Bringing Back the American Small Farm Conference

The Ozark Farmers Ag Co-op (OFAC) is presenting a conference to share instruction on how to contribute to your regional food supply using whatever land resources are available to you.  Whether that's a backyard garden area or 100 acres, get the information you need to start producing local foods the right way for you.​​

Bringing Back the American Small Farm Conference will be held January 28-29, 2016 at the West Plains Civic Center, 110 Saint Louis Street, West Plains, MO 65775.  Registration for one day is $25 and two days is $50 per person before Jan 14.  After this date registration is $35 for one day and $75 for two days.

For more information contact OFAC at (417) 274-4235 or vist http://www.ozarkfarmers.com.

Day 1

8:00 am Registration

9:00 am Welcoming Remarks Patrice Jennings, Ozark Farmers Agriculture Cooperative

9:15 am General Session - Keynote "Small Farm, Real Income" Hank Will, Editorial Director,

Mother Earth News & Grit Magazine

10:15 am Vendor Exhibits / Break / Network

10:45 am Breakout Sessions:

* Conventional Farming Part I:  Considerations for Beginning Commercial-Scale Vegetable Production; Land, Machinery, Labor, Irrigation, Rusty Lee, Lee Farms, LLC

* Soil Health: Does It Matter, Doug Peterson, Rancher and NRCS State Soil Health Conservationist

* Livestock Grazing 101, Mark L. Kennedy, USDA Livestock Specialist

* Aquaponics Part I: Aquaponics system design is typically coupled with mystery, magic and backyard how to, Jeremy Shechter, Aquaponics Manager, FarmTek

11:45 am Vendor Exhibits / Break / Network

12:00 pm Luncheon General Session: Farm Resource Panel / Vendor Exhibits

1:30 pm Breakout Sessions:

* Conventional Farm Part II: Production and Harvest Care of your crop from seed to the marketed box of produce, Rusty Lee, Lee Farms, LLC

* Beekeeping Part I Grant Gillard, Author and former Missouri State Beekeeper President

* Pastured Poultry Jim Protiva, Peace Valley Poultry

* Aquaponics Part II – Maintenance and Fish-care Jeremy Shechter, Aquaponics Manager, FarmTek

2:45 pm Vendor Exhibits / Break / Network

3:15 pm Breakout Sessions:

* No Till Organic Vegetable Farming, Patrice Gros, Foundation Farm

* Small Fruit Production, Marilyn Odneal, Missouri State University at Mountain Grove

* Opportunities in Small Ruminants Mark L. Kennedy, USDA Livestock Specialist

* Hydroponics Speaker TBD

* Social Media Marketing, Kelli Jennings, Ag Marketing and Social Media Specialist

4:30 pm Networking Mixer

5:30 pm Adjourn for dinner

Day 2

8:00 am Registration

9:00 am Greeting and Announcements Patrice Jennings, Ozark Farmers Agriculture Cooperative

9:05 am General Session - Keynote "Why do Small Farms Matter?" Janie Dunning, USDA Rural Development State Director and Matt Moore, USDA Rural Development Business Program Director

9:55 am General Session "How to Learn Small Farm Skills" Dr. Linda Wulff-Risner, MSU-WP

Assistant Professor of Agriculture

10:15 am Vendor Exhibits / Break / Network

10:45 am Breakout Sessions:

* Urban Farming, Hank Will, Editorial Director, Mother Earth News

* Agri-Marketing, Patrice Gros, Foundation Farm

* Irrigation Speaker TBD

* Greenhouse 101,  Pete Hummert, Hummert International

11:45 am Vendor Exhibits / Break / Network

12:00 pm Luncheon General Session - Marketing Panel

1:30 pm Breakout Sessions:

* Conventional Farming Part III: Marketing—We grew it, now what do we do with it?, Rusty Lee, Lee Farms, LLC

* Agriculture Tourism,  Scott McWilliams

* Beekeeping Part 2, Grant Gillard, Author and former Missouri State Beekeeper President

3:30 pm Evaluations / Door Prizes / Adjourn