AGENDA
| TIME | Location: Main Stage | Location: C121 | Location: C124 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 1, February 9th | |||
| 7:30am – 8:15am | REGISTRATION, Trade Show opens, coffee/tea | ||
| 8:15am – 8:30am | Welcome Remarks | ||
| 8:30am – 9:00am | Organic Buyer Introduction– Meet companies who are looking to source organic crops in the High Plains. Transitioning Producer? Learn where you can sell your crops once certified. |   | |
| 9:00am – 9:50am 9:00am – 9:50am | Tillage and Crops To Build Soil- What does soil health mean to your bottom line and how can organic producers on the High Plains maximize their potential- SP: Dr. Katja Kohler-Cole  | How Organic Research Projects Involve Producers– Hear how organic farmers can inform the best research to benefit current and transitioning producers SP: Brigid Meints, Oregon State Todd Anderson, Oregon State Cora Bobo-Shissler, Oregon State | |
| 9:50am – 10:00am | Break | ||
| 10:00am – 10:50am | Controlling Creeping Weeds in Organic Production: Hear about cutting edge research to control Bindweed and Thistles in transitional and organic grain production. SP: Dr. Pat Carr  | Vegetable Production in Wyoming: Learn how oneoperation in western Wyoming transitioned their diversified vegetable operation. SP: Melissa Hemken | Building Your Organic System Plan – Considerations for Certification success in the High Plains- get the inside scoop on organic certification. –SP: Margaret Scoles, IOIA |
| Break (10 Minutes) | |||
| 11:00am – 11:50pm | Marketing Your Organic Grain – How to find buyers, build relationships, how to set up contracts. SP: Darrold Hutchinson | Getting Two Crops in 1 Season: Learn about new researchers to improve soil health AND profit by intercropping field peas and cereal – SP: Dr. Xi Lang | |
| 12:00- 12:50 | LUNCH | ||
| 1:00pm – 1:50pm | Organic Cropping Innovation: Utilizing strip cropping to maximize grain yield and soil fertility SP: Ben Miller | On Farm Organic Grain Handling Learn about building paperwork systems to protect your business and maximize efficiencies when selling organic grain SP: Darrold Hutchinson | |
| 1:50pm – 2:00p | Break | ||
| 2:00pm – 2:50pm | Organic Pulse Production on the High Plains: Learn from expert agronomists about growing transitional and organic lentils and chickpeas SP: Dr. Joseph Kibiwott | Soil Testing and Organic Farming Learned from leading agronomists about what soil tests are best for understanding your soil health during transition and when organic SP: Dr. Caitlin Youngquist | |
| 2:50pm – 3:00p | Break | ||
| 3:00pm – 3:50pm | Crunching the Number on Brewster Ranch: Learn from transitioning-to-organic ranchers about how they put pencil to paper to determine how organic can work for their operation SP: Kate Brewster | Vegetable and Weed Control: Learn about progress utilizing Biodegradable Composite Hydromulches for Transitional and Organic Horticulture Weed Control SP: Dr. Greta Gamig | |
| 3:50pm – 4:00pm | Break | ||
| 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Flame Weeder and Zapper – Overcoming annual weeds in cropping systems: Learn from experienced organic farmers about innovative weed control tools SP: Becky Schwarz and Alex Schwarz | Building Better Organic Grain Varieties– Learn from Researchers about the opportunities for better commercialization for Naked Barley SP: Dr. Brigid Meints | |
| 5:00pm – 8:00pm | Social Hour: Join us at Accomplice Brewing to keep the conversations of the day going! Address: 115 W 15th St, Cheyenne, WY 82001 |  | |
AGENDA- High Plains Organic Conference Day 2
| TIME | Location: Main Stage | Location: C121 | Location: C124 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAY 2, February 11th | |||
| 7:30am – 8:15am | REGISTRATION, Trade Show opens, coffee/tea | ||
| 8:15am – 8:30 | Opening Remarks Day 2 | ||
| 8:30am – 9:00am | Wyoming Delegation Meet and Greet: Updates from Wyoming Delegation and Organic Policy Discussion Confirmed: Sen. Barrasso (staff) | ||
| 9:00am – 9:50am | Building The Organic Farm for The next Generation:Learn from experienced organic opera The necessary components to a feasible business plan for transitioning to organic. SP: Tom and Linda Schwarz, Ben Miller, Kate Brewster | Predicting Drought: Hear from researchers at the University of Wyoming about new drought prediction and management tools SP: Dr. Hannah Rogers Innovative Forages: Learn about the nitrogen powerhouse forage, Sainfoin, and its unique suitability to transitional and organic production systems in the High Plains SP: Surendra Bhattarai | |
| 9:50am – 10:00am | Break | ||
| 10:00am – 10:50am | Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)- The Swette Center shares the federal opportunities that have been made possible by TOPP- and whats to come in the year ahead. SP: Courtney Buzzard | Organic Certification Office Hours- How to Make it Work for YOU– Curious who are certifiers near you? Curious how to understand the Organic Integrity Database? Bring ALL your questions and get 1:1 help whether you’re already certified or want to explore the transition to organic. -Maclaine Sorden, CDA -Margaret Scoles, IOIA | |
| 10:50am – 11:00am | Break | ||
| 11:00am – 12:00pm | NRCS: Learn about innovative programs for Organic and Transitioning producers designed to help bridge the transition to organic certification. SP: Catherine Hadley and Tamarah Jorns Crop Insurance- What every Organic and Transitioning producer should know about new insurance products and opportunities SP: Vanessa Reishus | Managing Grasshoppers and Other Pests on the High Plains: Hear from High Plains entomologist and researcher about current research addressing grasshopper impact on organic grain farmers as well as emerging insect threats to organic production SP: Dr. Scott Schnell | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch | ||