Urban agriculture offers exciting opportunities for individuals to make a living farming and gain
educational and job training, and provide communities with healthy food.
Addressing the specific challenges and issues that face urban farmers is the focus of a six-part workshop
track sponsored by Ohio’s recently-designated 1890 land-grant institution, Central State University
Cooperative Extension.  
The workshop track is part of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s 38th annual conference,
“Growing Today, Transforming Tomorrow,” which will run Feb. 9-11 at the Dayton Convention Center in
Dayton.  
“Urban Agriculture has the ability to transform our urban and blighted communities by becoming a
practical solution,” said Clarence Bunch, Ph.D.,, Associate Director at CSU Cooperative Extension
Service. “Food security has been identified as a critical need by Central State University Extension.
Our sponsorship of the urban agriculture workshop track and OEFFA Conference provides the support needed
to offer practical solutions that benefit families and the local community.”
Six 90-minute workshops, totaling nine hours of urban agriculture education, will address production
practices for small spaces, business planning, and cost-effective technologies for efficient urban
production. Among the events are:
• Safe Handling and Use of Organic Approved Pesticides — Terry Grace, Ohio Central Community Co-op (Feb.
10, 8:30-10 a.m.)
• Urban Farm Planting and Management — Milan Karcic, Peace, Love, and Freedom Farm (Feb. 10, 10:30
a.m.-noon)
• Business Planning for Ag Entrepreneurs—Stephen Washington, Central State University (Feb. 10, 2-3:30
p.m.)
For more information about the conference, or to register, go to www.oeffa.org/conference2017. Online
registration will be open until Monday.