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[Text Description automatically generated] Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo is happening in December but via virtually! Are you seeking quality programs to learn bit more about organic production and a chance to ask questions to farmers and practitioners? This is YOUR chance The 2020 Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo is happening, just that the program will be offered in a virtual format. This program will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, December 8, 9, and 10. Sessions will be offered thru extended hours (into the evening) to allow attendees greater access. Registration is now open and there is no deadline or late registration fee. Cost is $40 per person that includes all the Educational Sessions and the Virtual Trade Show. A reduced rate is offered for students is $25. To register go to: https://glexpo.vfairs.com/en/registration We hope that you join us. Note there are CCU credits offered for each session too! We have several sessions for organic farmers and those seeking more info on organic production. Over the three days of GLEXPO, we are offering 19 educational specifically about organic production and key practices to help you toward successful farming. Our speakers include organic farmers, farmers practicing organically, and researchers engaged in on-farm research.- See below for all the program session schedule and topics!!! Beginning Organic Farming-Farmer Round Table and Networking Hear from three farmers how they farm; non certified organic , NOP certified and Naturally Grown- and learn why they choose these approaches Tuesday Dec 8 7-8 PM Farmer Round Table-Farming practices with or without certification and why Some farmers see a better fit for their farming and markets without organic certification and some see their markets/farming benefiting from organic certification. Hear from farmers first-hand the reasons for their decisions and how it has impacted their management and market sales. Susan Sharp-Open Sky Organic Farm- Pellston, Michigan Mikayla Rowden – Still wind Farm, Muskegon, Michigan Carol Caplan- Farm on Jennings Road Ann Arbor, Michigan Tuesday Dec 8 8:00-9:00 pm Farmer Round Table-Farming practices with or without certification and why Join in a discussion following the farmers' sharing -with experienced farmers of their story and ask your questions via the chat All invited to participate AND… Large Scale Organic Production Wednesday- December 9 9:00-9:25 Soil Fertility Management in Organic Systems Allen Philo BioStar Organics Overland Park, Kansas Wednesday- December 9 9:25-9:50 Electric discharge systems for weed control in sugar beet Tom Peters North Dakota State University Wednesday- December 9 10:00-10:25 Mechanical cultivation at PrairiEarth Farm Hans Bishop PrairiErth Farm Central Illinois AND…. Soil Health We are constantly hearing that soils are valuable to our farming operations. But, what does this really mean? Learn about the services that a healthy soil can provide to your farm, and different ways that soil health is measured, both in the laboratory and on the farm. Wednesday December 9 3:30-3:55 Is my soil healthy? Observing and assessing soil health indicators on your farm Julie Grossman University of Minnesota-St Paul Dept of Horticultural Science Wednesday December 9 3:55-4:20 Fertility in the context of Soil Health Allen Philo BioStar Organics , Overland Park, Kansas Wednesday December 9 4:30-4:55 Mustard cover crops for biofumigation Jim Jasinski The Ohio State University Wednesday December 9 4:55-5:20 Experiences in integrating cover crops on a diverse vegetable farm Jean-Paul Stewart-Cortens Philia Farm Johnstown, NY AND… Organic Vegetable Production Session 1 Thursday Dec 10 3:00-3:40 PM Food Safety Certification for Organic Production Food Safety Modernization Act is now law and must be followed by farmers earning more than $25,000 gross per year. Learn how organic production can be done while still meeting the needs of FSMA. Phil Tocco- Michigan State University Food Safety Specialist Thursday Dec 10 3:40-4:10 PM Organic field and high tunnel tomato production Tomatoes, especially if available early season are an excellent product for fresh markets. Whether growing in the field or high tunnel organic production, good management practices and careful scouting are required. Learn about the common challenges and approaches to reduce disease outbreaks and crop loss. Steve Bogash-organic IPM specialist with Marrone Bio Innovations Thursday Dec 10 4:10-4:30 PM Q & A for previous 2 speakers All invited to chat-in questions and ask previous 2 speakers your questions All invited to participate Organic Vegetable Production 2 Thursday Dec 10 4:30-4:50 PM Vegetable disease Management for organic systems Using multiple approaches to manage disease outbreaks is your best bet, especially in organic production. Learn a whole system approach to reduce disease build-up and crop loss. Judson Reid- Cornell University Vegetable Specialist Thursday Dec 10 4:50-5:10 PM Nematodes managed while improving soil health for organic production Nematodes that attack vegetables are challenging to manage, especially in organic systems. Learn how improving your soil’s health along with better crop production practices will manage nematode problems and reduce the risk of nematodes becoming a problem. Marisol Quintanillia- Michigan State University Assistant Professor in Nematology Thursday Dec 10 5:10-5:30 PM Q & A for previous 2 speakers All invited to chat-in questions and ask previous 2 speakers your questions All invited to participate AND… Organic Marketing Opportunities Presenters are Farmer who use these market practices NOW!! Thursday-December 10 1:00-1:20 Socially Distant Direct Marketing: REKO Markets REKO (RA-ko) is a Swedish acronym meaning “fair consumption.” This Facebook-based sales model creates a direct relationship between customers and 28 small scale farmers & producers. Members place their orders and pick up weekly in Holland or Ada, Michigan. Join this session to learn the how, when and why REKO markets. Heather Anderson Green Wagon Farm Thursday-December 10 1:20-1:40 Socially Distant Direct Marketing: Customizable CSA Green Wagon Farm has offered traditional CSA shares, a points-based choice system and is now using a fully customizable CSA. This system maximizes choice and social distancing. Members choose the season length, share size, and pickup frequency, as well as how many and which vegetables will be in their weekly share. Or members can just take the “Suggested Share” similar to a traditional CSA. Join us to learn about this marketing option. Rebecca Henderson Green Wagon Farm Thursday-December 10 1:40:1:50 Live Q&A All are invited to ask questions and engage in the conversation Anderson & Henderson Thursday-December 10 2:00-2:40 Cooperative Farm Marketing: Grown in Detroit Grown in Detroit (GID) provides urban growers with low-barrier opportunities to sell the fruits and vegetables they grow in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park. Growers receive 100% of the profits from produce sold, assist at the market stalls at Eastern Market and benefit from shared marketing via a well-respected brand. Growers have access to seeds, plants, tools and workshops as part of the Garden Resource Program, which supports a network of 1,600 urban gardens and farms in the city. Grown in Detroit is part of Keep Growing Detroit, a nationally recognized non-profit that also operates a 1.5-acre urban farm and teaching facility in Detroit’s historic Eastern Market District. Join this webinar to learn about this cooperative marketing model and to consider whether a similar effort could work in your community. Imani Foster Keep Growing Detroit Thursday-December 10 2:40-2:50 Live Q&A All are invited to ask questions and engage in the conversation Imani Foster Keep Growing Detroit AND… Organic Fruit Production Thursday December 10 1:00-1:30 Know your enemy: update on SWD ecology Dr. Matt Grieshop, Michigan State University, Dept of Entomology Thursday December 10 1:30-2:00 Codling moth phenology 101: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Degree Day Models Dr. Matt Grieshop, Michigan State University, Dept of Entomology Thursday December 10 2:00-3:00 Codling Moth Sterile Insect Release Overview Chris Adams, Oregon State University, Dept of Entomology AND… For beginning farmers! GLEXPO Beginning farmer sessions overview Tuesday Dec 7 7:00-9:00 pm Beginning farmers share their experiences of how they “learned” farming and marketing of their produce Iythiyel Zurishaddai-Farming and working with D-Town Farms, Detroit MI Mikayla Rowden, Owner and farmer of Stillwind Farm in Muskegon, Michigan Carole Caplan-Sosin, owner and farmer of The Farm on Jennings in Ann Arbor, Michigan Wednesday Dec 8 7:00-9:00 pm 1. The virtues of cover crops to support soil and crop health. 2. Choosing robust varieties to meet your farming and market needs 3. How the EQIP program can help beginning farmers-application process and program identification. 1. Dr. Julie Grossman from University of Minnesota – 2. Dr. Ron Goldy, with Michigan State University Extension- 3. Jen Silveri, Agriculture Director of MIFFS (Michigan Food and Farming Systems) in Lansing, Michigan-. [signature_352572078] Vicki Morrone Organic Farming Specialist Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University 480 Wilson Rd East Lansing, MI 48824 517-282-3557 (cell) [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu<http://www.MichiganOrganic.msu.edu> sorrone11 (skype) Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard. If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html