LANCASTER, Ohio –The Environmental Education Council of Ohio will hold its “The Changing Face of Ohio Agriculture” forum April 30 at Deer Creek State Park Lodge, Mount Sterling, Ohio.
This forum will provide a vehicle for cultivating a better understanding of the connections between people and their food, the importance of preserving farmland and how Ohio farmers are working to create sustainability in agriculture.
Presentations
Forum presentations will run from 8:30-10:15 a.m. and will start with Renee Hunt, program director for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, on the changing face of Ohio agriculture.
New terms are surfacing with each season, as farmers diversify, reach out to niche markets, transition to organic farming practices, experiment with alternative crops and more.
The second presenter is Julia Cumming, district administrator for the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Cumming is active in local farmland preservation efforts and will discuss the importance of comprehensive planning, zoning and other issues related to preserving farmland.
Farm tours
Farm tours will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will leave from the Deer Creek Lodge.
Carpool will be available to three farms and a box lunch will be provided and eaten between farm tours.
The first stop will be a farm in Madison County that is transitioning to organic farming. The owner will share information on the history of the farm, how farming practices have changed over the years and the rationale for the transition to organic farming.
Next will be Midland Acres in Bloomingburg, Fayette County. Midland Acres prides itself on providing Ohio with some of the top Standardbred stallions, broodmares, weanlings and yearlings. This breeding facility focuses on total mare and foal care and includes a superb veterinary practice with a pledge to quality equine care and customer service.
The third stop will be an Amish 60-cow dairy farm that has installed a milk house waste irrigation system in southern Fayette County.
Fee and registration
The fee for the forum is $65 and includes lunch. Online registration is available at www.eeco-online.org/.
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