YouTube Videos

Video series and recordings from OGRAIN events can be found below. Use this link to explore all offerings on the OGRAIN YouTube channel.

OGRAIN Video Series

Farmers Speak: Organic Grain

The Art and Science of Cultivation

Video series featuring experienced organic farmer and consultant Gary McDonald, highlighting row crop cultivator use, modification and adjustment.  Filmed and edited by Anders Gurda for OGRAIN.

Organic Grain Production – Perspectives for Ag Professionals

Videos from OGRAIN Events

2023 OGRAIN Winter Conference Videos

View the all the 2023 OGRAIN Winter Conference presentations here

2022 OGRAIN Winter Conference Videos

View the entire 2022 OGRAIN Conference playlist here

2021-2022 OGRAIN Winter Workshops

View the winter workshop series here

2020 OGRAIN Winter Conference Videos

View the entire 2020 OGRAIN Conference playlist here

• Keynote: Finding success with diverse small grains (44 mins) Thor Oeschner, Oeschner Farms
• Keynote: What does farm resiliency look like? (31 mins) Fred Kirschenmann, Stone Barns Learning Center
• Cropping system strategies (66 mins) Joel Gruver, Western Illinois University
• Working with macro-and micro-nutrients in your soil (60 mins) Gary Zimmer, Otter Creek Organic Farm
• Transitioning to organic grain production (30 mins) Jared Siverling, Siverling Century Farm
• Harvest and post harvest tips for long-term grain quality (58 mins) Thor Oeschner, Oeschner Farms
• Turning problems into solutions: Farmer panel (90 mins) John Wepking, Meadowlark Organics, Thor Oeschner, Oeschner Farms, Jared Siverling, Siverling Centennial Farm
• Build fertility and provide N with cover crops (40 mins) Matt Ruark, UW-Madison
• Organic no-till systems (23 mins) Léa Vereecke, UW-Madison
• Organic no-till systems (27 mins) Erin Silva, UW-Madison
• Alternative small grains: Buckwheat (14 mins) Thor Oeschner, Oeschner Farms
• Alternative small grains: Winter wheat (14 mins) Lucia Gutierrez, UW-Madison
• Alternative small grains: Rye, winter wheat, spelt, open pollinated corn (9 mins) John Wepking, Meadowlark Organics
• Alternative grains: Kernza (13 mins) Valentin Picasso, UW-Madison
• Innovative weed management tools (13 mins) Brian Luck, UW-Madison
• Innovative weed management tools (18 mins) Loran Steinlage, Underground Agriculture
• Ecological weed management in organic systems (17 mins) Adam Davis, University of Illinois
• Ecological management for tough weeds: Canada Thistle (23 mins) Dave Campbell, Lily Lake Farm
• Ecological management for tough weeds: Ragweed (14 mins) Tom Frantzen, Frantzen Farms
• More beneficial insects through habitat enhancement (44 mins) Matt O’Neal, Iowa State University
• Building healthy soil microbial communities (60 mins) Adria Fernandez, Univ of Minn.
• Organic market options (42 mins) Anders Gurda, Pipeline Foods, Willie Hughes, Hughes Farms, Russell Coon, Organic Grain Exchange
• Guide financial decisions with the OGRAIN Compass (28 mins) John Hendrickson, UW-CIAS and Jim Munsch, Munsch Consulting
• A farmer’s view of the OGRAIN Compass (14 mins) Doug Alert, Ash Grove Farm
• Hemp research: What we have learned (40 mins) Brian Luck, Léa Vereecke, UW-Madison

2019 OGRAIN Winter Conference Videos

Watch the entire playlist of 2019 OGRAIN Conference videos here

• Values oriented decision making Keynote (37 mins.) Tom Frantzen, owner/operator of a 320-acre diverse grain and livestock farm in Northeast Iowa explores how farmers can make sound management decisions and use those to guide farms in relation to the environmental, social, and economic conditions we face.
• Understanding the biological component of healthy soils, (1 hr 17 mins.) Rick Lankau, assistant professor UW Madison and Teal Potter, UW Madison graduate student discuss on-going research into complex soil ecosystems and their potential to lessen plant disease and increase crop quality and yields. 
• Organic no-till, starting out right (37 mins.) Jeff Moyer (Rodale Institute) discusses important considerations in deciding to implement organic no-till, including appropriate crop rotations, field selection and preparation, equipment needs, cover crop and crop variety selection.
• Organic no-till, starting out right (43 mins.) Dr. Erin Silva, UW Madison, discusses important considerations in deciding to implement organic no-till, including appropriate crop rotations, field selection and preparation, equipment needs, cover crop and crop variety selection.
• Organic no-till, planting, mulching and termination (28 mins.) Lea Vereecke, research associate at UW-Madison, Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension explores the types of cover crops and cash crops most appropriate for the organic no-till system.
• Organic no-till discussion (36 mins.) Jeff Moyer (Rodale Institute), Dr. Erin Silva, and Lea Vereecke (Both of UW Madison) lead a conversation on successes and failures in no-till organic corn and soybean production.
• Organic no-till: lessons learned from research and on-farm experiences (10 mins.) Will Glazik of the IDEA farm network discusses his experiences with organic no-till.
• Organic no-till: lessons learned from research and on-farm experiences (9 mins.) Mark Klinski, farming in Caledonia, MN, discusses his experiences with organic no-till.
• Organic no-till: lessons learned from research and on-farm experiences (10 mins.) Robert Mierau, farming in Caledonia, MN, discusses his experiences with organic no-till.
• Organic no-till: what we have learned discussion (25 mins. audience questions)
• New equipment technologies for row crop and cover crop management (14 mins.) Brian Luck, UW Madison assistant professor and extension specialist in the biological systems engineering department, discusses improved and new equipment helpful in organic production.
• New equipment technologies for row crop and cover crop management (19 mins.) Joe Bassett, CEO of Dawn Equipment, Sycamore IL and Underground Agriculture, discusses improved and new equipment helpful in organic production.
• New equipment technologies for row crop and cover crop management (18.4 mins.) Sam Hitchcock-Tilton, instructor at Lakeshore Technical College and former sales rep for KULT-Kress equipment discusses improved and new equipment helpful in organic production.
• Ag equipment technology discussion (14 mins.) Joe Bassett, (CEO of Dawn Equipment, Sycamore IL and Underground Agriculture) Sam Hitchcock-Tilton, (instructor at Lakeshore Technical College and former sales rep for KULT-Kress equipment) and Brian Luck, (UW Madison assistant professor and extension specialist in the biological systems engineering department) answer audience questions. 
• Incorporating cover crops before, during and after cash crops (18 mins.) Megan Wallendall, representing Wallendal Farms, a multi-generational 3200-acre farm, discusses on-farm research and results of a diverse cover cropping system. 
• Incorporating cover crops before, during and after cash crops (41 mins.) Gary Zimmer, of Otter Creek Farm, discusses the many types and methods of including cover crops in your crop rotation, year-round.
• Incorporating cover crops before, during and after cash crops discussion (13.5 mins., Questions from audience)
• Multiple tactics to manage weeds in reduced tillage organic grain systems (71 mins.) John Wallace, assistant professor of weed science and weed extension specialist for field and forage crops at Penn State University discusses weed seedbanks and how tillage-based and cover-crop based weed control approaches influence weeds and weed communities.
• Building climate change resiliency into agricultural systems, (62 mins.) Chris Kucharik, professor of agronomy and environmental studies at the UW Madison, provides historical data and future projections for our midwestern climate as well as ideas for protection of soil and water quality in changing times
• Strategies for transitioning to organic grain crops, (76 mins.) farmers Dan Coffman, Joel Layman and Jon Jovaag discuss approaches to successful organic transition, as well as what they wished they knew before they started
• Organic crop rotations (36 mins.) Dr. Joel Gruver, associate professor of soil science and sustainable agriculture at Western Illinois University, discusses strategies useful in developing diverse crop options responsive to your farm’s needs, including cover cropping, double cropping, and short or long rotations.
• Organic crop rotations (23 mins.) Gary Zimmer, of Otter Creek Farm, discusses crop rotation strategies.
• Choosing the right varietal traits for organic grains, (63 mins.) Mac Ehrhardt, owner of Albert Lea Seed, discusses how seed traits can lead to better yields and better prices.
• Management of diseases and mycotoxins in organic crop rotations (59 mins.) Gary Bergstrom, plant pathology professor at Cornell University, evaluates cultural and biological control strategies for corn, cereal grains and oilseed pathogenic diseases.
• Marketing organic grains and row crops  (8 mins.) Ryan Koorey, senior economist with Mercaris, a comprehensive source of market data and online trading for organic and non-G.M.O. commodities, discusses options and issues to consider in the diverse organic marketplace. 
• Marketing organic grains and row crops (8 mins.) Mike Schulist of NForganics explains the benefits and issues of marketing with a co-op.
• Marketing organic grains and row crops (21 mins.) Ken Dallmier, president of Clarkson Grain in Illinois, explores the diverse organic grain marketplace.
• Marketing organic grains and row crops discussion, (25 mins., Questions from audience)
• Organic certification basics, (76 mins.) Harriet Behar, long time organic inspector and now chair of the National Organic Standards Board explains USDA organic regulations and ways to set up simple yet practical systems for tracking activities. 
• Turning grain into dough: Financial management and cost of production for organic grain farming, (8 mins.) Paul Dietmann of Compeer Financial present the concepts behind a new OGRAIN “Compass,” a downloadable spreadsheet for estimating financial impacts of crop decisions.
• Turning grain into dough: Financial management and cost of production for organic grain farming, (47 mins) farmer consultant Jim Munsch explains the detail of the OGRAIN Compass
  

2018 OGRAIN Winter Conference Videos

Watch the entire playlist of 2018 OGRAIN Conference videos here

• 2018 OGRAIN Conference Welcome (9 mins.) Dr. William Barker, Associate Dean for Research, University of Wisconsin College for Ag and Life Sciences
• Diversity Builds Resilience . Klaas Martens, Keynote. (54 mins.) Farming 1,600 certified organic acres and owner of Lakeview Organic Grains in Penn Yann, New York, Klaas Martens brings 20 years of creative farming insights to a discussion about how building diverse, well thought out rotations in response to environmental cues leads to successful crop production.
• Legume Cover Crops for Organic Grains, Matt Ruark. (35 mins.) Matt Ruark, Associate Professor in the Department of Soil Science at UW-Madison discuses various cover crops useful in grain systems in the Upper Midwest.
• Organic No-Till Production, Erin Silva. (21 mins.) Erin Silva, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at UW-Madison, shares an overview of no-till organic systems in the Upper Midwest, including strategies and results.
• 2017 UW Organic No-Till Research, Lea Vereecke. (25 mins.) Lea Vereecke, Research Associate at UW- Madison Organic and Sustainable Research and Extension, shares results of 2017 organic no-till research with rolled rye or triticale under soybeans or corn.
• Organic Ecological Weed Management, Matt Liebman. (59 mins.) Matt Liebman, Professor of Agronomy and the Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University explores how biology and ecology form the foundation for durable and effective weed management strategies. A ragweed case study is used as an example.
• Unique Small Grains for Organic Food or Feed, Elia Romano and Klaas Martens. (68 mins.) Elia Romano, grain and seed buyer for Albert Lea Seedhouse and Klaas Martens, farmer of 1.600 certified organic acres in upper New York state discuss a diversity of small grains, including organic production strategies and varieties. Discussion ranges from spelt to food grade oats to malting barley and rye, with a short discussion on industrial hemp.
• Managing Crop Pests and Diseases Through Practices Not Products, Klaas Martens. (92 mins.) Klaas Martens, farming 1,600 certified organic acres and owner of Lakeview Organic Grains in Penn Yann, New York, shares 20 years of experience on understanding soil and plants to manage conditions to reduce pest and disease occurrence and impact.
• Integrating Livestock into a Cash Grain Operation, Jack Erisman. (51 mins.) Jack Erisman, farming 2,000 organic acres in central Illinois, discuses how livestock add complexity and value to a cash grain operation. Beef and other animals provide manure, and an outlet for feeding out products of diverse rotations.
• Soil Fertility-Organic Choices and Solutions, Jamie Patton. (69 mins.) Jamie Patton is a soil scientist working for UW-Extension in Shawno County, Wisconsin in the position of Agriculture and Horticulture Specialist. She discusses what we look for in productive soils, including what soil tests tell us and the value of organic matter.
• Post Harvest Handling and Storage of Organic Grain, Craig Tomera. (58 mins.) Working with non-GMO and organic food grade production for over 17 years, Craig Tomera is the Identity Preserved Crop Specialist at Grain Millers. He shares his expertise on cleaning and storing grain and exact specifications for organic grain (specifically food grade oat) delivery.
• Marketing Organic Grains and Rotation Crops,Tim Boortz. (60 mins.) Tim Boortz, grain marketing specialist at NFOrganics shares tips on working with a grain broker and other market outlets as well as insights on current organic grain market potentials.

2017 OGRAIN Winter Conference Videos

Soil Fertility in Organic Grain Cropping Systems, Mark Kopecky
Organic Oat Production, Grain Millers
Organic Weed Control, Gary McDonald
Organic Grain Marketing Panel
Organic Grain Marketing Q&A
Beginning Farmer Q&A

This project is supported by the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, grant number 2017-70017-26856