2026 Presentations
Click on the links below to see the speaker slide deck.
For full schedule, download the Program Booklet PDF.
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Morning General Sessions
9:00 a.m.
Welcome Remarks
Eric Richer, OSU
9:15 a.m.
General Session #1 - My Organic Grain Journey
Willie Hughes, W.H. Hughes Farm, Janesville, Wisc.
10:45 a.m.
General Session #2 - Alternative Weed Control
Matt Ryan, Cornell University
1 p.m. Breakout Sessions
Agronomy Breakout Session # 1
Agronomic Sampling for Maximum Yield
Greg LaBarge, OSU Extension Field Specialist
Marketing & Management Breakout Session # 1
Record Keeping for Inspections
Jacob Leopold, farmer (OH), and Sheryn Bruff, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
Research Breakout Session # 1
Comparing Organic vs. Conventional Profits and a Look at 2026 Organic Enterprise Budgets
Clint Schroeder and Eric Richer, Ohio State Farm Office
Bonus Link: 2026 Organic and Conventional Enterprise Budgets from OSU Farm Office
2:15 p.m Breakout Sessions
Agronomy Breakout Session # 2
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
Marketing & Management Breakout Session # 2
Labor Issues
Jeff Lewis, OSU Farm Office and Pedro Mendes, OSU Ohio International Intern Program
Research Breakout Session # 2
Research Poster Lightning Sessions (Link to abstracts and posters)
- High-Speed Disk Versus Relay Cover Cropping: Comparing Two Tillage Reduction Strategies in an Organic Corn-Soy-Wheat Rotation - Abbe Hamilton, Penn State
- Digging Into Organic Soil Health: What We Learned from 90 Indiana Field Sites - Arsen Yerlan, Purdue University
- Flame Weeding: An Alternative for Minimizing Cultivation Passes in Organic Corn Production Systems - Mercy Odemba, Ohio State
- Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) - Christine Charles, Michigan State
- Moderated by Clifton Martin, Ohio State
3:30 General Session
General Session #3
Regenerative Agriculture: What Exactly Is It? (No slides)
Scott Myers, Woodlyn Acres Farm, LLC; Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin; Eric Schwab, Ohio NRCS
Moderated by Ashley Adair, Purdue Extension
Thursday, January 8, 2026
8:30 a.m. General Session
General Session #4 - Organic Public Policy
Nate Powell-Palm, Powell Palm Ag Services, LLC
9:40 a.m. Breakout Sessions
Agronomy Breakout Session # 3
Farmer Panel: Integrating Livestock
Josh Landis (IL), Kenton Filbrun (OH), Joel Layman (MI)
Moderated by Jenna Falor, Michigan State
Marketing & Management Breakout Session # 3
Organic Grain Market Outlook for 2026
Ryan Koory, Argus Media, Inc.
Research Breakout Session # 3
Emerging OSU Organic Research
- From the Ground Up: Farmer-Led Research
Alex Jefferies, OSU and Scott Stoller, farmer (OH)
From the Ground Up project website - Seeding Rate and Row Space on Weed Control in Organic Corn
Osler Ortez, OSU
11:10 a.m. Breakout Sessions
Agronomy Breakout Session # 4
Measuring and Enhancing Soil Health in Organic Grains Systems
Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin
Marketing & Management Breakout Session # 4
Strategies for Farmland Leasing
Peggy Hall, OSU
Research Breakout Session # 4
Answering Your On-Farm Questions with eFields
Elizabeth Hawkins, OSU
1:30 P.m. Breakout Sessions
Agronomy Breakout Session # 5
Farmer Panel: My Toughest Weed
Mike Stites (IN) - thistle, Lloyd Uhl (MI) - foxtail, Jim Jacobs (OH)- ragweed
Moderated by Eugene Law, OSU
Marketing & Management / Research Breakout Session # 5
Organic eFields Trials: Flame Weeding, Soybean Biologicals, Alfalfa Before Corn
Farmer and Educator Panel: Mitch Chupp, Amanda Douridas, Kendall Lovejoy, Rodney Miller, Logan Richer
Bonus Link: Full eFields Reports for 2025 and previous years
2:30 p.m. General Session
General Session #5 - Weather Trends and Outlooks for Organics
Aaron Wilson, OSU