Sunday, September 21, 2014

What a way to spend the Autumn Equinox.

A star-studded cast of restoration ecologists and gardeners are teaching this one-day course at the UW Arboretum this fall, including Doug Tallamy, Evelyn Howell, Susan Carpenter, Brian Hudelson, Judy Kingsbury, Susan Kilmer, Michael Hansen, Christy Steward, and Molly Fifield Murray.

Be inspired, informed and intrigued by sessions on native pollinators, designing a native garden, woody perennials, managing invasives, recognizing and responding to diseases, and restoring your landscape with edible native plants. Tallamy’s keynote is “Networks for Life – Your Role in Building Biological Corridors”.

$60 general admission. $30 students.

Please register by September 15th. (If you do it now and you can check it off your list.)

Questions: 608-263-7888 or info@uwarboretum.org

February 25-26, 2015, La Crosse, WI

The Organic Agriculture Research Symposium invites submissions for proposed research papers to be presented. The Symposium will take place immediately before the Organic Farming Conference organized by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES). Co-sponsored by the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), the Symposium organizers invite researchers from all disciplines related to organic farming and food systems, and other systems of sustainable agriculture that employ techniques compatible with organic standards.

This is an excellent forum for researchers engaged in projects funded by USDA-Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). Conference organizers are especially interested in farmer/ researcher team presentations.

Researchers are encouraged to respond to the National Organic Standards Board research priorities or other similar priority lists based on public process. Topic tracks of interest include:

• Functional biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by organic farming systems;
• Soil health, quality and nutrient cycling;
• Biological and cultural practices to manage insects, diseases and weeds;
• Holistic animal health and nutrition, grazing and pasture management systems;
• Breeding, selection of crops and animals, and seed systems suitable for organic production;
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation, including renewable energy systems;
• Integration of perennials in organic farming systems and permaculture system design;
• Value added production and processing without synthetic food additives and processing aids;
• Nutritional quality, health benefits and integrity of organic food;
• Organic agriculture’s impact on rural communities;
• Organic farm economics, marketing and consumer behavior;
• Appropriate methods and practices for systems and on-farm research; and
• Public policies to facilitate the transition to organic farming.

Researchers are asked to submit an abstract not to exceed 500 words that includes names of the co-authors, contact information, a working title, the topic area, an introduction that explains the context and purpose of the research, the methods used, and a brief summary of the results and conclusions. Cross-disciplinary papers are encouraged. Works in progress may be considered, but the paper for the proceedings will need to be completed by December 31, 2014.

The symposium will be held in La Crosse, WI on February 25 and 26, with plans to broadcast by live streaming. The intent of the symposium is to provide current information to farmers, ranchers, extensionists, educators, agricultural professionals and others interested in organic agriculture, held in conjunction with a meeting that is regularly attended by organic producers and processors. Presentations will be selected based on their innovative excellence, relevance to the research needs and priorities of organic farmers and ranchers, soundness of the methodology used, and the overall scientific quality. Proceedings will be open access and electronically available via eOrganic.info.

The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2014. Abstracts should be sent to Brian Baker at bpb33@cornell.edu. Researchers with questions about the conference can call 541-228-0876.

If you are interested in helping to organize the symposium, we are interested in co-sponsorship from aligned organizations. If you are interested in serving as a reviewer, we are developing a list so that reviewers with appropriate expertise will consider submissions.  Please contact Brian Baker (information above) if you or your organization is interested in participating. The organizing committee currently includes representatives from:

• MOSES
• University of Wisconsin CIAS
• California Certified Organic Farmers
• Cornell University Department of Horticulture
• eOrganics
• IPM Institute
• The Ohio State University
• Oregon State University
• The Organic Center
• Organic Materials Review Institute
• Organic Seed Alliance
• Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources

More information on the Symposium will be posted at http://www.cias.wisc.edu/oars shortly. Please share this announcement widely.

Starting April 29th, the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems Eco-Fruit Project, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association and the IPM Institute of North America will offer another season of weekly conference calls with Integrated Pest Management (IPM) consultant John Aue and other IPM experts. 

  

This series of 16 weekly calls requires a subscription of $125 and allows you to stay informed on pest conditions, answer pressing questions and learn about other growers’ approaches to IPM.  Call moderator John Aue shares his wealth of knowledge and experience as an IPM consultant for the tree fruit industry in the upper Midwest for over 20 years.  Guest experts from universities around the region participate and discuss a wide range of IPM and fruit production issues including: insect, weed and disease management, thinning and tree nutrition.

Since 2000, the Wisconsin Eco-Fruit Project has been working with growers to reduce pesticide risk through use of IPM.  The project provides resources growers need to learn the scouting, monitoring and decision making techniques necessary for a successful IPM program.

Visit the AppleTalk blog to read transcripts from previous conference calls, www.ecofruit.wisc.edu/appletalk

On Tuesday, May 6, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters is hosting Resilient Wisconsin Day at Union South in Madison. This forum focuses on the state’s climate, energy and water future. CIAS Associate Director Michelle Miller is taking part in a workshop session about resilience and water, energy and food. CIAS Faculty Associate Curt Meine and dairy grazier Joe Tomandl III are also presenters at this conference. This event runs from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at Union South on the UW-Madison campus. See more information about the program and registration at https://www.wisconsinacademy.org/events/resilient-wisconsin-day.

March 16-18, 2014 Wisconsin Dells.

This intensive three-day school demonstrates what it takes to set up and run a successful vineyard business.

Topics include:

•    business planning
•    current markets
•    site selection
•    variety selection (table and wine grapes)
•    site preparation
•    vineyard management
•    IPM for insect pests and diseases

To learn more about the school, contact Regina Hirsch at the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, UW-Madison, 608-335-7755 or rmhirsch@wisc.edu