2026 Organic Grains Conference Agenda

Time

Session or Item Description

Location

1 - 6 pm

Vender set up (equipment vendors, please arrive by 5)

Kalahari Ballroom Area

3-5 pm

Organic Farm Management Cohort Meeting (invite only)

Empress Boardroom

4 - 6 pm

Future Cropscapes Focus Group (invite only)

Guava Room

6 p.m.

Vender, speaker, planning committee meeting (Space limited, other restaurants are available.)

B-Lux Grill

Time

Session or Item Description

Location

6:00 a.m.

Vender Setup

Kalahari Ballroom Area

7:00 a.m.

Registration opens

Kalahari South Foyer

9:00 a.m.

Welcome 

Kalahari Ballroom

9:15 a.m.

General Session #1
My Organic Grain Journey
Willie Hughes, W.H. Hughes Farm 

Kalahari Ballroom

10:15 a.m.

Trade Show Break

Kalahari Ballroom Area

10:45 a.m.

General Session #2
Alternative Weed Control
Matt Ryan, Cornell University

Kalahari Ballroom Area

12 – 1 p.m.

Lunch

Nile & Orange Rooms

1-2 p.m.

Breakout Session # 1
Agronomic Sampling for Maximum Yield
Greg LaBarge, OSU

Kalahari Ballroom
AGRONOMY

1-2 p.m.

Breakout Session # 1 
Record Keeping for Inspections
Jacob Leopold, farmer (OH), Sheryn Bruff, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Assoc.

Indigo Bay
MARKETING/MNGT

1-2 p.m.

Breakout Session # 1 RESEARCH
Comparing Organic vs. Conventional Profits and a Look at 2026 Organic Enterprise Budgets
Clint Schroeder and Eric Richer, OSU

Mangrove Room
RESEARCH

2:15-3:15 p.m.

Breakout Session # 2 AGR
New Tech for Organics
Jared Brown, Greenfield Robotics, robotic weeding
Justin Kinnan, KinnanFAB, Inc., flame weeder
Matt Sattleberg, Bay Shore Sales, camera hitches
Moderated by Dr. Eugene Law, OSU

Kalahari Ballroom
AGRONOMY

2:15-3:15 p.m.

Breakout Session # 2
Labor Issues
Jeff Lewis, OSU Farm Office
Pedro Mendes, OSU Ohio International Intern Program

Indigo Bay
MARKETING/MNGT

2:15-3:15 p.m.

Breakout Session # 2
Research Poster Lightning Sessions
Moderated by Clifton Martin, OSU

Mangrove Room
RESEARCH

3:30 p.m.

General Session #3
Regenerative Agriculture: What Exactly Is It?
Scott Myers, Woodlyn Acres Farm, LLC
Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin
Michael O’Donnell, organic consultant
Eric Schwab, Ohio NRCS
Moderated by Ashley Adair, Purdue Extension

Kalahari Ballroom

4:30 p.m.

TOPP Buyer-Seller Mixer
Cash Bar, drinks, and appetizers
Trade Show Social and Poster Session open

Kalahari Ballroom Area

6 p.m.

Dinner on your own

Kalahari Restaurant Area

7 – 11 p.m.

Networking and Social Time 

Baobab Lounge

Time

Session or Item Description

Location

7:00 a.m.

Registration open

Kalahari South Foyer

7:00-8:00 a.m.

Breakfast served

Orange Room

7:15-8:15 a.m.

Early Riser Session #1
Nuggets with Nate: Diversified Cropping and Weed Control
Nate Powell-Palm, Nate Powell Palm

Kalahari Ballroom West

7:15-8:15 a.m.

Early Riser Session #2
Wake up with Willie: Breakfast Discussion on Organic Specialty Crops
Willie Hughes, W. Hughes Farm

Indigo Bay

7:15-8:15 a.m.

Early Riser Session #3
Morning with Matt: Q&A for Alternative Weed Management
Matt Ryan, Cornell

Mangrove Room

7:15-8:15 a.m.

Early Riser Session #4
Morning Weather Report: Sources for Weather Data
Aaron Wilson, Ohio State

Nile Room

8:30 a.m.

General Session # 4
Organic Public Policy
Nate Powell-Palm, Powell Palm Ag Services, LLC

Kalahari Ballroom

9:40 a.m.-10:40

Breakout Session # 3
Panel: Integrating Livestock
Farmer Panel: Josh Landis (IL), Kenton Filbrun (OH), Joel Layman (MI)
Moderated by Jenna Falor, Michigan State

Kalahari Ballroom
AGRONOMY

9:40 a.m.-10:40

Breakout Session # 3
Organic Grain Market Outlook for 2026
Ryan Koory, Argus Media, Inc.

Indigo Bay
MARKETING/MNGT

9:40 a.m.-10:40

Breakout Session # 3
Emerging OSU Organic Research
From the Ground Up: Farmer-Led Research
Alex Jefferies, OSU and Scott Stoller, farmer (OH)
Seeding Rate and Row Space on Weed Control in Organic Corn
Osler Ortez

Mangrove Room
RESEARCH

10:40 a.m.

Trade Show Break

11:10 a.m. -12:10 p.m.

Breakout Session # 4
Measuring and Enhancing Soil Health in Organic Grains Systems
Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin

Kalahari Ballroom
AGRONOMY

11:10 a.m. -12:10 p.m.

Breakout Session # 4
Strategies for Farmland Leasing
Peggy Hall, OSU

Indigo Bay
MARKETING/MNGT

11:10 a.m. -12:10 p.m.

Breakout Session # 4
Answering Your On-Farm Questions with eFields
Elizabeth Hawkins, OSU

Mangrove Room
RESEARCH

12:15-1:15 p.m.

Lunch

Orange and Nile Rooms

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Breakout Session # 5
My Toughest Weed
Farmer Panel: Jim Jacobs (OH) - ragweed, Mike Stites (IN) - thistle, Lloyd Uhl (MI) - foxtail
Moderated by Eugene Law, OSU

Kalahari Ballroom

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Breakout Session # 5 
Organic eFields Trials: Flame Weeding, Soybean biologicals, Alfalfa Before Corn  
Farmer and Extension Educator Panel: Mitch Chupp, Amanda Douridas, Kendall Lovejoy, Rodney Miller, Logan Richer

Indigo Bay
MARKETING/MNGT
RESEARCH

2:30-3:30 p.m.

General Session # 5
Weather Trends and Outlook for Organics
Aaron Wilson, OSU

Kalahari Ballroom

3:30 p.m.

Evaluation and Adjourn

4-7 p.m.

Vender Move-out