Organic Farming Conference marks 10th year Nov. 6–7 at Mt. Hope Event Center

The 10th annual Organic Farming Conference will take place Thursday, Nov. 6 and Friday, Nov. 7 at the Mt. Hope Event Center.

The organic movement's message is that small-scale farms can be cleaner, smarter and more efficient than corporate agribusiness.

On Thursday, Greg Bachman, a young dairy farmer, will start the day off with a talk on how they started with one cow and are now milking 70.

Farm succession was discussed at last year's conference. This year young farmers Tim Miller, John Miller and Jared Miller will give their perspectives on “letting go."

Keith Berns will give two presentations — the economy of the soil and the benefit of cover crops. Both can affect a farmer's bottom line.

Brian Bruckly of Jorgenson Farms will give a talk on direct marketing and permanent bed gardening. There also will be discussions on getting started in organic produce and timber management.

On Friday, Jordan Settlage will speak on Grazing Against the Grain. A dairy farmer from Western Ohio, he will share how they built a low-input forage-based system that fits their farm, cows and goals. Settlage has a unique milking schedule.

Another dairy farmer, Alvin Lee Lambright, will talk about their journey from a startup conventional dairy to organic, fall freshening to 100% grassfed with year-round freshening.

Later in the day, Lambright will team up with Jacob Beachy, and they will share their views on dairy economics and record keeping.

Aaron Hershberger will speak on balancing family, farming and nature.

Donna Askew will talk about raising goats without chemicals, antibiotics or vaccines. She has a lot of experience raising multiple species using this method, including goats, sheep and cattle.

There will be a panel on growing organic produce and topics on organic tree fruit production and growing and storing your own food. The Organic Home section is packed both days with presentations for anyone who wishes to learn more about sustainable living.

The conference and vendor show will once again focus on providing information and tools that promote sustainable practices. It gives attendees the opportunity to gather and share ideas that will help them make informed choices that impact their farms, health and environment.

Registration for the two-day event is $25 per person per day or $40 per person for both days. A full-course organic meal and snacks are included with the registration.

Vendors also are being accepted. Call 330-231-4226 for information or visit www.organicfarmingconf.com.

For a free brochure, write to OFC, 5119 Township Road 613, Fredericksburg, OH 44627.