Every year we get the chance to attend the annual OAK Conference which brings together organic farmers and food advocates from all across Kentucky to talk shop, share ideas and resources, and build community. Celebrating 15 years, this year’s conference brought a nice surprise! Mac, Ann, and John were honored with the first annual Organic Farmer of the Year award from Executive Director Brooke Gentile and the entire OAK membership. Wow! We are surprised, grateful, and humbled. Thank you to our friends, peers, mentors, along with former interns and mentees that we’ve been able to grow with over the years. Along with so many others, we are proud to launch a legacy of organic farming in Kentucky.
This year we got to be presenters as well!
John was part of a panel about grass-fed cattle and spoke alongside other graziers about our herd as well as forage and successful pasture management strategies that he’s implemented.
Mac meanwhile co-presented with Dr. Tamara Horn Potter from Kentucky State University, who is the former State Apiarist for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Dr. Tamara’s husband, Doug Potter, is the beekeeper at Elmwood Stock Farm running the apiary. Mac shared stories from the field while Dr. Tamara shared the secrets of honeybees.
Earlier in the month before the OAK Conference, John spoke on a panel at the 2026 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference about organic carrot production. And Ann got to speak about our Summer CSA at a special CSA Fair for University of Kentucky employees put on by the KY Farm Share Coalition and UK Health and Wellness.
A big thank you to OAK, the KY Fruit and Vegetable Conference organizers, UK, and KY Farm Share Coalition for having us. We always learn from others when we get to share our farming experiences. We look forward to what the rest of this year brings!