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Caring for the Soil as a Living System

By VABF AdminMarch 31, 2018Articles and Research

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caringforthesoil

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vabfarming

VABF's mission is to educate about, advocate for, and promote organic and biological farming and gardening.
@vabfarming #vabf www.VABF.org

Join us this weekend to learn all about Biochar! T

Join us this weekend to learn all about Biochar! This weekend of workshops is only $75 (50% off) through the support of our amazing sponsor, U.S. Biochar Initiative.

All the details are below, register at VABF.org (link in bio)!

Bio-Char: A Bridge from Fossil Fuel to Renewable Energy, Healthy Soil and A Better Climate
A two day intensive course on the production and use of bio-char for fuel and soil amending. From simple backyard production to high-tech machinery.

Instructors Dale Hendricks, Gary Gilmore, and Mark Cohen will demonstrate machinery, including the BioGen electricity generator, small engine machinery running solely on biochar, and the production and concepts of soil amendments and carbon sequestration.

Registration Includes Light Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, Lunch on Saturday, and Catered dinner Saturday night.

This workshop will be outdoors. There are tents as well as a covered pavilion with picnic tables. There is an indoor facility if needed, with a kitchen as well as restrooms. Masks must be worn while indoors.

Interactive Discussion & Demonstrations to include:
· Ecological Sourcing of Raw Materials for Making Biochar
· Gasification: Tractors, Generators & Internal Combustion Engines
· Space Heating & Cooling, Hot Water & Cook Stoves
· Combined Heating and Power Biochar (CHPB)
· Uses in Animal Agriculture, Soil Health & Carbon Sequestration
· Filtration & Sanitation

$75 Per Person - Register at vabf.org - VABF member event. Become a member today and get discounts on all VABF events as well as enjoy our member benefits and become a part of our network of farmers and gardeners.

Camping Available: Both wooded and meadow spaces available. Camping is 7.5 miles from the Catawba Sustainability Center and only a 10 minute drive. You can add on camping to your registration for only $15 a night, per tent. Campers may choose to camp Friday, October 22 and/or Saturday, October 23.

Hotel Rooms: Hotels are located 13 minutes drive from the Catawba Farm.

Questions? Contact Lindsay at coordinator@vabf.org

🥗 Seeking Local Food for our Conference! We a

🥗 Seeking Local Food for our Conference!

We are looking forward to our 2022 VABF Conference and are moving ahead with plans to hold it in person, January 22-24, 2022 at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center.

We are excited to once again be working with the Executive Chefs at The Hotel Roanoke along with the LEAP Food Hub in Roanoke, VA to procure as much local farm food for our 2022 Conference as possible.

We would love to hear from your farm if you’re interested in providing food for the Conference and include type, quantity, price, and farm location.

While we are still finalizing the Conference meal menus, we can incorporate most meat, vegetables, fruit, grains, and value added products to our menus. Help us feed 400+ hungry Conference attendees in January of 2022!

VABF members will be given priority in purchasing. Thank you!

Email:
Kelly at kelly@leapforlocalfood.org
& Lindsay at coordinator@vabf.org

🌿 We are also still accepting Speaker Submissions and have added details for our Exhibitors and Sponsors. Find all the details at VABF.org

✨ Registration to the Conference will be open soon. Stay tuned!

Please note: We will continue to monitor the latest CDC guidance for large gatherings as we progress into the winter. Fingers crossed!

#VirginiaFarmer #localfood #locallygrownfood #virginiafood #regenerativeag #virginiagrown

2-Day Biochar Intensive: Now $75/person (& Limited

2-Day Biochar Intensive: Now $75/person (& Limited Partial Scholarships Available!)

Note * This is a VABF Member Event - Join Today! * VABF.org

We are so pleased to share that through the help of grant funding and our generous sponsor, U.S. Biochar Initiative (biochar-us.org) we are able to lower the price of this exciting workshop significantly (by half!). We hope you'll join us for a weekend of learning all about bio-char from three amazing instructors: Dale Hendricks, Gary Gilmore, and Mark Cohen.

Registration includes light breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, lunch on Saturday, and catered dinner Saturday night.

For accommodations, we've rented our friend Ned's beautiful hipcamp campground for this event (add on camping to your registration for $15/night per tent). Hotels are also available nearby.

Find all the details on our registration page: bit.ly/BIOCHAR_Oct23 *Link in Bio*

#biochar #regenerativeag #regenerativefarming #biocharsoil #biocharcoal #biocharista

Action Alert – Send your Support for Climate-Sma

Action Alert – Send your Support for Climate-Smart and Equitable Agriculture Tonight!

Congress is working on a spending package for climate and infrastructure through budget reconciliation.

They need to hear us - farmers and sustainable agriculture advocates - to direct their attention to renewable energy, on-farm conservation practices, organic and sustainable agriculture research, and resilient supply chains.

Here’s how to take action now (before Sept 10th):

• Send an email to Congress using National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's form: bit.ly/EmailCongress4Farmers

• Call US Representative Abigail Spanberger on the House Agriculture Committee 202-225-2815

Call script:

"Hello, my name is ____ and I’m a ____ [farmer, parent, concerned citizen…] in Virginia. I’m calling about the budget reconciliation package. It’s critical that agriculture funding in this bill helps farmers address climate change and adapt to its impacts. Here are the specific investments I hope you will prioritize:

· $30 billion for conservation programs with a focus on agricultural practices and systems that increase resilience to climate change; improve the health of workers, communities, and soil; protect water and air quality; increase biodiversity; and help store carbon in the soil.

· $5 billion for sustainable and organic agriculture research programs focused on climate resilience related research, education, and extension programs

· $3 billion to support resilient rural development through investments in community-based infrastructure focused on value-added agriculture, rural renewable energy, and infrastructure to improve food system resilience and better support small and medium-scale farmers.

· $10 billion for debt relief to stabilize the operations of producers who have not received a fair share of aid from recent federal support programs.

Thank you for your time."

• Share this post and encourage others to call or email tonight!

Learn more from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition here: https://bit.ly/NSACcongress

🌿 * Current & Aspiring Organic Farmers and Ranc

🌿 * Current & Aspiring Organic Farmers and Ranchers * 🌿
Did you know?
USDA's Farm Service Agency can pay for up to 50% of your organic certification. Apply to the Organic Certification Cost Share Program by November 1st.
·
Learn more at usda.fsa.gov or bit.ly/organiccostshare
·
@usdagov
#organicfarming #organic #ourfarmers #conservation #organiccertification

Calling all Meat & Poultry Farmers, Processors and

Calling all Meat & Poultry Farmers, Processors and Advocates!

USDA is seeking public comment on how to invest $500 million in grants, loans, and technical assistance for meat and poultry processing capacity.

This is an important opportunity for farmers, processors, and advocates to shape USDA programming for building supply chain resilience and supporting small farmers and local and regional food systems.

The more specific each farm, processor, or community can be about investment and technical assistance needs and infrastructure and service gaps, the better USDA will be able to tailor programming. USDA has a list of specific questions in the Federal Register notice.

Review the Questions:
https://bit.ly/MeatUSDAComments

Deadline for submitting comments is Monday, August 30, 11:59 pm EST.

···

How to Comment:

ONLINE:

1. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID AMS-TM-21-0058

2. Click the “Comment” box and type a comment

3. You do not have to provide your name if you do not want to (though it is preferable)

4. Click ”Submit Comment" at the bottom of the page

BY MAIL:

Sarah J. Helming, Whitten Building—Suite 312-E, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250.
(In your comment, specify Docket ID AMS-TM-21-0058.)

····

Background information:

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-07-16/pdf/2021-15145.pdf

https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/07/09/usda-announces-500-million-expanded-meat-poultry-processing

https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/investments-and-opportunities-for-input-on-meat-and-poultry-processing-infrastructure/

Speaker Proposals are being accepted for the 22nd

Speaker Proposals are being accepted for the 22nd annual Virginia Biological Farming Conference which will be held in-person January 22nd-24th, 2022 at The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. Themes for this year include Soil Health, Regenerative Grazing, & Beginning Farmers; however, all topics related to organic and biological farming and gardening will be considered.

Proposals are being accepted for half and full-day Pre-Conference Workshops (Saturday, January 22nd) and Conference Sessions (Sunday, January 23rd & Monday, January 24th).

Please submit this form by September 15th, 2021:
https://forms.gle/zibjRuT9YPbF4CkB9 *link in bio*

Questions? Email Lindsay at coordinator@vabf.org

#VABF #agriculture #organicfarming #organic #virginiagrown #virginiaorganic #virginiaisforfarmlovers #virginiaagriculture #teachgrowlearn

Did you miss our Soil Health Webinar Series earlie

Did you miss our Soil Health Webinar Series earlier this year? Now you can watch all of those excellent presentations (and more!) on the *new* VABF YouTube Channel! Link in bio, or type: bit.ly/VABFyoutube

🌱 Dig deep in to soil health with Dan Kittredge, Pam Dawling, Mark Schonbeck, and Cedric Shannon.

🍅 Learn about Lean Farming, Yoga for Farmers, Injury Prevention, Social Media for Farmers, and Winter High Tunnel Growing in Virginia in our series hosted in partnership with the Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition.

🌾 Discover how to better protect your crops from insect damage and disease in our three-part educational series created in partnership with the Common Grain Alliance.

🐓 Enjoy the Common Ground Soil Stories series with explorations into soil health on Laughing Water Farm (located in Marion, Virginia).

Right now we're building our collection of past VABF Conference presentations. Let us know if you have recordings to share!

P.S. More news on the VABF Conference coming soon! 🌿🎉

#Farming #virginiafarmers #organicfood #VABF

🎉🌱🌿🌳🌎Tomorrow, June 23rd, is Nation

🎉🌱🌿🌳🌎Tomorrow, June 23rd, is National Soil Health Day! 🌍🌳🌿🌱🎉 Celebrate with us by helping to launch #4theSoil!

·· Build the movement by learning more and pledging that you are #4theSoil at 4theSoil.org/#Pledge
🍀link in bio🍀

Ira Wallace of @southernexposureseed, Amy Hicks of @amysorganicgarden, and Renard Turner of Vanguard Ranch are just a few of the amazing Virginia farmers who have already pledged to be 4 the Soil!

·· Join @4thesoilva at 2pm on Wednesday, June 23rd for a Facebook Live event (see Events on Facebook @4theSoilVA)

We'll hear from some of the Virginia farmers who have pledged to be 4 the Soil about their commitment to soil health!

·· Visit the Tip & Resources at 4theSoil.org to learn more about how to be 4 the Soil and what that means for the health of our planet.

You can start today by following the four core principles of healthy soil management:

1. Keep Soil Covered
It’s the first step in protecting it from erosion, but also buffers soil temperature, slows rainfall runoff, and aids rainfall infiltration.

2. Minimize Soil Disturbance
Both physical and chemical. This proactive measure can heal and protect properties of the soil and ultimately enhance the biological component of soil life.

3. Maximize Living Roots
Doing this longer throughout the year fuels biological activity, aids nutrient cycling, and contributes to improved soil structure.

4. Energize with Diversity
Use different crop species and integrate livestock where possible for specific purposes to enhance chemical, physical and/ or biological aspects of the soil. It improves the whole system.

Let's create a movement of #SoilLovers · #PlantLovers · #EarthLovers & #ChangeMakers - tell a friend, share the post, make the changes in your own backyard and become a 4 the Soil Ambassador to the world!

4 the Soil is an initiative of Virginia Tech and an awareness campaign of the Virginia Soil Health Coalition.

#4theSoil #4theFuture #4theFarmers #4theFood #4theBees #4thePlants #4thePeople #4theAnimals #4theWater #4theBay #4theOcean #4theWorld

Celebrate National Soil Health Day next Wednesday,

Celebrate National Soil Health Day next Wednesday, June 23rd with the launch of the "4 the Soil" initiative!

Centered in Virginia and stewarded by VA Tech Co-operative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, 4 the Soil will build awareness about the critical importance of soil and following four core principles of healthy soil management - in VA, regionally and across the country.

“Soil and water are the basis for all of life – human, animal, and plant,” said Danny Boyer of Four Winds Farm. “We need to sustain soil and water for ourselves and for future generations. Therefore, we all need to be 4 the Soil.”

Find more of their partner organizations and farms (including many VABF member farms) on their website, find resources for how to be 4 the Soil, and get on their Mailing List for updates: 4theSoil.org

IG @4thesoilva
FB 4 the Soil

VABF has been supporting local biological and orga

VABF has been supporting local biological and organic farming and gardening since 1978! VABF members include farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, students, teachers, researchers, and general supporters of local and sustainable food systems. We'd love to have you join us! https://vabf.org/join-or-renew/#join

This week, VABF members can enjoy free access to "Understanding your Finances" with C&F Bank and Foodshed Capital - find event details from Real Local RVA: https://reallocalrva.com/event/understanding-your-finances-a-virtual-workshop/

All VABF members also have access to our Partner Discount Code Page (on the VABF website). Right now, don't miss 7% from Seven Springs Farm Supply!

#organicfood #farming #localfood #VABF

Join us tomorrow for an exploration into building

Join us tomorrow for an exploration into building soil health through rotational grazing with Cedric Shannon of @weathertopfarm!

🍀🐄🌱🐖Soil Health from the Grazier's Perspective 🌿🐑☘️🐓
Thursday, April 8th · 12 noon - 1:30 pm · Webinar with live Q&A · Replay & slides will be shared after · $15 / $10 VABF Members
Register: https://bit.ly/Weathertopfarm
(Link to VABF Events Page in Bio)

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