Joel Gruver encourages the audience to consider what path they want their organic farms to take in the coming growing season and beyond.
Ashley Adair hosted the Indiana Organic Grain Farmer Meeting on Wednesday, February 18 at the Beck Center in West Lafayette. The event was a success with 80 participants and 17 exhibitors. Joel Gruver, Professor at Western Illinois University and nationally renown organic researcher, provided the keynote address on taking organic farming to the “next level.” Other topics included an organic grain market update from Ryan Koory of Argus Media, a weather update for organic farmers from Austin Pearson (Indiana State Climate Office), an update on insect research in organic grains from Coy St. Clair (ENTM), results from Indiana Organic Network’s soil health census from Annie Benson and Arsen Yerlan (AGRY), an exploration of cooperative grain marketing with Leon Atwell and OFARM, and a certifier Q&A with Jenn Whaley of OnMark Certification Services. This event is supported by the Indiana Organic Network, part of USDA-NIFA Organic Transitions grant “Empowering Indiana’s Organic Farmers: Assessing Regional and Farm Scale Soil Health with a Farmer Network.”
Special thanks to Bryan Overstreet (Purdue Extension/CCSI), Amy Thompson (Purdue Extension) and Karen Mitchell (HLA) for their help on this event.
Coy St. Clair (ENTM) presents results from the organic bio-intensification study at Northeast Purdue Ag Center, showing the structure of arthropod communities and beetle populations as they relate to tillage and conservation practices.
Yichao Rui (AGRY) chats with Ben Lehman (exhibitor with the Rodale Institute) at the Indiana Organic Network’s booth.