Organic Conference is slated

     The 21st annual Iowa Organic Conference will be held Nov. 28-29, at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City.

     Producers and experts from across the country will share tips for transitioning into organic production and methods to enhance organic operations.

     The conference is a joint effort between Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.

     Jessica Shade, chief scientist at The Organic Center, will deliver the keynote called “Resisting Climate Change with Organic Agriculture.”

     The conference begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, with vendor set-up in the Main Lounge of the Iowa Memorial Union and on-site registration followed by a reception at 6 p.m. featuring local and organic food and drinks in the IMU Second Floor Ballroom.

     The reception and conference lunch on Nov. 29 will highlight local and organic produce, meats and dairy products assembled into a gourmet meal by Barry Greenberg, executive chef at the University of Iowa, with help from his team.

     Following Shade’s keynote at 8 a.m. Monday, the breakout sessions start at 10:30 a.m. and include information on crop production and marketing, food safety, transitioning into organic farming, weed management, organic crop and livestock production, and carbon markets for farmers.

     Keeping with the theme of “Save the Planet Through Organics: Managing Climate Change with Organic Practices,” the conference will have sessions on environmental and social impacts of organic food production and farming.

     Conference registration is available online and is $100 until Nov. 16, and $120 thereafter.

     For additional conference information and directions, visit the 2021 Iowa Organic Conference webpage or contact Delate at kdelate@iastate.edu or 515-294-5116.