Is This the ‘New Normal’? Adapting the Farm to Changing Realities Weather, Markets, Agronomics

Albert Lea Seed is hosting it's free Annual Conference on November 21st and Nov 22nd. 

Thursday, November 21st: Diversifying the Conventional Farm

Friday, November 22nd: Adapting Organic Farm Practices

For more information, or to register:  https://www.alseed.com/2019-annual-conference/

 SILT's 2nd annual FoodieFest celebrates and supports healthy food farms across Iowa. 

Thursday, November 21, 2019
6 pm Reception
7 pm Dinner and program

 > Foodie-centered Silent Auction!
 > Guest Speaker Veggie Thumper!
 > SILT’s First Growing Good Award!
 > Locally sourced 3-course meal (with vegetarian option) sources from Farm Table Procurement and Delivery and Niman Ranch.

For more information or to register, visit silt.org/foodiefest2019.

IOA is excited to partner with Earl and Jeff Hafner of Early Morning Harvest, long-time IOA members, with their annual Fall Harvest Open House.  Early Morning Harvest is an organic grain mill and aquaponic greenhouse, providing fresh flours and produce to chefs and individuals in the area.  The Hafners produce everything they mill, they even package and market their products utilizing their website and local coops and contracts. 

Visitors are welcome to tour the Organic Flour Mill, aquaponic greenhouse and their on-farm store anytime between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.  This is a great time of year to stock up on your organic baking products right before holiday season, and a great way to support your local farmer!  There will be a sewing demonstration and many different food samples highlighting local products provided in the farm store.

At 3 p.m. Jeff will give a presentation about "Overcoming Potential Soil Imbalance with Tissue Testing and Follar Feeding."

Website: https://earlymorningharvest.com/

Diversity = Stability: Elements of Diversity in Optimizing Organic Profitability
The Iowa Organic Conference is a joint effort between Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. Producers and experts from across the country will share tips for transitioning into organic production and methods to enhance organic operations.  

For more information or to register:  https://register.extension.iastate.edu/iowaorganic. 

The conference’s keynote speaker is Alex Heilman of Mercaris, Inc. speaking on “Profitability of Organic Ag: Now and Into the Future.” Mercaris is a leading source of organic marketing information in the U.S.

The conference begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 24, with a special movie at the UI Memorial Union featuring one of our speakers: Dreaming of a Vetter World. A reception follows, featuring local and organic food and drinks. The conference lunch on Monday afternoon highlights local and organic produce, meats and dairy products assembled into a gourmet meal by Barry Greenberg, executive chef,   and his UI Dining team.

Monday’s break-out sessions start at 8 a.m. and include information on transitioning into organic farming, weed management, organic livestock production, and alternative crops such as hops and hemp. Sessions on improving soil quality, pest management, and a special Bill Stowe Memorial Session on Enhancing Water Quality in Iowa will feature scientists from UI.

The IOA Annual Meeting provides a great opportunity for members to connect, network, and help strengthen Iowa’s organic community.  The program will focus on highlights from 2019, sharing our updated Strategic Plan, developing priorities for the coming year and hearing from you about important organic issues and experiences.

The program will also include presentations from OGRAIN about their new financial assessment tool, Compass, to help with decisions related to organic transition and expansion. Rodale scientists, Kristine Lang and Carl Rosier will introduce the Iowa project with the Midwest Organic Center and Sugar Etzel Grove Farm and HyVee is sponsoring an organic meal and the chef will be on-site to share details about the meal. 

RSVP online: https://www.iowaorganic.org/ioa_2019_annual_meeting. The Annual Meeting is no-cost to members; non-members: $20.  

The Perennial Farm Gathering will be held on December 6th and 7th, 2019 at the Sinsinawa Mound Center near Dubuque, Iowa. This year’s program will feature keynote speaker Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquín (President and CEO of Regenerative Agriculture Alliance), panels and workshops with Midwest agroforestry experts, perennial food and beverage tastings, and the ever-popular 5-minute Nutshell Show & Tell talks, which are open to all attendees.  For more information or to register: http://www.savannainstitute.org/2019-perennial-farm-gathering.html

The Iowa Farmers Union State Convention is a chance for members from all over Iowa to connect with one another, hear from world-renowned speakers, attend educational sessions, and influence changes made to our guiding policy. For more information, or to register, visit:  https://iowafarmersunion.org/annual-convention/#.

The Perennial Fund is partnering with IOA, the Conservation Learning Group and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture to deliver a webinar about new loan resources for farmers interested in organic transition or expansion.

The Perennial Fund is a newly established non-profit with a mission to provide operating loans, business planning, technical support, and market access to help farmers expand certified-organic acreage using regenerative practices. The Fund serves current organic farmers who want to expand in 2020, as well as those interested or in the midst of transitioning to organic. Loans can be used to cover operational costs, equipment, and infrastructure. Farmers do not pay back the fund until they are making net profits, paying nothing during the 36-month transition period and having any amount owed after year 10 completely forgiven. The Perennial Fund is seeking an initial 10-15 farmers for the pilot program.

Interested in learning more?  Participate in the Dec 11 webinar, visit the Perennial Fund’s website or call Brandon at 508-930-0885.

RSVP below to receive webinar instructions.