Register soon for OEFFA conference

Registration is open for the annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, which organizers call the region’s premier sustainable food and farm conference.

The conference includes CFAES as one of its sponsors, and some of its many speakers will be from CFAES. It’s set for Feb. 12 online and Feb. 17–19 in Dayton.

Learn more about attending the OEFFA conference.

Weed-free gardens organically?

Cathy Herms, manager of the Weed Lab at CFAES Wooster, presents “Organic Weed Control for the Home or Small Plot” at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 7, in the Organic Food and Farming Education and Research program’s winter webinar series.

“There’s no magic cure for weeds,” the event description says, “but there are biological principles that can guide your approach to weed management and help you avoid chemical solutions.”

Participating in the webinar is free and open to the public.

Find details and the login link.

Just how polluted are some urban soils, and how can organic farming help them?

CFAES scientist Larry Phelan presents “Remediation of Post-Industrial Urban Soils by Organic Management”—based on soil health research in vacant lots in Cleveland—from 11–11:45 a.m. Wednesday, March 31.

His talk is part of the free public winter webinar series by CFAES’ Organic Food and Farming Education and Research program.

Learn more and get the log-in details (scroll down).

What research shows about how to improve soil health

CFAES’ Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program hosts a free public webinar, “Management Practices That Impact Soil Health and Organic Matter,” by Christine Sprunger, assistant professor in the CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 17. It’s part of a weekly series by OFFER. Learn more.

OEFFA conference coming soon

Registration is open for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s 42nd annual conference, Ohio’s largest such event focused on sustainable agriculture, set for Feb. 10–15 online.

The conference sponsors include three CFAES programs, and among the 60-plus scheduled speakers are 10 from CFAES and Ohio State.

Learn more and register. The deadline to register is Feb. 8.

‘Extraordinary service to sustainable agriculture’

At its annual conference this past weekend, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) honored CFAES’ Alan Sundermeier, pictured, with its 2020 Service Award, recognizing his “extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture.” Sundermeier is director and agriculture and natural resources educator in the Wood County office of CFAES’ OSU Extension outreach arm. Read the OEFFA press release.

Be part of ‘A Climate for Change’

Registration is open for the 2020 Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) annual conference set for Feb. 13–15 in Dayton. Its theme is “A Climate for Change.”

“This year’s event features speakers and sessions dedicated to creating a climate to change agriculture,” OEFFA Program Director Renee Hunt said. “Cultivating a resilient, just, and sustainable agricultural system can help farmers mitigate their climate risks, and address our global crisis.”

The event’s 72 speakers will include nine from CFAES. Look for details on their talks on this blog in the coming weeks.

Find full details on the conference and a link to register.

Nov. 21: Organic research meeting for CFAESers

CFAES’ Organic Food and Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program is hosting “Positioning Ohio as a Leader in Organics,” a meeting to discuss future organic research priorities and resources, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at the CFAES Wooster campus.

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Tour: Their sunny change to specialty crops

Guy and Sandy Ashmore, owners of That Guy’s Family Farm in southwest Ohio, transitioned in the late 1990s from traditional row crop production to certified organic production. In the process, they diversified into specialty crops, including produce and cut flowers; reduced the acreage they need to turn to a profit; and diversified their business network by partnering with their son and daughter.

How did they do it? What did they learn? Find out on Sunday, Aug. 11, as part of the Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series.

CFAES is one of the series presenters. (Photo: Getty Images.)