Equipment planning and priorities for transitioning farmers
When conventional grain farmers begin the transition to organic, they often find new challenges that require different equipment (especially true for weed management and on split operations). In this call we will speak with an experienced organic advisor who has helped several grain farms transition, as well as an organic farmer who has gone through transition. We'll discuss equipment and infrastructure needs, how they change during and after transition, and learn from some mistakes.
With Michael O’Donnell and Aaron Vercler
Michael O’Donnell
Michael O’Donnell serves as a Regional Manager with Belltown Farms supporting farming operations in New York and western Nebraska, while residing in gorgeous Muncie, Indiana. He has worked with several farms including a large-scale diversified organic grain operation in northwest Indiana, his own small family farm that produced fresh market vegetables, a diversified livestock and grain operation in west central Indiana, and a mid-scale organic vegetable operation in Austin, TX. He served the agriculture community in Indiana for nearly a decade through Purdue Extension as a county-based agriculture Extension educator and statewide organic Extension specialist. He holds his Certified Crop Adviser license in Indiana, and offers consulting services through Recovery Agriculture LLC.
Aaron Vercler
Aaron Vercler farms in Washington, IL. He grew up on the farm growing small grains, and when he took over did dairy for many years. After a barn fire, Aaron certified some pasture land and has grown a wide variety of organic crops - from produce, to processing pumpkins, to seed corn. Aaron currently grows 600 acres of organic corn, beans and wheat. As well as 2700 acres of conventional white corn, non-gmo corn and soy, and seed beans. He will share his experience transitioning land and running a split operation.
Sam Oschwald Tilton, Facilitator
“I have worked with organic farmers all over the US and Canada to understand production systems and solve weed management issues. This past season, on farms and in winter conferences, I spoke with as many farmers and ag professionals as I could to understand the questions that organic producers have, and the experts that they’d like to learn from. Those conversations helped me identify the topics and guests for this series. I am excited to bring together a wide range of farmers and ag professionals from many backgrounds, all of whom have an experienced perspective to share. In each call I look forward to having an intelligent conversation with the guest that introduces the topic to those who are unfamiliar and also dives deep to bring further understanding and clear tips to listeners. After the conversation we’ll take questions from listeners, so that they can communicate directly with each guest to get the answers that they need. My goal for this call series is to provide crucial information on topics facing organic and transition-curious farmers, in an approachable conversation that listeners can easily listen to during their lunch hour.”