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The ACORN conference, held on February 18th and 19th, 2024, was organized by ACORN in collaboration with the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC).

Day one featured a more informal format at the Truro Farmers Market, fostering relaxed conversation and networking opportunities before transitioning to classroom sessions on the following day.

Day two took place on the Dalhousie Agricultural campus with two concurrent sessions, a tradeshow, and tour of facilities in the Cox Institute. With the conference sold out at 120 participants, it was a valuable opportunity for individuals involved or interested in organic agriculture to gather, connect, and collaborate on inspiring on-farm solutions and considerations.

Over the two days the rooms buzzed with enthusiasm and forward-looking perspectives, all centered around the shared commitment/interest in organic standards and principles. Important topics like soil health, adapting to climate change, improving food systems, pathways to market, organic pest control, livestock management, and many others were explored.    

Several Dalhousie professors shared their expertise, and continued to strengthen relationships with farmers, industry representatives and government personnel from across the Maritimes. Dr. Andrew Hammermeister introduced agriculture’s grand challenges and how organic agriculture provides an alternate pathway to sustainable solutions. Dr. Kathleen Kevany spoke about the need for transformation of the food system in order to become truly sustainable. Dr. Rhea Lumactud provided a valuable overview of the important role of soil biology in promoting healthy crops. Dr. Ji Lu provided an overview of the interface between organic consumer preferences and organic marketing strategies, highlighting the distinction between hedonic and utilitarian values. And finally, Dr. Derek Lynch provided an intensive soil health workshop (which sold out very quickly) including a tour of his lab.  

Student participation was highlighted by a presentation by Andrea Grigolon, an International Food Business student who spoke about how his family’s organic poultry operation in Italy contributes to addressing agriculture’s grand challenges. Andrea also provided an overview of the great student experiential learning opportunities that our campus offers. The conference was also well-attended by students from both the AC and Halifax campus participating.   

There were also several presentations from organic producers covering a range of topics, from practical farming practices to marketing strategies. The coming together of farmers, researchers, and students provided a balanced blend of practical advice and theoretical insights.   

To provide attendees with the opportunity to learn more about the research and resources available on campus, the conference also featured a walking tour of the Cox Institute, two drop-in microscope sessions, along with exploration of the campus greenhouses, controlled environment chambers, and the seed bank!

Additionally, the Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences prepared a display of local herbarium samples with related resources. Participants enjoyed observing soil life under microscopes and learning more about the Atlantic Canada Regional Seed Bank and the Centre for Sustainable Soil Management.