The MOSES Organic Farming Conference is almost upon us and I am excited! This is the 26th year of this annual conference held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and my 9th time attending. This year we’ve been asked to “Pack Your Plaid” – hmm, not a lot of plaid in my wardrobe but perhaps I can find some if I hunt around in the back!

This year I will be co-presenting a workshop on Organic Potatoes: From Starts to Storage, with my colleague Doug Rouse, also from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Doug has a long history with potatoes, having done extensive research into potato health and production, as well as previously running his own small organic farm that produced, among many other vegetables, potatoes! The workshop is on Saturday at 10:30 am – if you are going to the conference I hope to see you there!

I will also be presenting a research talk on results from the past few years of organic potato variety trials at the Organic Agriculture Research Symposium on Thursday before the conference begins. So if you’ve been participating in the trials, look for an update soon!

Organic Potatoes: From Starts to Storage workshop description: Potatoes can be challenging to produce, but knowledge about crop needs and management options can help you achieve a bountiful harvest—and keep it longer in storage. We’ll cover sourcing and handling seed, fertility needs, managing pests and diseases, small-and large-scale equipment options, harvesting and storage. We’ll also discuss standard and specialty variety choices, continuing on-farm potato variety trialing projects in the Midwest, and possibilities for on-farm seed potato production.

Here are some other great workshops to check out. Maybe I’ll see you there!

Innovations from the E.U. in Organic Vegetable Production
Presenter: Kathleen Delate, Iowa State University
Friday 8:45 a.m.

Identifying and Controlling Vegetable Diseases Organically
Presenters: Erin Silva, Amanda Gevens, UW-Madison, and Beth Kazmar, Tipi Produce
Friday 3:30 p.m.

Building Resilient Organic Seed Systems
Presenter: Theresa Podoll, Prairie Road Organic Farm and Seed
Saturday 8:45 a.m.

Tools for CSA Planning and Recordkeeping
Presenters: Kat Becker and Tony Schultz, Stoney Acres Farm

Saturday 3 p.m.

Stay warm and pack your plaid!

Ruth

This article was posted in Blog Posts, Research News and tagged organic farming conference, organic potato, potato variety trials.