Organic Grains Conference Schedule

Schedule at a Glance | Program Booklet pdf  |  Presentation Notes

Schedule at a Glance

Wednesday, January 8, 2025
1-5 p.m. Vender Set Up Time
6 p.m. Optional Dinner at B-Lux Grill (not part of conference meal plan)

Thursday, January 9, 2025
7 a.m. Registration opens
9 a.m. Educational Sessions Begin
12 p.m. Lunch Served w/ Roundtables
1:30 p.m. Educational Sessions Continue
5 p.m. Trade Show Social 
6 p.m. Dinner 
7 p.m. Networking Social Time 

Friday, January 10, 2025
7 a.m. Registration opens 
7 a.m. Breakfast 
7:30 a.m. Early Riser Sessions 
8:15 a.m. Educational Sessions Begin
12 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Educational Sessions Continue 
3:30 p.m. Evaluation and Adjournment

For full schedule, download the Program Booklet PDF

2025 Presentations

Thursday, January 9, 2025

9:15 a.m. 
General Session #1 - My Organic Grain Journey
Damon DeSutter, DeSutter Farms and Hoosier Grassfed Beef, Attica, IN 

10:15 a.m.
Import Fraud of Organic Grains information 

10:30 a.m.
General Session #2 - Setting Up Weed Control Equipment for Success
Sophie Rivest-Auger, Centre for Expertise and Transfer in Organic and Local Agriculture, Quebec

1:30 p.m.
Breakout Session # 1 - Ohio Organic Corn Performance Trials: A Four-Year Summary + Sunflower Update
Osler Ortez, OSU Corn and Emerging Crop State Specialist

Breakout Session # 2 – Organic Study Circles: Lessons learned from peer-to-peer extension programming in Pennsylvania & Ohio
Anna Hodgson, Penn State and Cassy Brown, Ohio State

2:35 p.m
Breakout Session # 3 - Alternative Crops for Rotation
Farmers Tim Schacht, ancient grains; Justin Helt, industrial hemp; and Miles von Stein, alfalfa and rye  

Breakout Session # 4 - Organic Grain Grower Practices, Trends, and Attitudes
Douglas Jackson-Smith, Director of OSU Agroecosystem Management Program 

4:00 p.m.
General Session #3 - Market Signals from End Users 

Michelle Ajamian, Shagbark Seed & Mill; Rex Marquart, Miller Poultry; Annette Cook, Simmons Grain; Moderated by Ashley Adair, Purdue Extension
 

Friday, January 10, 2025

8:15 a.m. 
General Session # 4 - Row Spacing and Interseeding Cover Crops into Organic Corn 
Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison Organic & Sustainable Cropping Systems Specialist

9:30 a.m.
Breakout Session # 5 - Let the Sparks Fly! Strategies for Flame Weeding

Farmer Panel: Seth Bebow (MI), Eli Dean (OH), and Doug Yoder (OH). Moderated by Eugene Law, OSU Weed Ecology

Breakout Session # 6 - Where's the Money? TOPP, 823, and Other Funds
Ben Lehman, Rodale Institute; and Casey Brooks, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association

11:00 a.m. 
Breakout Session # 7 - Biologicals for Practical Use in Organic Grains 
Connor Sible, Assistant Professor, Univ. of Illinois

Breakout Session # 8 - Farm Succession: Getting Your Farm and Affairs in Order
David Marrison, OSU Farm Management

1:30 p.m.
Breakout Session # 9 - Strategies for Organic Farm Management in a Down Year
Farmer Panel: Gary Cooper (IL), Noah Schlabach (OH), Bucky Ziegler (PA), Moderated by Bruce Clevenger, OSU Farm Office

Breakout Session # 10 - Nitrogen Credits from Cover Crops and Manure
Manbir Rakkar, OSU Soil Fertility State Specialist and Sarah Noggle, OSUE-Paulding County 

2:30 p.m.
General Session # 5 - Economics, Experiments, and Extras

 Eric Richer, OSU Field Specialist, Farm Management