LEXINGTON, Ky. — For over a decade, the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) has gathered farmers, agriculture professionals and local food advocates to share practical tools and resources related to organic and regenerative agriculture. OAK’s 13th annual farming conference – Advancing Organics In Kentucky: Adopting Practices, Increasing Resilience and Strengthening Systems – returns for the second year to Kentucky State University’s Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm in Frankfort from Jan. 25-27, 2024.
The primary focus of OAK Conference programming is on agricultural production systems, techniques and practices farmers can use, regional research on organic practices and strengthening community connections among farmers. The networking and relationship-building at OAK conference made a lasting impact on Keith McKenzie, who farms with his wife Cathy at Knob Hill Farm in Breckinridge County and spoke at last year’s conference about his organic transition experience. McKenzie says the OAK conference “was a really good opportunity to meet emerging farmers who have already been certified [organic] or were in the process of becoming certified.”
OAK’s 2024 Conference is open to anyone interested in sustainable farming practices. It features three days of inspiration from local and regional speakers, trade show resources and abundant networking opportunities to support farmers and food system advocates. For a second year, the conference offers an additional day of in-depth learning with Pre-Conference Half-Day Workshops on Thursday, January 25th. See the full agenda and speakers online: oak-ky.org/agenda.
On January 25th, pre-conference workshops include immersion into no-till cover cropping, seed growing, high tunnel production, regenerative grazing, small fruits, raising goats, and the first session of a five-part series on building a farm’s climate resilience plan.
January 26-27 offer inspiration from keynote speakers Ardis and Henry Crews of North Carolina’s Green Rural Development Organization, and a panel of experienced organic farmers: moderator Bree Pearsall, Rootbound Farm (Oldham Co); W.B. and Lynn Brown, Brown’s Place Farm (Georgia); Liz Graznak, Happy Hollow Farm (Missouri); Anna Raines, Rains and Sun Hilltop Farm (Kenton Co); and Mac Stone, Elmwood Stock Farm (Scott Co). Local and regional farmers and experts lead sessions and panels on the profitability of high-tunnel crops, growing small grains, climate-smart practices, black farmers, soil microbes, silvopasture, forest farming and much more.
OAK Conference is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), which addresses issues in organic agriculture through research, education, and extension activities. Scholarships are available, and early bird pricing extends through December 15, 2023. Registration information is available at oak-ky.org/annual-conference. Contact OAK with any questions: [email protected] or 502-709-8732.
The Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) is a member-based non-profit advancing organic regenerative agriculture in Kentucky to improve ecological resilience, economic viability and community health. Membership is open to anyone interested in organic food & agriculture. For more information, visit oak-ky.org.
— Organic Association of Kentucky
