2015 CFSA Sustainable Agriculture Conference Program

The Farm & Food Event of the Year

Table of Contents

Nov. 6 –8 , 2 0 1 5 D u rha m, NC

Conference Schedule…

5

Friday Activities…

7

On-going Conference Activities…

8

Saturday Workshops at-a-glance…

9 – 10

Saturday Activities…

11

Sunday Workshops at-a-glance…

13

Saturday Workshops…

15 – 25

Sunday Workshops…

25 – 31

Speakers…

33 – 34

Hotel Map…

36

Sponsors sustainers / keynote sponsors Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company NC SARE

Sara Clow growfood, charleston sc

Jerry DeWitt President Tony Gaddis terrastay farm, raleigh nc

Barbara Lawrence Treasurer

Edible Piedmont and Edible Upcountry

winston-salem nc

seedsower / member hospitality room sponsor New Country Organics

Eric McClam Secretary city roots, columbia sc

Joe Mosnier chapel hill nc

harvest sponsor From Scratch Magazine

Kevin Oliver harmony ridge farm, tobaccoville nc

Roddy Pick greenbrier farm, easley sc

market sponsor Whole Foods Market

pollinators Banner Greenhouses Durham Food Co-op Market Earth Tools, Inc. North Carolina Agricultural Research Service & North Carolina State Extension Wallace Center

board of directors

holly springs nc

barnraiser / awards sponsor

education track sponsors Beginning Farmer: CCOF Certification Services Permaculture and Urban Farming: Demeter Association, Inc. Beginning Horticulture: Albert’s Organics & UNFI Advanced Horticulture: ECO Soils/Fertility/Seeds: Inocucor Specialty Crops: Organic Seed Alliance

CFSA 2015

Robert Rockwell Vice President charlotte nc

Frachele Scott Assistant Treasurer durham nc

cultivators Ashevillage Brandt Clemson University Sustainable Agriculture Program David and Eranda Bradshaw Foster-Caviness NC A&T NC Growing Together Organic Valley Southern Exposure Seed Exchange growers Alamance County Farm Bureau Chatham County Farm Bureau Lindley Mills NC State Grange Norm’s Farms Weaver Street Market

Bob Sykes turtle mist farm, franklinton nc

Samantha Wallace edible upcountry, greenville sc

CFSA 2015 cfsa staff Roland McReynolds Executive Director Amy Armbruster Communications Coordinator Keith Baldwin Farm Services Coordinator Stephanie Campbell Outreach Coordinator Jared Cates Community Mobilizer James Cooper Local Produce Safety Coordinator Lisa Fouladbash Organic Policy Coordinator Leah Joyner Education Coordinator Jacob Leech Operations Director Karen McSwain Farm Services & Food Systems Director Thomas Moore NC Food Systems Coordinator Aaron Newton Lomax Farm Coordinator Stephen Nix SC Food Systems Coordinator Elizabeth Read Communications & Development Director Cheryl Ripperton Rettie Finance & Administration Director Rochelle Sparko Policy Director Marianna Spence Membership Coordinator Laura Stewart Education Director

Welcome to the 30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference!

We are so pleased to be back in Durham for this year’s conference!

June 1986. That was when a cadre of the Carolinas’ organic farming pioneers first organized what would become the CFSA Sustainable Agriculture Conference. They wanted an opportunity to share with one another lessons they’d learned cultivating a new vision for agriculture in the South. It was a small group, 200 or so, and they met for a day and a half in Raleigh. That CFSA field day became an ‘annual’ event the next year, and established itself over time as the first such regular organic farming conference in the South. As the Sustainable Agriculture Conference turns 30 this year, we see a local food and organic farming culture that is strong and growing, attracting new farmers and putting clean food on our neighbors’ tables. With 1,200+ people participating in three days of activities, the conference unites the Carolinas’ sustainable farming community and energizes us both to find solutions to overcome our challenges, and to plant the seeds for new opportunities.

Roland McReynolds

This is my tenth year participating in the conference, and I’m looking forward to the energy and motivation I receive from connecting with people like you. Our community is built on values of community security and self-determination, respect for farmers and nature, reverence for the earth, and neighborliness. Those values pulse beneath the vibrant conversations and insightful presentations every year at the conference, and our dedicated staff can see and feel that pulse. That is why this conference, and gatherings like it, still mean so much in a world of virtual classrooms and YouTube. Connections between people grow strongest when they can put their hands in the soil, literally and metaphorically, together.

Here’s some ways I’ve found to best take advantage of the next three days: 1. Go out of your way to meet new people. Find out what they are doing and share your own experiences.

Eat with someone new at every meal. Connect at the speed networking session and attend the regional meetings Saturday afternoon to meet folks from your area.

2. Enjoy the talk of our keynote speaker, Michael Twitty, on the topic of the cultural heritage of our southern foods, and try one of the recipes on his blog Afroculinaria when you get home.

3. CFSA members, please come to our annual meeting on Sunday afternoon in the auditorium, and help chart our future.

4. Extend the conversation! Tweet, Facebook, and Instagram your conference photos and musings, and use our event hashtag #SAC15 to connect with fellow attendees you might not have met yet.

As staff we treasure this chance to connect face-to-face with so many people, and we’re grateful for those visionary CFSA members who started this tradition 30 years ago.

Here’s to another great conference,

Roland McReynolds CFSA Executive Director

c o n f e r e n c e sc h e d u l e

Conference Schedule Friday, November 6, 2015 7 AM – 7 PM

Registration Booth Open

Imperial Hallway

7 AM – until

Pre-Conference Activities

See page 7

4 – 6 PM

Buyer Grower Connections

Empire D & E

4 – 6:30 PM

Visit Exhibitors and Seed Exchange

Various Locations

4:15 – 5:30 PM

NC & SC Policy Updates: How Changes in the Law Might Affect YOU

NC: Empire C | SC: Empire D

5:30 – 6:15 PM

Make New Friends! Speed Networking

Empire D

6:30 – 9 PM

Local Food Feast with Awards and Keynote

Imperial Ballroom

Saturday, November 7, 2015 7 AM – 6 PM

Registration Booth Open

Imperial Hallway

7:30 – 8:30 AM

Coffee and Light Breakfast

Imperial Hallway

8 AM – 7:30 PM

Visit Exhibitors

Various Locations

8:30 – 10 AM

Workshop A

See page 9

10 – 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 AM – 12 PM

Workshop B

See page 9

12:15 – 2 PM

Luncheon, Announcements, and Awards

Imperial Ballroom

2 – 3:30 PM

Workshop C

See page 10

3:30 – 4 PM

Break

4 – 5 PM

Workshop D: Big Idea Presentations

See page 10

5 – 6 PM

BookSignAGanza

Empire Lobby

5:10 – 6:10 PM

Regional & Special Networking Meetings

See page 11

5:30 – 8 PM

Meet and Eat Reception

Imperial Ballroom

7:30 PM – until ?

National Young Farmers Coalition Meet Up

See page 11

8 PM – until ?

Exploring the Local Durham Food & Drink Scene

Sunday, November 8, 2015 7 – 11 AM

Registration Booth Open

Imperial Hallway

7:30 – 9 AM

Coffee and Light Breakfast

Imperial Hallway

8 – 11 AM

Visit Exhibitors

Various Locations

9 – 10:30 AM

Workshop E

See page 13

10:30 – 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Workshop F

12:15 PM

Conference Ends (lunch on your own)

12:45 – 1:45 PM

CFSA Annual Meeting

See page 13 Auditorium

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

p r e - c o n f e r e n c e & f r i d a y ac t i v i t i e s

Pre-Conference Schedule Friday, November 6, 2015 7 AM – 7 PM

Registration Booth Open

Imperial Hallway

7:30 – 9 AM

Coffee and Light Breakfast

Empire Foyer

10 AM – 4 PM

Flock Management and Poultry Processing

Off-site

Morning Intensives

9 am – 12 pm

Discovering the Cooking Gene

Crown B

Wild Edibles

Empire E

All-Day Intensives 8 AM – 4 PM

Developing a Food Hub

Empire D

9 AM – 5 PM

Navigating the USDA GAP Audit

Empire A off-site after lunch

NC & SC Policy Updates How Changes in the Law Might Affect YOU 4:15 – 5:30 pm NC Residents empire c SC Residents empire d Learn from members of CFSA’s policy team how changes in the law at the federal, state, and local level could impact your farm or food business. Tell us which policy issues matter to you and help CFSA better meet your expectations and needs when it comes to policy.

Speed Networking 5:30 – 6:15 pm

|

empire d

9 AM – 3 PM

Farming to the Demeter Biodynamic Standard

Royal B

9 AM – 3 PM

Using the Veggie Compass

Empire B

9 AM – 4 PM

The Art of Soil Microscopy

Empire C

9 AM – 4 PM

Are You Ready to Farm?

Auditorium

Come early for the Local Food Feast and meet some great new folks to sit and eat with!

9 AM – 5 PM

Organic Certification Workshop

Royal A

12 – 1 PM

Lunch

Imperial Ballroom

12 – 5 PM

Saxapahaw Tour

Hotel Lobby

12:30 – 5 PM

Foodie, Livestock, and Horticulture Tours

Hotel Lobby

Local Food Feast & Evening Program

1 – 5 PM

Beginning Farmer Tour

Hotel Lobby

Afternoon Intensives

1 – 5 pm

Mushrooms

Auditorium

Marketing Boot Camp

Empire A

Fermentation

Empire E

Off-site Learning Flock Management and Poultry Processing 10 am – 4 pm Workshop Participants meet at Bushy Tail Farm. address 6000 Whitney Rd. Graham, NC 27253 phone (309) 660–9704

Don’t miss this opportunity to meet new people at the beginning of the regular conference! It’s a great way to expand your network and make new friends in the sustainable ag community. It’s fun and easy – even if you are shy.

6:30 – 9 pm

|

imperial ballroom

Welcome, Awards, and Keynote

by Michael Twitty The Local Food Feast is a magical, mouthwatering meal, made with only the best in-season, sustainably grown ingredients supplied by local farms. It is always one of the highlights of the Sustainable Ag Conference.

Our keynote speaker, Michael Twitty, is a food writer, culinary historian, Judaic studies scholar, and culinary justice activist, and he’s on a mission to preserve and promote African American culinary traditions from Africa and the American South. As he writes, “to honor the food past and provide for the food future is ‘culinary justice.’”

He manages the popular website, Afroculinaria, and is the author of The Cooking Gene.

He will be speaking about the role of Southern food in shaping our past, present, and future.

The Feast also features CFSA Awards for Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture for Farmers and Young Farmer of the Year, as well as the Award for Career Achievement.

Afternoon Tours Meet at the hotel entrance. We strongly recommend you arrive 15 minutes before your bus’s scheduled departure. Buses will leave promptly at the tour’s scheduled start time. The Saxapahaw Tour leaves at noon. The Foodie, Livestock, and Horticulture Tours leave at 12:30. The Beginning Farmer tour departs at 1.

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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Meals

CFSA Members-Only Lounge

The food at the conference is always something special and this year will be no different. We are pleased to be working again with the talented Kris Reid of ModPaleo, who is joined this year by Chef Isaiah Allen of the Eddy Pub in Saxapahaw.

Kris and Isaiah have worked together with Chef El Haj Tayouga at the Sheraton and with local farmers and vendors to bring you fresh, in-season, wonderfully delicious, local, sustainably-produced food for your weekend meals and snacks. Meals are served buffet-style and will be labeled as vegan, vegetarian, containing nuts, and gluten-free.

crown a&b

Please remember, in the spirit of our movement, take only the food that you can eat. We can reduce food waste and make sure there is enough food for everybody!

Meals

imperial ballroom

Join us in the lounge to connect with other CFSA members! The lounge is stocked with delicious snacks from some of our favorite local, sustainable producers. There are comfy chairs perfect for taking a little break or for having a meeting and computers with internet access. The lounge will be open starting 4 pm on Friday, all day Saturday and until noon on Sunday. Sponsored by New Country Organics.

Meeting Space Available!

Need a space for an impromptu meeting? The Park Boardroom is available to you at no cost. Just use the sign-up sheet posted on the door to reserve your time.

Friday Lunch Friday Night Local Food Feast and Keynote, plus Awards Saturday Lunch and Awards Ceremony NOTE Some meals may be sold out. This year, we have a cash bar at the Local Food Feast.

Meals

included in your registration Coffee and Light Breakfast: Friday empire foyer | Saturday & Sunday imperial ballroom

CFSA Awards for Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture

Enjoy a light breakfast with tea and coffee each morning.

Saturday Evening Meet and Eat Reception

This year we continue our tradition of honoring an inspiring set of leaders in the sustainable farm movement in the Carolinas. Help celebrate their remarkable accomplishments and contributions.

imperial ballroom

A delicious local foods reception is available for all conference-goers on Saturday from 5:30 to 8 pm. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and tasty beverages, including local wine and beer. A great place for networking! After the reception, we encourage you to check out local farm-to-table restaurants. Dinner and nightlife are on your own.

Exhibit Hall We encourage you to visit all of our excellent exhibitors! They are located throughout the Imperial Lobby, Empire Hallways, and Bull Durham room. You will find tools, books, nonprofit resources, and more. Check out the stuff you can’t find anywhere else! The exhibitors will be open starting 4 pm on Friday, all day Saturday, and until noon on Sunday. Stop by the registration desk for a listing of all of our exhibitors and where to find them.

Seed Exchange The wonderful seed exchange crew, Lee Barnes and Doug Jones, are here to offer seeds to you, to accept seeds you want to share, and to teach you about seed saving and more. Make sure you stop by the booth.

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Awards Presented at Awards Presented at the Local Food Feast Saturday’s Lunch Young Farmer of the Year Farmer of the Year Career Achievement

SC and NC Extension Agents of the Year Institution of the Year Business of the Year Activist of the Year

Looking for like-minded folks?

Look for themed tables in the dining hall, including the New and Beginning Farmers Table and the First Time Attendee Table.

www.carolinafarmstewards.org

sat u r d a y w o r k s h o p s at - a - g l a n c e

Workshop A

8:30 – 10 am

Find full workshop descriptions and speaker bios for Workshop A starting on page 15.

Track

Title

Speaker

Beginning Farmer Making Farming Accessible

Location

Holly Rippon-Butler national young farmers coalition, Suzanna Denison Empire A wnc farm link & Matt Coffay second spring market garden

Farm Business

Making Sense of Social Media: Smart Options for the Busy Farmer

Karen Kanakanui stories taste good

Empire B

Soil & Seeds

The Art of Microherding

Molly Haviland a microherder’s manifesto

Auditorium

Pollinators

Create a Pollinator Paradise!

Debbie Roos north carolina cooperative extension

Piedmont

Horticulture 1

Cold-Hardy Winter Vegetables

Pam Dawling twin oaks community

Royal A

Horticulture 2

We All Have Weeds. What’s Your Strategy?

Alex Hitt peregrine farm

Sandhills

Specialty Crop

Mushrooms: Humankind’s Biological Allies

Tradd Cotter mushroom mountain

Empire C

Hands-on

Make Your Own Pack N Cool Truck

Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie ncsu

Outdoors

Livestock

Food Safety on Livestock and Produce Mixed Production Farms

Drs. Chris Gunter, Eduardo Gutierrez Rodriguez & Siddhartha Thakur ncsu

Empire E

Foodie

Ferment the Harvest!

April McGreger farmer’s daughter

Crystal Coast

Policy

GMOs and CoExistence

David Mortenson penn state

Empire D

Chuck Marsh living systems design

Royal B

Urban Farming / Grow Food Where People Live: Creative Solutions The Story of Groundswell International

Workshop B

10:30 am – 12 pm

Find full workshop descriptions and speaker bios for Workshop B starting on page 18.

Track

Title

Beginning Farmer Tales from Beginning Farmers: The Lomax Experience

Speaker

Location

Aaron Newton cfsa & Lomax Farmers

Empire A

Farm Business

Small Farm Risk Management

James Robinson rafi & Clifton Parker formerly of the usda’s rma

Empire B

Soil & Seeds

A Roadmap for Organic Seed Activists

Kristina “Kiki” Hubbard organic seed alliance

Auditorium

Pollinators

Getting Started with Organic Beekeeping

Ross Conrad dancing bee gardens

Piedmont

Horticulture 1

Gobo, Taro, Turmeric, and More: Techniques for Success with Root Vegetables

Jason and Haruka Oatis & Claire Berger edible earthscapes

Royal A

Horticulture 2

High Tunnel Design, Construction and Management for Beginners

Steve Moore elon university

Sandhills

Specialty Crop

Microgreen Production for Year-Round Harvest

Jillian & Ross Mickens open door farm

Empire C

Hands-on

Irrigation Basics – Making Irrigation Installations as Easy as Playing with Legos!

Melinda Fitzgerald country farm and home

Outdoors

Livestock

The Future of Meat & the Conscious Omnivore

Meredith Leigh author of the ethical meat handbook

Empire E

Foodie

Epic Tomatoes – History, Flavors, and Uses

Craig LeHoullier author of epic tomatoes

Crystal Coast

Policy

Climate-Smart Decision Support Tools for Agriculture Adaptation

Sarah Wiener & Jennifer Moore-Myers usda southeast regional climate hub Empire D

Urban Farming / Growing Herbs for Your CSA Creative Solutions

Suki Roth herb haven

Royal B

Luncheon, Announcements, and Awards 12:15pm – 2pm

|

imperial ballroom

Featuring CFSA’s Sustainable Ag Awards for Business of the Year, Institution of the Year, NC & SC Extension Agent of the Year, and Activist of the Year.

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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sat u r d a y w o r k s h o p s at - a - g l a n c e

Workshop C

2:30 – 4 pm

Find full workshop descriptions and speaker bios for Workshop C starting on page 21.

Track

Title

Speaker

Location

Beginning Farmer Walk-Behind Tractor 101

Joel Dufour earth tools

Empire A

Farm Business

New Opportunities for Funding Your Food & Agriculture Business: From Crowdfunding to Venture Funding

Margaret Gifford watervine impact & Rick Larson natural capital

Empire B

Soil & Seeds

Produce Vermicompost that Sells for $400 – $1,300 per Cubic Yard

Rhonda Sherman ncsu

Royal A

Pollinators

How to Have Blooms Spring through Fall

Ira Wallace southern exposure seed exchange

Piedmont

Horticulture 1

Herbaceous Grafting: A Scale and Production System Neutral Tool for the IPM Toolbox

David Suchoff & Jonathan Kressin ncsu

Auditorium

Horticulture 2

Organic Certification

CFSA Staff

Sandhills

Specialty Crop

Growing Hops in the Carolinas

Jeanine Davis ncsu

Empire C

Hands-on

Building Mushroom Logs

John Soehner eco farm

Outdoors

Livestock

Sustainable Poultry

Jim Adkins sustainable poultry network

Empire E

Foodie

Kosher Soul Food

Michael Twitty keynote

Crystal Coast

Policy

What’s Next With FSMA?

Roland McReynolds cfsa

Royal B

investment fund

Urban Farming / The Biodynamic Farm Organism – Practical Application for Farmers Jim Fullmer & Erin Sojourner Agostinelli demeter usa Creative Solutions and Gardeners

Workshop D: Big Idea Presentations

Empire D

4 – 5 pm

Find full workshop descriptions and speaker bios for Workshop D starting on page 23.

Title

Speaker

Location

The Fertile Ground Food Cooperative – Bringing Fresh Food to a Food Desert in Southeast Raleigh

Erin Dale Byrd fertile ground food cooperative and blueprint nc & Becky Bowen carolina

Empire A

common enterprise

Soil and Sacrament: Food, Faith, and Growing Heaven on Earth

Fred Bahnson wake forest university

Empire C

Of Jugglers, Snake Oil, and Storytellers

Cynthia Raxter storyteller

Empire D

Preparing your Farm for Climate Change

Laura Lengnick author of resilient agriculture

Empire E

Veterans in Agriculture

Robert Elliott cypress hall farm

Royal A

Ecological Restoration as a Community Development Strategy in Jamaica

Nicola Shirley-Phillips jamaica sustainable farm enterprise program, source farm foundation Royal B

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www.carolinafarmstewards.org

sat u r d a y ac t i v i t i e s

BookSignAGanza!

5 – 6 pm

|

An initative of

empire lobby

Get your books signed by our featured authors, including Tradd Cotter, Laura Lengnick, Craig LeHoullier, Pam Dawling, Ira Wallace, Meredith Leigh, Fred Bahnson, & April McGreger!

Regional and Special Networking Meetings

NC Growing Together is proud to sponsor the following Sustainable Agriculture Conference events:

5:10pm – 6:10pm Charlotte Area royal Coastal empire a High Country & Mountains

empire e

South Carolina crystal coast Triad empire d Triangle empire c

Here’s your chance to meet folks in your region who care about farm and food issues!

It’s a great time to get up-to-date on what’s happening locally, brainstorm needs and project ideas, and give feedback to CFSA. A CFSA representative will be at each meeting.

 Navigating the USDA GAP Audit (Friday 9am–5pm)  Buyer/Grower Meetup (Friday 4pm–6:30pm)  Growing Together: How Lowes Foods and UNC-W Dining Services are Bringing Small and Mid-Scale Producers into their Supply Chains

(Sunday 10:45am–12:15pm)

NC Growing Together is a five year USDA-funded project that aims to bring more locally-produced foods into mainstream markets, strengthening the economics of small to mid-sized farm and fishing operations and their communities.

Meet and Eat Reception 5:30pm – 8pm

|

www.ncgrowingtogether.org

imperial ballroom

A delicious local foods reception is available for all conference-goers on Saturday from 5:30 to 8 pm. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and tasty beverages, including local wine and beer. A great place for networking! After the reception, we encourage you to check out local farm-to-table restaurants. Dinner and nightlife are on your own.

National Young Farmers Coalition Meet-Up 8pm – until ?

We are pleased to be partnering again with the National Young Farmers Coalition, a nationwide coalition with the mission to “support practices and policies that will sustain young, independent and prosperous farmers now and in the future.” They will be hosting a meet up Saturday evening for young farmers at the conference. Meet at the hotel lobby to carpool and/or receive directions to the gathering location.

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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Workshop E

9 – 10:30 am

Find full workshop descriptions and speaker bios for Workshop E starting on page 25.

Track

Title

Beginning Farmer Panel: How to Sell to Chefs and Stores

Speaker

Location

Moderated by Fred Broadwell local organic y’all

Empire C

Farm Business

Panel: An Agripreneur’s Guide: Leading Best Practices for Growing Stephen Nix, Thomas Moore, and the CFSA Food Systems Projects Your Food Business

Empire B

Soil & Seeds

Scaling Down Acreage without Scaling Down Profit

Clifton Slade southern exposure seed exchange

Empire E

Pollinators

Honey Bee Collapse and Organic Solutions

Ross Conrad dancing bee gardens

Piedmont

Horticulture 1

Fast-Track to GAP

James Cooper cfsa & Trish Tripp artisan food solutions

Royal A

Horticulture 2

Coaxing More Profit from Your Farm: Just Because it Sells Doesn’t Mean it’s Profitable!

Ellen Polishuk potomac vegetable farms

Empire D

Specialty Crop

Growing Rice

Nazirahk Amen purple mountain organics

Empire A

Hands-on

Reduce Feed Costs with Black Soldier Flies

Karl Warkomski prota culture

Outdoors

Livestock

Pasture Finished Beef

Jamie and Amy Ager hickory nut gap

Auditorium

Foodie

High-Dollar Crops That Grow Themselves: Foraged Foods that the Chefs All Want

Frank Hyman frankhyman.com

Crystal Coast

Policy

Let’s Start A Food Council: Engaging in Community Food System Collaboration

Abbey Piner center for environmental farming systems, Jared Cates cfsa & Tyler Jenkins carolina common enterprise

Sandhills

Lance Beecher clemson

Royal B

Urban Farming / Aquaponics: A Dynamic Growth Unit Combining Animal and Plant Creative Solutions Production Components for Sustainable Agriculture

Workshop F

10:45 am – 12:15 pm

Find full workshop descriptions and speaker bios for Workshop F starting on page 29.

Track

Title

Beginning Farmer Whole Farm Planning for Beginning Farmers

Speaker

Location

Tony Kleese earthwise organics

Empire A

Farm Business

Growing Together: How Lowes Foods and UNC-W Dining Services Rebecca Dunning cefs, Molly Rousey feast down east, Matt Rogers are Bringing Small and Mid-Scale Producers into their Supply Chains aramark, Chris Woodring freshpoint & Krista Morgan lowes foods

Empire B

Soil & Seeds

Getting to Superior Performance Biochar

John Bonitz celebrity dirt soil amendments

Piedmont

Pollinators

Real Life Forest Gardening and Farming

Zev Friedman living systems design

Auditorium

Horticulture 1

Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests

Pam Dawling twin oaks community

Empire D

Horticulture 2

Exciting Tomato Varieties

Ken Dawson maple springs farm & Emily Haga johnny’s seeds

Sandhills

Specialty Crop

Cucurbits

Micheal Mazourek cornell university, Jeanine Davis ncsu, Edmund Frost common wealth seed growers & Jared Zystro organic seed alliance

Empire C

Hands-on

Cost Effective Deer Exclusion Strategies

Patryk Battle living web farms & Gred Gross southeastern

Outdoors

permaculture gathering

Livestock

Ecology of Weed Management in Pastures

David Mortensen penn state

Empire E

Foodie

Wild Edibles: Add Value with Crops that Grow for Free!

Marc Williams plants and healers international

Crystal Coast

Policy

Local Food Needs Leaders like You

Rochelle Sparko cfsa

Royal A

Francesca Hyatt & Salem Norfleet rafi

Royal B

Urban Farming / The State of Farmers’ Markets in North Carolina Creative Solutions

CFSA Annual Meeting

12:45 – 1:45pm

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auditorium

The agenda includes reports on the activities of the association, election of members of the board of directors, and other business of the association.

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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An initative of

Become a member today! Just stop by the registration desk, or join anytime at carolinafarmstewards.org!

N.C. A&T and NC Growing Together are proud to support the following Sustainable Agriculture Conference workshops:

 Using the Veggie Compass (Friday 9 a.m.–3 p.m.)  Coaxing More Profit from Your Farm: Just Because It Sells Doesn’t Mean it’s Profitable!

(Sunday 9–10:30 a.m.)

NC Growing Together is a five year USDA-funded project that aims to bring more locally-produced foods into mainstream markets, strengthening the economics of small to mid-sized farm and fishing operations and their communities.

www.ncgrowingtogether.org smallfarms.ag.ncat.edu

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Workshop A

8:30 – 10 am

Making Farming Accessible

empire a presenters Holly Rippon-Butler, Land Access Campaign Manager at the National Young Farmers Coalition; Suzanna Denison, Land Access Coordinator at WNC Farm Link; and Matt Coffay of Second Spring Market Garden The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) is working to address two of the greatest challenges young producers are facing – access to land and capital. In this workshop, we will introduce our campaign to make farmland affordable to working farmers by partnering with the land trust community. Learn how you can work with a land trust to access land. We’ll also discuss our campaign to win student loan forgiveness for farmers by adding farmers to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Learn how you can affect national policy by joining our grassroots network.

SUZANNA DENISON is the land access coordinator for WNC Farm Link, a partnership facilitating successful relationships between farmers looking for land to farm and landowners aspiring to keep their farm and forest land in agriculture. WNC Farm Link envisions a resilient agricultural region where farmers have affordable options for accessing farm and forest land to create sustainable farm operations, where landowners have viable opportunities for keeping their land in farming, and where agriculture continues to be an integral part of our economy, environment, and community in Western North Carolina.

HOLLY RIPPON-BUTLER is the Land Access Campaign Manager at the National Young Farmers Coalition.

She works with NYFC to increase land access for the next generation of farmers. Her primary mission is two-fold: to build awareness about the challenges young farmers face in accessing land and to develop tangible solutions to land access barriers. Holly lives and farms with her parents on their third-generation dairy and beef farm in Upstate New York.

MATT COFFAY runs Second Spring Garden, a four-season market garden based in Asheville, NC. Second Spring strives to grow food with minimal fossil fuel inputs, so as to be affordable to low and middleincome consumers. To accomplish this, they grow primarily in unheated hoop houses which extend the growing season throughout the year while minimizing fossil fuel consumption and growing costs. They use intensive plant spacing that allows them to grow and harvest all of the food with hand tools, rather than relying on a traditional tractor, and utilize every bit of available growing space. They raise their own food animals and live minimalistic lifestyles.

Making Sense of Social Media – Smart Options for the Busy Farmer empire b presenter

Karen Kanakanui of Stories Taste Good

If you’ve been “doing” social media, but don’t feel that you’re getting results, this workshop is for you. We’ll look at how strategy needs to underpin your efforts in order to create consistent messaging and better results. We’ll review the current trends in social media. Then, we’ll set out a framework in which you can decide what channel is best for your farm business, based on your current messaging, marketing time available, comfort level with technology, and budget for social media marketing. Participants will leave with a clear sense of how – with a strategy and plan in place – they can make social media work for their business.

KAREN KANAKANUI is a marketing consultant and copywriter serving local, sustainable food clients as owner of Raleigh-based Stories Taste Good. She believes that every farm has a story to tell and she helps farmers persuasively tell the stories that find new customers, engage audiences, and increase profits.

Her passion for local, sustainable food and the people who “make it all happen” led to the creation of Stories Taste Good. Karen’s mission is to help farmers tell their stories in ways that are both authentic and strategic, developing content for websites, email newsletters, blogging, and social media.

The Art of Microherding

auditorium presenter Molly Haviland of Microherder’s Manifesto Molly will introduce the foundational principles of the soil food web and the myriad benefits that result from its presence. She will demonstrate how the soil food web is a tool that, when used correctly, has been proven to provide maximum yields with increased mineral and nutrient content, components essential for thriving plants, animals, and human communities. By the end of this session, course participants will understand the function of soil food web members in consortium with one another and how to cultivate a soil food web that is targeted to specific growing systems.

MOLLY C. HAVILAND is an enthusiastic teacher of regenerative soil building techniques. She unveils the mysteries of the underground by introducing her students to nature’s own fertilizer bags and fertilizer spreaders – the soil food web. As a microherder, Molly understands how to cultivate beneficial soil organisms, merge them into growing systems, and encourage them to thrive. She works with compost operations, graziers, and growers to develop the highest quality compost and compost amendments designed specifically for the desired crop. Molly gained her BS in Sustainable Living from the Maharishi University of Management where she is an affiliate professor of the Living Soil course. She is co-founder of the Living Soil Compost Lab and is a Certified Soil Life Consultant.

Create a Pollinator Paradise!

piedmont presenter Debbie Roos of North Carolina Cooperative Extension Chatham County Agricultural Extension Agent, Debbie Roos, will give a pictorial overview of North Carolina pollinators with an emphasis on bees. Participants will learn about the principles of designing and planting a pollinator garden and how to select trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, herbs, and vines to attract a diversity of pollinators. Debbie will give a virtual tour of her popular, demonstration pollinator garden in Pittsboro that features over 160 unique species, 85% of them native to the NC piedmont. She will share her “Top 25 Bee Plants List” to help folks get started. Debbie will discuss programs that assist farmers with developing pollinator habitat. She will also share resources she has developed, for farmers and gardeners interested in enhancing pollinator habitat, that can be found on her website at protectpollinators.org.

DEBBIE ROOS has been an Agriculture Agent for the Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension since 1999. She is responsible for programming in the areas of commercial vegetable production, organic production, pollinator conservation, alternative agricultural enterprises, forestry, and beekeeping. Debbie worked for three years as an agroforestry extension agent and technical trainer for the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa and later completed graduate degrees in applied anthropology and horticulture at the University of Florida. Debbie delivers educational programming to growers through regular workshops and her award-winning Growing Small Farms website, growingsmallfarms.org. She also works with area farmers’ markets and is involved in statewide efforts to strengthen local food systems. Debbie is passionate about pollinator conservation and has planted demonstration habitats and developed resources to teach others about the importance of bees and other pollinators to our agriculture ecosystem.

Cold-Hardy Winter Vegetables presenter

royal a

Pam Dawling of Twin Oaks Community

Learn from nationally recognized speaker and author, Pam Dawling! She will cover details on crops, timing, protection, and storage, and why it pays to farm in winter.

Participants will receive the information they need to succeed at winter production: tables on cold-hardiness; details on four ranges of cold-hardy crops (fall crops to

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sat u r d a y w o r k s h o p s harvest before serious cold, crops to keep growing into winter, crops for all-winter harvests, overwintering crops for spring harvests); scheduling; weather prediction and protection; hoophouse growing; and vegetable storage.

DR. PENELOPE “PENNY” PERKINS-VEAZIE is the post-harvest physiologist with NC State’s Plants for Human Health Institute at the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis and heads research on post-harvest physiology and technology for fruits and vegetables at North Carolina State University.

PAM DAWLING is a contributing editor with Growing for Market magazine. Her book, Sustainable Market Farming: Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres, published by New Society Publishers, will be on sale at this event. An avid vegetable grower for almost 40 years, she has been farming as a member of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia for over 20 years, where she manages the crew growing vegetables and berries for around 100 people on three and a half acres, and provides training for community members in sustainable vegetable production. For more about her book, see sustainablemarketfarming.com and facebook.com/SustainableMarketFarming.

Food Safety on Mixed Production Livestock and Produce Farms empire e

We All Have Weeds. What’s Your Strategy? sandhills presenter Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm Got weeds? Let’s talk management strategies and tools. Not all crops have the same weeds and there is no silver bullet for controlling weeds in every crop, plus weed populations change over time. Alex will talk about how to match systems and tools to different crops and address difficult-to-control weed problems. The workshop will cover strategies from bare ground to mulches and from hand tools to tractors.

ALEX HITT is heading into his 35th growing season at Peregrine Farm where he and his wife, Betsy, grow hundreds of varieties of vegetables and cut flowers. They have also grown many varieties of small fruits and other crops. Profiled in many books and magazines, they have been recognized by CFSA as Farm Stewards of the Year and were awarded the SARE Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture.

Mushrooms: Humankind’s Biological Allies empire c presenter Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain Learn everything from composting household items using fungi to bioremediating oil spills and toxic waste with native mushrooms. Tradd Cotter from Mushroom Mountain will delve deeper into the fungal kingdom than ever before, describing new research with medicinal compounds and remarkable new applications for fungi in agriculture, medicine, and bioremediation. A must-see for the experienced naturalist, budding young scientist, or environmental decision-makers in the area, filled with take-home action items for every homeowner or farmer!

TRADD COTTER is a microbiologist, professional mycologist, and organic gardener, who has been tissue culturing, collecting native fungi in the Southeast, and cultivating both commercially and experimentally, for more than 22 years. Cotter just released his first major publication with Chelsea Green, Organic Mushroom Cultivation and Mycoremediation, a complete guide to cultivating mushrooms including DIY projects for hobbysits and professionals, as well as supplemental chapters for value-added goods, fungi in the classroom, and much more. In 1996, he founded Mushroom Mountain to explore applications for mushrooms in various industries. Mushroom Mountain currently maintains over 200 species of fungi for food production, mycoremediation of environmental pollutants, and natural alternatives to chemical pesticides. Tradd operates Mushroom Mountain in Liberty, South Carolina with his wife Olga, and their daughter, Heidi.

Make Your Own Pack N Cool Truck presenter

outdoors

Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, NCSU

Learn this affordable system for building your own Pack N Cool Truck that can keep your crops fresh from field to customer!

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presenters Drs. Chris Gunter, Eduardo Gutierrez Rodriguez, and Siddhartha Thakur, NCSU

Diversified farmers often raise animals and produce within the same farm business.

This workshop examines food safety strategies on mixed production farms to minimize the risk of food contamination.

DR. CHRIS GUNTER is an Associate Professor and Vegetable Production Specialist for the commercial vegetable industry in North Carolina, working with commercial vegetable growers to maintain a high quality of life, through the use of integrated, economical, and environmentally-sound production practices. His main emphases are the solanaceous (tomato, pepper) and cruciferous (cabbage, broccoli) crops. Dr. Gunter is a member of NC State’s Fresh Produce Safety Task Force, preparing fruit and vegetable producers with pre- and post-harvest good agricultural practices.

DR. EDUARDO GUTIERREZ-RODRIGUEZ is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in Fresh Produce Safety in the FBNS Department at NC State. Dr. Gutierrez completed his Food Science degree from the University of Costa Rica, has a master’s degree in soils-biogeochemistry, a master’s degree in horticulture-agronomy and a PhD in horticulture-agronomy, all from UC-Davis. For the past 16 years, he has worked in the fresh produce industry in Latin America and the US, training, developing and auditing GAPs, HACCP, and ISO-9000 programs. His current research focuses on pathogen ecology of fresh produce and fresh-cut produce, and mitigation steps for pathogen control in these environments. His extension efforts focus on developing a Fresh Produce Certificate Program and training materials specific to FSMA Produce and Preventive Control rules. He works closely with the NC Fresh Produce Safety Task Force and the executive committee of the NC Food Safety and Defense Task Force.

DR. SIDDHARTHA THAKUR is an Associate Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University. Prior to his NC State faculty appointment in 2007, Thakur was an Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Research Fellow for the Federal Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Thakur espouses the concepts of “One Health” and uses its principles to study the impact of interplay between animals, humans, and their environment on the dissemination and persistence of antimicrobial resistant (AR) bacterial strains. He is the program leader of the “Emerging, Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases” core at the Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research (CCMTR) at the CVM, NC State.

Ferment the Harvest!

crystal coast presenter April McGreger of Farmer’s Daughter In this class, you’ll sample some of Farmer’s Daughter’s uniquely North Carolina-style, fermented products, such as Sweet Potato-Habanero Hot Sauce and Collard Kraut.

We’ll discuss the benefits of lacto-fermentation, the history of fermentation in the South, and the knowledge you need to start fermenting at home today. This class will include a demonstration of making collard kraut, as well as guidance and suggestions for getting creative with your own fermentation experiments.

APRIL McGREGER founded Farmer’s Daughter in 2007 with the goal of creating jams, pickles, and ferments from the best of the North Carolina harvest. Her commitment to quality, seasonality, and sustainable agriculture has been recognized nationally and internationally. Farmer’s Daughter was awarded prestigious Good Food Awards from 2011–2015, and in 2014 was chosen as a Steward of the Ark of Taste to represent the Southeastern US at the Salone del Gusto International Marketplace in Turin, Italy. She specializes in regional products, unique to the Carolinas and the South.

www.carolinafarmstewards.org

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GMOs and Coexistence

empire d presenter David Mortenson of Penn State University David Mortensen is a weed management expert at Pennsylvania State University.

Learn about the current knowledge of GMOs from his expertise and what his research tells us.

DAVID MORTENSEN is a professor of Weed and Applied Plant Ecology at Pennsylvania State University, where he is a highly regarded expert in genetically modified organisms, land resource management, and chemical-free crop management.

Grow Food Where People Live: The Story of Groundswell International royal b presenter

Chuck Marsh of Living Systems Design

of gardeners, of all ages and abilities, through mentoring and learning activities in organic gardening, orcharding, cooking, and food processing. Grow Food Where People Live combines immediate garden-based action (to improve food access and household economies, starting with those most at risk) with long-term agriculture and food system planning, to support and strengthen the overall local food supply at the county level.

CHUCK MARSH is a widely respected permaculture community elder, leader, mentor, speaker, teacher, consultant, and designer. He is a lifelong advocate of local, ecological, biological, social, and economic solutions to the challenges of our times. Chuck is the founder of Useful Plants Nursery, an edible landscaping plant nursery, located at Earthaven Ecovillage near Black Mountain, NC. He is the senior partner in Living Systems Design, a permaculture design practice that serves home and landowners in the Southern Appalachians and surrounding regions. Chuck also works on permaculture and ecological, organic farming projects internationally. Since 2007, he has been catalyzing and supporting permaculture and community development initiatives in Jamaica and the Caribbean.

In western North Carolina, over 108,280 people faced food insecurity in 2014. The problem is particularly acute for rural children, with childhood poverty and malnutrition rates growing rapidly. Learn about the Grow Food Where People Live program, which is using permaculture and garden solutions to grow more food within economically-challenged communities in Polk County, NC. Groundswell International, Polk County government, and the Mill Spring Agriculture Center partnered with local volunteers and businesses to “permablitz� a low-income housing community. At this one-day volunteer event, over 80 adults and children installed fruit trees, berry bushes, muscadine grapes, and handicapped accessible organic garden plots, where the day before there had been only struggling grass and hard-packed earth. Learn how the team did it and how they are continuing to support this new community

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Workshop B

10:30 am – 12 pm

Tales from Beginning Farmers: The Lomax Experience empire a panel Aaron Newton, CFSA’s Lomax Farm Coordinator with Lomax Farmers: Benjamin Street of Street Fare Farm, Cody Hammel of Hammel Heritage Farms, and Joe Rowland of Rowland’s Row Family Farm

Learn from three beginning farmers as they discuss launching successful businesses at the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm, the only Certified Organic incubator farm in the Southeast. Located in Concord, NC, the incubator farm is a training-ground where beginning farmers can gain access to land and equipment to start their own farm business. Started by Cabarrus County government and Cooperative Extension as a place to raise a new crop of farmers, the farm is now being overseen by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.

AARON NEWTON serves as the Lomax Farm Coordinator for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, where he oversees new farmer training and coordinates other users of the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm. His family owns and operates Peachtree Market, a small, local foods-focused grocery store in downtown Concord. Aaron is the co-author of A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil from New Society Publishers 2009. He is also a founding partner in the land planning firm, Cultivatis, which is dedicated to the creation of agriculturally focused sustainable environments. He is a member of the Cabarrus Farm and Food Council.

JOE ROWLAND started Rowland’s Row Family Farm with Dani Rowland in 2010 as a part of the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm in Concord, NC. In 2012, the Rowlands purchased an 18-acre homestead in Gold Hill where they grow a variety of USDA Certified Organic fruits and vegetables and pasture raise freerange poultry without any added antibiotics or hormones.

BEN STREET started Street Fare Farm in 2015, growing USDA Certified Organic fruits and vegetables at the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm in Concord, NC. His goal is to grow Street Fare Farm into a multifaceted enterprise, providing wholesome food to the community and helping people attain a better appreciation of the natural environment.

CODY HAMMEL operates Hammel Heritage Farms, and is in the Farmer in Training Program at Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm in Concord, NC. Hammel Heritage Farms grows Certified Organic vegetables and pasture-raised poultry.

Small Farm Risk Management

empire b presenter James Robinson of RAFI and Clifton Parker, Former RMA Assistant Deputy Administrator for Insurance Services One key part of sustainable agriculture is financial sustainability for small farms.

Financial sustainability requires proper management of financial risk. Managing financial risk can be done through good farming practices, such as crop diversification and through risk management programs, like crop insurance. In this workshop, we’ll evaluate the utility of two risk management programs designed for farms with specialty and high-value crops.

JAMES ROBINSON has worked for RAFI since 2011. Prior to working at RAFI, James worked for the Florida Senate Committee on Agriculture (2007-08) and the Fiscal Research Division of the North Carolina General Assembly (2009). At RAFI, James focuses on federal policy solutions to the risk management needs of sustainable farms. James was involved in the development of Whole Farm Revenue Protection and his risk management research was presented at the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association’s Crop Insurance & Farm Bill Symposium in both 2013 and 2014. James currently serves as co-chair of NSAC’s Farming Opportunities and Fair Competition Committee. James holds a BA in political science from LaGrange College and an MS in political science from Florida State University.

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CLIFTON PARKER has over 30 years of experience in risk management and crop insurance. He retired from the USDA’s Risk Management Agency as Assistant Deputy Administrator for Insurance Services and now works as an independent risk management consultant. As a risk management consultant, Clif has conducted workshops on numerous crop insurance products, served as an expert reviewer for the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board of Directors and developed several new crop insurance programs.

A Roadmap for Organic Seed Activists auditorium presenter Kristina “Kiki” Hubbard, Director of Advocacy & Communications at Organic Seed Alliance How seed is bred, produced and managed affects the health of people and our planet, and the success of farmers and future generations. The organic seed movement is creating systems that adhere to the principles of diversity, fairness, health, and shared benefit, ensuring the genetic diversity of plants remains in the hands of people, not patent holders. The organic community is committing to seed in a way that’s different from the biotechnology/chemical industry, which emphasizes genetic uniformity, chemical production systems, and privatization. Organic Seed Alliance is monitoring the success of organic seed systems in the US and just completed a fiveyear update to its “State of Organic Seed” report. Do farmers have enough organic seed? What are our nation’s organic plant breeding priorities? How much of our tax dollars support organic seed research? How do we address GMO contamination?

These questions and others will be answered as part of this workshop, along with a roadmap for collaborative solutions to grow, adapt, and protect more organic seed.

KRISTINA “KIKI” HUBBARD is the director of advocacy and communications for Organic Seed Alliance.

She’s worked for more than a decade as a researcher, writer, and organizer on projects involving agricultural biotechnology, antitrust issues in the seed industry, and organic seed policy. Hubbard is the lead author of OSA’s “State of Organic Seed” report (forthcoming 2016). She lives in Missoula, Montana.

Getting Started with Organic Beekeeping piedmont presenter Ross Conrad of Dancing Bee Gardens This workshop provides an introduction for folks interested in small-scale, parttime, and backyard beekeeping. The workshop will present a balanced view of natural and organic beekeeping topics and practices including: location and equipment requirements; basic honey bee biology; swarming as an expression of the bees’ vitality; presence and mindfulness in the bee yard; non-toxic pest and disease control; and an appreciation for the role that pollinators and beekeepers play within the Earth’s ecosystem.

ROSS CONRAD learned his craft from the late Charles Mraz, world-renowned beekeeper and promoter of apitherapy. Conrad is a former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, a regular contributor to Bee Culture – The Magazine of American Beekeeping, and author of Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture. Ross has given bee-related presentations and led organic beekeeping workshops and classes throughout North America for many years. His beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies friends, neighbors, and local stores with honey and candles, among other bee-related products, and provides bees for Vermont apple pollination in the spring. Ross will be delivering two sessions in the Pollinator track – one on bee colony collapse and another on organic beekeeping.

www.carolinafarmstewards.org

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Gobo, Taro, Turmeric, and More: Techniques for Success with Root Vegetables royal a presenters

Jason & Haruka Oatis and Claire Berger of Edible Earthscapes

This workshop will discuss in detail, sowing, growing, harvesting, and storage practices for a variety of root crops at the small farm and home garden scale. Roots to be covered are turmeric, ginger, daikon, taro, gobo, sweet potatoes, sunchokes, parsnips, beets, and carrots. We will also touch on root cellars and other storage techniques.

JASON OATIS and his wife, HARUKA, began Edible Earthscapes in 2008. Their farm strives to work in harmony with the nature that surrounds them by producing bountiful harvests with minimal impact.

Their focus is on Asian heirloom vegetables, herbs, rice, and enjoying every moment. Jason also spends half of his time off-farm, consulting, designing, and installing home veggie gardens and food forests.

High Tunnel Design, Construction, and Management for Beginners sandhills presenter Steve Moore, Agroecology, Environmental Science Department Elon University and Director of the Peace Corps Prep Program

This session will provide information on design; construction; performance; and soil, plant and pest management of high tunnels. Time will be provided for your questions.

STEVE MOORE is currently teaching and directing the AgroEcology Program at Elon University. Previously, he was the Small Farm Unit Manager and Agriculture Energy Specialist at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University. He was part of the National Cooperative Extension team to develop E-extension education and information on sustainable energy production and utilization in agriculture. He is an associate editor of the peer review journal, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. He was the past Director of the Center for Sustainable Living at Wilson College, Chambersburg, PA, and founder of the Robyn Van En Center for Community Supported Agriculture Resources. He is co-founder, with his wife, Carol, of Harmony Essentials, a company dedicated to the vision and practices of a sustainable food system. Steve was appointed to the Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Board, served two terms on the board of directors for PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) and currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Ecology Action, Willits, CA. Steve and family have farmed and gardened organically for over 40 years. He has done extensive consulting and provides presentations and workshops worldwide.

Microgreen Production for Year-round Harvest empire c presenters

Jillian & Ross Mickens of Open Door Farm

Learn how these tiny greens, that pack amazing flavor and nutrients, can provide you with additional farm income year-round. During this workshop, we will cover which crops make good microgreens, growing and harvesting techniques, cost of production, and various marketing outlets. We’ll do a quick planting and harvesting demonstration and have plenty of microgreens to sample.

JILLIAN AND ROSS MICKENS operate Open Door Farm in Cedar Grove, NC. After beginning their farming experience at the Breeze Incubator Farm, they have now transitioned their operation onto their own land in northern Orange County. They grow produce and cut flowers with a specialization in year-round microgreen production. The farm strives to be a source of healthy food that is produced in a manner that is sustainable for the environment and financially and emotionally beneficial to the farmers and surrounding community.

Irrigation Basics – Making Irrigation Installations as Easy as Playing with Legos! outdoors presenter Melinda Fitzgerald of Country Farm and Home Do you want to install irrigation but find the myriad parts confusing? Are you unsure what size irrigation system your well or other water source will support?

This introduction to irrigation will take the mystery out of irrigation installation. You will learn how to calculate what size irrigation system your water source will support and how to break irrigation into zones if necessary. You will get hands-on experience with parts used for a variety of applications. In a group, you will set up drip tape for annual vegetable production, permanent drip line for orchard production, microtubing for raised beds or container gardening, and misters for seed germination, greenhouses, and mushrooms. You will learn how to connect each of these systems and get hands-on experience with all parts necessary to go from the source of water to the plant. By the end, irrigation should be as easy as playing with Legos! Note: If you are looking to install irrigation for more than two acres of production or are looking for information on how to connect an irrigation system to a pond, this workshop is not for you.

MELINDA FITZGERALD, after teaching middle school science in Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools for 13 years, left teaching to run her father’s feed and seed business in 2008. Since 2008, Melinda has turned Country Farm and Home in Pittsboro into the leading supplier of organic soil amendments and other sustainable and organic growing supplies, seeds, and feed in the Carolinas. Growers come from as far west as Charlotte and as far east as Wilmington to get hard-to-find farm supplies, organic seed potatoes, and non-GMO feeds. Melinda purchased Country Farm and Home from her father in 2014 and continues to grow the store’s organic offerings by listening to customer requests and feedback. Melinda began carrying irrigation supplies at Country Farm and Home in 2010, and in the time since, she has helped numerous growers custom design irrigation installations to fit their needs and has installed irrigation systems in community gardens across Chatham County.

The Future of Meat & the Conscious Omnivore empire e presenter

Meredith Leigh, author of The Ethical Meat Handbook

How can we achieve ethical meat? Join this session to learn connections you can make as a farmer, butcher, retailer or conscious consumer in service of a sound, sustainable local meat supply. We’ll discuss integrated management of animal and plant agriculture, buying meat, cooking meat, and key gaps in ethical meat supply chains.

MEREDITH LEIGH has, over the past 13 years, worked as a farmer, butcher, chef, teacher, executive director of a nonprofit, and writer, all in pursuit of sustainable food. She’s developed a farmer co-op, founded and catalyzed nonprofit ventures, grown vegetables, flowers, and meats, owned and managed a retail butcher shop, and more. She is a single mom, raising two boys, and the author of The Ethical Meat Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Butchery, Charcuterie, and Cooking for the Conscious Omnivore. Above all, Meredith is committed to real, good food as a means to connect with people, animals, and plants; learn new skills; create intentionally; stay inspired; and experience deliciousness.

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Epic Tomatoes – History, Flavors and Uses crystal coast presenter Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes This comprehensive workshop on all things tomatoes focuses upon the very best varieties in Craig’s vast tomato collection. These tomatoes have great stories and great flavors, which will be shared through lots of pictures. Craig will also touch upon factors for success in growing tomatoes in this challenging region, as well as favored uses of this cherished fruit – or is it a vegetable?

CRAIG LeHOULLIER’S 30-year love affair with tomatoes culminated in the publishing of his first book, Epic Tomatoes, early in 2015. With a collection exceeding 5000 different varieties, Craig’s tomato obsession is split between wonderful, family heirloom varieties, numerous rediscovered historic American-bred varieties, and most recently, creation of new types to fulfill tomato growers’ needs. This will be the last of over 40 events related to Craig’s new book, a year that has seen presentations at major flower shows in Seattle and Philadelphia, aswell as keynote workshops at the Seed Savers Exchange in Iowa and the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello. Craig’s second book, on straw bale gardening, will be out in December of this year.

Climate-Smart Decision Support Tools for Agriculture Adaptation empire d

before joining the agency in 1997. Her work focuses on geospatial analysis and relational database management, for regional and national modeling, and assessments of forest productivity and sustainability.

Jennifer received her BS in environmental geography from Ohio University and her MS in forestry and spatial information science from North Carolina State University.

Growing Herbs for Your CSA presenter

Suki Roth, Herb Haven

Explore easy-to-grow herbs that will enhance your CSA. Many herbs that thrive in the Carolinas can be used in teas, homemade remedies, and more. This workshop will focus on effective ways to plan, grow, harvest, and prepare many easily grown medicinal and edible plants to fill out your CSA offerings.

SUKI ROTH has been practicing herbalism for the last 20 years as a Community Herbalist. She has been supplying our local health food stores, local alternative health professionals, local physicians, and many clients in the Triangle with high quality herbal medicine for over 15 years. She is a teacher, mentor and passionate gardener. Suki has been growing medicinal plants for 22 years and her passion for sharing her knowledge of plants is now her lifetime commitment. Suki has successively run a lucrative herbal business and a thriving medicinal herb garden with the help of apprentices for the last 20 years. She has studied herbalism with many teachers and mentors and is now sharing her knowledge at many in- and out-of-state conferences.

presenters Sarah Wiener and Jennifer Moore-Myers of the USDA Southeast Regional Climate Hub

The Southeast Regional Climate Hub (SERCH) provides technology transfer and decision support for farmers adapting to the impacts of climate change (e.g., drought, pests, invasive species). Decision support tools offer simplified science and can help farmers make smart decisions to better adapt to climate variability and change. This may include: advice on planting dates, locations of pests and weed infestations, location-specific drought alerts, information about frost and changes in growing season, among others. This workshop will use three segments – a teaching component, an interactive component, and a listening/discussion component – to educate farmers about current decision-support tools that can help them adapt to climate change on their farmlands. In the first section, we will go through a brief “tour” of some free and publicly available web tools and mobile apps. In the second part, we will give users a chance to test out some of these tools on laptops and mobile phones with one-on-one demos and assistance from SERCH staff. Finally, we will conclude with a discussion, where we will actively listen to participants responses to the questions: 1) What kinds of decision support management tools do you use? 2) Which tools are the most useful and why? 3) What additional tool(s) would you find useful in your on-farm decision making? 4) What are the concerns of farmers related to climate adaptation? 5) How could tools help support these needs? The feedback we collect in this session will inform SERCH’s efforts, so that we can produce and support the tools and resources that are most needed by farmers in the Southeast.

SARAH WIENER coordinates SERCH’s assessment of current climate change resources and manages outreach and partnerships within the farming, ranching, and forestry communities of the Southeastern United States. Sarah joined the Eastern Threat Center team in Raleigh in January 2014, initially as the Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO) Content Manager, after finishing her MS in forestry at North Carolina State University. Her graduate research addressed rural livelihoods and how generational differences contribute to shifting woodland utilization in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Sarah graduated from the Honors Program at Iona College in New York with a BA in international studies, where she excelled as a Division I volleyball player.

JENNIFER MOORE MYERS is a Resource Information Specialist with the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station. After graduate school, Jennifer worked for the North Carolina Gap Analysis Project

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Workshop C

2 – 3:30 pm

Walk-Behind Tractor 101 presenter

Produce Vermicompost that Sells for $400– $1,300 per Cubic Yard royal a

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Joel Dufour, Earth Tools

One of the challenges of operating a high-efficiency, small-scale farm is to find equipment suitable for use in smaller spaces. Most folks find that the “Lawn & Garden” equipment typically available on the American market is problematic due to the lack of quality and versatility in this equipment sector. Enter walk-behind tractors, which have been used extensively by Europeans for small-scale farming over the past 60 years. Learn about the history, construction, application, and maintenance of these machines, and see if these little workhorses are right for your farming operation.

JOEL DUFOUR founded, owns, and operates Earth Tools, a business specializing in walk-behind farming equipment and professional gardening tools. Joel has also been an organic gardener for over 35 years.

New Opportunities for Funding Your Food & Agriculture Business: From Crowdfunding to Venture Funding empire b presenters Margaret Gifford, Principal at Watervine Impact and Rick Larson of Natural Capital Investment Fund

presenter Rhonda Sherman, Extension Specialist, Bio & Ag Engineering at NCSU

Looking to diversify your farm income? Interested in converting crop residues and manures into value-added products? Learn how vermicompost improves soil quality, increases plant yields, and suppresses diseases and pests. Markets include greenhouses, vineyards, farms, nurseries, golf courses, turf fields, landscapers, and homeowners. We’ll discuss equipment options, regulations, management issues, and what-when-how to feed the worms.

RHONDA SHERMAN has been contacted by people in 105 countries seeking her expertise in vermicomposting. She organizes the world’s only annual conference on large-scale vermicomposting. Rhonda is co-editor of the only scientific book on vermicomposting, Vermiculture Technology: Earthworms, Organic Wastes, & Environmental Management, with 600 pages from authors in 13 countries. She’s been an extension specialist at NC State University in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering for 22 years, and manages a two-acre Compost Training Facility. Rhonda regularly teaches and writes about small- to large-scale vermicomposting and composting, and serves as president of the NC Composting Council. bae.ncsu.edu/people/professionals/sherman

Accessing working and start-up capital can be a challenge, especially for a start-up food and agriculture business. Margaret Gifford, founder of the New York Citybased consulting firm, Watervine Impact, will share insights and tools from her national work helping farming and food clients raise donation, debt, and equity investment. This will be a practical workshop, where participants will be able to: 1) review various options for financial investment; 2) assess which one might be right for their needs; and then 3) gain tips on how to make the “ask” – whether that is to run a successful crowdfunding campaign, apply for PRI from a foundation or present your case to an angel investor. The workshop will also provide some tips for finding these kinds of funders.

How to Have Blooms Spring through Fall

MARGARET GIFFORD is the founder of NC-based Farmer Foodshare and currently serves as a board advisor to RAFI and Farm Hack. She is a member of CFSA and Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA).

Her newest venture, Watervine Impact, provides a network of business consulting services to help food and agriculture enterprises enter new markets, gain new customers, or access funds for growth.

Watervine clients include Barnraiser, Element Capital Advisors, Northeast Farm Access, GrowNYC, the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Watervine Impact is a member of the Community Food Funders of New York and the Northeast Food Knowledge Ecosystem (NEFKE).

IRA WALLACE, author of The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast, is worker/owner of the cooperatively managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Southern Exposure offers over 700 varieties of open-pollinated heirloom and organic seeds selected for flavor and regional adaptability. She co-organizes the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello and speaks throughout the Southeast. She blogs at motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening and southernexposure.com.

piedmont presenter Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Saving your own vegetable seeds is easy, but it takes planning to save your own seed for next year’s garden and to harvest garden fresh vegetables from early spring through summer into winter. Come learn tips, techniques, and timing for extending your harvest and saving pure seed while providing pollen, nectar, and shelter for pollinators year-round in your garden.

RICK LARSON has over 25 years of experience in community development and business finance, focused on supporting rural entrepreneurs, green businesses, and social ventures. He has worked with a missiondriven venture capital fund, run a nationwide entrepreneurship education program for rural youth and adults, and worked in manufacturing. He earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA from Amherst College. He teaches impact investing and social venture finance at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School, and he is a 2014–16 William C.Friday Fellow.

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Herbaceous Grafting: A Scale and Production System Neutral Tool for the IPM Toolbox auditorium presenters

David Suchoff and Jonathan Kressin of NCSU

Herbaceous grafting is gaining interest as a scale and production system neutral tool for managing soil-borne diseases. This workshop focuses on the history, application, and process of grafting solanaceous and cucurbitaceous crops. After the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to practice grafting both tomatoes and watermelon.

DAVID SUCHOFF is a doctoral student and research assistant in the Horticultural Science Department at NC State University. His current research aims to develop screening methods for abiotic stress tolerance in tomato rootstocks under the guidance of Dr. Chris Gunter. David grew up in Carrboro, NC and received a BA in music performance at UNC and a MS at NC State. Prior to entering graduate school, he was an apprentice at the CEFS Small Farm Unit. He served in the Peace Corps as an agricultural extension agent in Paraguay and Costa Rica where he developed his passion for sustainable agriculture.

JONATHAN KRESSIN is a research assistant and PhD student at NC State in the Dept. of Horticultural Science. He works in Dr. Dilip Panthee’s tomato breeding program, focusing on the use of bacterial wilt resistant tomato rootstocks in a grafted tomato production system. His forte is in plant genetics and pathology, endeavoring to better understand the genetics and physiology of tomato rootstocks resistant to bacterial wilt. Originally from the Southwest, he received his BS in horticulture from New Mexico State University, after which he completed his MS at NC State.

conducts research on hops, medicinal herbs, vegetables, truffles, and stevia. Several years ago she started a certified organic research unit where she cooperates with researchers across the country to screen and develop varieties for organic production systems. She also organizes conferences and workshops, gives enthusiastic and inspiring presentations on a wide range of topics, and gets information to growers through websites (e.g., ncherb.org) and social media. She is the lead author of the popular book Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal and Other Woodland Medicinals. A recipient of the CFSA Activist of the Year Award, she is a founding board member of the Organic Growers School and the NC Natural Products Association. Jeanine and her family operate Our Tiny Farm where they raise garlic, heirloom popcorn, honey, pastured beef, and mini-donkeys.

KELLY GASKILL is a research assistant at NC State in the Department of Horticultural Science. She has a passion for learning about plants and the natural world that often takes her from experiments in the agricultural field to exploration of life in the forest. Since 2010, she has been managing the Research Hop Yard in Mills River, NC, conducting workshops and tours, and networking with growers across the region.

She is also involved in the research and associated outreach of various other alternative crops, including truffles, medicinal herbs, and stevia.

Building Mushroom Logs presenter

outdoors

John Soehner of Eco Farm

Shiitake mushrooms grow well in the Carolinas, and many farmers, gardeners, and homesteaders have begun growing them as an added specialty crop. Learn how to prep the logs, choose spawn, innoculate and care for a shiitake mushroom log. Want to take your log home with you? Bring $20 to offset the spawn cost and you can bring your mushrooms home to grow.

Organic Certification

JOHN SOEHNER owns Eco Farm with his wife, Cindy Economopoulos. Eco has been in production since 1995 and sells goods to several local shops and restaurants, at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, and by CSA. Over the years they’ve produced over 70 different types of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers, along with farm crafts, hand-knitted goods, firewood, and their family-created Greek vegetarian cookbook.

Come learn how to tap into the great wholesale opportunities accessible through organic certification. Learn the basics of the National Organic Program (NOP) standards and resources available to you to ease the transition to organic.

Sustainable Poultry

KEITH BALDWIN Ph.D., CFSA’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement award winner, has been a strong supporter of sustainable agriculture in NC for more than 20 years. From his work as an agricultural extension agent in Chatham County to his lead role developing the programs that would become the Small Farm Unit at NCSU’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) to his work at the Cooperative Extension Program at NC A&T, Keith has been a force in support of sustainable agriculture in North Carolina for over 20 years.

Learn about sustainable poultry from Jim Adkins, nationally recognized poultry expert and founder of the Sustainable Poultry Network. Learn tips and tricks for maintaining healthy, thriving flocks of heritage breed birds, bring your poultry questions to ask the expert, and get the latest on highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and its implications for poultry farmers and hobbyists.

KAREN McSWAIN brings 15 years of organic farming and teaching experience to the organization. Her practical hands-on experience, combined with a BS in crop and soil science from Cornell University and a MS in horticulture and sustainable agriculture from Iowa State University make her keenly aware of issues faced by small farmers.

JIM ADKINS has, for the past 30 years, raised over 50 breeds and varieties of Standard Bred poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Jim has taught poultry field days and workshops throughout the United States and in other countries. He is a passionate, effective communicator who loves poultry and loves to teach people everything they need to know to produce healthy, profitable, heritage breed birds. He founded the Sustainable Poultry Network in 2010.

sandhills presenters Karen McSwain, Farm Services and Food Systems Director and Keith Baldwin, Farm Services Coordinator of CFSA

Growing Hops in the Carolinas

empire c presenters Jeanine Davis, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist and Kelly Gaskill, Research Assistant, Department of Horticultural Science, NCSU Whether you want to grow a few hop plants for your own home brewing needs or want to establish a large scale hop yard to supply the craft brewing industry, this workshop will provide the information you need to know about growing hops in the Southeast. Experiences from our research hop yards and local growers, including certified organic growers, will be shared.

empire e presenters Jim Adkins of the Sustainable Poultry Network

Kosher Soul Food

crystal coast presenter Michael Twitty, Afroculinaria Join our keynote, Michael Twitty, in this hands-on session connecting his love and knowledge of food and culture. As an African American Southerner who also happens to be Jewish – as well as one of the most sought-after modern food historians – Twitty has a unique and delicious spin on recipes for Hebraic celebrations. Join him for this history-filled cooking session, and get a taste of what he cooks up!

For MICHAEL TWITTY bio, see page 6.

JEANINE DAVIS is a research and extension horticulturist with NC State University who has been working with farmers in our region for over 27 years. She is located in western North Carolina where she currently

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What’s Next With FSMA?

royal b presenter Roland McReynolds, Esq., Executive Director of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association The Food and Drug Administration has published final rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Find out what the rules mean for your farm or food business, what to expect from regulators and markets, and what the sustainable ag community can do next to keep our food system safe for organic farmers and local food.

ROLAND McREYNOLDS is an attorney and has served as CFSA’s Executive Director since 2007. He currently serves on the USDA’s Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee, the North Carolina Fresh Produce Safety Task Force, and the Advisory Committees for the North and South Carolina Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education programs, and is a recognized expert on the impact of local, state and federal food safety regulation on local food systems.

The Biodynamic Farm Organism – Practical Application for Farmers and Gardeners empire d presenters Jim Fullmer, Co-Director and Erin Sojourner Agostinelli, Member Services Coordinator of Demeter USA This workshop will provide a comprehensive and hands-on practical outline of a biodynamic farming system. We will explore the base principle of a biodynamic farm – the farm as a living and self-sustaining organism – by taking a practical look at the following 7 inter-related agronomic principles that are foundational to biodynamic agriculture : 1) Biodiversity; 2) Generating fertility out of the living dynamics of the farm; 3) Generating pest control out of the living dynamics of the farm; 4) The Biodynamic preparations and wider influences; 5) On-farm water and waterway conservation; 6) Integration of livestock; and 7) Gentle post-harvest handling. Our discussion will be utilizing the US Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard as a template.

In doing so, this workshop will also serve as an introduction to the US Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard, which defines biodynamic agriculture and the products that result for the US marketplace.

JIM FULLMER has been Executive Director of Demeter since 2004. Graduating with a BS in horticulture from Oregon State University, Jim has been a hands-on Biodynamic farmer for 25 years and currently resides with his family on their Demeter Certified Biodynamic farm, the Hoskins Berry Farm, in Kings Valley, Oregon. Jim brings a wealth of experience as a previous consultant for both biodynamic and organic farming and processing operations, along with multiple years engaged as an independent organic inspector and consultant. This has placed Jim at the forefront of the industry, working with the original organic certifiers in the US, as well as numerous well-established certifiers throughout the world. Jim’s global immersion into organic and biodynamic agriculture has taken him on travels beyond the US and Europe, including Indonesia, China, Russia, Mexico, and Central America.

ERIN SOJOURNER AGOSTINELLI, once an organic farmer, still an “Ecotarian” mother, focuses on what’s best for our bodies, taste buds, and the earth. Erin was a co-founder of Health Happens Naturally, but more recently, she’s joined forces with Demeter USA in their vision to “heal the planet through agriculture.” She is a photographer, foodie, gardener, writer, and green juice-lover, living in the mountains of Asheville, NC.

Workshop D: Big Idea Presentations 4 – 5 pm Come expand your mind with these short talks from a set of cuttingedge thought leaders.

The Fertile Ground Food Cooperative – Bringing Fresh Food to a Food Desert in Southeast Raleigh empire a presenters Erin Dale Byrd, Fertile Ground Food Cooperative and Board Chair and Executive Director of Blueprint NC and Becky Bowen, Co-Executive Director of Carolina Common Enterprise

Learn how the Fertile Ground Food Cooperative (FGFC) has innovatively formed community partnerships that will bring fresh food and foster vibrant community in Southeast Raleigh. As written in their mission statement, “we envision FGFC becoming an intergenerational hub for residents to build an alternative economy and foster personal and collective assets.” In addition to increasing access to health-conscious affordable food options, this cooperative will host educational programs and cultural events as a vehicle for building a customer and membership base. Residents of Southeast Raleigh and surrounding areas will be proud to patronize a locally and collectively owned enterprise that is contributing to the health and well-being of their community. Southeast Raleigh’s youth will have a hip and conscious gathering space.

Not only will they feel welcomed in this inviting space, they are an integral part of it.

ERIN DALE BYRD is a mother, community activist, political strategist, and cultural worker in Raleigh, NC. She was raised in a military family with roots in Tennessee and Texas. As Executive Director of Blueprint NC, she worked with a collaborative of 48 progressive organizations for a fairer, more just North Carolina.

Blueprint NC is part of the State Voices national network. She has 13 years of experience in successful coalition work on campaigns including increasing the minimum wage, public financing of judicial campaigns and same day voter registration. Erin’s work focuses on organizational capacity building with an emphasis on culture, civic engagement/organizing, planning, communication, and evaluation. She is Board Chair of Southern Partners Fund, a member of Black Workers for Justice and a founding member of the Fertile Ground Food Cooperative in Southeast Raleigh. Erin is most proud of her accomplishment as a mother of two Prince Kings. She has a degree in sociology from the College of William and Mary.

BECKY BOWEN is an attorney and community economic developer by trade. She was born and raised in Raleigh, got a degree in German from Wake Forest University and a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has lived in a number of places in the States and overseas, including a stint in Germany, where she put some of her college degree to use, but she came home three years ago. Now, in addition to her role as Co-Executive Director of Carolina Common Enterprise, a nonprofit cooperative development center, she also works for NC State as the Program Manager of CultivateNC, a new community development program for the NC Cooperative Extension Service. Fertile Ground was one of Carolina Common Enterprise’s first clients and continues to be one of its favorites.

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Soil and Sacrament: Food, Faith, and Growing Heaven on Earth empire c presenter

about “growing up rambunctious” on a dairy farm in the mountains of North Carolina.

Cynthia has many funny stories about the markets – but recognizes their importance to the communities they serve. She realizes modern day farmers’ markets recreate market days of past centuries. Come listen to this story observer tell her stories!

Fred Bahnson, Wake Forest University

After four years starting and directing a community garden ministry, Bahnson set out on a pilgrimage to meet others who had experienced what he called “the agrarian conversion.” On his journey he met people of faith all over America who are re-rooting themselves in the land. Through his journeys to four different agrarian faith communities – Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, and Jewish – Bahnson explores the connections between spiritual nourishment and the way we feed our bodies.

His journey is a story about communion in the deepest sense – a hopeful and joyful meditation on what grows above the earth, beneath it, and inside each one of us.

FRED BAHNSON directs the Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He is the author of Soil & Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith and co-author (with Norman Wirzba) of Making Peace with the Land. He was a 2009–10 WK Kellogg Food & Community fellow, and in 2012 was awarded a North Carolina Artist fellowship in Creative Nonfiction from the NC Arts Council. He lives with his wife and three sons in western North Carolina where they tend a one-acre edible forest garden.

Of Jugglers, Snake Oil, and Storytellers empire d presenter Cynthia Raxter, Storyteller Saturday mornings, Cynthia Raxter can be found at a farmers’ market with all the farmers’ kids in front of her (and a few adults!) – all enthralled. She tells true-life yarns

CYNTHIA RAXTER is a storyteller and standup comedian. She grew up in the mountains of North Carolina on a farm, in the house her mother was born in. She lives in Bynum now – a former cotton mill town, now artist community, on the banks of the Haw River in Chatham County, NC. Cynthia’s tales are recounted with a delightful mountain lilt. She specializes in farm stories from her childhood, her father’s and mother’s stories of growing up during the Depression, and stories that promote good values and self-worth. Modern-day David and Goliaths. The Odyssey, Winnebago-style. Aesop’s Fables a la Frozen Creek. Cynthia is an audience favorite at the Mouth of the South Storytelling Series, and the Monti. She also performs standup comedy at Goodnights, DSI Comedy Theater, The Phoenix Theater, and the Idiot Box in Greensboro. She is known as the “Farmers’ Market Storyteller.” Cynthia is a member of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild, and has been a professional storyteller for 15 years. But Cynthia insists, more importantly, she is a story observer, “my gift – if I have one – is seeing the story in every day. Stories give meaning to everyday life!”

Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate empire e presenter

Laura Lengnick, author of Resilient Agriculture

As we enter the 21st century, farm and food businesses face novel challenges created by resource scarcity and climate change. Author, educator, scientist, and farmer, Laura Lengnick, shares the adaptation stories of 25 award-winning sustainable farmers and ranchers producing vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and livestock across the US. These producers have anywhere from 25 to more than 40 years of experi-

. s g g e c i n . s s e c orga n i r y p r i a f y p hap We are proud to be a CFSA Conference Sponsor. Come visit with us. Let’s talk organics. Together we can take back the food chain, one egg at a time.

newcountryorganics.com • 540-469-0694

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sat u r d a y & s u n d a y w o r k s h o p s ence managing sustainable businesses in the same location and many are the third or fourth generation on the same farm or ranch. Since about 2000, most report increased management challenges associated with more variable weather and more frequent and intense weather extremes. Laura weaves their stories from the field with the latest climate science to explore the resilience of sustainable agriculture and food systems in these challenging times.

LAURA LENGNICK has explored agriculture and food system sustainability through more than 30 years of work as a researcher, policy-maker, educator, and farmer. Her research in soil quality and sustainable farming systems won a USDA Secretary’s Honor Award in 2002 and she contributed to the third National Climate Assessment as a lead author of the 2012 USDA report, Climate Change and US Agriculture: Effects and Adaptation. After more than a decade leading the academic program in sustainable agriculture at Warren Wilson College, Laura left the college in 2014 to launch Cultivating Resilience, a private firm offering ecosystem-based climate resilience planning services to business and government. Her new book, Resilient Agriculture: Cultivating Food Systems for a Changing Climate (New Society Publishers, 2015), blends the latest climate science with stories of 25 award-winning sustainable farmers and ranchers to explore how they enhance the climate resilience of their farm and food businesses and the changes we need to make now to cultivate a resilient food future.

Veterans in Agriculture

royal a presenter Robert Elliott, Cypress Hall Farms, The Veteran’s Farm of NC, and Farmer Veteran Coalition Many veterans are serving their country for a second time as farmers, bringing great assets to our food system. In addition, opportunities in agriculture have helped many servicemen and women establish new careers and recover from the social, physical, and psychological challenges veterans face. Special information for veterans will be discussed, such as programs for assistance, networking for farmer veterans, and organizations helping veterans succeed in agricultural enterprises.

ROBERT ELLIOT is a former US Marine turned sustainable farmer. He now works with veterans across the country to engage them in the world of farming, thus reducing the number of veteran related suicides (22/day) and providing meaningful employment for these men and women. He is the owner and operator of Cypress Hall Farm in Louisburg, NC.

Ecological Restoration as a Community Development Strategy in Jamaica royal b presenter Nicola Shirley-Phillips, Country Director, Jamaica Sustainable Farm Enterprise Program and Source Farm Foundation

This workshop will look at the many facets of restorative ecology as a community economic development strategy being introduced in the Americas and the Caribbean.

The workshop will share the work and experience of the Source Farm Foundation as it seeks to remedy the effects of globalization on developing nations.

NICOLA SHIRLEY, an award-winning chef, entrepreneur, restaurateur, community developer and now Country Director, is a woman on a mission to create healthy food systems, to enhance sustainable livelihoods in her community, and to promote organic farming and permaculture in Jamaica. Shirley lectures extensively on Jamaican food, culture, and organic farming. Her warm manner, infectious laugh, and lilting Jamaican accent combine with her expertise and talent to create strong audience approval.

Workshop E

9 – 10:30 am

How to Sell to Chefs and Stores

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moderator Fred Broadwell of Local Organic Y’all panel Brendan Cox of OakLeaf, Ben Filippo of Foster-Caviness, and Leila

Wolfrum of Durham Food Coop Market

Want to expand your sales to chefs and stores? These representatives from OakLeaf, Foster Caviness and the Durham Food Coop will share which best practices encourage them to return to growers again and again. This panel is led by Fred Broadwell, prior CFSA Education Director and current director of Local Organic Y’all.

FRED BROADWELL has worked in the local/organic food movement in the Carolinas since the late 1990s, serving as both CFSA’s Treasurer and Education Director. Before that, he nurtured green businesses as the Sustainability Director at the Self Help Credit Union/Ventures Fund in Durham and as a program manager at the Materials for the Future Foundation in San Francisco. Currently, he is working on two exciting projects. He has just finished editing a memoir of organic farming pioneer Bill Dow. And with “Local Organic Y’all” he is launching an effort to create more transparency around the local/organic purchasing practices of supermarkets and food wholesalers.

An Agripreneur’s Guide: Leading Best Practices for Growing Your Food Business empire b presenters CFSA’s Stephen Nix and Thomas Moore, and representatives from CFSA’s 2015 Food Projects, including Peter Skillern of Reinvestment Partners, Sabastian Wolfrum of Epiphany Malt, Lindsey Barrow Jr, Founder and Director of Lowcountry Street Grocery & Kate DeWitt, Associate Director of Lowcountry Street Grocery This interactive workshop will provide food producers and agripreneurs with industry best practices and tools to successfully develop and launch their food businesses.

Strategic business planning, market channel analysis, business financial development, and organizational structuring will be discussed as key drivers for business sustainability and financial success. Trend-setting practitioners and leading advisers within the industry will host the workshop and share their knowledge on how to incubate and scale-up food businesses more strategically.

PETER SKILLERN is the Executive Director of Reinvestment Partners, a nonprofit agency that uses social entrepreneurship and advocacy for corporate responsibility to realize its mission of promoting and protecting community wealth. The agency owns shares in 50 financial institutions for the purpose of asset growth and shareholder advocacy to promote fair lending practices. More than $40 billion of lending commitments to low-income communities has been secured as a result of the agency’s work. Skillern graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz and earned a master’s in city and regional planning with a specialization in real estate development with the Kenan Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to his current position, Skillern worked with the National Low Income Housing Coalition and was the Executive Director of the Durham Affordable Housing Coalition where he raised and packaged millions of dollars for affordable housing development.

SEBASTIAN WOLFRUM is the founder and maltster of Epiphany Craft Malt in Durham, NC, opening in Fall 2015 to provide an integrated regional supply to brewers, distillers, and other sprouted grain ventures.

Born and raised in Germany, he earned his certification as a brewer and maltster with the Ayinger Brewery outside of Munich from 1997 to 1999. Continuing his brewing career in the US, from 2006–13 Sebastian was Director of Brewing Operations for the second largest craft brewery in North Carolina. As a founding member of the NC Craft Brewers Guild in 2008, he continues to be very involved in the affairs of the small brewers in the region.

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s u n day w o r k s h o p s LINDSEY BARROW is the founder and director of Lowcountry Street Grocery (LSG). As a student at the College of Charleston, where he studied both political science and philosophy, Lindsey developed a strong interest in social issues surrounding food security and sustainability. After graduation, he headed to Hawaii to serve as legislative aide in the Hawaii State House of Representatives, where he oversaw his district’s efforts to address public health concerns regarding diabetes and healthy food access. Upon returning to South Carolina, Lindsey discovered the same barriers to healthy food access in Charleston.

This compelled him to advocate for the same kind of relief efforts in Charleston’s low-income neighborhoods, and the concept for LSG was born. When he’s not in the office planning the future of LSG, Lindsey can be found at Rebellion Farms tending to fresh fruits and vegetables that he shares with local chefs and producers.

KATE DEWITT’S passion for supporting the community began at an early age. Since graduating from the College of Charleston, where she earned a master’s degree in public administration, she has provided research and capacity building services to area nonprofit organizations and government entities. With this experience, Kate provides an academic and professional background in public service and data analysis, with a specific focus on local food economies and food security. She specializes in quantitative research and policy analysis on the topic of food assistance policy implementation in local food systems. Kate joined Lindsey Barrow at LSG in 2014, taking on the role of associate director at the socially conscious company. At LSG, Kate works largely behind the scenes, building community partnerships and managing LSG’s internal operations. When she’s not on campus or in the LSG office, Kate enjoys spending time outside with her two dogs, and venturing out to the farm.

THOMAS MOORE, CFSA’s NC Food Systems Coordinator, grew up in Concord, NC and graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a BA in religious studies and peace, war, and defense.

Following graduation, he continued his studies in Vancouver and received a post baccalaureate diploma from the Faculty of Environmental Studies at Simon Fraser University. He has experience in sustainable community development, supply chain management, food security initiatives, and developing sustainable food systems. Thomas moved back to his hometown with his wife, Rindy, and their daughter where they raise backyard chickens, ducks, bees, and grow seasonal vegetables.

STEPHEN NIX, CFSA’s SC Food Systems Coordinator, grew up in rural SC and graduated from Clemson University with a degree in geology. Stephen and his wife, Heather, currently reside near Travelers Rest, SC where they raise bees and broiler chickens, and grow seasonal vegetables. As a farm owner, Stephen brings the hands-on experience of a small-scale farmer to CFSA in addition to 17 years of experience as an environmental consultant.

ers and homeowners learn healthy ways to assist the honey bee. Ross will share the “how to” of numerous techniques to keep bees alive despite the numerous stresses on their health. Topics covered include genetics and breeding, trapping, screened bottom boards, essential oils, organic acids, treatment-free beekeeping, drug-free foulbrood control, organic virus and nosema solutions, planting for pollinators, and more.

For ROSS CONRAD bio, see page 18.

Fast-Track to GAP

royal a presenters James Cooper, CFSA’s Local Produce Safety Coordinator and Trish Tripp, On-Farm Food Safety Consultant, Artisan Food Solutions Jump on the Fast Track to GAP. Join James and Trish as they provide a summary of key points from GAP audit experiences, good practices, and lessons learned as they share their strategies to successfully pass a GAP audit. This interactive workshop will be delivered through presentation, Q&A, and group discussion with local growers sharing their personal experiences from preparation to audit day success!

JAMES COOPER is a NC native with a BS in natural resource management/environmental science from UNC-Wilmington. He is a sustainable agricultural specialist and founding member of three organic farming and production operations. With more than 15 years of experience promoting sustainable farming technologies and systems, James specializes in food logistics, responsible production methods, commercial USDA organic vegetable production, and supporting the implementation and development of successful farming programs. James supports farmers with food safety compliance in production, retail, post-harvesting handling, processing and packing houses.

PATRICIA TRIPP is the On-Farm Food Safety Consultant at Artisan Food Solutions and a prior Local Produce Safety Coordinator at CFSA. She holds a Master’s of Science in agricultural and life sciences from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) and a Bachelor’s of Science in chemistry. Trish has worked for a leading NC produce distributor and understands the challenges that small-scale producers face in meeting quality expectations.

Coaxing More Profit from Your Farm: Just Scaling Down Acreage without Scaling Down Because It Sells Doesn’t Mean It’s Profitable! empire d Profit empire e presenter

presenter

Clifton Slade of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Learn how Clifton Slade of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, a third generation farmer, transformed his farming operation from conventional row crops to two very profitable certified organic acres.

CLIFTON SLADE is a third generation farmer and part-time extension agent with Virginia State University who continues to farm the land on which he grew up. In 2011, he began the transition from large-scale conventional farming of mainly corn and soy, to growing organic diversified produce and heirloom seeds on just two acres of land. Clif is realizing profits on his two-acre plot that often exceed his profit margins when he had over 100 acres of conventional row crops!

Honey Bee Collapse and Organic Solutions piedmont presenter Ross Conrad of Dancing Bee Gardens The honey bee faces many affronts to its immune system in these days of varroa mites and pesticide overload. The so-called “Colony Collapse Disorder” now facing beekeepers makes it all the more imperative that local beekeepers, farmers, garden-

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Ellen Polishuk of Potomac Vegetable Farms

Knowing which crops are profitable leads to more powerful decision making on the farm. Learn about tools and tips for figuring out whether you are actually making money on the crops you grow. This workshop will be veggie focused, but the principles apply to all farm products.

ELLEN POLISHUK is a biological vegetable grower, farm consultant, and teacher. She helps farmers, agricultural professionals, and eaters of all kinds to appreciate and understand the complexity and beauty of food: the nexus of plants, soil, and people. Ellen is one of the owners of Potomac Vegetable Farms in northern Virginia where they grow tons of produce, all retailed via CSA, two farm stands, and seven farmers’ markets.

Growing Rice

empire a presenter Nazirahk Amen, ND, L.Ac. of Purple Mountain Organics Rice is a primary staple crop for more than half of the world’s population.

Traditionally considered a commodity crop, unique varieties and growing methods can create a niche market for growing this grain as a specialty crop. Nazirahk Amen and Purple Mountain Organics are on the forefront of a small-scale grain production

www.carolinafarmstewards.org

s u n day w o r k s h o p s renaissance. Through the University of the District of Columbia CAUSES, they received a USDA Research Grant for a three-year project, “Growing Nutrient Dense Rice Using Drip Irrigation and Biodegradable Mulch”. Working with farmer Heinz Thomet of Next Step Produce, they received SARE grant funding for a project entitled, “Exploring Dryland Rice Production in the Mid-Atlantic”. Nazirahk will share with us how farmers can grow rice as a specialty crop using small farm equipment. We will discuss the basics of rice physiology, dry-land growing methods, variety selection, and smallscale grain processing techniques and equipment that will allow the small farmer to diversify production.

NAZIRAHK AMEN, ND, L.Ac. has been a homeopath, naturopathic physician, and oriental medicine practitioner for over 15 years in the Washington DC metro area and resides in Takoma Park, MD. In addition to a busy medical practice, he manages about five acres of orchard and vegetable production. He is the owner of Purple Mountain Organics, which offers fine quality tools, growing supplies and sustainable ag services. Dr. Amen is first and foremost a spiritual adherent practicing and refining harmonious living skills for himself and the greater community and is excited to share information and skills gained from this journey.

Reduce Feed Costs with Black Soldier Flies outdoors presenter Karl Warkomski, Prota Culture Learn everything you need to know to raise this native species as an affordable, renewable, GMO-free alternative to purchased feed. Karl Warkomski, trained biologist and director at Prota Culture has been working with black soldier flies since 2007 and will share everything you need to know to utilize this protein-rich food with your flocks and fish.

In 2008, KARL WARKOMSKI co-founded CompostMania.com, part of Prota Culture, an online retail destination for unique composting products and solutions. Warkomski co-founded Composters.com in 1996, a website dedicated to providing educational materials and composting products. Karl was previously a director at Green Culture, a retail website whose offerings include ecologically-oriented products.

Serving as mayor and founding council member from 2001-2007 for the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Karl was responsible for pioneering environmental policies in that newly incorporated municipality.

Warkomski is an active member of several prominent environmental organizations and recently served as the Executive Director of Laguna Canyon Foundation in Orange County, California. Warkomski received his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Southern California.

Pasture Finished Beef

auditorium presenters Jamie and Amy Ager, Hickory Nut Gap Farm Pasture raised and finished beef is in high demand for its nutritional value, great flavor, and benefits to the environment. Learn strategies for success from growers Jamie and Amy Ager, the owners of the acclaimed Hickory Nut Gap Farm.

JAMIE AGER is a fourth generation farmer at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. He grewup in a drafty old farm house, helping with the laying hens, sheep, cattle, and horses on the property alongside his three brothers, and parents, John and Annie Ager. AMY FREY AGER is two generations removed from her farming roots in Louisville, KY. She grew up in the suburbs of the city with an understanding of hard work and responsibility from an early age, thanks to her parents, Bob and Melanie Frey. Jamie and Amy paired their visionary and detail-oriented skills into a fresh start and new enterprises for HNG just out of college, after assessing the farm’s current operations and creating a business plan in 2000. This plan was the beginning of what you see still happening today at the farm – raising and direct marketing pastured poultry, pastured pork, and grass-fed beef.

High-Dollar Crops That Grow Themselves: Foraged Foods That the Chefs All Want crystal coast presenter Frank Hyman Face it. Much of your farm land is too shady, too wet, too poor or too hilly to farm properly. But even now, that land is producing high-dollar, healthful, naturally organic food crops and you don’t even know it. It’s time to learn about foraging wild edible plants and mushrooms. Experienced forager, horticulturist, and former farmer, Frank Hyman, will share with you: 1) plenty of the easiest to identify edible wild plants and mushrooms in the Carolinas; 2) further steps to take to get your foraging skills up to a professional level; and 3) how to pitch these uncommon – but highdollar – crops to chefs and other customers. Feral food has arrived in the high-end American kitchen (at last) and you can be redistributing some of that wealth into your pockets (and eating some great food, too).

FRANK HYMAN is a horticulturist, forager, writer and former organic farmer. In January 2013, Frank Hyman found a 33-pound lion’s mane mushroom growing on a tree and in two hours sold parts of it to five chefs for $351. He’d only learned about this mushroom two months earlier. Frank studied foraging under some of the best foragers in the country: Alan Muskat, “Wildman” Steve Brill, Ellen Zachos, Parker Veitch, Marie Viljoen, Tradd Cotter, “Gumby” Montgomery, Sam Thayer, Will Endres and Sarah Haggerty.

Frank is a former organic farmer and has a BS in horticulture from NCSU. Frank sells stories and photos to a dozen garden magazines, such as Organic Gardening, Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Chickens, Modern Farmer, and writes the “Feral Food ” column in Urban Farm magazine. He owns a landscaping business and small nursery in Durham, NC.

Let’s Start A Food Council! A Workshop on Engaging in Community Food System Collaboration sandhills presenters Abbey Piner of Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Jared Cates of CFSA, and Tyler Jenkins of Carolina Common Enterprise

Food councils are developing across NC as well as in neighboring states and countries.

Come learn how food councils can be a dynamic force for contextualizing and responding to the evolution of community-based food systems. This interactive workshop will engage participants in the collaborative and iterative process of building (and sustaining) food councils. The activities will address all levels of food council development and are appropriate for those who are interested in learning what a food council is (or can be) as well as those who have been actively involved in a food council for some time. Join us as we work through scenarios that call on our collective creativity to develop (and deepen) an active network of citizens that compose the evolving story of food rooted in their community’s place-based reality.

JARED CATES has worked in nonprofit organizations in NC for over 10 years. His work at CFSA has focused on connecting, organizing and mobilizing community members around critical public policy issues. Jared also works to support the growing network of food policy councils that is developing across the region.

Jared lives in Durham, NC where he is an active gardener, poultry parent, and fermentation aficionado.

ABBEY PINER has worked with nonprofits at the intersection of food and community development for the past seven years in both DC and NC. Abbey layered her experience in Public Health with a master’s degree in horticulture where she studied urban agriculture and community engaged design. Abbey began work with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in 2013, working to build communitybased food systems across NC. She now coordinates the Community Food Strategies project at CEFS, with

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Celebrate our gardening heritage with flavorful, regional heirlooms.

Our catalog includes over 700 varieties of vegetables, flowers, herbs, grains, and cover crops.

In the spring, try organic seed potatoes and sweet potato slips.

In the fall, perennial onions and heirloom garlic make easy overwintering crops.

See our website and catalog for growing guides, seed saving recommendations, and the stories behind the seeds.

Request your Free Catalog & Garden Guide:

www.SouthernExposure.com organic ∙ heirloom ∙ non-GMO

s u n day w o r k s h o p s an aim to develop and network local food councils across NC and increase the capacity of local communities to influence food systems change.

Workshop F

TYLER JENKINS attended Emory University, holding a master’s degree in public health, with a focus on theory of social change and development and global health education. Tyler moved to North Carolina in 2012, where he took up an apprenticeship with a pasture-raised livestock and organic produce farm in Efland. He then worked to coordinate the investment of public grant dollars into a 10-county region for the State Department of Health and Human Services, which succeeded in moving locally-raised foods into convenience stores and making structural improvements including advertising, operations, and the adoption of SNAP/EBT services at local farmers ’ markets. Tyler currently advises the Center for Environmental Farming System’s Community Food Strategies team, which provides technical assistance and facilitation for the development of food policy councils throughout the state of North Carolina. Tyler also works at Carolina Common Enterprise (CCE) where he directs CCE’s development and education programs. He coordinates strategic relationship building for support of cooperative enterprises, through development of CCE’s support systems, and provides training on market entry, governance, and financial education.

Whole Farm Planning for Beginning Farmers

Aquaponics: A Dynamic Growth Unit Combining Animal and Plant Production Components for Sustainable Agriculture royal b presenter Lance Beecher, Clemson Aquaponics is a sustainable food production system that merges conventional aquaculture (fish husbandry) techniques with hydroponics (soilless plant cultivation) in a synergetic environment. Aquaponic techniques can be applied to cultivate an assortment of garden vegetables in combination with animal protein for consumption.

Also, individuals who are concerned with food handling and safety are reassured by cultivating crops in a chemical-free, natural environment. The workshop will contain an overview of aquaponic techniques and benefits, in-depth discussions on fish and plant selection, system components and processes, design hints and operational techniques for effective production, as well as economic information. Also, a brief presentation will be given to highlight systems in production at Clemson University and the future of aquaponics and aquaculture at the University. There will be time available for questions.

LANCE BEECHER teaches aquaculture and aquaponic classes at Clemson University in the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. He also works with Clemson Extension and serves as the Aquaculture and Fisheries Specialist for the state of South Carolina. He received a PhD from Clemson University and a MS and BS from Louisiana State University in fisheries and wildlife biology. Before coming to Clemson, Lance spent 12 years researching and developing filtration for intensive recirculating aquaculture production systems. He has extensive experience with fresh and saltwater aquaculture species and has experience in both low density (outdoor) and high density (indoor) system design, construction and management. At Clemson, Lance has worked on zero-discharge marine shrimp production systems, intensive algal production for biofuel, and various designs of aquaponic systems.

10:45 am – 12:15 pm

empire a presenter Tony Kleese, Earthwise Organics Starting a farm can be overwhelming. There are too many options and decisions and it is difficult to narrow it all down into a real plan. Join Tony Kleese in this popular workshop that synthesizes your learning from throughout the conference and provides a structure for your farm plan as well as resources to help you put your plan into action.

TONY KLEESE has been active in the development of local and organic food systems in the Carolinas as a farmer and activist since 1989. He’s managed several organic farms across North Carolina and is a founding member of Eastern Carolina Organics. He helped develop the USDA’s National Organic Standards in the late 90s and currently educates and consults on organic certification and participates in organic policy and business development. He has a long history of educating sustainable farmers with a strong focus on entrepreneurship starting with the Sustainable Farming Program at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro, NC in 1997, and continuing today in locations throughout the southeastern US and the Caribbean. Much of his 25 years of sustainable agriculture work has revolved around the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, with many roles, including Executive Director from 2000 to 2007.

Today, Tony manages Earthwise Organics, an organic farming and food systems consultant company. He also currently serves on Organic Seed Alliance’s Board of Directors. earthwiselife.com

Growing Together: How Lowes Foods and UNC-W Dining Services are Bringing Small and Mid-Scale Producers into their Supply Chains empire b moderator Rebecca Dunning, NC Growing Together Project at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems panel Molly Rousey of Feast Down East, Matt Rogers of Aramark, Chris Woodring of FreshPoint, and Krista Morgan of Lowes Foods

Come to this panel discussion to hear about the approaches used by grocery retailer, Lowes Foods, its warehouse distributor, Merchant’s Distributor, Inc, and UNC-W dining service operator, Aramark, to buy from small and mid-scale growers in North Carolina. Rebecca Dunning (CEFS) will facilitate the discussion with representatives from Lowes/MDI and UNC-W Aramark, and their suppliers, including Sysco/FreshPoint and food hub, Feast Down East.

REBECCA DUNNING is a research assistant professor at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at North Carolina State University and specializes in the social and economic aspects of food systems and food supply chains. She conducts research for and manages the North Carolina Growing Together project (NCGT), a five-year (2013-2017) USDA-funded initiative to link small and mid-scale producers of produce, meat, dairy, and seafood into grocery and food service supply chains. ncgrowingtogether.org

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s u n day w o r k s h o p s

Getting to Superior Performance Biochar piedmont presenter John Bonitz of Celebrity Dirt Soil Amendments This session will review the rapidly emerging science of how biochar benefits soils and crops. We will cover the basics of how good biochar is made. Then we will dive into the complexities of how biochar is best prepared for soil, to ensure immediate benefit, and to prevent detriment.

JOHN BONITZ’S path to his current focus on rebuilding soils has been a meandering one. As the son of a dairy farmer and an insulation industry pioneer, John’s interest in agriculture, forestry, energy, and the environment runs deep. John’s environmental profession began as an award-winning solid waste manager and recycling coordinator. Graduate studies in climate change policy brought him to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), analyzing cost-effective renewable energy technologies.

He has also worked in sustainable agriculture, addressing the challenges of financing farm ventures.

From 2007 to 2014, John was with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, helping farmers and woodland owners learn the economic opportunities in a clean energy future, and working to ensure that bioenergy is developed sustainably. In that position, he was caught in crossfires in the debate over the “carbon neutrality” of bioenergy, which drove him to solutions, like biochar, that render the debate irrelevant.

In 2015, he began developing a farm-based business to build soil and start – in a small way – reversing climate change. facebook.com/CelebrityDirtSoilAmendments

Real Life Forest Gardening and Farming auditorium presenter Zev Friedman, Co-Director, Permaculture in Action, Living Systems Design

Tomato Breeding at Johnny’s & Variety Selection on Your Farm sandhills presenters Emily Rose Haga, Johnny’s Seeds and Ken Dawson, Maple Springs Gardens

Emily Rose Haga will describe how new varieties are developed in her tomato breeding program at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, and what traits she looks for when selecting new varieties to offer for home gardeners and market farmers. Ken Dawson will discuss factors to consider in variety selection and will present some of his favorites and other interesting varieties worthy of market growers’ consideration.

EMILY ROSE HAGA is a plant breeder at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, a seed company located in central Maine that is dedicated to providing high quality seeds, tools, and information for the diversified market grower. She is passionate about the rich diversity of food crops domesticated by our human ancestors, and the potential role of seeds and breeds in revitalizing local food cultures across America today. She has been connected with the sustainable agriculture movement for over half of her life, having worked at food co-ops and organic farms in southern Wisconsin before pursuing degrees in horticulture and plant breeding and genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is devoted to improving the viability of diversified farming systems by developing new and improved vegetable varieties, and specializes in self-pollinated crops – including tomatoes, peppers,and lettuce.

KEN DAWSON has grown vegetables organically for more than 40 years in Orange County, NC and has farmed full-time for more than 30 years. He and his family and staff raise vegetables, small fruits, cut flowers, and herbs in high tunnels and in the field, marketing primarily through farmers’ markets and a 200-member CSA. Ken has served for 24 years on the boards of local farmers’ markets, on the SARE Administrative Council, and has presented at conferences throughout the Southeast.

Breeding Cucurbits for Organics in the Southeast Region empire c

We live in a region where ecological succession nudges any cleared land towards forest. Learn practical permaculture techniques to work with, rather than against, nature by growing food, medicine, timber, fiber and income as part of management cycles that integrate all stages of forest succession while sequestering carbon and helping ecosystems to adapt to climate change.

presenters Michael Mazourek of Cornell, Jeanine Davis of NCSU, Edmund Frost of Common Wealth Seed Growers, and Jared Zystro of Organic Seed Alliance

ZEV FRIEDMAN is a leading permaculture practitioner, designer, researcher and instructor in the southern Appalachian region. He grew up in a patch of kudzu in western North Carolina, received his BS in human ecology from UNC-Asheville in 2004 and his Permaculture Design Certificate from Patricia Allison and Chuck Marsh in 2007. Zev specializes in hands-on, in-depth education in permaculture and earth-skills, and seeks to grow community and multi-generational village culture through his consulting work and land projects. He now lives at Earthaven Ecovillage outside of Asheville, where he installs and manages forest agriculture experiments, produces much of his own household’s food through “milpa” successional farming, does permaculture design work for landowners, and leads a variety of educational experiences.

The Cucurbit family – from cukes and melons, to summer and winter squash – are prime crops for food and seed production in the Southeast. But organic farmers need diverse, disease resistant, regionally adapted varieties with good market qualities.

Hear updates on efforts from public breeding programs to assess farmers’ needs, identify the best available varieties, and breed improved varieties. Also learn how to engage in on-farm breeding using basic field breeding practices appropriate for this crop. Presenters will share examples of existing formal and farmer-led projects breeding cucumbers, summer squash, and winter squash.

Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests empire d

MICHAEL MAZOUREK’S vegetable breeding program is focused on cultivar development and associated genomic studies of pea, cucurbit, and pepper crops for organic and conventional systems. His growerdriven traits focus on fungal and insect resistances in regionally adapted backgrounds to provide a reliable, productive harvest and reduce the need for pesticide applications. His consumer-driven traits focus on color, quality, flavor, and novelty to drive the consumption of naturally nutritious food.

presenter

Pam Dawling, Twin Oaks Community

Harvest all year round! Learn how to plan sowing dates for continuous supplies of popular summer crops, such as beans, squash, cucumbers, edamame and sweet corn, as well as year-round lettuce. Using these planning strategies can help avoid gluts and shortages, ensuring a more steady income stream and reliable harvest for your buyers.

For PAM DAWLING bio, see page 16.

For JEANINE DAVIS bio, see page 22.

EDMUND FROST has been growing vegetable seed crops at Twin Oaks Seed Farm in Virginia since 2008.

In the last few years, he has increasingly become involved in breeding work and variety trials research, especially focusing on cucurbit downy mildew. Edmund is the director of Common Wealth Seed Growers, a new Virginia seed company and growers’ cooperative.

JARED ZYSTRO is the Organic Seed Alliance’s research and education assistant director. He has a master’s degree in plant breeding and plant genetics from the University of Wisconsin. Jared has worked in the

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www.carolinafarmstewards.org

s u n day w o r k s h o p s organic seed industry for over 10 years, managing seed production at two farms and conducting research and education projects with OSA. He manages OSA’s regional development in California, conducts participatory breeding projects and variety trials, and teaches farmers about seed production and plant breeding at workshops, conferences, and field days. Jared lives in the coastal town of Arcata, CA with his wife, Lisa.

Cost Effective Deer Exclusion Strategies outdoors presenters Patryk Battle, Director of Living Web Farms and Gred Gross, Southeastern Permaculture Gathering organizer We’ll look at the myriad of deer exclusion systems, discuss their strengths and weakness, and demonstrate installation and trouble-shooting of an effective system. As time permits, we’ll also discuss other garden predators and methods to control them.

We will have a list of suppliers and sources for fencing materials.

PATRYK BATTLE has been growing, preparing, and processing food for almost 40 years. Patryk is the director at Living Web Farms.

GRED GROSS has lived and gardened in Celo Community for over 30 years. He has learned that animals are more resilient and utilize more marginal land, than vegetable crops. He has been a focalizer for the Southeastern Permaculture Gathering, held in Celo in August, since its beginning over 20 years ago. He is also a high school science teacher for at-risk students.

Ecology of Weed Management in Pastures and Hayfields empire e presenter

David Mortensen, Penn State University

Learn from David Mortenson, professor of Weed and Applied Plant Ecology at Pennsylvania State University about how to manage for weeds in pastures and hayfields without the use of synthetic pesticides.

For DAVID MORTENSEN bio, see page 17.

Wild Edibles – Add Value with Crops that Grow for Free! crystal coast presenter

Marc Williams, Plants and Healers International

Wild edibles represent an array of hundreds of species that are growing in garden soils, without any inputs, and free for the taking. Some farmers in North Carolina have already picked up on the potential for selling plants such as purslane, lambsquarters, and others to local markets. We will spend some time in the classroom covering the essentials of proper plant identification and the major families of wild edibles. Examples of plants that have been previously harvested and a sampling of value-added products that can be made from them will be featured. Then we will do a plant walk, around the conference grounds, to see plants in situ that can even persist through the cold of late fall. A list of all the major wild edible plants in the Carolinas will be provided as well. The main point of this workshop is to move towards a system wherein if we have to weed them, we can make sure that someone eats them.

MARC WILLIAMS is an ethnobiologist who has taught hundreds of classes and thousands of folks about plants, animals, humans, and their interface. His training includes a BA in environmental studies/sustainable agriculture and a MA in Appalachian studies/sustainable development. He is the Executive Director of Plants and Healers International. He has spent over 15 years working at various restaurants and farms, and traveling throughout 24 countries in North/Central America and Europe, and all 50 of the United States.

Local Food Needs Leaders Like You! presenter

royal a

Rochelle Sparko, CFSA Policy Director

This session will introduce participants to the reasons to commit to developing leadership skills with which they can make a lasting and systemic impact on the way we talk about and deal with food in our communities, nation, and the world. We will then discuss the qualities and skills that make good leaders and engage in some activities designed to help us pinpoint our individual leadership skills. Learn about where to get leadership training and find opportunities to make a difference.

ROCHELLE SPARKO grew up in western Massachusetts, not far from the family farm. She tried out the big city life for a number of years, attending college in NYC, law school in DC, and working as an attorney in Honolulu. In 2008, she moved to Durham with her better half, Will. After five years of practicing law in Raleigh, Rochelle joined the staff of CFSA as Policy Director, where she now works presenting the needs of local, organic farmers to politicians. In her spare time, she runs an urban farm in downtown Durham.

The State of Farmers’ Markets in North Carolina royal b presenters

Francesca Hyatt and Salem Norfleet, RAFI

Join fellow North Carolina farmers’ market managers, board members and vendors for a facilitated conversation with RAFI on the status of farmers’ markets in North Carolina, emerging trends and new opportunities. This conversation is a precursor to a statewide farmers’ market summit on December 8th in Winston-Salem.

FRANCESCA HYATT directs RAFI’s food access work, including the Come to the Table project, a network of faith-based practitioners engaged in hunger relief and the local food movement. She also manages RAFI’s research and pilot projects aimed at identifying best practices in sustainable food access initiatives. Prior to coming to RAFI, Francesca worked on both organic and conventional vegetable farms, served as marketer for the New River Organic Growers Cooperative, conducted education and outreach for SEEDS community garden in Durham, and worked with the ETC Group, advocating for farmers and indigenous people’s rights.

SALEM NORFLEET supports North Carolina farmers’ markets and other direct market farm outlets to serve low-wealth communities and address access to healthy, sustainably-raised food. Salem has experience as a farmers’ market founder and manager, small business owner, market vendor, and local food event organizer. While market manager at the Cobblestone Farmers’ Market in Winston-Salem, she established their SNAP/EBT and FMNP WIC programs and raised additional incentive funds to increase consumer usage.

Post your conference pics and musings #SAC15

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30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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NC SARE North Carolina Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Empowering sustainability through positive, focused investments in research and education

N.C. SARE – advancing farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound, and good for communities through a research and education grants program.

Examples of programs eligible for funding include: • Trainer workshops for extension agents, ag professionals and farmers • Sustainable agriculture events • Travel scholarships for Extension educators • Competitive grants with Southern SARE Visit us on the web for more information:

sustainableag.ces.ncsu.edu

speakers Aaron Newton, Lomax Farm Coordinator, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association aaron@carolinafarmstewards.org (704) 305–6654 carolinafarmstewards .org / lomax - farm

Alex Hitt, Farmer, Peregrine Farm abhitt@bellsouth.net (336) 376–6320 peregrinefarm . net

April McGreger, Owner & Chief Preservationist, Farmer’s Daughter aprilmcgreg@gmail.com (919) 259–3946 farmersdaughterbrand .com

Becky Bowen, Co-Director, Carolina Common Enterprise becky@commonenterprise.coop (763) 432–2032 cooperationworks .coop

Ben Filippo, Foster-Caviness bfilippo@foster-caviness.com foster - caviness .com

Brendan Cox, OakLeaf oakleafnc@gmail.com (919) 533–6303 oakleafnc .com

Chris Gunter, Vegetable Production Specialist/ Associate Professor, Horticultural Science, NCSU cgunter@ncsu.edu (919) 513–2807 cals . ncsu. edu / hort_sci / people / faculty/ pages /gunter . php

Chris Woodring, FreshPoint freshpoint.com

Dave Mortensen, Professor, Weed and Applied Plant Ecology, Penn State dmortensen@psu.edu (814) 865–1906 David Suchoff, doctoral student, NCSU dsuchoff@gmail.com (919) 914–4783 Debbie Roos, North Carolina Cooperative Extension debbie.roos@chathamnc.org (919) 548–4855 growingsmallfarms .org

Dr. Lance Beecher, Fisheries and Aquaculture Specialist, Clemson University lbeeche@clemson.edu (864) 650–7114 Dr. Penelope Perkins-Veazie, NCSU penelope_perkins@ncsu.edu (704) 250–5419 Edmund Frost, Director, Common Wealth Seed Growers edmund@twinoaks.org (202) 365–6138 commonwealthseeds .com

Eduardo Gutierrez Rodriguez, Assistant Professor/Extension Specialists in Fresh Produce Safety, NCSU egutier2@ncsu.edu Ellen Polishuk, Farmer, Potomac Vegetable Farms ellenorganic@gmail.com (703) 727–2996 ellenpolishuk .com

Chuck Marsh, Living Systems Design chuck@earthaven.org (828) 669–1759

Emily Haga, Plant Breeder, Johnny’s Selected Seeds ehaga@johnnyseeds.com (207) 861–3974

livingsystemsdesign.net

johnnyseeds .com

Clifton Slade, Slade Farms & Southern Exposure Seed Exchange clif43560@gmail.com (804) 892–4559

Erin Dale Bird, Fertile Ground Food Cooperative and Blueprint NC erin@blueprintnc.org (919) 609–1237

southernexposure .com / slade - farms - ezp -171. html

fertileground .coop

Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes, Adviser for Tomatoes, Seed Savers Exchange nctomatoman@gmail.com (919) 271–0785

Erin Sojourner Agostinelli, Demeter USA erin@demeter-usa.org

nctomatoman .com epictomatoes .com

demeter - usa .org

Francesca Hyatt, RAFI fhyatt@rafiusa.org (919) 542–1396 x. 225 rafiusa .org

Frank Hyman frankhyman@liberatedgardener.net frankhyman . com Fred Bahnson, Director of Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative, Wake Forest University School of Divinity ffbahnson@hotmail.com (828) 553–3564

Jason & Haruka Oatis, Farmers, Edible Earthscapes edible.earthscapes@gmail.com (919) 200–5046 edibleearthscape .wordpress .com

Jeanine Davis, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, NCSU jeanine_ davis,@ncsu.edu (828) 684–3562

fredbahnson .com

ncherb .org

Fred Broadwell, Local Organic, Y’all info@localorganicyall.org (919) 943–1068

Jennifer Moore-Myers, USDA Southeast Regional Climate Hub jmooremyers@fs.fed.us

localorganicyall .org

sercc .com

Gred Gross, Southeastern Permaculture Gathering gredgross@gmail.com

Jillian and Ross Mickens, Owners and Operators, Open Door Farm opendoorfarmnc@gmail.com (919) 889–1299

southeasternpermaculture .org

Holly Rippon-Butler, National Young Farmers Coalition holly@youngfarmers.org (518) 505–0618

opendoorfarmnc .com

Jim Adkins, Sustainable Poultry Network jim@spnusa.com

youngfarmers .org

spnusa .com

Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, author of The Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast ira@southernexposure.com (540) 894–1470

Jim Fullmer, Co-Director Demeter USA jim@demeter-usa.org (541) 929–7148

southernexposure .com

James Cooper, Local Produce Safety Coordinator, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association james@carolinafarmstewardship.org (918) 688–0594 carolinafarmstewards .org

James Robinson, Research and Policy Associate, RAFI james@rafiusa.org (919) 525–6740 rafiusa .org

Jamie and Amy Ager, Hickory Nut Gap Farm jamie@hickorynutgapfarm.com (828) 628–1027 hickorynutgapfarm .com

Jared Cates, Community Mobilizer, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association jared@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 542–2402 carolinafarmstewards .org

Jared Zystro, Organic Seed Alliance jared@seedalliance.org

demeter - usa .org

Joe Rowland, Rowland’s Row Family Farm joe@rrfarmnc.com (704) 279–4996 rrfarmnc . com Joel Dufour, President, Earth Tools Inc. earthtools@hotmail.com (502) 484–3988 earthtools . com John Bonitz, Celebrity Dirt Soil Amendments john.bonitz@gmail.com (919) 360–2492 facebook .com / celebritydirtsoilamendments

John Soehner, Eco Farm ecofarm@gmail.com ecofarmnc .com

Jonathan Kressin, NCSU jpkressi@ncsu.edu Karen Kanakanui, Stories Taste Good karen@storiestastegood.com (919) 909–7965 karenkanakanui .com

seedalliance .org

30th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

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speakers Karen McSwain, Farm Services and Food Systems Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association karen@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 542–2402 carolinafarmstewards .org

Karl Warkomski, Prota Culture karl@protaculture.com (919) 514–8448 protaculture .com

Kate DeWitt, Associate Director, Lowcountry Street Grocery kdewitt@lowcountrystreetgrocery.com lowcountrystreetgrocery.com

Keith Baldwin, Farm Services Coordinator, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association keith@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 542–2402 carolinafarmstewards .org

Ken Dawson, Maple Spring Gardens maple.spring.gardens@gmail.com (336) 562–5719 maplespringgardens .com

Krista Morgan, Lowes Foods lowesfoods .com

Kristina “Kiki” Hubbard, Director of Advocacy & Communications, Organic Seed Alliance kristina.hubbard@gmail.com (406) 544–8946 seedalliance .org

Laura Lengnick, Lead Scientist, Cultivating Resilience lauralengnick@gmail.com (828) 299–3262 Leila Wolfrum, Durham Food Coop leila@durham.coop (919) 973–1707

Matt Rogers, Aramark aramark .com

Melinda Fitzgerald, Country Farm and Home melinda@chathamfarmsupply.com (919) 545–4429 chathamfarmsupply.com

Meredith Leigh, author of The Ethical Meat Handbook mereleighfood@gmail.com (828) 582–5039 mereleighfood.com

Michael Mazourek, Assistant Professor, Vegetable Breeding, Cornell University mm284@cornell.edu (607) 229–4085 Michael Twitty, Afroculinaria thecookinggene@gmail.com

Molly C. Haviland, MIcroherder, Haviland Earth Regeneration mollychaviland@gmail.com (303) 999–5935

Molly Rousey, Feast Down East feastdowneast.org

Nazirahk Amen, Purple Mountain Organics info@purpletools.net (301) 891–2488 purpletools . net Nicola Shirley-Phillips, Country Director, Jamaica Sustainable Farm Enterprise Program, Source Farm Foundation codasourcefarmecovillage@yahoo.com (876) 421–8838 thesourcefarm .com

watervineimpact.com

Patricia Tripp, Artisan Food Solutions trish@artisanfoodsolutions.com artisanfoodsolutions .com

Patryk Battle, Director of Living Web Farms pat@livingwebfarms.com (828) 678–0086 livingwebfarms .org

Rhonda Sherman, Extension Specialist, Bio & Ag Engineering, NCSU sherman@ncsu.edu (919) 606–3341 bae . ncsu . edu / people / professionals / sherman

Rick Larson, Natural Capital Investment Fund rlarson@conservationfund.org

Rochelle Sparko, Policy Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association rochelle@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 410–7645

thermalcomposting .wordpress .com

sustainablemarketfarming .com

Margaret Gifford, Principal, Watervine Impact margaret@watervineimpact.com (646) 245–4959

ncgrowingtogether .org

cypresshallfarms .com

lowcountrystreetgrocery.com

botanyeveryday.com

Rebecca Dunning, NC Growing Together Project, Center for Environmental Farming Systems rddunnin@ncsu.edu (919) 389–2220

Robert Elliott, Cypress Hall Farms, The Veteran’s Farm of NC, and Farmer Veteran Coalition cypresshallfarms@gmail.com (252) 725–4875

afroculinaria .com

Lindsey Barrow Jr, Founder and Director, Lowcountry Street Grocery lbarrow@lowcountrystreetgrocery.com

Marc Williams, Ethnobotanist, Executive Director, Plants and Healers International marc@botanyeveryday.com (828) 231–4832

reinvestmentpartners .org

ncifund.org

Pam Dawling, Twin Oaks Community, author of Sustainable Market Farming and Contributing Editor at Growing for Market magazine pam@twinoaks.org (540) 894–5126

durham .coop

Peter Skillern, Reinvestment Partners peter@reinvestmentpartners.org (919) 667–1000

carolinafarmstewards .org

Roland McReynolds, Executive Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association roland@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 542–2402 carolinafarmstewards .org

Ross Conrad, Dancing Bee Gardens dancingbhoney@gmail.com dancingbeegardens .com

Sabastian Wolfrum, Epiphany Craft Malt sebastian@epiphanymalt.com (919) 886–7306 Salem Neff, Local Food Access Coordinator, RAFI salem@rafiusa.org (919) 542–1396 rafiusa .org

Salem Neff, Local Food Access Coordinator and Francesca Hyatt, Program Director: Beyond Hunger Relief, RAFI fhyatt@rafiusa.org (919) 621–3593 rafiusa .org / bhr

Sarah Wiener, USDA SE Regional Climate Hub sswiener@ncsu.edu sercc .com

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www.carolinafarmstewards.org

Shawn Jadrnicek, Farm Manager, Clemson University Organic Farm sjadrni@clemson.edu (864) 656–5057 clemson . edu / sustainableag / student _farm . html

Sid Thakur, Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, NCSU sthakur@ncsu.edu (919) 513–0729 tmelab .org

Stephen Nix, SC Food Systems Coordinator, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association stephen@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 542–2402 carolinafarmstewards .org

Steve Moore, Agroecology, Environmental Science Department Elon University and Director of the Peace Corps Prep Program smoore24@elon.edu (919) 223–6564 Suki Roth Herbalist, Herb Haven suki@herbhaven.com (336) 376–0727 herbhaven .com

Suzanna Denison, Land Access Coordinator, WNC Farm Link info@wncfarmlink.org (518) 894–5154 wncfarmlink .org

Thomas Moore, NC Food Systems Coordinator, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association tmoore@carolinafarmstewards.org (919) 542–2402 carolinafarmstewards .org

Tony Kleese, Earthwise Organics tkleese@earthwiseorganics.com (919) 622–5897 earthwiseorganics .com

Tradd Cotter, Mushroom Mountain traddcotter@mushroommountain.com (864) 855–2469 mushroommountain .com

Tyler Jenkins, Carolina Common Enterprise commonenterprise .coop

Zev Friedman, Co-Director, Permaculture in Action, Living Systems Design zevkudzu@gmail.com (828) 669–8475 livingsystemsdesign . net permacultureinaction .com

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