Registration is now open for the largest sustainable agriculture conference in Ohio, which is relocating in 2017 to a larger venue in order to offer an expanded program and more networking opportunities for farmers, backyard gardeners, consumers, businesses, and others interested in sustainable and organic agriculture.

“We are thrilled with this new location, and excited about this year’s line up,” said OEFFA Program Director Renee Hunt. “There certainly is something for everyone interested in food and farming.”

Online registration is now open atwww.oeffa.org/conference2017. As a special “Move With Us” incentive, OEFFA is offering a reduced registration rate for members who register by December 15. A limited number of beginning farmer scholarships and reduced volunteer spaces are also available. Online registration will be open until January 23.

• Farming Smarter, Not Harder: Tune Up Your Farm Business and Increase Your Net Profit, with Richard Wiswall of Cate Farm and author of The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook
• Respect Your Elderberries: Growing and Selling Niche Fruit Crops from Aronia to Service Berries, with Jim Riddle of Blue Fruit Farm
• Growing Bionutrient Rich Food: Applying the Principles of Ecological Systems, with Dan Kittredge of the Bionutrient Food Association
• Building a Profitable Pastured Broiler Business, with Mike and Christie Badger of Badger’s Millside Farm and the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association

• Nearly 80 workshops on topics including sustainable farming, gardening, cooking, livestock, business management, and policy, with workshop tracks dedicated to beginning farmers; urban agriculture, presented by Central State University Cooperative Extension; and other topics;
• A three-day trade show featuring dozens of businesses, non-profits, and government agencies offering an array of food, books, products, and services;
• The Contrary Farmers’ Social on Thursday, February 9 at 2nd Street Market featuring food, drinks, and a remembrance of Ohio’s Contrary Farmer, Gene Logsdon, led by David Kline of Farming Magazine;
• The Cream of the Crop Banquet on Friday, February 10 featuring a dinner celebrating Ohio’s farming community;
• A Farm Land of Opportunity reception, Old MacGyver Had a Farmdiscussion and reception, and an OEFFA oral history discussion on Thursday, February 9;
• A kids’ conference for children ages 6-12; a playroom for young children, and a teen conference for teenagers ages 12-15; and
• Locally-sourced, from-scratch lunches; raffle; book table; morning yogaand ta chi; book signings, and much more.

For more information about the conference, or to register, go to www.oeffa.org/conference2017.