The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) will hold their annual Organic Dairy & Field Crop Conference on Wednesday, March 6 at the Holiday Inn Syracuse/Liverpool.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Healthy Soils, Whole Farms.”
“Our goal is to reach a broad audience with this conference,” says NOFA-NY Education Director Bethany Wallis. “Building soil health is a tool that everyone can use.”
This one-day conference will feature three nationally-renowned speakers: Ray Archuleta, Gabe Brown, and Francis Thicke.
Ray Archuleta has over 30 years’ experience as a Soil Conservationist, Water Quality Specialist, and Conservation Agronomist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Archuleta founded Soil Health Consultants, LLC, and Soil Health Academy to teach Biomimicry strategies and Agroecology principles for improving soil function on a national scale.
Gabe Brown is a partner in Soil Health Consultants, LLC, a founder of Soil Health Academy, and the author of Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture. Brown, his wife Shelly, and their son Paul own and operate a diversified 5,000 acre farm and ranch near Bismarck, ND. The Browns holistically integrate their grazing and no-till cropping systems, which include a variety of cash crops, multi-species cover crops, and grass-finished beef and lamb.
Francis Thicke holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy/Soil Fertility and has served as the National Program Leader for Soil Science for the US Department of Agriculture Extension Service. Thicke and his wife Susan own and operate an organic dairy and crop farm near Fairfield, Iowa. They process their milk on the farm and market organic dairy products through local grocery stores and restaurants. The Thickes are also experimenting with innovative regenerative grazing and cropping practices.
The conference will also feature a trade show of local and regional agribusinesses, agricultural service providers, and vendors.
Conference Details
Date: Wednesday, March 6
Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Holiday Inn Syracuse/Liverpool 441- Electronics Parkway, Liverpool, NY 13088
Cost: $75 Early Bird Pricing available through February 22. $95 after February 22. NOFA-NY members receive an additional 10% discount. Registration fee includes breakfast and lunch.
Pre-registration for the conference is open until February 27, and walk-ins are welcome.
To register, visit www.nofany.org/dairyconference .