Training will Address Demand for Organic Food and Feed Grains
0 votes
Producers interested in transitioning to organic agriculture and agriculture professionals wanting to learn more about organic production and markets should attend a one-day training being held in Adair County on Sept. 23, 2008.
“Transitioning to Organic Agriculture,” a hands-on workshop sponsored by Iowa State University Extension, USDA-SARE and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, is open to anyone interested in knowing more about the latest demand for organic food and feed grains and Iowa’s ability to address that demand.
The workshop will be held at the Neely-Kinyon Farm, home of one of the largest organic research sites in the United States. The farm is located two miles south of Greenfield on Highway 25, one mile east and a half mile north. Beginning at 9 a.m., participants will have an opportunity to learn about crops to grow and markets to know.
“Inadequate domestic supply of organic food and feed grains presents a viable economic opportunity to U.S. farmers,” said Kathleen Delate, Iowa State University associate professor of organic agriculture. “Transitioning to successful organic production requires rapid acquisition of production, marketing and financial management skills.”
The training will cover these topics plus a session on organic vegetable and fruit production. Speakers include Craig Chase, ISU Extension economist; Lowell Rheinheimer, Organic Valley Producers’ Pool; Ron Dunphy, organic farmer; Eldon Everhart, ISU Extension horticulturist; and Diane Weiland, H.A. Wallace CSA director.
The workshop will be offered free of charge and includes lunch featuring local, organic produce served at the Henry A. Wallace birthplace museum and farm. This historical site consists of organic vegetable and fruit production, a community supported agriculture garden, orchard and many other features that pay tribute to Wallace’s life.
To register for the one-day workshop, contact Kathy Rohrig at the Adair County Extension office at (641) 743-8412 or email krohrig@iastate.edu .
-30-
- Full story: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2008/sep/161201.htm
- from Iowa State University Extension - News