Jan 16, 2020
‘Country’s largest’ organic ag expo coming next month in Wisconsin
With ever-tightening margins in farming, more farmers are looking to organic production as a way to maintain profitability. Farmers who want to learn the latest on organic methods for field crops, livestock, vegetables, and specialty crops will head to the 31st Annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference Feb. 27-29, 2020, in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The conference, organized by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), is the country’s largest event on organic agriculture. It features 60 workshops over six sessions, 10 full-day classes, a two-floor trade show, roundtable discussions, and more opportunities to network and learn.
Emily Fowell, a farmer from Westby, Wisconsin, who has been to the MOSES Conference the last three years, has found it to be “absolutely packed with useful and applicable information from beginning to end.” Tim Daley, an agronomist in Iowa who attends multiple farm conferences, calls MOSES “the best conference out there.”
The three-day event starts Thursday, Feb. 27 with in-depth Organic University classes running from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The 10 classes are:
- Conservation Programs to Support Organic Farms
- Financial Impact of Organic Grain Transition
- Healthy Small Ruminants
- Highs and Lows of Growing CBD Hemp
- Five Steps to a Fair Farm
- Manage Your High Tunnels for Long-Term Success
- Managed Grazing for Healthier Dairy and Beef Herds
- Rotations for Reduced Tillage and Resilience
- Start a Producer-Owned Cooperative
- Strategies for Successful Organic Tree-Fruit Production in the Midwest
The MOSES Conference trade show features more than 170 vendors—buyers, suppliers, and organizations offering services that support farmers. It opens the evening of Feb. 27 and runs through Feb. 29. Admission to the trade show is included with conference registration.
Leah Penniman, the author of “Farming While Black,” gives the keynote Feb. 28. She has been a soil steward and food sovereignty activist for more than 20 years. John Ikerd presents the keynote Feb. 29. He is a visionary economist, educator, and author, whose life work has focused on family-scale farms that protect the natural ecosystem, nurture rural communities, and provide livelihoods for farmers.
See mosesorganic.org/conference for registration information, workshop descriptions, and more details.
