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Montana Organic Association's Tenth Anniversary Conference
Reviewing the Decade and Planning for the Millennium
November 29 - December 1, 2012
Holiday Inn, Helena, Montana


MONTANA ORGANIC ASSOCIATION'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE - AGENDA
View speaker bios by clicking on the speaker's name.
Or, view all the available speaker bios here.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2012

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Social Hour – no host bar and appetizers

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Conference kick off with the screening of the documentary, In Organic We Trust, “which explores the content beneath the label and the truth behind the marketing.”

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012

8:00 am - 9:00 am: Complimentary Breakfast and Registration

9:00 am - 9:15 am: Conference Opening
Daryl Lassila, MOA Board Chair

9:15 am - 10:15 am: Retrospective on Montana Organic Association’s Ten Year History
Panel: Bob Quinn with Kamut; Wes Henthorne, B Bar Ranch; and Judy Owsowitz, Terrapin Farm. Followed by roundtable discussion

10:15 am - 10:30 am: Break and Visit with Vendors (downstairs)

10:30 am - 12:00 pm: Planning for the Millennium: Challenges and Opportunities
Panel: Gary Zimmer, farmer and agri-businessman; Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute; Atina Diffley, Organic Farming Works; Margaret Scoles, International Organic Inspectors Association; Jeff Schahczenski, National Center for Appropriate Technology; and Kiki Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance. Followed by roundtable discussion.

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch
Special Presentation by Margaret Scoles of IOIA: Pictures and commentary on a recent tour of Montana operations by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service of Korea.
Guest Speaker, Ron de Yong, Director, Montana Department of Agriculture
Introduction of new Organic Program Manager, Georgana Webster

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Session 1: Retailers’ Panel: Buying and Selling Organic Products
Michael Vetere of 2J's Fresh Market; Ed Tyanich, Real Food Store; Perry McNeese, Good Earth Market; Shawnae Ellsworth, Third Street Market; Jill Owen, Mountain Front Market; and Atina Diffley, formerly of Wedge Co-op, Minneapolis, MN

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Session 2: New Developments in Organics at Montana State University: Fabian Menalled, Chaz Holt and Karin Neff (downstairs)

2:00 pm - 2:15 pm: Break and Visit with Vendors (downstairs)

2:15 pm - 3:00 pm: Updates from the Field
Montana Department of Agriculture's DriftWatch™ Program: Lynn Knight, Program Manager
Montana Organic Advisory Council: Georgana Webster, Manager of Certification Program
Organic Advisory and Education Council: Sam Schmidt, Montana Milling, Inc.
National Organics Standards Board: Barry Flamm, retiring NOSB Chair
Center for Diversified Farming Systems, UC Berkeley: Liz Carlisle, Program Coordinator
Native Seed School: Karl Sutton, Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Session 1: Livestock Pasture and Soil Restoration
Gary Zimmer, author of The Biological Farmer

3:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Session 2: Organic Seed Alliance: Fighting to Protect the Integrity of Organic Seed: Kiki Hubbard, Organic Seed Alliance (downstairs)

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Happy Hour and Visit with Vendors (downstairs)

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Montana Organic Dinner
Keynote Speaker: Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute
Awards Ceremony: Lifetime of Service and Leadership in Organics awards presentation
Silent and Live Auctions
Live Music with The Sam White Quartet

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012

7:30 am - 8:30 am: Complimentary Breakfast

8:30 am - 9:45 am: Inspectors’ Panel: Learn how your Inspector approaches certification
Margaret Scoles, IOIA; Sean Mulla, Montana Department of Agriculture; Wendy Paulsen, Independent Inspector, Wisconsin; and Jack Reams, Global Organic Alliance

9:45 am - 10:00 am: Break and Visit with Vendors (downstairs)

10:00 am - 11:45 am: Organic Trade Association Presentation: Developing a Research and Promotion Check-off Program for Organics
Gwendolyn Wyard, Regulatory Director of Organic Standards and Food Safety for the Organic Trade Association

11:45 am - 1:15 pm: Lunch and Member Meeting
Treasurer's Report
Old Business
New Business
Chair's Report
Board Elections

1:15 pm - 2:10 pm: Bees and Other Pollinators
Anna Jones-Crabtree, Vilicus Farms; and Peter Husby, Natural Resources Conservation
Service

2:10 pm - 2:20 pm: Break and Visit with Vendors (downstairs)

2:20 pm - 3:20 pm: Finding Your Fit in the Organic Market
Atina Diffley, Organic Farming Works

3:20 pm - 4:45 pm: Soil Balancing from Gardens to Grain Fields
Gary Zimmer, farmer, agri-businessman, author and educator

4:45 pm: Conference Wrap Up and Winter Table Raffle Winners Announced
Visit and thank Vendors (downstairs)

View speaker bios by clicking on the speaker's name.
Or, view all the available speaker bios here.

If you’d like more information or would like to volunteer, call Lou Ann Crowley at (406) 721-4331 or email her here.

If you’d like more information or would like to sign up as a vendor, advertiser or sponsor, call Daryl Lassila at (406) 788-7423 or email him here.