Breakout Sessions - Producer Track (Room 1)

Scaling For Wholesale, presented by Renaldo Lemons & Rachel Kretchmar

9:50 - 10:50 AM

  • Get prepared to scale up your farm operations to reach new outlets. Farming for wholesale requires you to reach new levels of production as a farmer. Gain information from wholesale buyers and producers on how to best transition from market farming to producing for wholesale outlets.

Selling to New Markets with Group GAP, presented by Ravi Jadeja & Taryn DeWitt

11:00 - 12:00 PM

  • Reach new markets through the Oklahoma Group Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. Learn more about the opportunities that come with this certification, such as selling to schools, restaurants, and institutions. You will also gain information on the USDA GAP auditing process and what is required of the farmers who participate.

Lunch

12:00 - 12:50 PM

Keynote Session with Jill Ragan, The Whispering Willow Farm

12:50 - 2:00 PM

Exhibit Hall

2:00 - 2:20 PM

Breakout Sessions 

Growing & Raising Food for Local Schools, presented by Alex Cox & Joetta Hyde

2:20 - 3:20 PM 

  • Hear from Oklahoma Department of Agriculture's Farm to School Coordinator and a successful producer who has established a mutually-beneficial farm-to-school process. 

R&R Cattle Co. Successes with OSU Extension, presented by Josh Campbell & Todd Thomas

3:30 - 4:30 PM 

  • This session will feature R&R Cattle Company from Jones, Oklahoma. Owner, Todd Thomas will share his family's story including the challenges and successes through the generations from origins in 1945 with his wife's grandparents Ralph and Ruth (namesakes of R&R) to the founding of R&R Cattle Company in 2020 by Todd and his wife Rachel as they began their direct-to-consumer operation which provides high quality beef to families across central Oklahoma. Todd will be joined by OSU Extension Beginning Farmer and Rancher Specialist, Josh Campbell and will share how the support and resources available through OSU Extension have helped R&R Cattle Company. Josh Campbell will address how other producers like Todd may benefit from support available form OSU Extension.

Closing & OKLAS Awards

4:35 - 5:00 PM