OEFFA
Events
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OEFFA Lake Effect Chapter: Farm Tour and Potluck
A's and O's Farm 5947 Hopkins Rd., Mentor, OH, United StatesJoin a farm tour and potluck with OEFFA’s Lake Effect Chapter at A’s and O’s Farm in Mentor, Ohio! This year's tour will be at the farm's "home" field instead of its Lake Shore Blvd. field. This will allow everyone to join a potluck lunch right after the tour, so please bring a dish to share. The farm tour will run from 10 a.m. to noon, with the potluck happening from noon to 2 p.m. The home field features a 16 x 44 foot polyhouse, solar water pumping, an 8000-watt solar array for the home, a small no-till vegetable garden, a small blueberry bush field (they sell the bushes, not the fruit!), and their signature crop: pawpaw trees! Built into the back of the garage, the farm has a small organic food co-op that sells organic food from three sources: local organic farms when available, bulk organic produce from the Cleveland Food terminal, and a buying club that purchases bulk grains, seeds, fruits, and dry goods every month. They will demonstrate planting and tree digging techniques, and hopefully you will have some of your own experiences, methods, and thoughts on small-scale agriculture to share with everyone. This event is happening rain or shine on Saturday, April 25 at 5947 Hopkins Rd., Mentor, OH, 44060. Contact Tom Rapini at (440) 257-2673 (landline) or tomrapini@gmail.com with questions.
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Soil Health Advocacy Day
Ohio Statehouse 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, United StatesIf you care about healthy soil, we invite you to make your voice heard! Join OEFFA Policy on Tuesday, May 19, at 10 a.m. for our third-annual Soil Health Advocacy Day. This full-day event at the Ohio Capitol will start with advocacy training, move to meetings with your state legislators, and end with an optional group debrief and happy hour at Jackie O’s On Fourth. We’ll be educating our legislators on soil health and advocating for their support of soil health policies. All registrants will receive information to help them schedule meetings with their legislators. A light breakfast and complimentary lunch will be included in your registration. Support for parking costs is also available for attendees. Spots are limited, so if you are unable to attend, please let us know ASAP so we can involve another advocate. Register here by Friday, May 1.
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Crop Planning and Growing Equity Workshop
Methodist Theological School of Ohio 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware, United StatesJoin OEFFA and Central State University Extension at Seminary Hill Farm in Delaware, Ohio, for an interactive workshop on small-scale farm crop planning and growing equity, designed specifically for beginning farmers. This session will provide practical, field-tested strategies to help you plan crops efficiently, strengthen your market position, and build a more equitable and resilient farm business. OEFFA Sustainable Agriculture Educator John Stock will be the keynote speaker. Learn more and register at the link below.
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Grazing Innovations and Opportunities Farm Tour
Grim Dairy 49300 New London Eastern Rd., New London, United StatesEric Grim from Grim Dairy will be sharing real, on-the-ground insights from improving grazing practices and infrastructure on his farm. He’ll also walk through how he uses the Pasture.io management system to track cow and forage data. The tour will also discuss opportunities in the dairy industry, like apprenticeships and internships through the Dairy Grazing Apprentice program. Whether you’ve been in dairy for years or are just getting started, this tour is a great chance to connect, swap ideas, and learn something new. Register for this free tour here. This event is a part of the 2026 OEFFA Farm Tour Series. It is held in partnership with the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program and the Ohio Organic Farmer Research Network.
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OEFFA at Common Greens Farmers’ Markets
Common Greens Farmers' MarketsOEFFA will be tabling at the Community Booth at these Common Greens farmers’ markets around Columbus. Join us on these market dates to learn more about our work while supporting local producers! Upper Arlington Farmers’ Market - Wednesday, June 10 - 3-6 p.m. - 2151 Dorset Rd., Upper Arlington, OH 43221 Bexley Farmers’ Market - Thursday, July 9 - 4-7 p.m. - S Dawson Ave. and E Main St., Bexley, OH 43209 Clintonville Farmers’ Market - Saturday, August 22 - 9 a.m.-Noon - 3535 N High St., Columbus, OH 43214 Learn more about Common Greens’ farmers’ markets at commongreensohio.org.
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Farmer-to-Farmer Pasture Walk
Miller Farm 9821 Hogback Rd., Fredericksburg, United StatesPaul and Fannie Mae Miller run an organic dairy in Wayne County. This tour will highlight their management and grazing systems, and serve as a gathering for grass farmers, aspiring graziers, and dairy farmers. See an exemplary organic dairy farm up close and join a discussion on organic dairying and grazing in Ohio. Register for this free tour here. This event is a part of the 2026 OEFFA Farm Tour Series. It is held in partnership with the Rodale Institute and Propogate.
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OEFFA Member Town Hall
ZoomIf you're an OEFFA member, you're invited to attend our first-ever virtual town hall on Monday, June 22 at 7 p.m. At this meeting, OEFFA’s Executive Director and Board Chair will share updates since the OEFFA Conference in February, including how your voice and ideas are being integrated into our work. We’ll also solicit feedback on the 2027 conference. Please register here in order to receive the Zoom link to join us on June 22! If you're unsure about your OEFFA membership status, click here or contact members@oeffa.org. If you want to join or renew, click here.
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Tree Nuts Farm Tour
Nut and Horse Farms 6390 Refugee Rd. SW, Pataskala, United StatesNut and Horse Farms is a small-scale commercial farm focused on owners Joe Hietter and Amy Rothe-Hietter’s two passions: trees and horses. One side of the farm grows tree nuts and some fruit trees. The other side is dedicated to horse husbandry. Their nut tree orchard consists of chestnut, hazelnut, black walnut, heartnut, butternut, pecan, hickory, and hican (cross between pecan and hickory) trees. They have permaculture implemented, and will explain what is involved in growing nut trees with a number of examples of their successes and failures. Please follow signs and the address below when arriving to find parking. The tour will be across the street. Register for this free tour here. This event is a part of the 2026 OEFFA Farm Tour Series. It is held in partnership with the Ohio Nut Growers Association.
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OEFFA at Common Greens Farmers’ Markets
Common Greens Farmers' MarketsOEFFA will be tabling at the Community Booth at these Common Greens farmers’ markets around Columbus. Join us on these market dates to learn more about our work while supporting local producers! Upper Arlington Farmers’ Market - Wednesday, June 10 - 3-6 p.m. - 2151 Dorset Rd., Upper Arlington, OH 43221 Bexley Farmers’ Market - Thursday, July 9 - 4-7 p.m. - S Dawson Ave. and E Main St., Bexley, OH 43209 Clintonville Farmers’ Market - Saturday, August 22 - 9 a.m.-Noon - 3535 N High St., Columbus, OH 43214 Learn more about Common Greens’ farmers’ markets at commongreensohio.org.
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Composting Facility Tour
Rustbelt Riders 7450 Terminal Dr, Lorain, United StatesRust Belt Riders’ mission is to feed people, not landfills. They are a worker-owned cooperative that redirects food waste from landfills and converts it into nutrient-rich compost. This compost serves as the foundation of their Tilth Soil blends for farmers, home gardeners, houseplant parents, and everyone in between. This tour takes place at Rathlin Soils' compost site, where Rust Belt Riders is co-located. Walk through this composting facility and learn more about how diverting food from landfills supports our local food system. Register for this free tour here. This event is a part of the 2026 OEFFA Farm Tour Series.
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Policy and Pints: Columbus
Jackie O's on Fourth 171 N 4th St, Columbus, United StatesPolicy and Pints is a series of fun social events with OEFFA Policy’s team, offering a chance to network with food and farm policy leaders from across the state. Learn about the work they do to advance state and federal policy, hear about opportunities to plug into advocacy efforts, and engage with other changemakers. Connect with other advocates at each event and join a fun game of bingo for a chance to win a local product prize! A portion of purchases at each event will be donated to OEFFA. Columbus—Tuesday, July 21, 5-7 p.m. at Jackie O's Brewery (Jackie O's On Fourth), 171 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215 These free events are open to anyone interested in sustainable and organic agriculture and getting involved in policy advocacy. To learn more about OEFFA Policy’s events and work, visit action.oeffa.org, follow @oeffapolicy on Instagram, and reach out to policy@oeffa.org. This event is a part of the 2026 OEFFA Farm Tour Series. No pre-registration required.
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Poultry Processing Facility Tour
J&J Poultry Processing 550 Richholt St., Holgate, United StatesJ&J Poultry is a poultry processing facility in northwest Ohio. Each year, they process between 10,000 and 12,000 chickens. Farmer Jim Jacobs will give a tour of the facility, explaining the ins and outs of being a processor. Register for this free tour here. This event is a part of the 2026 OEFFA Farm Tour Series.