Join the Iowa Organic Association to learn more about the economics of organic transition, weed management on organic farms, and crop insurance options for transitioning and certified organic crops.  Iowa Organic Association will hold three winter workshops for farmers considering a transition to organic production.  Workshops will feature Iowa organic experts and will be held in Fairfield on March 3rd, Storm Lake on March 10th, and Cedar Falls on March 11th from 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM. Cost is $10 and includes lunch. Registration is open at http://bit.ly/2017transition.

Iowa Organic Association Organic Transition Workshop speakers include: :

Margaret Smith: Margaret works for Iowa State University as a Value Added Agriculture Extension Specialist in addition to co-managing an organic grain, forage, and livestock farm near Hampton, Iowa. Her education includes a Masters from Iowa State in Crop Production & Physiology and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Crop Ecology & Production.

Paul Mugge: Paul is an organic farmer from Sutherland, Iowa.  He grew up on the farm where he now lives and works.  Paul attended Iowa State University and worked as an engineer before returning to the family farm in 1976.  He is a lifelong environmentalist and his farm management has been a progression from conventional, to sustainable, to completely organic since 2001.

For more information, please contact the Iowa Organic Association at 563-447-0462 or email Toby Cain at education@iowaorganic.org.  

The Iowa Organic Association (IOA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the advancement of Iowa’s organic food and farming system. IOA was founded in 2006 and serves as an umbrella association to represent all of Iowa’s organic farmers, gardeners, food and farm businesses and consumers in building a more sustainable Iowa. This workshop series is made possible by IOA with help from the USDA’s Risk Management Agency.