Managing risk in organic grain farming happens at every level. While it may seem to begin with the production systems that the farmer puts in place, experienced growers will tell you that successful organic systems begin with understanding the farmer, the farmer’s resource base, and how the farmer will develop their organic system plan.

This workshop will be held at Goldmine Farms in Pana, Illinois. Goldmine Farms is owned and operated by Jack Erisman, who has been farming organically since the early 1970s and now grows over 2000 acres of organic grains, from yellow corn for tortillas to the rare perennial intermediate wheatgrass, and also raises grass-fed beef. Jack’s extensive experience and wisdom will infuse the workshop with the importance of the farmer’s relationship with the land, the importance of diversity in organic systems, and how those culminate in the creation of an organic systems plan and intensive rotations in organic production systems.

This is the second of four field days hosted by OGRAIN, the Organic Grain Resources And Information Network at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The field day series is made possible by a grant from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. OGRAIN is a collaborative effort of the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, the Farm and Industry Short Course, the UW-Madison Organic and Sustainable Cropping Systems lab and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES).

Pre-registration is required. Visit the Land Connection website for more information.