February 15-16, 2008
Sheraton Richmond West Hotel
Richmond, VA
Our 2008 conference theme was "Opportunities in Organic
Farming". There were four tracks of presentations concerning opportunities in organic horticulture, organic field
crops, organic livestock and marketing. Experienced farmers and scientists discussed production systems which
have proven to be successful. These systems often were
developed through years of trial and error.
Our speakers discussed the diverse marketing opportunities for organic farm products. To receive premium
prices in wholesale markets certain products, like field
corn, need to be certified as organic by a third party company, under approved USDA standards. This official organic certification requires an annual fee and also requires
a good deal of record keeping. Most of the organic farmers
in Virginia are not certified. They grow crops and produce
livestock products, without using synthetic chemicals, to
protect their own health, to protect the health of their customers and to protect the environment. These farmers often sell their products at farmers markets, at roadside
stands and through Community Supported Agriculture
(CSA) organizations. Their organic practices are conveyed
through the personal relationships they establish with their
customers.
The plenary speaker sessions and breakout speaker presentations are important parts of the Virginia Biological Farming Conference. Many participants discover, however, that
they also learn a great deal during informal conversations
in the trade show and at meals and breaks. This conference
is an excellent opportunity for networking with other organic growers from all over Virginia. We encourage Virginia Cooperative Extension personnel, Natural Resource
and Conservation Service personnel and Farm Service
Agency personnel to participate in next years event. The conference is also
intended for non-government organizations, community
groups, Master Gardeners, consumers and youth. We had a lively and entertaining educational program for
young people.
Farm to School Connections - Promise, Pitfalls, and Policy Dr. Jennifer Wilkins, Senior Extension Associate
Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University
Weed Management Using Cover Crops and Rotation Strategies
Jessica Deelo, Extension Specialist - Organic Horticulture Cropping Systems
Alson H. Smith Jr. Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Winchester
Audio Unavailable
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Grassfed to Finish: Gourmet Quality Beef
Tim Johnson, Ozark Pasture Beef, Fayetteville, Arkansas
Organic Health Management System for Small Ruminants
Dr. Joe Tritschler, Extension Specialist-Small Ruminants
Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia
What Does My Soil Really Need? - A Balanced Approach to Organic Soil
Management, Dr. Mark Schonbeck, Floyd, Virginia and Byron Vaughan, A&L Laboratories, Richmond, Virginia
Long Term Cropping System for Certified-Organic Field Corn, Wheat and Soybeans - Dr. Michel Cavigelli, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Lab, USDA-Agriculture Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland
We are pleased to feature Dr. Jennifer Wilkins and Dr.
Elaine Ingham as our keynote speakers.
Dr. Jennifer Wilkins
is with the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell
University in New York. She will help us understand what
we need to do to incorporate locally-grown and organic
farm products in the lunch programs in our public schools.
Farm to school marketing programs have begun in other
states but not yet in Virginia. A number of barriers will
have to be surmounted before our children will be able to
eat fresh locally-grown foods.
Dr. Elaine Ingham
is President of Soil Foodweb Incorporated in Corvallis, Oregon. She is an energetic, easy-to-
understand speaker who explains what life in the soil is all
about. Behind this "user-friendly" approach lies a wealth
of knowledge gained from years of intensive research into
the organisms which make up the soil food web. Elaine not
only understands the soil food web, she has knowledge on
how to ensure a healthy food web to promote plant growth
and reduce reliance on inorganic chemicals. While truly an
academic, Elaine is also passionate about sharing her
knowledge and research findings with those at the grass
roots level of working with soils. That includes not just
farmers who grow crops, but also those who graze cattle,
sheep and other livestock, fruit and vegetable growers,
greens keepers, parks and gardens workers, nursery opera-
tors - in fact anyone who grows things, even if it's just
plain old lawn grass. Elaine offers a way forward for sustainable farming. - a way of improving the soils we work
with now and a way to keep soils in this healthier state
without damaging any other eco-system.
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ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Denise Anderson
and her husband Cameron, own and mind the day to day
operation of 2Silos Farm in Mt. Gilead, Ohio. 2Silos is an all natural family
farm in Morrow County. The Andersons specialize in producing all natural
pastured poultry products. They have three laying flocks for a total of 550 hens.
They also produce 5000 broilers, both certified organic and chemical-free, all
natural chickens.
Dr. Michel Cavigelli
is a Soil Scientist at the USDA Agricultural Research
Service in Beltsville, Maryland (since 1999) where he is Lead Scientist of the
Beltsville Farming Systems Project (FSP), a long-term cropping systems trial
evaluating the sustainability of organic and conventional grain cropping systems. Dr. Cavigelli has a PhD in Soil Microbial Ecology from Michigan State
University, an MS in Soil Science from Kansas State University, and a BA in
Biology from Oberlin College. Dr. Cavigelli has worked at Michigan State
University Extension, helping to incorporate ecological concepts into Extension
publications and presentations. He was an intern at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas and worked for two years at the Kansas Rural Center, a non-profit
organization supporting sustainable agriculture in Kansas. Michel and his wife,
Martha, garden organically and commute to work by bike.
Cherise Cobb
currently serves as Administrative and Program Specialist at
Virginia State University - Cooperative Extension. She is the liaison to 11
specialists and several agents throughout the counties. She also provides leadership in coordinating, facilitating and implementing youth programs for the
Agriculture Department at Virginia State University Cooperative Extension.
Ms. Cobb has a degree in Early Childhood Education and has a Certified Proposal and Grant Writer certificate from Virginia Union University.
Charlie Collins
, Owner/Operator of Victory Farms, Inc., a family-run farm in
Hanover, Virginia. Charlie has been farming for a living since 1994. With a
degree in Botany, he has spent years developing methods for growing fine-
quality produce on a small urban farm. The acre of land is compost-fed and
pesticides are never used. Artisanally grown produce is hand-harvested and
tended to daily by Charlie himself and arrives at the markets freshly picked,
thoroughly cleaned, and ready to enjoy.
Kevin Damian
has grown mixed vegetables at Chile Llama Farm in Hanover
County for the past 11 years. He is an organic grower who is not certified.
Kevin sells lettuce, leafy greens, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, cut flowers and a wide
variety of other specialty crops at the Ashland Farmers Market. He collects the
manure from nine llamas for production of compost. He is famous for bringing
a bag of "llama beans" as a raffle prize every year at our annual conference. By
using unheated greenhouses with careful applications of shade, Kevin Damian
has developed a production system which allows him to grow and sell leaf
lettuce and Romaine lettuce throughout the summer and winter months. He will
also describe the way he uses collected rain water to irrigate his crops without
electricity.
Jessica Deelo
is an Organic Horticultural Cropping Systems Specialist and has
the unique position of bridging the gap between farmers, agricultural researchers, rural and urban communities, and public and private agencies. Her role is to
understand and communicate the needs and activities of these stakeholders and
find ways to promote collaboration, understanding, and effective approaches for
positive change. Her approach provides resources and tools that can be implemented on conventional and organic farms to promote sustainable practices.
She is committed to sustainable agriculture, which incorporates organic practices and integrated, holistic approaches to soil, pest, and cropping systems
management. She takes a whole systems approach to understanding, analyzing,
and exploring solutions in order to fully account for agronomic, environmental,
economic, and social factors that contribute to agriculture and the farming
lifestyle.
Keith Dix and Bev Lacey
are co-owners of Blue Heron Farm. They grow a large
variety of fruits, vegetables, cut flowers and herbs on two and a half acres, and
do it without using chemical pesticides or commercial fertilizers. The farm is
located two miles South of Basic Necessities, just off of Rt. 151. Keith had been
farming organically on a part-time basis before he retired from West Virginia
University where he was Director of the Center for Sustainable Agriculture. In
the ten years since 1995, he has devoted his full time to farming. Bev had many
years of gardening experience before moving from Ohio to Nelson County in
2004. She brings to Blue Heron Farm an extensive knowledge of, and love for,
flower growing.
Paul Estabrook and his wife YoungSuk
own Virginia Gold Orchards. Together
with their two children, they started an Asian pear orchard from scratch in 1990,
growing it to an internationally known orchard featured by Gourmet Magazine
in 2001. Not only are their Asian pears unique, they are certified organic and
meet "Virginia's Finest" standards. The 20-acre orchard features 4,000 trees
from 16 pear varieties. They have a testing area, containing 25+ different named
varieties & several original hybrids bred by YoungSuk. They ship worldwide.
Sharon Funderburk
is a Field and Crop Manager for Burch Farms in Faison,
North Carolina which has 2500 acres of crops. The farm is proud to grow sweet
potatoes and butternut squash which are not only organic, but high in Vitamins
A & C and a good source of fiber. Burch Farms grows collards, cabbage and
spinach as well. In recent years, Burch Farms has entered into contract production of certified organic sweet potatoes and butternut squash for Earth's Best
Company for processing into baby food.
Tim Johnson
is Operations Manager for Ozark Pasture Beef, a northwestern
Arkansas group of nine multi-generational family farms. Ozark Pasture Beef
was incorporated in 2003 as a sustainable, grass-finished beef group. Sales have
increased about 50% per year over the four years. They market their beef both
directly to consumers and in retail establishments. Tim and Ozark Pasture Beef
have worked with several Universities, SARE and ATTRA to investigate the
constraints of economically producing quality grass-fed beef. Tim will discuss
these constraints, marketing options and business issues of running a small corporation.
Tony Lagana
is the manager of Ploughshare Community Farm CSA in Louisa,
Virginia. This ten acre CSA farm grows vegetables and poultry products for 55
families. They manage their crops organically. They also use biodynamic practices.
Mr. Richard Moyer
grew up in Augusta, Georgia, on the former site of
Fruitland Nursery, one of the great Southern Nurseries from ~1850-1950. He
teaches Biology at King College in Bristol, TN, continuing his family interest in fruit production. There they have planted hundreds of fruits on two
acres, identifying carefree plants for fruit production in urban and rural settings. Using variety choice, season extension techniques and various preservation methods, they provide fruit for their family of 8, one to two meals
each day. Dr. Moyer also has conducted research on the antioxidant levels in
a range of small fruits. The Moyers recently moved to Russell County, SW
VA, in order to grow more food for their table and for market.
Paul Mugge
is a third generation farmer from Northwestern Iowa. He is very
active in a group called the Practical Farmers of Iowa which has promoted
sustainable agriculture practices since the 1980s. Paul also serves on an
Advisory Committee for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at
Iowa State University. Paul raises hogs and grows a variety of grain crops,
including corn, which is primarily used as feed for his hogs. His soybeans are
sold to local processors and made into hog feed, which he then buys back for
his hogs. Paul produces 50 acres of food grade soybeans that are grown
without the use of synthetic pesticides and are sold at a premium price. He
also occasionally grows oats and alfalfa hay in rotation with corn and soybeans and both are sold as cash crops for livestock feed.
David and Lee O'Neill
operate Radical Roots Community Farm which is catalyzing
positive change by growing high quality organic vegetables and educating
about sustainable agriculture. The farm sells produce and plants at the
Staunton/Augusta Farmers Market, Charlottesville City Market, and has a
100 member CSA. Dave has a background in public horticulture and was
formerly the Director of the Arboretum at James Madison University. Dave
teaches permaculture design and organic gardening classes to community
groups and college classes and has experience in landscape design.
Bo Page and Jimmy Landry
operate Planet Positive Organic Farm out of
Gainesville, Florida. In 2007, Mr. Page grew 40 acres of certified organic
vegetables on plastic with trickle irrigation in Georgia. He is an expert in
water management. While Georgia was experiencing the worst drought in a
century, Bo Page was growing and selling crops. He used to be a crop manager with Six Ls in Florida which is one of the largest conventional plasti-culture farming operations in the U. S. Mr. Page has adapted much of the
technology he learned with Six Ls to an organic production system for
wholesale market of certified organic crops. Jimmy Landry works with Bo
Page as sales manager for Planet Positive. He will discuss wholesale marketing of certified organic produce.
Lisa Reagan
is the President of Families for Natural Living, a non-profit
organization that facilitates a network of self-directed community groups and
learning programs for parents. Lisa has worked as an investigative journalist
for 16 years. She lives with her family on their organic farm in Toano, Virginia. In 2007 Lisa operated a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
organization for 15 families. She learned a great deal from her first year in
operating a CSA.
Debbie Roos
is an Agricultural Extension Agent for North Carolina State
University in Chatham County, NC. She works with organic farmers and
beekeepers. "I didn't take my first entomology class until graduate school, or
I surely would have majored in it! I teach workshops for farmers on a variety
of topics, including organic pest management and farmscaping to create
beneficial insect habitat. A few years ago I started collecting insects to build
up a reference collection of pests and beneficials for my workshops. Now I
am more focused on photography (thank goodness because I never enjoy
killing bugs!)."
Dr. Mark Schonbeck
has done part time research, educational outreach, and
technical assistance in sustainable agriculture as an independent consultant
for the past 20 years. He has worked with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program at a farm in Floyd County (1991-2004), managed a
homestead garden for the small community where he lives (0.1-0.25 acre, 6-
10 people), served on the VABF Board of Directors for several years, and
has edited the VABF newsletter since fall 1997. His research has included
cover cropping, mulching, soil nutrient balance and soil quality, organic
vegetable horticulture, and most recently cover crop based organic no-till /
reduced till systems for sustainable organic vegetable production. Mark also
serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture
Working Group, and does some volunteer policy advocacy work with South-
ern SAWG and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.
Keith Tignor
is a State Apiarist with the Virginia Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services. He believes that bees and beekeepers are currently
facing problems which could severely affect crop production in Virginia. He
conducted a study in 2006 which examined the annual loss of Virginia honey
bees due to parasites and diseases. The study concluded that Virginia is currently losing valuable honey bee hives at an annual rate of 30 percent. The
greatest concern now is the Varroa mite, which transmits diseases, reduces
honey bee productivity and contributes to the mortality rate of honey bee
hives in Virginia. Threats on the horizon include possible introduction of
Africanized honey bees and a new disease called Colony Collapse Disorder.
Mr. Tignor will discuss an incentive program which can help beginning beekeepers establish new hives and maintain these important pollinators.
Lee Sturgis
operates Radical Roots Community Farm which is catalyzing
positive change by growing high quality organic vegetables and educating
about sustainable agriculture. The farm sells produce and plants at the Staunton/Augusta Farmers Market, Charlottesville City Market, and has a 100
member CSA. Lee manages the Radical Roots CSA and has a clinical herbalist practice.
Dr. Joe Tritschler, Extension Specialist in Small Ruminants at Virginia
State University disseminates research-based, practical management information to assist small-scale farmers with meat goat and hair sheep production. Dr. Tritschler has held many workshops throughout Virginia concerning
FAMACHA - learning how not to deworm small ruminants. He has helped a
number of landowners, especially in Southwest Virginia, develop production
and marketing of Katahdin sheep as a profitable new enterprise. These hair
sheep are more profitable than the wool breeds for meat production because
they do not need to be sheared. Dr. Tritschler has provided livestock management education for landowners in Hawaii, Latin America and has recently
served as director of a major economic development program with small
ruminants in East Africa.
Byron Vaughan
is Vice President of A&L Eastern. He was raised on a
cotton farm in Texas and completed his Ph.D. at Colorado State University.
He worked at Harris Labs (soil testing lab) in Nebraska for 17 years prior to
his current position at A&L Eastern. He has experience working with organic
soybean growers in Nebraska, though he indicated that the organic movement
is a lot stronger and more evident here in VA than it was in NE.
Jennifer Wilkins
directs the Cornell Farm to School Program, Which provides information , analysis and technical assistance to K-12 public schools
and colleges and universities in the state of New York. The goals of this work
are to foster shifts in food procurement toward local producers, educate students of all ages about the local food and agriculture system, and develop
economically viable markets for farmers. Since 1993, Jennifer has held the
position of senior extension associate in the Division of Nutritional Sciences
at Cornell University, where her extension and applied research program
focuses on consumer issues related to community food systems. Jennifer
initiated the Cornell Farm to School Program, for which she received a Dannon Institute Award for Excellence in Community Nutrition in 2003. She also
conceptualized and developed the first regional food guide in the United
States, the Northeast Regional Food Guide. Jennifer is the immediate past
president of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society, and has served
on the Board of Directors for the Society for Nutrition Education.
John Wilson
has been farming sustainably in Virginia Beach for fifteen
years. At New Earth Farm, John grows vegetables, fruits and flowers, and
sells eggs from free range Plymouth Rock hens on five acres. John and his
wife, Kathleen Fogarty, began their CSA in 2006 with 30 sharers. The 2007
season had 37 members. John and a team of paid workers and volunteers
keep the produce thriving, while Kathleen takes care of membership, the
weekly newsletter, E-mail communication and breakfast on CSA pick up day.
For further information contact:
Joseph Puentes
email: Clean@h2opodcast.com
Short messages may be left at: 206-984-3260
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