Community Events
Upcoming Events
New Insights Into Gen Z & Millennial Organic Shoppers | OTA
Join the Organic Trade Association (OTA) for a deep dive into OTA’s latest consumer perception research. In this insightful session, we’ll share what we learned from Gen Z and Millennial consumers about their organic shopping habits, including what messaging motivates them to purchase organic and what doesn’t. We will also highlight effective strategies and tips for communicating with these consumers based on the findings from the study.
Attendees will have the opportunity to access the full report early (free for OTA members, $739 for non-members). Don't miss this opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the consumers driving the momentum of the organic sector. We look forward to seeing you there!
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom
Regenerative Landscaping and Design Workshop | Rodale Institute
Explore Native Plants, Invasive Species, and Organic Strategies for a Thriving Garden
This event will involve walking the historic Rodale Founder’s Farm property, focusing on the ecology of the existing plant communities. We will chat about the native species, the invasive species and everything in between. You will learn about gardening and landscaping practices that will create habitat and bring wildlife into your garden. You will also learn about organic strategies for combatting invasive species and “weeds”…. though some of the most beautiful and beneficial native species are considered weeds!
Cost: FREE
Location: Rodale Institute Founders Farm, 2056 Minesite Road, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 18103
Virtual: Fall National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Meeting
The National Organic Standards Board (Board) will meet to discuss the following topics: substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List); substances due to sunset from the National List in 2028; and recommendations on organic policies.
Designing Soil Sampling Plans for Accurate Results | O.A.T.S.
A farm’s fertility plan is only as good as the soil samples it is based on. Inconsistencies in sampling, or not accounting for factors like management history, zones where yield differs, drainage differences, and soil types, can all reduce the accuracy of the resulting soil tests and result in applying too much or too little fertility. Each farm’s tillage regime will impact soil pH and nutrient stratification. Depending on a farm’s tillage practices, pH and nutrient levels at a 6-inch depth can vary significantly from 2-inch depth. Advisors want to take into account a farm’s field management when making their soil sampling plan so that the samples give an accurate understanding of a client’s soil.
We’ll learn from a professor/field specialist and an organic agronomist as they talk through the finer points of soil sampling, so that advisors can design soil sampling plans that result in accurate soil tests, and ultimately in effective fertility plans.
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom
OrganicHandlers.org: A new resource to support organic businesses | OTA
On September 29, the Organic Trade Association launched OrganicHandlers.org, a first-of-its-kind website for organic and transitioning handlers and processors. As the leading educational resource for organic handling operations, it features certified businesses from distinct industries in the organic sector.
This new platform is a major milestone for the organic industry and serves a broad range of audiences: from large CPG companies onboarding new employees to small- and medium-sized businesses exploring expansion into organic or split operations.
Funded in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program and under the educational leadership of the Organic Agronomy Training Service | OATS, it functions as a comprehensive guide to all things organic handling with thirteen chapters of organic education.
Science in the Grove: Research for Organic Solutions to Citrus Greening | The Organic Center
The Organic Center invites you to explore emerging research on organic and biological approaches to managing citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), one of the most significant challenges facing citrus growers.
This webinar will bring together leading researchers to share findings on strategies to manage HLB and the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the insect responsible for spreading the disease. Attendees will learn how research on organic controls, plant volatiles, biopesticides, and predator lures may help inform more effective, season-long management strategies.
The discussion will also explore:
Organic and biological approaches to managing citrus greening
Strategies to manage the Asian citrus psyllid and support its natural enemies
Research findings from field evaluations of organic controls
Economic considerations for Florida citrus growers and opportunities in the organic citrus market
Whether you're a citrus grower, researcher, agricultural professional, or industry stakeholder, this webinar will connect emerging science with practical considerations for strengthening organic citrus production.
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual | Zoom
This work is supported by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, project award no. 2022-51300-37889, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Mid-Atlantic Organic and Sustainable Agricultural Exchange
Mid-Atlantic Organic and Sustainable Agricultural Exchange
Join Penn State Extension for an engaging conference created for organic and regenerative agricultural producers seeking the latest research and practical strategies to strengthen their operations. Dedicated educational tracks in grain crops, horticulture, livestock, and dairy will showcase current organic production research alongside proven on-farm applications. Participants will gain valuable insights from farmer and grain marketing panels, take part in interactive discussion groups, and connect with exhibitors offering products, services, and solutions designed to support a wide range of agricultural enterprises.
Space is limited.
Registering before the event is encouraged and appreciated!
Cost: $25.00
Location: Best Western Premier, 800 E. Park Dr., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17111
Integrating Organic and Food Safety Requirements When Using Soil Amendments | O.A.T.S.
FREE WORKSHOP: Integrating Organic and Food Safety Requirements When Using Soil Amendments
Managing produce safety and organic requirements can be challenging, and the regulatory frameworks for both the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) can be complex. This one-day workshop will help agriculture professionals to more effectively support their organic produce farmers by demystifying the interplay between these two regulatory requirements. Some of these challenges can be solved by equipping organic growers with better evidence-based guidance and technologies, but other obstacles result from contradictions between food safety and organic regulations. Using soil amendments as a model to demonstrate how to comply with the PSR and NOP requirements, this interactive workshop will use presentations and activities to explore where the programs overlap and diverge.
This is a FREE in-person workshop!
Refreshments and a catered lunch included
Speakers
Mallory Krieger, Director, OATS
Donna Clements, PSA Coordinator, Produce Safety Alliance
Dr. Elizabeth A. Bihn, Director, Produce Safety Alliance
AGENDA
8:30 am Registration
9:00 am Welcome and Introductions
9:30 am Managing Produce Safety on Organic Farms - review of the USDA National Organic Program and FSMA Produce Safety Rule
10:45 am Managing Organic Soil Amendments While Meeting Food Safety Goals
12:00 pm Lunch - catered
1:00 pm Local Considerations on Food Safety and Organic Certification
1:30 pm Assessing Produce Safety Risk with Soil Amendment Models
2:45 pm Supporting Soil Amendment Use Through Additional Practices
4:00 pm Adjourn
Developed in collaboration with: The Organic Center, Produce Safety Alliance, OATS, University of Rhode Island, UC Davis, University of Georgia
This Project is funded by the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI), USDA NIFA, under award number 2023-51300-40950
2027 Pasa Sustainable Agriculture Conference
Pasa’s annual conference draws a diverse audience of rural and urban farmers, educators, advocates, entrepreneurs, community groups, artisans, researchers, policymakers, home cooks and gardeners, youth, and others for sharing and learning on sustainable agriculture and food system topics.
Webinar: Harvesting, Post Harvest Handling & Marketing of Fiber Flax | Rodale Institute
Join the Rodale Institute for part two of our series delving into fiber flax. This session covers what it takes to harvest fiber flax, from pulling, retting, and turning to post-harvest handling. We’ll discuss equipment considerations, explore the market potential for fiber flax, and consider what growers should be thinking about beyond the field.
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom Link
Virtual: Fall 2026 NOC Pre-NOSB Meeting
Join NOC on Wednesday, October 14, from 1 pm to 4 pm ET for a community-wide virtual gathering alongside the NOSB meeting. Topics will include a NOSB update and a farmer panel. Registration and more details coming soon!
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom Link
Protecting Livestock, Increasing Organic Seed Use, & Responding to Residues: An NOSB Fall 2026 Preview | OTA
With five new appointees joining the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) in August, the Board is fully staffed to address a host of topics at its October meeting. The Board seeks to protect organic livestock from New World Screwworm with a proposal to add a parasiticide back to the National List; it will explore levers to spur greater organic seed use; and it will wrap up its work recommending updates to how the industry addresses and responds to residues.
Join NOSB Vice Chair Amanda Felder and Scott Rice, OTA Sr. Director of Regulatory Affairs, for a wide-ranging conversation covering these topics and more.
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom
Choosing an Organic Certifier | O.A.T.S
Choosing an Organic Certifier from O.A.T.S
A farmer’s certifier is a key relationship for organic production. It’s rare that one certifier is clearly “better” than another; rather, each has its strengths and weaknesses that need to be compared. How can farmers identify the best certifiers for their operation and then clearly evaluate those options?
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom Link
Where’s the (Organic) Beef? | Wolf & Associates
Can the U.S. organic livestock sector continue to grow without a corresponding expansion of domestic organic feed production—and, if not, what market structures, investments, and commitments are needed to close the gap?
Discussion featuring Tracy Favre, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Organic Strategy at Handsome Brook Farms; Brian Halweil, Advisor and regenerative food and agriculture sector expert; and Scott Rice, Regulatory Director at the Organic Trade Association.
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom Link
Webinar: Nutrient Dense Food: What Farmers Are Measuring and How They're Selling It | Rodale Institute
A farmer’s guide to measuring and communicating nutrient density.
For decades, farmers working with healthy soil have known something is different about their food — more flavor, better animal health, crops that seem more resilient. But translating that intuition into something measurable, communicable, and commercially valuable has remained out of reach.
This panel brings together leading researchers and experienced farmers to close that gap. Drawing on emerging science around soil biology and nutrient density measurement, the conversation will focus on what farmers can actually observe, track, and share — and what that means for the future of quality-focused agriculture. Whether you are just beginning to think about nutrient density or already measuring it, this session is designed to give you practical insight and language to take back to your farm and your buyers.
Cost: FREE
Location: Virtual | Zoom Link
This event is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 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 (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).
26th Annual NODPA Field Days
NODPA is excited to announce that the Berks County Agricultural Center, in Leesport, will be the site of this year's meeting.
Like in Reedsville, NODPA has an excellent educational program, two farm tours, and is expecting a great turnout of farm families. We’ve designed a program that focuses on strategies to make the most of what you have, whether it’s better pasture management, cow health care, renewable energy strategies to lower energy expenses, or rethinking profit, reinvestment, and retirement. The workshops are designed to offer hope for the future.
Cost: $35
Location: Berks County Agricultural Center, 1238 County Welfare Road, Leesport, PA 19533
Corn Variety Trial Field Day | Rodale Institute
Join Rodale Institute for the 2026 Organic Corn Variety Trial Field Day and see 13 organic corn varieties from seven leading organic seed companies growing side by side.
Cost: FREE
Location: Rodale Institute - 611 Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown, PA 19530
Northeast Growing Together Conference
Join us for a two-day conference at Rodale Institute on September 16–17, 2026. This event will focus on farmer and educator networking, education, and celebrating the success of the TOPP program.
Registration and sponsorship are now open!
Virtual: Maintaining Quality in Stored Organic Grain
Event Sponsored by O.A.T.S
Meeting Spec: Maintaining Quality in Stored Organic Grain
Farmers work hard for high yields and high quality. But a great season can be lost by poor storage, and having a load rejected is a pain to deal with. There are many operations where grain quality can be built or lost: from growing, harvesting, cleaning, drying, and storage. We’ll talk through them all and pull out actionable tips where growers and advisors can use observation and management to meet spec, so that what they pull out of the bin is the same as what they put in.
This is a free Zoom Event! Learn more and Register