Webinars Video Resources

Bob Quinn Healing the Earth by Growing Food as Medicine

Bob Quinn was raised on a 2,400 acre family operated wheat and cattle ranch south east of Big Sandy, Montana. He earned a BS in botany in 1970, a MS in plant pathology in 1971 from Montana State University and a PhD in plant biochemistry from the University of California-Davis in 1976. He returned home to run the family farm and ranch in 1978.

In 1983 Bob started Montana Flour & Grains, Inc. (MFG) originally in an effort to market his own grain directly to whole grain bakeries. The business soon expanded beyond his own farm and became a viable market opportunity for many other farmers. In 1986 MFG introduced to the natural food industry an ancient grain similar to durum wheat. This grain was grown only organically and marketed under his own brand name, Kamut, (see kamut.com) and now over 4500 different Kamut brand products are being marketed throughout the world. Over the years his farm has increased to 3400 cultivated acres and 600 acres of pasture.  In recent years he has started the Oil Barn which produces high-oleic safflower oil on the farm and Big Sandy Organics which produces the ancient wheat snack Kracklin’ Kamut. In 1986 Bob planted his first organic certified crop, the entire farm was organic by 1989.

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Bob’s service to the organic industry includes numerous committees and advisory boards including the Montana Grain Growers and the Montana Farm Bureau. He helped form Montana’s first Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) chapter in 1987 and served as its first president. He has served as secretary of OCIA’s International board of directors and on the first USDA National Organic Standards Board and on a USDA ag research advisory committee. Bob has been a member of the Organic Trade Association (OTA) since 1987 and is a member of their farm advisory committee. He has served on the board of The Organic Center including as chair of the science committee. He is a member of IFOAM-Organics International and helped to form the IFOAM North American Regional group and was elected to their first Broad of Directors.

He is also the recipient of several awards including being named as one of Montana State University’s 100 outstanding alumni from their first hundred years, a lifetime service award from the Montana Organic Association in 2007, the National Organic Leadership Award from the Organic Trade Association in 2010, 2013 Rodale Institute Organic Pioneer, and in 2016 he received New Hope’s Hall of Legends award.

In 2018 he rented out his farm to two of his employees. He still promotes organic and sustainable agriculture, locally produced food and fuel as well as promoting the idea that food should be our medicine and medicine should be our food. He also promotes food production systems based on producing high nutrition and quality rather than high yields and works hard warning of the dangers of GMO based food.  He has written a book “Grain by Grain” (Island Press, 2019) with co-author, Liz Carlisle summarizing his philosophy of the tie between agriculture, food and health.  His most recent focus is the creation of a 700 acre regenerative organic research, education and health institute in the middle of his farm. The Quinn Institute’s vision and mission is “healing the earth by growing food as medicine.”

Matthew Sanderson, Ph.D.

Good for the soil,

Good for the farmer.

Presented by

Matthew Sanderson, Ph.D.

Randall C. Hill Distinguished Professor, Kansas State University

 

This program is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture Transition to Organic Partnership Program, or TOPP. TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program. You can find more information regarding TOPP here: https://www.grainplacefoundation.org/topp/

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Applying the soil health principles in organically managed row crops

Katja Koehler-Cole, Statewide Soil Health Management Extension Educator, Nebraska Extension

David Vetter

So you’re thinking about going organic…

Now What?

Ever thought about transitioning to organic? Already decided but not sure how to start? Maybe you’re in the transition process and have questions?

If you (or any of your friends) answered “yes” to any of these questions this webinar is for you!

Spend an hour talking with pioneer organic farmer, David Vetter about the process of transitioning to organic.

This program will focus on thinking about and preparing for transitioning to organic. In order for us to address as many questions as possible, participants are encouraged to submit questions ahead of time. Please send your questions to Allison: avetter@grainplacefoods.com

This program is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture Transition to Organic Partnership Program, or TOPP. TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program. You can find more information regarding TOPP here: https://www.grainplacefoundation.org/topp/

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Transitioning to Organic : Tips from 25 Years of Research

Dr. Kathleen Delate, Professor, Iowa State University. Dr. Delate will discuss research findings from the past 25 years.
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Organic and Conventional Agriculture

Find Common Ground Promoting Soil Health

Differences abound between input use choices in organic and conventional farming, but all agree that we need to improve soil health. Join us for a webinar with Chuck Porter (NRCS, Unadilla, NE), David Meyer (Plant Breeder, Corteva, retired) and Chuck Francis (UNL Professor emeritus) on September 27, 2023.

This webinar is supported through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). TOPP is a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative and is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP).

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