Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) Events Calendar

Columbus, OH

Saturday, October 13, 2018 through Saturday, February 2, 2019
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Heartland Farm Beginnings® is a year-long, farmer-led training and support program designed to help early career farmers committed to creating a sustainable farm business achieve their goals. This intensive, eight-part workshop series will enable farmers with at least one year of production experience to develop a whole farm plan that encompasses realistic goal setting, financial management, and assessment of resources, skills, and markets. Early career farmers will also receive the business planning tools necessary to successfully implement their plan. In addition to the course work, the program includes 2019 conference registration and a mentorship for March through November upon successful completion of the course.

Cost and Registration: $1,000 by August 17, $1,200 by September 21. Pre-registration is required for the entire series.

This OEFFA event is part of the 2018 Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series, featuring farm tours, workshops, and other events. For a complete schedule, go to www.oeffa.org/q/2018farmtours.

Location:
OEFFA
41 Croswell Rd.
Columbus, OH 43214

Contact:
Kelly Henderson / (614) 421-2022 /

http://www.oeffa.org/q/farmbeginnings

The Green Edge Model of Winter Growing

Thursday, January 24, 2019
10:00 am- 3:00pm

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We've got some exciting news to kick off the New Year! Rural Action will be hosting another Season Creation Workshop on January 24th with their partners at Green Edge Organic Gardens! 

This workshop series is geared toward farmers currently using high tunnels or interested in using high tunnels to extend their production season through the winter. Agriculture educators, market gardeners, and other food system partners are also encouraged to attend!  Both classroom and on-farm sessions will be used during the workshop to teach participants about the Season Creation model. Topics include high tunnel site selection, crop selection, production calendars, infrastructure management, disease and pest management, as well as strategies for diversified products like microgreens and mushrooms.

Please follow this link to register for the event: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07efy4fpafc56de0c9&llr=du8cg7iab.   

The workshop is $20, which includes a locally catered lunch. Interested attendees please  register in advance by clicking the link above or by contacting Joe Barbaree (Contact information listed below).

Location:
Amesville Grange Hall
17486 State Street
Amesville, OH 45711

Arrive at 9:30am for coffee and registration

Contact:
Joe Barbaree / 740-677-4047 /

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07efy4fpafc56de0c9&llr=du8cg7iab

Hosted by Cleveland Seed Bank

Saturday, January 26, 2019
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

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Please join Cleveland Seed Bank in celebrating National Seed Swap Day by attending their 5th Annual Winter Seed Swap on January 26th. The event is open to all with a suggested $5.00 donation to help support their 2019 programming.

Come and swap heirloom seeds, rhizomes, roots, and tubers with other gardeners across our bioregion. Learn, network and prepare for the gardening season ahead. Connect with like-minded individuals who are passionate about saving seeds and sharing their seed stories!

NO seeds required, but if you have them to share then please bring them! We'll bring seeds with us for those who may not have seeds of their own to swap. Feel like you need to bring something anyways? We will have a collection box for food items to donate to a local pantry.

Envelopes, labels, markers, and seed saving knowledge is provided by the Cleveland Seed Bank. Everyone will leave with seeds, new garden friends and a renewed enthusiasm for seed saving!

Don't forget your sourdough starters, cheese and yogurt cultures, kefir grains and kombucha scoby to share!

Location:
St. Patrick's Hall
3606 Bridge Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113

GETTING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD & PARKING: Plenty of street parking is available as well as a few spaces in the parking lot attached to St. Patrick's. Ohio City is conveniently accessible on the RTA Red Line (West 25th Street Station). Please vi

Contact:
Kimberly Lessman / 2168155805 /

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-winter-seed-swap-tickets-52677049473

Hosted by FACT: Food Animal Concerns Trust

Tuesday, January 29, 2019
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM est.

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The New Zealand method is an efficient and low-stress way to shear sheep. It also helps maintain the best possible quality of wool to be used for production. Join FACT to learn an overview of the technique, the tools, and the importance of shearing in the humane treatment of fiber bearing animals. This presentation will focus primarily on sheep shearing, but will also touch on animals such as alpacas and llamas.

Our presenter, Amber Van Hove, is the owner of Barnhart Fields Farm in Washington State where she raises Shetland sheep for wool. Amber is a certified national sheep shearer and runs Northwest Shearing where she provides shearing services to local flocks and hobby farms.

Please visit this link to register: https://www.anymeeting.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=ED56DF8084463A

Location:
Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT)- Webinar
3525 West Peterson Avenue
Chicago, IL 60659

Contact:
Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) / 773-525-4952 /

https://foodanimalconcernstrust.org/webinars/

Sponsored by Cift

Tuesday, January 29, 2019
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m

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Are you are a small-scale food producer? If so, you will want to attend this workshop. This workshop is intended for small (< $1 million in sales/year) producers of fermented, canned, and other shelf-stable foods.

This one-day course is a hands-on opportunity for processors to develop their food safety documentation in small groups with individual coaching from instructors.

There is required documentation you will need to complete to be compliant with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This includes documentation of your size exemption as a "qualified facility" and various food safety programs.

Participants are encouraged to bring their existing documentation, if they have it, for review by instructors. Attendees should leave with completed or nearly completed food safety documentation for size exemptions, Good Manufacturing Practices, and Preventive Control Food Safety Plans as relevant.

This workshop will be held in multiple locations and on various dates. Please follow the provided link for information on the future dates and times: https://southcenters.osu.edu/marketing/events/value-added-workshops

Cost is $25.00 per person. Cost includes educational materials and lunch Attendees must preregister. Space is limited (only 20 attendees per session) Deadline to register is January 24, 2019

This course is made possible through a grant supported by the USDA and grant support from the Connect & Collaborate program at The Ohio State University.

Attendees who wish to work on digital versions of their plans are encouraged to bring their own laptops.

Location:
Cleveland Culinary Launch
7501 Carnegie Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Contact:
Abby Snyder / 614-292-7004 /

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/food-safety-document-training-for-small-processors-registration-5146459

Dayton, OH

Thursday, February 14, 2019 through Saturday, February 16, 2019
Three full days of learning, networking, and fun!

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Register for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association's 40th annual conference, Just Farming: The Path Before Us!

Celebrate OEFFA's 40th anniversary during Ohio's largest sustainable food and farm conference, which features:
• Nearly 80 educational, inspiring workshops on sustainable farming, livestock, homesteading, gardening, and business on Friday and Saturday;
• An expanded three day trade show with 90+ businesses, organizations, and government agencies, along with areas for large equipment display and live demonstrations;
• In-depth, full day Food and Farm School courses on Thursday, covering regenerative poultry, agroforestry, lean farming, and grain weed control;
• Engaging nationally-recognized keynote speakers Elizabeth Henderson and Onika Abraham;
• Made-from-scratch, local, organic meals;
• Free Thursday events, including a land and labor mixer and three-hour OSU soil health workshop;
• Kids' conference, child care, and more!

A limited number of scholarships are available to persons of color and beginning farmers, along with reduced rate volunteer spaces.

Learn more and register at www.oeffa.org/conference2019.

Location:
Dayton Convention Center
22 E. 5th St
Dayton, OH 45402

Contact:
OEFFA / (614) 421-2022 /

http://www.oeffa.org/conference2019

Be one of the 100 change-makers drafting the blueprint for the future of farming.

Thursday, February 21, 2019
The Forum schedule and agenda will be announced soon. If you have questions, email john@mosesorganic.org

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MOSES invites farmers, researchers, ag professionals, and other thought-leaders to apply to participate in an innovative, forward-thinking forum taking place Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019 (the day before the MOSES Conference) in La Crosse, Wis.

This event will bring together 100 change-makers in the organic community to identify current resources, opportunities, and future needs. The day will feature plenary speakers, guided group discourse, and small-group collaborations, resulting in a published framework to advance organic practices over the next 30 years.

Participants receive free admission, lodging, and meals.

Applications are due by Nov. 30, 2018. A committee will review applications and select the 100 participants. The participant list will be published Dec. 10.

Focus Areas – Organic 2051 will address:

Production Issues
1.Cover Crops, crop rotations, soil health
2.Proximity – (drift, pollinators, conventional juxtaposition)
3.Tillage – water quality, carbon sequestration

Community Issues
1.Organic Certification – the label, competing labels
2.Vertical integration of organic agriculture and its impact
3.Rural Community revitalization

Sociological Issues
1.Barriers to converting to organic
2.Reaching disadvantaged and underserved farmers
3.Market Infrastructure

Location:
Radisson Hotel
200 Second St S
La Crosse, WI 54601

Contact:
John Mesko / 715-778-5775 /

https://mosesorganic.org/organic2051/

Hosted by Purdue Extension

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 through Thursday, March 7, 2019
March 6th: 9:30am-6:00pm March 7th: 8:30am-6:00pm

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Save the date for Indiana's only conference focused on organic grain production!

Purdue Extension has expanded this annual meeting to a two-day conference with additional education and networking for organic grain farmers, ag professionals, and those considering a transition to organic grain.

Day One
Curious about organic grain production or how to get started? Engage in a full-day workshop on transitioning to organic grain production.

Day Two
Expand your knowledge with general and breakout sessions, networking time, and an industry trade show.

Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting? Email modonnel@purdue.edu or call 765-284-8414.

Mark your calendars for March 6 and 7!
Look for a registration link in January to choose one or both days.

Location:
BECK Agricultural Center
4540 US 52 West
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Beck Agricultural Center in West Lafayette, Indiana

Contact:
Michael O'Donnell / 765-284-8414 /

https://extension.purdue.edu/event/24590

Pathway to Sustainability

Thursday, April 4, 2019 through Friday, April 5, 2019
Thursday, April 4th:12:00pm-8:30pm Friday, April 5th:8:00am-7:30pm

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Mark your calendars for The Food Symposium, Pathway to Sustainability this April 2019. The Food Symposium will be held over a two day period and attendees will discuss food, sustainability, agriculture, and conservation.

What can you expect to find at The Food Symposium:

Breakout Sessions, Food Truck Rally, two evening keynote speakers, a Symposium Expo, Joel Salatin Meet & Greet and a Chocolate Tasting & Book Signing with Simran Sethi.

Key Note Speakers:

Simran Sethi, author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate, addresses the loss of biodiversity in chocolate and the effect this has on a larger scale.

Joel Salatin, author of Folks, This Ain't Normal and seven other books, speaks on growing food that has integrity and how to support local food systems.

Please visit: https://www.chca-oh.org/foodsymposium for a full listing of events, speakers, agenda, pricing and registration.

Location:
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy: Martha S. Lindner Campus
11525 Snider Road
Cincinnati, OH 45249

Contact:
Michaela W.T. Oldfield, JD, PhD / 513-541-1538 /

https://www.chca-oh.org/foodsymposium

Hosted by Pastured Providence

Saturday, April 27, 2019 through Monday, April 29, 2019
Tentative timeline: Friday, April 27th: 12:00pm-7:00pm Saturday, April 28th: 7:00am-7:00pm Sunday, April 29th: 7:30am-3:00pm

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Save the date! Pastured Providence is hosting it's FARM SCHOOL this April 2019. Farm School is designed to equip both new and seasoned farmers for success in pasture-based animal agriculture.

Farm School will cover various topics including:
- Rotational, management-intensive grazing
- Business planning and farm finances
- Branding and marketing techniques
- And so much more!!

Please visit http://www.pasturedprovidence.com/school/ for the full list of scheduled events, guest speakers, meals and lodging recommendations provided by Pastured Providence.

Early bird pricing is available. Please make sure visit the website for pricing and registration.

Location:
Pastured Providence
3316 Chapel Creek Road
Chillicothe, OH 45601

Contact:
Paul Dorrance / 740-851-3883 /

http://www.pasturedprovidence.com/school