The Iowa State University (ISU) Organic Agriculture Program, ISU Extension, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Professional Proteins Ltd., Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) will co-sponsor a workshop to discuss the transition from conventional to organic production on Saturday, April 16, 2005, at the Kalona Family Cupboard Restaurant in Kalona, Iowa. The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. and will end at 3 p.m. A lunch featuring local organic food will be provided for conference attendees.

The workshop is intended for farmers who are considering a transition to organic production and want to farm using sound environmental stewardship practices while also accessing the rapid market growth and price premiums of selling organic products. Highlights of the workshop will include helpful hints from organic farmers, discussion on the certification process, tips on crop selection, information on organic markets, fertility and weed management advice, and suggestions on dealing with the threat of soybean rust.

"Seven years of research at ISU's Neely-Kinyon Research and Demonstration Farm have shown basically equivalent corn and soybean yields between organic and conventional production techniques," said Kathleen Delate, associate professor in Agronomy and Horticulture at ISU. "These promising results demonstrate the viability and profitability of organic farming. As demand for organic products continues to rise, the need for new organic producers increases as well."

Workshop participants are asked to register by April 12. The workshop co-sponsors will absorb the registration fee. To register, contact the Organic Agriculture Program by phone at (515) 294-5116 or by e-mail at acmckern@iastate.edu. For more information on this workshop and other organic projects, please visit our Web site at http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/. Additional information on transitioning to organic farming can be found at the MOSES Web site, http://www.mosesorganic.org/.