Session V

Workshops and Presentations - Thursday 10:30 AM - Noon

A Midwest Homecoming featured five sessions of concurrent workshops, group presentations and roundtable discussions. Click on the title of a workshop or group presentation to see available downloads for that session. Not all presentation materials are available.

Session I | Session II | Session III | Session IV | Session V

DC01. Group presentations/Direct-Market Successes 4:
Farm to School Success Story
Learn about a farm-to-school project that had students growing vegetables for the school cafeteria. Students presented their work to local media and to federal policymakers, linking diets to academic performance. 
Henning Sehmsdorf, S&S Center for Sustainable Agriculture/Homestead Farm on Lopez Island
Green Routes
To foster economic development, a group of NGO's developed a statewide green tourism initiative in Minnesota, directing visitors to locally grown food and locally made products. Learn from their experiences developing community case studies, a website and cookbook. 
Jan Joannides, Renewing the Countryside
Locally Grown, Locally Good
This comprehensive community effort helps Illinois and Missouri farmers market their products by providing information to consumers, restaurants and retail outlets on the availability, nutritional aspects, economic and environmental impacts of buying local. Hear the highlights! 
Carrie Edgar, University of Illinois Extension
Sharing CSA: A Collaborative Model
Surveying members of a collaborative community supported agriculture effort found that farmers benefited from sharing production risks, stabilizing income and expanding farm-based businesses, among other things. Discuss the results! 
Corry Bregendahl, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development

DC02. Missouri Grazing Schools (workshop)
Learn how to design and manage intensive grazing systems like the more than 11,000 farmers who have attended this three-day grazing school. Courses cover soils, plant growth and development, nutrition, animal behavior, water availability, fencing, design and layout for management-intensive grazing. 
Wesley Tucker, University of Missouri Extension
Mark Green, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Mark Kennedy, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

DC03. The Next 25 Years: Where Do We Go From Here? (roundtable)
A summary of the accomplishments and failures of sustainable agriculture proponents from 20-year leaders. Help us take a critical look at ourselves, and the movement we've created. 
Frederick Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center
Rhonda Janke, Kansas State University Extension

DC04. Organic Agriculture's Conservation Focus (workshop)
This workshop highlights sources of research, extension and farmer-based information for organic production, particularly its conservation and environmental benefits. Learn examples of cross compliance between certified organic production systems and conservation management practices. 
Teresa Maurer, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Program
Mark Lipson, Organic Farming Research Foundation
Mary Gold, National Ag Library-Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
Rex Dufour, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Program

DC05. Strategies for Reaching Diverse Audiences (roundtable)
Learn about the critical issues to maintain diversity in agriculture and discuss efforts to raise awareness by reaching minority-serving organizations. 
James Hill, Fort Valley State University
Claud Evans, Oklahoma veterinarian/farmer
José Garcia, University of Missouri

DC06. Crossroads and New Paths: Agricultural Energy and Biomass Potentials for Sustainable Agriculture (roundtable)
Who will benefit from farm energy schemes, and how will those systems impact soil, water and rural communities? Join this roundtable discussion to explore sustainable farm energy, biofuel production, community/land/ownership issues, and how to create a truly sustainable bioenergy future. 
Mike McGrath, Minnesota Project
Jim Kleinschmit, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Carmela Bailey, CSREES, USDA
Jill Euken, Iowa State University

DC07. Group presentations/Healthy Ideas:
A New Tool for Healing
The Consumer Guide to Locally Produced Livestock Products captures detailed farm information and supporting content to improve health care providers' access to local, pasture-raised livestock products. Learn how reaching out to health care professionals offers a new model for increasing community support for local producers. 
Sally K. Norton, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Eat Healthy Rebate Program
This collaboration between an insurance company and a Madison CSA coalition allows households to receive a cash rebate for buying a share from a participating farm. Receive an overview of the program's history and discuss the potential for replication elsewhere. 
Kathryne Auerback, Physicians Plus Insurance Corp.
David Perkins, Vermont Valley Community Farm
Laura Brown, Madison Area CSA Coalition
Indigenous Seed-Saving
The Dream of Wild Health, a holistic American Indian approach, seeks to regenerate near-extinct indigenous foods by sharing corn heirloom seeds with tribal and urban Indian groups. Learn the group's goals to improve health and preserve ancient growing methods. 
Kara Ferguson and Sally Auger, Dream of Wild Health

DC08. Group presentations/Building Partnerships:
Voices from the Field
Learn more about "What Will Be in the Fields Tomorrow?" from the VOICES project, an effort evolving from a collection of 20 farmer oral histories. Find out how community-based organizations, educators and agricultural professionals can use the script and complementary toolkit. 
Cynthia Vagnetti, Michigan State University
Statewide Journey: Adding Value in Sustainable Agriculture
Success stories from farms and businesses, on-site tours, seminars, web-based resources and mass media combine in a well-received package for Extension and other educators wanting to learn more about value-added enterprises. Consider replicating the package in your state. 
Rob Holland, University of Tennessee Extension
Organic Ed for Ag Professionals
To increase knowledge among service providers about national organic regulations and practices, a team of agricultural professionals participated in developing a series of workshops that took place in Florida, Kentucky and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn about their experiential teaching methods. 
Mickie Swisher, University of Florida
Organic Partnerships for Professional Development
Minnesota public agencies and nonprofit organizations are collaborating to help agricultural institutions and professionals better understand the principles of organic agriculture and the opportunities and challenges for organic and transitional farmers. Learn about their organic professional development and outreach programs. 
Meg Moynihan, Minnesota Department of Agriculture