The 28th annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival right around the corner!
Can you believe that autumn is just a few days away? Come celebrate harvest time with the farmers at the annual Hoes Down Harvest Celebration on Saturday, October 3rd and Sunday, October 4th to honor agricultural arts and sustainable rural living. Two fun-filled days of events and seminars for all ages will take place at Full Belly Farm in rural Capay Valley. This 28th annual event offers the public a special opportunity to connect with rural life and deepen our understanding of the local food system.
Over 5,000 people from across the state attend the festival each year, and there is always a little something for everyone! Educational farm tours, a children's area, games, live bluegrass music and wagon rides are always favorite activities, not to mention the glorious all-organic farmers' market with a bounty of seasonal produce such as fresh-picked almonds and walnuts, a huge variety of melons, apples, and pumpkins. For more information visit the news section of our website as well as the official Hoes Down website. Online registration for the Hoes Down event, seminars, overnight camping and volunteer registration is open! www.hoesdown.org.
EcoFarm Conference Plenary Speaker Line-up
The Ecological Farming Association is pleased to announce our 36th annual EcoFarm Conference plenary speakers. Please help us welcome them to the stage this January 20 - 23, 2016!
Daphne Miller, M.D. is a family practice physician in Berkeley, CA and author of Farmacology. By venturing out of her clinic and spending time on seven family farms, Miller uncovers all the aspects of farming—from seed choice to soil management—that have a direct and powerful impact on a healthy human body. Bridging the traditional divide between agriculture and medicine, Miller shares lessons learned from inspiring farmers and biomedical researchers and artfully weaves their insights and discoveries, along with stories from her patients, into the narrative. The result is a compelling new vision for sustainable healing and a treasure trove of farm-to-body lessons that have immense value in our daily lives.
André Leu is the president of International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) who has launched a book titled The Myths of Safe Pesticides. Drawing from valid, peer-reviewed science, he challenges conventional farming methods by refuting the often-repeated myths that surround the use and understanding of pesticides. He exposes the dangers of these chemicals and advocates organic practices as the most viable for farming in the 21st Century.
Don Huber is an award winning, internationally recognized scientist, who has served as professor of plant pathology at Purdue University for the past 35 years. His agriculture research is focused on the epidemiology and control of soil-borne plant pathogens, with specific emphasis on microbial ecology, cultural and biological controls, and the physiology of host-parasite relationships. Don's research over the past few decades has led him to become very outspoken against GMOs as well as the use of Roundup in agriculture in general.
Mas and Nikiko Masumoto are third and fourth generation farmers. David and his daughter Nikiko Masumoto grow organic peaches, nectarines, and raisins on an 80 acre farm south of Fresno, CA. The new feature documentary, "Changing Season: On the Masumoto Family Farm" tells the story of Nikiko following in her father’s footsteps to manage the farm, featured at film festivals and nationally broadcast by PBS. David is the author of nine books including: Epitaph for a Peach, Wisdom of the Last Farmer, Heirlooms,Letters to the Valley, Four Seasons in Five Senses, Harvest Son, Country Voices, Silent Strength and The Perfect Peach. Masumoto received the Award of Distinction from UC Davis in 2003, the California Central Valley Excellence in Business Award in 2007, and EcoFarm's own Steward of Sustainable Agriculture "Sustie" Award in 2008! Nikiko, who spoke at Tedx Manhattan is a passionate farmer and artist.
Stay tuned for more exciting details and visit our website www.eco-farm.org for more information on the 2016 EcoFarm Conference. Online registration opens October 28th!