The 2025 OGRAIN Organic Grain Conference will be held Jan. 24-25 at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis., with an optional pre-conference event focused on regenerative organic agriculture practices on the evening of Jan. 23. UW–Madison’s OGRAIN program provides resources and support for new, transitioning, and experienced organic grain farmers throughout the Upper Midwest.

Attendees can choose from over a dozen sessions relevant to new and experienced organic farmers. Industry professionals, researchers and farmers will share the latest technology, production approaches, and science related to organic grain production. There will be sessions dedicated to food-grade grains and market access, as well as common challenges for transitioning farmers, including weed and pest management, funding sources, and profitability planning. New this year, session presentations will be paired with panel discussions to further share real world experience and perspectives.

Ample time for networking and farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange is built into the event, with farmer and industry roundtables, a buyer-seller mixer, exhibitor visits and social hours. More than 25 organic grain industry businesses and institutions, including buyers and seed dealers, will be present at the event to share information about services, equipment and resources they offer to organic grain producers.

The Thursday evening event is an additional networking opportunity for farmers interested in regenerative organic grain production. The format will focus on interactive, farmer-to-farmer sharing of experiences and ideas to continue to build organic grain systems that reduce tillage and promote soil health. Registration for this pre-event is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to sign up soon.

Wendy Johnson, an organic and conventional grain farmer and grazier in Iowa, is the conference’s keynote speaker. Johnson owns and operates Jóia Food and Fiber Farm, a diversified organic farm, and she founded Counting Sheep Sleep Company in 2020, a wool bedding business utilizing their sheep’s wool. Johnson is an active advocate for organic and perennial farmers and is involved with several organizations supporting the growth of diversified farming. She was named on the 2024 Grist 50 list of climate leaders to watch.

“The resources to support the transition to organic grain have never been greater than they are now,” says Erin Silva, professor and extension specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Plant Pathology, director of the university’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, and holder of the Clif Bar Endowed Chair in Organic Agriculture and Outreach. “Even if a farm only transitions some of their acres to organic, the benefits can still be seen – like boosting soil health and reducing inputs.”

For more information and to register, visit https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/ograin-events/2534-2/. A special early bird registration fee of $120 will be offered through Dec. 22.

For questions, contact Kelly Debbink at kelly.debbink@wisc.edu or 608-262-4592.