2016 Fall Dirt and Conference Brochure by georgiaorganics

NEW FEATURES: For the 20th Anniversary Conference, we’ve stepped our game up a notch. 3

FOOD OASIS MAGIC: Find out how a recent Food Oasis meeting turned problems into solutions. 6

AWARD WINNERS: We’re announcing the 2017 Land Steward and Pollinator Awards winners early this year. 10

Fall 2016

It’s been a banner year for Georgia Organics. This summer, the State of Georgia passed a landmark: the 100th farm became Certified Organic, thanks in part to Georgia Organics. Nearly one-third of school districts in Georgia participated in our Farm to School program through the Golden Radish Awards or October Farm to School month-related activities. Compost mechanisms, orchards, healing farms and community gardens popped up across the state, thanks to funding from our Food Oasis campaign. To top it all off, we’ve been working as hard as possible to put on the greatest conference in our 20-year history. With new features, two keynotes, one-on-one consulting, and extra workshops for farmers to really dig in, we’re confident you’ll be as excited as we are for the 20th Anniversary Georgia Organics Conference & Expo.

53 Districts 1.1 Million Students 39 Million Local Meals Learn about Farm to School’s biggest year ever on page 4.

You’ll find details splashed throughout this brochure, beginning on page 3. We can’t wait to see you in Atlanta! GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

100% Non-GMO Project Verified

Organic Seeds Trialed on our farm to succeed on yours 40 NEW Varieties in 2017 INCLUDING: Georgian Crystal Garlic 2171 Xtra-Tender sh2 Sweet Corn Damsel F1 Tomato with late blight resistance One-cut Lettuces for efficient baby leaf production

FREE

Shipping!

*On orders over $10

HIGHMOWINGSEEDS.COM

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Sarah Bartlett, Director of Development at 404-481-5012 or sarahbartlett@georgiaorganics.org.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELLEN MACHT, Chair CHARLES WHATLEY, Vice Chair MANDY MAHONEY, Treasurer LINDA DISTANTIS, Secretary CHARLIE BARNES DAVID BERLE ROBERT CURREY LOUISA D’ANTIGNAC NAOMI DAVIS LINDA DISANTIS JESSICA REECE FAGAN CHERYL GALWAY CHRISTOPHER GLOVER

The Annual Georgia Organics Conference and Expo is one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast. For our 20th Anniversary Conference, we’re going bigger and better than ever. More than 1,000 conference attendees will come together with diverse supporters of the organic food movement to tour farms, cultivate new skills, and discover 80+ partners' exhibit booths with innovative foodand agriculture-related information that will build stronger farms, school gardens, and communities. Through this experience, we will work toward a future we can all believe in by advancing our shared vision: that one day all Georgians will be able to eat organic food from local farms, transforming our health, environment, and economy. This year, the slate of workshops, speakers, and memorable culinary experiences are not to be missed. In fact, we’re rolling out several new features for the occasion. Feel free to peruse below, or online at conference.georgiaorganics.org, and be sure to check out some of the hard work we’ve been doing this year throughout this program.

JENNI HARRIS MARK HENNESSY CARROLL JOHNSON CASHAWN MYERS JOE REYNOLDS

Conference is Going Digital

Tiny Farmhouse

SUJIT SHARMA ASHLEY TURNER RELINDA WALKER

STAFF ALICE ROLLS Executive Director SARAH BARTLETT Director of Development CAROLINE BENEFIELD Development Coordinator

This year, for the first time ever, we’ll have a new It’ll have all the details about conference, including maps, schedules, and tracks, and will also allow you to submit session reviews.

conference app.

Visit conference.georgiaorganics.org for more details. Watch for an email in January for more info.

PERRI CAMPIS Farmer Services Fellow JAMES CARR Communications Coordinator

Farm Tours for Farmers

EMILY CUMBIE-DRAKE Farm to School Director JILL GERAGHTY Conference Coordinator SUZANNE GIRDNER Atlanta Local Food Initiative Director/ Georgia Food Oasis Coordinator SARAH HART Administrative Assistant ABBIE KING Farm to School Coordinator

Farmers, we know you want to get some serious learning done at conference. That’s why we’re busting out farmers-only farm tours that will dive into specific issues. Visit www.conference.georgaiorganics.org to learn more.

ANDREW LADD Director of Operations SUMER LADD FoodCorps Fellow TENISIO SEANIMA Farmer Services Coordinator

All Day Everyday

MICHAEL WALL Director of Programs

CONSULTANTS KRISTI HESSE Culinary Coordinator SANDY LAYTON Conference Consultant DANIELLE MOORE My Market Club Queen Bee

Are you ready to take your DIY game to the next level? Whether gardening or foraging is more your style, we’ve got three All-day Intensive Workshops just for you. Learn more about our All-day Intensive Workshops on page 18.

The second tiny farmhouse produced in partnership with students at the University of Georgia will be on display for conference attendees to see and walk through. Built by UGA sustainable design students, the tiny house will be delivered to an organic farm after the conference. Georgia Organics will review

proposals this winter to select a qualifying organic farm from a pool of applicants. The selected farm will be announced at the conference. Live small, farm big! Interested in applying? Email farmerservices@ georgiaorganics.org.

1-on-1 Fencepost Sessions

Have a question about your farm budgeting process? Wondering what steps you need to take to become Certified Organic? Ever wonder if you are ready to enter the wholesale market? In partnership with Global Growers Network, Natural Born Tillers and a few other friends, Georgia Organics is offering one-onone consulting sessions on Saturday to answer questions like these. This year, the Fencepost Sessions feature a cornucopia of consulting topics, for farmers and good food community advocates alike, including high tunnel optimization, marketing strategies, using QuickBooks, record keeping, and legal issues. Space is limited. Sign up for a Fencepost Session at conference.georgiaorganics.org.

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

FARM TO SCHOOL

39 Million Local Meals Served at 53 School Districts Across the State ATLANTA, October 24, 2016— Georgia Organics and the Georgia Departments of Agriculture, Public Health, and Education

came together under the prestigious Gold Dome for the annual Golden Radish Awards to celebrate incredible gains made in the farm to school movement. 53 school districts — nearly one-third of all public school districts in Georgia and reaching over 1 million students —are now participating in farm to

school programs and recognized through the Golden Radish Awards. The Golden Radish Award publicly recognizes school districts for all aspects of farm to school, from emphasizing local food procurement to hosting taste tests to gardening with students, and is awarded at Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorary Levels. Districts were evaluated on their work in 10 different activities of farm to school. Some of that extraordinary work includes Dougherty County School System training students to harvest, wash, and prep produce from their teaching gardens for taste tests and to serve in the cafeteria, Elbert County School District featuring local strawberries on the lunch line from a farm 20 miles away, and Dade County Schools utilizing experiential nutrition and garden-based education to teach

what current and future Golden Radish Award winners will accomplish as we work toward our 2020 Vision for School Nutrition in Georgia.” State Superintendent Richard Woods agreed with Commissioner Black, emphasizing the benefits of connecting education to Georgia’s largest industry. “Having access to fresh, farm to school meals is great for Georgia’s students,” said Woods. “Farm to school programs also connect students with agriculture, which is an enormously important industry for our state. We appreciate the Golden Radish Award because it recognizes those school districts that are striving every day to provide more farm to school meals.” 2016 GOLDEN RADISH AWARD WINNERS

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) standards.

“It is incredible to see the growth of farm to school programs in the last few years,” stated

Alice Rolls, Georgia Organics Executive Director. “Every day, children across our state

GOLD AWARD are getting the opportunity to grow and taste SILVER AWARD Georgia food in their schools. I’m excited to see our schools invest in Georgia farmers and BRONZE AWARD in our children at the same time.” HONORARY AWARD Districts of all sizes are utilizing farm to school CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT programs to teach academic standards in school gardens, support the local economy through To top it off, Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., local food purchases for school meals, and commissioner of the Georgia Department of fight childhood obesity and other preventable, Public Health, noted the combined educational food-related diseases. and long-term health benefits. “Farm to school “Our ultimate goal here at the department is teaches our children the importance of food for communities to take ownership of their that helps bodies grow healthy and strong, and school cafeterias, similarly to how we all push for food that promotes learning,” said Fitzgerald. excellence in the classroom, the arts and athletics,” “When children learn as early as possible where said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary their food comes from, they are more likely W. Black . “We are proud to have so many to eat fresh, nutritious foods that will sustain Georgia Grown Feed My School participants healthy choices that spread to families and recognized here today and are excited as to communities.”

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Burke County Public Schools received this year’s Outstanding Golden Radish Award

DURING THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR, SCHOOL DISTRICTS COLLECTIVELY: • Served 39 million school meals that included local food • Held 8,246 taste tests of fresh, local food to students • Taught 3,406 garden, food and nutrition lessons to students • Tended 575 edible school gardens • Hosted 1,935 handson cooking activities with students • Incorporated farm to school language in district-wide policies or procedures in 29 school districts

Needless to say, the 2015-16 school year was a banner year for farm to school in Georgia, and all participants were thrilled to celebrate at the Golden Radish Awards. Want more info about Georgia Organics' Farm to School programs? Visit us online: georgiaorganics.org/for-schools.

Farm to School at Conference

Farm to School Educational Sessions: From the Ground Up: Working with High Risk Youth and Building Your Program Ray Williams, Mirror Image Mentoring

Join Ray Williams as he discusses how to work with high-risk youth, build administrative support, and collaborate with institutions and business through the inspiring story of building the Mays High School garden program into a transformative and comprehensive program.

Cultivating Farm to School Ryan Morra, Vermont FEED

Everyone has a role in farm to school, even if you're not a farmer or a teacher! Facilitators and participants will s hare experiences i n developi ng the vital relationships necessary to make farm to school education a real and la sting part of t he communitythrough communitywide events, school gardening, and farm partnerships.

Garden to Cafeteria Ashley Rouse, Sodexo/ Atlanta Public Schools; Scott Richardson, Warren County Public Schools

Eager to serve fresh, delicious school garden produce in the cafeteria? He ar from both a rural district and a large, urban district on how they've successfully brought student-grown school ga rden pro duc e into t heir cafeterias.

Grants Galore Kyla Van Deusen, Captain Planet Foundation; Emily Anne Vall, Georgia SHAPE; Tristana Pirkl, Whole Kids Foundation

Learn tips and tricks for successful grant applications along with three specific grant opportunities for school gardens and school-based health and wellness initiatives.

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

GEORGIA FOOD OASIS - COLUMBUS

Food Oasis Magic At a recent speaking engagement for Creative Mornings in Atlanta, Kevin Gillese, the founder of comedy club Dad’s Garage, burst the bubble on “magic.” Magic isn’t real, he claimed, it’s simply the delayed reaction between really hard work and the final product. People don’t see the nitty gritty effort, the failed attempts, or partnerships formed to bring a work of art, a song, or even a vegetable, to life. To most, the final product is magic. But at a recent Food Oasis meeting in Columbus led by Georgia Organics, it sure felt like the hard work was in fact the magic. Let me explain. In 2007, Brad and Jenn Barnes, “...decided to see how hard it would be to remove ourselves from the consumer rat-race by not buying any new non-consumables for an entire year,” as they wrote on their blog, The Dew Abides. “Turns out it was easy. Surprisingly easy,” they added. Lo and behold, their mission to provide more of their own food and become as sustainable as possible lasted much longer than one year. This transition also changed their perspective: Instead of seeing a pile of junk on an abandoned lot in the neighborhood, they saw the site of a future food forest. Fast-forward to September 2016: The Barnes family stood up in front of the crowd at a Food Oasis meeting in Columbus to pitch the food forest idea for a chance to win a microgrant from Georgia Organics. The Columbus Food Oasis community chose the project as the “Best Project Concept” and they won $1,500 towards the orchard. Certainly, that journey had some charm of its own, but the real magic occurred at the next Columbus Food Oasis meeting, where Brad stood up to provide some updates about the orchard. He secured an agreement with the property owner who would receive a property tax credit for allowing his land to become an orchard, identified and dealt with a few smaller issues, and basically had the everything on schedule for an early December planting.

“Just like that, the Barnes family went from having a delayed, over-budget orchard, to a truly community supported project that will provide food for decades.”

Columbus residents gather for a photo following another successful Food Oasis meeting.

But two major hurdles emerged: they needed someone to prune a few overbearing trees in the neighbor's yard that hadn’t been taken care of in years--some of which have since become hazardous--in order to maximize sunlight for the orchard, and, of course, the fruit trees themselves. They’d just received a quote for the pruning and were looking into getting another grant for the trees. This particular Food Oasis meeting took place at a business incubator called Two Thousand Opportunities, who also won a grant at the last meeting to install a community garden on their property. Ann Davis, the Executive Director of Two Thousand Opportunities and longtime fixture in the community, invited several first-time Food Oasis meeting attendees to join the meeting, including farmer Marvin Glaspy and his nephew Jody. Those two love growing food. In fact, there’s nothing they’d rather do. They grow what they can eat, preserve some for later, and give the rest of the food away.

“The way it should be,” Marvin noted. The Food Oasis meeting was no different. After showing off his beautiful collard greens and sugar cane, Glaspy handed out bell peppers and hot peppers. And when Jody heard that a couple of trees might need to come down, he raised his hand. “I can cut that tree down,” he said. “I’ve cut down trees all over this city. And I guarantee nobody around here can beat my price.” Seconds later, Dorothy McDaniel, Executive Director of Trees Columbus, smiled and raised her hand. “I think I know someone who can help you with those fruit trees,” she said. Just like that, the Barnes family went from having a delayed, over-budget orchard, to a truly community supported project that will provide food for decades. That’s what I call magic. Want to learn more about Georgia Food Oasis? Visit them online at georgiafoodoasis.org.

Columbus Food Oasis Special Meeting Dec. 5, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., WC Bradley Museum Stakeholders will convene to discuss the potential and next steps for coalescing as a restaurant coalition. 6

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Georgia Food Oasis at Conference Food Oasis Communities Tour & Mixer at Carver Market Feb. 16 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Join us for this special small retail tour of Carver Market in South Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;see doubling Thursdays in action, and learn more about how this small retailer is nudging shoppers to make healthier purchasing decisions. Following the tour we will hold a Food Oasis Communities Mixer in the Carver Market community space where Atlanta, Augusta and Columbus Food Oasis communities can mix and mingle. Food Oasis Executive Nudge Training

Office Hours with Kristen Grimm

Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Getting folks to go from knowing to doing requires activation. This session will inspire you and offer time to think through specific challenges. By invitation only.

Executive one-on-one consults with Kristen Grimm, President of Spitfire Strategies. Food Oasis Executive Scholars Only.

In-Depth Workshop: Working Across Differences: Inclusive Leadership for Community Organizers Feb. 17 from 2 - 5 p.m. Mattice Haynes, The Art of Community

Learn tools and practices for connecting with community members. Participants will strengthen their community building skills and experience collaborative methodologies that can be used to address complex challenges.

Educational Sessions: Building the Oasis, One Project at a Time 100s in Harrisburg; South Augusta Yards to Gardens; Sibley Soilworks; A Healing Farm

Augusta is building a Food Oasis one bed at a time. Come learn about the 100s in Harrisburg resident raised bed program, South Augusta Yards to Garden initiative, and Sibley Soilworks. The Power of Nudge: A Neighborhood Retailerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Impact on Community Health Panel: Jeff Delp, Carver Market; Cicely Garrett, Georgia Food Oasis

Discover the magic of Nudge techniques for small- and mediumsized food retailers to have a big impact on shaping behavior and healthy food choice. Connecting Nutrition Education to Local Agriculture Kayla Anderson, MPH, RD, LDN, and Sara Thorpe, MPH, Open Hand Atlanta

Learn to cultivate creative partnerships with farmers, teachers, advocates, and community-based organizations. Open Space Marketplace for Georgia Food Oasis

Seeded by Georgia Organics

Michael Herman, Open Space World

Join your peers for this Open Space World session on good food and community, based on the Marketplace bulletin board themes we collect during Expo. GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

Conference volunteers receive a $40 reimbursement. Sign up today by contacting Sumer Ladd at govolunteer@georgiaorganics.org.

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GEORGIA ORGANICS NEW STAFF

Get to Know Us Sumer Ladd spent the last two years teaching food and garden based education as a FoodCorps service member, and was such a rockstar that we had to keep her in Georgia to continue her great work. Sumer is now working full-time with FoodCorps in partnership with Georgia Organics and will support all of Georgia’s nine FoodCorps service members who are implementing farm to school across the state. As with all new staff members, we sent her some tough, investigative questions. This is what we found out:

I was inspired to work for FoodCorps and Georgia Organics Farm to School efforts because I wanted to advocate for children who are growing up like I did. ALL of our nation’s children deserve to grow up healthy. This begins by making sure our children have access to healthy foods so that they have the opportunity to make a healthy choice, and teaching them about the importance of taking care of their bodies, the planet, and the people who feed us. What do you want to accomplish for Georgia’s farmers?

I hope to advocate the importance of supporting our Georgia farmers. While studying Agricultural Communication at the University of Every single person in our food system, whether they tilled the soil, planted Georgia, I was an intern at UGArden, a student-run farm in Athens. the seed, processed the product, or brought it to our table, should live a After college, I joined FoodCorps and completed two years of service. prosperous life. When the people who feed us thrive, we can all thrive! I did my first year of service in Habersham County with the Northeast Georgia Farm to School Program and Food Bank of Northeast Georgia If you became a DJ, what would and my second year in Atlanta at Captain Planet Foundation. During my your DJ name be? service, I taught gardening, farm to school, nutrition, and food justice- Funny you should ask! My friends based lessons to students ranging from Pre-K through High School. call me DJ Biceps because at one point in my life, I had pretty Who/what inspired you to do the work you are doing impressive biceps. The biceps for Georgia Organics? unfortunately didn’t stick, I was raised by a single mother who came to this country in search but the name did. of the American Dream. However, like many immigrants, she found herself working two to three food service jobs at a time, bringing food to the tables of many while struggling to bring food to her own. Sumer Ladd, I understand the importance of school food because I relied on free Georgia Organics school meals growing up, and for many children, school lunch may be FoodCorps Fellow the only real meal they get all day. What was your previous job?

Caroline Benefield joined Georgia Organics during the sweltering heat of July and immediately took the bull by the horns. Caroline joins Sarah Bartlett to form an all-vegan development team that is looking to take your membership and our organization to the next level. As with all new staff members, we sent her some tough, investigative questions. This is what we found out: What was your previous job?

For the past two years I served as a campaign assistant at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for special events and for the Student Series program. Before that, I was a professional puppy snuggler (adoption counselor) at the Atlanta Humane Society.

What do you want to accomplish for Georgia's farmers?

I hope I can support our farmers in making deep, lasting connections with their communities. I believe a symbiotic farmer-community relationship benefits everyone. If you became a DJ, what would your DJ name be?

DJ Master Beets

Who/what inspired you to do the work you are doing for Georgia Organics?

In a college class, I read Farmer in Chief by Michael Pollan, which really opened my eyes to the importance of eating local food. When I read about Georgia Organics’ work and mission, I knew I would love working here!

Caroline Benefield, Georgia Organics Development Coordinator

Business members receive a $150 discount on expo registration. Contact Caroline Benefield, Development Coordinator at 404-481-5009 or caroline@georgiaorganics. GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

Join us in celebrating our 2017 Award Winners at the Famous Farmers Feast on Saturday, Feb. 18. Our winners are...drum roll:

PHOTO CREDIT: ANTHONY-MASTERSON

PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL HULTBERG

2017 Land Steward Award Winner

2017 Barbara Petit Pollinator Award

After 30 years of experience in both industrial and organic agriculture, where he has managed public, private and community-based food and agricultural businesses in over 30 countries, Nuri brought the Truly Living Well Center for Urban Agriculture to Atlanta. A beacon for urban agriculture in the Southeast, Nuri and TLW have changed laws, trained hundreds of farmers, fed thousands of people, and inspired many more.

An ad for farm workers in Reader's Digest brought Tony Scharko and his family from Germany to New Orleans 40 years ago. Since then, Tony fought in the Vietnam War, met Linda, the love of his life, and together they met half the farming population of Georgia, thanks to their willingness to train growers, share equipment, or let other farmers use the land. “I like working with people who like to work,” said Tony to our friends at Community Farmers Markets last year. Well Tony and Linda, you sure picked the right business, and we’re glad you did.

K. Rashid Nuri

Tony and Linda Scharko

Want to see why these award-winning farmers are the bees knees? Their farms will be available for your viewing and learning pleasure as part of our Farm Tours. Find out more on pages 16-17.

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About our awards The Land Steward Award

Barbara Petit Pollinator Award

Georgia’s organic agriculture community honors two of the state’s foremost leaders every year at the Georgia Organics conference. The

In 2009, Georgia Organics established the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award to honor an individual or organization for outstanding community leadership in Georgia’s sustainable farming and food movement. The award

Land Steward Award was created by Georgia Organics to honor an individual or individuals who have contributed greatly towards the organic agriculture movement in Georgia. The Land Steward

Award has traditionally been given to a farmer, agricultural professional or researcher who has demonstrated a commitment to the tenets of organic agriculture—soil fertility, biodiversity, on-farm recycling, and water quality—and also the larger community through leadership, education, and outreach.

acknowledges exceptional success in advancing Georgia Organics’ mission by spreading—pollinating— the movement throughout community life, such as the food industry, faith communities , public agencies , schools and institutions. The award

PAST WINNERS

1997.......................................................................... Cynthia Hizer 1998 ..................................................... Norman & Bonnie Nichols 2001 ............................................................................ Ryan Cohen 2002 ...................................................................... Sharad Phatak 2003 ........................................................ Skip and Cookie Glover 2004.............................................................. Andrew Stocklinski 2005........................................................................... James Dean 2006.................................................................. Shirley Daughtry 2007.......................................................................... Jerry Larson 2008 ............................................ Nicolas Donck & Helen Dumba 2009 ........................................................................ Daniel Parson 2010 ................................................................. Andy & Hilda Byrd 2011 ...................................................................... Relinda Walker 2012................................................ Carroll Johnson & Dan Evarts 2013 .............................................................................. Lynn Pugh 2014 ............................................................................. Celia Barss 2015 ............................................................................Julia Gaskin 2016 .............................................................................. Will Harris

Barbara Petit

is named after Barbara Petit, who was a committed leader, culinary professional, and President of Georgia Organics from 2003-2009. Petit passed away in October 2015.

PAST WINNERS

2009 ........................................................................ Barbara Petit 2010 ...........................................................................Julie Shaffer 2011 .............................................................................Teri Hamlin 2012 ................................. Christine Anthony & Owen Masterson 2013 .........................................................................Helen Dubose 2014 .............................................................................. Teri Schell 2015.......................................................................... Eric Wagoner 2016.............................................................................. Erin Croom

Join us for the Farmers Feast as we honor Rashid Nuri with the Land Steward Award and Tony and Linda Sharko with the Pollinator Award at the 20th Anniversary Georgia Organics Conference in Atlanta. The Award Ceremony will be followed by a keynote speech from Barbara Brown Taylor. Contact Jill Geraghty about reserving a table for the Farmers Feast at jill@georgiaorganics.org.

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

Thank you to our generous 2017 conference sponsors For sponsorship opportunities, please contact sarahbartlett@georgiaorganics.org.

Pollinator

Catalyst

Steward

Artisan

Producer CafĂŠ Campesino Compost Wheels Southern SARE

Cultivator Anson Mills Atlas Greenhouse Banner Greenhouses Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill

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Farm Burger Farm Credit Associations of Georgia Global Growers Hall Booth Smith, P.C. InterNatural Marketing

King of Pops Riverview Farms Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Turnip Truck

Keynote Speakers

Schedule Friday, Feb. 17 8 a.m. - noon Expo Set Up

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

All-day Intensive Workshops (off site)

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Drive-It-Yourself Farm Tours (off site)

11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Registration Open

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Barbara Brown Taylor

Matthew Raiford

Buffet Lunch

Saturday Night

Friday Night

1 - 7:30 p.m.

Barbara Brown Taylor is a New York Times bestselling author who teaches in the humanities department at Piedmont College. Her life changed in 1992, when she and her husband Ed left the big city for the foothills of the Appalachians to establish Indian Ridge Organic Farm . Their move to the fertile land that lies in view of Mount Yonah and the Chattahoochee River gave rise to Taylor's three award-winning memoirs and her lasting awareness of the sacred connection between humans and humus, food and earth, farmers and faithfulness. Her last book, Learning to Walk in the Dark, was featured on the cover of TIME magazine and on SuperSoul Sunday with Oprah Winfrey. In 2014 she was named one of TIME’s Most Influential People. Taylor has been a featured speaker at Emory, Duke, Princeton, and Yale, but she would rather be at home in the kitchen cooking the Purple Beauty peppers and Fairy Tale eggplants that Ed has just brought up from the garden.

CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, executive chef and owner at The Farmer and The Larder in Brunswick, featured in January 2016’s Garden & Gun as one of the South’s most exciting new restaurants, most recently served as the program coordinator and associate professor of Culinary Arts at the College of Coastal Georgia. He has a Bachelor’s of Professional Studies degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and a certificate in Ecological Horticulture from the University of

2 - 5 p.m.

California Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Raiford is also the farmer at Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, where

he is the sixth generation to farm on the land that has been in his family since 1874. Gilliard Farms is a family-run, Certified Organic farm growing under the watchful eye of Matthew and his sibling Althea. Gilliard Farms was first established by Matthew’s great, great, great grandfather Jupiter Gillard.

Expo open

In-depth Workshops

5:15 - 5:45 p.m.

Kickoff Keynote Address

5:45 - 7:30 p.m. Expo Reception

7:30 p.m.

Famer Mixer (off site)

Saturday, Feb. 18 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Registration Open

7 - 8:15 a.m.

Buffet Breakfast

7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Expo Open

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Welcome Address

9:45 - 11 a.m.

Educational Session I

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Farmer Mixer

Educational Session II

12:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Hosted by the SE Young and Beginning Farmers Alliance, join farmers and all at Wrecking Bar Brewpub on Friday, Feb. 17, after the Expo Reception to mix it up and celebrate the hard work farmers put in to ensure we have good food for all.

Buffet Lunch

2:30 - 3:45 p.m.

Educational Session III

3 - 5 p.m.

Expo Breakdown

The Famous Farmers Feast

4 - 5:15 p.m.

Educational Session IV

5:15 - 6 p.m. Social Time

6 - 10 p.m. To reserve a table for the Farmers Feast, contact Jill Geraghty at jill@georgiaorganics.org.

Farmers Feast, Keynote Address, Awards, and 20th Anniversary Video presentation

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

*Schedule subject to change.

The Farmers Feast is our annual culinary highlight, featuring local organic food and great music. Some of Atlanta's best chefs, including Anne Quatrano, Steven Satterfield, Linton Hopkins, Terry Koval, Cathy Conway and Ford Fry, will prepare the feast, so get your taste buds ready!

We will honor the 2017 award winners, and we'll also debut a short 20th Anniversary documentary produced by the incredible team at EventStreams, who have diligently crisscrossed the state interviewing farmers, educators, chefs and community members.

MAYORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY

URBAN AGRICULTURE Conference Sunday, February 19th, 2017 at the Georgia Freight Depot.

Georgia Organics Members receive 30% off Aglanta conference registration. Visit aglanta.org for more info or contact Jeffrey Landau at jeffrey@blueplanet.consulting.

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Featured Speakers Will Harris

White Oak Pastures

Harris has been recognized all over the world as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Saturday Educational Session: Certified B.S. Livestock Certifications and Consumer Confusion

Alex Hitt

Peregrine Farm

One of the most distinguished farmers in the country and SARE’s 2006 Patrick Madden Award Winner for Sustainable Agriculture will provide a key lesson for any farmer: proper crop planning. Friday In-Depth Workshop: Whole Farm Planning

Lorna Mauney-Brodek

Herbalista Health Network

Mauney-Brokek founded the Herbalista Network to provide free clinical care, a spot of tea, and herbal education to underserved communities. Saturday Educational Session: Dip into Herbal Medicine

Marty Mesh

Florida Organic Growers

Mesh has dedicated more than 40 years to a more environmentally responsible and socially just form of agriculture. Friday In-depth

Good Food Scholarships Available:

Workshop: Mythbusting: What Organic Agriculture is Really About

Jennifer Taylor

Lola’s Organic Farm

Taylor is Coordinator of Small Farm Programs and Associate Professor at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University where she works with farming populations and communities to identify needs and assists in development of alternative capacity building programs to help meet those needs. Saturday Educational Session: Navigating the World of Organic Inputs

A limited number are available for Georgia’s growers, good food advocates, leaders, and educators.

Ray Williams

Mirror Image Mentoring

Williams founded Mirror Image Mentoring in 2007, to provide leadership and action on how to make healthier lifestyle choices through a customized urban agriculture-based mentoring program. Saturday Educational Session: From the Ground Up: Working with High-Risk Youth and Building Your Program

Dr. Joan Fischer University of Georgia

To learn more and apply, please visit conference.georgiaorganics.org. Applications are due 12/15/16.

Neil Cooper, MD

Kaiser Permanente

Fischer is an award-winning Registered Dietitian and is the Director for the UGA Didactic Program in Dietetics. Neil Cooper, MD, is Chief of Diagnostic Imaging at Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta. Friday In-depth Workshop: More Than an Apple a Day

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

Farm Tours are drive-it-yourself again this year, with plenty of time to take in a morning farm tour and then head to the convention center for lunch and an afternoon workshop.

Cane Creek Farm Note: Tour starts at 9:45 a.m. Cane Creek Farm: 5110 Jekyll Road Cumming, GA 30040 Cane Creek Farm is a small CSA farm located amongst the subdivisions of western Forsyth County. In operation since 2001, the farm has grown and acquired infrastructure, livestock, medicinal herbs, and shiitake logs to take

advantage of different ecosystems on the farm. Classes on organic farming have been offered since 2007. This year, the farm will be offering opportunities for a limited number of farmers to incubate their farm on the land of Cane Creek

Farm to help and prepare beginning farmers to establish their own successful farm.

Emory University’s Oxford College Organic Farm Oxford College Organic Farm: 406 Emory Street Oxford, GA 30054 Emory University's Oxford College Farm is a recently established Certified Organic vegetable farm that serves the campus and community through production, education, and research. Produce from the farm is distributed to dining at Oxford and Emory, sold at the Emory University and Oxford city farmers' markets, and shared with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members in Oxford and at the Emory campus.

Favorite education topics include methods of crop rotation, cover cropping, and use of beneficial insects for pest control. Exciting organic research is done on the farm by Oxford and Emory faculty and students, as well as UGA and other non-profit groups. Attendees of this tour are invited to eat lunch at the Oxford College Dining Hall, which serves local produce - often supplied by the Oxford

College Organic Farm.

Lunch is $7.97 per person, which is all-you-can-eat and includes vegetarian and vegan options. Those who

stay for lunch will also get to hear from Bon Appetit Management Company, the college’s dining provider, about the local and sustainable vendors they use.

Kennesaw State University’s Hickory Grove Farm Hickory Grove Farm at Kennesaw State University 1877 Hickory Grove Road Acworth, GA 30102 Hickory Grove Farm is part of the Michael A. Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality at Kennesaw State University.

It serves as an outdoor classroom for Organic Agriculture and Beginning Apiary Studies classes, as well as a facility for community engagement

Serenbe Farms

and development and wellness programs for faculty, staff and students.

Sponsored by: Serenbe Farms: 8715 Atlanta Newnan Rd. Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268

Serenbe Farms is a 25-acre Certified Organic farm, with eight acres in active, intensive vegetable production in the middle of the spectacular Serenbe community. They use sustainable practices such as crop rotation, bees,

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high tunnels for season extension, cultivated mushrooms, pastured chickens. Supported by a 90-member CSA, Serenbe Farms also attends two farmers markets per week, and delivers to multiple restaurants in the Serenbe community

and Atlanta. They also grow farmers through their apprenticeship program, and have weekly Agritourism in the form of public and private farm tours and harvest activities.

HABESHA Gardens Complex & Truly Living Well Note: Tour starts at HABESHA and then proceeds to Truly Living Well.

HABESHA’s three-quarter-acre site is located on the grounds of Rosa Burney Park in Atlanta’s Mechanicsville neighborhood, and holistically represents the work of the organization. The garden is an education and demonstration site that serves to promote sustainable urban organic agriculture at neighborhood schools and within the surrounding communities. This is a fully equipped facility that includes geometrically designed raised beds, a rain

HABESHA Gardens Complex: 477 Windsor Street SW Atlanta, GA 30312

Truly Living Well: 324 Lawton Street SW Atlanta, GA 30310

catchment system, and compost station. See the visionary urban farm that changed Atlanta and earned founder Rashid Nuri the 2017 Georgia Organics Land Steward Award for growing incredible produce and even better people. The organic family that Truly Living Well creates through education and entrepreneurial programs for adults and children generates jobs, and also produces safe and beautiful spaces for the community to

gather and serve. TLW grows healthier, more self-sufficient and economically sustainable communities by connecting people to the land through education, outreach and farming. Natural and organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs grow on the three and a half-acre Collegetown Farm and Education Center located in Atlanta's Westside, just minutes from downtown.

Hungry Heart Farm, Decimal Place Farm & Scharko Family Farm

Sponsored by:

Note: Tour starts at Urumina:Wa Burundi and then proceeds to Decatur's Kitchen Garden.

The first farm project of Global Growers that inspired many others to follow suit, Urumina Wa Burundi is a one-acre garden managed collectively by seven farm families. The farm features a mix of traditional East African crops and American farmers market staples.

Urumina Wa Burundi 121 Sams Street Decatur, GA 30030

Decatur’s Kitchen Garden: 500 South Columbia Drive Decatur, GA 30030

(30 minutes NW of Convention Center)

(6 minute drive from Urumina)

Decatur's Kitchen Garden is a two-acre market garden with plots for 30 international families designed to build community, offer education about healthy food traditions and growing practices, and enhance biodiversity through cutting edge sustainable resource management.

Features include a keyline design, fruit orchard, herb garden, newly added pollinator garden, and a beautiful pond.

Metro Atlanta Urban Farm & Gilliam’s Community Garden Note: Tour starts at Metro Atlanta Urban Farm and then proceeds to Gilliam’s Community Garden.

In 2009, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm began to address the growing need of affordable food in low-income communities through an agricultural model that works to decrease the number of food insecure families by educating them on planting, cultivating and cooking fresh produce.

Metro Atlanta Urban Farm 3271 Main Street College Park, GA 30337

Gilliam’s Community Garden 286 Oakland Terrace Atlanta, GA 30310

In addition the farm serves as a preventative tool against health issues and crime and encourages social and emotional well being. Gilliam’s Community Garden is a Certified Organic urban farm growing a large variety of fruits and vegetables, and raising livestock.

Their mission is to teach children how to cultivate the land and respect the ecosystem, to instruct residents on how to prepare, juice and eat vegetables from the garden, and to provide access to fresh fruits and vegetables and green space for all in surrounding communities. GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

All-Day Intensive Workshops Friday, Feb. 17, 9-4 p.m. For our 20th Anniversary Conference, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve added some new experiences like these full-day offsite Intensive Workshops. All three workshops include a tour and hands-on learning, with real takeaways to begin your wild adventure. Oh, they also come with lunch. Sound good? Sign up soon: the limit for each workshop is 25 people.

Edible Gardening 101

Wholesale Readiness

Wylde Center

Join the experts at the Wylde Center for this hands-on introductory garden workshop. From sowing seeds to preparing your spring garden beds to tips on utilizing native pollinators, you will learn the basics of how to start and maintain a garden. Great for new and aspiring home, school, or community gardeners, and includes a tour of the Wylde Center's Edgewood , Oakhurst , Hawk Hallow, and Sugar Creek gardens. Cost: $65* Wild Foraging in the City Concrete Jungle, Fruit Forward, Crack in the Sidewalk, A Date With Figs

Atlanta is famous for being the city within a forest, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also an incredible diversity of food crops to be foraged, cultivated, and enjoyed. From forest to table, this workshop will feature identification techniques, foraging ethics and best practices, hands-on food forest maintenance, and culinary methods to preserve and celebrate wild foods. Learn more about Georgia's food forest menu with educators from Concrete Jungle on a walking fruit tree tour through East Atlanta Village. After lunch at the Brownwood Community Center, the group will rotate between three workshops: pruning fruit trees with Fruit Forward Orchards, forest foraging with Crack in the Sidewalk, and a wild foods demo featuring foraged ingredients with Chef Carolyn Ladd. Cost: $65*

Presenters: Todd Eittreim, Farm Manager, Global Growers; Decton Hylton, Education Manager, Global Growers; Susan Pavlin, local food systems consultant; Beth Oleson, Produce Food Safety Services, Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association; Facilitated by: Robin Chanin, Education Manager. Wondering if wholesale is right for your farm business? Visit Bamboo Creek Farm (a project of Global Growers) for a tour of simply-designed,

low-cost wash station, packing station, and cold storage facilities for efficient and food safe postharvest handling on a small, diversified vegetable farm. Learn how Global Growers has added systems and efficiencies to effectively serve wholesale markets (packaging, record-keeping, food safety, storage, labels). Understand what a food safety audit looks like and gain practical tools to prepare for an audit. In the afternoon, we will return to the conference center for part two of this All-day Intensive Workshop. Susan Pavlin will lead an assessment of wholesale readiness and discussion of advantages and disadvantages, including requirements that are typical of local food distributors that can help farms access high-volume, wholesale markets. Beth Oleson will lead an exercise to help participants understand how their individual farm operations will be affected by FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) and ways you may need to prepare your farm operations for new regulations. Participants will have the chance to sign up with the presenters for a one-on-one wholesale readiness and food safety consultation for their farm businesses. Cost: $65*

*Members receive a 30% discount on Education Passes, Intensive Workshops, Farm Tours, and Farmers Feast tickets.

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In-Depth Workshops Friday, Feb. 17, 2 - 5 p.m.

Kitchen Knife Skills Gena Berry, Culinary Works

Sharpen your knife skills in this hands-on class that teaches the inside secrets to perfecting your slice, dice and julienne. Class topics also include selecting the correct knife for the task at hand, caring properly for your knives, and choosing cutting boards that are most suitable for your personal needs. We will have knives available for your use, but you are welcome to bring your favorite knife with you and learn these techniques using your own tools. Class limited to 26 participants. Collaborative Meeting Design Training (COS) for the Organic Food Movement Dr. Joanne Chu, The Collaborative Operating System

Building effective community organizations requires organizations and leaders to collaborate within, between and among each other. Best organizational collaborative practices encourage all voices to be heard. Because much of our work occurs within meetings, this session will introduce participants to a shared approach to creating more effective meeting design to maximize your productivity in meetings. More Than an Apple a Day Dr. Joan Fischer, University of Georgia; Dr. Neil Cooper, Kaiser Permanente

How can we make healthy eating choices when nutrition science is so confusing and contradictory? Hear about the health benefits of making fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains the foundation of your diet—not just the side dishes. Then, enjoy delicious chefprepared tastings and walk away with creative ideas for incorporating more fresh foods into your daily routine. Working Across Differences: Inclusive Leadership for Community Organizers

Microbial Makeover Dr. Steve Fountain and Tasha Alison, Icebox Ministries

Find out what microbiota and microbiomes are, where they come from, and the fascinating history of our relationships with microbes, including their roles in our diets, in our health, and in disease. Discover both traditional and contemporary fermentation processes, as well as ways you can encourage health and wellness for yourself and others. You’ll even get to take home some of the materials you’ll need to get started right away. Getting the Most from Cover Crops Julia Gaskin, University of Georgia; Daniel Parson, Oxford Farm at Emory University

Cover crops provide many benefits and to obtain those benefits you need to make the right cover crop choices and know how to manage them. Learn how to choose the right cover crops for your farm’s goals, understand cover crop mixtures, and cover crop management from hand-managed to tractor scale. Participants will be given vegetable production-rotation scenarios and will choose the cover crops that would be important to meet the goals for that rotation. The workshop will conclude with a discussion regarding not only these choices but also potential alternatives. SPIN-Farming: How It Works and What You Can Achieve Lee McBride, SPIN Farming

SPIN-Farming is a system that teaches you how to start a business making farm-sized income from garden-sized plots, using a profit-driven production system that provides everything you need to set up and start producing income fast. SPIN provides a business concept, crop planning, financial benchmarks, pricing scheme and marketing options. Leave understanding how you can break into the billion-dollar local food scene without betting the farm.

Cool Season Vegetables Under High Tunnels and Best Practices Dr. Suzanne O'Connell, University of Georgia; Nicolas Donck, Crystal Organics Farm; Cory Mosser, Natural Born Tillers

Come learn from the state of Georgia’s foremost experts on getting the most productivity from your high tunnels during cool seasons for lettuce, broccoli, and many other crops. Extend your season, learn which lettuce varieties are best suited for controlled environments, and how small tweaks can maximize your lettuce yields. You’ll also hear about what mistakes to avoid, and which type of high tunnel design is best for our climate. Whole Farm Planning Alex Hitt, Peregrine Farms

What's worse: a field of beautiful crops with no place to go, a half-empty CSA box, or the trip home after farmers market with a truck full of vegetables? In this workshop, one of the most distinguished farmers in the country will provide the most important lesson for any farmer - proper crop planning. Learn the tricks of good succession planting, infrastructure development, soil management, rotations, crop planning, and volume estimates for typical markets from 2006 Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture for his work exploring ways to make agriculture more profitable and environmentally sound. Mythbusting: What Organic Agriculture is Really About Marty Mesh, Florida Organic Growers; Michael Wall and Tenisio Seanima, Georgia Organics

Florida Organic Growers and Georgia Organics team up to give producers and consumers the deep dive on the myths and truths of that perpetually hyped and misunderstood USDA Certified Organic label. Plus, learn about the cultural practices, production techniques, materials and inputs, and other requirements allowed - and not allowed - under the National Organic Program.

Mattice Haynes, The Art of Community

Are you sensing the increasing complexity of engaging diverse community members? Inclusive leadership is critical for "getting unstuck" and achieving results. Learn tools and practices for connecting with community members to strengthen community building skills to address complex challenges.

Excited for these incredible In-Depth Workshops? Register today! Rates are on page 23. GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

Educational Sessions PERSPECTIVES

CHOICES

EVOLUTIONS

MORE SPECIFICALLY

Vows & Vegetables

Navigating the World of Organic Inputs

Multi-Species Livestock in the City

Pest Exclusion in High Tunnels

Farm Generated Innovation

7 Successful Farm Profiles

Georgia’s Urban Agricultural Future

Seed Varieties for Organic Growers

Holistic Crop Rotation

Choosing a Livestock Processor

AgroEcoEquity

Tie-One-On Trellising

25 Mistakes I Made So That You Don't Have To

Farmer Cooperation for Navigating a Crowded Marketplace

Management of Disease and Pests in Squash Production

Session I

9:45 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Session II

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Session III

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Session IV

4 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

Certified B.S. - Livestock Certifications and Consumer Confusion

CHOICES

PERSPECTIVES Vows & Vegetables

The families of Chelsea Jones & Bobby Jones, Babe & Sage Farm; Lynn & Chuck Pugh, Cane Creek Farm

Multi-Species Livestock in the City

Pest Exclusion in High Tunnels

Get the lowdown on how inputs are selected for use in certified organic operations and hear the recommendations from a panel of input experts.

Learn about added value products from GCG’s herd and flock such as eggs, handmade cheeses, goat’s milk, Thanksgiving turkeys, Christmas ducks, and more—all fresh from the pasture and direct to consumer.

Perennial favorite Dr. Ayanava Majumdar returns with more research (and enthusiasm) on high tunnels and organic insecticides and their abilities to help manage pests on your vegetable operation.

Georgia’s Urban Agricultural Future

Seed Varieties for Organic Growers

7 Successful Farm Profiles

Farm Generated Innovation

Cory Mosser, Natural Born Tillers

Bryan Hager, Crager-Hager Farm; Julia Asherman, Rag & Frass Farm

As a consultant with Natural Born Tillers, former farmer Cory Mosser gets to travel to and work alongside Georgia's best and brightest.

Save time with innovations, tweaks, hacks, and just plain engineering brilliance that these two self-reliant farmers have devised for their own productive operations.

Choosing a Livestock Processor

Holistic Crop Rotation Julia Asherman, Rag & Frass Farm

Learn how to use multiple field and high tunnel rotations not only for benefiting crops and soil but in conjunction with mulching, trellising, irrigation, livestock, and cover cropping.

Certified B.S.-Livestock Certifications and Consumer Confusion

Josh Davis, Frolona Farm; Mike Cunningham, Country Gardens; Shaun Terry, Grateful Pastures

Choosing a livestock processor isn't easy, so check out what these ranchers have learned about finding the right processing facility, all the while growing their herds and expanding their markets.

25 Mistakes I Made So That You Don't Have To Cory Mosser, Natural Born Tillers

Will Harris, White Oak Pastures; Brandon Chonko, Grassroots Farm; Wyatt Williams, award-winning journalist

This all-star panel will share which labels are important for ranchers (and consumers), and which ones aren't worth the packaging they're printed on.

MORE SPECIFICALLY

Navigating the World of Organic Inputs

Jennifer Taylor & Ron Gilmore, Lola’s Organic Farm

News flash: farming is hard. Farming as a couple is even harder! Hear how three couples maintain a bond that only farming can create in the face of injury, calamity, and random badness.

EVOLUTIONS

The title says it all; Cory Mosser, with ag consulting firm Natural Born Tillers, shares his top 25 lessons learned as a farmer turned farm consultant.

Prentiss and Jasann Gilliam, Gilliam’s Community Gardens

Mario Cambardella, City of Atlanta; Terrance Rudolph, Natural Resource Conservation Service; TBD, Georgia Department of Agriculture

Learn about policy, planning, programs, and permits aimed at strengthening urban, local food systems with the ultimate goal of the eliminating food deserts.

AgroEcoEquity

Eugene Alala Cooke and Nicole Bluh, Grow Where You Are

Dr. Ayanava Mujamdar, Auburn University

UGA’s Suzanne Stone, Zach Matteen, and Ed Janosik, Sundance Farm

Get the latest from UGA researchers on organic seed options and squash, lettuce, broccoli, watermelon, and pumpkin varieties.

Tie-One-On Trellising

Lauren Cox, Woodland Gardens; Alex Hitt, Peregrine Farms

GWYA will examine the historical wealth created through capitalist-driven, corporate food production in the US.

Two local experts share their experience using trellising to maximize space, increase productivity, and protect a variety of vegetables from diseases, weeds, and insects.

Farmer Cooperation for Navigating a Crowded Marketplace

Management of Disease and Pests in Squash Production

Learn from farmers who leverage the financial strategy of “cooperative economics” to lessen the load of serving the market, and learn the do’s and don’ts of setting up a farmer cooperative.

Learn about the management of squash bugs, diseases, and other pests through variety selection, row covers, cover crops, attracting beneficial insects, and cover crops.

Eric Simpson, West Georgia Farmer’s Cooperative; Alex Rilko, Collective Harvest Co-op

Elizabeth Little and Lindsay Davies, University of Georgia

Get discounted Education Passes online today: georgiaorganics.org/conference. Early

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BUILDING

LIVING

LEARNING

HEALING

Building the Oasis, One Project at a Time

Planning Your Homestead

Grants Galore

Food History in the South

The Power of Nudge: A Neighborhood Retailer’s Impact on Community Health

Canning Made Easy

Cultivating Farm to School Community Connections

Combating Systemic Oppression With(in) Agriculture

Connecting Nutrition Education to Local Agriculture

Composting Basics

From the Ground Up: Working with High-Risk Youth and Building Your Program

Rooting Farmer Prosperity

Open Space Marketplace for Georgia Food Oasis

Dip into Herbal Medicine

Garden to Cafeteria

Land Reclamation

BUILDING Building the Oasis, One Project at a Time

100s in Harrisburg; South Augusta Yards to Gardens; Sibley Soilworks; A Healing Farm

To address food access and community health, Augusta is building a Food Oasis one garden bed at a time by leveraging community resources.

The Power of Nudge: A Neighborhood Retailer’s Impact on Community Health

Panel: Jeff Delp, Carver Market; Cicely Garrett, Georgia Food Oasis

Discover the magic of Nudge techniques for small- and medium-sized food retailers to have a big impact on shaping behavior and healthy food choice.

Connecting Nutrition Education to Local Agriculture

Kayla Anderson, MPH, RD, LDN, and Sara Thorpe, MPH, Open Hand Atlanta

LIVING

LEARNING

Session I

9:45 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Session II

11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Session III

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Session IV

4 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.

HEALING

Grants Galore

Food History in the South

Canning Made Easy

Lyn Deardorff, Preserving Now

Has a brilliant idea for your farm to school program been haunting you due to a lack of funding? Look no further.

Look back at the history of our nation and the day-to-day lives of the people who planted, prepared and consumed the foods that were grown on plantations and in subsistence gardens, as well as the relationships between Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and Europeans.

Discover how to preserve the flavors and freshness of the season safely and with confidence.

Cultivating Farm to School Community Connections

Planning Your Homestead Joey Zeigler, Zeigler Homesteading Services

Whether you have an eighth of an acre or 80, learn to plan a homestead that fits your needs and budget.

Composting Basics

Corinne Coe, Terra Nova Compost Cooperative

Learn to literally and figuratively transform your garden or homestead through the art and science of making compost.

Dip into Herbal Medicine

Lorna Mauney-Brodek, Herbalista Health Network

Take charge of your wellbeing by learning how the plants in your garden and kitchen can transform your health.

Learn to cultivate creative partnerships with farmers, teachers, advocates, and community-based organizations.

Open Space Marketplace for Georgia Food Oasis Michael Herman, Open Space World

Join your peers for this Open Space World session on good food and community, based on the Marketplace bulletin board themes we collect during Expo.

Bird Discount Rates end January 6, 2017.

Panel: Kyla Van Deusen, Captain Planet Foundation; Emily Anne Vall, Georgia SHAPE; Tristana Pirkl, Whole Kids Foundation

Ryan Morra, Vermont FEED

Learn from Vermont Farm to School experts on how to develop vital relationships necessary to make farm to school education a real and lasting part of the communitythrough community-wide events, school gardening, and farm partnerships.

From the Ground Up: Working with High-Risk Youth and Building Your Program Ray Williams, Mirror Image Mentoring

Learn how to work with high-risk youth, build administrative support, and collaborate with institutions and businesses through the inspiring story of building the Mays High School garden program into a transformative and comprehensive program.

Garden to Cafeteria

Ashley Rouse, Sodexo/Atlanta Public Schools; Scott Richardson, Warren County Schools

Hear from both a rural district and an urban district about their success in bringing student-grown school garden produce into their school cafeterias.

Terri Carter, UGA Extension

Combating Systemic Oppression With(in) Agriculture Wekesa Madzimoyo, Aya Institute

Learn about the Processed Communication Approach (PCA), a tool used to both highlight and dismantle the personal, interpersonal, and institutional-cultural aspects of systemic oppression as it relates to the food system.

Rooting Farmer Prosperity

Tamara Jones, Evident Impact; Sarah Franzen, Emory University; Eric Simpson, West Georgia Farmers Cooperative; Cornelius Blanding, Federation of Southern Cooperatives

Learn how family farms, especially those of color, are retaining their landholdings and leveraging cooperatives to redefine wealth for their rural communities and how these same strategies can be applied to urban collectives.

Land Reclamation

Abiodun Henderson, Westview Community Garden; Nuri Icgoren, Urban Sprout Farms

Land has wrongfully been taken from those of African descent throughout U.S. history. Hear how two urban innovators are reclaiming it by farming.

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

FOOD IS THE ANSWER. Be part of the solution. Georgia Organics members help create a better future for farmers, students, and communities throughout the state. Join today and receive 30% off of registration for the Georgia Organics 20th Anniversary Conference. Business, farm, and family memberships are available. Please visit our website for more details.

georgiaorganics.org/membership

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Registration Information Education Passes

Member Standard Rate

Early Bird Discount

Non-member Standard Rate

Early Bird Discount

Non-member Standard Rate

Two-day Education Pass Includes lunch, one In-depth Workshop, and the Expo Reception on Friday, and breakfast and lunch, and four Educational Sessions on Saturday

$202.50

$227.50

$300

$325

$80

$105

$125

$150

$175

$225

$250

Member Standard Rate

Non-member Standard Rate

$24.50

$35

Friday Education Pass Includes Friday lunch, one In-depth Workshop, and an Expo Pass & Reception

Saturday Education Pass Includes Saturday breakfast and lunch, and four Educational Sessions

Extras Friday Farm Tour Drive-it-yourself Farm Tour on Friday morning

Friday All-day Intensive Workshop All-day workshop at an offsite location

$45.50

$65

$52.50

$75

Early Bird Discount (through Jan. 6, 2017) = Save $25 on your Education Pass!

Farmers Feast Saturday dinner that includes the Keynote Address, Awards and 20th Anniversary Video presentation

Members receive a 30% discount on Education Passes and all Extras.

Key Registration Dates Scholarship Application Deadline

Early Bird Registration Discount Ends

Registration Ends

Dec. 15, 2016

Jan. 6, 2017

Feb. 6, 2017

GEORGIAORGANICS.ORG

Is your membership current? Check mailing label for your expiration date and renew today. PRST STD NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID GREATER GEORGIA PRINTERS

THE EARLY BIRD FLIES THE COOP ON JAN. 6, 2017.

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