World-Renowned Agricultural Experts to Gather for ‘Focus on the Farmer’ Symposium in Denver

Event will educate farmers and producers on all aspects of navigating the organic certification process

BOULDER, Colo. (Oct. 24, 2023) — Farmers, agriculturists, producers and others interested in best practices for transitioning to organic are invited to attend the Focus on the Farmer Live educational and networking symposium in Denver on Nov. 9. 

This free, daylong event is presented by Boulder, Colorado-based communications agency Compass Natural in partnership with the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), Colorado State University (CSU) and the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). The symposium will bring together world-renowned experts in organic agriculture to share must-have information and resources with anyone on the journey of transitioning to organic production.

Focus on the Farmer Live, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 at the new, state-of-the-art CSU Spur Campus at the National Western Center in Denver, is the culmination of the four-part Focus on the Farmer series presented in 2023 by Compass Natural and TOPP. 

“We’re honored to have been selected as one of the partners working with TOPP in the Plains States, and are thrilled to be working closely with the CDA’s organic program and leading researchers and educators at CSU to deliver a content-dense Focus educational program,” said Steven Hoffman, founder of Compass Natural.  

Focus on the Farmer Live will feature keynote speaker Dr. Gene Kelly, professor of pedology at CSU and director of the U.S. National Committee for Soil Sciences. Panelists include CDA inspector Brad Spelts, Colorado manager of the New Agrarian Program Taylor Muglia, CDA soil and health expert Kristen Boysen, Bish Enterprises owner Andrew Bish, Rocky Mountain Hemp President Ryan Loflin and experts from Rodale, FSA, the Savory Institute and other top agencies.

This robust educational program will cover the following topics:

~ Navigating the Certification Process 
~ Tech Innovation
~ Soil & Crop Health
~ Resiliency & Climate Change
~ Alternative Crops
~ Livestock & Plains Agriculture
~ Financial Resources

Lunch provided by the Organic Sandwich Company and tours of the Spur TERRA building will be available. The event will conclude with happy hour at the Sundown Saloon. Livestream will be available for participants who would like to join virtually.

Read more about Focus on the Farmer Live and register for free here.

About Compass Natural
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Compass Natural is a communications agency serving the market for organic food and agriculture, as well as businesses and brands providing natural, socially responsible, eco-friendly and other healthy lifestyles products and services. Founded in 2001 and driven by a commitment to create a better world through business, Compass Natural is a leader in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) market.

About TOPP
The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is part of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP). The $100 million, five-year TOPP initiative is designed to foster organic agriculture and make much-needed technical assistance available to transitioning and existing organic farmers.

Media Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, tel 303.807.1042

‘From Tractors to Drones’ – Latest Webinar in Educational Series Focuses on State-of-the-Art Technology for Farmers Transitioning to Organic

BOULDER, Colo. (Oct. 16, 2023) – The third free webinar in the Focus on the Farmer series, hosted by Compass Natural as part of USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), will be held Oct. 26. All farmers transitioning to organic are welcome and encouraged to attend.

The free webinar will gather top experts in organic agriculture to discuss cutting-edge tools, production methods and technological innovations that can support farmers making the transition to organic.

Webinar: ‘From Tractors to Drones’
Date: Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, 10:30 am - 12 pm MDT
Register: Register for free here. All registrants will receive a copy of the speaker presentations and a link to the Zoom video recording.

Panelists:

Sarah Hinkley, CEO and Co-Founder, Barn Owl Precision Agriculture
As CEO and co-founder of Barn Owl Precision Agriculture (BOPA) in La Junta, Colorado, Sarah Hinkley and her team help small to midsize farmers — and in particular farmers seeking to transition to organic and regenerative agriculture — with information technology equipment and services to help more closely monitor crops and fields. Working with organic farmers, hemp farmers and other producers, BOPA utilizes autonomous micro-tractors, drones and other on-farm robotics to compile and analyze on-field data, helping to create savings in inputs, labor and time.

Haley Nagle, Lead Outreach & Education Specialist, Comet Farm, a Project of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and CSU
Haley Nagle conducts lead outreach for COMET Farm, a tool developed by Colorado State University and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Using detailed, location-specific data on climate and soil conditions, COMET Farm helps farmers estimate the carbon footprint for all or part of a farm/ranch operation, allowing operators to evaluate options for reducing GHG emissions and sequestering carbon in the soil.

Andrew Bish, COO, Bish Enterprises
Andrew Bish is COO of family-owned Bish Enterprises, based in Giltner, Nebraska. The company is a leading manufacturer of equipment and accessories for tractors and combines, from custom “Bish Built” row crop headers to corn reels to products for harvesting industrial hemp. Andrew’s expertise spans a range of crops, from commodities such as sorghum, soybeans and cereal grains to specialty crops including hops, wild rice, hemp and seed grasses. He also brings a passion for organic production to this webinar.

From left: Sarah Hinkley, Haley Nagle and Andrew Bish

“We are thrilled with the interest our Focus on the Farmer series has generated," says Steven Hoffman, founder of Compass Natural. ”We’re all dependent on technology today to help run our businesses, and that goes for agriculture too. Our panelists will share about state-of-the-art technology that is specifically focused on helping farmers succeed in the transition to organic and beyond."

About Compass Natural
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Compass Natural is a communications agency serving the market for organic food and agriculture, as well as businesses and brands providing natural, socially responsible, eco-friendly and other healthy lifestyles products and services. Founded in 2001 and driven by a commitment to create a better world through business, Compass Natural is a leader in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) market.

The Focus on the Farmer educational series is produced by Compass Natural in partnership with USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) in the Plains States region. TOPP is designed to foster organic agriculture and make much-needed technical assistance available to transitioning and existing organic farmers.

About TOPP
The Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

Media Contact
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, 303.807.1042