Friday, December 06, 2013

Register today and save!

Join us for the 15th Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference! Register before December 20 and save.

We're moving to a bigger barn!

Due to the tremendous popularity of this gathering of small farmers and growers, food enthusiasts, homesteaders and engaged eaters, the 2014 conference will be held at the Grand Traverse Resort, just north of Traverse City, on Saturday, February 1, 2014.



With keynote speaker, John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri Columbia. John Ikerd was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri and received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri. He worked in private industry for a time and spent thirty years in various professorial positions at four different state universities before retiring in early 2000. Since retiring, he spends most of his time writing and speaking on issues related to sustainability. He is the author of five published books and two free on-line books which can be located through his personal website at www.johnikerd.com.

2014 Conference Sessions
  • Cut Flower Farm Start-up, Beth Weaver, Black Dog Farms
  • Designing Resilient Farms and Homesteads, Mark Angelini, Roots to Fruits, LLC
  • Field and Fork: One Example of Value Added Integration, Abra Berens, Bare Knuckle Farm
  • Farmland Preservation as a Tool in Farmland Transfers, Brian Bourdages, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
  • Firewise on the Farm, Jed Jaworski, MSU Extension
  • First Year Cut Flower Growing, Julie Hay, Red Fox Gardens; Michelle Shackelford, Perbellus Farms; September Dykema, September’s Herbs and Produce, LLC
  • Food Forestry and Holistic Orcharding, Trevor Newman, Roots to Fruits, LLC
  • Food Safety For Vegetable Farms, Atina Diffley, farmer and author of Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works
  • Grapevines in the Landscape, Chantal M Lefebvre, WaterFire Vineyards
  • Grass Finishing beef in Northern Michigan, Jason Rowntree, Michigan State University
  • Growing the Farm, Ryan and Andrea Romeyn, Providence Farm
  • Home Made Season Extension, Craig Schaaf, Golden Rule Farm
  • Hoophouse/High Tunnel Soil Fertility Management, John Biernbaum, MSU Horticulture,  MOFFA
  • How the National Organic Program Certification and Food Safety Certification are (and are not) Complementary, Vicki Morrone, Organic Farming Specialist, MSU Center For Regional Food Systems
  • Keep The Quality: Post-Harvest Handling for Vegetable Farms, Atina Diffley, farmer and author of Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works
  • Market Strategies That Work for You, Atina Diffley, farmer and author of Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works
  • Make Your Produce Stand a Destination by Cultivating Multiple Mushroom Species, Joe Krawczyk  and Mary Ellen Kozak, Field & Forest Products
  • Movements Toward Food Sovereignty in Native American Communities, Dan Cornelius, Intertribal Agriculture Council
  • Organic and Middle-aged: Ecological Succession as a Model for Growth on an Organic Farm, Lee Arboreal, Eaters’ Guild Farm
  • Reducing Fossil Fuel Use in Vegetable Production, Peter Robertson, Agropraxis Farm at Tillers International
  • Selling at Market, Christina Carson, Traverse City’s Sarah Hardy Farmers Market, FarmRaiser Campaign Coordinator; Jess Piskor, Bare Knucle Farm
  • Selling Into New Markets and Food Hubs: Boot Camp for Financial and Food Safety Success for Small Farmers, Marty Gerencer, Morse Marketing; Nic Welty, Nine Bean Rows LLC; Gary Matteson, Vice President, Young, Beginning, Small Farmer Programs and Outreach; Joe Colyn, Originz; Chad Gerencer, Program Associate of Sustainable Systems, Morse Marketing Connections; Natasha Lantz, Marquette Food Co-Op, Co-lead of the UP Food Exchange; Phil Tocco, MSU Extension, Jackson Co.; Rich Pirog, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems
  • Small Farm Ergonomics: Tools and Techniques for the Small Farm, Craig Schaaf, Golden Rule Farm
  • Small Scale Hop Production, Joel Mulder and Brian Tennis, The Michigan Hop Alliance
  • Land Access + Small Scale Poultry for Direct Markets, Ben Brown, Sonny’s Farm
  • Soil Water Management and Conservation, John Biernbaum, MSU Horticulture,  MOFFA; Carolyn Lowry, MSU Horticulture,  MOFFA
  • Two Generations Deep Into Sustainability, Patty Cantrell, Healthy Living Alliance; John Ikerd, University of Missouri Columbia  
  • Using Technology for Production and Conservation on the Small Farm, David Coveyou, Coveyou Scenic Farm

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