Midwest small-farm conference to focus on organic food production
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Livestock and produce farmers wishing to differentiate their products for niche markets will have a chance to learn about different strategies at the 2006 Midwest Small Farm Conference Feb. 11 at the Montgomery County 4-H Fairgrounds in Crawfordsville."The conference will offer a range of topics, with an emphasis on grass-based production of livestock or dairy, and production of produce and specialty crops," said Steve Bonney, president of Sustainable Earth, a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to the development of sustainable farming and food systems. "There will also be emphasis on organic, natural or transitional production and marketing."
Speakers and topics for the conference, called Carving Your Niche, include:
• Neil McDonald of Traders Point Creamery, Indianapolis, will speak on essential and fine points of managed-intensive grass farming in New Zealand.
• Jim Luzar, Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service educator, Montgomery County, will speak on options and considerations when financing new farm enterprises.
• Jim and LeeAnn VanDerPol, hog and grain farmers of Kerkoven, Minn., will speak about how they have specialized their production and added value to support four generations on their farm.
• Kevin Cooley of Cooley Family Farm in Lafayette will give labor-saving strategies to reduce the cost of production in high-tunnel and field production.
• Dean Hartley, a beef farmer from Darlington, will speak on how adapting to a grass diet flavored the meat and led him to a heritage breed.
• Art Sherwood and Bobbi Boos of Local Growers Guild in Bloomington will speak on strategies to facilitate cooperative marketing by farmers to local stores and restaurants.
• Rob North of Earth Cure Natural Farm in Rochester will discuss advantages and difficulties with heritage breeds instead of modern commercial hybrids in pasture production.
• Kathy Willowoode Brown of Sunspot Natural Market in West Lafayette will speak on how to meet requirements of small stores in order to sell to them.
Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and the welcoming session will begin at 8:30. Early registration postmarked by Feb. 6 is $35 for an individual, $55 for a family. After Feb. 6 and at the door, registration is $45 for an individual, $65 for a family.
A conference brochure and registration form can be downloaded or is available by contacting Steve Bonney of Sustainable Earth at (765) 463-9366 or 100 Georgton Court, West Lafayette, IN 47906.
The 2006 Midwest Small Farm Conference is sponsored by Sustainable Earth and Purdue Cooperative Extension of Montgomery County.
Writer: Jennifer Culy, (765) 494-8402, jculy@purdue.edu
Source: Steve Bonney, (765) 463-9366, sustainableearth.steve@verizon.net
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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