Grain farmers and industry professionals interested in learning more about organic management practices and the organic transition process can find valuable information at the upcoming OGRAIN Organic Grain Conference. The event will be held Jan. 23-24 at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin, with a special buyer-seller mixer event on the evening of Jan. 23. This will be the tenth annual winter conference hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s OGRAIN program, which provides resources and support for new, transitioning, and experienced organic grain farmers throughout the Upper Midwest.

This year’s conference includes a dedicated track focused on transitioning to organic grain farming for those new to organic production. The sessions in this track include an “introduction to organic” panel featuring farmers who will share their experiences and answer questions, as well as a panel that will dive into the financial aspects of making the transition. Additional sessions will cover funding opportunities, farm ownership transition, soil manipulation, and soil health testing.

In total, attendees can choose from 15 sessions on a wide variety of topics, including many that are appropriate for new and experienced organic farmers alike such as organic weed management, marketing, soil health and no-till organic. Presenters include farmers, researchers and industry professionals. The conference also provides ample time for networking and farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange, including roundtable discussions and an integrated exhibit hall.

Conference participants can choose to attend a buyer-seller mixer event on the evening of Friday, Jan. 23. Organic markets can be trickier to navigate, so this mixer is designed to spark connections and strengthen relationships throughout the region’s organic supply chain. All are invited, including those who grow, source, craft, or champion organic grain products.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/ograin-events/conference/. Registration is $110 for one day or $220 for the full conference. The buyer-seller mixer event is free. Please register for the mixer at https://rodaleinstitute.org/events/buyer-seller-mixer-at-the-2026-ograin-winter-conference/.

Co-organizers include the Artisan Grain Collaborate and Rodale Institute. Portions of the conference are supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program. The UW–Madison OGRAIN program is housed in the Department of Plant Pathology in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

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