08/10/08

Facing the Future: annual organic conference broadens its appeal

This year’s conference for organic farmers and growers in Wales is to be organized jointly by Organic Centre Wales and the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies at Builth Wells on Thursday 23 October. It will include themes of particular relevance to farmers who are going through conversion or trying to cut down on expensive feed and fertiliser inputs, as well as providing opportunities for established organic farmers to catch up on recent developments. The conference is sponsored by Farming Connect as part of its Organic Development Programme.

“The organic sector has seen very strong growth in Wales in the past year, presenting challenges but also great opportunities,” said Dr Nic Lampkin, Director of Organic Centre Wales. “This joint conference recognizes the common interest of Welsh producers in good husbandry, reducing costs and learning from each other as ways of facing economic and farming challenges.”

The Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies’ AGM and Annual Awards will be held separately in the morning, with the joint conference running from lunch onwards. Emyr Jones, Deputy President of the FUW, will also give an insight to his farming system for which he won the BGS UK Grassland Management award for 2008. Charlie Morgan, Secretary of FWGS said: “Efficient production and utilization of forage has always been a cornerstone of the FWGS, and with the current economic challenges we face they are even more important. We have many organic producers in the FWGS and this year’s Raymond Jones Award for Big Bale Silage will highlight the quality of forages made under an organic system.”

The organic conference in the morning will be chaired by Huw Brodie of the Welsh Assembly Government, and feature Dr Urs Niggli of the Swiss Research Institute for Organic Agriculture, and Richard Tudor, NFU County Chairman for Ceredigion who is converting his farm to organic management. Workshops will include red meat market development, animal health and an outdoor session on soil management. Following an organic buffet lunch, parallel workshops in the joint afternoon session will cover topics such as clover management, forage, manure, cereals and soils, each with a few speakers from the research and farming community and with ample opportunity to discuss key points.

The closing session, chaired by Prof. Wayne Powell, Director of the Institute of Biological Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University, will include an address from Tim Bennett, Chair of Dairy Co. Places at the conference should be booked in advance, and cost £20 for individuals or £32 for two people from the same farming address, including lunch. A programme and booking form can be downloaded from the OCW website at www.organic.aber.ac.uk, or call OCW on 01970 622248.

Ends

More information

Dr Nic Lampkin, Director, Organic Centre Wales, IBERS, Aberystwyth University Tel. 01970 622248, e-mail nhl@aber.ac.uk

Charlie Morgan, Extension Officer, Grassland Development Centre, IBERS, Bronydd Mawr. Tel. 07786 397673, e-mail cqm@aber.ac.uk.

Notes for the editor

1. Organic Centre Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide information on organic food and farming to producers, food businesses, consumers and others. It is based at Aberystwyth University and run by a partnership consisting of the ADAS, the Organic Research Centre Elm Farm, and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University.

2. The Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies was founded in the late 1960s and is affiliated to the British Grassland Society. It includes 21 local grassland societies in Wales with around 1000 members. Its secretariat is within the Grassland Development Centre of IBERS at Bronydd Mawr.

3. Farming Connect, working closely with its partner organisations, provides one to one support, knowledge, expertise, training and advisory services tailored to the needs of farmers in Wales. Many of these services are fully funded or subsidised and the service is both flexible and accessible. You can register with the Farming Connect Service Centre on 08456 000 813 or contact Farming Connect directly at your nearest WAG Divisional Office. OCW is funded by Farming Connect to deliver the Organic Development Programme.

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