Training, resources, and practical advice to help you grow.

September 2021 Organic Link

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On-Farm Field Days

There are just a few Field Days left in the season! Join us at these on-farm events for ideas to help your farm thrive. Click on the links below for details and registration.

Sustainability through Community Engagement with the Land
Sept. 18 | 11 a.m.| Sustain DuPage | Wheaton, Ill.
See how 2021 Changemaker Sustain DuPage engages the Chicago suburban community through an educational organic garden and grassroots projects.

Grazing & Forest Management as Regenerative Ag
Sept. 28 | 3 p.m.| Holm Girls Dairy | Elk Mound, Wis.
Organic farmer and conservationist, Mariann Holm, covers pasture renewal, grazing as conservation, and grazing livestock on pasture with trees in this Wisconsin Women in Conservation field day.

Winter Vegetable Production in Missouri
Oct. 4 | 9 a.m.| Happy Hollow Farm | Jamestown, Mo.
Learn more about fall crop harvesting, winter high tunnel, and caterpillar tunnel production for vegetables in Missouri from 2021 MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year Liz Graznak. 

 
 

Field Day Clips

Did you miss a Field Day this season you wanted to attend? Check out the MOSES YouTube channel for highlights from each event. New footage from Rodrigo Cala’s Field Day at Cala Farm Origenes shares the systems approach he uses on his organic farm. Cala, a MOSES Organic Specialist, focuses on sheep production with rotational grazing, a perennial system for raising chickens, and much more. Tune in now to check out the great advice gleaned from our field days!

 
 

Organic Farmer of Year Nominations

It’s not too late to nominate an outstanding organic farmer or farm family you admire to be the MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year. This prestigious award recognizes organic farmers for exemplary land stewardship, innovation, and outreach. The 2022 award winner(s) will be selected from community nominations by the MOSES Board of Directors. The board will present the award at the 2022 MOSES Organic Farming Conference, planned for Feb. 24-26 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

 
 

Beginning Farmer Training

Registration is open and scholarships are still available for the 2021 New Farmer U, a training offered by MOSES and Renewing the Countryside to augment beginning farmers' business skills and support their farming success. New Farmer U will take place Oct. 29 and 30 at Camp One Heartland in Willow River, Minnesota. The event includes workshops on topics such as wholesale markets, online marketing, recordkeeping, land access and financing, and income diversification. The $50 registration fee covers workshops, meals, and lodging. Language interpretation is available.

Scholarships
Beginning farmers who need assistance accessing the training may apply for a $35 scholarship.

New Farmer U is supported by NIFA, USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

 
 

Half-Day Farm Finances Workshop

Our popular workshop based on the book, Fearless Farm Finances, will be offered in a half-day format Oct. 29 at Camp One Heartland in Willow River, Minnesota. The workshop, taught by book co-author Paul Dietmann, is offered in conjunction with New Farmer U—take the workshop on its own or combine it with New Farmer U. Registration for the Fearless Farm Finances workshop is just $25 and includes a copy of the book.

 
 
Hannah Westfall Resized Headshot

MOSES Welcomes New Team Member

Hannah Westfall joins the MOSES team on September 7th as the new Communications and Marketing Specialist. Hannah draws from years of nonprofit marketing and graphic design experience, most recently working in hunger relief and food recovery. She has a small vegetable garden, loves traveling and is happiest when spending time in nature with her fiancé and their rescue dogs.

Reach Hannah, starting next week, at hannah@mosesorganic.org or 888-90-MOSES ext. 701

 
 

Current Podcast Episodes

Tune into the MOSES Organic Farming Podcast for new episodes on the impacts of climate change on our food and farming systems—and solutions we can implement for more resilient farms. In this special series of episodes, we hear from experts who have joined us over the years at the Organic Farming Conference. On the latest episode, Jim Goodman (National Family Farm Coalition), Erin Schneider (Hilltop Community Farm, Wisconsin), and Lea Zeise (Intertribal Agriculture Council) share their unique perspectives on farming in a conversation that explores solutions to one of the greatest challenges we face as a species: climate change.

 
 

New Podcast Episode: In Her Boots

Episode three of In Her Boots is out now and features a critical conversation you won’t want to miss! In this episode, "A Call to Action," host Tiffany LaShae speaks with KaZoua Berry of Big River Farms about nonprofit farming, the exclusivity of organic farming, and how we can use our platforms to drive meaningful change. Find the podcast by searching “In Her Boots” in your favorite podcast app or by visiting the MOSES website. 

 

Tell the Federal Government: Invest in Regenerative Ag!

This month, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to win major federal investments in climate-friendly agriculture. Congress is working on a major spending package for climate and infrastructure, and they need to hear from farmers! This bill could invest billions in helping farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and adapt to a changing climate. Learn more and take action before September 15th with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC).

 
 
 
 

Resources for Farmers Impacted by Pipeline Foods Bankruptcy

On July 8th, Pipeline Foods filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. If you are an organic grain producer who sold grain to Pipeline Foods and have not been paid or if you have binding contracts for fall grain sales, a new resource from the Organic Farmer’s Association (OFA) shares action steps you can take right now.

To learn more about the Pipeline Foods Bankruptcy, keep an eye out for our article in the Organic Broadcaster, coming later this month.

 

USDA Organic Certification Cost Sharing

Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021. Farms and businesses that produce, process, or package certified organic agricultural products are eligible to be reimbursed for 50% of certification-related costs (up to $500 per category or scope) for expenses paid from Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021. Visit the OCCSP webpage to learn more.

 

Make Sure You're Counted in the 2022 Ag Census            

Calling on all farms of all sizes—no one is too small to participate in the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture. In preparation for the census, the USDA is asking farmers to sign up to make sure their farms are counted. Several rural assistance programs use census-derived data in formulas that geographically allocate funds among eligible recipients, so it is especially important for organic and regenerative farms to be counted.

 

Emergency Haying, Grazing of CRP Acres Open in Wisconsin

Wisconsin farmers impacted by severe drought conditions can now request haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres in certain Wisconsin counties. Additional emergency assistance may also be available for livestock producers who have experienced livestock deaths and feed losses due to natural disasters through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). Farmers interested in emergency haying or grazing of CRP acres must notify their FSA county office before starting any activities. Visit the USDA website to learn more.

 

New Legal Guide Breaks Down Food Safety for Grain Farmers

Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC) and the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems (CAFS) at Vermont Law School released a new guide for food-grade grain farmers and processors that breaks down complicated federal food safety regulations related to the Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (PCR). The guide aims to help farmers and processors identify which requirements apply to their particular operations and assist them in understanding what they need to do to comply as they work to build local and regional food systems.

 

2.8 Million Acres added to USDA Conservation Reserve Program

The USDA has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 2021.  Farmers and landowners participating in the program can now also benefit from a new Climate-Smart Practice Incentive, providing incentive payments to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

 

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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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