Thanks to the 200+ attendees who joined us at the 2020 OGRAIN Winter Conference, Friday-Saturday Jan. 24-25 on the UW-Madison Campus.

Video recordings of the 2020 OGRAIN Conference presentations are now available.  

The fifth annual conference for those interested in organic grain production in the Upper Midwest featured 25+ expert farmers, researchers and industry representatives sharing their knowledge, along with ample opportunity for networking and discussion. Workshops and discussion highlighted issues important to organic grain farmers. Over 25 businesses provided educational tables and conversation about products and services useful for organic grain operations. An information-filled conference resource book was included with the registration fee.

Keynote speaker and special 2020 guest was Thor Oechsner, founder and owner of Oechsner Farm in South Central New York where he manages 1,200 acres, raising a wide diversity of organic grains primarily for food-grade and craft beverage markets. Farmer and philosopher Fred Kirschenmann also inspired us with his thoughts.

Workshop Schedule

Continuing Education Units for Certified Crop Advisors were offered.

Cost for the two-day conference was $80 if paid by January 10. A light breakfast, snack, and lunch were included. Evening meal is not included in the registration fee. Cost was $90 between Jan 11 and Jan 20, payment at the door was $100. Sorry, there is no one-day fee.

Information about the facility

Join us Thursday evening for an in-depth discussion of organic reduced tillage and intensive cover crop practices! More Info  Thanks to everyone who joined us for a great discussion. Look for another information-filled event next year.

CONFERENCE SPONSORS

This conference was made possible by a grant from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. OGRAIN is a collaborative effort of the UW-Madison/UWEX Organic and Sustainable Cropping Systems lab, UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC), and Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES).

Further support has been provided by: