Thank You!
Thanks so much to the many sponsors, speakers, exhibitors, volunteers, and others who helped make this year's conference possible! We couldn't do it without YOU!
Please check out the list of this year's sponsors below, and support the farms and businesses that support OEFFA.
Take the conference home with you! Dove Audio Visual is selling individual workshop, keynote, and Food and Farm School MP3 recordings, and the complete set for one low price.
Friday Keynote Speaker
Welcome to the Future of Change!
Jeff Moyer is a world renowned authority in organic agriculture with expertise in organic crop production systems, weed management, cover crops, crop rotations, equipment modification and use, and facilities design.
Jeff conceptualized and popularized the No Till Roller Crimper for use in organic agriculture and in 2011, he wrote Organic No-Till Farming, a publication that has become a resource for farmers throughout the world.
He is a past chair of the National Organic Standards Board; a founding board member of Pennsylvania Certified Organic; board chair of The Seed Farm; a member of the steering committee of the Organic Farmers Association; and board member of the Soil Health Institute, PA Farm Link, and IFOAM North America.
In September 2015, Jeff was appointed as Executive Director of Rodale Institute after spending the last four decades at the Institute, helping countless farmers make the transition from conventional, chemical-based farming to organic methods.
Saturday Keynote Speaker
Fake News, Fake Food:
Standing Up for Organic and Our Right to Know in the Era of Big Ag
Stacy Malkan is an author, investigative journalist, and leading consumer advocate for safer products and our right to know what's in our food. Stacy is co-founder and co-director of the nonprofit group U.S. Right to Know, whose mission it is to educate and inform consumers about the often hidden practices that shape the food system.
She served as media director for the 2012 ballot initiative in California to label genetically engineered foods and is the former communications director for Health Care Without Harm.
Stacy is author of the award-winning book, Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry and a co-founder of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of health and environmental groups.
She has been named a Pioneer of Green Beauty and one of the seven most powerful women in the natural beauty industry. She has appeared on Good Morning America, Democracy Now, and in newspapers around the world to discuss her research on safer products, and writes for the Huffington Post.
Schedule is subject to change. Events will be held at the Dayton Convention Center, unless otherwise noted.
*OEFFA members are invited to attend the member meeting at no cost. The Exhibit Hall is also open to the public on Thursday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and Friday from 5:00-6:30 p.m. All other conference events require paid registration.
10:00 a.m. -4:30 p.m.
In this day-long workshop, Sarah Flack will start by covering the basic principles of good grazing management systems, including grazing and non-grazing adapted plant species and soils and management systems that improve pasture quality and productivity. Using examples of real farm grazing systems, she will cover system design, fencing, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing, and acreage requirements. In the afternoon, she will go into more depth about how to use different stocking densities, pre- and post-grazing heights, length of rest periods, and different plant species to improve pasture and maximize dry matter intake from pasture. Using photo examples to demonstrate how to observe and monitor pastures and cattle, Sarah will help you can better understand if your grazing systems are working the way you want.
Sarah is the author of The Art and Science of Grazing, and a consultant, speaker, and writer, specializing in grass-based and organic livestock farming systems.
10:00 a.m. -4:30 p.m.
Join Dr. Barbara Utendorf in this full-day session that addresses incorporating key health-restoring foods and herbs in your cultivated environment. She will review the multiple benefits of plants—from important nutrients and vitalizing compounds to flower oils and essences—and share practical tips for cultivation. Both new and experienced growers will take away ideas for developing novel sites and incorporating key plants into already-established ones.
Barbara is a Doctor of Naturopathy teaching college courses in nutrition, holistic and integrative health, neuroscience, personal wellness, mind-body health, and health psychology. She has decades of experience in designing, developing, and cultivating health-sustaining environments and sharing this knowledge through writing, workshops, and consultations.
9:00 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
Presented by Matt Fout, Ohio Department of Agriculture food safety supervisor, this training is designed for fruit and vegetable farmers to meet the training requirements for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. This Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved course will cover worker health, hygiene, and training; soil amendments; wildlife, domesticated animals, and land use; agricultural water; post-harvest handling and sanitation; and developing a farm food safety plan. Participants will receive a training resource binder and will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials that verifies they have met the FSMA food safety training requirement. By 2018, all non-exempt operations must have at least one person complete this training or a training deemed equivalently adequate by the FDA.
10:00 a.m. -4:30 p.m.
Accessing land is one of the biggest and most complex financial decisions that you will make as a farmer. In this full-day workshop designed for aspiring and early career farmers and farm service providers, the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) will prepare you to approach your land access journey with confidence.
You will learn about how to work with a land trust to find land to lease or buy, and how a conservation easement can reduce the purchase price; leasing structures and how to create a suitable farmland lease; financial tools you can use for business planning, including NYFC's Land Affordability Calculator; and lending programs and organizations available to help beginning farmers.
Food and Farm School pre-registration is required. Check-in opens at 8:00 a.m.
Lunch is included.
John Bobbe—John Bobbe is the author of Marketing Organic Grain: A Farmers Guide and executive director of the Organic Farmers' Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM), a marketing cooperative representing organic grain and livestock producers in 19 states. John has almost 30 years of experience working with sustainable and organic farmers.
Eric Burkhart—Eric Burkhart, PhD, is an ethnobotanist interested in the husbandry, conservation, and quality in native Appalachian medicinal forest plants. His work is focused on developing sustainable medicinal crop management and production systems in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region through agroforestry and plant husbandry practices.
Michael Durante—As the National Young Farmers Coalition's (NYFC) land access program associate, Michael Durante helps beginning farmers understand the process of land acquisition and find affordable options. He manages NYFC's Finding Farmland project, an interactive financial planning tool for farmers, and has worked on livestock farms throughout New York.
Sarah Flack—Sarah Flack is the author of The Art and Science of Grazing and Organic Dairy Production and is a nationally known speaker, consultant, and writer specializing in grass-based and organic livestock farming and grazing. She studied pasture management at the University of Vermont before she started a career of helping farmers create positive change in their pastures, soils, livestock, finances, and quality of life.
Liana Hoodes—Liana Hoodes is the policy advisor to the Northeast Organic Farming Association in New York, where she works on federal and state policy issues related to organic agriculture. Previously, she was the executive director of the National Organic Coalition, working extensively on farm bill policy and appropriations and strengthening organic integrity through the National Organic Program and the National Organic Standards Board.
Allen Philo—Allen Philo, vice president of sales and operations for BioStar Organics, has a decade of experience in fertilizer sales and organic farming. He has worked both in managing large organic farms and acting as a crop consultant for farms from North Dakota to Ontario. Allen and his wife raise Norwegian Fjord horses and other livestock on their Wisconsin farm.
Thursday, February 15—7:00-9:00 p.m.
2nd Street Market, 600 E. 2nd St., Dayton, Ohio
Kick off the weekend with a festive spirit and join us at Dayton's 2nd Street Market for an evening celebration of our community named in memory of Ohio's beloved Contrary Farmer, Gene Logsdon. Guests will sample fine small plates prepared by 2nd Street Market vendors and Warped Wing Brewing Company beer as they walk the historic market building enjoying live music and good company.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Thursday, February 15—5:00-6:30 p.m.
Join other food and farm enthusiasts to share information and make connections during these three free events. Although there is no cost to attend, please pre-register where indicated.
If you need a farm, or need a farmer, attend this informal networking reception designed to connect farm hands and aspiring farmers with established farmers looking for employees, retiring farmers interested in a transition plan, and landowners with land to lease.
A Forum for Tips, Hacks, and Reviews of Small Farm Machinery
Let's talk gear! There are tons of equipment choices that give us many potential options for mechanizing some of farm life's persistent frustrations. As farmers, we all have opinions about the proper equipment or equipment modifications to accomplish a task. Let's share some of our favorite equipment, our unique uses for existing equipment, and our problems for which we haven't yet found the ideal solution. Join Ben Jackle of Mile Creek Farm for an informal peer-to-peer conversation about equipment that works (or doesn't work) and innovative ways to make what you have, or can realistically afford, work better.
The farm crisis of the 1980s drove hundreds of thousands of family farmers into foreclosure. Yet, out of that crisis arose a legion of farm advocates who refused to stand idly by and watch their way of life be destroyed. [View Trailer]
Ordinary Americans taught themselves extraordinary skills. As fellow farmers, farm wives, and rural leaders, they studied laws and regulations, started hotlines, answered farmers' calls from their kitchen tables, counseled their neighbors, and went toe-to-toe with lenders – giving their all to keep their neighbors on the land.
Homeplace Under Fire celebrates these advocates and their remarkable work. Thousands of farmers are alive and on their land today because of them. As Willie Nelson has said, these advocates are the best of America.
Homeplace Under Fire was directed by Charles D. Thompson, Jr. and produced by Farm Aid in cooperation with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. This inaugural Ohio showing, free and open to the public, will feature a post-screening discussion with Farm Aid Farm Advocate Joe Schroeder.
THE CREAM OF THE CROP BANQUET
Friday, February 16—6:30-8:30 p.m.
After a day of learning and networking, OEFFA welcomes you to treat yourself to a refined dinner with friends. The Cream of the Crop Banquet will feature a special menu of locally sourced fare. This is a full service, seated meal so you can sit back and savor the evening.
New this year! A light breakfast, included in the cost of your registration, will be served on Friday and Saturday morning from 7:00-8:00 a.m.
We strive to provide quality meals made from fresh, organic, locally-produced meats, dairy products, vegetables, and grains. New this year, Friday and Saturday lunches will be available for on-site purchase, until sold out. Vegan and gluten-free meals cannot be guaranteed.
Conference registration is required for lunch purchases. Lunch is not included in registration. Children 5 and under eat free.
If you are a beginning farmer looking to increase your knowledge and skills, the Begin Farming workshop track at the conference is for you! These workshops will be devoted exclusively to helping farmers start or scale-up their operations, with topics ranging from making the right equipment choices to developing a successful business.
To help budding farmers access these educational opportunities, OEFFA is offering a limited number of full scholarships for early career farmers to attend the conference February 16-17. To see if you’re eligible or to apply, click here. Applications are due by January 10 and scholarship recipients will be notified by January 18.
These workshops and scholarships are made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. For more information, click here.
The urban agriculture scene in Ohio and elsewhere continues to grow, offering exciting opportunities for individuals to make a living farming, provide communities with healthy food, transform blighted areas into vibrant ones, and gain educational and job training.
Specific challenges and issues face urban agriculture, and this track will provide skills, knowledge, and networking that you can use in your own urban operation. Presented by Ohio 1890 land-grant institution Central State University Cooperative Extension, workshop topics will address production efficiency for small spaces, summer high tunnel production, cover crops, and dealing with uncertain land tenure.
Workshops are subject to change. Click here for workshop descriptions.
With almost 80 workshops, covering everything from commercial production, livestock, food and farm policy, urban, agriculture, research, sustainable living, and more, OEFFA's conference has something to offer everyone!
BOOK TABLE
Here’s your chance to get great deals on scads of food and farming book titles! We also encourage you to donate your gently used farm and food books at conference, or before the event. Book sales support OEFFA’s work.
BOOK SIGNING TABLE
On Friday, celebrate the republication of Contrary Farmer Gene Logsdon's The Man Who Created Paradise with Carol Logsdon.
Also on Friday, author and grazing expert Sarah Flack will be on hand to sign her book The Art and Science of Grazing.
Enjoy an Exhibit Hall, packed with a diversity of vendors, offering you a one-stop shopping experience. You'll find businesses that can help you find your market, products that you can use on your farm or in your backyard, services that will help your farm or homestead succeed, quality locally-produced merchandise for your pantry and home, and useful information from knowledgeable nonprofit and educational institutions. Be sure to check out all that the Exhibit Hall has to offer, including OEFFAstead—home to all things OEFFA in the trade show.
OEFFA MERCHANDISE
Don’t forget your OEFFA swag! Aluminum “No Spray” and other signs and organic logo stickers will be for sale.
ORGANIC CERTIFICATION ASSISTANCE
Are you certified organic or considering certification? Bring your questions and paperwork! OEFFA Certification staff will be on hand to provide one-on-one assistance and to answer questions about the organic certification process, organic standards, and certification guidelines.
Try your luck for a chance to win a variety of wonderful products and services, courtesy of many of our exhibitors, sponsors, and other conference supporters. Funds raised support OEFFA’s educational work.
We encourage parents and caregivers to bring the family! Charlene "Charlie" Richardson is organizing this year's Kids' Conference, which offers 6-12 year olds educational and fun hands-on activities.
Child care is available for younger children. Megan DeLaurentis will again organize and offer age-appropriate activities and time to take a nap.
Private space for nursing can be arranged. Children must be with parents during meal times.
Gather yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually for the day. No prior experience is needed and all are welcome.
CHI KUNG
Friday, February 16—7:00-8:00 a.m.
Tai chi instructor and Snowville Creamery owner Warren Taylor will lead a morning chi kung session. Chi kung is similar to tai chi, but focuses on upper body movements.
YOGA
Saturday, February 17—7:00-8:00 a.m.
Center yourself for a robust day of learning with a beginner level yoga session. Please bring your own mat to participate.
PUBLIC EXHIBIT HALL HOURS
OEFFA members and the public are invited to tour the Exhibit Hall on Thursday from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and on Friday from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at no cost.
Admission to the Exhibit Hall at other times requires paid registration.
CONFERENCE RECORDINGS
With almost 80 workshops offered, how do you choose? You don't have to!
Dove Conference Services will give you the choice of purchasing individual workshop and keynote presentation MP3 recordings, or the complete set for one low price.
Order on-site or after the event at www.doveav.com/product-category/oeffa/2018-oeffa/.
MEMBERS' MEETING
Friday, February 16—5:15-6:15 p.m.
Join us for OEFFA's annual membership meeting, where we review the past year, elect new members of the Board of Trustees, and discuss other issues on our members' minds.
This is YOUR organization. Please come to listen, learn, and share.
VOLUNTEERS
If you'd like to volunteer in the office before conference or help with set up on Thursday, February 15, contact Renee at (614) 421-2022 Ext. 205 or renee@oeffa.org.
The conference will be held at the Dayton Convention Center located at 22 E. 5th St., Dayton, OH 45402.
There’s lots to see and do in Dayton when you join us for the conference! Dayton offers the best of both worlds: the dining, nightlife, and buzz of the city, at a size and scale that makes it easy to get around and enjoy. Check out some of these nearby attractions:
33 E. 5th St., Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 229-9835
www.cpdayton.com
$105.00 per night (A limited number of rooms are available at this OEFFA group rate. Call (937) 229-9835 to confirm availability and pricing and make reservations.)
The Crowne Plaza is attached to the Dayton Convention Center by a convenient enclosed walking bridge. Complimentary parking in the Transportation Center garage attached to the hotel is included (for vehicles under 6’8”).
Please note: The hotel is SOLD OUT for Thursday and Friday nights; some rooms are still available on Wednesday and Saturday nights. We recommend checking with the hotel, however, and ask to be placed on their wait list in the event of cancellations.
6960 Miller Ln., Dayton, OH 45414
(937) 898-1120
www.redlion.com/dayton
$79.00 per night (Reservation deadline: February 9)
Shuttle service is offered to the Dayton Convention Center.
For a list of other nearby hotel options, click here.
Parking is available in the Transportation Center parking garage for $6 per day maximum ($2 per hour, $1 per partial hour), or at no cost for Crowne Plaza Dayton guests.
The garage is located one block east of the Dayton Convention Center on 5th St. at Jefferson St. The garage offers a covered skywalk on Level 1 that connects to the third floor of the convention center.
Please pay for your parking before you get in your car to leave the facility by using the pay stations located on Level 1 (the skywalk level) at the parking garage.
The pay stations are located directly across from the elevators on the right as you are walking across the skywalk to the garage. They are located immediately on the right before you get to the elevators, which will be straight ahead.
Please note, there are no cashiers stationed at the exits. Credit/debit cards are the only form of payment that are accepted at the exits and are subject to additional charges if used at the exit. To use cash, you must use a pay station that is located on Level 1 of the parking garage. The pay station will also accept credit and debit cards.
For more information and directions, visit the Dayton Convention Center website.
In the event that the Transportation Center parking garage is full, overflow parking is available at the Montgomery County Reibold Building parking garage () on E. 5th St. between Main St. and Ludlow St.
Conference photographs by Palamedes Photography and George Remington. Conference artwork created by Kevin Morgan Studio.