Ohio's largest sustainable food and farm conference to take place February 18-19, 2012

Saturday, January 21, 2012 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: Ohio, farm, conference

(NaturalNews) On February 18 - 19, 2012, the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association (OEFFA) will hold its 33rd annual conference in Granville, entitled Sowing the Seeds of Our Food Sovereignty. The conference, which is devoted to promoting "slow", localized food systems that are organically based and ecologically sound, will feature prominent speakers, educational workshops, film screenings, and even a contra dance.

Woody Tasch, author of the book Nature of Slow Money: Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered, will speak at the conference about how investing money in small, local, and regional food systems is effectively helping to fix the economy from the ground up. Tasch's national movement has already generated nearly $10 million for local farms and food programs.

Andrew Kimbrell, founder and executive director of the Center for Food Safety (CFS), will also be featured at the conference as a keynote speaker. CFS was part of a large coalition that tried to stop the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) from approving genetically-modified (GM) alfalfa last year. CFS has long been an outspoken opponent of GMOs, and has devoted its efforts to protecting the environment against GMO production systems and other destructive agricultural practices.

The conference will also feature workshops on hydraulic fracturing, also known as "fracking," and how this technique of drilling for natural gas threatens the environment, and particularly organic farmers. The workshops will teach farmers, landowners, and concerned citizens how to deal with fracking in their local communities.

Jeff Moyer, Director of Farm Operations at the Rodale Institute, will also speak at a special pre-conference event entitled No Till, No Drill, No Problem: Integrating No-Till Methods into Organic Production Systems. This workshop will cover how to deal with weeds, build soil tilth, and secure nutrient retention in organic agriculture using no-till methods.

Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to dine on meals made from fresh, local, and organic produce and meats. These meals can be purchased in advance of the conference, which is recommended to ensure they are not sold out when attendees arrive.

If you live near Granville, Oh., and are interested in attending this year's OEFFA conference, or if you would simply like to learn more about it, visit:
http://www.oeffa.org/conference2012.php