Educational Opportunities

Upcoming Educational Opportunities:

Feb 27 – Small Farm Meat Chicken Production (webinar)
Feb 28 – Soil Health, Plant Nutrition, and Human Health, East Lansing
Feb 28 – Unlocking Healing With Real Food, Howell
Mar 2-3 – Principles of Biological Systems, Howell
Mar 6 – Pruning Small Fruits (webinar)
Mar 6-7 – 2019 Indiana Organic Grai n Farmer Meeting, West Lafayette, IN
Mar 13 – Quality Hay and Pasture (webinar)
Mar 18-Nov 11 – MSU Organic Farmer Training Program, East Lansing
Mar 20 – Selling to Wholesale Buyers (webinar)
Mar 20 – Organic Practices for Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Carbon Sequestration (webinar)
May 22 – Understanding and Managing Soil Biology for Soil Health and Crop Production (webinar)
Mar 27 – Farm Financial Management: The Next Step (webinar)
Apr 3 – Cover Crop Types and Uses on your Farm (webinar)
Apr 5 – Michigan Racial Equity in the Food System Summit, Kalamazoo
May 10 – Starting and Sustaining a School Garden, Novi

Anytime:
- SARE 2018 Conference: Our Farms, Our Future. All conference materials available as video, podcasts, and posters.
- ATTRA Tutorials – self-guided and comprehensive multi-lesson tutorials in Scaling Up for Regional Markets, Pest Management, Farm Business Planning & Marketing for Beginnners, and Getting Started in Farming.
- USDA Science & Technology Training Library – contains hundreds of archived webinars on Bioenergy, Conservation, Forestry, and Sustainable Forests. Lists of upcoming webinars are also available on the site.
- Farmer-to-Farmer Podcast with Chris Blanchard. "Chris is a veteran farmer and educator who draws on over 25 years of experience to get at the big ideas and practical details that go into making a farm work. Whether his guests are discussing employment philosophy or the best techniques for cultivating carrots, his down-to-earth conversations with experienced farmers - and the occasional non-farmer - will be time well spent."
- Summaries of presentations at the 2016 Organic Agriculture Research Symposium are now available online at http://eorganic.info/node/16778. Many of the workshops and keynote presentations were recorded live and may be viewed via the eOrganic YouTube channel.
- Recorded presentations and associated materials from the Bionutrient Association's Soil & Nutrition Conferences over the past several years. Too many well-known names to list, connecting the dots between healthy soils, healthy people, and a healthy planet.
- Videos and presentations from the 2017 National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health sessions are now available.

Small Farm Meat Chicken Production — Feb 27

Beginning farmers and others with basic information needs are invited to participate in a series of twelve online programs addressing crop and livestock production, farm business and marketing on Wednesday evenings Jan. 16 through April 3, 2019. Participants will get an overview of a variety of farming enterprises and topics, and have an opportunity through live, online chat to ask questions of MSU and other agriculture experts. Each 60 minute live webinar presentation will begin at 7 p.m. EST and will include opportunities for chat-based 'question & answer' with the presenter. A $5 fee is charged for each webinar in the series, or $30 for the full series (50% savings!). You may register for all or some of the courses at any time, even if the session has already taken place. In that case, you will get a link to the recorded program. The webinars will be delivered on the ZOOM Webinar platform. A high-speed internet connection is required, and connection information will be emailed to registered participants prior to each webinar. Following each webinar, registered participants will receive a link to the recorded webinar. For program details and registration, visit https://events.anr.msu.edu/begfrmr19/.

Soil Health, Plant Nutrition, and Human Health — Feb 28

Dan Kittredge, Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association, will be giving a talk on the campus of MSU. "Soil Health, Plant Nutrition, and Human Health: Making the Connections" is to be the topic on Thursday, February 28th from 3 to 4 p.m. in Room 225 of the Natural Resources Building.

Unlocking Healing With Real Food — Feb 28

Dan Kittredge of the Bionutrient Food Association will discuss the connection between human health and food. The talk is free to those registered for the workshop on March 2-3, and $10 for all others who wish to attend. 7:00-9:00 pm at Cross W Ranch, 3111 Pinckney Rd., Howell, MI 48843. For more information: bionutrient.org/site/events/workshop-unlocking-healing-real-food.

Principles of Biological Systems — Mar 2-3

This two-day course provides an overview of the principles and practices of biological farming. Participation-based with questions and answers, the workshop is designed for farmers, growers, and gardeners of any type to learn current research and proven methods, and go step-by-step through the processes that will lead to optimum crop health and sustained yield. The course is presented by Dan Kittredge, Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association. For more information: http://bionutrient.org/site/workshops. MOFFA members are entitled to a $25 discount; email moffa for information.

Pruning Small Fruits — Mar 6

2019 Indiana Organic Grain Farmer Meeting — Mar 6-7

Save the date for Indiana’s only conference focused on organic grain production! We’ve expanded this annual meeting to a two-day conference with additional education and networking for organic grain farmers, ag professionals, and those considering a transition to organic grain.

Day One : Curious about organic grain production or how to get started? Engage in a full-day workshop on transitioning to organic grain production.

Day Two : Expand your knowledge with general and breakout sessions, networking time, and an industry trade show.

Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting? Email modonnel@purdue.edu or call 765-284-8414. The conference will be held at the Beck Agricultural Center, West Lafayette, Ind. For more information see https://extension.purdue.edu/event/24590 and look for a registration link in January to choose one or both days.

Quality Hay and Pasture — Mar 13

Organic Farmer Training Program — Mar 18-Nov 11

The Organic Farmer Training Program (OFTP) teaches organic farming through hands-on activities, farm walks, classroom activities & discussions, video lectures, readings, guest speakers, visits to 20+ Michigan farms and practical assignments, like writing a Farm Business Plan. The OFTP is a vibrant, diverse and positive learning community where students learn from each other and can share their unique skills, experience and goals. For more info, visit the OFTP Website or email your questions to msufarm@msu.edu.

Selling to Wholesale Buyers — Mar 20

Organic Practices for Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Carbon Sequestration — Mar 20

First in a series of 9 webinars sponsored by the Organic Farming Research Foundation and eOrganic focused on the topics covered in their new Soil Health and Organic Farming educational guides: building organic matter, weed management, conservation tillage, cover crops, plant breeding and variety selection, water management and quality, nutrient management, and more! This series is recommended for farmers, extension agents, educators, agricultural professionals, and others interested in building soil health.
In this webinar, we will discuss the capacity of sustainable organic systems and practices to sequester soil carbon, minimize nitrous oxide and methane emissions during crop and livestock production, and enhance agricultural resilience to weather extremes. The presentation will include practical guidelines for optimizing the organic farm’s “carbon footprint” and adaptability to climate disruptions already underway. For more information and to register, visit http://articles.extension.org/pages/74667/soil-health-and-organic-farming-webinar-series.

Understanding and Managing Soil Biology for Soil Health and Crop Production — May 22

First in a series of 9 webinars sponsored by the Organic Farming Research Foundation and eOrganic focused on the topics covered in their new Soil Health and Organic Farming educational guides: building organic matter, weed management, conservation tillage, cover crops, plant breeding and variety selection, water management and quality, nutrient management, and more! This series is recommended for farmers, extension agents, educators, agricultural professionals, and others interested in building soil health.
This webinar will examine the functions of the soil food web and key components thereof in promoting soil health and fertility and sustainable organic crop production. Research-based guidance on organic practices and NOP-approved inputs for improved soil food web function will be discussed. For more information and to register, visit http://articles.extension.org/pages/74667/soil-health-and-organic-farming-webinar-series.

Farm Financial Management: The Next Step — Mar 27

Cover Crop Types and Uses on Your Farm — Apr 3

Michigan Racial Equity in the Food System Summit — Apr 5

The Summit will focus on education, dialogue, and inspiring advocacy concerning structural inequities in the food system. Sessions will center on the theme of access to power as it relates to land, labor and food by historically marginalized communities. Keynote speaker for the event is renown chef and writer Tunde Wey, who uses food to help illustrate institutional inequities that exist in food and health. Lunch will be provided. Registration is $50 per person. Need-based scholarships are available. For more information and to register: https://www.campusce.net/kvcccommunity/course/course.aspx?catId=74.

Starting and Sustaining a School Garden — May 10

Starting and Sustaining a School Garden: Exploring Seasons in the Garden: A conference designed for hands-on teachers, parents & volunteers involved in school gardens. The conference will be held on Friday, May 10, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Tollgate Education Center and Farm located at 28115 Meadowbrook Road Novi, MI 48377. The registration fee is $85.00 for the entire day and includes lunch. Online registration is available at: https://events.anr.msu.edu/SchoolGarden2019/.