virginia biological farming conference · southern exposure seed exchange countryside organics...
TRANSCRIPT
Contents:
Sponsors… 2 Conference Schedule… 3 Sessions Schedule... 4-5 Session Descriptions… 7-11 Hotel Map… 10
Exhibitors… Back Cover
Online at: VABF.org
Virginia Biological Farming Conference
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THANK your 2015 VBF Conference Sponsors __________________________
Enthusiasts: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Countryside Organics Colonial Farm Credit Virginia FAIRS Contributors: Johnny’s Selected Seeds Lancaster Ag Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery Relay Foods Simple Soil Solutions - ABC Beef Turner: Farm Family Insurance Virginia Farm Bureau In-Kind Lamplighter Roasting Company Ellwood Thompson’s Seven Springs Organic
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______________________________________________________________2015 VBF Conference Overview
Friday, Jan 30, 2015 1
9:00 AM- 12:45 PM Registration James River Foyer - 1st
Floor
9:00 AM Silent Auction Opens Chesterfield Room - 1st
9:00 AM Exhibits Open 1st
and 2nd
Floors
10:00 AM Youth Program Begins Bon Air Suite -1st
11:45 AM Organic Potluck Lunch- Entrees James River Corridor - 1st
11:45 AM Organic Potluck Lunch- Desserts Shenandoah A & B - 2nd
11:45 AM Seed Swap --Book Signing Table 1st
Floor
1:00 PM Welcome: Jewel Hairston, Franklin Jackson, William Hale James River Ballroom - 1st
1:15 PM Keynote: John Ikerd
Sustaining the Sustainable Ag Movement James River Ballroom - 1
st
2:30 PM Visit Exhibits and Silent Auction 1st
and 2nd
Floors
Visit Authors' Book Signing Table James River Foyer -1st
3:00 - 4:30 PM Friday Afternoon Sessions Details: Page 4
4:30 PM Visit Exhibitors, Seed Swap 1st
and 2nd
Floors
4:30 PM Book Signing Table , Silent Auction 1st
Floor
5:15 PM Local Biologically Grown Dinner
Thanks for Food, Farmers, & Chefs James River Ballroom -1
st
6:10 PM Rick Felker -VABF
Soil Health Video Premiere - Chris Lawrence-NRCS James River Ballroom -1
st
7:00 PM Growing VABF: Breakouts James River Ballroom - 1st
7:30 - 10:30 PM Evening Entertainment Jam
Taste of Virginia —Silent Auction 1
st floor
Saturday, Jan 31, 2015
Breakfast on your own
8:15 AM Youth Program continues Bon Air Suite -1st
8:15 AM Exhibits, Silent Auction, Seed Swap continue 1st
and 2nd
Floors
8:15 - 9:45 AM Saturday “Early” Sessions Details: Page 5
9:45 - 10:15 AM Visit Exhibits, Seed Swap and Silent Auction 1st
and 2nd
Floors
Book Signing Table James River Foyer -1st
10:15 - 11:45 AM Saturday “Mid-morning” Sessions Details: Page 5
11:00 AM Silent Auction Bidding ENDS
High Bidders : Collect your items from 1:30-3:30 Chesterfield Room - 1
st
12:00 PM Local Biologically Grown LUNCH
Sustainable Ag Policy Update: Mark Schonbeck James River Ballroom -1
st
12:30 PM VABF Annual Meeting
William Hale, Election, Grow VABF James River Ballroom - 1
st
1:30 - 3:00 PM Saturday “Afternoon” Sessions Details: Page 6
3:00 PM Youth Program ends - Please pick up your child! Bon Air Suite
3:30 PM Conference Ends, Exhibits Close
Please leave us your evaluations and nametags Travel safely!
10:00 - 11:30 AM Friday Morning Sessions Details: Page 4
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2013 Conference Schedule
Schedule of Concurrent Sessions __________________________________________________________________
FRIDAY Morning Sessions 10:00 - 11:30 AM
FRIDAY Afternoon Sessions 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Title Presenters Room Are you losing money with every carrot bunch you sell? Ellen Polishuk James River EF -1st
Orchard Health Michael Phillips James River G
Livestock Husbandry on Pasture Ben Coleman James River H
Plant Disease Management in Organic Systems Meg McGrath Shenandoah C -2nd
Mushroom Opportunities Mark Jones Shenandoah D
Title Presenters Room Bio-Intensive Market Gardening Jean-Martin Fortier James River EF -1st
Beneficial Insects and Farmscaping
Dr. McBug “Richard McDon-ald” Symbiont Biological Pest Company, Sugar Grove, NC
James River G
Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests Pam Dawling James River H
Experiences with Multi-Farm Marketing
Old Dominion Hops, the Farm Bus,
The Livestock Conservancy Shenandoah C -2nd
Building Fertility and Lowering Operating Costs through
Multi-Species Management Forrest Pritchard Shenandoah D
Update your member information or join VABF at the registration desk or online.
Mealtimes: Look at
TABLE TOPIC signs to find a conversation
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________________________________________________________________Schedule of Concurrent Sessions
SATURDAY Early Sessions 8:15 - 9:45 AM
SATURDAY Mid-Morning Sessions 10:15 - 11:45 AM
SATURDAY Afternoon Sessions 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Title Presenters Room
The Color of Food: Photography & Storytelling from Farmers of Color
Natasha Bowens James River EF -1st
From Seed to Seed: Planning and Planting for a Year-Round Harvest
Ira Wallace and Cindy Conner James River G
Livestock Guardian Dogs: Breeds and their use Renard Turner James River H
Expert Grower Roundtable: Plant Disease Management
Meg McGrath, Edmund Frost, Ellen Polishuk
Shenandoah C -2nd
43560 Project Update Clif Slade Shenandoah D
Title Presenters Room
Farmer's Opportunities with SNAP-EBT
and Healthy Food Incentives Elizabeth Borst James River EF -1st
Virginia Markets for Organic Fairfax County Farmers Markets,
Lumi Juice; Relay Foods James River G
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist Michael Judd James River H
Virginia Organic Research Updates Edmund Frost, Mike Sands, Dan Gagnon, Laban Rutto
Shenandoah C -2nd
Producing Asian Greens Pam Dawling Shenandoah D
Title Presenters Room
Hands-on Irrigation Jon Davidson Berry Hill Irrigation,
Clif Slade Slade Family Farms James River EF -1st
FSMA Readiness for Small-Mid Size Farms: A Proactive and Practical Approach in Virginia
Laura Strawn, Adrianna Vargo, and Amber Vallotton
James River G
Home Orchard Care Michael Phillips James River H
Sustainable Urban Agriculture: The Future of Food
Cashawn Myers, Tenisio Seanima, Todd Niemeier,
A'Lelia Henry, Bashta Abdul Shenandoah C -2nd
Integrated Poultry-Compost Enterprise Karl Hammer Shenandoah D
Thinking:
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Authors’ and their Books at the Book Signing Table (1st floor)
Conference Features__________________________________________________________
Shhhhh…. Silent Auction in Chesterfield Room
Check out the auction offerings and bid high - on some things that are
fun and /or useful
Bidding opens Friday at 10:00 am and continues till 11 on Saturday.
Support VABF and get to know the
businesses that support VABF!
Also in Chesterfield: VABF MUGS
Designed to fit your hand and cupholder–
Handcrafted in Richmond, VA USA! All natural, lovely gift! Grow VABF!
SEED SWAP Sponsored by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Share seeds, enthusiasm and experience. Bring any seeds you have to share - whether you’ve saved them or have packet varieties left-over from this year. Trade seeds with other gardeners and farmers in our bioregion. Everyone takes home some new varieties and knowledge! The VBFC seed swap is a fun, relaxed tradition for everyone!
Use the BULLETIN BOARD to find, sell ,trade, share: equipment, work, land, opportunities….1st floor
Conference Local Food Suppliers Anna B 's Gluten Free Dickie Bros Nelson Cty Ellwood Thompson’s Hudson Henry, Palmyra, Hungry Hill, Nelson Cty L amplighter Coffee Manakintowne Spec. Growers Powatan VA Mattawoman Farms Mission Home, Free Union Mona Lisa Pasta, Charlottesville Mtn View,Fairfield, VA Pink House Farm,Mineral Polyface Farms Shady Lane Farm Charlottesville Sharondale Farms, Sharondale,Va Shenandoah Growers farm, Harrisonburg Singing Earth Farm Waynesboro local Slade Family Farm Surry VA Twin Oaks Tofu, Louisa, VA Vinegar Works,Nelson Cty Walnutwinds Farm Blair VA
kids program info Youth aged 5-12 years may be registered for VABF’s pro-gram exploring food, fiber, food science, and crafts in the Bon Air Suite. Make way for farmers of the future, when you see the kids at meals!
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FRIDAY MORNING
Are you losing money with every carrot bunch you sell? Ellen Polishuk Mixed vegetable growers are hampered in making pricing and cropping decisions because they don't have a han-dle on the costs of production. Just because you sell out of a crop doesn't mean it is profitable. Let's explore cost of production and pricing so that you spend your precious time and resources growing crops that will pay you and your bills! Orchard Health Michael Phillips Our primary role as orchardists is to build system health. Understory management that embraces forest edge ecol-ogy is critical when it comes to getting a leg up on fruit tree diseases. Equally telling is the nutrient density—and flavor!—of the apples we then harvest for our families and communities. Come learn about fungal allies, root rela-tionships, fertility considerations, and the biodiversity that makes good fruit possible no matter what your level of experience.
Livestock Husbandry on Pasture Ben Coleman
I hope to convey a message of hope for all land managers on every scale. It has taken us 25 years to learn how to manage livestock on pasture that heals the land, heals the animals, and heals the community. Still, we are hum-bled daily by Nature. I will share old wisdom and personal experiences of animal husbandry techniques that give animals the chance to reach their full genetic potentials. Following Nature gives all the answers for happy, healthy animals and guess what...it is FREE! Plant Disease Management in Organic Systems Meg McGrath Accurately identifying the cause of symptoms is the first step in effectively managing diseases. Understanding the pathogen’s life cycle is important because knowledge of its biology dictates what cultural management practices to use. Some pathogens can be in or on seed. Crop rotation is an important management practice for pathogens that can survive at most a few years in soil and when any other sources of the pathogen can also be man-aged. Some pathogens can be dispersed long distances by wind. Forecasting programs help identify when some diseases become a concern. The host range of pathogens can be very narrow (only one crop), small but diverse (unrelated plants), or huge (hundreds of plants). Pathogens change, resulting in decline in ability of resistant varie-ties to suppress a disease, increase in occurrence of a disease, and even new diseases.
Mushroom Opportunities Mark Jones Sharondale Mushrooms Learn about mushroom production techniques and marketing opportunities in Virginia. Sharondale Mushrooms markets edible mushrooms and mushroom production supplies through a variety of channels.
Welcome from Conference Partners: Sue Ellen Johnson PhD, an agroecologist, is the new Executive Director of VABF. Dr. Jewel Hairston, a leader in Family and Consumer Economics, is Dean of VSU’s College of Agriculture. Dr. Franklin Jackson leads VSU’s Extension team as Associate Dean. William Hale farms organic grains and other seed crops in Louisa County. He is President of the VABF Board.
Sustaining the Sustainable Agriculture Movement: John Ikerd Keynote. The progress we have made however it is measured over the last 30-40, 20 or 10 years is significant, but we need to think and work strategically and with integrity for the sustainable agriculture movement to progress and transform and protect agriculture in Virginia and globally.
______________________________________For speaker bios : go to vabf.org Session Descriptions
www.colonialfarmcredit.com The Experts in Rural Finance
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FRIDAY AFTERNOON Bio-Intensive Market Gardening Jean-Martin Fortier Les Jardins de la Grelinette is a micro-farm located in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, just north of the American border. Despite growing on 1.5 acres of land, owners Jean-Martin and Maude-Hélène manage to feed more than 200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stands. For more than a decade the market garden has provided their only household income. Their operation generates close to $140 000 in sales with a profit mar-gin of around 45 %. The secret of their success resides in the low-tech, high-yield methods of production they have developed by continuously focusing on growing better rather than growing bigger, making their operation more lu-crative and viable in the process. Beneficial Insects and Farmscaping Dr. McBug “Richard McDonald” Get to the ‘roots’ of your pest problem instead of treating the symptoms! We have a totally different pest spectrum than we had 10 years ago. Folks are dealing with all kinds of Asian (and some African) pests. What are the natural enemies that can work with an organic IPM program to hold off these pests until we get their natural enemies ap-proved for release. Know the Top Ten beneficials every organic farmer should have as part of the livestock on their farm. Using the completion backwards principle, we approach pest problems by first identifying a natural enemy that attacks each specific life stage of the pest. Create an ideal habitat landscape design for these natural ene-
mies, including their overwintering sites.
Multi-Species Grazing: Forrest Pritchard Building Fertility and Lowering Operating Costs through Multi-Species Management Using a grass-based, rotational grazing platform, learn how cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry can be effectively man-aged into a symbiotic system, as well as the pros and cons of each enterprise. The talk covers a broad overview of multi-species grazing management, with an emphasis on farm economics, soil building, and direct marketing of products in Virginia. Experiences with Multi-Farm Marketing Devon Kistler, Mark Lilly, Jeannette Beranger Leaders of Old Dominion Hops, the Farm Bus, and The Livestock Conservancy will provide real world examples of how farmers successfully work together to market farm products. A discussion will follow. Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests Pam Dawling 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. FRIDAY EVENIING Perspectives and Premiere: Rick Felker, Chris Lawrence, Antoinette Goodrich Certified organic farmer Rick Felker shares his perspectives on VABF as he ends his service on the VABF Board. Chris Lawrence -NRCS Virginia State Agronomist will moderate a discussion of the video ‘”Proceeding with an Open Mind”. This joint NRCS-VABF video features Antoinette Goodrich of Laughing Water Farm. This is the first in a series of “Common Ground” films profiling Virginia farmers managing soil health. Grow VABF: Thirty minute meetings looking to engage you more in Virginia’s alternative ag movement. 1. Regional Working Groups: Learn about and get involved forming regional VABF groups for field days. 2. Volunteering your individual talents for VABF Moyers 3. 2016 conference committee sign-up: Sara Evening Entertainment Jam - Taste of Virginia - Silent Auction– Seed Swap Relax…stick around or come back downstairs: Enjoy music (bring your instruments), seed swap., silent auction… Taste Virginia.
Session Descriptions Speaker bios and contact info: go to vabf.org____________________________
Friday evening: Video premiere! Grow VABF! Seed Swap! Silent Auction! Taste of Virginia and Entertainment Jam…...
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SATURDAY MORNING The Color of Food: Photography & Storytelling from Farmers of Color Natasha Bowens A photographic storytelling with the author of the book The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farm-ing. In this visual and audio presentation, learn from farmers and food activists of color revolutionizing the food sys-tem and preserving cultural foodways around the country. Their stories as well as their portraits aim to honor, pre-serve and amplify the role of communities of color in the food movement while challenging the status quo of agrar-ian identity. The presentation highlights important issues tied to food and farming such as culture, community, health, land ownership, race and gender. From Seed to Seed: Planning and Planting for a Year-Round Harvest Ira Wallace and Cindy Conner If you dream of frost sweetened greens, vine ripened tomatoes, shelves full of home grown delights and year-round harvests from your garden learn how from master gardener Ira Wallace and Bio-intensive minifarm teacher Cindy Conner. This session will introduce you to succession planting , cover cropping, variety selection and many other tools and techniques to help you plan and plant for an abundant harvest for your table and pantry as well as providing habitat for beneficial insects and saving seeds to plant for the next year. Livestock Guardian Dogs; Breeds and their use Renard Turner Vanguard Ranch has raised Turkish Akbash Livestock guardian dogs for over 15 years. We find them to be an ex-cellent deterrent to predators. Plant Disease Management Expert Grower Roundtable Meg McGrath, Edmund Frost, Ellen Polishuk, Listen in as advanced growers and a plant pathologist have a conversation about organic approaches to plant dis-ease management 43560 Project Update Clif Slade This Virginia approach to organic vegetable and flower production generates $1/square foot! Learn about a method that is working on farms around Virginia and beyond. Farmer's Opportunities with SNAP-EBT and Healthy Food Incentives Elizabeth Borst Are you interested in expanding access to all Virginians to fresh healthy food? Have you heard about the new USDA $100 million Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program to support healthy food incentives? Join us to learn how Virginia farmers can gain a share of $1.6 billion in SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Incentive Pro-gram, formerly Food Stamps) disbursed annually in the Commonwealth, and how accepting SNAP EBT can help build your market share. Virginia Markets for Organic Chelsea Roseberry, Jack Turner, Cassy Kelly Fairfax County Farmers Markets; Lumi Juice; Relay Foods What is the demand for certified organic or CNG products in Virginia? Hear from three buyers!
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist Michael Judd Making permaculture look good is an art. Join author and designer Michael Judd in an exploration of edible/permaculture landscapes designed and created in the D.C. Metro area. Learn new elements to edible landscaping that move away from just annual garden beds and into approachable designs that graft together ease of care, aes-thetics and ecological function. Producing Asian Greens Pam Dawling Detailed information for market and home growers. Many varieties of tasty, nutritious greens grow quickly and bring fast returns. This session covers production of Asian greens outdoors and in the hoophouse. It includes tips on va-riety selection of over twenty types of Asian greens; timing of plantings; pest and disease management; fertility; weed management and harvesting. Virginia Organic Research Updates Edmund Frost, Mike Sands, Dan Gagnon, Laban Rutto Summaries on four Virginia projects: 1. Powdery/ downy mildew resistance; 2. Pasture soil health; 3. Tomato grafting 4. Cultivation of stinging nettle quality assurance will also be discussed. Sustainable Agriculture Policy update Mark Schonbeck Whirlwind 15 minutes on Federal sustainable agriculture policies affecting Virginia in 2014 and 2015, leads into VABF’s annual meeting and election. Lunch and learn!
___________________________Speaker bios and contact info: go to vabf.org Session Descriptions
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116 South Addison St.
1719 Summit Ave.
Richmond
lamplightercofffee.com
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____________________________Speaker bios and contact info: go to vabf.org Session Descriptions
SATURDAY AFTERNOON Hands-on Irrigation Jon Davidson, Clif Slade Get an update on how to design and manage the latest in effective, economical farm irrigation systems for our region. FSMA Readiness for Small-Mid Size Farms: A Proactive and Practical Approach in Virginia Laura Strawn, Adrianna Vargo, and Amber Vallotton Learn about how the Produce Safety Rule may affect your farm, and how Virginia's Fresh Produce Food Safety Team, and other collaborative projects throughout the state, are gearing up to help farms make this transition success-fully. Discover technical resources and training you can access, to both ready your farm for FSMA and improve your on-farm food safety practices, using a risk-based, preventative approach. A pilot project (with Local Food Hub's 70+ farms) for a scale-appropriate, tiered approach to quality assurance will also be discussed. Home Orchard Care Michael Phillips Successfully growing fruit for your family becomes straightforward when you narrow the big picture down to getting the basics right. Fungal and bacterial disease can be successfully managed with deep nutrition and competitive coloniza-tion. Major insect challenges can be resolved safely when you perceive who, what, and when. This overview of com-plementary sprays backed by biodiversity and soil health will set the stage for successfully growing tree fruit in the Mid-Atlantic region. Sustainable Urban Agriculture: The Future of Food? Moderator: John Lewis Cashawn Myers, Tenisio Seanima, Todd Niemeier, A'Lelia Henry, Bashta Abdul The conversation of urban agriculture has the farm world ablaze from community gardeners to high tech vertical urban farms; it seems everywhere we turn the topic of conversation is local food and how it can be produced in cities. What differentiates urban farming from farming in a rural environment? What is a food desert? What are the social implica-tions and special considerations of urban agriculture? What does this mean for the farmer of the 21st century? what does it mean for you? Integrated Poultry Compost Enterprise Karl Hammer Case study via SKYPE: The VBF conference catapults into the tech era with a big screen live conference session with Karl Hammer “live from Vermont”. Hammer’s successful compost and poultry operation within city limits is a regenera-tive, biological ag business success story.
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Please give your VBF Conference Partners Feedback: Hand-in your evaluation OR evaluate online:: vabf.org
Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, veteran status,
national origin, disability, or political affiliation. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of
Cooperative Extension work, Virginia State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture cooperating. Dr. Jewel Hairston, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University ,
Petersburg; Dr. Ed Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg.
2015 VBF Conference Exhibitors:
ABC Beef: About Being Conscious Beef
AgrAbility Virginia
Berry Hill Irrigation
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
ChiknEGG Productions
Common Wealth Seed Growers
Countryside Organics
Cultivating Health
Earth & Sky Solutions
Farm Credit
Homeplace Earth LLC
Inocucor Technologies Inc.
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Johnny's Select Seeds
Lancaster Ag
Lar-Lyn Farms
Lickinghole Creek Brewery
Natural Resources Conservation Service
PA Country Equipment
Piedmont Environmental Council
Purple Mountain Organics
Quality Certification Services
Relay Foods
7 Springs Farm Organic
Farming and Gardening Supplies
Sharondale Farms
Simple Soil Solutions
Sneed's Nursery & Garden Center
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Turner Insurance- Farm Family Insurance
USDA Farm Service Agency
USDA/NASS/VA FO
Va Ag Tech/Agri-Seed
Va Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition
Virginia FAIRS
Virginia Department of Agriculture
Virginia Farm Bureau
Zimmerman's High Tunnels
THANK YOU: facebook.com/ConsciousGrassBeef
agrability.ext.vt.edu
berryhilldrip.com
cbf.org
chiknegg.com
commonwealthseeds.com
countrysideorganics.com
cultivatinghealth.org
waycooltools.com
colonialfarmcredit.com
homeplaceearth.com
inocucor.com
reynolds.edu
johnnysseeds.com
lancasterag.com
lar-lynfarms.com
lickingholecreek.com
va.nrcs.usda.gov
pacountryequipment..com
pecva.org
purplemountainorganics.com
qcsinfo.org
relayfoods.com
sharondalefarm.com
simplesoilsolutions.com
sneedsnursery.com
southernexposure.com
fsa.usda.gov
nass.usda.gov
vabeginningfarmer.org
vafairs.com
vdacs.virginia.gov
virginiafarmbureau.com
zimmermanshightunnels.com