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Black Soil Farm Conference Supporting
Small and Black farmers in bringing healthy, locally sourced food to every
community Black Soil Farm Conference PROGRAM DETAILS Intensive
Short Courses Monday,
April 23, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. These 1 ½ day short courses are
high-value learning experiences that provide you comprehensive, and in-depth
information, with practical lessons from some of the most experienced experts
in the region. Plus participants will get an invaluable collection of useful
resources for continued learning. Short Course #1 — Start-Up Organic Vegetable Production and Marketing Short Course #2 — Living the Farmer-Florist Dream: Organic Cut Flower
Production and Marketing Short Course #3 — Food Safety Practices for Small to Mid-Scale Producers Short Course #4 — Dismantling Racism: A Constructive Approach to Solution
Building, Community and Agency Field
Trips Tuesday,
April 24, 2018 • 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. For those who learn best by seeing
other farms, we have five excellent field trips for you to choose from. Field Trip #1 — Intensive Organic Vegetable Production: Rise ’N Shine Farm
-- SOLD OUT! Field Trip #2 — Diversified Family Farming: Sequatchie Cove Farm -- SOLD
OUT! Field Trip #3 — Growing Sustainable Vegetables on an Urban Farm: Crabtree
Farms -- SOLD OUT! Field Trip #4 — Growing Community with an Urban Farm: Crabtree Farms Field Trip #5 — Farming on Campus: The University of the South: Sewanee Please note that these field trips
are being offered at the same time as the mini courses. Mini
Courses Tuesday,
April 24, 2018, 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. These ½ day courses give
participants an opportunity to spend an afternoon learning what the experts
know and getting valuable practical tips. Mini Course #1 — Five Rules to Maintain Soil Health Mini Course #2 — Drones: They’re for Farming Too Mini Course #3 — Heritage Poultry: Pickin’ the Right Chicken Mini Course #4 — Improving Your Strategic and Program Planning for Measurable
Results Please note that these mini courses
are being offered at the same time as the field trips. Mix
It Up! Tuesday,
April 24, 2018, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening we’ll have a seed
exchange, music and a cash bar. We will have a screening from 6:00 p.m to 7:00
p.m. of Farm Aid's film, Homeplace Under Fire, with a discussion
following. Come catch up with old friends and meet new ones. This is a great opportunity
to meet some of the people doing great work around the region.
Wednesday,
April 25, 2018 thru Thursday April 26, 2018 The general conference, with over 90
expert presenters offers a wide variety of sessions. We have sessions for those
with years of experience and for those who are new to the field. The line-up
includes a whopping 56 educational sessions, plus a state networking session
for each of the 13 states in our region, along with 14 information
exchange/crowdsourcing sessions where you get to exchange ideas and information
with those who share your interests. Also built into the general conference
schedule are a trade show and research posters. Trade
Show and Poster Display Concurrent
General Conference Sessions Organic No-Till Production and Soil
Health — In this introductory session, two
seasoned practitioners look at the big picture of organic no-till production
systems, why they're important, and how they work. This session highlights the
various methods employed to reduce tillage without the use of herbicides, what
works and what doesn't, including information on selection of cover crops,
vegetable, and grain crops. Patryk Battle, Living Web Farms (NC) and Mark
Dempsey, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (NC) Drip Irrigation for Beginners — Learn the basics of drip irrigation including
systems, options, pricing, benefits, disadvantages, maintenance, as well as how
to choose the right irrigation system for your farm. Also discover government
programs for cost share on irrigation. Clif Slade, a farmer and retired
Extension specialist will also bring equipment to demonstrate the basics of
setting up a system. Clif Slade, Sycamore Springs Farm (VA) Sanitizer Application for
Postharvest Water: When, Where, Why and How? — Discover the options that are out there, the pros and cons
of commonly used sanitizers, the National Organic Program standards for
postharvest sanitizers, interpreting sanitizer labels, how to monitor
their concentrations and more. Come prepared to roll up your sleeves and test
your skills measuring sanitizer concentration using the most common methods.
Participants will leave with practical knowledge they can immediately apply to
their operations. Annette Wszelaki, University of Tennessee (TN) Go From Weedy to Healthy Diverse
Pastures — Did you know that you can prevent
weed germination instead of fighting weeds after they dominate your pastures?
The secret is in the soil. Learn how to use wastes you already have to quickly
change the soil in your weediest areas into healthy pasture. This session will
show you how to feed the soil so that you can grow what you want! Vail
Dixon, Simple Soil Solutions (VA) Transitioning Your Farm to the Next
Generation — Have you considered
transitioning your farm business and assets to a younger person? Aspiring farmers
need farms too. Learn about the various pieces of this puzzle— building
relationships, business structures, estate, financial, and tax planning — from
Peregrine Farm. In their fifth year of a transition plan, hear how Alex Hitt is
transitioning his farm to Jennie Rasmussen. Andrew Branan, who is providing
legal counsel, will also add tips and advice. Alex Hitt, Peregrine Farm
(NC), Jennie Rasmussen, Peregrine Farm (NC), and Andrew Branan, Branan Law
Firm, PLLC (NC) Getting in the Door and Building
Relationships with Chefs — Developing
a farmer-chef relationship can take extra effort — variety, harvest, quality
and communication are important aspects of a win-win partnership.
Nationally-recognized chef Erik Neil features local ingredients in
Chattanooga's Easy Bistro and Main Street Meats. He’ll talk about working with
small-scale local growers and share tips for getting the attention of a busy
chef. In addition, Snow’s Bend Farm will share the lessons they’ve gained from
selling to over 20 restaurants each year. Erik Neil, Easy Bistro (TN) and
David Snow, Snow’s Bend Farm (AL) Make the Most of Vegetable Grafting
— Grafted plants have rare and
important qualities to enhance your production and increase your income. Learn
how tomato and cucurbit growers can reap practical benefits from new grafting
research by selling and/or using grafted plants. A researcher with practical
production experience will explain the best uses for producing and using
grafted plants and discuss marketing tips. He will also demonstrate the dos and
don’ts of vegetable grafting. Matthew Kleinhenz, The Ohio State University
(OH) Farming in Color: The History of
Race and Agriculture in the South
— This session will give an overview of the difficult history of race
and racism in U.S. agriculture. Drawing on her studies around the
intersection of agriculture/food, racial identity and religion, Priscilla
McCutcheon will discuss how institutional and individual racism impact the
ability of those who suffer discrimination to prosper off of the land. She
will also present examples of how many groups of farmers have not only
mobilized to fight back against racism, but used food to build collective economic
wealth in communities of color. Priscilla McCutcheon, Univ. of Louisville
(KY) Welcome
and Opening Keynote Address Come experience a rousing welcome to
the Black Soil Farm Conference. Together, we are building our collective dream
of a food and agricultural system that is life-giving, sustainable and just.
With all of the trauma that our friends and neighbors have suffered in the past
year, we now need each other more than ever. So join other conference
participants as we get re-inspired and re-energized by the story of one of our
veteran farmers, Mark Cain.
Mark Cain Building a Dream Mark Cain and his partner Michael
Crane have been farming at Dripping Springs Garden in the Ozark mountains of
northwest Arkansas since 1984. Mark's early inspirations for the farm came from
meeting English gardening guru Alan Chadwick and natural-farming advocate
Masanobu Fukuoka, and his eventual apprenticeship at the Farm and Garden
Project of UCSC. Armed with a passionate love of gardening and nature,
Mark and Mike began to plant the seeds of their dream in 1984, on an abandoned
blueberry farm near a clear Ozark mountain stream. Slowly over the years, a
thriving, intensively cropped, four-acre market garden has evolved, producing organic
vegetables, fruit, and cut flowers to the nearby local markets in Fayetteville.
Now Dripping Springs Garden produces crops 12 months of the year, using six
high tunnels in addition to their propagation greenhouse; and each season the
garden is host to 4-6 summer interns who live and work at the farm. Rather than
expand production, Mark has chosen to intensify and diversify, including
personally… making it a point to include activities like yoga, music, and
meditation in daily farm life. The dream continues to evolve this winter
with the construction of a guest/intern/retreat facility, so that more people
can experience this lifestyle embedded in nature and agriculture. Join us for
this plenary session as Mark shares the story of building a dream, making a
living, and making a life. Concurrent
General Conference Sessions Native Beneficial Insects for Pest
Control — Get to know some of the common
beneficial predatory and parasitoid insects that help control pests on your farm,
along with the plantings and practices that help them thrive. Learn about the
key components for healthy biodiversity on your farm including nectar, pollen,
protection from pesticides, and shelter for nesting that will help keep insect
populations in balance. Nancy Adamson, NRCS (NC) Unlocking the Mysteries of
Biodynamic Preparation — Learn how to
let microbes do farm work for you. A biodynamic farmer with 30 years of
experience will discuss how he makes and uses the biodynamic preparations to
give his farm more life energy. He’ll unlock the mysteries of horn manure and
horn silica, and provide samples for participants to take home and try. Will
include an extensive Q&A about using biodynamic methods for raising
horticultural crops and cattle. Jeff Poppen, Long Hungry Creek Farm,
(TN) Farming in the City Where “Less is
More” — Rochelle King started the Garden Spot in the suburbs of
Oklahoma City 11 years ago growing for her family and community. Today she is a
certified organic grower managing seven acres and has expanded her marketing to
Whole Foods and Natural Grocers. She’ll discuss the challenges and
opportunities of growing in a suburban landscape — from choosing crops to
maximizing production — all while working a 32-hour off-farm job. Rochelle
King, The Garden Spot (OK) Saving Your Small Ruminants — Internal parasites (gut worms) are often the
number one health issue on farms with goats and sheep, especially in the
Southeast. Sustainable, practical methods to control these killers are needed,
especially with the growing immunity of the worms to deworming drugs. This
session will discuss the main parasite killer of small ruminant animals, other
parasites that can decrease your profits, and how to tell if an animal needs to
be dewormed. We’ll include farmer-proven concepts to control/avoid parasites
including several animal and pasture management ideas, suggestions of
alternative or natural products that work, and deworming supportive
therapy. Niki Whitley, Fort Valley State University (GA) Tools of the Trade: Proper
Selection, Use and Care of Handheld Farm Tools — Why are there so many styles of hoes? How do you tell a good
tool from a bad one? Joel Dufour, Kentucky farmer and distributor of
high-quality farming tools, will share tips from a lifetime of experience.
Learn how to select the right tool for both your body type and for the job at
hand. Hear how to increase their performance and extend the life of your
farming tools through proper maintenance. Joel Dufour, Earth Tools (KY) Reaching for Profits: Using
Benchmarks to Make Adjustments —
What are the benchmarks you look at to measure success on the farm? How do you
assess the overall market and gauge what your peers are doing — whether it’s at
the farmers’ market, on their farm stand, or in their marketing materials? We
don't farm in a vacuum — competition for markets, for price, and for labor is
fierce. In order to make a profit, it pays to learn from other’s examples.
Ellen Polishuk will share strategies for assessing and refining your systems. Ellen
Polishuk, farm consultant (MD) Women Doing The Work: Breaking the
“Grass Ceiling” — Learn about the integral
roles women have in food and farming in the South — they tend crops, manage the
books, and sell livestock and produce while often maintaining the household and
caring for the family. Gain insight into the challenges and successes of three
women as they share their on and off farm experiences in this lively,
conversational panel. Amanda Edwards, EAT South/River Oaks Farm (AL), Portia
Fulford, Organpi Farms & Farmhouse (AL), Lydia Villanueva, CASA de Llano
(TX), and Magarura Jussy , Kampala, Uganda Policy in Motion: Influencing the
Legislative Process — Legislation
written without input from the community it is supposed to serve can have
unintended consequences. Two activists share their experiences influencing
the legislative process on matters that would have severely affected their
communities. Learn the challenges associated with drafting, introducing, or
blocking potentially harmful food and farming legislation. Rita Scott,
Oklahoma Farm and Food Alliance (OK), and Lindsey Lusher Shute, The Young
Farmers Coalition (NY) Lunch
Break Lunch on your own. Visit the trade
show and the poster display. Show your support for local
restaurants and Chew Chattanooga. Dine at two of the featured restaurants while
at the conference, get your card stamped, and you could win a free registration
to our 2019 SSAWG conference! Concurrent
General Conference Sessions Wednesday,
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Using Mycorrhizae to Improve Soil
Fertility and Plant Health —
Understanding the relationships between fungi and plants can improve your
yields and create an additional low-tech method for protein production. Create
perennial microbial systems that will continue to stream nitrogen and
phosphorous directly into your root systems while protecting them from
soil-borne pathogens. Learn how to apply and maintain these healthy microbes to
greatly improve your fields or hydroponic operation. This session will include
information on soil, seedling and liquid mycorrhizal inoculants. Tradd
Cotter, Mushroom Mountain (SC) Succession Planting and Crop
Rotations for Consistent Supply — Succession
planting and crop rotations can be one of your most important tools for
maximizing yields. Home Sweet Farm has been managing the right mix for
their 350-plus CSA since 2004 and will share their insight and experiences on
creating planting plans, choosing the right varieties, companion planting, and
record keeping. Brad and Jenny will share actual production examples from their
operation and explain how you can develop a detailed plan to schedule and
manage production for greater growth potential. Brad and Jenny Stufflebeam,
Home Sweet Farm (TX) Understanding and Creating Value
From Your Woodlands — Do you know the value of the woods
on your farm? This session will introduce you to your woodlands and raise your
awareness of what they might offer. Learn what you have — tree species,
wildlife habitat — and how to identify what you want from your woods as well as
what you can sell. From wood products, firewood, wild crafted mushrooms,
cultivated leeks, honeybees, and hunting leases, hear the opportunities and
challenges with each. Included will be available cost-share programs and
other technical assistance programs to help you meet your goals. Tamara
Walkingstick, University of Arkansas (AR) Our Story: Managing Multiple
Livestock Operations Multi-Generationally — Country
Gardens Farm direct markets a diversity of products from grassfed beef to raw
milk, pastured eggs to honey all alongside their vegetables and blueberries.
Come hear how two generations of Cunninghams rotationally graze and manage
their beef, dairy and chickens across multiple locations of family and rented
land. They’ll also discuss marketing through their CSA farm stand and one
Atlanta farmers market. Mike and Joseph Cunningham, Country Gardens Farm
(GA) Legal Issues for Beginning Small
Farmers — For the new farmer, a good
understanding of legal issues can relieve needless anxiety while your operation
gets going and growing. Get an overview of leases, contracts, and entity
formation (e.g. LLCs) from practicing attorneys who work with new farmers. Gain
a better understanding of important land acquisition topics, such as financing,
land use restrictions and property taxes. Bring your questions and they will
try to answer them. Andrew Branan and Chloe Johnson, Branan Law Firm, PLLC
(NC) Grow More, Sell More, and Make Even
More — Clif Slade has a keen eye
for opportunities to make every square foot of your farm more productive. Reap
the benefits of his tested “43,560 Initiative” that focuses on simple field
math, new market opportunities, and balancing inputs to yield the greatest
returns for your farm. Learn how smarter marketing tactics and new
opportunities for in-demand crops can help maximize your margin and help you
sell all that you grow. Clif Slade, Slade Farms (VA) Increasing Success in New Farmer
Training — Are you interested in helping new
farmers build strong businesses? Do you have a farmer-training program you want
to take to the next level? Learn the keys to success in helping farmers launch
new businesses from two members of an established farmer-training network —
Farm Beginnings®.
They will share the stages of development for beginning farmers, how to lay the
groundwork for a successful beginning farmer training program, and how to
further develop a program that has already seen success. Cameron Farlow, Organic
Growers School (NC), and Sheri Doyel, Angelic Organics Learning Center (IL) Funding Fundamentals: Tools for
Increasing Organizational Capacity —
Every year traditional funding sources are increasingly competitive and
funders’ expectations are more demanding. Join a consultant who has extensive
experience in the sustainable food and farming movement for an exploration of
the key elements to evaluating your current process, streamlining your funding
plans, and exploring strategies for diversifying your funding streams.
Participants will walk through actual scenarios, work through a hands-on
activity and have an opportunity for Q&A. Nikki Seibert Kelley, Wit
Meets Grit (SC) Concurrent
General Conference Sessions How Can Organic Growers Cover the
Soil? — Bryan Hager uses a combination of
mulching practices on his highly diverse fruit and vegetable farm in the
Piedmont region of Georgia. Join us for an exploration of where and why he uses
living mulches, straw, leaves, plastic film, paper, and landscape
fabric. Annette Wszelaki will share what researchers at the University of
Tennessee have learned about biodegradable plastics. She will explain what
these mulches are made of as well as tips for better usage. Bryan Hager,
Crager-Hager Farm (GA) and Annette Wszelaki, University of Tennessee (TN) Scaling Up Compost for Your Farm:
Should You Buy it or Make it? —
Compost provides a perfect source of food for your living soil and can be a
cash crop for your farm. But whether you purchase compost or make your own, it
also comes with a lot of questions — varying in quality, cost and value. Brian
Rosa, who has provided organic waste solutions and composting consultancy since
1990 will describe the tools and techniques needed to produce large volumes of
quality compost. He will also talk about the criteria for evaluating your own
compost and what to consider when purchasing compost for your farm. Note: price
should be the least of your concerns! Bryan Rosa, BE New Organic
World (NC) Cut Flower Production in High
Tunnels — Without a doubt, cut flowers have
the potential to be the highest return per square foot on your high tunnel
investment — if you have the market. In this session we will discuss species
selection and crop scheduling for year-round cut flower production in the high
tunnel environment: snapdragons, lisianthus, celosias, anemones, ranunculus,
sunflowers, lilies, and more. Plenty of colorful photos of Dripping Springs
Garden hoophouse flower production will provide the backdrop for an in-depth
discussion of production and marketing techniques. Mark Cain, Dripping
Springs Gardens Farm (AR) Getting Started in Meat Goats — Hear how this Mississippi producer retired into
farming and in seven years has grown from seven to 50 does that he is direct
marketing off 25 acres. He'll explain how caring for the land is essential
to caring for your goats, and share tips on fencing, watering facilities, heavy
use protection areas, and NRCS conservation programs that can enhance your farm.
Hear how he markets his meat goats live to consumers without much need for
marketing. A small ruminant specialist will also discuss the research and
sustainability behind his practices and give further tips for raising healthy
goats. Brad Spencer, BJ3 Goat Farm (MS) and Niki Whitley, Fort Valley State
University (GA) Keeping Your Farm Viable Into the
Next Decade and Beyond — Hear clear
examples from established farmers on lessons learned beyond the first decade of
farming. How does a farm reassess their operations, analyze their numbers, pick
their markets, and cope with changing scale after the first decade of
operations. Learn from established farmers who have stewarded their farms
through this changing landscape. Hana Newcomb, Potomac Vegetable Farm (VA)
and Stefan Hartmann, Black River Organic Farm (NC) Making Money on Your Farm Experience
— A growing number of people in your
community want to engage with family farms in new ways. Learn about
the potential to bring in new farm revenue by offering events, tours and
community engagement opportunities. An Eastern NC farmer will share lessons
learned from his extensive experience with agritourism along with tips on how
to protect assets from related liability. Russ Vollmer, Vollmer Farm
(NC) Mobilizing Resources for Rural
Economic Development — How can you
help make connections between underutilized resources to benefit the farmers in
your area? Hear how one group is building partnerships to connect farmers and
consumers across a rural region in central Louisiana. Learn strategies to
attract interest and investment in your rural community, to change policy and
improve health, for long-term gains and positive outcomes. John Dean, Bahia
Nightengale and Allison Tohme, Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
(LA) Immigration Policy and Food System
Security —Approximately 60 percent of farmers
are undocumented immigrants. The lack of protection for these farm workers has
negatively impacted family farmers across our region. Legislation to support
their ability to work without fear of deportation has been proposed but met
with opposition in Congress. Come prepared for an interactive discussion with
our presenters as they share their stories on immigration policy and its effect
on the agricultural community. Tirso Moreno and Ivan Vasquez, Farm Workers
Association of Florida (FL), and Iris Figueroa, Farmworker Justice (DC) State
Networking Sessions Gather with those in your state
working for sustainable agriculture and community food systems to learn what’s
happening, how you can benefit, how you can be involved and how you can make a
difference. We’ll provide a room and a facilitator for each of the 13 Southern
states. You make the discussion useful. Trade
Show and Poster Display Concurrent
General Conference Sessions Managing Organic No-Till Production
for Soil Health — Learn about organic no-till
management tactics for cover crops, nutrients, and weeds. Two
practitioners with extensive no-till experience will present techniques they
have used to establish plants, deal with weeds and get marketable crops in an
organic no-till system. They’ll also discuss some success stories and
identify potential pitfalls. Patryk Battle, Living Web Farms (NC) and Mark
Dempsey, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (NC) Beginning Organic High Tunnel
Production — New to high tunnels?
Jennifer and Ron from Lola's Organic Farm will discuss what you need to
consider in constructing, building and managing soil conditions, and
maintaining proper ventilation in your first high tunnel. Learn how they
take advantage of season extension, climate controlled conditions, and pest and
wildlife protection to maximize profits from high value crops like turmeric and
ginger. As NRCS recipients of two 32'x74' high tunnels, hear their experiences
of how you to might benefit from this program. Jennifer Taylor and Ron
Gilmore, Lola’s Organic Farm (GA) Peppers: Seed to Market — From sweet to hot, peppers are now the fifth most consumed
fresh vegetable in the U.S. Join Alex Hitt as he takes you through his
process of pepper production from seed to market, providing advice on soil
preparation, transplanting, trellising, pest and disease management, and
harvest. With over two decades of experience in pepper production and
marketing, he’ll also give tips on what types and varieties to grow for your
market. Alex Hitt, Peregrine Farm (NC) Alternative Feed Grains for
Livestock — Are you looking for alternative feed
grains to corn and soy? A nutrition expert will compare the nutritional values
of alternative grains and protein sources to corn and soy. He will cover the
limitations of feeding each grain, why these grains are limited and how to
correct for the limitations. The presentation will also include some
information on the nutritional content and best uses of sprouts. Jeff
Mattocks, The Fertrell Company (PA) Movement on the Farm: Keeping Your
Body Healthy for a Long Farming Career —
Our bodies are our greatest farm
asset. Train your body to be resilient to the stresses of farm work through
proper movement, rest and nutrition. Jamie Davis recovered from injury with the
help of a daily yoga practice and now uses the Alexander Technique — a form of
deliberate movement — to resist further injury. Learn a holistic way of health
and movement that’s specific to the needs of farm workers in this interactive
session. Jamie Davis, A Way of Life Farm (NC) Direct Marketing Strategies:
Crafting Your Farm Story — What makes
your farm stand out? What is it about your farm that connects with consumers or
buyers? No matter where you sell, communicating your farm story is critical for
success in local markets and for tapping into consumer demand for authenticity.
Learn more about key components to include in your story and work with
facilitator to begin crafting or to further hone your own farm story. Molly
Nicholie, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (NC) Dirty Hands and Open Minds, Farm
Programs at Small Colleges — Farm
programs at schools that have no agricultural degree track can have a deep
impact on student experiences. Join the farm managers from Oxford College of
Emory University and Sewanee, The University of the South, as they discuss the
challenges and opportunities of procuring resources, dealing with a broad range
of student backgrounds, fostering curriculum integration and balancing
production with an educational mission. This session will cover the management
of an existing farm as well as the start-up scenario of a new farm. It will
also include time for discussion from participants to learn from a broad range
of experiences. Daniel Parson, Oxford College Organic Farm (GA), and
Carolyn Hoagland, Sewanee University of the South (TN) It’s Farm Bill Time — It is officially Farm Bill season! Join Southern SAWG’s
Policy Collaborative Action Network (PCAN), along with two people active in the
farm bill process for a discussion on what to expect in the upcoming Farm Bill.
We’ll include a recap of action since last year’s listening session and the
popular Farm Bill webinar series. Judith McGeary, Farm and Ranch
Freedom Alliance (TX), Kanika Gandhi, National Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition (DC), and Gabraelle Lane, Southern SAWG (GA) Concurrent
General Conference Sessions Integrated Pest and Disease
Prevention in Summer Crops —
Squash and tomatoes are susceptible to multiple diseases and pests that can eat
into your profits. Learn how to lessen the damage on your summer crops
through ecologically-based integrated approaches that disrupt pest and pathogen
life cycles, and improve plant health. This session will highlight how to
identify and manage common disease and pest problems that thrive in the warm
humid southern summers. Return to your farm with strategies gleaned from UGA
field trials and work with organic growers; including variety selection, row
covers, trap-cropping and cultural manipulations. Elizabeth Little,
University of Georgia (GA) Managing Organic Matter on a 25 Year
Tillage Intensive Vegetable Operation
— In more than 25 years of farming, Ellen Polishuk tried numerous
practices in order to build and maintain organic matter in her soil. She’ll
share her successful experiments and mistakes, while discussing what has worked
in the past, what has changed, and what lies ahead. This session will address
tillage, cover cropping, green manures, weed management and crop rotation, and
how they interact in reaping both yield and profit from the farm. Ellen
Polishuk, farm consultant (MD) Small Scale Organic Grain Production
— Diverse small grains have a long
history of production in the South. Sorghum, wheat, oats, barley, rye,
buckwheat, corn and rice can be grown organically and processed on-farm into a
variety of value-added products for sale to consumers, breweries and bakeries.
You can also offset the cost of livestock feed with custom grain mixes. This
session will cover variety selection, equipment purchase, processing, value
added products and sales. Meagan Roberts, Western Piedmont Community College
(NC) Is Animal Welfare Approved Right for
Your Farm? — Discover the marketing, labeling,
and technical service benefits of Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) certification
straight from a certified farmer of both pork and poultry. Hear about a
variety of AWA program resources (farm plans and record-keeping templates, Farm
Health Online, technical resources and more) that can help you improve your own
pasture-based livestock management practices while promoting animal
health. And learn what it takes to become AWA third-party certified
through A Greener World (AGW) in addition to AGW Certified Grassfed and AGW
Certified Non-GMO. Jeremiah Jones, Grassroots Pork Co. and The NC
Natural Hog Growers Association (NC) and Emily Moose, A Greener World (NC) farmOS: A Free Tool to Capture
Critical Farm Data — Get a hands-on introduction to farmOS, the open
source community-maintained farm record keeping system. Learn how to map
your farm, record your daily activities and observations, and manage your
plantings, animals, and equipment. You’ll gain insight into farm trends
that you can act on to boost production and profitability. Bring your
laptop to this session, and you’ll leave with a functional, mobile-ready record
keeping system. Michael Stenta, farmOS (CT) Building a Resilient Rural Market to
Support Local Farms — Take action to make your rural
community stronger — and more resilient — by spurring cultural change and
economic growth through your farm leadership. Learn how one farm has positioned
itself as the cultural, social, and culinary hub of their small Texas
community. Hear how they’ve developed a broad base of support that has helped
them weather economic fluctuations and the most extreme events — even helping
them rebound from catastrophe. Brad and Jenny Stufflebeam, Home Sweet Farm
(TX) Finding Organic Research You Can Use
— What is the latest organic research,
where is it happening, and how can you put it to work on your own farm?
This session will address these questions and connect growers with outcomes of
cutting-edge organic research. Streamline your search for science-based
practical information and tools developed on the federal to local levels, in
private institutions and universities, on topics ranging from growing practices
to soil health and market analysis. Learn how farmers can influence or
participate in the research process. Diana Jerkins, Organic Farming Research
Foundation (VA), and Mark Schonbeck, farm consultant (VA) Working with Youth: Is Your
Arrangement Just? — A courageous conversation
about issues of race and equity in our food and farming systems. How can
programs that work with youth be inclusive of people of color and empower young
people instead of exploit them? Staff from two programs will discuss how they
are grappling with these issues and lead an honest conversation around
challenges and solutions. Mohamed Jalloh, Jones Valley Teaching Farm (AL),
and Asia-Vinae Palmer and Sean Winford, Grow Dat Youth Farm (LA) Plenary Hope for the Next Generation of
Farmers Mugarura Jussy
Davon Go Join us for a challenging and
inspirational session on how to create a viable future for the next generation
of farmers. Davon Goodwin, a first-generation farmer and National Young
Farmers Coalition (NYFC) board member, will talk about his hope for the future
and how NFYC is supporting him in his farming dreams. Lindsey Lusher
Shute, the Executive Director of NYFC, will share her vision of hope for the
next generation of farmers and discuss NYFC programs that help make that vision
become reality. Then she will engage us more deeply in what it will take for
the South to create an environment that nurtures and supports the future of
young farmers like Davon. After serving a tour of duty in
Afghanistan, Davon Goodwin returned to the U.S. injured in 2010. He had lost
his sense of purpose and found it difficult to get started in a professional
career — until he found farming. With the support of helpful landowners and
organizations like NYFC, he was able to start OTL (Off The Land) Farms in North
Carolina where he raises muscadine grapes, along with pastured poultry, pigs,
goats and sheep. Farming returned hope and joy to Davon’s life, and more
importantly, allowed him to continue serving his country as a steward of the
land and local community, combating hunger with good food. Davon is now
helping other young farmers by serving on the NYFC board. Lindsey Lus An Ohio native, Lindsey Lusher
Shute first developed her love of farming on her grandfather’s land in the
rolling hills of Appalachia. Lindsey and her husband now own Hearty Roots Farm,
a 900-member CSA in the Hudson Valley of New York. As Executive Director of the
NYFC, she has grown the organization from a few volunteer farmers to a
nationwide network with 36 chapters in 26 states and a grassroots base of over
120,000 supporters. Lindsey has edited and authored ten reports for NYFC,
including the 2017 National Young Farmers Survey, which outlines the
challenges being faced by young farmers and a strategy to help them succeed.
She was recognized as a “Champion of Change” by President Barack Obama and was
recently named among “20 Food Leaders Under 40” by Food Tank.
Lunch
Break Lunch on your own. Visit the trade
show and the poster display. Show your support for local
restaurants. Dine at two of the featured restaurants while at the conference,
get your card stamped, and you could win a free registration to our 2019 Black
Soil conference! Concurrent
General Conference Sessions Making the Most of Soil Inputs on
Small Scale Acreage — Jenny Jack
Sun Farms is a one and a half acre veggie-fruit farm in West Georgia feeding a
120-member CSA, two markets, and a few restaurants all within 30 miles of the
farm. They will share their devout use of off-farm soil amendments to feed plant
production in an intensive small-scale system, while also discussing cover crop
and compost additions. This session will highlight basic, practical,
soil-enhancing tips from their 12-year experience with growing food in Southern
soil. A soil consultant will also discuss the science behind their
practices and give further tips for using soil inputs effectively. Jenny and
Chris Jackson, Jenny Jack Sun Farms (GA) and Mark Schonbeck, farm consultant
(VA) High Tunnel Cropping for Maximum
Return — Now that you have high tunnels on
your farm, how do you use them effectively? Learn from an experienced grower
who produces multiple crops of vegetables and cut flowers in six high tunnels
for 12 months of the year. We will discuss how to choose crops that are
most productive and profitable; winter crop selection and
scheduling; summer season crop selection and scheduling; management tips
for weed control, maintaining fertility, and more. Mark Cain, Dripping
Springs Garden (AR) Growing and Marketing Mushrooms — Understand the best ways to cultivate mushrooms on your
farm. You’ll learn about inexpensive start-up options for beginners, and many
commercial ideas to expand on. Topics will include: life cycle of fungi;
mushroom behavior and intuitive growing; choosing, buying, and storing spawn;
woodland mushroom farming (logs, wood chips, and composts); indoor production
(small and large scale); converting existing structures into grow rooms (barns,
chicken houses, storage containers); marketing your mushrooms (trends, demand,
strategies); organic pest management; and alternative product development
(powders, extracts, composts). Tradd Cotter, Mushroom Mountain (SC) Our Story: A Supportive Meat
Processor in Our Midst — In 2008, Joe
Cloud purchased a small abattoir in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and turned it
into one of the few remaining USDA-inspected ‘certified humane’ slaughterhouses
in the South. He now processes beef, lamb and pork for over 80 producers who
direct market their own branded meats. He’ll share his story, explain how he
maintains quality control, and discuss key practices for processors and farmers
to work well together. Joe Cloud, T&E Meats (VA) Essential Tools and Machinery for
Small Farms and Market Growers —
Having the right tools at the right time can make a big difference for the
market grower. Join two veteran farmers as they discuss the most critical tools
to their operation — from motorized, walk-behind tractors and tractor
implements to hand tools that save time and effort. Learn how to piece together
a collection of tools and machinery for a variety of horticultural crops on a
small farm budget. Get tips on how to purchase, modify or create tools to make
your work easier and more productive. Equipment highlighted will range from
tillage, planting, and weed control to harvest and post-harvest handling. Bryan Hager, Crager-Hager Farm (GA),
and Josh Hardin, Laughing Stock Farm (AR) Basic Business Tools for Busy
Farmers — You know that you need to get a
better understanding of your farm’s finances. This session will show you
basic tools for gathering financial information, what records you need and why,
and how to make better business decisions based on your data and not your
intuition. We’ll show you one-page tools for business plans, financial plans,
risk management plans and cost benefit calculations, and point you to other
resources for further learning. This will give you a start on developing your
own business management system. Gary Matteson, Farm Credit Council (DC) Agroecology as a Farmer Extension
and Education Tool — Learn how agroecology, with its
ancestral roots, functions as a practice, process and social movement that
increases food production, cools the planet, and redistributes power to ‘the
people’ who feed the world. The Campesino-a-Campesino (farmer-to-farmer)
model, successfully implemented in Cuba, offers profound lessons for sparking
ecological, behavioral and political change in farming communities worldwide.
The Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC) and the Southeastern African American
Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON) will share their experiences using these
models to mobilize farmers in research, information exchange and community
development. Blain Snipstal and Shakira Tyler, Black Dirt Farm Collective
(MD) and Southeastern African American Farmers’ Organic Network (MD) Mobilizing to Action to Influence
Policy — How and when should you get involved
in grassroots organizing? When is it most effective to contact your elected
officials? What other actions can you take to influence policy? Join a robust
discussion with policy experts and members of Southern SAWG’s Policy
Collaborative Action Network (PCAN) to discuss the best ways to get involved in
grassroots advocacy and why it matters during the midterm elections. Scott
Marlow, RAFI-USA (NC), Judith McGeary, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (TX),
Kanika Gandhi, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (DC) and Gabraelle
Lane, Southern SAWG (GA) Information
Exchange: Crowdsourcing Knowledge These information exchange sessions
have become quite popular over the last few years! This real-time
crowd-sourcing gives you a chance to learn from your peers and to share your
tips/experience/ knowledge. Instead of a formal presentation, these are loosely
structured sessions, with a facilitator to guide the discussion among all the
participants to help you make the most of your time together. Come prepared to
ask and answer questions, share your experiences and listen to others. We’ll
provide the room and facilitator. You make the discussion useful. Young and Beginning Farmers — Join with new(ish) farmers to discuss the critical
decisions you need to make in the early stages of operating a farm. How are you
accessing land and capital? How are you creating a support system to sustain
you? How do you determine your focus and the scale of the operation? Share
what’s working for you and discuss your challenges. Military Veterans — Connect with other veterans in the farming
community. Share resources, share your successes, and discuss your unique
challenges. Learn from each other and continue to build networks. People of Color in Sustainable
Agriculture — Join in a discussion about
how People of Color can best position ourselves to succeed in the sustainable
food and agriculture movement. Continue the conversation on needs identified at
the 2017 People of Color session where we will engage on barriers and solutions
for people of color related to land access, funding and finance, marketing, and
racial equity. Share your insights, concerns, and ideas for making the local
food movement more inclusive for all. Teaching Farms: Preparing the Next
Generation of Farmers — Discuss key challenges and
successes with colleagues from different educational models — including
independent teaching farmers, farmers at colleges and universities, and those
affiliated with other institutions. How do you measure the success of your
program? What are your strategies for meeting those goals? How do you stay
focused on student success while managing a working farm? Linking Farmers to Farmland — Many states have devices for connecting farm land owners
with land seekers. Is it working in your state? Come share best practices for
how we can reduce the barrier of land access to get new farmers started and
help existing farmers expand. Managing Farmers Markets — Share your experiences with fellow market board members and
market managers. What trends have you noticed at your market in the last
several years, and how is your market evolving to stay relevant in a changing
marketplace? Share ideas on organizational structure, rules, marketing, funding
and building community support. Institutional Programs Networking
Across the South to Grow and Sustain Farms —
Learn about a USDA SERA-47 group that is building a learning community around
growing and sustaining farms and farmers in the Southern Region, coordinated by
Leslie Hossfeld, Mississippi State University. Participants will have an
opportunity to provide input on what is needed from both the farmer side and
the Research and Extension outreach side, and learn how to be involved. Pastured Poultry Production — Compare poultry production practices with others, and share
your solutions, tips and innovations. What are your biggest challenges —
predator controls, health management, processing, marketing, others? Pastured Beef Production — Exchange beef tips (pun intended) with fellow beef
producers. What are your biggest challenges — pasture and forage management,
holistic health care, fencing, processing, marketing, others? Compare practices
and share innovations! High Tunnels — Share with other producers the issues and
solutions you’ve encountered in high tunnel production. Come ready to discuss
challenges like fertility management, heat regulation, crop rotations and the
solutions you are discovering. Predator and Pest Control — What predators and pests are eating at your
profits, and how are you managing them? Bring your pest horror stories and how
you dealt with them. Learn from others about what works for them and what
doesn’t, and swap ideas and questions. Smart Tool Innovations — Share your favorite e-tools, smart phone apps,
computer programs and other innovations that make your life easier. Swap ideas
and share your favorite blogs, forums, and other resources for smart apps and
e-tool tips and innovations. Organic Farming Research — Network with other researchers and farmers doing
sustainable and organic research. Talk about the work you do, challenges you
face, your research approaches, and how you make your information available and
practical for farmers. What are the biggest needs and issues in your field?
What do you see as important areas of focus in the future? Are there
opportunities for collaboration? Disaster Response: Helping Farmers
Recover — Join a conversation with Farm Aid on
creative and collaborative practices that help farmers navigate through
disasters, from emergency through recovery phases. From Texas to Florida,
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands — discuss lessons learned and talk about
what we can do together to maximize response effectiveness. Closing
Mixer We’ll have live music and a cash
bar, plus we will conclude our Chew Chattanooga scavenger hunt with the drawing
for a free 2019 conference registration! Hang out with your friends and make
new connections before returning home for the season. Take time to relax and
enjoy the company of so many people doing so many wonderful things around our
region. There will be no banquet dinner this
year. We hope to support more local farms and the businesses buying from them
through our Chew Chattanooga local food scavenger hunt. Wednesday April
25 People of Color in Sustainable
Agriculture — Join in a discussion about
how People of Color can best position ourselves to succeed in the sustainable
food and agriculture movement. Continue the conversation on needs identified at
the 2017 People of Color session where we will engage on barriers and solutions
for people of color related to land access, funding and finance, marketing, and
racial equity. Share your insights, concerns, and ideas for making the local
food movement more inclusive for all. Teaching Farms: Preparing the Next
Generation of Farmers — Discuss key challenges and
successes with colleagues from different educational models — including
independent teaching farmers, farmers at colleges and universities, and those
affiliated with other institutions. How do you measure the success of your
program? What are your strategies for meeting those goals? How do you stay
focused on student success while managing a working farm? Linking Farmers to Farmland — Many states have devices for connecting farm land owners
with land seekers. Is it working in your state? Come share best practices for
how we can reduce the barrier of land access to get new farmers started and
help existing farmers expand. Thursday April 26 Making the Most of Soil Inputs on
Small Scale Acreage — Jenny Jack
Sun Farms is a one and a half acre veggie-fruit farm in West Georgia feeding a
120-member CSA, two markets, and a few restaurants all within 30 miles of the
farm. They will share their devout use of off-farm soil amendments to feed plant
production in an intensive small-scale system, while also discussing cover crop
and compost additions. This session will highlight basic, practical,
soil-enhancing tips from their 12-year experience with growing food in Southern
soil. A soil consultant will also discuss the science behind their
practices and give further tips for using soil inputs effectively. Jenny and
Chris Jackson, Jenny Jack Sun Farms (GA) and Mark Schonbeck, farm consultant
(VA) High Tunnel Cropping for Maximum
Return — Now that you have high tunnels on
your farm, how do you use them effectively? Learn from an experienced grower
who produces multiple crops of vegetables and cut flowers in six high tunnels
for 12 months of the year. We will discuss how to choose crops that are
most productive and profitable; winter crop selection and
scheduling; summer season crop selection and scheduling; management tips
for weed control, maintaining fertility, and more. Mark Cain, Dripping
Springs Garden (AR) Growing and Marketing Mushrooms — Understand the best ways to cultivate mushrooms on your
farm. You’ll learn about inexpensive start-up options for beginners, and many
commercial ideas to expand on. Topics will include: life cycle of fungi;
mushroom behavior and intuitive growing; choosing, buying, and storing spawn;
woodland mushroom farming (logs, wood chips, and composts); indoor production
(small and large scale); converting existing structures into grow rooms (barns,
chicken houses, storage containers); marketing your mushrooms (trends, demand,
strategies); organic pest management; and alternative product development
(powders, extracts, composts). Tradd Cotter, Mushroom Mountain (SC) Our Story: A Supportive Meat
Processor in Our Midst — In 2008, Joe
Cloud purchased a small abattoir in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and turned it
into one of the few remaining USDA-inspected ‘certified humane’ slaughterhouses
in the South. He now processes beef, lamb and pork for over 80 producers who
direct market their own branded meats. He’ll share his story, explain how he
maintains quality control, and discuss key practices for processors and farmers
to work well together. Joe Cloud, T&E Meats (VA) |
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