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Workshops & Keynotes
Saturday
Saturday 
Session: Keynote | 10:30 am
Walking the Edge: Deepening our Magic
In nature, edges, where one ecosystem meets another, are the places of greatest dynamism, energy...
Saturday Session: G | 8:30 am
Building Bridges: Climate, Agriculture and Justice
The climate crisis has wide-ranging implications and challenges, not only for farmers but also for...
Presenter(s): Diana Abellara, Veronica Garibay
Activists
Location: Merrill
Farmland Conservation and Land Access in California
Through a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation...
Presenter(s): Misti Arias, John Guardino, Jaclyn Moyer
Location: Nautilus
Growing, Cooking and Crafting a Diverse Community
This workshop will focus on stories of Latino immigrants whose food and farming innovations are...
Presenter(s): Barbara Goodell, Carmen Herrera-Mansir, Maria Elena Mendoza, Nancy Porto, Angeles Segura
Location: Kiln
On-Farm Mobile Poultry Processing
Mobile poultry processing allows small farmers to raise and then slaughter meat chickens, turkeys,...
Presenter(s): Patty and Rob Bielen
Seasoned Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Oak Shelter
Practical Earth Magic
The earth is sacred, and to live in sacred balance is both a spiritual and a very practical...
Presenter(s): Starhawk
Location: Scripps
Slow Tools Roundtable Discussion
Small-scale diversified farmers cannot easily meet market opportunities without improving the...
Presenter(s): Jack Algiere
Location: Evergreen
The Basics of Seed Saving
Explore the exciting art of seed saving. Learn how to plan your garden for saving seed and how to...
Presenter(s): Matthew Hoffman, Steve Peters
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Chapel
The World of Creepy Crawlies: Ants and Spiders
Even though all plants and pests have a relationship with ants and spiders, these important...
Presenter(s): Kristen Erik Tollerup, Devin Carroll
Location: Fred Farr
Wise Words from Well-Seasoned Farmers
We are again in for a great treat, as our panelists detail their many decades of farming experience...
Presenter(s): Nash Huber, Silvia Prevedelli
Location: Heather
Friday
Friday Session: Keynote | 7:45 am
El Exito de los Agricultores Orgánicos
Guido Frosini Granjas “True Grass Farms”, Valley Ford, CA Esta tierra ha pertenecido a la familia...
En Español
Successful Organic Farmers
An EcoFarm tradition - Learn what these farmers do, why they do it, and what they’ve learned along...
Presenter(s): Don Tipping, Guido Frosini, Joe and Doug and Anthony Perry
Location: Merrill Hall (overflow in Chapel)
Friday Session: D | 10:30 am
Anticipating the Final FDA Food Safety Rules
While waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to finalize the Food Safety Modernization...
Presenter(s): Jo Ann Baumgartner, Cathy Carlson
Location: Heather
Connecting with Customers through Online Channels
Online grocery stores offer an opportunity for farmers to provide a full line of products from...
Presenter(s): Judith Redmond, Tahnee Shields
Location: Kiln
Demeter Presentation: Farming to the Demeter Biodynamic Farm Standard
The Demeter Farm Standard is based on seven principles that comprehensively outline the Biodynamic...
Presenter(s): Jim Fullmer
Location: Acacia
Discussion Group: Pastured Poultry for Diversified Farms
Join fellow poultry enthusiasts to share the successes and challenges of raising chickens, turkeys...
Location: Sanderling
Encouraging Urban Agriculture through Innovative Public Policy
Urban agriculture is hot. With limited space and high food prices, people are looking to their...
Presenter(s): Stephanie Goodson, Christina Oatfield
Activists
Location: Scripps
Estrategias para la Salud del Suelo en las Granjas
Este taller explorará los desafíos en cuanto al manejo de la salud del suelo en granjas orgánicas...
Presenter(s): Sarah Brown, Chris Hay
En Español
Location: Chapel
Excellent Seedbed Preparation
Good seedbed preparation is critical for a weed free and uniform stand of a range of small-seeded...
Presenter(s): Jim Leap, Christina Oatfield
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Fred Farr
Film Screening: "Ground Operations"
Ground Operations is an award-winning documentary film and social action campaign that champions...
Presenter(s): Dulanie Ellis
Location: Toyon
Invasion Biology Science: Two Perspectives on Invasive Species
Should we try to control invasive species or should we let them be? On the one hand, invasion...
Presenter(s): Mark S. Hoddle, David Theodoropoulos
Location: Evergreen
Make Your Farm Energy Self-Sufficient
Solar energy, wind power, veggie oil fuel, and other alternative forms of energy are not as novel...
Presenter(s): Lou Preston, John Teixeira
Location: Oak Shelter
On-Farm Soil Health Strategies
This workshop will explore the challenges of managing for soil health on organic farms. Producers...
Presenter(s): Sarah Brown, Chris Hay
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Chapel
Psychoactive Substances and their Impact on the Organic Farming and Ecology...
The past 50 years have seen a significant shift in consciousness about the beauty, vitality,...
Presenter(s): Amigo Bob Cantisano, Carolyn Garcia, Mariavittoria Mangini, Stephen Pavich
Location: Merrill
What Is a B Corp? Discover the Why and How of It
B Corporations are a new type of company that use the power of business to solve social and...
Presenter(s): Andy Fyfe, Shira Tannor
Merchants, Handlers, & Distributors
Location: Nautilus
Friday Session: E | 1:30 pm
Cómo cultivar una relación con sus malezas
Los agricultores tienen distintos enfoques en lo que respecta a sus malezas. Algunos de ellos han...
Presenter(s): Jack Algiere, Bob Cannard
En Español
Location: Kiln
Crowdfunding to Raise Capital for Your Business
The last few years have seen a proliferation of new mechanisms for raising money for your business...
Presenter(s): Eileen Gordon, Thomas Nelson, Elizabeth Ü
Location: Chapel
Cultivating a Relationship with Your Weeds
Farmers have different approaches to their weeds. Some have worked to integrate weeds into their...
Presenter(s): Jack Algiere, Bob Cannard
Location: Kiln
Dinosaurs Rise Again: The Produce Professionals, Past and Present
Sharing the collective history on how the organic produce trade got to this point provides...
Presenter(s): Bonnie Poux
Merchants, Handlers, & Distributors
Location: Nautilus
Discussion Group: Biodynamic Peer Learning
The deep principles and innovative practices of biodynamic agriculture can be taken up by any...
Presenter(s): Thea Maria Carlson, Robert Karp
Location: Triton
Do Farmers and Water Districts Really Have Water Rights?
Beginning in June, California farmers and water districts with hundred-year-old water rights to...
Presenter(s): DeeDee D'Adamo, Jay Lund, Nancy Weber
Location: Merrill
EcoFarm Farmers’ Association
Discussion Group: The Farmers’ Association is a farmer-directed program of EcoFarm working to...
Location: Sanderling
Farming with Wild Nature: Insights from Three Farmers
Sustainable agriculture holds promise as farmers learn how to farm with nature. Hear from three...
Presenter(s): Alan Haight, Paul Hain, Dan Macon
Location: Fred Farr
Find Land You Can Afford: Partnering with a Land Trust to Secure Farmland
This session will provide farmers with tools to partner with land trusts and other land-holding...
Presenter(s): Melissa Campbell, Holly Rippon-Butler, Dan Hulse
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Heather
Growing Food and Touching Lives
Over the past four and a half decades, Michael O’Gorman’s farming ventures have involved thousands...
Presenter(s): Michael O'Gorman
Location: Acacia
Next Steps in the Fight Against GMOs
As the public has become increasingly aware of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the overall...
Presenter(s): Rebecca Spector, Gwendolyn Wyard, Zea Sonnabend
Activists
Location: Scripps
Science Supporting Organic and Applied Organic Research Needs
This workshop will cover the current science supporting organic agriculture, as well as the...
Presenter(s): Brise Tencer, Jessica Shade
Location: Oak Shelter
Vegetable Gardener’s Guide to Permaculture: Creating an Edible Ecosystem
Creating an edible food forest is both an art and a science. Learn the 10,000-year-old layered...
Presenter(s): Christopher Shein
Permaculture
Location: Evergreen
Friday Session: F | 3:30 pm
Agricultores a pequeña escala de El Salvador reivindican la sabiduría orgán...
EcoFarm tiene el placer de recibir a una delegación de agricultores salvadoreños cuyo trabajo ha...
En Español
Location: Fred Farr
Biodynamic Beekeeping
Biodynamic apiculture turns much of conventional beekeeping wisdom on its head by viewing honeybee...
Presenter(s): Thea Maria Carlson, Michael Thiele
Location: Acacia
Discussion Group: Farming with Wild Nature
Farming that values natural systems and works with the wild, remedies the consequences of chemical-...
Location: Oak Shelter
Discussion Group: GMOs - A Strategic Planning Session
Join LabelGMO's Pamm Larry, Mom Across America's Zen Honeycutt and California Grange Presidend Bob...
Location: Triton
Discussion Group: Women in Eco-Ag in California and Beyond
Come and connect with your fellow female farmers, share your stories and experience as we move...
Location: Scripps
El Salvador’s Small-Scale Farmers Reclaim Organic Wisdom and Ancestral Valu...
EcoFarm is pleased to host a delegation of Salvadoran farmers whose work has been central to their...
Location: Fred Farr
Food Sovereignty in Tribal Communities
Join three diverse speakers as they explore the intersection of food, agriculture, health, and...
Presenter(s): Kouslaa Kessler-Mata, Leah Mata, Melissa Nelson
Location: Evergreen
Forgotten Practices that Save Water on the Farm
Most farm water conservation measures focus strongly on irrigation practices such as improving...
Presenter(s): Rich Casale
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Chapel
Large-Scale Organics with Integrity: Costco and Nutiva
As a community, EcoFarm has worked for 35 years to convert the U.S. food and farming system to one...
Presenter(s): Dennis Hoover, John Roulac
Merchants, Handlers, & Distributors
Location: Kiln
Pest Resistance Management: Alternating Materials for Better Organic Pest C...
It is well known in both organic and conventional farming that pests and diseases can develop...
Presenter(s): Doug O'Brien, Pam Marrone
Seasoned Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Heather
Productive Perennial Polycultures: Designing an Ecosystem of Abundance on t...
Across the nation, food forests and edible forest gardens are gaining attention in public projects...
Presenter(s): Timo Granzotti, John Valenzuela
Permaculture
Location: Merrill
The Carbon Ranch
The idea of the carbon ranch involves the potential for removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the...
Presenter(s): Courtney White
Location: Nautilus
Thursday
Thursday Session: Keynote | 1:30 pm
We’re All Eaters Here: Still Connecting to the Foods We Eat
Deborah Madison has helped shape how people think about food, cooking, health and nutrition. She...
Presenter(s): Deborah Madison
Location: Merill Hall (overflow in Chapel)
Thursday Session: A | 8:30 am
Climate Change and Agriculture: Good News Stories
With California’s drought and other weather extremes across the country, much attention has been...
Presenter(s): Paul Muller, Marc Los Huertos
Location: Chapel
Compost: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
As agriculture and urban communities have increased their use of compost, there has been a...
Presenter(s): Amigo Bob Cantisano, Pat Herbert
Seasoned Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Merrill
Discussion Group: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Reportedly, membership in many CSAs is down, as more and more online channels for buying fresh...
Location: Evergreen
Drought Proofing Your Landscape and Garden
Drought proofing your garden is a puzzle with many pieces. This workshop will put the pieces...
Presenter(s): Ken Foster
Location: Scripps
Exploring the Value of Organic Certification
Many young and beginning farmers adhere to organic agricultural practices but choose not to pursue...
Presenter(s): Sarah Brown, Jake Lewin, Pat Bollinger, Chris Hay
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Fred Farr
Managing Mimicry: The Art and Science of Restoring Rangeland
For years cattle were classified as Enemy Number One by environmentalists. However, new...
Presenter(s): Nate Chisholm, Doniga Markegard, Byron Palmer
Permaculture, Seasoned Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Heather
Monarchs and Milkweed: Why Farms Matter
The North American Monarch butterfly population has declined by over 90 percent in less than 20...
Presenter(s): Gary Paul Nabhan, Scott Black
Location: Oak Shelter
Restaurants Commit to Local, Seasonal and Sustainable Foods
Farm to fork is all the rage these days, however few restaurateurs fully walk their talk. Our two...
Presenter(s): Emanuele Bartolini and Brad Briske, Carolyn and Rudy Rudolph
Location: Nautilus
Teaching Organic Farming: Resources for Farmer Educators
There are some great instructional resources for teaching beginning farmers, including the free...
Presenter(s): Jim Leap and Sky DeMuro
Location: Kiln
Thursday Session: B | 10:30 am
Assessing and Improving Your Farm's Carbon Footprint
Learn about different approaches to estimating and improving the carbon footprint of your farm...
Presenter(s): David Granatstein, Adam Kotin
Location: Oak Shelter
Bring Back the Pollinators: Attracting Native Bees and Beneficial Insects
Native pollinators and predatory insects are the unsung champions of the agricultural world. Join...
Presenter(s): Jessa Kay Cruz
Location: Merrill
Close the Circle of Waste
One farm’s waste is another farm’s fertilizer, feed, or even energy. Join three certified organic...
Presenter(s): Rebecca King, Jenny Lester Moffitt, Additional Speaker TBA
Location: Acacia
Demonstrating How to Embody Triple Bottom Line Values
Let’s look at how three companies: a farmer, a distributor, and a retailer live their values,...
Presenter(s): Nicole Mason, Simon Richard, Adriana Silva
Merchants, Handlers, & Distributors, Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Scripps
Fostering Innovation in the San Francisco Peninsula Food System
The long-term sustainability of local farms and ranches is ultimately dependent on the health of...
Presenter(s): Jered Lawson, Wendy Millet, Hannah Mensing, Rob Trice
Location: Toyon
Growing Heirloom Produce on the Ark of Taste
The Ark of Taste is a biodiversity project designed to protect superior tasting and place-based...
Presenter(s): Linda Elbert, Gary Paul Nabhan, Jerry Thomas
Location: Kiln
Learning As If Whole Systems Mattered: Permaculture in Schools and Universi...
“Never let formal education get in the way of your learning,” said Mark Twain. This is a fun and...
Presenter(s): Ken Foster, David Shaw, Vanessa Carter
Permaculture
Location: Heather
National Organic Update
The annual update about what is going on with national organic issues will feature news from the...
Presenter(s): Melissa Bailey, Betsy Rakola, Zea Sonnabend
Activists
Location: Nautilus
Scaling Up Sustainable Food Sourcing to Schools, Hospitals, and Colleges
Farm-to-institution projects have rapidly advanced across the U.S., providing an opportunity for...
Presenter(s): Diana Abellara, Tim Galarneau, Kendra Klein
Location: Evergreen
Soil Fertility for Organic Orchards and Vineyards
While the basics of N-P-K for organics are fairly universal concepts, the production of perennial...
Presenter(s): Amigo Bob Cantisano, Gregg Young
Location: Chapel
Urban Integrated Pest Management from an Agroecological Perspective
Learn about agroecological concepts that are used in urban settings to manage pests in schools,...
Presenter(s): Martín Guerena, Steven Zien
Location: Fred Farr
Thursday Session: E | 1:30 pm
Crop Insurance for Diversified Organic Farms
Diversified organic farmers have historically been challenged in finding crop insurance products...
Presenter(s): Michael Alston
Location: Nautilus
Thursday Session: C | 3:30 pm
Abuzz about Bees
One in every three bites of food comes from crops that are pollinated by honey bees. Yet in recent...
Presenter(s): Randy Sue Collins, Larissa Walker
Location: Kiln
Bagrada Bug Research and Identifying Other Organic Research Needs
A two-part session: Organic controls for bagrada bug & discussion of growers' organic research...
Presenter(s): Dr. Shimat V. Joseph, Jeffery Dahlberg, Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, Chuck Boldwyn
Seasoned Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Toyon
Chinese Medicinal Herbs: An Emergent Organic Market
The expanding use of herbal medicine has greatly stimulated U.S. consumption of traditional Chinese...
Presenter(s): Michael Broffman, Michael McCulloch, Peg Schafer
Location: Heather
Creating Tools for the Small Organic Farm
This session will highlight the work of small-farm tool designers/makers as an inspiration for all...
Presenter(s): Jack Algiere, Barry Griffin, Michael McGowen
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Fred Farr
Food Justice Certification Presentation
Please join us to learn more about the Agricultural Justice Project's (AJP's) Food Justice...
Presenter(s): Michael Sligh, Vanya Goldberg
Location: Sanderling
Get to Know Your Farm: Planning Tools to Achieve Financial and Personal Goa...
Recordkeeping and planning are essential practices to ensure the viability of your farm. However,...
Presenter(s): Alan Haight
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Scripps
Managing Fire Blight Without Antibiotics
If left unchecked, fire blight can decimate pear and apple orchards. Now that antibiotics can no...
Presenter(s): David Granatstein, Rachel Elkins
Seasoned Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Acacia
No-Till Vegetable Production for the Future
Tillage is one of the oldest tenets of agriculture. It can be difficult to imagine breaking away...
Presenter(s): Paul and Elizabeth Kaiser, Helen Atthowe
Permaculture
Location: Nautilus
Pastured Pork
Demand for pasture-raised, high-welfare pork continues to grow. The benefits of pastured production...
Presenter(s): Guido Frosini, Tim Holmes
Location: Evergreen
Produce Marketing Is Like Compost for Sales
Farmers can turn their crop plans into money when they present their products in a top-notch way...
Presenter(s): Dina Izzo, Tammi Reidl
Beginning Farmers & Ranchers
Location: Chapel
Viva EcoFarm! A Historical Look Back and a Hopeful Look Forward
The West Coast has led the way in the organic food movement, and the Ecological Farming Association...
Presenter(s): Amigo Bob Cantisano, Ken Dickerson, Thomas Wittman
Location: Oak Shelter
Wednesday
Wednesday Session: Keynote | 8:00 pm PT
Opening Plenary
Hope Beneath our Feet – The Solution to Climate Change is Soil The new Rodale white paper—titled...
Presenter(s): Bill McKibben, Brock Dolman, Gary Paul Nabhan
Location: Merrill Hall (overflow in Chapel)
