Organic Seed Alliance and University of Minnesota will bring together organic farmers, researchers, and businesses to learn from each other, connect on a personal level, and identify opportunities to advance the regional organic seed system in the Midwest.
On Wednesday Aug 19th, join at the University of Minnesota Farm at the Arb for a community building and organic market development session that brings together organic plant breeders, organic farmers, and retailers. There will be a brief presentation from Organic Seed Alliance on the state of organic seed and specific issues that impact the Midwestern seed system. Take advantage of networking opportunities, in addition to a guided tour of the Farm at the Arb and a complimentary dinner of pizza, salad, lemonade, and dessert bars.
On Thursday Aug 20th, join us at the University of Minnesota Cargill Building for a workshop session for growers to learn about regionally adapted crop varieties bred for organic systems. Attendees will learn about emerging specialty crop varieties that thrive on Midwest organic farms, directly from the breeders and seed farmers stewarding these varieties, with emphasis on culturally meaningful crops. We will visit the U-Minnesota student organic farm and learn about the Community Plant Breeding Team. The afternoon will feature a range of “”lightning talk”” presentations from plant breeders, seed producers, researchers, and other key industry stakeholders. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no cost to attendees.
Schedule:
- Wednesday August 19th from 2:00 – 7:00 pm
- “Farm at the Arb” (3210 W 82nd St, Chanhassen, MN 55317)
- Dinner provided.
- Thursday August 20th from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm
- “Cargill Building” (1500 Gortner Ave, St Paul, MN 55108)
- Breakfast and lunch provided.
Cost: Free, registration required.
Event Contact: Michael Lordon, michael@seedalliance.org, 734-234-6230
This event is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP). Additional support is provided by the Blooming Prairie Foundation.
