Thursday, January 5, 2023
8:00 AM Registration and continental breakfast
Sponsored by OCIA MN #1
9:00 AM Breakout sessions
- Ecosystem Services: Credit Where Due – Matthew Fitzgerald & Wendy Johnson (sponsored by Grain Place Foods, Inc.)
- Interpreting the Origin of Livestock Rule – Mary Capehart
- Strawberry Fields Forever: Growing Organically in Minnesota – Mary Rogers & Gigi DiGiacomo
- Farm Marketing 101 – Sarah Carroll & Sarah Wescott
- A Better You for A Better Farm – Emily Krekelberg
- A Pair with Potential: Hybrid Rye + Swine – Carmen Fernholz, Yuzhi Li, & Andrew VanDerPol
10:00 AM Trade show and break
Sponsored by OCIA MN #1
10:45 AM General session
- Conference welcome – MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey
- Keynote “Strength from the Soil: How Organic Farmers and Sound Public Policy Can Straighten the Whiffletree of U.S. Agriculture” – Sarah Vogel (sponsored by North Star Hemp DBA Carpe Diem CBD)
11:45 AM Lunch and trade show
Sponsored by Garratt Industries Ltd.
1:15 PM Breakout sessions
- Putting Organic Dairy Research to Work – Brad Heins & Sabrina Portner (sponsored by Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota)
- Worms, Germs, and Nasty Things – Jeff Bender & Colin Yoder
- Improving High Tunnel Soils with Cover Crops – Julie Grossman & Hannah Walsh
- Unleash Biology! The Benefits of Soil Microbes – Adria Fernandez & Marie Schaedel (sponsored by Solar Farm, LLC)
- Keeping Organic Soybean Fields Clean – Jonathan Olson (sponsored by Minnesota Crop Improvement Association)
- Crop Insurance for the Conservation-Minded – Kate Hansen & Megan Vaith
2:15 PM Trade show and break
3:00 PM Breakout sessions
- Grazing for Grassland: Conservation Grazing into the Future – Stephen Thomforde (sponsored by Compeer Financial)
- The Nuts and Bolts of Productive Family Farm Meetings – Alma Jorgensen
- Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouses for Market Growers – Claire Cambray, Dan Handeen, & Crispin Phillips
- Small But Profitable: Organic Farm Financial Performance in the Upper Midwest – Gigi DiGiacomo, Erik Heimark, Kevin Knoblach, & Angela & Nate Walter (sponsored by Mountain High Organics)
- Covers That Pay: Kernza®, Camelina, and Other New For-Profit Cover Crops – Carmen Fernholz, Mitch Hunter, & Anne Schwagerl (sponsored by MISA & MN SARE)
- Gaining Market Power and Competitive Advantage through Cooperatives – Kevin Edberg & Mike Schulist (sponsored by Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing)
4:30 PM Reception and evening social
Sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union
Friday, January 6, 2023
7:30 AM Registration and continental breakfast
Sponsored by F.W. Cobs Company
8:00 AM Breakout sessions
- Building Organic Grain Markets – Mark Schoenfeld (sponsored by Cargill, Inc.)
- Transitioning to Organic – Nic Podoll (sponsored by Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program)
- Weed Management for Organic Fruits & Vegetables – Erik Heimark
- Organic Dairy Can Store Carbon: Strategies for the Future – Rebecca Larson (sponsored by Cashton Farm Supply – CFS Specialties)
- Organic Hemp and CBD Production: Healthy Business and Healthy Self – Brock Friesen, Neil Hultgren, & Ben Lipkin
- Building a Sustainable Direct-to-Market Farm Business – James Maiocco, & Valerie & Jared Luhman
9:00 AM Trade show and break
Sponsored by F.W. Cobs Company
9:45 AM Breakout sessions
- Nutrient Management Basics for Organic Farms – Glen Borgerding (sponsored by Marbleseed)
- Organic Isn’t Organic if You Can’t Document It – Kenn Jenkins & Pete Kapustka
- Ask a Vet: Grazing Season Health Issues – Greg Brickner (sponsored by Organic Valley – CROPP Cooperative)
- Planning for Change: Are Organic Soybeans and Corn Right for You? – Shane Frederick
- Farming and Food Systems in Uncertain Times: A Conversation – Kathy Draeger
- From Basement to Business: Scaling Our Mushroom Company – Nick Robinson
10:45 AM Trade show and break
11:30 AM Keynote address
- Keynote “Everyone has a Role” – Carmen Fernholz
12:30 PM Lunch and trade show
Sponsored by MOSA Certified Organic
2:00 PM Breakout sessions
- Facing the Future: Marketing Organic Agricultural Products – Discussion group
- Organic or Regenerative or Sustainable: What's in a Name? – Discussion group
- ANOTHER Disease or Pest? Where do we go from here? – Discussion group
- What's New at the U? How can we make research “sexy”? – Discussion group
- Agriculture in a Changing Climate: What's Next? – Discussion group
2023 Schedule
Thursday, January 5, 2023
8:00 AM Registration and continental breakfast
Sponsored by OCIA MN #1
9:00 AM Breakout sessions
- Ecosystem Services: Credit Where Due – Matthew Fitzgerald & Wendy Johnson (sponsored by Grain Place Foods, Inc.)
- Interpreting the Origin of Livestock Rule – Mary Capehart
- Strawberry Fields Forever: Growing Organically in Minnesota – Mary Rogers & Gigi DiGiacomo
- Farm Marketing 101 – Sarah Carroll & Sarah Wescott
- A Better You for A Better Farm – Emily Krekelberg
- A Pair with Potential: Hybrid Rye + Swine – Carmen Fernholz, Yuzhi Li, & Andrew VanDerPol
10:00 AM Trade show and break
Sponsored by OCIA MN #1
10:45 AM General session
- Conference welcome – MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey
- Keynote “Strength from the Soil: How Organic Farmers and Sound Public Policy Can Straighten the Whiffletree of U.S. Agriculture” – Sarah Vogel (sponsored by North Star Hemp DBA Carpe Diem CBD)
11:45 AM Lunch and trade show
Sponsored by Garratt Industries Ltd.
1:15 PM Breakout sessions
- Putting Organic Dairy Research to Work – Brad Heins & Sabrina Portner (sponsored by Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota)
- Worms, Germs, and Nasty Things – Jeff Bender & Colin Yoder
- Improving High Tunnel Soils with Cover Crops – Julie Grossman & Hannah Walsh
- Unleash Biology! The Benefits of Soil Microbes – Adria Fernandez & Marie Schaedel (sponsored by Solar Farm, LLC)
- Keeping Organic Soybean Fields Clean – Jonathan Olson (sponsored by Minnesota Crop Improvement Association)
- Crop Insurance for the Conservation-Minded – Kate Hansen & Megan Vaith
2:15 PM Trade show and break
3:00 PM Breakout sessions
- Grazing for Grassland: Conservation Grazing into the Future – Stephen Thomforde (sponsored by Compeer Financial)
- The Nuts and Bolts of Productive Family Farm Meetings – Alma Jorgensen
- Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouses for Market Growers – Claire Cambray, Dan Handeen, & Crispin Phillips
- Small But Profitable: Organic Farm Financial Performance in the Upper Midwest – Gigi DiGiacomo, Erik Heimark, Kevin Knoblach, & Angela & Nate Walter (sponsored by Mountain High Organics)
- Covers That Pay: Kernza®, Camelina, and Other New For-Profit Cover Crops – Carmen Fernholz, Mitch Hunter, & Anne Schwagerl (sponsored by MISA & MN SARE)
- Gaining Market Power and Competitive Advantage through Cooperatives – Kevin Edberg & Mike Schulist (sponsored by Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing)
4:30 PM Reception and evening social
Sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union
Friday, January 6, 2023
7:30 AM Registration and continental breakfast
Sponsored by F.W. Cobs Company
8:00 AM Breakout sessions
- Building Organic Grain Markets – Mark Schoenfeld (sponsored by Cargill, Inc.)
- Transitioning to Organic – Nic Podoll (sponsored by Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program)
- Weed Management for Organic Fruits & Vegetables – Erik Heimark
- Organic Dairy Can Store Carbon: Strategies for the Future – Rebecca Larson (sponsored by Cashton Farm Supply – CFS Specialties)
- Organic Hemp and CBD Production: Healthy Business and Healthy Self – Brock Friesen, Neil Hultgren, & Ben Lipkin
- Building a Sustainable Direct-to-Market Farm Business – James Maiocco, & Valerie & Jared Luhman
9:00 AM Trade show and break
Sponsored by F.W. Cobs Company
9:45 AM Breakout sessions
- Nutrient Management Basics for Organic Farms – Glen Borgerding (sponsored by Marbleseed)
- Organic Isn’t Organic if You Can’t Document It – Kenn Jenkins & Pete Kapustka
- Ask a Vet: Grazing Season Health Issues – Greg Brickner (sponsored by Organic Valley – CROPP Cooperative)
- Planning for Change: Are Organic Soybeans and Corn Right for You? – Shane Frederick
- Farming and Food Systems in Uncertain Times: A Conversation – Kathy Draeger
- From Basement to Business: Scaling Our Mushroom Company – Nick Robinson
10:45 AM Trade show and break
11:30 AM Keynote address
- Keynote “Everyone has a Role” – Carmen Fernholz
12:30 PM Lunch and trade show
Sponsored by MOSA Certified Organic
2:00 PM Breakout sessions
- Facing the Future: Marketing Organic Agricultural Products – Discussion group
- Organic or Regenerative or Sustainable: What's in a Name? – Discussion group
- ANOTHER Disease or Pest? Where do we go from here? – Discussion group
- What's New at the U? How can we make research “sexy”? – Discussion group
- Agriculture in a Changing Climate: What's Next? – Discussion group
Thursday, January 5, 2023
8:00 AM Registration and continental breakfast
Sponsored by OCIA MN #1
9:00 AM Breakout sessions
- Ecosystem Services: Credit Where Due – Matthew Fitzgerald & Wendy Johnson (sponsored by Grain Place Foods, Inc.)
- Interpreting the Origin of Livestock Rule – Mary Capehart
- Strawberry Fields Forever: Growing Organically in Minnesota – Mary Rogers & Gigi DiGiacomo
- Farm Marketing 101 – Sarah Carroll & Sarah Wescott
- A Better You for A Better Farm – Emily Krekelberg
- A Pair with Potential: Hybrid Rye + Swine – Carmen Fernholz, Yuzhi Li, & Andrew VanDerPol
10:00 AM Trade show and break
Sponsored by OCIA MN #1
10:45 AM General session
- Conference welcome – MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey
- Keynote “Strength from the Soil: How Organic Farmers and Sound Public Policy Can Straighten the Whiffletree of U.S. Agriculture” – Sarah Vogel (sponsored by North Star Hemp DBA Carpe Diem CBD)
11:45 AM Lunch and trade show
Sponsored by Garratt Industries Ltd.
1:15 PM Breakout sessions
- Putting Organic Dairy Research to Work – Brad Heins & Sabrina Portner (sponsored by Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota)
- Worms, Germs, and Nasty Things – Jeff Bender & Colin Yoder
- Improving High Tunnel Soils with Cover Crops – Julie Grossman & Hannah Walsh
- Unleash Biology! The Benefits of Soil Microbes – Adria Fernandez & Marie Schaedel (sponsored by Solar Farm, LLC)
- Keeping Organic Soybean Fields Clean – Jonathan Olson (sponsored by Minnesota Crop Improvement Association)
- Crop Insurance for the Conservation-Minded – Kate Hansen & Megan Vaith
2:15 PM Trade show and break
3:00 PM Breakout sessions
- Grazing for Grassland: Conservation Grazing into the Future – Stephen Thomforde (sponsored by Compeer Financial)
- The Nuts and Bolts of Productive Family Farm Meetings – Alma Jorgensen
- Farm Scale Deep Winter Greenhouses for Market Growers – Claire Cambray, Dan Handeen, & Crispin Phillips
- Small But Profitable: Organic Farm Financial Performance in the Upper Midwest – Gigi DiGiacomo, Erik Heimark, Kevin Knoblach, & Angela & Nate Walter (sponsored by Mountain High Organics)
- Covers That Pay: Kernza®, Camelina, and Other New For-Profit Cover Crops – Carmen Fernholz, Mitch Hunter, & Anne Schwagerl (sponsored by MISA & MN SARE)
- Gaining Market Power and Competitive Advantage through Cooperatives – Kevin Edberg & Mike Schulist (sponsored by Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing)
4:30 PM Reception and evening social
Sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union
Friday, January 6, 2023
7:30 AM Registration and continental breakfast
Sponsored by F.W. Cobs Company
8:00 AM Breakout sessions
- Building Organic Grain Markets – Mark Schoenfeld (sponsored by Cargill, Inc.)
- Transitioning to Organic – Nic Podoll (sponsored by Minnesota Ag Water Quality Certification Program)
- Weed Management for Organic Fruits & Vegetables – Erik Heimark
- Organic Dairy Can Store Carbon: Strategies for the Future – Rebecca Larson (sponsored by Cashton Farm Supply – CFS Specialties)
- Organic Hemp and CBD Production: Healthy Business and Healthy Self – Brock Friesen, Neil Hultgren, & Ben Lipkin
- Building a Sustainable Direct-to-Market Farm Business – James Maiocco, & Valerie & Jared Luhman
9:00 AM Trade show and break
Sponsored by F.W. Cobs Company
9:45 AM Breakout sessions
- Nutrient Management Basics for Organic Farms – Glen Borgerding (sponsored by Marbleseed)
- Organic Isn’t Organic if You Can’t Document It – Kenn Jenkins & Pete Kapustka
- Ask a Vet: Grazing Season Health Issues – Greg Brickner (sponsored by Organic Valley – CROPP Cooperative)
- Planning for Change: Are Organic Soybeans and Corn Right for You? – Shane Frederick
- Farming and Food Systems in Uncertain Times: A Conversation – Kathy Draeger
- From Basement to Business: Scaling Our Mushroom Company – Nick Robinson
10:45 AM Trade show and break
11:30 AM Keynote address
- Keynote “Everyone has a Role” – Carmen Fernholz
12:30 PM Lunch and trade show
Sponsored by MOSA Certified Organic
2:00 PM Breakout sessions
- Facing the Future: Marketing Organic Agricultural Products – Discussion group
- Organic or Regenerative or Sustainable: What's in a Name? – Discussion group
- ANOTHER Disease or Pest? Where do we go from here? – Discussion group
- What's New at the U? How can we make research “sexy”? – Discussion group
- Agriculture in a Changing Climate: What's Next? – Discussion group
September 20, 2023
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) in Mille Lacs and Benton County for the first time. There are now 44 counties in the state, including Mille Lacs and Benton, with EAB.
Tree care professionals in both counties noticed trees with signs of an EAB infestation and made reports to the MDA. The Mille Lacs County infestation was discovered in Milaca along a set of powerlines. The Benton County infestation was found in a neighborhood in St. Cloud.
EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. The trees show several signs of infestation. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Mille Lacs and Benton County, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine which limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area. The quarantine area for Mille Lacs County will be the southern portion of the county south of County Road 11, from Benton to the Isanti County border. All of Benton County will be under the EAB quarantine.
The MDA issues quarantines for all areas known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.
A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Mille Lacs and Benton County will be held on September 28, 2023, from 10 – 11 a.m. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
September 28, 2023
10 – 11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab
The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add Mille Lacs and Benton County’s emergency quarantine to the state’s formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through October 30, 2023, and recommends adopting the quarantine on November 1, 2023. The proposed quarantine language can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.
Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:
Kimberly Thielen Cremers
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Kimberly.TCremers@state.mn.us
There is more EAB information on the MDA website.
###
Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us
