Marbleseed Conference 2025 - Session

Part 1: Climate Adaptation, Resilience, & Mitigation for Vegetable Growers
Presenters:

• Rue Genger, UW-Madison
• Nick Olson, Land Stewardship Project & Prairie Drifter Farm

Part 2: Balancing Farming with Family Care - A Live Podcast Roadshow!
Presenters:

• Elizabeth Makarewicz, Land Stewardship Project
• Fresh Roberson, Fresher Together

Part 3: Collaborative & Cooperative Structures in Diversified Farming
Presenters:

• Trish & Josh Clarkweiss, Sandhill Farm
• Kelly Maynard, UW-Madison Center for Cooperatives
• Sarah Janes Ugoretz, UW Ext Dane County

Join the Organic Fruit Growers Association for an afternoon of learning about the challenges and rewards of growing organic fruit! We’ll focus on farmers’ practical experience and encourage open discussion. After a welcome and introductions, we will divide the afternoon into three sub-sessions: at 1:30 pm, an agricultural engineer and two farmers will discuss alternatives to treated wood posts on organic fruit farms: can we use posts made from metal, concrete, or untreated rot-resistant woods to support trees, trellises, deer fencing and bird netting? At 3:00 pm, we will have an open facilitated discussion on challenges faced and lessons learned during the varied weather of 2023 and 2024. At 4:15 pm, a panel of organic fruit farmers will discuss value-added processing: on our busy farms, how can we efficiently process blemished or excess fruit into valuable foods?

Join Grassland 2.0 Academy for an interactive, personalized workshop on managed grazing. Learn to implement skills and calculations that will lengthen your grazing season, reduce feed costs, and increase the resilience of your farm. In this session, you will learn how to:

• Match livestock numbers to your land and farm goals
• Develop a forage inventory
• Customize a forage plan for your land and livestock

The Academy leadership team offers depth of experience and diversity of perspectives based on years of work with farmers to implement successful grazing systems. A deeper understanding comes through practicing a new skill rather than just watching someone else do it. In this session, you will ‘learn by doing’, working with a group of peers on a specific farm scenario, as well as having time to consult one-on-one with Academy team members regarding your own operation. Bring your grazing plan, soil map and other information!

Presenters:

• Jason Cavadini, UW-Madison Extension
• Alex Steussy-Williams, Grassland 2.0 Academy
• Carl Wepking, Grassland 2.0 Academy
• Laura Paine, UW-Madison Extension
• Adam Abel, USDA-NRCS
• Derrick Raspor, USDA-NRCS
• Ariana Abbrescia, UW-Madison Extension
• Tom Manley, Marbleseed

An Interactive Session with OFARM: How Producers will Shape Organic Grain Production and Marketing

Part 1: Maneuvering Through the State of Organic Grain,
Livestock Feed Demand and Marketing - Strategies for Success

Part 2: Producer Panel: Connecting Organic Grain Production Practices with Successful Marketing Partnership

Part 3: Cooperative Organic Grain Marketing - Myths & Realities

This session is primarily for current and past WI LFPA producers but open to anyone interested in the Wisconsin Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (WI LFPA). This session will cover WI LFPA outcomes and celebrate accomplishments from the program over 2023 and 2024. There will be two panel sessions, with time for group discussion, highlighting specifics of the relationship building work of the WI LFPA and how culturally relevant products were grown by farmers and delivered to communities. Learn from WI LFPA producers, program staff, food security partners and community partners about the successes and next steps for farm to food access work and opportunities for producers to reach expanded markets in Wisconsin.

Part 1: Join Alice Runde from the National Organic Coalition (NOC) and Milo Petruziello from the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) for an in-depth workshop on advocating for organic agriculture in Congress. This session will demystify the legislative process, including how the Farm Bill works and the current state of its reauthorization, and share good practices for engaging with legislators and their staffs. Whether you’re building a new relationship or engaging with an office that may not share your views, this session provides actionable tips for framing organic issues in ways that focus on farmers’ stories, resonate with policymakers, and foster collaboration. Walk away with the confidence to amplify the voice of organic farmers and make a meaningful impact.

Part 2: Wisconsin Farmers Union

Part 3: Wisconsin Agricultural Tourism Association