Organic Intensives
That's a Wrap On Organic Intensives 2025
Thank you to all who attended Organic Intensives 2025. We truly appreciate the energy, curiosity, and passion each of you brings to the event each year. See you in 2026!
We invite you to join us on Saturday, January 18th, 2025 for a one-day in-depth learning experience. Organic Intensives are an opportunity to acquire practical, detailed information over the course of a day with fellow Michigan farmers and gardeners.
For 2025 we are offering the opportunity to learn from experienced experts and producers in one of three topic areas:
Korean Natural Farming: Cultivating Soil Life
This is a deep dive into the interconnectivity of microbial communities in soil, and the interplay these communities have with micro-organisms. At the same time we will teach through the simplest of ways to partner with nature and harness its power to grow food and livestock.
Korean natural farming is an organic agricultural method that takes advantage of indigenous microorganisms to produce rich soil that yields high output without the use of herbicides or pesticides.
Korean Natural Farming (KNF) originated from the work of Cho Han-kyu, who combined traditional Korean farming methods with Japanese natural farming practices and fermentation techniques.
Speakers:
Farming in a Changing Climate
We may already be seeing the impacts of a changing climate in our gardens and farms with inconsistent weather patterns and warm winters here in Michigan. How else can climate change affect our farms and what can we do about it? Join us for an in-depth discussion with growers and advocates who are on the cutting edge of farming in a changing climate.
This workshop will cover:
- What’s happening Now and What to Expect: The Impact of Climate Change on Farming
- Agrovoltaics: Opportunities, Pros and Cons of Incorporating Solar into a farming operation
- Michigan Climate Smart Farms Initiative: Opportunities for Farmers Using Climate Smart Practices
This workshop is for farmers and good food advocates who are interested in exploring what there is to know about the impacts of climate change on our farms and what we can do about it.
Speakers:
Mike Buza, Sierra Club Chair, Nepessing Five Rivers group
Peter Sinclair, Independent Videographer Specializing in Environmental and Energy Issues
Innovative Marketing: Farmer Wisdom on Where and How to Sell Your Farm Goods
Join us for an engaging and interactive workshop designed for farmers looking to elevate their marketing strategies! “Innovative Marketing: Farmer Wisdom on Where and How to Sell Your Farm Goods” will explore creative approaches to effectively reach new customers, and explore different ways that your farm can boost sales .
Led by experienced farmers and marketing experts, this workshop will cover:
- Market Identification
- Branding Essentials
- Storytelling Techniques
- Digital Marketing Strategies
- Collaborative Opportunities
Explore ways to collaborate with other local farmers and businesses to enhance visibility and drive sales.
This workshop is perfect for new and seasoned farmers alike, offering valuable insights and hands-on activities to help you develop a personalized marketing plan. Come share your experiences, gain fresh ideas, and walk away inspired to take your farm’s marketing to the next level.
Speakers:
Nels Brogren, Farm and Forest
Kirstin Van Vliet, Michigan Flower Coop
Katie Brandt, Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program
Organic Intensives Speakers
Chris Trump, Biomei Natural Farming Solutions
Chris was raised in both Hawaii and California. His background in construction, farming, and community-building have given him a natural love of systems thinking and engineering while prioritizing relationships, communication and shared benefits. While living in Hawaii, California, Idaho and Colorado—Chris has traveled the world while fathering and supporting five bright and kind children. During his Natural Farming study, Chris was struck by and resonated with Master Cho sharing out of a place of deep gratitude—honoring the Painter of Nature.
Chris loves turning a camera on project successes and failures alike—helping farmers and students see the work in action. Thanks to students and Soilsmiths running their own farms and businesses where Natural Farming Solutions are applied—the knowledge Chris shares about working with the land and microbiology are being carried forward and passed down to the next generation. Whether working with a dairy farm in Ireland, a golf course in Marin County, California, an alfalfa farmer in Iowa, or a garden growing food for the local community—Chris is energized by seeing the world’s farms partnering with nature for regenerative and profitable agriculture.
Kyle Mitchell, Agrifoods & Culinary Arts Instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Mitchell’s Patch of Blue
Kyle Mitchell is the Agrifoods & Culinary Arts Instructor at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and together with his wife, they
operate Mitchell’s Patch of Blue, a 3rd generation Organic Blueberry farm in Bangor, Michigan. The year was 1943 when the Mitchell family purchased the plot of land to make their dreams of farming a reality. By 1956, they planted four acres of Jersey Blueberries and Mitchell’s Patch of Blue was born. Fast-forwarding to present, that dream has expanded to 25 acres, boasting seven varieties of blueberries. Ran by third-generation blueberry farmer, 6th generation Michigan farmer, KVCC culinary professor Kyle Mitchell and his wife, Natalie Mitchell, the farm continues to thrive on the original Mitchell ambition.
Leah Sienkowski, Dreamgoats
Dreamgoats’ head herdswoman, Leah Sienkowski grew up playing in the woods, and she is delighted to have found her way back–a playful herd of goats by her side. She is excited about community, education, ecological systems, and agriculture of all forms. When she’s not dreaming about soap or cheese, moving fences, or milking goats, she likes to play music and make art. She dreams of rewriting the way we interact with the land and is excited by new forms of cooperation and ownership.
Peter Sinclair, Independent Videographer
Peter Sinclair is an independent Videographer, specializing in environment and energy issues, based in Midland, Michigan.For a decade, Mr Sinclair has produced a monthly video series for the Yale University School of Environment, and has interviewed hundreds of the world’s leading scientists and engineers.
Mr. Sinclair has also been Media director of the Dark Snow Project, an international crowd-funded science communication initiative, which has taken him now many times to the arctic, embedded with scientific teams. More recently, Mr Sinclair has been deeply involved advocating for renewable energy in the US Midwest, and for the property rights of farmers who wish to site clean energy on their land.
His videos are recognized by experts internationally, and have established Mr Sinclair as a frequent presenter on climate, renewable energy, and science communication. In 2017, the National Center for Science Education recognized Mr Sinclair as a “Friend of the Planet”.
Megan Phillips Goldenberg, Climate Smart Farms Conservation Specialist, Washtenaw County Conservation District
Originally from Colorado, Megan grew up on a hobby farm in Saline, Michigan. After studying Chemistry and Biology at Northern Michigan University, Megan moved back to Colorado to study Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics and Public Policy at Colorado State University. She spent some time on the east coast consulting on food systems development projects and supporting her husband’s military career before eventually returning to the family farm in Saline. With her family, Megan has been rehabilitating farmland by rotationally grazing small livestock for 10 years. Now, as the Climate Smart Farms Conservation Specialist, Megan is responsible for overall project management of the Michigan Climate Smart Farm Project, funded through the USDA Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities.
Mike Buza, Sierra Club Chair, Nepessing Five Rivers Group
Michael Buza received a BS from Michigan State University and an MSW from the University of Michigan. He spent most of his professional career working with the seriously and persistently mentally ill. He retired a year earlier than planned to work full time on environmental issues, particularly global warming. In addition to his professional work, he has been involved in environmental activities his entire life.
He is the current chair of the Sierra Club: Nepessing Five Rivers group. He is the Chair of the of the Legislative Committee of the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club and serves on the Chapter’s Executive Committee. He has written numerous renewable articles that have been published in the Michigan Sierra Club Chapter newsletter and other publications. He has been quoted in newspaper and magazine articles. He spoke in favor of wind and solar in over 100 township meetings. He has presented to many groups on various topics regarding renewable energy. He co-authored articles on best practices for agrivoltaics that received national distribution.
He was on the Energy Production, Transmission, Distribution and Storage Workgroup which provided research information to the Governor’s Council on Climate Solutions.
He maintains an educational Facebook site – Michigan SEA (Sustainable Energy Advocacy) He has had rooftop solar on his home for 14 years and has not had to purchase electricity from the utility for 9 years. His entire backyard is a garden/orchard.
Katie Brandt, Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program
Katie Brandt’s two decades of farming experience inform her every day when she is working alongside aspiring and beginning farmers to translate their skills and vision into attainable farm goals and farm business plans. Her main project is teaching and organizing the MSU Organic Farmer Training Program, which is a mix of field trips, online and on-farm learning to help people make their farm dreams a reality. In 2023, the OFTP added a new learning site at Keep Growing Detroit, so people can choose to learn in Detroit or at the MSU Student Organic Farm in East Lansing.
Katie also leads the Michigan Sustainable Farm Mentors Program and is planning Michigan’s mentorship program for the new USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program. She works with Michigan SARE coordinator Sarah Fronczak to promote SARE grants and resources, assist SARE grant authors, map beginning farmer resources, and connect farmers of color and underserved producers with SARE.
Katie spent 5 years as a farmworker on small-scale, organic farms before co-founding Groundswell Community Farm in West Michigan. Over a dozen years, Groundswell grew from 2 farmers tilling bare land with hand tools into a successful farm employing 10 farm workers to grow over $200,000 of vegetables annually on 7 acres. During that time, she attended Grand Valley State University, where she designed an on-farm research project about organic controls for Striped Cucumber Beetles to earn an MS in Biology. Outside of work, Katie enjoys biking, playing with her 11-year-old son and enjoying time with her partner Jill.
Kirstin Van Vliet, Michigan Flower Coop
My name is Kristin Van Vliet and I am the Owner and Operations Manager of the Michigan Flower Growers Collective. I began my adventure in agriculture in 2004 growing vegetables at the Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Michigan’s first officially designated CSA. In 2014 I developed the flower CSA program at the CFofAA, as I realized I had a passion for growing flowers and our members had a desire to add flowers to their weekly vegetable shares. I started my own cut flower farm, DayMoon Gardens, in 2020, and also joined the Michigan Flower Growers Cooperative (established in 2017) that same year. I discovered that I had found my tribe in my fellow growers in the MFGC, so when the group was looking for new leadership, I stepped up and purchased the business in 2023. Now, the Michigan Flower Growers Collective functions largely the same as the cooperative had, but the decision making falls on me with the growers’ input, instead of a Board of Directors. The MFGC is a business that takes on the marketing and selling of grower’s product so that they can focus on growing the highest quality local blooms available!
Alice Bagley, City Commons
City Commons formed as a cooperative in 2012 and has since grown to 7 participating farms serving over 100 households in Detroit and surrounding communities. Our farms are scattered all over Detroit and range in size, style and what we grow, but all are committed to safe and sustainable practices to build a healthy local food economy and a food sovereign Detroit.
Mark Kastner, Hillcrest Farms
My name is Mark Kastner, and I like to go by ‘Farmer Mark’. Hillcrest Farms is a chemical free, four-season farm in Eaton Rapids. And just like my wife Gayleen and I, it’s evolved over the years.
Laura Lengnick, Cultivating Resilience 
Laura Lengnick has worked for a just transformation of U.S. food and farming for more than 30 years. Her research in soil health and sustainable farming systems was nationally recognized with a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award in 2002 and she served as a lead author of the 2013 USDA report, Climate Change and Agriculture in the United States: Effects and Adaptation. Since 2015, she has worked with organizations of all kinds to integrate resilience thinking into operations and strategic planning. The second edition of her award-winning book, Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate (2022), examines climate change, resilience and the future of food through the adaptation stories of more than 45 award-winning farmers and ranchers growing food throughout the U.S.
Important Information
The event will take place on Saturday, January 18th, at the Plant and Soil Sciences building on the MSU campus in East Lansing.
Registration is $110 for MOFFA members and $140 for non-members. The registration fee covers six hours of learning, an organic lunch and snack breaks, all printed materials, and a great chance to network with fellow farmers and gardeners from across Michigan. Parking is free at the Plant and Soil Sciences Building. Scholarships are available; if interested please email a request for scholarship information to [email protected].
A block of rooms has been reserved at the TownePlace Suites Marriott, 2855 Hannah Blvd., East Lansing, MI 48823, just one mile from the Plant and Soil Sciences building. Room availability was only guaranteed through December 15th, but the conference rate of $109 per night continues to be in effect; mention MOFFA when you call. We suggest you contact the hotel as soon as possible at 517-203-1000 to be sure you get a room if you will need one.
Book your group rate for Michigan Organic Food & Farm Alliance (MOFFA)
Please help us publicize the event by downloading the brochure or the flyers (general, innovative, seeds, or fiber) and distributing them in your community. If you’d like us to send you pre-printed brochures or flyers, please let us know.
Organic Intensives would not be possible without the sponsorship of companies and foundations who support our work. If you are interested in sponsoring Organic Intensives and our other activities, please see the Sponsorship page. We encourage you to think of these companies when you’re in the market for the products and services they provide, and thank them for their support of MOFFA.
