Our MOSES Adventure

The Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education and Service (MOSES) is a nonprofit organization that provides education, resources and expertise to organic and sustainable farmers. A cornerstone of their work is the annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference, the country’s largest conference on organic and sustainable farming, which takes place in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Leah and Trisha at our table

​Our staff was happy to return to this event to reconnect with our many farmer friends and to make new ones. We hosted a table in the exhibition hall and our staff members took turns attending sessions on topics ranging from soil fertility to the Solidarity Economy. Also, our board member Andy Larson presented on Farm Enterprise Feasibility.

By far, what our staff enjoyed most about the conference was simply being in community again. Meeting people at breakfast. Connecting with folks from organizations we usually just email with. Hearing presenters talk about what they are passionate about and have spent their lives working on. Getting book and seed recommendations. 

​Our staff  stayed in an Airbnb and got to cook and eat together. As a mostly remote and hybrid team, this was a special time for us. Overall, the weekend rejuvenated our hope for a future of sustainable agriculture by seeing the many individuals and organizations working together for this shared vision. ​

Our cozy Airbnb

From left: Laura, Goli, Julie

From left: Jackie, Ritchie, Leah

Our native Floridian Farmer Training Program Coordinator, now frost-hardy upper Midwest transplant, Ritchie reported that he had “an immensely enjoyable time.” Not only was this the most time he has spent within leek-swinging distance with his organizational family since moving north, this was also the first time since the pandemic began that he had been in close company with so many immeasurably diverse food system people who have aligned and overlapping purposes, perspectives, and experiences. He thoroughly enjoyed learning about the use of topographically-tailored, wooded riparian buffers in surface water management. He was deeply grateful for the candor and solidarity within BIPOC sessions. And he was intrigued by both old and young farmer approaches towards, and their visions of, post-capitalist economies and organizations centered around informal currencies.

“Thanks again to the joyful people with whom we made and shared meals, those we’ve journeyed far with in confined spaces, the late-night visitors, friends we’ve bickered loudly amongst regarding horoscope accuracies, jousted sarcastically against over friendship rankings, cooperatively faced eviction with in light of food pairings, and confronted on all planes of over-amiability including the howling embarrassment of drooling mid-speech. Let’s all do better next year." - Ritchie

Staff and friends sharing dinner

La Crosse Riverside Park Bandshell designed by architect Roald Gundersen who also designed our workshop building

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Attending the MOSES Conference is an amazing learning opportunity for beginner and long time farmers, as well as anyone interested in working or investing in the sustainable agriculture movement. Follow MOSES on Facebook and Instagram for updates.