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Friday, January 22, 2010
Session D: 10:30 am - 12:00 noon

 

Are Internships Illegal?

Several farms in California and Oregon have been fined or shut down by state labor bureau officials for running internships. It is actually illegal to have any form of volunteer on the farm. In most circumstances the 1938 federal Fair Labor Standards Act is a protective mechanism for employees, but should it be applied to all farm internships? Coming into compliance cost one farm half their net income and forced them to double in size to accommodate the cost of the upgrade. The bottom line: if an intern can be classified as an employee, they must be paid a minimum wage. The Department of Labor provides a six-factor test to determine if a “trainee” is not an employee and thereby exempt from hour and wage requirements. One criteria is that “the employer derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainee.” Farmers and extension agents in Oregon are looking into new internship models that comply with labor laws.
Presenters: Ned Conwell, Blue House Farm, Pescadero, CA; Neil Hamilton, Drake University Agricultural Law Center, Des Moines, IA; Eleanor O’Brien (invited), Persephone Farm,
Lebanon, OR.

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Biodiversity—Farmers’ Stories

Hear from farmers who believe in the power of biodiversity. Whether raising vegetables and rice in California or sheep in Montana, these producers see biodiversity as a very important part of their operations. The farmers will describe how their sustainable conservation practices support pest-eating insects, create wildlife habitat, and make it possible to co-exist with predators. If you are an organic farmer, you’ll want to learn about these systems now, because the National Organic Standards Board has approved a comprehensive plan to address biodiversity conservation as part of your certification inspection.
Moderator: Jo Ann Baumgartner, Wild Farm Alliance, Watsonville, CA.
Presenters: Greg Massa, Massa Organics, Hamilton City, CA; Dick Peixoto, Lakeside Organic Gardens, Watsonville, CA; Becky Weed, Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company, Belgrade, MT

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Biogas: A Key to Farm Energy and Recycling

This session will explore the practical applications of technology to recycle farm wastes into biogas. Stahlbush Island Farms in Corvallis, Oregon recently built an on-site biogas plant. The power plant will provide enough electricity for approximately 1,100 homes, nearly twice what the farm and food processing plant uses in a year. The technology used to create this renewable energy is anaerobic methane digestion of fruit and vegetable by-product. The facility also recycles clean water and nutrients to the fields. The Fiscalini Farms and Cheese Company is producing biogas from their cow manure with the energy used to power their farm and cheese operation and the heat recycled to heat the water for the dairy barn. They have been featured by Sustainable Conservation and are certified by PureCert to produce using renewable energy. Farms really can be energy independent!
Presenters: John Fiscalini, Fiscalini Farms, Modesto, CA; Tracy Miedema, Stahlbush Island Farm, Corvallis, OR.

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Changing Food Trends for the Youngest Eaters

Proper nutrition during early childhood is critical for the development of healthy minds and bodies. The speakers in this workshop are innovators in the movement to change eating habits and policies so that our youngest eaters receive the nutrition they need. The Children’s Food Connection serves farm-fresh food to 420 infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers in childcare centers. The program and its curriculum link the centers with local farmers and CSAs, helping the children and their families develop skills to choose nutrient-dense foods and live healthier lives. California Food Policy Advocates will present research on early childhood eating trends and discuss pending legislation to improve nutrition for pre-schoolers. We will also hear from an organic distributor who has been partnering with child-care centers.
Presenters: Kumar Chandran, California Food Policy Advocates, Oakland, CA; Katrina Morkner, Children’s Food Connection, Mountain View, CA; Karen Salinger, Veritable Vegetable, San Francisco, CA; TBA.

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Drought-Proofing Your Farm

It looks like drought may become a permanent condition in the West as well as many other parts of the world. Forward-thinking farmers are planning and carrying out steps to protect their operations from the effects of dry years. This workshop will cover a range of tools that are being used to manage water scarcity. Panelists will discuss sustainable agriculture practices for improved water management, including drought-savvy irrigation, crop rotation and selection, irrigation ponds, and soil management for water retention.
Presenters: Michael Cahn, UC Cooperative Extension, Salinas, CA; Colby Eierman, Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen, CA.

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Liquid Organic Nitrogen Fertilizer: Update on Regulations and What Growers Can Use Instead

Last year during the conference, a liquid fertilizer manufacturing facility was raided and shut down by the FBI for allegedly violating the organic regulations as well as hazmat rules. New guidance last spring from the National Organic Program (NOP) requires that most liquid fertilizer producers must be inspected and subjected to audit. This panel will have a re-cap of the situation, with an update on where products stand and, most important, an expert’s suggestions for ways to reduce dependence on liquid fertilizer.
Moderator: Laura Batcha, Organic Trade Association, Greenfield, MA.
Presenters: Amigo Cantisano, Organic Ag Advisors, North San Juan, CA; Renee Mann, Organic Materials Review Institute, Eugene, OR;Jake Lewin, California Certified Organic Farmers, Santa Cruz, CA; Miles McEvoy, NOP, Washington, DC.

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Local Food Distribution Networks

Have you ever wondered why it’s easier for businesses to source a tomato from South America than from a local farmer? It doesn’t make sense, right? Many businesses, institutions, schools, and shoppers want to buy local food. However, the lack of infrastructure for local food distribution has left these hopeful locavores trapped in the global food maze. Fortunately, alternative models for food distribution are sprouting up across the country, as demand for local food grows. Marin’s Farm to Fork program is delivering food from 72 local farmers to dozens of local businesses and institutions. The Eat Local Foods Coalition has people rethinking food choices and building local markets for organic farmers. Maine’s Local Twenty campaign promotes 20 foods that can be grown and eaten in Maine.The Community Alliance with Family Farmers manages the Growers Collaborative, aggregating produce from regional growers to supply existing distributors. We’ll explore these innovative and replicable distribution models. Healthy local food systems are possible. It will simply take a village to make it happen.
Presenters: Bob Corshen, Growers Collaborative, Davis, CA; Russell Libby, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Unity, ME; Leah Smith, Farm to Fork, Marin Agricultural Institute, San Rafael, CA.

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Practices that Mitigate Leaching in Ag Runoff

Agriculture plays a major role in the pollution of terrestrial and ground water used as drinking water throughout the world. The identification and implementation of agricultural practices that reduce this contamination are essentially a major part of the organic and sustainable movement that is slowly spreading across the global community. One of our presenters will discuss numerous practices for reducing runoff, from composting and cover cropping to natural soil additives and Low External-Input Fertilizer Systems (LEI). Another presenter has been researching and testing the effectiveness of Vegetated Treatment Systems for reducing nutrients, sediment and other constituents in irrigation runoff from California farms for the past decade. These systems have proven very successful in other regions, and the local trials are focused on configuring them to be adaptive to and function effectively in California agricultural systems and watersheds both large and small.
Presenters: Perry O. Gooch, Bioflora; Goodyear, AZ; Marc LosHuertos (invited), CSUMB, Seaside, CA.

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Ruminant Nutrition and Growing Feed for Livestock

With the increase in demand for organic meat comes an increasing need for organic feed. Feed prices are at an all-time high. This workshop is for those interested in growing organic feed crops and those looking to hone their livestock nutrition program. What does it take to produce high quality organic feed crops for market? How do you evaluate feed and use it to provide the best nutrition for your animals? This panel includes a large animal veterinarian/nutritionist, a feed crop specialist and a long-time feed formulator and supplier. We will cover the basics of ruminant nutrition including pasture management, balancing rations, common nutritional diseases, how to identify forage quality, and supplemental feeding of hay, grains, silage, and alternative feeds. Panelists will also discuss feed market activity and supply chain issues.
Presenters: Stephen Bramwell, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; Mike Paros, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; Chris Wagner, Modesto Milling,
Empire, CA.


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