Intensive Organic Production Courses in Michigan

Healthy Organic Livestock: Matt Shane, organic sheep farmer and MSUE livestock educator will discuss organic monitoring and treatment to maintain a pastured flock of small ruminants in optimum health in an organic system. Karry Trickey, NRCS district conservationist, will cover soil, soil biology, and pasture management techniques for rotational grazing. Mike Metzger, small ruminant educator with MSUE, will discuss meat and dairy goat production. Aimee Swenson-Buckley will cover decision-making for small scale sheep producers—from breed selection to improving market access. Whether you’re experienced in raising small ruminants or just thinking about adding a few sheep or goats to your operation, join us to learn more about grassland and ruminant management for health.

Organic Mushroom Cultivation: In this course you will learn how to grow gourmet mushrooms from mushroom scientist Chris Wright and long-time mushroom grower Michael Levine. Adding mushrooms to your diversified farm or backyard garden can be rewarding both financially and nutritionally. Chris and Mike will share their expertise and teach how to inexpensively grow oyster, shiitake, morel and other lucrative, high demand fungi. Presentations will include a brief overview of fungal biology and then focus on cultivating mushrooms via log, straw and mushroom bed production systems. The program will include hands-on demonstrations.

Technology in Organic Row Crops: Today’s organic field crops such as corn, soybeans, dry beans, soft wheat and other small grains bring a premium and growing the best crop possible is in the best interest of the organic farmer. This OI introduces the producers to basics in Precision Planting, Camera Guidance Cultivation, Advanced Weed Management, and more. These tools are helping organic farmers get their crop off to a better start, cultivate to closer tolerances, and do better field work.  Although these tools may have to go on the wish list for now, organic growers should make themselves aware of the newest technology.

Advanced Organic Soil Management: We all manage soil, and we all strive to improve it year by year. But often our efforts amount to a scattershot approach, addressing one aspect in one year, and switching gears the next without evaluating the effectiveness of our interventions, or continuing to monitor the state of the soil or the health of the crop. Soil health is measured multiple ways: fertility testing, mineral testing, biological assays and plant productivity. Understanding how to interpret these results and put them to use to improve soil health and plant health is critical to sustainable success. Dan Kittredge of the Bionutrient Food Association will entertain attendees for the day on soil testing interpretation and strategies to improve, maintain and monitor soil health, with an underlying message of improving food quality.

This is a great opportunity to invest in your future. Please connect to the detailed descriptions of the Intensive Organic Production Courses linked above and select the one best for you. The registration fee includes the day-long program, printed support materials, lunch, and a great chance to network with fellow farmers and gardeners from across Michigan. The fee of $80 for MOFFA members and $95 for non-members prior to December 15 is calculated to provide a quick return on your investment. After December 15, the cost will increase to $90 for members and $105 for non-members, and class size is limited, so we encourage you to register now.

A limited number of targeted scholarships for Intensive Organic Production Courses are available for Agriculture Professionals and Educators—including K12 educators, Master Gardeners, Extension personnel—anyone who is involved in teaching people how to grow food. Partial scholarship support is also available for anyone else for whom cost is a barrier. To inquire about a scholarship, email us at moffaorganic@gmail.com.