Kansas Organic Producers and the National Farmers Organization are hosting a training workshop for beginning or transitioning organic farmers. The “Farmstarts” workshop will be held Wednesday, Aug. 30, east of Hiawatha, at the Klinefelter Barn Conference Center, 1724 230th St., Hiawatha.

Registration begins at 8:45 a.m. The program runs from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Lunch will be served on-site. The workshop is free, but preregistration is needed for a meal and materials count.

The Farmstarts series of workshops is funded through a USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher grant to the National Farmers Organization in collaboration with the Kansas Organic Producers.

The workshop is open to anyone interested in learning more about transitioning or beginning organic farming. Beginning farmers can apply for a $200 expense stipend for taking time to attend. For purposes of this project, a beginning farmer is someone interested in entering organic farming or who has farmed fewer than 10 years. Beginning farmers can be young people just finishing school and starting their careers, or they might be older and beginning farming as a second career. Farmers with more than 10 years in farming are also welcome, but are not eligible for the expense stipend.  

The workshop topics and speakers include:

• What is organic and how to get started — Will Ortman, Marion, S.D., organic grain, beef cattle, poultry and berry farmer

• Organic crop rotation, soil fertility and weed control — Jack Geiger, Robinson, Kan., organic grain and livestock farmer

• Soil health: The cornerstone of profitability in crop and livestock production — Jim Ladlie, ProfitProAg

• Organic certification basics — Jackie Keller, Eastern Kansas Organic Crop Improvement Association

• Marketing organic grain — Adam Ptacek and Martin Eddy, KOP grain marketers

• Organic Cooperative Marketing Agency in common — John Bobbe, Organic Farms for Relationship Marketing (OFARM).

For more information, contact Ed Reznicek, KOP, at 785-939-2032 or email him at [email protected]. Early registration is encouraged to ensure space and meal count. To register online, go to nfo.org/farmstarts. 

Source: Kansas Rural Center