NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 1396

Rochester, NY

Naturally Interested in Your FutureUnited States

Department of Agriculture

Risk ManagementAgency

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Special Th anks to All of Our Sponsors and Supporters

Visit www.nofany.org/dairyconference

Holiday Inn75 North Street, Auburn, NY

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc.249 Highland AvenueRochester, NY 14620-3025

www.nofany.org

NOFA-NY Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference Agenda8–9am Registration

9–9:15am OPENING REMARKS

Track Field Crops Dairy Business Management

9:30–10:45am Eff ectively Managing Cover Crops Raising Healthy Calves & Replacements for Organic DairyKeeping “Family” in the Family Farm

Mike & Gayle Th orpe & Family

Speakers Norm Conrad Dr. Guy Jodarski

10:45–11am Break

11–12:15am Wheat: Systems for Success Making High Quality Milk Keeping “Family” in the Family Farm (continued)

Speakers Dave Smith Steve Galens Mike & Gayle Th orpe & Family

12:15–1:15pm Lunch

1:30–2:15pm KEYNOTE – Gary Zimmer

2:30–3:45pm Mineralized Balanced Agriculture Fast Food for Cows: Why Hay in a Day Is Better Farm Bill Unraveled Again

Speakers Gary Zimmer Dave Johnson & Norm Conrad Liana Hoodes & Marne Coit

3:45–4pm Break

4–5:15pm Innovative Cropping Systems Building Healthy Systems for Organic Dairy Production Profi table Feeding of Organic Dairy Cows

Speakers Matt Ryan, Jeff Liebert & Ann Bybee-Finley Dr. Guy Jordarski Karen Hoff man

5:15–5:30pm CLOSING REMARKS

Pre-registration by February 28th

Walk-In Registrations Welcome

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LOCATION & ACCOMMODATIONSTh e Holiday Inn, located at 75 North Street, Auburn, New York,

is your ideal hotel choice for the NOFA-NY Organic Dairy and Field

Conference. Th e Holiday Inn is easily accessible from the NYS Th ruway

and Interstate 81 and off ers free parking. Hotel rooms are available at

a discounted rate of $75/room. In order to receive this rate, you must

identify yourself as a NOFA-NY Conference Attendee. To reserve

your room, call the Holiday Inn at 315-253-4531

NOFA-NY is a statewide organization leading a growing

movement of farmers, consumers, gardeners, and businesses

committed to promoting local, organic food and farming. We

provide program and services to local, organic and sustainable

farmers to help them thrive; connect consumers with these

farmers; and advocate policies that support a sustainable food

and farm system.

We are excited to announce our 3rd Annual Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference! Th e conference will be held at the

centrally located and easily accessible Holiday Inn in Auburn,

New York, just west of Syracuse. We welcome veteran farmers,

beginning farmers, and farmers interested in transitioning to

organic management. Th is year’s program includes a half-day

intensive workshop entitled “Keeping ‘Family’ in the Family

Farm.” NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC staff will be available

throughout the day-long conference to answer questions. Enjoy a

day of learning, networking, and information exchange.

For general questions about the Organic Dairy and Field Crop

Conference, including registration please contact Stephanie

Backer-Bertsch, Registration Coordinator at 585-271-1979 x509

or register@nofany.torg. If you are interested in sponsoring the

conference or participating in our tradeshow, please contact

Tanya Smolinsky, Communications & Development Director at

585-272-1979 x502 or Tanya@nofany.org.

See you March 7th!

Kate Mendenhall Bethany WallisExecutive Director Dairy & Livestock Education Coordinator

WORKSHOP TRACK III: FIELD CROPS

Registration Pre-Registration Deadline: Postmark by February 28th.

Or register online at www.nofany.org.Registration Fee: $60 • Children 12 and under: Free

All registrations include lunch.

Attendees

Adult Name (1) _____________________________________________

Adult Name (1) _____________________________________________

Child Name (1) __________________________________ Age _______

Child Name (2) __________________________________ Age _______

Child Name (3) __________________________________ Age _______

Farm/CompanyWhich best describes you: Field Crop Farmer Dairy Farmer

Business Owner/Employee

Billing Address

Address ___________________________________________________

City _________________ State ____ Zip ______County ___________

Phone ____________________ Email __________________________

Please make checks payable to “NOFA-NY” or pay by Mastercard or VISA.

Credit Card Information

Card # ____________________ Expiration Date___/___ CCID # _____

Signature _______________________________ Date _____________

Submit form and payment to:NOFA-NYAttn: Dairy Conference Registration249 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620

Registration Pre-Registration Deadline: Postmark by February 28th.

Or register online at www.nofany.org.Registration Fee: $60 • Children 12 and under: Free

All registrations include lunch.

Attendees

Adult Name (1) _____________________________________________

Adult Name (1) _____________________________________________

Farm/CompanyWhich best describes you: Field Crop Farmer Dairy Farmer

Business Owner/Employee

Billing Address

Address ___________________________________________________

City _________________ State ____ Zip ______County ___________

Phone ____________________ Email __________________________

Please make checks payable to “NOFA-NY” or pay by Mastercard or VISA.

Credit Card Information

Card # ____________________ Expiration Date___/___ CCID # _____

Signature _______________________________ Date _____________

Submit form and payment to:NOFA-NYAttn: Dairy Conference Registration249 Highland Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620

WORKSHOP TRACK I: BUSINESS

The most valuable possession a farmer can invest in is his or her

soil. Join us to hear keynote speaker Gary Zimmer discuss how you

can build healthy, sustainable soils for your farm. Gary is recognized

internationally for his commitment to improving farming through

soil restoration. Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, Gary studied dairy

nutrition, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin

and a master’s degree from the University of Hawaii. In addition, he

has years of hands-on farming experience. As a young farmer, he began

asking questions about the soil and how it

relates to healthy and productive plants,

which lead him to read Th e Albrecht Papers. For

the past 25 years, Gary has evaluated farming

practices as a consultant, as a farmer on his

family’s farm, and as president of Midwestern

Bio-Ag, a biological farming consulting

company located in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

For his keynote address, Gary will discuss

how healthy soils will produce healthy plants

for healthy livestock and healthy humans and

how you can balance your soils to mitigate the risks of extreme weather

patterns and maintain overall production during inclement conditions.

WELCOME

Featured Keynote Speaker

Gary ZimmerBuilding Your Solid Ground

WORKSHOP TRACK II: DAIRY

Keeping “Family” in the Family FarmHear Mike and Gayle Th orpe of Th orpe’s Organic Family Farm and

their children describe each person’s role on this diverse farm and how

everyone works together to thrive individually and collectively as a

family. Learn how Mike and Gayle have expanded their operation by

transitioning additional land and creating new farm enterprises to

provide opportunities for leadership/ownership in the family business.

Th e Th orpe family truly does it all. Join us as we explore how to build an

organic farm business that can support your family and allow it to grow.

Farm Bill Unravels AgainLiana Hoodes of the National Organic Coalition (NOC) and Marne

Coit, NOFA-NY Education Director, will discuss the impact of the new

Farm Bill on organic agriculture and food policy in the United States.

Organic agriculture is often on the cutting block when it comes to

funding farm programs. Marne is a strong advocate of organic farming

and, as Executive Director of NOC, Liana represents our concerns in

Washington, DC. Bring your questions, thoughts and perspectives.

Profi table Feeding of Organic Dairy CowsFinding the feeding program that optimizes both milk production and

profi t can be a challenge, especially in organics. Karen Hoff man, USDA

Natural Resources Conservation Service, will lead a workshop covering

various supplemental feeding strategies that can meet those goals

during both the grazing season and the winter feeding period, as well as

how to determine your profi t point.

Raising Healthy Calves and Replacements for Organic DairyRaising healthy

replacements is critical

for the sustainability of

all dairy farms. Learn

from Dr. Guy Jodarski,

veterinarian for CROPP

Cooperative, about calf

health and systems

that produce high

quality replacements

on organic dairy farms.

Calf nutrition, rearing

systems and parasite

control will be covered.

Making High Quality MilkJoin Horizon National Milk Quality Award Winner Steve Galens of

Galens Homestead Acres to learn how to maintain high quality milk.

Steve will share on farm management practices, monitoring tools and

tips on how to receive the highest dollar for your milk. Also learn how

to recognize mastitis strains, source organic treatments and implement

preventative measures to reduce future mastitis fl are ups and maintain

optimal bacteria levels.

Fast Food for Cows: Why Hay in a Day Is Bett erTop quality hay is essential whether you are feeding cows or selling

your hay. Making hay in a single day packs more energy and TDN into

a consistent bale than delayed harvest, but requires optimum planning

and timing. Hear from experienced farmer Dave Johnson of Provident

Farms as he covers equipment, fi eld operations and timing to make hay

in a day. Dave and Norm Conrad of NCAT will look at forage quality

tests to demonstrate the advantages of this method.

Building Healthy Systems for Organic Dairy Production Promoting health through good practices—soils and agronomy,

nutrition and grazing—is the key to preventing disease, supporting

production and enhancing profi tability. Th is workshop will focus

on holistic management for organic dairies. Dr. Guy Jodarski,

veterinarian for CROPP Cooperative, will outline how to “build” healthy

systems that are sustainable.

Wheat: Systems for SuccessFrom the rolled oats in the Breakfast of Champions to pure grain

alcohol, Log City Milling and Lake Distilling have raised the value of

regional grains for decades. Join us in hearing David Smith recount

his journey with value added grains from fi eld to fl ask—he has done it

all. Discover marketing options and what the future of regional grain

production might bring to your table.

Mineralized Balanced AgricultureGary Zimmer, president of Midwestern BioAg, will lead this

advanced-level workshop on balancing minerals in your soils. Learn

how to read soil tests to determine the key minerals to focus on when

balancing soils, how to develop a farm plan to address soil defi ciencies

and improve crop and livestock systems, and how to best utilize your

farm nutrients for optimal production and performance.

Innovative Cropping SystemsParticipants will learn about innovative cropping practices that

use ecological phenomena to increase soil health and cropping system

resilience. Matt Ryan, Jeff Liebert and Ann Bybee-Finley will share

the results from the 2013 Cornell University fi eld experiments. Th ey will

discuss general weed management and soil health principles, and recent

research on drought tolerant summer annual forage crops mixtures and

cover crop-based organic rotational no-till soybean production.

Eff ectively Managing Cover Crops

Farmers use cover

crops for multiple

reasons. Th e Northeast

region with its widely

varying climate presents

unique challenges in

managing the diff erent

cover crop species for

goals such as nitrogen

contributions, weed

suppression, erosion

control and capturing

manure nutrients. In this

interactive workshop,

Norm Conrad of NCAT

will focus on the cultural

and physical management

needed to maximize cover

crop use in the Northeast.

FOOD DONATIONSPlease consider donating food to the Organic Dairy and Field

Crop Conference. Th e wholesale value of your donation can be

taken as a tax-deductible donation. Food donors are listed in

the conference program and in the banquet hall. To donate food,

contact Millicent Cavanaugh at conference.food@nofany.org or

646-963-0968. You can also download a food donation form at

www.nofanyconference.org.

NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC has been

accredited by the USDA since April 2002 to provide

organic certifi cation for farmers and processors

in the United States. We certify to the USDA

National Organic Program standards and are

ISO65 accredited (International Organization for

Standardization). We are in the process of looking

at additional certifi cations to off er our producers. NOFA-NY Certifi ed

Organic, LLC is operated as a nonprofi t and is funded entirely by

certifi cation fees. NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC is a subsidiary of

NOFA-NY, Inc., a nonprofi t educational organization.

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT NO. 1396

Rochester, NY

Naturally Interested in Your FutureUnited States

Department of Agriculture

Risk ManagementAgency

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Special Th anks to All of Our Sponsors and Supporters

Visit www.nofany.org/dairyconference

Holiday Inn75 North Street, Auburn, NY

Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, Inc.249 Highland AvenueRochester, NY 14620-3025

www.nofany.org

NOFA-NY Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference Agenda8–9am Registration

9–9:15am OPENING REMARKS

Track Field Crops Dairy Business Management

9:30–10:45am Eff ectively Managing Cover Crops Raising Healthy Calves & Replacements for Organic DairyKeeping “Family” in the Family Farm

Mike & Gayle Th orpe & Family

Speakers Norm Conrad Dr. Guy Jodarski

10:45–11am Break

11–12:15am Wheat: Systems for Success Making High Quality Milk Keeping “Family” in the Family Farm (continued)

Speakers Dave Smith Steve Galens Mike & Gayle Th orpe & Family

12:15–1:15pm Lunch

1:30–2:15pm KEYNOTE – Gary Zimmer

2:30–3:45pm Mineralized Balanced Agriculture Fast Food for Cows: Why Hay in a Day Is Better Farm Bill Unraveled Again

Speakers Gary Zimmer Dave Johnson & Norm Conrad Liana Hoodes & Marne Coit

3:45–4pm Break

4–5:15pm Innovative Cropping Systems Building Healthy Systems for Organic Dairy Production Profi table Feeding of Organic Dairy Cows

Speakers Matt Ryan, Jeff Liebert & Ann Bybee-Finley Dr. Guy Jordarski Karen Hoff man

5:15–5:30pm CLOSING REMARKS

Pre-registration by February 28th

Walk-In Registrations Welcome

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