Session Summaries

Sunday, January 23, 2022

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Yoga for Farmers

Mary Cush, Pamplin Community Yoga

Gentle flow yoga with an emphasis on body awareness and posture while you farm.

Roanoke Ballroom D

Session A 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Time and Money Saving Designs and Techniques

Shawn Jadrnicek, Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension Service

Learn techniques and equipment hacks to make farming easier! Drawing on the concepts in “The Bio-Integrated Farm” we’ll explore creative ideas and designs to improve efficiency on your small- to mid-scale farm. Get ideas for no-till systems, automated CSA deliver, greenhouse heating, produce washing and pastured poultry.

Mill Mountain

Managing Weeds and Fertility in a Permaculture Based Growing System

Patrick Johnson, Diversity Permaculture

Permaculture is an ecological based design system centered around the careful observation of natural systems. While sharing many characteristics with organic agriculture, a true permaculture may go beyond organic agriculture with respects to weed and fertility management. This workshop explore weed and fertility management on permaculture properties.

Buck Mountain

Grazing Abundance

Joel Salatin, Polyface Farm

Designing, monitoring, and leveraging herbivore pruning on pasture—otherwise

known as grazing—is an art and a science. In this fast-paced presentation, Salatin takes

you through setup nuts and bolts, paddock allocation, and production nuances. The tension

between gain-per-acre versus gain-per-individual; tension between take half leave half

versus ecological exercise—he’ll drill down on these and other nuances to practical, profitable,

productive grazing.

Shenandoah B

Soil and Plant Health are Microbial Dependent

Dr. C Elizabeth Hamilton, Better Nature LLC

There is an ocean of diversity below our feet much of which is microbial. Many bacterial and fungal organisms found in soil can improve soil structure and are critical to plant health. Microbial partners of plants can range from those just hanging-out in the rhizosphere (soil surrounding the roots), microbes growing on but not interior to root cells, and those being housed by roots. The benefits these microbial partners provide their plant neighbors include increased nutrient- and water-use efficiencies, increased antioxidant levels in plant tissues, increased and/or improved access to soil nutrients.

Monroe

Ujamaa Cooperative Farmers Alliance: Seeds of Resistance and Resilience

Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Alexis Yamashita, Chanda Robinson Banks

Black and brown people are integral to the story and work of food and farming in this country but often left out of management and farm ownership. Learn about the history of Black Farmers Cooperatives the emerging BIPOC led seed grower movement and the Ujamaa initiative, born from years of local organizing and new opportunities that came with the COVID 19 increase in gardening. Ujamaa is raising up a new seed company, cooperatively owned by its black and brown seed Farmer members. UJAMAA and independent black farmers are challenging the whiteness of the seed industry. Learn how you can become a part of this movement as a farmer or supporter!

Appalachian

Ecological pest management: managing pests by targeting their Achilles’ heel

Cerruti RR Hooks, University of Maryland

The ecological pest management approach relies on our knowledge of pests and their interactions with crops and other organisms to manage them. If we are aware of a pests Achilles’ hill, we can use that against them. In this presentation, we will discuss how farming practices can be modified to exploit the weak links of pests contributing to their suppression.

Pocahontas

Stewarding Endangered Corn Cultivars

Amyrose Foll, Virginia Free Farm

Before heading to your favorite local spot to pick up the useful, but not very inspiring, F1 hybrid sweet corn cultivars, consider making some space for something a little more unexpected in this year’s garden. Believe it or not, what most people commonly group together as “Indian Corn” is actually a wonderfully diverse range of cultivars, and all are edible. We’ve just developed an amnesia of sorts here in the United States. To be completely honest, all corn is, in fact, Indian corn. The simple beauty of corn transformed meals around the globe with the Columbian exchange. Sister corn deserves time in the spotlight for all her contributions to our nourishment. Learn how to plant several different varieties while avoiding pesky cross pollination.

Wilson Room

Session B 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Grazing and Soil Health for Beginning Farmers

Lee Rinehart, National Center for Appropriate Technology

Intended for beginning farmers and those adding livestock to their farm, this session will discuss the basics of building the livestock farm on a firm foundation, namely, healthy soil. Topics of discussion include how to implement the soil health principles, how to maximize soil water use efficiency, how to optimize pasture resiliency with flexible grazing management (i.e. frequency and duration of grazing and paddock rest), and how to determine how many animals you can sustainably graze on your farm.

Buck Mountain

Soil Fertility and Natural Fertilizers

Bryan O’Hara, Tobacco Road Farm

This talk seeks to help the grower make beneficial fertilization decisions and thus raise abundant, helpful crops. It will present concepts on how to select appropriate fertilization materials and provide understanding on when to apply them. Traditional agronomy, biodynamic principles, and crop assessments, all blended together so growers can make their own fertilization decisions for their individual field situations. This talk includes pre-plant fertilization, side dressing of crops, and foliar feeding.

Shenandoah B

Integrating livestock with specialty crops

Eric Pawlowski

Pocahontas

Season Extension High Tunnel Production

Gary Scott, Twin Springs Farm

High Tunnel Fall & Winter season extension. Farm sverview & some key points to consider. Growing Lettuce, Greens, Carrots, Broccoli & Beets in High Tunnels without the use of conventional heat sources. He will highlight considerations before you build, construction, vegetable varieties, soil & nutrients, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, and Sales.

Shenandoah A

Defining Food Quality: Tools, Science and Collaborations

Dan Kittredge, Bionutrient Food Association

The Bionutrient Food Association and the Bionutrient Institute have embarked on a open source project to 1) develop a hand held spectrometer that can be used at point of purchase to test relative nutrient density, 2) populate a database sufficient to define relative nutrient density, and 3) populate a database sufficient to identify causal dynamics in the production of nutrient dense crops. We are partnering with farmers, organizations, companies, and universities in this project. Many exciting developments have occurred in the past 5 years since we initiated the project. This presentation will cover all those details.

Monroe

Growing and Marketing Ethnic Vegetables

Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Farms/ Africulture

Increasing demand for ethnic food offers small farmers tremendous opportunities to diversify their food production systems to appeal to immigrants, particularly African (West and East African), Caribbean, Asian (Indian and Chinese) and Hispanic populations. Michael Carter Jr. of Carter Farms and Africulture will lead this workshop to share how small farmers can grow and market specific crops that appeal to these customers.

While some ethnic vegetables are quite unique and exotic, other ethnic crops can include familiar vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and squash that are known by different names by varying cultural communities. Growing specific crops and varieties for ethnic groups can open markets for new and exciting vegetables to grow and sell. Farmers who understand their communities’ demographics and which vegetables are in demand can consider diversifying vegetable crops to increase their customer base and improve profits.

Appalachian

The Farm as Pharmacy

Maureen Diaz, Weston A. Price Foundation

The Farm as Pharmacy explores the many ways that working, eating from, and even being present on a farm can provide health and healing, including of course the foods and herbs a farm produces, but also the connection with the earth itself (grounding), absorbing sunshine, and physical movement (work). The talk includes best practices and use of farm foods including animal products, fermented vegetables, and more.

Wilson

Session C 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Transitioning from a Homestead Gardener to a Market Gardener

Cindy Conner, Homeplace Earth

Going from being a great home gardener to growing produce to sell at the markets is a big step. Learning to anticipate what you need to do to sell through the market(s) you choose will help you decide if this is right for you. www.HomeplaceEarth.com.

Pocahontas

Building Backups

Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms

Too many farms are one-person or one-couple operations. While that’s a normal place to start, it’s not a good place to finish due to the cycle of life. Salatin challenges all of us with the notion that “a farm is not sustainable until it produces two salaries from two different generations.” Using his lifetime of experience building a 25-salaried team at Polyface Farm, he’ll challenge, encourage, and inspire you to dream about investing in people and relationship equity.

Shenandoah B

Soil Health: The Farmer’s Perspective

Brent Wills, Wills Soil & Stream

Soil health has become a hot topic in recent years and farmers are understanding more about the relationship between the chemical, physical and biological properties of soil. In this session, we will discuss the basic philosophy of why soil health is important and the principles, practices and techniques that beginning farmers and ranchers can utilize on their own farms to build soil health and enhance the management of their farm ecosystem.

Shenandoah A

CSA Design and Administration

Michelle McKenzie, Bellair Farm

Over my 11 years at Bellair Farm, I’ve now run over 4 styles of CSA: 100% free choice market style, 100% farmer’s choice, and two hybrid-choice models. Our CSA also operates a Pick-Your-Own Field, which is a part of the CSA share. CSA can be a great way to farm, but we need to remember that we are in charge of the design of the CSA and how we design it will have just as big an impact on the season as growing conditions. In this presentation, I aim to outline multiple CSA designs and point out opportunities for customization to make your CSA model fit your farm. Topics covered: basic CSA structure/design, CSA administration (sales, billing, pickup logistics), CSA communication (newsletters, marketing), Ways to make your CSA stand out, and crop planning and field management for CSA harvest.

Buck Mountain

Biodynamics for Beginners: Steiner’s Agriculture Course Simplified

Jeff Poppen, Barefoot Farmer

Although regarded as the origins of the organic food movement, Steiner’s 1924 course is a difficult reading. We will explore the important points in each lecture in everyday language, without the necessity of being familiar with Steiner’s unique terminology. Decades ahead of anyone else, Steiner rejected the use of the new nitrogen fertilizers and instead asks us to avoid chemicals altogether and build up soil fertility through compost.

Monroe

Socially Disadvantaged farmers strategy sessions

Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Farms/ Africulture & Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Speaker presentations to socially disadvantaged, historically underserved farmers, specifically black farmers. USDA, FSA, NRCS, Department of Conservation Resources (DCR), and 4-P Foods among others will share specific programs and opportunities for this select group of farmers. Includes a USDA AMS Listening Session. We will talk with participants about which programs are available, and how to apply. Learn about barriers to entry, challenges, opportunities, or other concerns relating to socially disadvantaged individuals including successfully applying for Federal grants and how the USDA can help with identified challenges. Looking for input to develop tools that can help grant applicants to submit successful applications for competitive funding.

Appalachian

Using Agroecology and Biodynamics to Create a Balanced Ecosystem.

Frank Holzman, Recovery Eco Agriculture Project (REAP)

This talk will cover developing microcosms and macrocosms that emulate nature. Land regeneration both above and below the ground. It will cover using native plants and flowers to create biological integrity. Compatible relationships between plants. Organic IPM, agroforestry, using fungi (mushrooms) to improve soil fertility, Design the land so it can function as a living organism. It covers agroecology, biodynamics, permaculture design, IPM agroforestry and other ideas from my book: Radical Regenerative Gardening and Farming.

Wilson

Session D 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Introduction to Growing Grains

Heather Coiner, Common Grain Alliance

Join CGA for an introductory session where we share the basics needed to start growing high-quality food-grade grains. Topics covered will include crop selection and planting, harvesting and storage, fertility and soil regeneration, and processing and marketing.

Mill Mountain

The use of Basalt materials to mineralize soils and their ability to sequester carbon.

Rick Hood, Summer Creek Farm

We will discuss the use of basalt rock in a soil fertility program, advantages, and concerns.

Buck Mountain

Biological control of insects in vegetable systems

Tom Kuhar, Virginia Tech

This talk will focus on biological control of insect and mite pests in vegetable systems and will highlight some of the approaches of practicing biological control including conservation, augmentation, and applying commercial products. I will share results from several past research trials using each of these strategies on various vegetable crops in Virginia.

Shenandoah B

Social media crafted to work for your farm and land.

April Jones, Pinehurst Farmers Market

Be able to use social media with ease and reach out to thousands of customers. Learn how to build your brand, and to create strong messaging that will resonate with customers.

Shenandoah A

The Fungal Phytobiome

Mark Jones, Sharondale Mushroom Farm

The fungal community of plants is diverse and spans a spectrum from pathogenic to mutual symbioses. Fungi provide one of the largest soil-based carbon (C) sinks in the form of mycorrhizal glomalin, and through the recycling of organic detritus that becomes humus and stable long-term C. As mycorrhizae, endophytes and commensal epiphytes, fungi support and challenge plants for their resources of photosynthetic energy. Explore the fungi associated with plants and how to develop methods for their alliance and symbioses with human agriculture.

Monroe

Socially Disadvantaged farmers strategy sessions

Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Farms/ Africulture & Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Appalachian

Organic Small-Fruit Production in Virginia

Jay Dunbar, River Ridge Organics

In this session we will look at the how, what, where, and why of adding organic berry production to your farm operation — with a focus on marketing, scale, and integration with existing farm enterprises.

Pocahontas

Monday, January 24, 2022

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Mary Cush, Pamplin Community Yoga

Gentle flow yoga with an emphasis on body awareness and posture while you farm.

Roanoke Ballroom D

7:30 AM – 8:15 AM

Regional Networking Meetings Mountains Region Brent Wills Appalachian

Regional Networking Meetings Coastal Region Resi Connell Mill Mountain

Regional Networking Meetings Piedmont Region Mark Jones Buck Mountain

Session E 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Backyard Berries — How to Plant for Success at Home

Jay Dunbar, River Ridge Organics

The prospect of fresh berries in the backyard is certainly enticing, but a successful planting depends on planning, variety selection, and home orchard maintenance. In this session we will talk about the steps that are key to a successful and enjoyable berry planting.

Mill Mountain

Farming Before Chemicals

Jeff Poppen, Barefoot Farmer

Before the promotion of chemicals in farming began, many great textbooks offered extremely sound, common-sense information about agriculture. All farms had to have animals and legumes to supply nitrogen, plowing was an art, and a steady supply of organic matter was a necessity. This was achieved through composting, cover crops, remineralization, wise tillage, and crop and animal rotations. We have farmed with these principles for 40 years and will offer lessons from old agricultural texts.

Buck Mountain

Farrow to Finish: an intro to pastured & forested pigs

Jordan Green, FarmBuilder / J & L Green Farm

Designed for the just starting out producer through scaled operations this talk will cover all the aspects of building a pasture & forest-based hog enterprise. Jordan will share his experiences with management, movement, infrastructure (and of course the pigs) learned from putting the pigs out of the barn and back into nature.

Shenandoah B

Making Direct-to-Consumer Marketing work for you

Michelle McKenzie, Bellair Farm

Any successful farm business manager will tell you: production is only part of the story. Competing with artificially low prices in grocery stores and in the hobby-farm marketplace means that we need to be creating real connections with our customers to keep them coming back to us, specifically. In this session, Bellair Farm Manager Michelle McKenzie will talk about how to design and implement a marketing and communications plan that works for your farm business. Here are some tips we will explore: plan out your administrative time to fit your schedule, give your customers something every time you ask them for something, make meaningful and honest connections instead of hollow calls to action.

Shenandoah A

Principles to Produce Nutrient Dense Food

Dan Kittredge, Bionutrient Food Association

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

Monroe

Food justice is more than growing food and feeding people

Karen Washington, Rise & Root Farm

We will examine how the food system has victimized the poor and people of color and talk about ways people are doing to regain their power through social capital and communal wealth.

Appalachian

Braving Bridezilla: Growing flowers for the wedding industry

Gwynn Hamilton, Stonecrop Farm

There are big rewards to selling flowers for a wedding. Are you ready? From the first consultation to pinning that boutonnière, let’s think through all the steps involved in growing, arranging, and even installing wedding florals.

Pocahontas

From Seed to Garment

Cindy Conner, Homeplace Earth

Work at an historical farm or have an educational component to your farm? Demonstrating how flax/linen and cotton is grown and becomes finished fabric would be of interest to your audience. Or maybe you have wondered what it would take to grow your own clothes. Cindy will lead you through that process and will be wearing clothing made from her homegrown fibers. www.HomeplaceEarth.com.

Crystal DE

Session F 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Sustainability in Horticultural Potting Soils

Rick Hood, Summer Creek Farm

We will review materials used in potting soils and their environmental impact. We will explore materials that you can use to make your own potting soils, that are less energy intensive, including the benefits and drawbacks of each of these materials.

Crystal DE

Know thy costs!

Jordan Green, FarmBuilder / J & L Green Farm

A follow up to the pastured pig presentation but applicable to any livestock enterprise this talk will answer perhaps the greatest question for any producer. How much should I charge for my animals and products? Knowing your input costs and ensuring your hard-earned equity is making a profit is essential for any farm to grow. This talk will walk through the process of simplifying this equation to an easy to understand process.

Buck Mountain

Policy Developments in Sustainable Agriculture

Francesca Costantino, VABF & Foodshed Capital; Eric Deeble, Policy Director, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition; Christine Dzujna, Legal Services Specialist, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund;

New awareness of how agriculture can be a climate solution plus large federal investment in infrastructure and jobs is creating opportunities to achieve big funding and positive policy reform for sustainable agriculture, but only if activists make their voices heard and work in coalition. In Session 1, we will discuss what is needed – the content of a policy agenda, by reviewing policy developments at national and state levels and hosting a listening session on the 2023 Farm Bill renewal.

Shenandoah B

Korean natural farming/Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO)

Bryan O’Hara, Tobacco Road Farm

Korean Natural Farming (KNF) is an ag methodology developed by Cho Han-KYU. The methods are based on solid understanding of modern agricultural techniques, combined with traditional Korean agriculture. KNF is most renowned for its use of indigenous microorganisms (IMO). IMO is a biological culture of local origin, usually nearby forests, which is brought up to a high level of activity through culturing steps on the farm. KNF is also rich in understanding of fertilizer usage including the use of home-produced foliar materials of excellent quality.

Shenandoah A

Racial Realities in Virginia Agriculture – the Black Farmer tax and Planting seeds of solutions

Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Farms/ Africulture

This workshop will tell the story of the historical and present-day Black farmer experience. We will look at the financial costs of systemic racism and racial discrimination and attempt to quantify these costs to show how they amount to a significant tax that puts Black farmers at least 2 to 3 generations behind when it comes to achieving farm viability. Together we will explore steps that farm viability professionals can take – in their own organizational structures and policy; in the design and delivery of programs that serve farmers and in advocating for agricultural policies – to being to address the inequities that Black farmers face.

Monroe

Hedgerows and Pollinator Habitats Make Farms Biodiversity Conservation Hubs

Dr. C Elizabeth Hamilton, Better Nature LLC

Hedgerows are complex plant communities surrounding agricultural crops and/or fields. They provide numerous benefits to the biological farmer. First, a diverse plant community increases the diversity of fauna above- and below-ground. Second, hedgerows decrease wind speeds, reducing wind damage and potentially drought stress. Third, woody plants sequester carbon. Fourth, ensuring flowering plants from early spring through late summer increases pollinator abundance and diversity throughout the growing season for agricultural plants relying on pollination. Finally, increased arthropod and bird diversity associated with more diverse plant communities means increased probability of beneficial bugs (and bird activity) providing pesticide services.

Appalachian

Collards: Exploring a Rich Southern Culinary and Garden Tradition

Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Collards are part of a rich culinary winter growing tradition based in the southeastern United States and beloved by Black people throughout the African Diaspora. Learn about the wide variations in color, shape, texture, and flavor in collards that arose over time. Learn about the Heirloom Collard Project and how you can help to revive the cultural tradition of growing and saving seeds of heirloom collard varieties. Learn to reconnect the cycle of growing and seed saving with the enjoyment of eating collards while adding to your farm’s bottom line.

Pocahontas

Session G 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Increase sales, customer retention, and uplift the community through these proven marketing strategies. April Jones, Pinehurst Farmers Market

Learn easy step by step marketing strategies that will increase your sales and educate your customer on the benefits of buying local. Uplift your community, engage, and educate in a fun and conversational way.

Mill Mountain

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Amyrose Foll, Virginia Free Farm

Traditional Ecological Knowledge, also called by other names including Indigenous Knowledge or Native Science, refers to the evolving knowledge acquired by indigenous and local peoples over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment. This knowledge is specific to a location and includes the relationships between plants, animals, natural phenomena, landscapes, and timing of events that are used for lifeways, including but not limited to hunting, fishing, trapping, agriculture, and forestry. TEK is an accumulating body of knowledge, practice, and belief, evolving by adaptive processes and handed down through generations by cultural transmission, about the relationship of living beings (human and non-human) with one another and with the environment. It encompasses the world view of indigenous people which includes ecology, spirituality, human and animal relationships, and more.

Buck Mountain

Discussion: the Nuts & Bolts of Pastured Poultry

Brent and Anna Wills, Bramble Hollow Farm

Entering their 18th year raising pastured poultry in the mountains of Bedford County VA, Bramble Hollow Farm is continuing to educate and share their experiences—good and bad—with a growing network. New on-farm workshops and skill-share events start in spring of ’22, so join us for a guided Q & A session about how we developed our pastured poultry program over nearly two decades and simple ways to add poultry to your farm or homestead…and still like chickens in the end!

Crystal DE

How to Start a Permaculture Business

Patrick Johnson, Diversity Permaculture

Climate change has spawned a plethora of new “E” (environmental) business. Moving forward, those with strong permaculture backgrounds will be well positioned to start business or work in the new “E” economy. This workshop will explore starting a permaculture-based business.

Shenandoah A

Managing soil microbes in organic cropping systems

Eric Pawlowski

Soil testing reports are a critical component of fertility management, yet they only disclose the chemistry. The other side of the coin is soil biology, which is rarely managed strategically. Personal epiphany: manage the microbes and they will manage the fertility! This session will discuss microbe & microorganism identification; locations within soils; relevant agricultural functions performed; identifying plant-beneficial microbes; identifying harmful microbes; soil functions supported by microbes; microbial diversity – the good and the bad aspects; and assessing the health of soil microbial communities. Once this shared understanding is established, various management strategies used on organic farms will be introduced and subsequently critiqued through group discussion. Bring your better ideas – I’m here to learn too!

Pocahontas

Socially Disadvantaged farmers strategy sessions

Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Farms/ Africulture & Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Appalachian

Diversify Your Farm with Mushrooms

Mark Jones, Sharondale Mushroom Farm

Explore the different skills and infrastructure needed for developing a viable mushroom growing business. Discussions will be included: evaluating your site, obtaining valuable mushroom strains, evaluating spawn, obtaining substrates, grow room design, cultivation, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and marketing.

Shenandoah B

Session H 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Growing from a part time Gardener to a Full-time Farmer. What does it take?

Gwynn Hamilton, Stonecrop Farm

Before you quit your day job to be a full-time flower farmer, let’s talk. We’ll consider extending your season for more months of product and sales. Then we’ll think about infrastructure and diversification of sales outlets to ensure multiple streams of revenue. And most scary of all… let’s think about getting some help.

Shenandoah B

Advanced No-Till Techniques

Shawn Jadrnicek, Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension Service

Learn new no-till techniques appropriate for an organic farm using the roller-crimper. Topics include: growing a weed-free cover crop, biomass requirements, raised bed production, crimping early, delaying cover crop maturity, adding mulch to extend weed control, cover crop mixes, seeding rates, covering seed, equipment and techniques for all scales.

Buck Mountain

The Necessity of Parallax

Cedric Shannon, Weathertop Farm

Our asymmetric brain has two modes of awareness and interaction with the world. In a culture hijacked by the dominance of the left-side brain, we fall prey to seeing the world only through a reductionistic lens. Regenerative agriculture, steeped in the rhythms of Nature, has the potential to be an anecdote to regain our equilibrium. This is particularly true of multi-species grazing where we are forced to acknowledge and engage with the larger patterns of ecological symbiosis, rather than simply mastering ‘lean’ techniques. For beginning farmers or farm hands, this means engaging the atrophied part of our brains that values principles over data, diplomacy over set structure, art over techniques, and an openness to the unpredictable variables that constantly bombard us.

Crystal DE

Building Statewide Capacity for Policy Advocacy

Francesca Costantino, VABF & Foodshed Capital; Christine Dzujna, Legal Services Specialist, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund; Nick Wood, Advocacy Manager, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

This is the companion session to a discussion on policy developments in sustainable agriculture. In Session 2, we will develop skills and organization to lay groundwork for a coordinated statewide capacity to advocate for a sustainable agriculture policy agenda.

Shenandoah A

Socially Disadvantaged farmers strategy sessions

Michael Carter, Jr., Carter Farms/ Africulture & Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange

Appalachian

Matter is Matrix, and Matrix is Mother: Sacred Reciprocity as Medicine for the Age of Extraction

Sheila Guarnagia, Holistic Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine, Flaming Pearl Mystery School

For over five hundred years the indigenous farmers of the High Andes have steadfastly preserved their ancestral culture oriented to sacred reciprocity with Nature, an orientation which has helped them to thrive in one of the harshest places on the planet. Engaging Mind, Body, and Spirit, their energetic “technologies” are directed at cultivating coherence with the land, the weather, their crops, and their animals as one would attend to a cherished companion. In recent years the medicine people, known as Paqos, have extended an invitation to Westerners to learn from them and engage with these practices, as a remedy for the separation and extraction mentality that characterizes Western culture today. Sheila will offer some background and an opportunity to experience firsthand these exercises and how they can offer healing, hope, and the direct experience of ourselves within the Heart of Nature.

Pocahontas