Partnering With OAK
Author: Matthew Futrell
Planning Unit: Christian County CES
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Plan of Work: Enhancing Production through Sustainable Agriculture and Marketing Strategies
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
Partnering With OAK
Organic food production has hit an all-time high in the United States. According to the Organic Trade Association, “Organic food sales jump nearly 13% to record high in 2020.” As we see this trend continue to grow so does the request for organic production information. On March 17 and 18th 2022, the Christian County Cooperative Extension Service and the Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK) partnered to host an organic food production seminar. During the seminar 127 producers were able to visit an organic dairy, an organic feed mill, and attend sessions by nationally known expects in the subject matter of organic food production. A trade show was offered by multiple vendors so attendees could network and make connections with industry representatives within their specific enterprise. Partnering with OAK lead to a successful conference and the expansion of knowledge of organic food production in the region.