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    Minnesota Organic Conference logo

    This year's Minnesota Organic Conference features over 35 educational sessions and an 80-booth trade show, plus lots of time for networking. This schedule is subject to change.


    Thursday, January 11, 2024

    8:00 AM  Registration & continental breakfast

    • Sponsored by Germains Seed Technology

    9:00 AM  Breakout sessions

    • Social Media for Your Farm – Rachel Wandrei
    • New & Emerging Winter Annual Grains & Oilseeds – Matt Leavitt & Anne Schwagerl
    • Virtual Fencing for Your Farm – Scott Haase & Doug Voss
    • Holistic Approaches to Weed Management for Vegetables – Marissa Schuh
    • Going Solar on Your Farm – Bobby King & Joan Olson
    • Upping Your Documentation Game – Kenn Jenkins & Pete Kapustka

    10:00 AM  Trade show & break

    • Sponsored by Germains Seed Technology

    10:45 AM  General session

    • Conference welcome
    • Keynote address: Daphne Miller, MD
      • Sponsored by Compeer Financial

    11:45 AM  Lunch & trade show

    • Sponsored by Garratt Industries

    1:15 PM  Breakout sessions

    • USDA Organic Market Update – Heath Dewey
    • How Can a Cooperative Help You? – Carmen Fernholz & others
    • Preparing for Disease – Joe Armstrong, DVM
    • Adding Value, Not Risk, with Farm-Grown Products – Rachel Armstrong
    • Soil: Get the Basics Right – Gary Zimmer
    • Building Local Foods Capacity through On-Farm Community Events – Matt Barthelemy, Jan Joannides, & Kelley Rajala

    2:15 PM  Trade show & break

    3:00 PM  Breakout sessions

    • Grain Marketing Issues & Solutions – Rachel Armstrong & Harriet Behar
    • Confused about Hemp? – Katy Mutschler & farmer
    • Ask a Vet: Designing Health Protocols – Joe Armstrong, DVM
    • Connecting People with Produce – Naima Dhore
    • Maximizing the Benefits of Soil Health Practices – Tom Cotter
    • Grant Writing for Farmers & Small Businesses – Michael Sparby

    4:00 PM  Trade show & break

    4:15 PM  Legislative listening session

    • MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen, Senator Aric Putnam, Representative Samantha Vang, & others

    5:00 PM  Reception & evening social

    • Sponsored by Albert Lea Seed House & Minnesota Farmers Union

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    Friday, January 12, 2024

    7:30 AM  Registration and continental breakfast

    • Sponsored by Crop Fertility Services

    8:00 AM  Breakout sessions

    • Crop Insurance for Organic Operations – Kelsey Willardson
    • Living Trellis in Beans – Ken Kmiecik
    • Grazing for Soil Health – Kelly Anderson & Doug Voss
    • Progress in the Commercial Production of American Elderberries – Jon Jobes & Christopher Patton
    • What Needs to Be Regenerated? – Sandy Syburg & Gary Zimmer
    • Demystifying Organic Certification – Harriet Behar

    9:00 AM  Trade show & break

    • Sponsored by Crop Fertility Services

    9:45 AM  Breakout sessions

    • Leveraging Technology to Support Resilient Local Food Systems – Stefanie Jaeger & Anna Richardson
    • What’s New in Soybeans? – Shane Frederick (invited)
    • Improving the Health of Organic Dairy Cows & Heifers – Brad Heins
    • Hybrid Hazelnuts Bred for Minnesota – Lois Braun & Mike Lilja
    • Adding Covers to Your Soil Health Toolbox – Tom Cotter
    • Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) – Allison Walent

    10:45 AM  Trade show & break

    11:30 AM  General session

    • Keynote address: Carolyn Olson
      • Sponsored by Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI)

    12:30 PM  Lunch & trade show

    • Sponsored by MOSA Certified Organic

    2:00 PM  Breakout sessions

    • Organic Market Outlook: Market Risks and Opportunities – Alexander Schultz & others
    • Organic Grain Rotation Workshop – Nic Podoll
    • Growing Hybrid Rye for Organic Pork Success – Megan Kavanagh & Gabriella Lima
    • The Samba Wasp: New Biological Control for Berry Crops – Jay Delacy & Mary Rogers
    • Debates in Organic – Jenny Heck, Andrew Petran, & Jim Riddle

    3:00 PM  Conference ends

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