The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has named the 2024 recipients of its Stewardship, Service, and Beginning Farmer awards.   Brandt Family Farm of Fairfield County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the cultivation of sustainable agriculture; Tom Redfern of Athens County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture; and Kim Bayer of Ann Arbor, Michigan received the Beginning Farmer Award, which recognizes innovation and commitment to overcome systemic barriers faced by new farmers. These awards were announced February 15-17 as part of OEFFA’s 45th annual conference in Newark, Ohio. For more information on these awards, visit news.oeffa.org/awards. 2024 Stewardship…

Registration is now open for Ohio’s largest sustainable agriculture conference, a three-day event bringing together hundreds of farm and food advocates. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 45th annual conference, Cultivating Care, will take place Thursday, February 15 through Saturday, February 17, 2024, at Cherry Valley Hotel and Ohio Event Center in Newark, Ohio. Online registration is now open at conference.oeffa.org. Keynote Speakers Food and Farm School Classes These five full-day classes are intended for in-depth learning: Workshops, Food, Networking, and More A diverse array of workshops, demonstrations, shopping, and more are offered during the conference, including: Conference registration includes access to both the in-person event and to…

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) and its partners invite you to get a taste of the farm this summer during the 2023 Sustainable Farm Tour and Workshop Series. This annual series of public tours and workshops features more than 13 organic and ecological farms and businesses across the state, opening the door for farmers, gardeners, educators, and eaters to learn about agriculture and local foods on the farm. Tour guests can walk through farm fields, garden beds, livestock pastures, and more during these OEFFA farm tours:  Attendees can explore farming technology, sharpen advocacy skills, navigate farm jobs, and more during these OEFFA workshops:  In addition to OEFFA,…

The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has named the 2023 recipients of its Stewardship, Service, and Policy Leader awards.   Jeff Dean of Sandusky County received the Stewardship Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the cultivation of sustainable agriculture; Jeff Dickinson of Delaware County received the Service Award, which recognizes extraordinary service in support of sustainable agriculture; and Scott Myers of Wayne County was named the Policy Leader of the Year, which recognizes members whose actions have promoted effective policy work for OEFFA. These awards were announced February 16-18 as part of OEFFA’s 44th annual conference in Newark, Ohio. 2023 Stewardship Award Winner—Jeff Dean Almost 30 years ago, Jeff…

Cultivating a diverse regenerative agricultural movement and shaping a more current and equitable farm bill will be the respective focal points of keynote addresses by Mohawk seedkeeper Rowen White and agronomist Ricardo Salvador at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s (OEFFA) 44th annual conference, Germinate, Regenerate, Agitate.  In her Thursday, February 16 keynote address, “Reseeding Imaginations of a Relational Agricultural System,” Rowen White will speak on Indigenous leadership, ecological knowledge, cultural memory, and the cultural inheritance of land and seeds. “Seeds are the foundation of agriculture, but they also encode a memory of the land, the climate, the weather, as well as people’s cultural values, aesthetics and stories,” White…