ORGANIC UNIVERSITY™
MOOOVING TOWARD ORGANIC
MAR. 26, 2026 | CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI
Join us on March 26 in Chippewa Falls for Organic University: Moooving Toward Organic, a full-day dairy workshop covering certification basics, organic feed strategies, and transitional production practices led by industry experts. Lunch is provided, with plenty of time to connect with fellow farmers and agricultural professionals.
AGENDA:
10:00 -10:30 Registration & Refreshments
10:30 - 10:45 Welcome & Intros
10:45 - 12:00 Certification basics with Emily Fowell (Natures International Certification Services)
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 2:30 Organic Feed Considerations with Melissa Weyland, Joe Klein, Kevin Mahalko, and Tom Moos (Breakout by Grass focus and Grain focus)
2:30 - 2:45 Break
2:45 - 4:15 Breakout Sessions: Herd Health Management (Guy Jodarski) and Pasture Management (Jason Cavadini & Michael Geissinger)
4:15-4:30 Break
4:30 - 5:00 Organizational Support Offerings, Wrap-up, Q&A
PRESENTER BIOS:
Emily Fowell — Emily is the Certification Director at NICS – Nature’s International Certification Services, a subsidiary of Ecocert Group, and an accredited certifier for the National Organic Program (NOP). She has been with NICS for 10 years in various roles and has been involved in the organic industry for 20 years. In addition to her organic certification experience, she has a background in organic dairy production and food and animal laboratory quality systems. She currently serves as the co-chair of the Wisconsin Organic Advisory Committee. Along with her husband and daughter, she owns and manages a certified organic crop and multi-species livestock operation in southwestern Wisconsin.
Tom Moos — Tom Moos is a lifelong dairy farmer from Chippewa County, Wisconsin, and the owner of Moos Farms since 2001. His farm is certified organic (2005) and grassfed (2016), managing 300 acres of pasture and forage. Tom's leadership experience includes serving on boards and committees of organizations including National Farmers, NAFCOR, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Organic Valley, and his local town board.
Kevin Mahalko — Kevin Mahalko farms 395 certified organic acres and milks 45 Holstein dairy cows in Gilman, WI. The Mahalko family has been involved in grazing networks since the 1990s and Kevin has worked as a grazing educator since 2008.
Melissa Weyland — Bio coming soon.
Joe Klein — Joe Klein is the MW Dairy Pool Mgr for Organic Valley, for the past 15 years. Prior experience includes owning/managing the family’s 240 acre organic dairy farm near Cuba City, WI, with ten years on the Organic Valley truck. Joe also worked for MOSA as a staff inspector, conducting nearly 1000 organic crop, livestock and processing inspections.
Jason Cavadini — Jason Cavadini is the Grazing Outreach Specialist with the UW-Madison Division of Extension. He conducts research, outreach, and educational programming focused on perennial forages, livestock-integrated cropping systems, and managed-grazing for farms of all scales. Jason is a Certified Professional Agronomist, serves as an advisor to GrassWorks Inc., and operates a cow-calf to finish grazing operation with his wife and five children near Stratford, WI.
Michael Geissinger — Bio coming soon.
Guy Jordarski — Guy Jordarski, DVM is the former staff veterinarian for Organic Valley, CROPP Cooperative and is based in Neillsville, WI. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has experience in helping, organic, conventional and transitioning dairies.
Tom Manley — Tom Manley, is an organic advisor, farmer and advocate at Marbleseed, and works in a contribution agreement with NRCS providing conservation planning support and training for staff and producers. Tom and his wife own a 40-acre homestead farm near Spring Valley, Wisconsin. They are working to develop a permanent, woody perennial-based system with alley cropping and grazing. He hopes to someday earn the title of “Gentleman Farmer.” He enjoys running, winemaking, and woodworking.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
This event is supported through the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program, a program of the USDA Organic Transition Initiative administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program.