2018 Eco-Ag Conference Agenda

This agenda, from 2018 Eco-Ag Conference is a sample of what you can expect at the 2019 Eco-Ag Conference.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Soil Testing & Mineral Balancing for Nutrient-Dense Crops
Steve Diver
The importance of soil testing and balanced mineral nutrition for soil, animal, and human health were established as one of the founding principles of eco-agriculture, pioneered by Dr. William Albrecht and Carey Reams, MD.  This session will emphasize the importance of amending your soils with a suite of minerals and trace elements to produce nutrient-dense crops, which possess sought-after flavor and promote pest resistance.  Learn about soil testing laboratories that offer a holistic soil test, how to interpret soil test results, and how to apply a blend of balanced soil minerals. Learn why soil mineralization and soil biology management have a synergistic effect.

Leveraging Your Animals’ Movement: Lessons in Grazing Strategies
Paul Dorrance
Rotational, Management-Intensive, Mob grazing … these terms all describe varying aspects of the same theme: movement. Movement of grazing animals has been shown to build soil health, benefit animals, reduce pest and parasite loads, and increase profitability. Paul Dorrance of Pastured Providence Farmstead in Ohio will discuss the terminology, benefits, techniques, and tools required to leverage animal movement for the benefit of your land, your livestock, and your farm’s bottom line.

Meet and Greet: Eliot Coleman

 

2:30 - 4:30 p.m. (2-hour workshops)

Critical Update & Discussion on the Story of GMOs
Dr. Don Huber
Dr. Don Huber is professor emeritus of plant pathology at Purdue University. His agricultural research the past 50 years has focused on the epidemiology and control of soilborne plant pathogens with an emphasis on microbial ecology, cultural and biological controls and the physiology of host-parasite relationships. In this session he returns to the podium to address the new science further condemning the use of a dangerous, but ubiquitous, herbicide and the genetically modified crops that have quintupled its use. Prepare to learn and engage with this internationally recognized expert in this field.

Principles of Bionutrient Rich Foods
Dan Kittredge
Nutrient Dense crops are the byproducts of well functioning biological systems. This workshop will cover a number of critical environmental conditions and management practices necessary for the production of these more flavorful, aromatic, nutritious, pest and disease resistant harvests. The foundational paradigm of how plants have evolved to operate in relation to their environments will be covered, along with practical suggestions having to do with seed quality, mineralization, minimal soil disturbance, inoculation, in season monitoring, integrating cover crops, managing for soil aeration and hydration, and intention.

Poultry-Centered Regenerative Agriculture
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
From design to farm deployment, this session will cover the foundational aspects of scalable, replicable small-scale poultry-centered regenerative farming systems developed at the Main Street Project. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin is the chief architect of this system and will share with the audience the highlights and the inside story and processes that make this system unique and adaptable for aggregating and standardization of large-scale production throughout regions of small farming operations.

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Opening Reception - Trade Show Floor
Kick off a great couple days of learning with light refreshments and great company on the Eco-Ag Trade Show floor.

7:30 p.m.

Welcome by Mary Berry, The Berry Center

Evening Keynote: 50 Years of the Organic Adventure: Promise and Reality
Eliot Coleman, Farmer and Author, Four Season Farm

Organic farming pioneer and author Eliot Coleman has spent five decades farming in Maine and teaching others how to farm under a variety of conditions. He’s brought continued innovation in thought and methods to the field of organic farming and has proven that nothing is impossible, even year-round farming during a harsh Maine winter. He’ll bring his extensive experience to this lively session and share his perspective on the journey that he has been on and where it stands today. Eliot will show us where we can find hope amongst the noise that can often confuse and dilute the growing organic movement.

 

Thursday, December 6, 2018

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

So you want to be Organic AND No-Till?
Vail Dixon
Strategies for Transition, plus tips on preventing and solving common challenges.
Are you interested in, or currently growing organic and want to avoid tillage?  Many organic growers utilize tillage as their main tool to manage weeds, but this can destroy soil tilth, structure and beneficial microbes, which can cause or exacerbate other growing challenges like poor performance, pests, weeds and diseases.  Learn strategies and tips for how to transition into organic without tillage, or how to improve your results if you have already made the commitment. Learn how proactive prevention can be much easier and effective than reactive management of “problems".”  Build confidence to unravel the sequence of what choices will bring you the most bang for your buck and the quickest results.

Using Multi-Species Synergies To Your Advantage
Paul Dorrance
Diversity is widely recognized in vegetable agriculture as a benefit to the land and plants, as well as a critical risk-mitigation tool. This same concept is just as true in animal agriculture. Paul Dorrance of Pastured Providence Farmstead will discuss how multiple species like cattle, sheep, chickens, and hogs can work together to bring ecological and marketing benefits to a diversified pasture-based farm.

Restoring Our Rhythm: Strategies for Thriving in Modern Times
Dr. Nasha Winters
Studies show that paying attention to our circadian rhythms is critical to treatment and prevention of disease. Reconnecting with this rhythm allows one to better take cues from the external environment. Dr. Nasha Winters brings her 25-plus years of experience in the Integrative Oncology world to bridge the gap between research and the reality. The intention of this presentation is to take a deep dive into circadian rhythm biology and help folks find their way back to a more balanced way of being on the planet today. Participants will gain clarity in how to assess their own circadian rhythm and understand the importance of taking steps required to prevent further imbalance in their circadian rhythm biology.

What Sustainable-Organic Vegetable Growers Should Know About Grafting
Matthew D. Kleinhenz, Ph.D.
Grafted plants are “physical” hybrids combining the traits of at least two varieties, one selected for its root system (rootstock) and at least one selected for its shoot and fruit (scion). As such, grafted plants offer potentially significant opportunities and benefits. For example, grafted plants can be prepared on-farm by their user (i.e., the tomato, pepper, eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber grower) or by a propagator/transplant producer who masters the process, thereby creating opportunities for income. Grafted plants appeal to users because they can out-yield ungrafted plants (especially when conditions are sub-optimal) and they can be used effectively in any setting (field, high tunnel, greenhouse) and number (tens to thousands) by gardeners and commercial growers. Still, growers often find that there can be much to learn in order to capitalize on making and using grafted plants. Join us for an A to Z summary of grafted plants as a tool and, possibly, a source of income. The session will have two parts. In Part 1, we will summarize the ins and outs of grafting as well as opportunities and challenges associated with making and using grafted plants. Part 2 will be even more interactive, with opportunities to see grafted plants being prepared, to try the process firsthand with guidance, and to discuss related topics.

 

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Biological Farming: Beyond Basic Soil Health
Gary Zimmer
What makes soil truly healthy? And keep in mind that healthy does not necessarily mean healthy, high-yielding, profitable crops. There are a lot of healthy dairy cows on farms that don’t produce much milk. The principles of Biological Farming include the management of the biological, physical and chemical (nutrients) properties in the soil. The standard rules to soil health are good, but don’t include the whole story. In today’s world many farmers, consultants and researchers understand there are 20-plus minerals needed to grow a good crop. They also understand they need to be exchangeable, which requires biology and plants. They recognize the need to create an ideal home for the soil life and feed them — it’s all about diversity and balance. They also know they need to take care of the crop, making sure it is well fed and able to withstand stresses. This session will dig into the rest of the biological farming story beyond basic soil health.

Building a Healthy, Humane, and Fair Food System
Mike Callicrate
Making Regenerative Agriculture Ecologically and Economically Sustainable
Regenerative producers are leading the effort to save our soils, but they can’t sustain their work within the same extractive ag economy that has caused rural economic decline and major soil loss.
Mike Callicrate will discuss the “why” and “how” a better and more profitable pathway to market can exist — one that considers the investments and returns of a new regenerative approach to agriculture and food that heals the land, improves animal welfare and provides farmers, ranchers and workers living incomes, while bringing prosperity back to rural farming and ranching communities.

Defining Food Quality: Tools, Science and Collaboration
Dan Kittredge
The Bionutrient Food Association and Real Food Campaign have embarked on a open source project to 1) develop a hand held spectrometer that can be used at point of purchase to test relative nutrient density, 2) populate a database sufficient to define relative nutrient density, and 3) populate a database sufficient to identify causal dynamics in the production of nutrient dense crops. We are partnering with farmers, organizations, companies and universities in this project. Those interested in an update on the progress of this project, or in collaboration will find this workshop valuable.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Regenerating Resilient Soils Through Soil Biology 
Dr. Kris Nichols
By taking a systems approach to regenerate soils through soil biology, farmers will increase resilience and profitability by maximizing nutrient and water use efficiencies and utilizing biology to address pest and disease issues. Integrating dynamic principles to synergize biologically based practices to address fertility, pest and disease issues will increase nutritive quality in grains, produce, meat and dairy to potentially enhance human health. The soil is the foundation for any system to work while the management practices are the tools, which means that this presentation will discuss crop diversity, including perennials and annuals as well as cover and companion crops, reduced soil disturbance, and managed grazing.

Building a Regenerative Agriculture Industry
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
In this session, author and regenerative agriculture leader Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin will take his poultry-centered work into an industry-level design and frame the emerging national effort to bring together farmers, aggregators, processors, investors, leading corporations and other agriculture sectors moving into the regenerative landscape to build the infrastructure and capacity to scale nationally. Promising models such as the Main Street Project’s poultry-centered design are critical for a regenerative agriculture industry to become a reality at scale, but combining this with other differentiated and leading sectors with models ready to move to scale is critical for a new regenerative agriculture movement and industry-level infrastructure to emerge. He will share the strategy, approach, plans and successes in moving this agenda forward. This session is structured primarily for farmers seeking to organize and deploy regional systems, industry leaders, and others who seek the larger-scale potential and want to join this effort to build a truly regenerative agriculture industry.

Love Your Biomes
Nick Barnard
So much in the press recently revealing how little we know about the flora and fauna of our gut — the micro, or human biome — and how the diversity and health of the gut dictates more than just our physical health and functionality, but also our mental health … well that’s great, but if such revelations show just how little we know about our gut, and the arrogance of medical science in ignoring it’s central role, then just think about how little we know about the soil biome, where 95% of all biomass resides.
Just as we have weakened/damaged our human biome through the use of antibiotics, chemical insults, industrial pollutants and an increasingly poor nutrient quality diet lacking in diversity, so we have unwittingly dealt the same hand to our relationship with the soil biome — worldwide. We have pursued a monoculture, industrial agricultural model, flooded with microbial and insect destructive chemicals, extracted the water and released the carbon.
In other words we have dumbed down the biology in both biomes, with the same outcome: impoverished soils alongside an ever-weakening population. It’s time to recognize that we need to love and nurture both biomes because they are inseparable.

Prioritizing On-Farm Management Practices for Crop Performance & Soil Health
John Kempf
In recent decades the information and knowledge base around regenerative agriculture management systems has grown very rapidly. This knowledge base is necessarily based around thinking of the entire farm as a complex ecosystem. Because of the amount of diverse and valuable information, it can be overwhelming to process everything needed to manage this system. How do we determine the priorities for our farm? Will we get the best response from remineralizing our soils? Should we consider microbial inoculants and biostimulants? Or do we ignore these until we first get our soils covered with growing plants and cover crops?
In this presentation, John will describe the relative impact of various cultural management practices and their hierarchy of importance. Nutrient and soil amendment applications, microbial products, cover crops, and other factors all have co-dependencies. Understanding these interdependencies can help us choose the products, and develop synergistic stacks, which can improve crop performance and soil health the most rapidly with the least amount of inputs.

 

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Creating Humus Rich Soil with Compost
Edwin Blosser
Longtime Midwest composting consultant, Edwin Blosser, will explain the reasons for using compost and then walk attendees through steps to simplify the process of making compost on a farm-scale. He will also share six critical starting principles with the goal of delivering to the soil most of the energy that originally went into growing the organic matter. Gain a deeper understanding of the role of humus in farming and the unique ability of compost to deliver on its promise.

Decoding the Connections Between Soil and Animal Nutrition
Glen Rabenberg
Much like human health can be tied closely to the foods we eat, animal health can also be linked to the soils used to produce animal food. Diseases found in animals are often the result of nutritional deficiencies from poor grains and forage that the animals were consuming. In this session, Glen Rabenberg brings his deep knowledge of animal science and applies it to the soil. He will explain how many of the same required nutritional ratios shared by humans, animals, and plants are reflected in the soil and show how to identify the relationship between specific soil characteristics and animal health.

Understanding Regenerative Organic Certification
Jeff Moyer
Jeff Moyer, Executive director of Rodale Institute and board chairman of Regenerative Organic Alliance, will discuss the new Regenerative Organic Certified label.  Regenerative Organic Certification is a holistic agriculture certification encompassing pasture-based animal welfare, fairness for farmers and workers, and robust requirements for soil health and land management.  This workshop will give you more of an insight of what farmers can expect with the new label, the timeline for rolling out the certification, and how farmers can get involved.

Strategies for Organic Vegetable Production Systems
Raymond Yoder Jr. and Aaron Weaver
Raymond Yoder Jr. and Aaron Weaver are part of the Green Field Farms Cooperative that works closely with nearly 100 small family farmers grow the highest quality, nutrient-dense produce available, while also providing a market for their products. In this session, the pair will cover a broad array of strategies for building a thriving produce operation, including building a healthy soil, integrating cover crops and crop rotation, managing plant health early in the season for optimal fruit set and yield, controlling diseases and insects with nutritional sprays, using bio-pesticides and more.

 

4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Building Your Microbe Bridge
Leilani Zimmer Durand
Microbes are essential for bridging the gap between minerals in the soil and available nutrients taken in by plant roots.  The soil may be abundant in minerals, but that doesn’t mean your plants can get to those needed nutrients without some help.  In this session, Leilani Zimmer Durand will talk about some of the key functions microbes perform in making soil minerals available for plants, and what you as a farmer can do to support the microbial diversity and balance most beneficial for your crops.

The SOIL-ution to WEEDY Pastures
Vail Dixon
Learn how to work with nature and use the weeds in your pasture to radically improve your soil.
Get to the root of your weed problem and heal your soil — naturally! Did you know that you can prevent weed germination, instead of fighting them once they are dominating? Learn how you can use wastes you already have to quickly change the soil in your weediest areas to increase diversity and boost health. Know how to feed the soil so that you can grow what you want. The secret is in the soil!

Podcast LIVE: Biological Breeding
John Kempf & Ed Curry
** Sponsored by AEA**
Join John Kempf, founder of AEA and host of The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast for a special LIVE recording of the podcast on stage featuring Arizona chili pepper seed breeder and grower, Ed Curry.
Ed Curry has 40 years of experience in breeding the top chile varieties in the industry and his farm, Curry Seed & Chile Company, provides most of the chile pepper seed to growers in the U.S. and Mexico. Ed is one of the state’s advocates for sustainable growing and has personal experience producing disease suppressive soils. Ed understands the role of nutrition in changing the plant’s genetic expression, and in producing high-quality seed.
Come to the podcast LIVE show to see Ed, one of the grandfathers of biological breeding as he is interviewed by John Kempf, the host of the Regenerative Agriculture Podcast.

 

7:30 p.m.

Evening Keynote: Can We Feed the World?
Joel Salatin, Farmer and Author, Polyface Farms
Even most foodies and environmentalists have a deep-seated assumption that were it not for the petroleum-based fertilizer boom – the green revolution – we could not feed ourselves. Those massive Kansas wheat fields and California almond groves, for most people, represent efficiency and abundance. Nothing could be further from the truth. In his speech, Joel Salatin will address the often-asked question "can we feed the world?" Joel will elaborate on why this is simply not the case and arm attendees with the ability to credibly challenge this assumption in the future.

 

Friday, December 7, 2018

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Featured Panel: Perspectives on Soil Health & Regenerative Agriculture
Gabe Brown, Charles Massy, and Fred Provenza
**Sponsored by Chelsea Green Publishing**
In this unique meeting of the minds, three perspectives on farming, behavior and soil health will converge. North Dakota regenerative farmer Gabe Brown, behavioral ecologist and author Fred Provenza, and farmer turned behavioral ecologist and author Charles Massy, will provide deeper understanding of the complex connections between human and animal behavior, soil and plant health, human health and the overall health of our planet. They will set the stage for building a framework for addressing the damaging agricultural systems that predominate today and explore the various systems and solutions that regenerative agriculture can offer today and for the future. You won’t want to miss this chance to hear from and engage with these influential thought leaders, including rancher, environmental attorney and author Nicolette Hahn Niman.

 

11:00 am - 12:00 p.m.

Soil Strategies for Weed Reduction
Vail Dixon
Applying the same strategies discussed her Thursday session “The SOIL-ution to WEEDY Pastures,” Vail will teach attendees how to work with nature to use weeds to radically improve their soil. Get to the root of your weed problem and heal your soil — naturally! Did you know that you can prevent weed germination, instead of fighting them once they are dominating? Learn how you can use wastes you already have to quickly change the soil in your weediest areas to increase diversity and boost health. Know how to feed the soil so that you can grow what you want. The secret is in the soil!

Biodynamic Agriculture: A Legacy of Quantum Physics and Advanced Humus Farming
Steve Diver
Biodynamic farming is known for its keen insights into producing superb food quality in alternative farming circles, but remains an enigma to many American farmers.  This session will review the historical foundations and modern applications of biodynamic agriculture and how it can improve soil and crop vitality on your farm.  Biodynamics has a rich history of working with soil humus and microbiology, while also integrating bio-energetic or dynamic practices. A hallmark of biodynamics is the use of qualitative bio-assay tests to assess improvements in soils, composts, and food.

Biotic Farming Fundamentals: Comprehending the Carbon Cycle to Support a Healthy Farm System
Brendon Rockey
Third-generation farmer Brendon Rockey will explain how past destructive farming practices and drought were catalysts for adopting his biotic farming methods. The Rockey Farms journey includes the development of a systematic approach founded on carbon cycling and water efficiency, and demonstrate how synthetic inputs and the absence of life break down soil resiliency and, in turn, how a biological farming system supports not only soil health, but the farm’s overall health.

Who's Going to Help Me?
Joel Salatin
Hourly employee orthodoxy carries lots of risk and tension. Performance-oriented, shared-risk options offer business growth opportunities in a less hierarchical model. Using his autonomous fiefdom model developed at Polyface Farms, Joel Salatin addresses the critical labor needs in a comprehensive innovative strategy.

 

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Water Management for Any Farm
Mark Shepard
Based on more than 20 years of real-world experience, Mark Shepard has modified the fundamental tenets of Yeoman’s Keyline design to work on North American farms and takes into account land ownership boundaries, crop water needs, and more. In this session, Mark will explain simple, inexpensive earth-shaping and cultivation techniques to optimize water distribution on the farm. These strategies will help encourage water penetration into the soil, increase soil organic matter, increase the depth of humic layers and can sequester atmospheric carbon more rapidly than any other known technique.

Subtle Energies in Agriculture: Foundational Thinking
Hugh Lovel
We are at the threshold of transition in what is deemed practical by those who like to get things done. Computers have been a revolution, but transfer of energy patterns over distance by non-locality and entanglement can effect more changes than chemical fertilizers and poisons ever remotely promised. With such powerful potential come moral considerations. How does one get started with radionics, and what can be achieved for better or worse? Do you have a map of your overall farm? Do you need rain? Are deer reducing your soy yields? What is your worst problem weed or worst livestock health issues? All this and more is what radionics can address, but working with nature requires understanding nature. Most important is how we humans work and how we do that morally. What gives growers the right to shift how their environments work, and what are the consequences? Let us discuss the foundation of an entirely new approach to agriculture.

Biotic Farming Applications at Scale
Brendon Rockey
Building off of Session One: Biotic Farming Fundamentals, Brendon Rockey will bridge the gap between theory and practice. He will show how he successfully integrates biological diversity into his 500-acre, irrigated farming operation, confirming how cover crop rotations, livestock grazing, companion plants and beneficial insect populations come together to make a biotic farming system work. He will touch on how biotic farming affects his economics in regards to inputs and yields as well as the local and national food and farm system.

Holistic Goal-Setting for Your Farm
Nicole Delcogliano, Organic Growers School
Holistic goal setting can help set you on the path to farm success. This is a proven tool born out of Holistic Management for sustainable farm management used by new and existing farmers to ensure that farmer values and goals are articulated and that there is a road map to achieve them. You will learn what Whole Farm Planning is, why it is central to successful farms, how it promotes farm sustainability and how to use it to increase the success of your farm. You will also learn how to use the Holistic Goal in whole farm planning to develop an effective framework for decision-making that reflects your personal values, goals and life vision. Farm Start Up resources will be provided to help new farmers get on the path to launching a farm business.

 

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Bio-Based Solutions for Pest Management and Plant Health
Pamela Marrone
As growers seek to increase pest resistance, regulations on environmental and worker safety become more stringent, and consumers demand safer, more sustainable, and organic food, biologicals (biopesticides and biostimulants) are enjoying an increasingly prominent role in crop protection programs. In fact, they are the fastest growing category of crop inputs. The evolution of biologicals as a more trusted and reliable tool in a grower’s toolbox, however, would not have been possible without advances in science, technology and manufacturing processes that have made biologicals more effective. There is a parallel explosion of ag technology tools that are being integrated to increase the reliability and sustainability of crop production and pest management systems. New delivery methods for pheromones, trap cropping combined with a bioinsecticide, characterization of the soil microbiome, drone spraying, robotic weeders, and spectral imaging of pest and pathogen outbreaks are just a few of the exciting tools here today. The majority of growers may have heard the terms “biopesticides” or “biologicals,” but may be unclear on their modes of action and when and how to use them successfully in integrated pest management and crop production programs. This talk will outline the foundational concepts of the biologicals category, discuss how and when to use them and illustrate some of the exciting new developments.

Subtle Energies in Agriculture: State of the Arts
Hugh Lovel
Various types of radionic gear are available, and a couple modern types will be discussed. Acres has always been a forum for pioneers of radionics, and old-timers like T. Galen Hieronymus, Jerry Friedenstine, Cary Reams, Dan Skow, Arden Andersen, Don Mattioda and many others have found a receptive audience with Acres farmers. Over the years, articles and books have been published and a plethora of methods have been introduced. Morning and evening scanning of an agricultural enterprise and setting up radionic programs — from assessment lists to automated programs — should be a daily routine. How will we carry this forward into the 21st century? No doubt everyone will have a different take on this.

No-Till and Cover Cropping at Scale
Steve Tucker
Steve Tucker operates a 100 percent no-till, dryland farm in southwest Nebraska, where he rotates a diverse assortment of crops, raises livestock, and utilizes cover crops. He spent the past 26 years working to convert this family’s conventional operation to one that fosters and regenerates soil health. These practices are not only critical to productivity but also essential for management of scarce water resources. This session will be a thoughtful look at the role no-till and cover cropping play in soil health, farm resiliency, profitability, as well as a look at how one converts a large-scale operation to regenerative practices.

Government Policy and What It Means for Sustainable Agriculture
Judith McGeary
Government policies, both in and beyond the Farm Bill, impact our ability to grow the sustainable agriculture movement. From crop insurance to the new Food Safety Modernization Act, restrictions on compost teas to Country of Origin Labeling, sustainable farmers face challenges to how they grow, process, and sell their products. While distinct in some ways, these problems also share common underlying themes, which can provide ideas on how to tackle them to bring about long-term, meaningful policy changes.

 

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.

Biofertilizers in Your Farming Toolbox
Matthew D. Kleinhenz, Ph.D.
Microbe-containing crop biostimulants/biofertilizers are plentiful and used on increasing numbers of farms and crops. Whether growers are gaining as much as possible from product use is much less clear. Returns on investment from product application can be undercut by multiple biological and procedural factors. In this session you’ll learn more about microbe-containing crop biostimulants/biofertilizers as products and their possible role in your farming toolbox. Matthew will offer unique input based on studying products in collaboration with farmers, manufacturers, consultants, and other investigators and educators.

Market Outlook for Organic & Non-GMO: Navigating the Road Ahead
Julia Hofmeister
Julia Hofmeister of Mercaris will lead an engaging and informative discussion — targeted toward farmers but inclusive of all players in the organic and non-GMO grain supply chain — around using data and new technological tools for improved marketing, decision-making and better business outcomes for organic, non-GMO and identity-preserved (IP) commodities. Mercaris will make a presentation around price discovery of organic, non-GMO, and IP commodities, and using data for increased market transparency and efficiency.

Case Study: Preserving a Way of Life Through Cooperation
Wayne Wengerd
In 2003, a group of 20 Amish farmers and business owners from Holms County, Ohio, assembled to address their concerns over the significant loss of farming as a viable livelihood within their communities. What came from this meeting was a thoughtful, research-based plan to create a cooperative that connected their farming community with consumers willing to pay a premium for quality farm-grown food. Today, Green Field Farms Co-Operative serves as a model for success for all farm communities. In this session, Green Field Farms Co-op board member, Wayne Wengerd, will share this inspiring story and outline the keys for co-op success.

 

6:00 p.m.

Closing Keynote: Rebuilding and Nurturing True Wealth
Daniela Ibarra-Howell, CEO and Co-Founder, Savory Institute
Rebuilding true wealth requires we reflect on our understanding of wealth, as well as the related concepts of success, productivity, and progress. Daniela will take us on a journey through some key principles of abundance seen from the lenses of our ecological, human and financial realities. Inspired by the wisdom of her mentors and global community of practice, she will share insights and highlight practical examples of how we can all be part of regenerating true wealth on our land, in our businesses, in our communities, and on our planet.