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Training, resources, and practical advice to help you grow. |
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February 2020 Organic Link |
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Advance Registration Ends Feb. 18 Have you registered yet for the 31st MOSES Organic Farming Conference Feb. 27-29 in La Crosse, Wisconsin? Registration closes in just over a week (Feb. 18). In addition to 60 workshops, the conference has a huge trade show with 170 vendors offering supplies, buyer connections, and services to help you grow. The event also includes roundtable discussions, meetings, the organic research forum, film screenings, and many more opportunities to engage with the organic and sustainable farming community. The conference kicks off Thursday, Feb. 27, with awards presentations to the Organic Farmers of the Year, Jane Hawley Stevens and David Stevens of Four Elements Organic Herbals, and "Changemakers” Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Joy Schelble and Loretta Livingston, and Steve Acheson. This new award honors people who break down barriers and empower others to farm in ways that are environmentally responsible, socially just, and economically viable. Make plans to arrive in time for the conference kick-off at 7 p.m. La Crosse Distilling hosts a farmer social after the MOSES Conference Saturday, Feb. 29, with local band Them Coulee Boys. Advance tickets are $17, $20 at the door. WORKSHOP CHANGE: "Food Sovereignty: The Sin Fronteras Farm & Food Story" offered Saturday, Feb. 29 at 8:30 a.m. has been switched to “System-Level Strategy to Decolonize Agriculture,” presented by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance. Learn about the alliance’s strategy to accelerate production models designed for scale across five emerging sectors. For the most up-to-date listing of workshops, meetings, and roundtables, get the MOSES Conference App. Just search "MOSES Organic Farming Conference" in your phone's app store. (Make sure you select "2020.") The workshop listings on the conference website are also current. |
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Full-Day Classes Dig deeply into a farming topic with a full-day Organic University class Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020, just before the MOSES Conference. As farmer Debra Moore from Wisconsin said, these classes are "well worth the time and cost—so much practical info!" Classes run from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. See details about Organic University here, or click on a link below for the class description. Conservation Programs to Support Organic Farms
Chuck Anderas, Mark Doudlah, Karin Jokela,
Kevin Mahalko, Brian Pillsbury Financial Impact of Organic Grain Transition
Paul Dietmann, Jim Munsch, Farmer Panel Five Steps to a Fair Farm
Elizabeth Henderson & Luke Zigovits Healthy Small Ruminants
Gianaclis Caldwell Highs & Lows of Growing CBD Hemp
Dylan Bruce, Patrick McHugh, Leah Sandler, Shelby Ellison Manage Your High Tunnels for Long-Term Success
Hallie Anderson, Julie Grossman, Anne Pfeiffer, Cary Rivard Managed Grazing for Healthier Dairy & Beef Herds
Greg Brickner & Josh Tranel Rotations for Reduced Tillage & Resilience
Dave Campbell, Brian Luck, Erin Silva, John Wepking Start a Producer-Owned Cooperative
Kelly Maynard, FL Morris, Rod Ofte Strategies for Successful Organic Tree-Fruit Production in Midwest
Rami Aburomia & Peter Werts |
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Meetings at MOSES Conference A number of important meetings take place during the MOSES Conference. We'll post all the meetings on our website and in the conference app by early next week. In the meantime, here are a few that might interest you:
- Regeneration International and the Organic Consumers Association host a public meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 to talk about strategies to improve soil health and address climate change through agriculture.
- MOSES convenes a meeting at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28 with professionals involved in educating farmers to explore developing a community of practice for farmer educators.
- OGRAIN explains the OGRAIN Compass Tool at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28. The tool helps farmers predict and understand the long-term financial impact of switching to organic grain production.
- The National Organic Program invites farmers to share their perspectives on fraud prevention in the organic supply chain at a meeting at 1:45 Friday, Feb. 28.
- The Xerces Society and Oregon Tilth will have consultation times.
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Organic Grain Learning Hubs MOSES and OGRAIN are organizing farmer-led groups to build communities of organic grain farmers around the Midwest. If you are interested in being a part of an Organic Grain Learning Hub, please fill out this quick signup form. We are forming groups in western Wisconsin/Twin Cities, central Illinois/western Indiana, and SE Wisconsin. |
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In Her Boots Podcast The MOSES "In Her Boots" podcast currently features interviews with Kelly Placke-Raaum of Placke Organic Acres and Organic Valley Cooperative. In the latest episode, Kelly shares how she talks about organic farming when she's in different settings. The podcast posts new episodes every Friday on iTunes, Stitcher, and the In Her Boots webpage. |
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Farmer Letter on Climate Change Solutions The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, which includes MOSES, has created a sign-on letter for farmers and ranchers to express their concerns to Congress about climate change and share the solutions agriculture offers. This letter will be sent to Congressional members and leaders at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the spring of 2020. The letter does not endorse specific policy proposals but broadly calls for investments in agricultural solutions to the climate crisis, including soil health, farmland conservation, on-farm renewable energy, sustainable livestock production and more. |
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Finding Land to Farm More than 40% of American farmland and ranchland—371 million acres—will change hands over the next 15 years. The Farmland Access Hub, an initiative that guides beginning farmers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa through farmland access, is working to keep farmland in the hands of farmers. The program is run by Renewing the Countryside in partnership with MOSES and Main Street Project. If you are a beginning farmer looking for land to farm, or a retiring farmer looking to find a beginning farmer to steward your land, connect with a Farmland Access Navigator here. |
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Organic Transition Grants The CCOF Foundation is offering $5,000 grants for organic transition in partnership with Anheuser Busch and their Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold Contract for Change program. The grant is available to farmers of all production types in the US and US Territories looking to transition to organic production (excluding cannabis and hemp). One hundred grants will be awarded nationwide. Applications are open until April 30, 2020. For more details on the grant program, go to the CCOF Foundation website. |
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MOSES Patron Sponsorship MOSES is happy to announce that Gempler's is the first of our new Patron Sponsors, supporting not only our ability to host the country's largest and most recognized organic farming conference, but all the work we do throughout the year. Gempler’s is an online store offering workwear and supplies. Their Patron Sponsor support helps us publish the Organic Broadcaster, staff the Organic Answer Line, organize field days, mentor new farmers, and host our podcasts. We are grateful for Gempler's belief in our mission and partnership to meet the needs of the farmers we serve. If you'd like to talk about Patron Sponsorship opportunities, contact Tom Manley, MOSES Partnership Director. |
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Farm Loan Resources The USDA Farm Services Agency has released a newly revised Farm Loan Guide and Farm Loan Guide Compass in both English and Spanish. Hard copies are available in local FSA offices. |
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Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
PO Box 339 | Spring Valley, Wisconsin 54767
1-888-90-MOSES | info@mosesorganic.org |
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