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Press Release
Ohio’s Largest Sustainable Food and Farm Conference: Online Registration Opens
Registration has opened for the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 32nd annual conference, Inspiring Farms, Sustaining Communities, February 19-20, 2011 in Granville, Ohio. The state’s largest sustainable food and farm conference, this year’s event will feature keynote speakers Joan Dye Gussow and Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens; more than 70 informative, hands-on workshops; a trade show; a fun and educational kids’ conference; locally-sourced and organic homemade meals; a child care area; and Saturday evening entertainment.
“Our conference title says a lot about what we believe and what we’re trying to accomplish,†says OEFFA Executive Director Carol Goland. “People who attend the conference are so moved by the inspiring examples of innovation and stewardship they learn from presenters and fellow participants. The OEFFA conference is an ideal place to continue the work of building Ohio’s sustainable food economy, one that benefits us all.â€Â
Keynote Speakers
Saturday’s keynote lecture will be provided by Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens, who have farmed organically since 1993 and own and operate New York’s only dedicated organic feed mill and organic seed operation.
The Martens raise 1400 acres of corn, soybeans, small grains, and other crops as well as heifers, pigs, and chickens. Their organic grain business, Lakeview Organic Grain, was started in 1996 and has expanded to supply more than 300 organic farmers in central New York.
The Martens made the transition from conventional farming to being one of the leading experts in organic production, sharing their knowledge and learning experiences in magazines such as ACRES USA and as in-demand speakers at conferences and events.
Sunday’s keynote lecture will feature Joan Dye Gussow. Joan was one of the first persons to envision, teach, and write about a local, organic whole food system, earning her the title “matriarch of the modern day food movement.†As one of the foremost critics of industrial agriculture, Joan has been a mentor to leaders in the local foods movement, including Barbara Kingsolver and Michael Pollan.
Joan is a highly acclaimed nutrition educator, author, gardener, Mary Swartz Rose Professor Emerita, and former chair of the Columbia University Teachers College Nutrition Department. She is the author of This Organic Life; The Feeding Web, and Chicken Little, Tomato Sauce and Agriculture: Who Will Produce Tomorrow’s Food? Her newest book is Growing, Older.
Workshops
The conference will also feature more than 70 hands-on, educational workshops and cooking demonstrations with topics including: season extension, growing brambles, dairy farming, pastured livestock and poultry, maple syruping, hiring and managing farm employees, cover crops, renewable energy, farm insurance, agriculture policy and activism, weed control, growing mushrooms, growing and marketing grains, school gardens, farm recordkeeping, growing garlic, meat goats, homemade dyes, farm to school, eating seasonally, green building, pest management, business branding, pricing for profitability, organic apple growing, beekeeping, ecological parenting, flower production, mob grazing, internet marketing, soil fertility, and food co-ops.
The conference workshops will also feature a grazing track. Designed for producers and resource managers, this grazing workshop track follows the long established Ohio Grazing School Program, and will be presented by Jeff McCutcheon, OSU Extension; Bob Hendershot, USDA NRCS; and Paul Dutter, OEFFA Organic Certification Program. The workshops will include topics such as planning and getting started; evaluating resources; environmental considerations; plant growth physiology; plant selection; soil fertility; the organic pasture rule; meeting nutritional requirements; designing and laying out paddocks; fencing; and livestock pasture watering systems. A certificate will be given to those that attend the entire track, which will be honored by USDA-NRCS for points in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
Pre-Conference
This year’s event will also feature a one-day pre-conference titled The ABCs of CSAs. This workshop will provide guidance for farmers interested in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) including information on the challenges and benefits of CSAs, planning, record-keeping, membership recruitment and management, and more. The pre-conference will take place on Friday, February 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Granville, Ohio.
The workshop will be led by Beth Knorr, who spent nine years co-managing one of Northeast Ohio's most successful CSA operations at Crown Point Ecology Center with her husband Tim, and currently manages farmers' markets and provides educational workshops for the Countryside Conservancy. Beth will be joined by CSA growers, who will share their experiences.
Additional Features
The conference will also feature a kid’s conference offering a variety of exciting workshops for children ages 6-12; a playroom for children under 6; a book signing by Joan Dye Gussow and The Contrary Farmer, Gene Logsdon; an exhibit hall offering an interesting array of information, products, services and resources that relate to sustainable agriculture; a non-denominational Sunday service; and Saturday evening entertainment provided by the Back Porch Swing Band.
Our Sponsors
OEFFA’s 32nd annual conference is being sponsored by Edible Ohio Valley, Edible Columbus, Northstar Café, Chipotle, Granville Exempted Village Schools, Lucky Cat Bakery, Mustard Seed Market, Organic Valley/CROPP, Whole Foods Market Columbus, Ben and Jerry’s, C-TEC, Curly Tail Organic Farm, Eden Foods, Luna Burger, OEFFA Grain Growers Chapter, Snowville Creamery, SARE-USDA, Whole Hog BBQ, Equine Veterinary Dental Services, Fox Hollow Farm, Jeni’s Ice Cream, King Family Farm, Bexley Natural Market, Blue Jacket Dairy, Bluebird Farm, Carriage House Farm, Casa Nueva, Charlie’s Apples, Crumbs Bakery, Flying J Farm, Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, Green Field Farms, The Greener Grocer, Hartzler Family Dairy, The Hills Market, Kitchen Basics, Phoenix Organics, OSU Social Responsibility Initiative, Schacht Family Farm, Schmidt Family Farms, Stan Evans Bakery, The Wayward Seed Farm, and Wild Goose Creative.
“The growth of our conference shows how many people are tuning into local, sustainable, and organic food, and the diversity of our keynote speakers and workshops reflect this. No matter who you areâ€â€a farmer or a conscientious consumerâ€â€there’s something valuable for you at the conference. An amazing thing about our conference is the positive energy of the whole weekend. We look forward to sharing that with everyone,†concluded Goland.
About OEFFA
The Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 1979 by farmers, gardeners, and conscientious eaters who committed to work together to create and promote a sustainable and healthful food and farming system. For more information, go to http://www.oeffa.org .
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