Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) Events Calendar

New Lebanon, Ohio

Sunday, September 11, 2022
1-4 p.m.

Find late season solidarity and inspiration with fellow vegetable growers.

Join fellow Ohio farmers for camaraderie, skill sharing, and supportive conversations around late season challenges and opportunities. Return to your farm reinvigorated, reassured that you are not alone, and ready to end the season strong.

This gathering is organized by FairShare - a farmer network that supports and connects diversified vegetable farmers throughout the Midwest - and is the launch of FairShare's expansion of services into Ohio. FairShare connects farmers and eaters, provides skill building opportunities for both production and management, and fosters strong relationships between growers to improve diversified vegetable growing operations and CSAs.

The gathering is at Mile Creek Farm with Ben and Emily Jackle. Ben and Emily coordinate a CSA, and also grow larger quantities of root vegetables for wholesale accounts. The event will proceed rain or shine. Bring a camp chair (if you have one) for the roundtable.

1 p.m. Gather
1:30 p.m. Farm Tour
2:15 p.m. Grower to Grower Round Table
3:15 p.m. Cantaloupe and Ice Cream Social

The event is free but registration is required via the link below.

Location:
Mile Creek Farm
10786 Mile Rd.
New Lebanon, OH 45345

Contact:
Beth Knorr / (234) 231-8166 /

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/diversified-vegetable-grower-gathering-from-isolation-to-community-tick

Yellow Springs, Ohio

Wednesday, September 14, 2022
TBD

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Gourds have been grown and used around the world for thousands of years. Join gourd expert and enthusiast, River Johnson, as she leads attendees through an exploration of this amazing plant as it connects nature, humans and art. Using the theme of the gourd, participants will consider common cultural elements and community resilience, as well as practice gourd gardening and create a work of gourd art in this 3-part series.

One ticket covers all 3 sessions in series:
Session I (September 14): Gourds in the Ground: Growing, Historical Usage, & Preparing Gourds for Craft

Session II (October 12): Gourds in Craft: Practice & Techniques in Gourd Art

Session III (November 9): Gourds in Culture: Storytelling, Literature & Community Celebration

Cost: Adults (ages 15+): $90, Children (Ages 5-15): $45, with paying adult. To register, visit the link below.

Location:
Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice
131 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

Contact:
Maureen Fellinger / (937) 767-2161 /

http://community.agrariacenter.org/e/the-amazing-gourd-workshop-series/

Greenfield, Ohio

Saturday, September 17, 2022
10 a.m.

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Join OEFFA for a pasture walk with DeBruin Family Dairy. The DeBruin family has been farming seasonally for more than 20 years, certified organic since 2006, and supplying organic milk to Organic Valley since 2007. They operate a seasonal, grass-based dairy on 65 acres of pasture and woods.

Visit the link below to watch a video about the DeBruins.

Location:
DeBruin Family Dairy
7580 Pisgah Rd.
Greenfield, OH 45123

Contact:
Robin Hackett / (614) 947-1633 /

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c2E-maZMhY

Columbus, Ohio and Yellow Springs, Ohio

Sunday, September 18, 2022 through Sunday, October 16, 2022
11 a.m.-2 p.m.

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Co-hosted by OEFFA and Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice, this four-part series will offer on-the-ground approaches to finding and financing land, leasing and purchasing land, and assessing land. Participants will clarify their personal and business goals, assess their financial position, and learn what resources are available to find and finance land. The four workshops are intended as a series, but can be taken as standalone. Participants will have pre-work assigned before each workshop to help develop a land access plan.

Details: The first three workshops will be held at a location in the Columbus area. Visit oeffa.org/farmtours for more details closer to the event. The last workshop will be held at Agraria's barn.

Cost and Registration: $25 per workshop, $100 for all four. All proceeds from this event will go directly to the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO).

To register, visit the link below.

Location:
Columbus area (location TBD) and Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice
131 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

The first three workshops will be held at a location in the Columbus area. The last workshop will be held at Agraria's barn.

Contact:
Lainie Rini / (614) 725-3163 /

http://www.oeffa.org/farmtours

Modoc, Indiana

Sunday, September 18, 2022
5 p.m.

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Christopher Farm is a mother-son team organically farming almost two acres in eastern Indiana, in the midst of conventional farmland. The acreage is part of a larger farm that has been handed down over several generations; the vegetable operation has been in progress for more than 25 years. This year, the farm is piloting a live-in intern program as a means of offering encouragement to the growing number of people interested in sustainable agriculture.

In addition to offering a tour of the farm and systems, such as their moveable hoophouses and no-till practices, attendees will learn about how the farm has evolved over the past two and a half decades. Topics include from what has worked to what has fallen by the wayside, and what their experience has been growing and marketing in a rural economy not necessarily looking for organic vegetables.

Location:
Christopher Farm
5305 W 500 S
Modoc, IN 47358

Contact:
Wendy Carpenter and Adrian Hess / (765) 542-9278 or (8 /

http://www.oeffa.org/farmtours

St. Marys, Ohio

Tuesday, September 27, 2022
10 a.m.

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This farm tour will focus on Settlage & Settlage Farm's incorporation of the PaddockTrac technology into their grazing management system. PaddockTrac is an innovative technology developed by researchers at the University of Missouri that uses and ATV-mounted sensor to measure forage availability.

Settlage & Settlage is a certified organic dairy milking 120 cows for Organic Valley on more than 300 acres of perennial and annual pasture.

Location:
Settlage & Settlage Farm
12218 St. Rt. 29
St. Marys, OH 45885

Contact:
Robin Hackett / (614) 947-1633 /

http://oeffa.org

Amanda, Ohio

Saturday, October 8, 2022
Noon

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Paige's Produce Family Farm Market is a family vegetable farm and orchard, selling at farmers markets and their home farm store. They offer a CSA program and u-pick orchard for apples and peaches, as well as pumpkins in the fall.

At this tour, a live Bluegrass band and Da Que Barbecue food truck are on site from noon to 2 p.m. The tour begins at 2 p.m. Apples will likely be available to demonstrate how to select and pick fruit from a tree (participants will be able to purchase their bag for the picking session if desired). Pumpkins will also be for sale. The farm store will be open for shopping.

This event is part of Common Greens' farm tour series. Visit the link below to learn more about Common Greens.

Location:
Paige's Produce Family Farm Market
7975 Cincinnati-Zanesville Rd.
Amanda, OH 43102

Contact:
Brian Helser / (740) 601-8419 /

http://www.commongreensohio.org

Yellow Springs, Ohio

Wednesday, October 12, 2022
TBD

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Gourds have been grown and used around the world for thousands of years. Join gourd expert and enthusiast, River Johnson, as she leads attendees through an exploration of this amazing plant as it connects nature, humans and art. Using the theme of the gourd, participants will consider common cultural elements and community resilience, as well as practice gourd gardening and create a work of gourd art in this 3-part series.

One ticket covers all 3 sessions in series:
Session I (September 14): Gourds in the Ground: Growing, Historical Usage, & Preparing Gourds for Craft

Session II (October 12): Gourds in Craft: Practice & Techniques in Gourd Art

Session III (November 9): Gourds in Culture: Storytelling, Literature & Community Celebration

Cost: Adults (ages 15+): $90, Children (Ages 5-15): $45, with paying adult. To register, visit the link below.

Location:
Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice
131 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

Contact:
Maureen Fellinger / (937) 767-2161 /

http://community.agrariacenter.org/e/the-amazing-gourd-workshop-series/

Online

Thursday, October 27, 2022 through Thursday, December 8, 2022
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

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Are you a farmer thinking about transferring your farmland or business? Are you a non-farming landowner looking for ways to support the next generation?

Whether you intend to transfer your farm within your family or to an unrelated farmer, succession planning is real work. This interactive three-part online workshop series will help you prepare to engage in a transfer process, identify business and legal tools, assess your financial situation, build your advisor team, and prepare to develop a plan for transferring your land and/or farm business to a new farm owner.

Led by OEFFA Farmland Specialist Kelly Cabral, and developed as a pilot with a national network of land transfer professionals and the American Farmland Trust, you will spend the first session learning how farm transfer works, assessing your current situation, and setting goals. You will leave with specific homework tasks, such as holding family meetings and talking to advisors, to help develop your plan.

During the second and third workshops, you will explore your options, hear from professionals, develop effective communication to build trust and engage in conversation for farm transfer, and clarify steps to succession with OEFFA staff support. You will finish the intensive workshop series with solid action steps in place.

Workshops will take place virtually on October 17, November 17, and December 8, 2022.

Location:
Online

Contact:
Lainie Rini / (614) 421-2022 /

http://www.oeffa.org/farmtours

Yellow Springs, Ohio

Friday, November 4, 2022 through Saturday, November 5, 2022
9 a.m.

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This annual conference will cover critical agrarianism, a topic that examines the intersection of agrarian movements across the globe with important implications for social and ecological justice. Visit the link below for more details closer to the event.

Location:
Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice
131 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

Contact:
Maureen Fellinger / (937) 767-2161 /

http://www.communitysolution.org/

Johnstown, Ohio

Sunday, November 6, 2022
2 p.m.

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Roots, Fruits and Shoots is a 3-acre vegetable and raspberry farm. They grow year-round using no-till, sustainable practices in almost 7,000 square feet of high tunnel space.

This tour will focus on using tunnels to grow produce through the winter, particularly looking at the cost and benefits of using supplemental heat in a high tunnel for winter production; a project funded by a NCR-SARE grant.

Location:
Roots, Fruits and Shoots
5580 Johnstown Alexandria Rd.
Johnstown, OH 43031

Contact:
Dana Hilfinger / (734) 276-1895 /

http://www.oeffa.org/farmtours

Yellow Springs, Ohio

Wednesday, November 9, 2022
TBD

Open/Close

Gourds have been grown and used around the world for thousands of years. Join gourd expert and enthusiast, River Johnson, as she leads attendees through an exploration of this amazing plant as it connects nature, humans and art. Using the theme of the gourd, participants will consider common cultural elements and community resilience, as well as practice gourd gardening and create a work of gourd art in this 3-part series.

One ticket covers all 3 sessions in series:
Session I (September 14): Gourds in the Ground: Growing, Historical Usage, & Preparing Gourds for Craft

Session II (October 12): Gourds in Craft: Practice & Techniques in Gourd Art

Session III (November 9): Gourds in Culture: Storytelling, Literature & Community Celebration

Cost: Adults (ages 15+): $90, Children (Ages 5-15): $45, with paying adult. To register, visit the link below.

Location:
Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice
131 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd.
Yellow Springs, OH 45387

Contact:
Maureen Fellinger / (937) 767-2161 /

http://community.agrariacenter.org/e/the-amazing-gourd-workshop-series/

Mt. Hope, Ohio

Thursday, November 10, 2022 through Friday, November 11, 2022
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

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The Seventh Organic Farming Conference will be held at The Event Center in Mt. Hope, Ohio on November 10 and 11, 2022.

The conference will have many knowledgeable presenters: Ulf Kintzel on sheep, Jim Wedeberg on the history of organics, a grass dairy panel of two experienced grass dairymen and two more recent ones, produce panel (more in-depths profiles of the presenters will be published later), and a very proactive Organic Home section which will be sharing on topics ranging from backyard poultry to homemade holiday recipes.

Registration for the two day event is $25 per person per day or $35 per person for both days. They are still accepting vendors as well. Call 330.674.1892 for more info or visit and register online via the link below.

Location:
Mt. Hope Event Center
8076 OH-241
Millersburg, OH 44654

Contact:
Martha Kline / (330) 674-1892 /

http://www.organicfarmingconf.com

Online

Monday, December 5, 2022 through Monday, December 19, 2022
9 a.m.-12 p.m.

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Register today for this three-part winter course with farm consultant Ellen Polishuk of Plant to Profit! This course will build on the material covered in introductory sessions in January and March 2022 (available to watch on fairfarms.oeffa.org/polishuk). Take a deep dive into your numbers from the season to understand your farm's costs of production and calculate fair prices and wages.

The What: In order to increase farm profits, we have to dive into assessing IF and WHICH of our crops, enterprises, and markets are actually generating profits.

The Why: Growers are struggling to attract and retain excellent employees. We want to pay our people more. How much more can we really "afford" to pay?

The How: We are going to keep appropriate yield, labor, and cost data in the 2022 season.

The Deal: We will meet virtually in December to discuss how to discover profitability using three different strategies:
- Veggie Compass, whole farm profitability tool
- Individual Crop Costing Tool, provided by Kitchen Table Consultants
- An informative and organized Profit and Loss Report, a tool for making decisions on increasing labor cost

Visit fairfarms.oeffa.org/polishuk to view a recordkeeping checklist and costing tools resource list to keep track of your numbers this growing season.

The cost of this three-part course is $75 and includes the opportunity for a one-on-one consultation session with Ellen. Course capacity is limited to 40.

Location:
Online

Contact:
Jacob Taylor / (614) 725-3162 /

http://fairfarms.oeffa.org/polishuk

Newark, Ohio

Thursday, February 16, 2023 through Saturday, February 18, 2023
8 a.m.

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Save the date for the 2023 OEFFA conference, Germinate, Regenerate, Agitate!

Join OEFFA February 16-18, 2023, at Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, Ohio! The conference will again be three days of learning, sharing, and connecting in person with hundreds of sustainable farmers, gardeners, and local food supporters. From backyard gardening to pasture management to food policy, this conference covers diverse themes in organic and sustainable agriculture.

Registration opens this fall. Learn more and sign up for conference email updates at conference.oeffa.org.

Location:
Cherry Valley Hotel & Event Center
2299 Cherry Valley Rd. SE
Newark, OH 43055

Contact:
OEFFA / (614) 421-2022 /

http://conference.oeffa.org

COVID-19 UPDATE: