Sessions

Individual presentations on pasture-raised meats, risk management and planning, rancher mentoring, and farm credit.

What's working, what's not, and what's needed for closer-to-home biodiesel production. Includes a discussion of waste vegetable oil, bio-diesel crops, processing of oilseed as feedstocks and federal and state financial incentives. 

Individual presentations on the future of farming, value-added enterprises, and organic education and partnerships for ag professionals.

Discuss a model approach to implementing the Conservation Security Program in three states.

Individual presentations on eco-labeling, value-added, on-farm processing, and developing local markets for specialty products.

Individual presentations on culinary herb markets, diversifying with aquaculture, high-end beef marketing, and specialty fruit production.

Individual presentations on farmers markets, direct sales, diversification and agri-tourism, and media promotion.

Individual presentations on farm-to-school marketing, green tourism, locally grown foods and CSAs.

Hear success stories from this program designed to help beginning and transitioning farmers with goal setting, business planning and hands-on farm experience. 

The 2007 Farm Bill offers an opportunity to shift farm policy toward rewarding sustainable agriculture. This roundtable discussion will center around rewarding farmers for their conservation outcomes. 

A roundtable discussion about how to start and maintain student-run sustainable farms and gardens. Includes successful strategies for students to transfer knowledge in different parts of the United States.

Individual presentations on marketing pasture-raised beef, health insurance rebates for CSA participation and indigenous seed saving.

Individual presentations on poultry breeding, meat goat production and small-scale pastured poultry.

Individual presentations on livestock mentoring, silvopasture for hogs and hair sheep networking.

Individual presentations on sustainable dairy programs, renovating pasture and hayfields, beef grazing systems and erosion, and winter grazing.

The calculator compares what Iowans eat to the 37 fruits and vegetables Iowa farmers produce and figures farm revenues if the local markets were fully realized. Learn how to use the calculator as a market forecasting tool. 

Individual presentations on community gardening, young farmers and technology in agriculture education.

Individual presentations on beginning urban agriculture, issues facing Spanish-speaking producers, cultural awareness for educators and services for female farmers.

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. 

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. 

Learn about whole-farm energy solutions and creating energy through wind generation and anaerobic digesters. This session will also cover reducing farm energy and improving efficiency.

Individual presentations on an overview of renewable energy, the potential for on-farm energy production, USDA energy initiatives, and renewable energy and rural development.

Learn how a group saved heritage turkeys, once on the brink of extinction, perpetuating a profitable enterprise for range poultry farmers. 

Consider seed corn production as a value added and socially meaningful enterprise that expands markets for organically grown seed and food corn. With a focus on saving and breeding traditional varieties, management. 

Learn about the critical issues to maintain diversity in agriculture and discuss efforts to raise awareness by reaching minority-serving organizations. 

Learn about growing apples using methods that will reduce off-farm inputs for pest management, expand market access and increase access to federal conservation programs.

Individual presentations on sustainable potato production, integrated vegetable systems, organic farmer networks and pesticide reduction.

Discuss historically important federal agricultural policy, development and content of farm bills, conservation and environmental programs and analyze prospects for sustainable agriculture provisions in the next Farm Bill.

Learn about producing pawpaw, juneberry, hardy kiwifruit, gooseberry and lingonberry - uncommon fruits with unique flavors - that can be grown with little or no pest management. Consider the potential for ethnic and organic markets.