Local Foods Market, a grocery store featuring locally produced foods and crafts, open air-farmers’ markets, a food processing center and a resource and education center for seminars.

Friday, Feb. 15 will include agricultural marketing and is funded by a risk management education grant to promote organics in the state. Saturday, Feb. 16 will include sessions on organic production on topics from grains and herbs, small fruits and vegetables to cattle, goats and dairy.

For a full program agenda and registration, visit the MOA website. Registration for this event includes meals. Scholarships are available for registration costs. For additional information, contact kellyd@missouri.edu or call (573) 882-1905.

Scholarships Available to SARE's New American Farm Conference

Thanks to the support of sponsors, a limited number of scholarships are now available from the National Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) office for the 2008 New American Farm Conference, March 25-27 in Kansas City.

Their priorities are to fund farmers/ranchers and nonprofits, particularly those from under-served/minority audiences and those who are new to SARE and/or sustainable agriculture: emerging leaders, beginning farmers and ranchers, and those who have never attended a SARE regional or national conference. Scholarships will be awarded as free registration (including registration for a tour), plus up to $700 allowance that can be used for specified expenses.

Scholarship applications are due by February 15.

Annual MOA Conference

This year’s Missouri Organic Association’s Annual Conference is bringing together producers, consumers/eaters, and experts in the field for a 2 day conference of presentations, workshops, discussions, networking, and trade show exhibits. Friday’s sessions are devoted to agricultural marketing and are funded by a Risk Management Education grant to promote organics in Missouri; consequently, scholarships are available to cover registration costs. Saturday’s sessions are packed full of organic production information on topics from grains and herbs, small fruits and vegetables to cattle, goats, and dairy.

Highlighting this year’s conference is Kathleen Delate, State Organic Specialist from Iowa State University. Kathleen was the first organic specialist at a major university. Come hear her present on topics of both organic grains and organic vegetables. Kathleen has more than 8 years of organic research under her belt which she plans to share in each of her sessions.

The keynote speaker this year is Pat Garrity, Executive Director of Floyd Boulevard Local Foods Market. The Local Foods Market includes a grocery store featuring locally produced foods and crafts, open-air farmers’ markets, a food processing center and a resource and education center for seminars on topics such as growing and cooking organic foods. Pat is now leading the way for steps to become a legal co-op entity.

As the organic industry & local foods movement continues to grow, consumers are demanding wholesome, nutritious, sustainable, local foods. Come be a part of this growing conference that is bringing together producers and eaters in one location to share knowledge, experience, and resources to promote sustainable living. Presentations include research analysis, producer experiences, buyers, nutritionists, and experts in marketing and sales.

Note: you don’t have to be organic to come! Some of our speakers and members are not certified organic. We are all learning from each other.

For a full program agenda and registration form go to the Missouri Organic Association’s website. Registration includes meals.

For additional information, email kellyd@missouri.edu or call 573-882-1905.