T-40 Conference

I'm Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

It's not too late to register for the Tilth Producers of Washington 40th Anniversary Conference November 7 - 9, which Michele Catalano, Executive Director of Tilth Producers of Washington, says is going to be the biggest conference yet.

CATALANO: We do have 30 workshops that will run across the two days. Just to give you some ideas - Designing for Plant Disease Management for organic vegetable farms - that one is being led by an OSU professor, Tools for Creating a Nutrient Management Plan in Organic Systems is another one, and then we have things for livestock - Actively Preventing Parasite Problems in Livestock is one example from that arena. The Benefits of Season Extension, I see that one as being a bit on the marketing side as well as a production side as in our fairly temperate climate on both sides of the state really. We always look to find ways to help farmers extend the growing season, especially with more opportunities at farmers markets and other wholesale outlets.

The theme of the conference is "Re-Imagine Agriculture", which Catalano says is their way of honoring the progress and growth of the organic movement in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide.

CATALANO: So we have workshops like "The Next Generation of Farmers and Eaters - Changing the Food System Through Education", and that is an opportunity for us through this weekend to be thinking about what has been working and what can we be doing better to connect growers to consumers and make those relationships work for the benefit of the farming community.

For more information on the Tilth Producers of Washington and the upcoming conference visit www.tilthproducers.org.

That's Washington Ag Today.

I'm Lacy Gray on the Ag Information Network.