FEATURED SPEAKERS Opening Session & Keynote Speech Friday Morning Join the leaders from within PASA and the sustainable agriculture movement as we kick off the main conference. Special thanks to Lady Moon Farms for their support of Friday’s opening keynote!
PASAbilities Plenary & Award Series Saturday Morning Join us for the PASAbilities Leadership Award Series as the recipients of the Sustainable Ag Leadership and the Sustainable Ag Business Leader Awards take the stage to share stories and inspire us. Special thanks to Kimberton Whole Foods, a former award winner, for their support of the PASAbilities Leadership Award Series and Saturday’s plenary session!
Charles Eisenstein
Ben Hewitt
Opening Keynoter
PASAbilities Main Speaker
Friday morning keynoter Charles Eisenstein is a world-renowned speaker and the author of Sacred Economics. Charles is a teacher, speaker and writer focusing on themes of civilization, consciousness, money and human cultural evolution. His primary writings are the books The Ascent of Humanity and Sacred Economics. As a child, Charles was always consumed by questions like, “Where did I come from?”, “Why am I here?”, “Where am I going?” After graduating from Yale University with a degree in Mathematics and Philosophy, he traveled to Taiwan, where he learned Chinese and worked as a translator while acquiring a broad education in Eastern spiritual traditions, health, nutrition, globalization, physics and biology. In his late 20s, crises in health, marriage and money took him through a period of years that forced him to let go of a “life under control”, accept help and ultimately discover a generous universe that meets needs in unexpected ways. Charles has three sons, is remarried and now lives in Harrisburg, PA where he is focusing more intensely on his work.
Following the PASAbilities award winners, main speaker Ben Hewitt will take the stage to explore the interconnectedness between food, community, wealth, health, nature and ourselves. Ben is best known for his 2010 book The Town That Food Saved, which chronicles the story of Hardwick, VT, and the efforts to blueprint and implement a localized food system. His more recent book, Making Supper Safe, explores the relationship between humans and the bacteria they consume, and how this should inform our food regulatory standards. Ben was born in Vermont and raised on a 160-acre homestead with no running water or electricity. He now farms and writes in Cabot, Vermont, where he lives with his wife Penny and sons Finlay and Rye in a self-built home that is powered by solar and wind. His upcoming book is titled SAVED: How to Break the Spell of Money, Live Well, and Change the World. An energetic and provocative speaker, Ben believes that not only must we reconsider our relationship to food and agriculture, but also to wealth and community.
Becky & Don Kretschmann, Kretschmann Farm
Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative
Sustainable Ag Leadership Award
Sustainable Ag Business Leader Award
Becky & Don Kretschmann of Kretschmann Farm in Rochester, PA have been providing Pittsburgh area customers with organically grown produce and fruits since 1972. Recently Don unearthed an old newspaper article about the farm circa 1977. It quoted a local county extension agent saying that Becky and Don were doing this “organic something”, but that it would never be commercially successful. Says Don, “Becky and I feel our entire lives have been devoted to proving organic agriculture could thrive.” Their current 80-acre farm supports a 1,300 member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation.
The Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) Cooperative began in 1988 when a group of neighboring organic fruit and vegetable farmers discussed the possibility of joining forces in the marketing of their products. By working together, they could coordinate crop production to complement one another rather than compete and they could enjoy economies of scale in shipping and selling. Each successive season at TOG has brought steady growth in sales as well as diversity, season length and professionalism. The business is owned by the farmers it serves. Jeff Taylor, General Manager of the Tuscarora Organic Growers (TOG) Cooperative located in Hustontown, PA, will accept the Sustainable Ag Business Leader Award on behalf of the company.
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PRE-CONFERENCE
Track Overview
PASA is pleased to offer 13 pre-conference tracks, a series of full-day intensive learning experiences. Each track focuses on a specific topic and brings together experts in the field for an in-depth look. The format allows attendees to gain a deeper knowledge and skill of methods that can be implemented into daily operations. Pre-conference tracks are available through pre-registation only. Walk-in registrations are not available.
WEDNESDAY, FEB 6
THURSDAY, FEB 7 TRACK 3 Adding Year-Round Production to Your Farm with High Tunnels
TRACK 5 Food with Less Fuel: The Low Energy Homestead
Presenters: Susan Pengelly, Misty Knoll Farm & Susan Parry, NRCS; Bill Lamont, Penn State University; Doug Schauffler & Aaron Yoder, Penn State University; Sara Runkel, Great Bend Farm; Bill Kitsch, MidAtlantic Farm Credit; Katie College, Stoney Creek Iris & Cool Beans CSA & Patty Neiner, PA Women’s Agricultural Network
Presenter: Steve Moore, Elon University
Presenters: Tania Slawecki & Gene Bazan, Neo-Terra; Melissa Miles, Eastern Permaculture Guild; Thom Marti, Broad Valley Orchard; Anna Santini & Brooks Miller, North Mountain Pastures
• Considerations, Design & Layout for Permanent & Portable Fencing & for Irrigation
• Crop Planning for Year-Round Production & Profit
TRACK 1 New & Beginning Farmers Penn State Ag Arena
• Machinery & Human-Powered Equipment Selection, Safe Use & Maintenance • The Business Side of Sustainability • Fostering Farm Relationships: Families, Partners & Mentors Funds for this program provided by PA Women’s Agricultural Network
• Capturing Sunlight: The Why, Where & How of Design • Constructing & Maintaining Your High Tunnel • Healthy High Tunnels: Managing for Soil & Plant Health
TRACK 4 Beekeeping for the Future: A Workshop for Aspiring & Beginning Beekeepers Presenter: Bill Day, Pfeiffer Center & Three Fold Farm • Rhythms of Life in the Hive & The Beekeeper’s Year • Hives, Tools & Techniques • Sourcing Your Bees • Getting Ready for Your Bees & Starting Right
TRACK 2 Animal Feed & Forage: Alternatives to Corn & Soy Presenters: Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens, Lakeview Organic Grains; Jeff Mattocks, The Fertrell Company; Roman Stoltzfoos, SpringWood Dairy; Kathy Soder, USDA–ARS Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research Unit • Overview of Options; Small Grain Primer: Harvesting, Conditioning, Storing & Marketing • Feeding Small Grains: Practical Ration Formulation • Sprouting Small Grains for Fodder • Translating Research to Realities: Molasses & Flax Feeding Trials Funds for this program provided by
Mahlon Stoltzfus, Authorized Distributor (484) 798-4631
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• Developing a Healthy Relationship with Your Bees
• Starting & Maintaining Production with Less Energy • Winter Production with Passive Solar • Keeping (On) Track: Calendars, Accounts, Performance • Low-Energy Food Storage with Root Cellars & More • Preserving Food through Fermentation • Energy Dependence Discussion
TRACK 6 Wholesale Success: Producing Safe Food & a Healthy Business While Managing Risk Presenters: National Good Food Network Field Guide Team (made up of Wallace Center, Farm Credit & Morse Marketing Connections, LLC); Atina Diffley, Organic Farming Works LLC • Developing Business & Risk Management Plans for Successful Wholesale & Food Hub Marketing • Wholesale Success from Field to Market • Post-Harvest Handling from Field to Market • Risk Management & Successful Wholesale Marketing Strategies • Sorting & Packing for High Quality • The What, Why & How of a Food Safety Plan • Designing or Improving Pack Sheds: A Visual Tour Funds for this program provided by
PRE-CONFERENCE
Track Overview
THURSDAY, FEB 7 cont. TRACK 7 Goods from the Woods: Foraging, Growing & Marketing Niche Forest Products
TRACK 9 Profitable Production & Parasite Resilient Stock in Small Ruminants
TRACK 11 Soils, Grazing & Grass-Based Land Management with Abe Collins
Presenters: Eric Burkhart, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center; Steve Schwartz, Delaware Valley Ramps; Tom Patterson, Wild Purveyors
Presenters: Susan Schoenian & Jeff Semler, University of Maryland Extension; Sandra K. Miller, Painted Hand Farm; Kim Lott, Kings Gap Environmental Education Center; Melanie Barkley, Maple Hollow Farm; Susan Beal, PASA
• Elevating Grazing
• Strategies, Techniques & Experiences to Foster Parasite Resilience
• Topsoil is the Mother of All Environmental Services
• Copper: Deficiencies & Excesses
• Scaling Regenerative Farmer & Grazier Achievement in the Soil Age
• Wild Plants & Mushrooms in Your Diet & on Your Farm • Niche Product Business Profile: Delaware Valley Ramps & Wild Purveyors • Legal Requirements: Harvest & Commerce Regulations, Insurance & Liability
Presenter: Abe Collins, Collins Grazing, LLC
• Goats & Invasive Plant Management
• Foraging to Forest Farming: Wild Mushrooms & Wild Edible Plants
• Hands-On Preparation & Interpretation of Fecal Samples
• Marketing the Goods
• Functional Stock for Profit & Goals: Selection Strategies, Benchmarks & Record Keeping Basics
TRACK 8 Taking Your Cheesemaking to the Next Level Presenter: Gianaclis Caldwell, Pholia Farm
TRACK 10 Hogs Alive!
• DIY Microbiological Testing for Farmstead Cheesemakers
Presenters: Eliza MacLean, Cane Creek Farm & Chuck Talbott, WVU Extension Service & Black Oak Holler Farm
• The Beauty of Buffering — Why Acids & Mineral Balance Are the Key to Making Great Cheeses
• Rotating Pigs on Pasture, into the Woods & onto Next Year’s Garden Plot
• Designer Cheeses • No Hassle HACCP Funds for this program provided by
• Accelerating Soil Formation • Keyline Soil Formation & Landscape Design
TRACK 12 Behind the Hype of Genetic Engineering: Science, Policy & Alternatives Presenters: Julie C. Dawson, Cornell University; Bill Freese, Center for Food Safety; Margaret Mellon & Doug Gurian-Sherman, Union of Concerned Scientists; David Mortensen, Penn State University • The Impact of GE on Productivity, Pollution Reduction, Drought Tolerance & Pesticide Use
• Four Seasons of Supervision & Activity at Cane Creek Farm
• Glyphosate Herbicide Resistant Weeds: What They Are, the Biotechnology Industry Response & Its Implications
• Pig Planning: A Pig for Every Purpose & Possibility
• Comparing Alternatives: Crop Breeding & Agroecology
• Paper to Pigs to Paper: How to Make This Profitable?
• How Policy Decisions in Washington Affect the Direction of Agriculture & the Use of GE
• Hog Health: The Basics by Agri-Service LLC
YOUTH IN FARMING TRACK: Create Your Own Farm Ventures (6th–12th Grade) Presenters: Claire, Rusty, Walker & Ashton Orner, Quiet Creek Herb Farm & Education Center • Discovering Your Farm Venture Passions • Tools to Make Your Farm Venture Successful • Pitching Your Youth-Led Farm Ventures • Examples of Youth-Led Farm Ventures: Carving Wooden Ornaments, Growing Shiitake Mushrooms & Making Herbal Soap Funds for this program provided by
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FRIDAY
Workshops at a Glance
FRI 8:30–9:50 AM Life in the Soil Gladis Zinati Presidents Hall 1 Sustainable & IPM Tree Fruit for Profit Chris Reid & Ben Wenk Presidents Hall 2 Birds of a Feather: Backyard Poultry Basics Brian Moyer Presidents Hall 3 Beekeeping for the Future: Practices for Today Bill Day Presidents Hall 4 Managing Labor on a Vegetable Farm: The Key to Profitability Jim Crawford Room 104 Holistic Management™ Series: The Process of Decision Making & Testing Options Byron Shelton Room 105 Migrant Farm Labor: A Retrospective Review in Pennsylvania Suzanne Benchoff, Brenda Reyes-Lua & Jorge PérezRico Room 106 The Why & Wherefore of Biogas Systems Melissa Miles & Bob Hamburg Room 107 Sprouting Small Grains for Fodder Roman Stoltzfoos Room 108 The Contribution of ValueAdded Agriculture to Rural Development: Measuring Impacts & Reforming Policy Jeffrey O’Hara Room 109 Taking the Bull by the Horns: Reinvigorating Pennsylvania’s Farmers Union Hannah Smith-Brubaker & Kim Miller Room 112 Animal Midwifery & Peri-Partum Considerations Susan Beal Room 202
Putting the Attainable in Sustainable Ag Becca Zinn & Bill Kitsch Room 203
Finding Your Niche: Creating the Farm that Works For You Katie College Room 106
Hoophouse Health: Salinity, Symphylans & Sustainability Steve Moore Room 204
Understanding the Role of Environmental Agent Exposures in Health & Disease Rick Woychik Room 107
Grass Cattle Reflected in the Numbers: The Tussock Sedge Farm Story Henry Rosenberger Room 205
Farm Advocacy 101 Scott Marlow & Joel Morton Room 108
Holistic Approaches to Managing Invasive Plants on Your Farm & in Your Woods Eric Burkhart Room 206
Traditional Foods Series: Building Sustainable Community Through Buying Clubs & Co-Ops Elizabeth Rich & John Moody Room 109
Traditional Foods Series: Putting Food By, a Survey of Food Preservation Methods Maureen Diaz Room 207
Adding Wild Edible Plants to Your Farm-Based Business Tom Patterson & Steve Schwartz Room 202
Producing Appalachian Charcuterie with Integrated Crop & Forest Management Systems Chuck Talbott Room 208
Holistic Management™ Series: Financial Planning I — Creating a Profitable, Workable Financial Plan Byron Shelton Room 203
Homeopathy for Healthy Plants & Animals Nazirahk Amen Senate Suite
Creating Opportunities Through an On-Farm USDA Poultry Processing Facility Robin & Mark Way Room 204
FRI 1:15–2:35 PM Design & Layout of Portable Fencing for Soil & Animal Health Susan Pengelly & Fabian Smith Executive Conference Suite Keyline Soil Formation & Landscape Design Abe Collins Presidents Hall 1 Beekeeping & Biodynamics Bill Day Presidents Hall 2 Education as a Value-Added Farm Product Claire & Rusty Orner Room 104 How Safe is Your Raw Milk Supply? Gianaclis Caldwell Room 105
Practical Tools for the Farm & Garden Nazirahk Amen Room 205 Practical Considerations for Adding High Tunnels to Your Farm Business Mike Brownback Room 206 Farm-Scale Charcuterie & Aging Techniques Eliza McLean & Brooks Miller Room 207 Introduction to Biodynamics Mac Mead Room 208 Q&A Session Charles Eisenstein Room 211 Successful Methods of Organic Cucumber Beetle Management, a Tri-State Study Elsa Sánchez, Shelby Fleischer & Mark Gleason Senate Suite
See page 3 for the detailed conference schedule.
FRI 2:45–3:45 PM Join in on the discussion sessions and regional membership meetings, see page 10 for full details.
FRI 4:10–5:30 PM Greenhouse Propagation & Planning for the Diversified Farm System Jack Algiere Executive Conference Suite Building Relationships Abroad: Taking a Farm Sabbatical Claire, Rusty, Ashton & Walker Orner Room 104 Curious Grazing for Soil Health & Livestock Performance Abe Collins Room 105 Growing High Quality Market Vegetables Biodynamically Mac Mead Room 106 Why We Grow Organic, a Panel Debra Brubaker, Leslie Zuck & Roman Stoltzfoos Room 107
The Salmonella Chronicles, a Safe Food Discussion Ben Hewitt Room 204 Is an On-Farm Cheese Business for You? Gianaclis Caldwell Room 205 Uncommon Fruits with Market Potential Lee Reich Room 206 Mineral Nutrition of Healthy Plants Jerry Brunetti Room 207 Keeping the Family Cow Melanie Dietrich Cochran & Susan Dietrich Room 208 Maximizing the Value of Your Small Ruminant Sandra K. Miller Room 211 Re-imagining Local: The Transition Town Movement Marie Goodwin Senate Suite
See the next page for detailed descriptions and speaker biographies for the workshops.
Meeting Nutritional Needs of Hogs While Optimizing Feed Costs Jeff Mattocks Room 108 Traditional Foods Series: Raw Milk Litigation & Other Food Rights Issues Elizabeth Rich Room 109 Integrated Pest Management: Applying the PAMS Approach & Managing Risk for Sustainable Outcomes Karen Lewotsky CANCELLED Holistic Management™ Series: Financial Planning II — Operating, Monitoring & Adapting Your Financial Plan Byron Shelton Room 203
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WORKSHOPS
Friday
FRI 8:30 – 9:50 AM Life in the Soil Gladis Zinati, Rodale Institute Presidents Hall 1
Agricultural soil contains all major nutrients needed by plants. These nutrients are accessible to bacteria and fungi, given that they are supplied with exudates from the plant. However, for plants to grow without nutrient limitation, predatory organisms should be present around plant roots. The processes and functions performed by beneficial organisms in the soil will be elucidated, as well as factors that determine the full presence and function of diverse soil organisms. Dr. Gladis Zinati has 21 years of experience in sustainable agriculture. She worked on projects related to compost, cover crops and mycorrhizal fungi in relation to nutrient water management at the University of Florida and Rutgers University. She has recently joined Rodale Institute as an Associate Research Scientist, working on nutrient management systems for agronomic crops as well as using compost and compost teas to improve crop production systems.
Sustainable & IPM Tree Fruit for Profit Chris Reid, Reid’s Orchard & Winery Ben Wenk, Three Springs Fruit Farm Presidents Hall 2
Diversification is key to success in today’s agricultural climate. If you’ve considered adding fruit trees to your yearly offerings but haven’t made the jump to planning your orchard and budgeting your time and assets to make it a success, this is a good place to start. Perhaps you’re willing to go all-in on fruit production! This is how to execute that enterprise. Presenters will be covering a lot of ground and fielding a lot of questions to prepare you to make your fruit tree endeavor worthwhile and not woefully regrettable. You can expect to leave this session with an idea of what’s involved in making tree fruit production profitable with a very introductory explanation of more complex steps such as pruning, training and pest management — a (short) lifetime’s worth of information boiled down to the basics. Born and raised on a diverse fruit farm in central Pennsylvania, Chris Reid is currently pursuing his dream of starting a small organic greenhouse and nursery operation that will specialize in heirloom fruits and vegetables. He currently lives in northern Maryland, works at a greenhouse and gives the occasional talk and consultation. Ben Wenk is a seventh generation farmer from Adams County, Pennsylvania. He and his family raise 450 acres of Food Alliance certified tree fruit plus a diverse selection of small fruits and specialty vegetables to supply their retail farmers market operation. Fruit is also marketed through online sales, Buyers Club deliveries, wholesale accounts and packing/processing facilities.
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Birds of a Feather: Backyard Poultry Basics Brian Moyer, Penn State Extension Presidents Hall 3
This session will help folks who are new to, or thinking about, raising poultry. You will learn about layers, broilers, turkeys and touch on other poultry as well. Brian Moyer will cover breeds, housing, brooder management, feeders and health so you can have a general understanding of what it takes to have poultry in your life. Brian Moyer is a program assistant with Penn State Extension at the Lehigh County office where he assists farmers with marketing and regulations. Brian is a past board member of PASA and a past board member of American Pastured Poultry Producers Association as well as former Director for Rural Vermont, a farm advocacy organization. Brian and his wife Holley own and operate Green Haven Farm and raise grass-fed livestock on their 27 acre farm just outside of Fleetwood in Berks County. For 14 years they’ve sold chicken, eggs, lamb, pork and goat to restaurants, CSAs, farmers markets and at their farm.
Beekeeping for the Future: Practices for Today Bill Day, The Pfeiffer Center Presidents Hall 4
This workshop is for beekeepers seeking to learn and apply sustainable biodynamic practices. Topics will include: the roles of workers, drones and queens in the yearly life cycle of the hive; assessing a hive; increasing the apiary; swarming; feeding; monitoring and treating for varroa mite and other disorders; and queen breeding. The emphasis will be on understanding and fostering the sources of bees’ vitality. Practical knowledge of bees is presumed. Bill Day is a regular presenter at the Pfeiffer Center’s popular beekeeping workshops. His main interest is in working with the bees to foster their vitality using methods consistent with biodynamic principles. Bill keeps his bees at Blue Field Farm in Blauvelt, NY.
Managing Labor on a Vegetable Farm: The Key to Profitability Jim Crawford, New Morning Farm Room 104
In his 40+years of vegetable farming, Jim Crawford has come to realize that labor is by far the biggest, and yet most variable and manageable expense of the farm business. Through trial and error, Jim has developed some systems, techniques and tools which have helped him as he continuously tries to meet this most difficult and crucial challenge. He is happy to share this knowledge with younger growers. Jim Crawford is co-owner/operator of New Morning Farm, a certified organic 95-acre vegetable farm in southcentral Pennsylvania. Since 1972 the Crawfords have been growing diverse vegetable and berry crops for direct market in Washington, DC, the nearest big city, and through
Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative, of which Jim is President. The farm employs twelve apprentices in a wellestablished program and about ten other workers seasonally.
Holistic Management Series: The Process of Decision Making & Testing Options Byron Shelton, Landmark Decisions, LLC Room 105
Participants will learn to be more successful in moving their farm, business, organization or family toward their desires through learning the basic concepts and process of Holistic Management™ decision making. This includes being clear on what is being managed and what is desired, and considering economic, ecological and social realities simultaneously for sound decision making. Through Landmark Decisions LLC, Byron Shelton instructs Holistic Management™ whole farm planning for livestock and crop operations in the US and Europe and produces and markets grass-finished beef. He has managed ranches and farms in Colorado and Virginia including cattle, bison, veal, lamb, hog, broiler, layer, turkey, orchard, show horse, crop, garden and guest enterprises. Byron has served as a founding board member of Central Colorado Food Shed Alliance, Adjunct Instructor of Agriculture Economics at Colorado Mountain College, high school Vocational Agriculture Instructor and Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Young Farmer advisor.
Migrant Farm Labor: A Retrospective Review in Pennsylvania Suzanne Benchoff, Brenda Reyes-Lua & Jorge C. Pérez-Rico, LIU #12 Migrant Education Programs Room 106
The migrant farm worker population has had significant changes within the past ten years. Staff members from the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 will provide the audience with an overview of past migrant farm worker populations and current day challenges to workers, families and employers. Audience members will learn of the current demographics within the Commonwealth, according to the PA Dept. of Education, and opportunities for worker engagement and stability within the workforce. Dr. Suzanne Benchoff has over 30 years in the field of educational and support services for migrant and refugee farm worker children and parents. Suzanne has worked with the PA Dept. of Education and the Lincoln Intermediate Unit as a project manager for migrant education program in service provision to 30 counties in Pennsylvania. Brenda Reyes-Lua, a Mexican immigrant and daughter of a migrant farmworker, is the Program Coordinator for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program. She was the recipient of the Lenfest Scholarship and continues to be actively involved with the Foundation. She also serves as a board member for the YWCA in Adams County, whose focus is geared towards eliminating racism and empowering women. Jorge Pérez-Rico, a sociologist and a former migrant
WORKSHOPS
Friday
farmworker and poultry laborer, is the Parent Coordinator for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 Migrant Education Program. He also works for the Center for Public Service of Gettysburg College as a Community Liaison.
The Why & Wherefore of Biogas Systems Melissa Miles, Two Miles Micro-Farm Bob Hamburg, Omega-Alpha Recycling Systems Room 107
Anaerobic digestion, or biogas systems, offer significant potential for sanitary treatment of organic residues, generation of a clean-burning renewable fuel, full conservation of plant nutrients, carbon sequestration and more. Most current digester efforts aim at only the largest 1–2% of agricultural operations. A more integrated perspective is needed for digestion systems which are appropriate for the other 98%. This presentation introduces how these systems are being developed worldwide. Melissa Miles is an environmental biologist, permaculture designer/teacher, organizer of Eastern PA Permaculture Guild, farm manager at Two Miles Micro-Farm and the director of the Permanent Future Institute, a regional center for regenerative design consulting and education. Additionally, Melissa is a permaculture mentor for Gaia University’s International Diploma in Permaculture Design program and co-author of Dragon Husbandry: The Why and Wherefore of Biogas Systems. Bob Hamburg began involvement with biogas systems as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal in the mid-1970s. He was responsible for installation of two moderately sized, symbiotically integrated digestion greenhouse pond systems in central West Virginia. Through Omega-Alpha Recycling Systems, Bob continues working on designs, materials and regimens to symbiotically integrate biogas systems into small to medium-scale diversified agricultural operations.
Sprouting Small Grains for Fodder Roman Stoltzfoos, SpringWood Farm Room 108
Sprouting grains for fodder can either be the best thing since sliced bread or a frustrating experience, depending on who is doing the talking. Roman Stoltzfoos shares his farm family’s background with sprouting, giving some insight into the decision making process of choosing to install a sprouting chamber, the considerations with set up and economics and — most importantly — the real world know how they’ve gained using this system in their organic grass-based dairy. Roman Stoltzfoos and his family have been farming sustainably and organically for over thirty years, and grazing for twenty. They own SpringWood Farm, a 220 acre, third-generation, certified organic farm near Kinzers, PA. The farm produces milk which is sold directly to the customer, to a co-op and to a value-added processing business as well as chicken, eggs and turkeys.
The Contribution of Value-Added Agriculture to Rural Development: Measuring Impacts & Reforming Policy
Animal Midwifery & Peri-Partum Considerations
Jeffrey O’Hara, Union of Concerned Scientists Room 109
For those breeding their own animals, attend this session on practical considerations, functional anatomy and must-have tools and resources. This session will talk about all species and their immediate pre and post delivery situations (even though management six plus months out also influences things). It will cover birthing as well as before and after birthing events (milk fever, prolapses, failure to thrive babies, diarrheas, mastitis and more). The presentation will emphasize common sense, prevention, supplies and the use of natural medicines. There will be ample time for questions.
Dr. Jeffrey O’Hara will discuss the economic impacts of value-added agriculture, with a specific emphasis on the local food and organic dairy sectors. This presentation will include a literature summary of the economic development impacts of sustainable agriculture and a high-level overview of methodological issues. Dr. O’Hara will also present farm policy recommendations needed to support value-added agriculture, with a particular emphasis on developing risk management options for this class of farmers.
Susan Beal, PASA Room 202
Jeffrey O’Hara is an agricultural economist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Jeffrey researches and advocates for federal programs, including those in the Farm Bill, that provide financial incentives to farmers engaging in environmentally sustainable practices. His expertise also includes local food systems and community development.
Before joining the team at PASA as Agricultural Science Advisor, Dr. Susan Beal worked in a non-speciated veterinary practice dedicated to providing holistic care for animals and the environment. Susan is particularly interested in whole farm/whole system pasture-based ecology, and offers common sense advice and counsel with the goal of health from the ground up — thriving individuals and ecosystems.
Taking the Bull by the Horns: Reinvigorating Pennsylvania’s Farmers Union
Putting the Attainable in Sustainable Ag
Hannah Smith-Brubaker & Kim Miller, Pennyslvania Farmers Union Room 112
Pennsylvania Farmers Union (PFU) is a grassroots, farmer-driven organization that believes strong family agriculture is the basis for thriving communities. The key to their success and credibility has been Farmers Union’s grassroots structure in which policy positions are initiated locally. Whether it is food safety, dairy, specialty crops, water quality, livestock processing, cost-sharing, trade, combating monopolistic practices or any other issue facing family farmers — Farmers Union listens to its members and represents them in the halls of government. They are poised for a fantastic partnership between PFU and PASA, as they are with many other informed voices in the region, each delivering unique services to the farming community. Come learn how the newly established PFU may be relevant to you and your farming operation. Hannah Smith-Brubaker lives and farms in rural Juniata County on a diversified produce and livestock farm serving a 250 family CSA. Hannah is currently serving as the director of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, charged with reinvigorating this vital legislative voice for Pennsylvania’s family farms. Kim Miller farms in Westmoreland County and raises beef on grass. Kim is the past board chair of PASA and currently the president of the Pennsylvania Farmers Union. He has been actively and sustainably farming for more than 20 years.
Becca Zinn, Temple University’s Fox School of Business Bill Kitsch, Farm Credit Room 203
This interactive session will teach the skills needed to improve the business model for any sustainable venture. Discussion will include ways to help business thrive: selling successfully, building lasting customer relationships, managing costs effectively, using credit wisely and planning for sustainable business growth. Gather best practice insights from fellow attendees as well as an agricultural lender and a social entrepreneurship professor while investigating what facilitates healthy business growth in a sustainable operation. Becca Zinn is an Associate Director with Enterprise Management Consulting at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, where she works with teams to provide strategic consulting services to farms, businesses and other organizations in the sustainable farming sector. Becca has earned an MBA from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and a BA in English from Loyola University in Chicago. Bill Kitsch has been employed with Farm Credit for eight years. He is manager of the commercial and agriconsumer groups overseeing the lending functions related to these two segments.
Hoophouse Health: Salinity, Symphylans & Sustainability Steve Moore, Elon University Room 204
Steve Moore will discuss how growers create
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WORKSHOPS
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deserts in tunnels by excluding the leaching power of rain, which can lead to salinity problems and loss of production. Additionally, symphylans are a small group of arthropods that can cause major damage in tunnels and be difficult to identify and control. Steve will cover strategies for avoiding both problems. A small amount of the time will be devoted to covering cover crop use and nutrient release from covers as well as an introduction to structural embodied energy. This session focuses beyond the basics so that an advanced grower will find it helpful, though beginners are welcome as well. Steve Moore and his family have farmed and gardened organically for over 35 years. Steve has been a pioneer in greenhouse and high tunnel production for over 20 years and is an intermediate certified GROW BIOINTENSIVE® and is permaculture design certified. Steve is currently teaching and directing the AgroEcology Program at Elon University in North Carolina. Steve is a PASA Board alumnus.
Grass Cattle Reflected in the Numbers: The Tussock Sedge Farm Story Henry Rosenberger, Tussock Sedge Farm Room 205
Henry Rosenberger will describe their transition from conventional grain-based management — showing the changes in their cattle type, year-round rotational grazing plans (including spring flush, July droughts and winter management), and talking about the bottom lines (increased carrying capacity and cut outs between 68-72%, for example). In this presentation, Henry will be open about what he’s learned — and also provide time for questions and discussion. Over the 2005/2006 season, Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger converted the entire 500+ acres of Tussock Sedge Farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to grass and hay. They have managed their Red Angus and Devon cattle in a totally grassfed system since 2009 when they were convinced that properly finished grass fed beef could equal or better conventional corn/grain finished. Henry looks forward to honing his management system to stockpile and graze year-round.
Holistic Approaches to Managing Invasive Plants on Your Farm & in Your Woods Eric Burkhart, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center Room 206
The topic of invasive plants can be confusing, contradictory and even controversial for landowners who are wondering what, if anything, they should do about invasive plants on their farm or in their woods. This workshop will present current philosophical and practical approaches to thinking about and managing invasive plants. Guidance and
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considerations relating to the potential impact(s) of invasive plants, control and management strategies, staging and timing of control activities and restoration of heavily invaded areas will be discussed. Eric Burkhart is instructor and plant science program director for Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. He provides landscape and forest management leadership at Shaver’s Creek and teaches courses for the Penn State Ecosystem Science and Management Dept. on woody and herbaceous plant identification, nonnative invasive plants and agroforestry. Working with partners such as the PA DCNR, Eric also conducts research on important non-timber forest products including American ginseng, goldenseal and ramps and offers practical guidance in forest farming through related workshops and publications. Eric is also a current member of the PASA Board.
Traditional Foods Series: Putting Food By, a Survey of Food Preservation Methods Maureen Diaz, Mama’s Follies Room 207
In this presentation, Maureen Diaz takes a hard look at the pros and cons of a variety of food preservation methods, from canning to curing and everything in between. What methods preserve the best flavor or most nutrition? She will also compare the ease of each method and equipment requirements. The workshop will help you decide which is best for you and your circumstances. Maureen Diaz is a homesteading and homeschooling wife and mother to a large family. She and her family grow most of their own food on their ten acre farmstead near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania using rotational grazing and sheet composting methods. Maureen is also a Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leader, a Real Food Foodie and an educator in nutrition and traditional food preparation. The Traditional Foods Series is made possible by the underwriting support of the Weston A. Price Foundation & the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Producing Appalachian Charcuterie with Integrated Crop & Forest Management Systems Chuck Talbott, WVU Extension Service & Black Oak Holler Farm LLC Room 208
Learn the full season of this farming system that is modeled after the dry-cured hams of Spain. This system requires special attention to genetic makeup, specifically fat deposition and behavior, and ecologically-based management considerations. Sows with litters rotate through rape or barley plots in the spring. In summer, shoats hog down corn, beans, sunflowers and sorghum sudangrass. Then, 300 lb. market pigs harvest mast from forest plots in the autumn. Nursery pigs work mulch and manure into heavy clay soils to build organic soils for gardens. Chuck Talbott developed a niche-market pork program as director of the Small Scale Hog Producer Program at North Carolina A&T University. Talbott’s work was fea-
tured in Peter Kaminsky’s book, Pig Perfect. Talbott and partners Nadine Perry and Nic Heckett have been producing mast-fed hogs at Black Oak Holler Farm since 2005. Their dry-cured Appalachian Mountain Ham™ received the 2011 American Treasures Award and they were featured in Southern Living, Whiskey Magazine and The Washington Post.
Homeopathy for Healthy Plants & Animals Nazirahk Amen, Purple Mountain Organics Senate Suite
This lecture explores the practical application of homeopathy on the farm and garden. Nazirahk Amen will outline the basic precepts of homeopathy and show how simple homeopathic preparations can lead to a healthier life for your plants and animals. After attending this lecture participants should feel comfortable exploring the use of simple homeopathic preparations that can increase wellness on the farm or in the garden. Nazirahk Amen, ND, L.Ac. is a homeopath, naturopath and oriental medicine practitioner in the Washington, DC metro area. In addition, he manages about five acres of orchard and vegetable production. His company, Purple Mountain Organics, offers fine tools, growing supplies and sustainable ag services. Nazirahk is first and foremost a spiritual adherent practicing and refining harmonious living skills for himself and the greater community and is excited to share information gained from this journey.
FRI 1:15 – 2:35 PM Design & Layout of Portable Fencing for Soil & Animal Health Susan Pengelly & Fabian Smith, Misty Knoll Farm Executive Conference Suite
Practical aspects of portable and perimeter fencing will be presented to help participants implement rotational grazing. This workshop will also promote an understanding of the time commitment and labor inputs involved in moving animals frequently and in maintaining electric fencing and the other infrastructure which enable farmers to use this method of pasture management. You are encouraged to bring a map or satellite image of your property to facilitate individualized design of rotational grazing on your farm. Susan Pengelly and her husband, Keith, own a 70-acre preserved farm which was abandoned until they started breathing new life back into it in June 2010. About half the farm is in hay and the rest is a diversified operation of sheep, goats and laying hens. Fabian Smith, Susan’s sister, raises hogs, broilers and turkeys. This winter the sisters will build a high tunnel and they plan to sell vegetables, herbs and flowers next year.
WORKSHOPS
Friday
Keyline Soil Formation & Landscape Design Abe Collins, Collins Grazing, LLC Presidents Hall 1
Abe Collins will cover the basics of combining grazing and subsoil plowing to accelerate conversion of subsoil to topsoil. Details matter tremendously in this endeavor, and when they are addressed, the payoff is increased depth of A-horizon topsoil. Additionally, Abe will overview Keyline Landscape Design to achieve permanent water security for your farm. Abe Collins is a grazier. He has milked cows and currently finishes beef on grass. His focus is on achieving fat cattle, deep topsoil, environmental security and resilient economies via regenerative agriculture. Abe is the president of Collins Grazing, a company that builds farms and ranches from the soil up. Abe has a strong interest in using advanced soil monitoring and watershed modeling to complement the learning curves of land managers and quantify the value that they create for watersheds, cities and nations.
Beekeeping & Biodynamics Bill Day, The Pfeiffer Center Presidents Hall 2
How can biodynamics improve beekeeping? Biodynamics is a method of organic land care that engages all the forces at work among the soil, plants, animals, and humans; the biodynamic farm is an organism with its own self-regulating powers of healing. A honeybee colony is also an organism that relies on its surroundings to thrive. This workshop will explore how biodynamic principles can be applied to support good beekeeping practices. No knowledge of biodynamics is presumed, and familiarity with bees and beekeeping is helpful. For Bill Day’s bio, see pg 12.
Education as a Value-Added Farm Product Claire & Rusty Orner, Quiet Creek Herb Farm Room 104
Discover the key concepts of building a learning community within your farm. Learn how ownership, collaboration, support and inquiry can become the forefront of your farm visitors gaining sustainable living knowledge, skills and experiences. For 17 years, Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living has built their learning center upon this model. Quiet Creek’s year-round classes cover sustainable topics such as integrated pest management, vermicomposting, creating raised beds, soil food web, herbal soap making, bread making and many more to pre-school through elderly groups. Claire and Rusty Orner are stewards of Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living, a 30-acre sustainable farm and non-profit educational facility located in
Brookville, Pennsylvania. Quiet Creek raises vegetables, fruits, herbs, edible and cut flowers and makes organic products such as herbal teas, soaps, dried produce, vinegars, etc. using sustainable techniques.
potential to have deleterious health effects. He will also describe the efforts underway to understand the genetic and nongenetic factors that can influence one’s response to environmental agents
How Safe is Your Raw Milk Supply?
Dr. Woychik is the Deputy Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). He recently coordinated the strategic planning effort at NIEHS and has worked with leadership at the institute to establish the scientific directions for the next five years.
Gianaclis Caldwell, Pholia Farm Room 105
Learn about the surprising results of a casual study of several home milk supplies as well as the realities of producing high quality raw milk for resale. Gianaclis Caldwell is the author of The Farmstead Creamery Advisor along with the recently published Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking. Gianaclis is the co-owner, founder and cheesemaker at Pholia Farm Creamery. Pholia is an off-grid, sustainably managed farm that produces raw milk aged cheeses. Gianaclis is a contributing writer and photographer for Culture Magazine and teaches classes on all aspects of the cheesy farmstead life.
Finding Your Niche: Creating the Farm that Works For You Katie College, Stoney Creek Valley Farm Room 106
Farming isn’t a one-size-fits-all profession, but there IS a farm strategy that will fit you. Learn how to develop a farm plan that fits your personality, strengths, land and resources. Katie College, who eventually stumbled on a good formula for Stoney Creek Valley Farm, has studied the process that successful farmers used to develop their farms and found that despite widely different solutions, nearly all have addressed the same questions. Work through the process with Katie and create the farm that fits you best. This workshop is geared to beginning or transitioning farmers. Katie College is a late-blooming farmer who has stumbled, through trial and error, upon a process which has allowed her to develop a farming operation uniquely suited to her personality, abilities and the needs of her family. From a five acre farm in central Pennsylvania, Katie operates Stoney Creek Iris, selling specialty iris rhizomes at plant shows and online. She also runs the Cool Beans CSA and sells cookies and herb-based drinks at a weekly farmers market.
Understanding the Role of Environmental Agent Exposures in Health & Disease Rick Woychik, National Institute of Environmental Health Studies Room 107
Dr. Rick Woychik will be discussing the broad-based scientific portfolio of work at the National Institute of Environmental Health Studies (NIEHS) as it relates to the role of the environment in influencing human health. He will describe programs supported by NIEHS that are designed to identify agents in the environment that have the
Farm Advocacy 101 Scott Marlow, RAFI USA Joel Morton, Farm Aid Room 108
Sitting across the table from a banker is often intimidating and scary, especially when the farm is on the line. Who can farmers depend on to sit on their side of the table and provide guidance, or at least act as a friendly witness, a note-taker, a second set of eyes and ears? Since the 1980’s, experienced farmers have helped other farmers navigate the maze of finances and regulations that govern access to farm credit. Known as Farm Advocates, they have provided guidance in making farms creditworthy, but have also acted as critical witnesses in uncovering abuse or discrimination. This workshop will introduce farm advocacy and welcome farmers who may need help themselves, but who also would like to “pay it forward” by helping others when the chance to do so arises. Scott Marlow is the Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International USA (RAFI USA). Scott previously directed RAFI’s Farm Sustainability program, providing in-depth financial counseling to farmers in crisis, education on disaster assistance programs and access to credit and addressing the needs of mid-scale farmers who are increasing the sustainability of their farms by transitioning to higher-value specialty markets. Joel Morton is in his seventh year as Farm Aid’s Farm Advocate. He runs the Farm Aid national hotline, taking calls and emails from farmers nationwide and referring them to appropriate service organizations in Farm Aid’s Farmer Resource Network. Joel is also coordinates the Farm Advocate Link (FAL), the newly established national farm advocates network, which held its second annual meeting prior to Farm Aid 2012 in September in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Joel hails from Iowa.
Traditional Foods Series: Building Sustainable Community Through Buying Clubs & Co-Ops Elizabeth Rich & John Moody, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund Room 109
Food is life — not just for the people who eat it, but for the people and communities who produce it, the artisans who create with it, and the families and communities who enjoy it. Getting real food from farmer to fork efficiently and affordably can take many forms,
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WORKSHOPS
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and one of the fastest growing is food buying clubs. Elizabeth Rich is a Wisconsin attorney who has practiced in the areas of environmental, land use and regulatory law for more than 25 years. She works for clients who challenge the government. She has lived on a 40-acre farm since 1995 and raises goats and chickens. Over the years she’s kept dairy and beef cows, pigs, ducks, turkeys, guineas, rabbits and geese in addition to a large garden and fruit production. John Moody has served as a buying club administrator for almost seven years, working with small local farmers and families to create almost a half million dollars in activity, connecting farms to forks all over Kentucky and Indiana. John also has almost a decade of experience learning and teaching people about real food and its preparation. John lives and works on a 35 acre farm in Kentucky. The Traditional Foods Series is made possible by the underwriting support of the Weston A. Price Foundation & the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Adding Wild Edible Plants to Your Farm-Based Business Tom Patterson, Wild Purveyors Steve Schwartz, Delaware Valley Ramps Room 202
There are many reasons why one might want to forage for seasonal edible plants in Pennsylvania (and the region) including for personal consumption, outdoor recreation and/or as a source of supplemental income. This workshop will focus on the latter of these reasons and explore wild edible plant foraging and marketing in the region and how seasonal wild plants can be used to enhance your farm or forest-based enterprise. Presenters will also discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with cultivating or farming wild edible plants in order to meet market demand. Edible plants that will be discussed in this workshop will include ramps, nettles, fiddlehead ferns and invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed. Tom Patterson is a co-founder of Wild Purveyors LLC, distributors of a variety of wild edibles to restaurants and grocers throughout the Western region of PA. In addition, Wild Purveyors now operates an urban retail location in Pittburgh offering a wide range of local and organic farm products as well as wild edibles. Tom has a degree in Horticulture and Plant Pathology. Steven Schwartz founded Delaware Valley Ramps in 2007 to procure wild foraged forest products and provide them to commercial restaurants and wholesale distributors in the Northeast. Edible products, as well as seeds and bulbs for planting, are also sold nationally to retail clients through direct online sales. Starting with ramps (wild leeks) the business has expanded to provide other edibles requested by clients including stinging and wood nettles, fiddlehead ferns, mushrooms, garlic mustard and Japanese knotweed.
Holistic Management Series: Financial Planning I — Creating a Profitable, Workable Financial Plan Byron Shelton, Landmark Decisions, LLC Room 203
Participants will learn to plan for profitability
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by learning the basic concepts of developing an annual financial plan for a farm, family or organization. Learn to choose income sources wisely, how to plan for a profit and how to prioritize expenses. This background information is needed for the Financial Planning II session. With the information discussed in Financial Planning I and II and further study, an annual financial plan could be completed at home over several days. For Byron Shelton’s bio, see pg 12.
Creating Opportunities Through an On-Farm USDA Poultry Processing Facility Robin & Mark Way, Rumbleway Farm Room 204
“You open such a broad spectrum of opportunity- what you can sell, where you can sell it….” when you are working out of a USDA inspected processing plant. Robin and Mark Way have operated an on-farm USDA inspected poultry processing plant for 12 years. They’ll present their experiences about their facility — from the practical and logistical to the day-to-day functioning, from sharing an inspector with a nearby USDA red meat plant to scheduling and the variety of meats they process — describing its maturation over the years. Robin and Mark Way own and operate Rumbleway Farm, a 62-acre organic grass based farm located in Cecil County, Maryland. They raise chickens, turkeys and cows on pasture and are currently in their second year of mob grazing. They have an on farm store and sell products directly from the farm year round. They also sell to two natural food cooperatives and some restaurants. In 1998 they installed an on-site processing area. In 2000 the processing area was enclosed, and a commercial kitchen was added. Their poultry is processed on the farm under USDA inspection. The farm store sells their canned products like jams, jellies, sauerkraut, and applesauce as well as cheese and all of their meat products. Rumbleway Farm offers cooking classes featuring local and famous chefs, and Dinner at the Farm from December through April.
Practical Tools for the Farm & Garden Nazirahk Amen, Purple Mountain Organics Room 205
From hand tools to tractors and plant protection to harvesting equipment, this lecture will provide an overview of useful tools to help make life easier in the field. As owner of a garden supply company and avid horticulturalist, Nazirahk Amen has over 20 years of experience in growing. Through many aches and pains stemming from a belief in hard work, he has come to realize working smarter can be a more enduring path. In this lecture he will share his insight on some of the best tools of the trade. For Nazirahk Amen’s bio, see pg 14.
Practical Considerations for Adding High Tunnels to Your Farm Business Mike Brownback, Spiral Path Farm Room 206
Join Mike Brownback as he takes you through how Spiral Path Farm took on a major season extension project. This workshop takes a hard look at the decision making process of season extension. Why would a farm want to extend the season? How does this impact lifestyle, income and labor? When is it relatively easy to stretch the seasons and when is it more challenging? A basic cost analysis with carbon footprint consideration will be included. Mike Brownback, along with his wife Terra, has been farming at Spiral Path Farm since 1978. They started a CSA and built their first greenhouse in 1993. The farm has been certified organic for 20 years. Year-round production was practiced in the greenhouses in the beginning years and discontinued until recently. Mike brings almost 20 years of CSA and wholesale growing experience with an emphasis on season extension using a blend of storable crops and the use of a hybrid greenhouse/high tunnel system. Mike currently serves on the PASA Board.
Farm-Scale Charcuterie & Aging Techniques Eliza MacLean, Cane Creek Farm Brooks Miller, North Mountain Pastures Room 207
Looking for ways to add value, shelf-life, and flavor to your pastured pork? This workshop will detail highly relevant and useable information on starting your own pork curing operation or working with a meat professional to add value to your product. Eliza MacLean and Brooks Miller will cover technique, facilities and costs to consider before venturing into the world of dry-cured pork. Additionally, the pair will discuss marketing strategies and considerations for the value added producer. Eliza MacLean is the owner of Cane Creek Farm, a diversified farm in the Piedmont of North Carolina, with 32 acre of creeks, pastures, woods and with shared usage of a neighboring 600 acre grass-fed cattle operation. Eliza has a long history working with both wildlife and livestock. Before starting Cane Creek Farm, she managed the outdoor hog herds at North Carolina A&T University, helped to launch a pastured hog program in Eastern North Carolina and worked for Niman Ranch evaluating farms and meat quality for their North Carolina hog production. Eliza recently won the North Carolina Choices Innovator Award for meat producer of the year. Brooks Miller is owner and operator of North Mountain Pastures with his wife Anna. He is an aerospace engineering major who now farms full time. They raise pigs, poultry, beef and small ruminants on pasture. Brooks has been producing Italian-style salumi with his pigs for over four years.
WORKSHOPS
Friday
Introduction to Biodynamics Mac Mead, Pfeiffer Center Room 208
Mac Mead will cover the background and underlying principles of biodynamic farming and gardening and introduce the practical guidelines of this method. This workshop will provide a good foundation for Mac’s second workshop, Growing High Quality Market Vegetables Biodynamically. Mac Mead is the Program Director of the Pfeiffer Center for biodynamics and has been practicing biodynamic farming and gardening for over 35 years.
Q&A Session Charles Eisenstein, Friday Keynoter Room 211
Join Charles Eisenstein following his keynote address for a question and answer session. For Charles Eisenstein’s bio, see pg 1.
Successful Methods of Organic Cucumber Beetle Management, a Tri-State Study Elsa Sánchez & Shelby Fleischer, Penn State University Mark Gleason, Iowa State University Senate Suite
A group of faculty members and graduate students at Penn State, Iowa State and University of Kentucky evaluated new techniques to control cucumber beetles and bacterial wilt on muskmelon and butternut squash from 2009-2012. Delaying the removal of spunbond row covers until ten days after the start of bloom showed promise for controlling this insect/disease complex on muskmelon, but results on squash were more variable. The project also developed a new degree-day model to predict cucumber beetle activity, tested ability of rhizobacteria to make plants less attractive to the beetles and incorporated composted manure into the production system. Elsa Sánchez is an Associate Professor of Horticultural Systems Management in the Department of Horticulture at Penn State University. Current extension projects focus on sustainable and organic production of vegetable crops. Shelby Fleischer has entomology field experience in cotton, hardwood forests, field crops and vegetables. His research at Penn State University focuses on population and community dynamics of insects in vegetable agroecosystems, and he has contributed to Extension programs for vegetable growers for the last 20 years. Mark Gleason is a Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at Iowa State University, where he has been a faculty member for 27 years. He works with management of diseases of fruit and vegetable crops, ornamentals, shade trees and turfgrass.
FRI 4:10 – 5:30 PM Greenhouse Propagation & Planning for the Diversified Farm System Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture Executive Conference Suite
Small-scale diversified farmers who have chosen to undertake all aspects of production cannot overlook the importance of a well planned plant propagation system. Jack will guide the class through a range of considerations including structure, methods, timing and materials as they relate to the propagation of high quality vegetables, flowers and herbs for on-farm production. Jack Algiere is the Four Season Farm Manager at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture. Since 2003, Jack has developed the agricultural production systems including field crops, year-round soil greenhouse production and diversified public farm landscape. In addition to production management, he leads a vibrant farm apprentice program and farm innovations program contributing to the nonprofit center.
Building Relationships Abroad: Taking a Farm Sabbatical Claire, Ashton, Rusty & Walker Orner, Quiet Creek Herb Farm Room 104
Discover how the Orner Family carved out time from Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living to love, laugh, live, and learn within the communities of Jamaica and France. While on a seven month sabbatical in Corsica, France and Harmons, Jamaica, they studied the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and techniques of essential oil distillation, volunteered their services building houses and earthen ovens and studied the farming cultures. Hear stories and see pictures of their journey, take home practical tools and answer thought-provoking questions through this interactive presentation to inspire you to consider a similar life-changing opportunity. Claire, Ashton, Rusty and Walker Orner are stewards of the non-profit educational facility, Quiet Creek Herb Farm & School of Country Living, a 30-acre sustainable farm located in Brookville, Pennsylvania.
Curious Grazing for Soil Health & Livestock Performance Abe Collins, Collins Grazing, LLC Room 105
Peer under the hood of the the soil-grassland-livestock nexus. Whether you are grazing dairy or beef cattle, sheep or other livestock, the insights and questions raised can help you to increase livestock performance as you increase quality biomass production and soil health. Topics covered and
questioned include planned grazing, mob grazing, grazing tall, fall and spring management for increased production, fertilizers, mineral amendments, foliar sprays, the liquid carbon path to soil health and more. For Abe Collins’ bio, see pg 15.
Growing High Quality Market Vegetables Biodynamically Mac Mead, Pfeiffer Center Room 106
Mac Mead will go into the nuts and bolts of growing high quality vegetables on a production scale. Specifics covered will include: the farm individuality, raised beds, compost, cover crops, planting calendar, weed/pest management and the use of the biodynamic preparations. This workshop presumes some knowledge of biodynamics which Mac’s first workshop, Introduction to Biodynamics, can provide. For Mac Mead’s bio, see 1st column on this page.
Why We Grow Organic, a Panel Debra Brubaker, Village Acres Leslie Zuck, Pennsylvania Certified Organic Roman Stoltzfoos, SpringWood Farm Room 107
Join this group of experienced farmers and organic growers in a discussion about the larger questions around the commitment to organic agriculture and farming practices. These panelists bring their diverse backgrounds to the table to open a conversation about the fundamental reasons they have chosen their work in organic farming, to share their stories and to both ask — and perhaps answer — some of the larger picture questions about the influence of organic farming on the agricultural system, human and animal health and the long term success of farming. Debra Brubaker and her family run Village Acres Farm and FoodShed LLC in Mifflintown, PA. Village Acres is a certified organic produce farm that markets both through Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative and through a CSA model. Livestock are also integrated into the farm system. In the years between college and her return to the family farm, Debra managed a nonprofit urban farm in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and also worked as an Organic Certification Specialist for Pennsylvania Certified Organic. Leslie Zuck is the owner and farmer of Common Ground Organic Farm, which has been certified organic for over 20 years. Leslie also serves at the Executive Director of Pennsylvania Certified Organic, a non-profit organization that educates and certifies organic farms and processors in the Pennsylvania region. For Roman Stoltzfoos’ bio, see pg 13.
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WORKSHOPS
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Meeting Nutritional Needs of Hogs While Optimizing Feed Costs Jeff Mattocks, The Fertrell Company Room 108
Diversity and originality around diets for hogs is commonplace — ranging from attempts to totally supply needs by foraging and using kitchen and restaurant leftovers to incorporating a variety of grains and other energy sources into their rations. This session will explore aspects of the practicality, health effects, efficiency and profitability found at the intersection of cutting feed costs while meeting the nutritional needs of pigs raised in other than conventional confinement situations. Jeff Mattocks has been actively involved with the feeding and management of organic and natural farm animals since 1996. This includes formulating diets for all types of farm livestock but mostly for organic producers. He balances feeds with natural inputs for optimum health and performance. He has been gleaning from successful producers over the years and is sharing these methods of natural health care prevention and management techniques.
Traditional Foods Series: Raw Milk Litigation & Other Food Rights Issues Elizabeth Rich, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund Room 109
For Byron Shelton’s bio, see pg 12.
The Salmonella Chronicles, a Safe Food Discussion Ben Hewitt, PASAbilities Keynoter Room 204
This workshop will explore the relationships between humans, bacteria, food and health. There will also be a discussion of risk as it relates to food, and how outbreaks of foodborne illness inform a food regulatory environment that fosters long term diet-related disease. And, just in case all of that isn’t sickening enough, you will learn how bacteria share genetic material and why the problem of deadly drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals is a product of the dominant food system. For Ben Hewitt’s bio, see pg 1.
Hear the latest news in the legal battle for food freedom and the right to produce and consume the foods of our choice. Across the country, farmers are under attack: sometimes for holding a private farm-to-table dinner; sometimes for providing raw milk to people who seek it out; sometimes for selling products to government agents who have secretly infiltrated private buying clubs. Untold taxpayer dollars are being spent to finance surveillance, sting operations and costly law enforcement proceedings— including criminal trials—against those whose crime is providing food to people directly from the farm. Find out what’s going on and become informed about the legal issues raised in these cases.
Is an On-Farm Cheese Business for You?
For Elizabeth Rich’s bio, see pg 16. The Traditional Foods Series is made possible by the underwriting support of the Weston A. Price Foundation & the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Meet pawpaw, juneberry, hardy kiwifruit, lingonberry, and shipova — a sampling of uncommon fruits with delectable and unique flavors. To further ratchet up the market potential of these fruits, they all can be grown with little or no need for pest control — even, in some cases, pruning. Besides excellent flavor, the market potential for these fruits is enhanced by their suitability for both ethnic and organic markets. This workshop will cover everything from site selection and variety selection to the cultivation and harvesting of a number of uncommon fruits with commercial potential. All the
Holistic Management Series: Financial Planning II — Operating, Monitoring & Adapting Your Financial Plan Byron Shelton, Landmark Decisions, LLC Room 203
You will ensure your profitability through learning how to manage your annual finan-
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cial plan, knowing where you financially stand each month and adjusting to stay on track to make your planned profit at the end of the year. You will learn the process of designing and balancing a financial plan as well as the steps to monitor, control and adapt the plan through the year. With the information discussed in Financial Planning I and II and further study, an annual financial plan could be completed at home over several days.
Gianaclis Caldwell, Pholia Farm Room 205
If you are considering making cheese as a value-added product or thinking of building a farmstead creamery, this session will walk you through some critical first steps in deciding whether this choice is the right one for you and for your farm. For Gianaclis Caldwell’s bio, see pg 15.
Uncommon Fruits with Market Potential Lee Reich, Grow Fruit Naturally Room 206
fruits covered are suitable for fresh market so no special equipment is needed to prepare them for sale. Lee Reich, PhD. is an avid farmdener (more than a gardener, less than a farmer). He eventually turned from plant and soil research with the USDA and Cornell University to writing, lecturing and consulting. His writing includes a number of gardening books and a bimonthly column for Associated Press. The farmden is a test site for innovative techniques in soil care, pruning and growing fruits and vegetables.
Mineral Nutrition of Healthy Plants Jerry Brunetti, Agri-Dynamics Inc Room 207
The prevention of insects and diseases in crops is fundamentally associated with plant nutrition and its contribution to plant immunity. Resistance to climatic stress, insects and disease require available minerals and healthy biology to synthesize protective secondary metabolites. Join Jerry Brunetti as he explains how to improve the health of your plants through nutrition. Jerry Brunetti is a highly demanded lecturer on topics that include soil fertility, animal nutrition and livestock health. As a result of healing himself of cancer utilizing holistic modalities, he speaks to audiences about the relationship of “Food as Medicine” and “Farm as Farmacy.” Jerry bridges natural/scientific understandings of plant and animal ecosystems and teaches a “connect-the-dots” systems approach to help farmers understand how the health of people and their communities linked to healthy land. Jerry currently serves on the PASA Board.
Keeping the Family Cow Susan Dietrich & Melanie Dietrich Cochran, Keswick Creamery Room 208
Would you like to get a family cow? Join two experienced dairywomen as they guide you through the ins and outs of taking care of a family cow. You will learn about choosing a cow, feeding, breeding, calving, milking equipment, milk quality, mastitis and what to do with all that wonderful milk. Together Susan Dietrich and Melanie Dietrich Cochran have over 50 years of dairying experience and each year they market ten to 12 of their Jerseys as family cows. Susan Dietrich grew up on a diversified farm in York County. After graduating from Lebanon Valley College with a BS in Biology, she and her husband established a dairy farm with a herd of registered Jerseys in 1974. In 1990 Susan converted their dairy to rotational grazing. Now she milks 50 Jerseys in partnership with her daughter, Melanie. Susan has a high tunnel, grows vegetables, and has a passion for horses, especially riding with her granddaughter. Melanie Dietrich Cochran grew up on her family’s dairy farm. She established Keswick Creamery with her husband, Mark. In partnership with her mother, Susan, they milk 50 purebred Jerseys and use 85% of the milk produced for aged, raw milk and fresh cheeses. Melanie serves on the board of PASA and the Farmers on the Square market.
WORKSHOPS
Friday
Maximizing the Value of Your Small Ruminant
Re-imagining Local: The Transition Town Movement
Sandra K. Miller, Painted Hand Farm Room 211
Marie Goodwin, Transition Towns Media Senate Suite
While we would all hope that our herds and flocks would produce only premium products that would bring top dollar, the reality is routinely we’re faced with animals that require culling or do not perform to standards. In this workshop you will learn strategies for maximizing profits from small ruminants through innovative management and sales techniques as well as butchering and product breakdowns.
When you imagine how you might improve your local community, what do you see in your mind’s eye? In 2005, a small town in the UK developed a model of how towns all over the world might “transition” into an uncertain future. This workshop will explore the reasons why a town “transitions” as well as the many creative initiatives that are being employed to support local resilience in food, economy, energy, transportation and community.
Sandra K. Miller is an ardent proponent of meat goats, sustainable agriculture and direct marketing. She is the owner of Painted Hand Farm in Cumberland County where, in addition to goats, she also raises calves, lambs, pigs and poultry in a pasture-based environment. Sandra also “rents” out goats for targeted browsing projects. She is the author of Selling At Farmers Market: A How-To Guide For Getting Started. Sandra is a PASA Board Alumna.
Marie Goodwin is the founder of Timebank Media, an alternative time-based currency that was created in 2011 in Media, Pennsylvania. She also sits on the steering committee of her local Transition Town and is passionate about issues relating to local food, herbal medicine, communitybuilding and local economic resilience.
Conference CDs, DVDs and MP3s are available! Farming for the Future Keynotes and Workshops are audio recorded courtesy of Organic Voices Preserving the oral history of the Organic Farming Community since 1992. Conference Content, Pro-Social Network & More! Cutting edge news and information Organic conference audio/visual content User forums, content rating and comments Comprehensive Business Directory Classifieds section and Organic Cookbook! Member driven via community interaction and content submission
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SATURDAY SAT 8:30–9:50 AM Ecologically-Based Pest Management: Beneficial Insects & Invasive Species Dave Biddinger & Shelby Fleischer Executive Conference Suite Traditional Foods Series: The Beauty of Traditional Brew, Continuous Kombucha John Moody Presidents Hall 1 Blueberries, Planting to Harvest Lee Reich Presidents Hall 2 Composting as a Source of Biological Diversity Gladis Zinati Presidents Hall 3 Making Three-in-One Cheeses at Home Gianaclis Caldwell Presidents Hall 4 Making & Using Charcoal to Enhance Soil Quality & More Gary Gilmore Room 104 Alternative Economic Approaches to Farming Charles Eisenstein Room 105 Holistic Management™ Series: Tools to Influence the Land & Build Biological Capital Byron Shelton Room 106 Purely Farm’s Hog System: AI, Staggered Farrowing & Husbandry Practices Joanna & Marc Michini Room 107 Plant-Based Healing: Crafting Herbal Salves Sue J. Morris Room 108 Food Alliance Sustainability Certification: Who it’s for & How it Works Roberta Anderson CANCELLED Communicating Effectively with Policy Makers Catherine Smith Room 112
Workshops at a Glance Mixed Marriage on the Farm: When You’re a Farmer & Your Life Partner Isn’t Katie College Room 202 Building a HACCP Plan Robin & Mark Way & Brooks Miller Room 203 On-Farm Research: Soy & Non-Soy Ration Feeding Trials in Broilers Susan Beal, Andrew Dohner & Jeff Mattocks Room 204 Healthy Streams, Rivers & Bays Through Living Systems: Restoring the “Vital Organs” of Our Watersheds Harry Campbell Room 205 Strategic Planning & Crop Selection for the Four Season Greenhouse Jack Algiere Room 206 Twelve Principles of Profitability on a Family-Scale Vegetable Farm Jim Crawford Room 207
SAT 12:15–1:15 PM Strengthening Your Local Food System with Timebanking Marie Goodwin Executive Conference Suite Traditional Foods Series: Home-Scale Meat Processing & Preserving Brooks Miller Presidents Hall 1 Irrigation for Veggie Farms William Lamont & Matt Steiman Presidents Hall 2 Dealing with Disasters: What to Do Before & After the Storm Lynn Hayes, Scott Marlow & Joel Morton Presidents Hall 3 Pruning Fruit Trees, Shrubs & Vines Lee Reich Presidents Hall 4
A South African Experience: Adapting Lessons Learned from Ian Mitchell-Innes to the Northeast Brian Reaser Room 105
Making the Case for a Moratorium on Fracking & Tools to Get Us There Sam Bernhardt & David Masur Senate Suite
Holistic Management™ Series: Reading the Land I — What is the Land Telling You? Byron Shelton Room 106
Join Brian Snyder and other leaders from the sustainable agriculture movement to discuss some of the recent developments in agricultural and food policy, particularly the regulations being proposed under the Food Safety Modernization Act. Bring your lunch for this special discussion session. Presidents Hall 2
Managing Udder Health: Symptoms, Significance & Treatment Options Keena Mullen Room 107 Interpreting On-Farm Microbiological Tests Gianaclis Caldwell Room 108 Making Sustainable Ag Policy Progress in the Farm Bill & Beyond Sarah Hackney & Martha Noble Room 109 Q&A Session Ben Hewitt Room 202
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Harnessing the Power of Microbes for Improved Soil, Plant & Animal Health Linda Miyoshi & Enos Beiler Room 205 Planting by the Moon: A Practical Guide for Farmers & Gardeners Sue J. Morris Room 206 How to Succeed in Marketing to Restaurants Melissa Miles & Steve Eckerd Room 207 Income Positive Poultry: Egg Production Jeff Mattocks Room 208 From Amber Waves to Market: Harvest, Storage & Marketing Organic Grains Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens Senate Suite SAT 1:30–2:50 PM
Financing the Family Farm: Principles & Fun Tricks of the Trade Jim Crawford Room 104
Blog, Rattle & Tweet: Building Relationships Through Social Media Dru Peters & Ben Wenk Room 208
SAT 12:00–1:15 PM
See page 3 for the detailed conference schedule.
Tools, Methods & Techniques of Soil Greenhouse Production Jack Algiere Executive Conference Suite Traditional Foods Series: Fermenting Vegetables & Fruits Maureen Diaz Presidents Hall 1 Mighty Mitochondria Jerry Brunetti Presidents Hall 2 Farming & Gardening to Conserve Native Pollinators Nancy Adamson, Dave Biddinger & Shelby Fleischer Presidents Hall 3 Artful Remedies to Wet/Eroded/Ugly Landscapes Stacy Levy Presidents Hall 4 Grazing in the Trenches: Grazing Plans as Real, Living Documents Troy Bishopp Room 104 Low-Tech & Low-Budget Blacksmithing 101 Gary Gilmore Room 105
Holistic Management™ Series: Reading the Land II — Monitoring Over Time & Record Keeping Byron Shelton Room 106 Farm Liability: What You Should Know Before It’s Too Late Ross Pifer Room 107 Income Positive Poultry: Meat Production Jeff Mattocks Room 108 Adding On-Farm Commercial Kitchens Robin & Mark Way Room 204 Employing Migrant Farm Workers Joan Norman & Ben Wenk Room 205 Wild Mushrooms: From Foraging to Forest Farming Eric Burkhart & Tom Patterson Room 206 Organic Grains: Adding Value from Planting to Harvest Joel Steigman Room 207 Creative Cover Crops to Build Fertility in Veggies, Row Crops & Pastures Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens & Matt Steiman Room 208 Hogs: Breed Selection & Finishing Strategies for Desired End Use Eliza McLean & Chuck Talbott Senate Suite
See the next page for detailed descriptions and speaker biographies for the workshops.
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SAT 8:30 – 9:50 PM Ecologically-Based Pest Management: Beneficial Insects & Invasive Species Dave Biddinger & Shelby Fleischer, Penn State University Executive Conference Suite
Integrated pest management has been criticized for being too pesticide oriented in the past, but the development of reduced risk pesticides that are often less broad spectrum allows opportunities for increased biological control and reduced environmental impact. Invasive pests like the brown marmorated stink bug and spotted wing drosophila disrupt this progress. Come to this session to learn how to harness the power of ecologically-based pest management and what to do when invasive species threaten to overthrow your strategy. Dave Biddinger is a fourth generation Michigan farm kid. He put himself through school as an IPM consultant and was a research and development representative with a pesticide company for eight years. Dave returned to Penn State University to conduct applied research in fruit and help growers. He specializes in conservation, biological control, native pollinators and in developing ecologicallybased IPM programs that integrate natural controls with reduced risk pesticides. He has worked in tree fruit entomology for over 25 years and has taught insect identification. For Shelby Fleischer’s bio, see pg 17.
Traditional Foods Series: The Beauty of Traditional Brew, Continuous Kombucha John Moody, Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund Presidents Hall 1
An often overlooked part of a nourishing, sustainable diet is traditional, fermented beverages, from kvass to kefirs to kombucha. From the speaker’s years of experience brewing for home use and larger occasions, attendees will learn the basics of continuously creating kombucha and other fermented drinks in their own kitchen. For John Moody’s bio, see pg 16. The Traditional Foods Series is made possible by the underwriting support of the Weston A. Price Foundation & the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Blueberries, Planting to Harvest Lee Reich, Grow Fruit Naturally Presidents Hall 2
Get an overview of everything needed so that good crops of blueberries can be harvested within just a few years. This workshop will discuss the kinds and varieties of blueberries to order, then move on to allimportant soil preparation and ongoing soil care, planting, pruning and harvest. The ses-
sion will also foray into bird issues and discuss what to do with the probable overabundance. For Lee Reich’s bio, see pg 18.
Composting as a Source of Biological Diversity Gladis Zinati, Rodale Institute Presidents Hall 3
Properly made, aerobic compost contains individuals of a wide diversity of many different bacteria, fungi and protozoa. If compost is not disturbed by too much turning, then nematode and microarthropods will be present. Compost, compost extract or compost tea containing diverse organisms can then be transferred to the soil. Plants start benefiting as these organisms begin to function in the soil. Through use of simple microscope assessments, improvement of diversity in soil can be followed. For Dr. Gladis Zinati’s biography, see pg 12.
Making Three-in-One Cheeses at Home Gianaclis Caldwell, Pholia Farm Presidents Hall 4
In this class you will not only learn how to make three very simple and useful cheeses for the home cheesem aker, but you will begin to see how very few steps separate the fanciest cheese from the most basic. For Gianaclis Caldwell’s bio, see pg 15.
Alternative Economic Approaches to Farming Charles Eisenstein, Friday Keynoter Room 105
When farmers attempt to fit sustainable agriculture into traditional business models, the resulting misalignment is often the source of a lot of anxiety, stress and insecurity. Fortunately, there are other ways to run a business besides selling commodities and purchasing inputs. This workshop will explore the alternatives: collaborative consumption, gift-based business models, incorporation of volunteers, sharing and mutual aid and more. Bring your stories, experiences and challenges and be ready to learn from each other. For Charles Eisenstein’s bio, see pg 1.
Holistic Management Series: Tools to Influence the Land & Build Biological Capital Byron Shelton, Landmark Decisions, LLC Room 106
In this workshop you will learn how to determine what the probable results will be of your actions on the land. This will include a discussion of the use of tools — technology, rest, fire, living organisms, grazing and animal impact — on the land and some management guidelines in their use. An overview of holistic planned grazing and why it cannot be a formula, along with land (infrastructure) planning, will be given. For Byron Shelton’s bio, see pg 12.
Making & Using Charcoal to Enhance Soil Quality & More Gary Gilmore, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry Room 104
Charcoal or biochar is gaining more and more recognition as a beneficial soil amendment. This session will give a brief introduction to those benefits and offer practical ways of creating biochar at home. The use of different feedstock and the process of incorporating biochar into the soil will also be covered. Gary Gilmore is a service forester with the DCNR Bureau of Forestry. He grew up on a farm and spent his free time wandering the surrounding woods, dragging machinery home from a local dump and tearing things apart. His fascination with fire and metalworking lead him to a career in blacksmithing. At the age of 40 he changed his career to focus on forest management. As a tree farmer, forester, gardener, blacksmith, inventor, do it yourselfer, timber frame builder and a person with a strong interest in selfsufficiency, he can draw upon his experiences to share insights and knowledge gained through practical application.
Purely Farm’s Hog System: AI, Staggered Farrowing & Husbandry Practices Joanna & Marc Michini, Purely Farm Room 107
Frustrated attempts at acquiring a reliable source of feeder pigs eventually led Purely Farm to give artificial insemination a try in 2007. That first successful breeding has evolved into a year round pasture-based farrow to finish operation. Litters are staggered four to six weeks apart in order to have a consistent supply of freshly harvested pork on hand for markets. Sows farrow outdoors in homemade portable shelters which the piglets remain in until harvest. Breeding takes place without the aid of a boar or boar scent; it is all about timing! This session will cover Purely Farm’s approach to artificial insemination, farrowing, and general hog management on a small sustainable farm. Joanna and Marc Michini are entering their 10th year of farming on rented land in Bucks County. Purely Farm specializes in naturally pasture-raised chicken, eggs, turkeys, lamb, and pork. What began with 200 broilers and
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a handful of sheep has grown to 1300 broilers, 100 Thanksgiving turkeys, 100 layers, 25 sheep and 80 farrow to finish hogs in 2012. Poultry is processed on farm while the hogs and lambs are transported to a USDA approved facility. All meat is sold retail through on-farm sales and at local farmers markets. Purely Farm aims to recreate the connection between families, farmers and their food by providing quality, wholesome, naturally pasture-raised meats.
Plant-Based Healing: Crafting Herbal Salves Sue J. Morris, Sue’s Salves Room 108
Plants heal, and crafting skin care products with organically grown healing plants has been the passion of Sue J. Morris for many years. This workshop will focus on using plants to heal chronic skin ailments and why avoiding chemicals in skin care products can save your life. Sue J. Morris combines her love of organic gardening, herbalism and astrology in her business making herbal salves. Sue’s Salves crafts plant-based skin care products using healing plants grown in Sue’s organic garden in Pennsylvania. Sue also publishes the “Planting by the Moon” calendar as a practical guide for the cosmic gardener! The first place winner of the Ben Franklin Technologies “Big Idea” contest, Sue’s Salves was recognized for innovating the crafting of herbal skin care products using organically grown plants.
Communicating Effectively with Policy Makers Catherine Smith, ChickoryLane© Farm Room 112
Participants will be introduced to common demands for communication that advocates, organization leaders and technical experts are likely to encounter in policy processes. We will focus on speaking and writing skills needed for interaction with elected representatives and for public testimony in governmental hearings. Guided discussion of samples and, possibly, role-play will yield a list of generally applicable communication principles. Catherine F. Smith is former professor of professional communication and policy studies at East Carolina University and UNC Chapel Hill. As a communications consultant to government agencies and nonprofit organizations, she helps writers and speakers to communicate effectively in public policy processes. Her guide, Writing Public Policy, includes examples of agriculture policy making at federal, state and local levels. Policy statements by PASA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and other nonprofits are analyzed.
Mixed Marriage on the Farm: When You’re a Farmer & Your Life Partner Isn’t Katie College, Stoney Creek Iris & Cool Beans CSA Room 202
You love your farm, but your life partner isn’t as enthusiastic. Can it work? Katie College,
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who’s been married for 33 years to a nonfarmer, will share her experiences and strategies that will help! You’ll learn how to find the connecting threads that can form a strong bond despite your differences. For Katie College’s bio, see pg 15.
Building a HACCP Plan Brooks Miller, North Mountain Pastures Robin & Mark Way, Rumbleway Farm Room 203
Planning and writing a Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan can be a daunting task. Some folks go it alone, starting from scratch, some purchase templates and advice and some hire consultants to do the work. Join Robin Way and Brooks Miller as they lead the group through the logistics of HACCP planning using their own experiences and actual plans as examples and shared references. For Robin and Mark Way’s bio, see pg 16. For Brooks Miller’s bio, see pg 16.
On-Farm Research: Soy & Non-Soy Ration Feeding Trials in Broilers Susan Beal, PASA Andrew Dohner, Rodale Institute Jeff Mattocks, The Fertrell Company Room 204
There are many opinions about the use of soy in animal feed, but few of the studies that inform those opinions are based on real feeding situations. For the second year, Fertrell has supported a series of on farm feeding trials in which parallel groups of broilers are raised using soy and soy free rations. Birds are assessed for health, feed efficiency and nutritional composition of the meat. Andrew Dohner is currently the livestock manager at the Rodale Institute where he is responsible for the rotational grazing of laying hens, broilers and a small group of pastured pigs. He works closely with the landscaping and farm operation crews. Andrew is also the co-owner of Great Bend Farm a diversified operation that specializes in hay, vegetables for a winter CSA and pastured livestock in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania. For Susan Beal’s bio, see pg 13. For Jeff Mattocks’ bio, see pg 18.
Healthy Streams, Rivers & Bays Through Living Systems: Restoring the “Vital Organs” of Our Watersheds Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Room 205
Streams, rivers and estuaries need functioning filters in their watershed just like our body needs healthy lungs, liver and kidneys. Learn how riparian buffers, wetlands, green infrastructure in cities, oyster restoration in bays, landscaping around your home and
even our soil can process pollution and protect our water. From farmer to city dweller, this session has something for everyone who wants a role in making our waterways thrive. With nearly 20 years of experience in water quality protection and restoration, Senior Scientist Harry Campbell shares his engagements with a broad range of stakeholders to foster a better understanding of the challenges involved in achieving water quality improvements. Harry works with government, scientists, businesses and concerned citizens to drive tangible improvements in water quality, which employs his specific skill and ability to translate the technical, regulatory, and policy-oriented aspects of clean water.
Strategic Planning & Crop Selection for the Four Season Greenhouse Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture Room 206
This workshop will focus on the complexities of planning for year round production in soilbased greenhouse systems. Jack Algiere will outline the primary challenges of diversified greenhouse systems and look at innovative ways to maintain ecological system health while realizing viable production indoors. He will also share practical strategies for crop selection in varying seasons. For Jack Algiere’s bio, see pg 17.
Twelve Principles of Profitability on a Family-Scale Vegetable Farm Jim Crawford, New Morning Farm Room 207
As he approaches retirement, Jim Crawford believes that profitability is the first condition for sustainability of a farm. Reviewing the difficulties and reflecting on the many mistakes he has made in his time, Jim has developed some ideas that might help younger growers avoid some pitfalls and achieve profitability sooner. Horticulture will NOT be Jim’s topic, since that is what experienced growers already know and love. Business and financial management can be more important, and those are things many of us do NOT know or love. For Jim Crawford’s bio, see pg 12.
Blog, Rattle & Tweet: Building Relationships Through Social Media Dru Peters, Sunnyside Farm Ben Wenk, Three Springs Fruit Farm Room 208
Learn how to make Facebook, Twitter, etc. work for you when you’re already loading trucks, planting, harvesting, supervising and managing your farm business. You can connect with your customers in meaningful ways without sacrificing other responsibilities. Some basic knowledge of social media
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preferred, but not required. Dru Peters runs Sunnyside Farm with her husband Homer Walden. With iphone in hand, notes on planting and business planning are recorded, schedules are kept, credit card payments are processed, and photos are directly loaded to Facebook. Dru also regularly updates over 1,000 people via Twitter and her blog at sunnysidedru.com. Sunnyside Farm has also harnessed social media to fuel a Kickstarter campaign for Homer’s Speedy Seeder. For Ben Wenk’s bio, see pg 12.
Making the Case for a Moratorium on Fracking & Tools to Get Us There Sam Bernhardt, Food & Water Watch David Masur, PennEnvironment Senate Suite
Why should we halt hydraulic fracturing? The answer is more encompassing than one might think, implicating components of Pennsylvania society extending far beyond fringe environmental concerns. The movement for a moratorium on fracking should reflect the ubiquity of fracking’s effects. How do we expand this movement to show that farmers, consumers and other constituencies are against fracking? Presenters and participants will discuss the nature of the problem and how to organize against it. Sam Bernhardt is the Pennsylvania Organizer for Food & Water Watch, a national advocacy organization working to protect citizens from corporate abuse. He works around the state to build organize and empower communities to fight hydraulic fracturing, label genetically engineered food, and protect public water resources from privatization. Prior to his work in Pennsylvania, Sam worked as a regional organizer for Food & Water Watch in New York as part of their campaign to ban fracking. David Masur is the Director of PennEnvironment and the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. His has lots of experience working closely with the reporters and editorial staff in the state’s largest media outlets, lobbying state and federal decision makers, packaging and developing educational campaigns to protect our environment and coordinating the efforts of the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center with environmental groups and other partner organizations in Pennsylvania. David focuses most of his energy working on open space protection, Marcellus Shale gas drilling, and clean water issues in Pennsylvania.
SAT 1:30 – 2:50 PM Strengthening Your Local Food System with Timebanking Marie Goodwin, Transition Town Media Executive Conference Suite
Timebanking is a form of alternate currency used to exchange labor rather than goods. This hour-for-hour system can be used to support a local food network in many ways: local food distribution, food access issues,
CSA volunteerism, home gardening,and innovative ideas such as crop-mobbing. This workshop will show you how to start a timebank as well as how to implement it in creative ways to support your community and food shed. For Marie Goodwin’s bio, see pg 19.
Traditional Foods Series: Home-Scale Meat Processing & Preserving Brooks Miller, North Mountain Pastures Presidents Hall 1
In this session, you will learn about the process of making your own dry cured pork products from start to finish. The workshop will focus on sausage, bacon and ham, with an emphasis on technique and necessary equipment. If time allows, the basics of airdrying and dried sausages will be covered as well. This workshop is intended for home production, not for sale!
Dealing with Disasters: What to Do Before & After the Storm Lynn Hayes, Farmers’ Legal Action Group Scott Marlow, RAFI USA
Joel Morton, Farm Aid Presidents Hall 3
Natural disasters are an unavoidable part of farming. While governments provide extensive programs for disaster assistance, these programs can be challenging to access, especially for farmers in direct or specialty markets. This session will cover what farmers can do before and after the disaster to plan for and access disaster assistance, including practical suggestions and alternative strategies.
For Brooks Miller’s bio, see pg 16. The Traditional Foods Series is made possible by the underwriting support of the Weston A. Price Foundation & the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Lynn A. Hayes is the Program Director and an attorney with the Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Inc. She has been providing family farmers and farm organizations with legal advice and representation for thirty years covering a wide variety of issues including agricultural credit, disaster assistance and crop insurance programs, conservation programs, livestock pricing and antitrust issues, marketing and production contracts and discrimination in USDA programs. For Scott Marlow’s bio, see pg 15. For Joel Morton’s bio, see pg 15.
Irrigation for Veggie Farms
Pruning Fruit Trees, Shrubs & Vines
William Lamont, Penn State University Matt Steiman, Dickinson College Farm Presidents Hall 2
Lee Reich, Grow Fruit Naturally Presidents Hall 4
Developing a resource and labor efficient irrigation system helps growers increase productivity while reducing headaches and conserving water and energy. In this practical workshop, Matt Steiman will focus on the evolution of irrigation systems at the Dickinson College Farm from pumps to supply lines and storage pond establishment, sprinkler irrigation and greenhouse watering systems. Dr. Bill Lamont will provide a detailed discussion of drip irrigation systems, including options for liquid fertilizer injection. Dr. William Lamont has over 32 years research/extension experience working in the field of vegetable crop production, more specifically as it is related to plasticulture or the use of drip irrigation, plastic mulches, fertigation, row covers, low tunnels and more recently high tunnels. He has spoken at numerous commodity meetings/workshops around the country on the various components of a plasticulture system and in particular the use of drip irrigation for the production of vegetables. Matt Steiman is the Production Manager for the Dickinson College Farm in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. 2013 will be Matt’s 20th season as a full-time organic vegetable grower. He has operated and troubleshot irrigation systems on six different farms. He has experimented with cover cropping for weed control and soil improvement on vegetable farms since the year 2000. In addition to farming, Matt enjoys teaching students of all ages.
Correct and timely pruning keeps apples, blueberries and other fruiting plants healthy, productive and bearing the tastiest fruits. This session will start with reasons to prune fruit plants and how plants respond to various types of cuts. The workshop will also cover the how and the why of pruning young and mature plants, as well as how to bring a neglected old plant back to its former luscious glory. For Lee Reich’s bio, see pg 18.
Financing the Family Farm: Principles & Fun Tricks of the Trade Jim Crawford, New Morning Farm Room 104
With no business school training, Jim Crawford has been forced to learn about farm finance guided by desperation, determination and common sense. In the process he has developed some nervy, innovative techniques for capitalizing to the max which have worked well for him and could be easily applied by younger growers. Jim admits, sheepishly but happily, that he never had a business plan but got very good at getting into debt, which he thinks is a healthy situation for a young but conscientious farmer. For Jim Crawford’s bio, see pg 12.
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A South African Experience: Adapting Lessons Learned from Ian Mitchell-Innes to the Northeast Brian Reaser, former Blanerne Farm Intern Room 105
After hearing Ian Mitchell-Innes speak at the PASA intensive about planned, high-stock density grazing and holistic management, Brian was captivated. He sold his stock, pulled up stakes temporarily and headed for South Africa for six months to apprentice with Ian and his wife, Pam. This session will talk about his experiences there — of the country and community, about the life and farming lessons learned. He will also discuss how he has been adapting those lessons to New York state and stock since his return. Brian Reaser learned grazing management while working on large grazing dairy farms in New Zealand. He furthered his education in Holistic Management by working and learning from Ian Mitchell-Innes in South Africa for six months. He runs a grass-fed beef and custom grazing business on leased land part time while working full time for Tioga County Soil and Water as the agricultural environmental management specialist.
Holistic Management Series: Reading the Land I — What is the Land Telling You? Byron Shelton, Landmark Decisions, LLC Room 106
Participants will learn to read what the land is telling them about the condition of the ecosystem. Participants will study photos to help develop their skills at visually assessing the four ecosystem processes as they walk out on the land. These include succession, the effectiveness of the water and mineral cycles and the effectiveness of sunlight conversion. Improved use of tools on the land can then move the land toward the desired landscape. For Byron Shelton’s bio, see pg 12.
Managing Udder Health: Symptoms, Significance & Treatment Options Keena Mullen, North Carolina State University Room 107
Why measure somatic cell count on your dairy? How can you treat mastitis without using antibiotics? What is the cost of managing udder health? These and other questions will be answered in this workshop, focused on providing real-world answers for farmers by integrating academic knowledge into real-world situations. This workshop will also cover the latest clinical research on Phyto-Mast, a product developed by Pennsylvania veterinarian Dr. Hue Karreman. Keena Mullen is currently pursuing a PhD in Animal Science with a focus on alternatives to antibiotics for treatment of mastitis. In addition to working with the pasturebased dairy at the Center for Environmental Farming
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Systems in Goldsboro, North Carolina, she does research with dairy producers across the state to connect university research with its stakeholders.
Interpreting On-Farm Microbiological Tests Gianaclis Caldwell, Pholia Farm Room 108
In this hands on session, we’ll count bacteria colonies on Petri-film plates inoculated in the previous day’s workshop. You will not only learn how to count and read these inexpensive and simple to perform tests, but learn what the results mean and what you can do if they are less than spectacular. For Gianaclis Caldwell’s bio, see pg 15.
Making Sustainable Ag Policy Progress in the Farm Bill & Beyond Sarah Hackney & Martha Noble, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Room 109
The federal Farm Bill impacts our food & farm system — support for sustainable agriculture depends on farmers and consumers using its programs and advocating for change. This workshop focuses on the Farm Bill’s status, programs that support sustainable agriculture, accessing matching funds and technical assistance for farmers and organizations involved with organic and sustainable agriculture and actions you can take to shape the Farm Bill and other federal legislation for a more sustainable future. Sarah Hackney is the Grassroots Director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. She works with coalition members, farmers and allies to develop grassroots campaigns to reform and improve federal food & farm policy for a more sustainable future. She has worked as an advocate and catalyst for sustainable food and farm efforts across the US, with a focus on improving small farm viability, increasing fresh food access and building leadership in rural communities. Martha Noble is a Senior Policy Associate with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in Washington, D.C. She is also a vice-chair of the American Bar Association’s Agricultural Management Committee and is on the Board of Directors of the Clean Water Network. She was a research professor and staff attorney with National Center for Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Q&A Session Ben Hewitt, PASAbilities Keynoter Room 202
Join Ben Hewitt following his keynote address for a question and answer session. For Ben Hewitt’s bio, see pg 1.
Harnessing the Power of Microbes for Improved Soil, Plant & Animal Health Linda Miyoshi, Teraganix, LLC Enos Beiler, Smyrna View Farm Room 205
This workshop will demonstrate why it is in your best interest to utilize microbes to create optimum performance on your farm. Linda Miyoshi will cover how the environment can get out of balance and how to restore balance. She will explain the different ways that microbes work and what tasks they can enhance. She will discuss ways that microbes help soil, plant, animal and human health. She will share studies that are underway or have been completed to measure the potential of microbes, and Enos Beiler will share his experience using microbes on his farm. Linda Miyoshi is the East Coast representative for Teraganix, an affiliate of Effective Microorganisms Research Organization (EMRO) Japan. EMRO was started by Dr. Teruo Higa, the inventor of Effective Microorganisms (EM). EM is now used in over 140 countries. EM is used not only for growing healthier plants but is used for water remediation, soil remediation, odor control, composting and even as a health drink for people and animals. Linda has spent the last three years educating farmers, gardeners, municipalities and institutions on how to work with microbials in specific site conditions. Enos Beiler is an organic dairy farmer and part of the Organic Valley Cooperative. He has been farming organically since 2000. In addition to his dairy herd of 45, he farms specialty vegetables.
Planting by the Moon: A Practical Guide for Farmers & Gardeners Sue J. Morris, Sue’s Salves Room 206
Lunar gardening is as old as agriculture itself. Sue J. Morris helps us to easily understand the basic principles of the moon’s cycles in relation to gardening and farming activities plus much more! Planting by the moon helps us to live and work in balance and harmony with the natural cycles of life. For Sue J. Morris’ bio, see pg 22.
How to Succeed in Marketing to Restaurants Melissa Miles, Two Miles Farm Steve Eckerd, Le Bec Fin Room 207
Supporting local food and letting the seasons shape your menu can be a challenging and time consuming commitment for chefs. Small scale sustainable farming, though a rewarding endeavor, often has its own set of challenges including finding viable outlets for sustainably grown products. Learn how purveyors and chefs can work together to build a mutually beneficial relationship. The
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many positive aspects to (and challenges of!) creating this relationship will be explored during this session. Learn about farmer-chef relationships first hand from the perspective of both farmer and chef. You are encouraged to bring your questions regarding building a successful farmer-chef relationship as a Q & A will follow the presentation. Sous Chef Steve Eckerd and Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are dedicated to the advancement of local farmers and producers in the tri-state area. Planning and anticipating product is essential to their process as they forecast their menus daily, monthly and annually. As a team they also communicate with their farms to work on new techniques that elevate both the level of products at the farm and the cuisine in the kitchen. For Melissa Miles’ bio, see pg 13.
Income Positive Poultry: Egg Production Jeff Mattocks, The Fertrell Company Room 208
Roadside signs have read “brown eggs $1/dozen” for the last twenty some years, yet that price does not cover the cost of producing those eggs. Serious poultry producers wanting to engage in profitable egg production will learn how to optimize feeding, housing and management techniques and strategies in order to establish a profitable egg business or take your current business to the next level. For Jeff Mattocks’ bio, see pg 18.
From Amber Waves to Market: Harvest, Storage & Marketing Organic Grains Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens, Lakeview Organic Grains Senate Suite
The quality of and the price received for a crop depend on getting it to market in optimal condition at the optimal time. The best way to add value to a grain crop is not by making bread or pasta, but by taking the steps to ensure those optimums of condition and timing are met. Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens will share their common-sense experiences as both growers and buyers of organic grains all in a language (complete with pictures) that farmers can understand and easily translate into action. Storage, harvest, drying, quality and toxin assessments will all be covered. Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens have been farming organically since 1993 with over 1400 acres of corn, soybeans and a wide variety of small grains in Penn Yan, New York. They also own and operate Lakeview Organic Grain, a feed and seed operation that serves upstate New York, northern Pennsylvania and the Northeast.
SAT 3:10 – 4:30 PM Tools, Methods & Techniques of Soil Greenhouse Production Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture Executive Conference Suite
Identifying methods, techniques and tools that improve the efficiency in the diversified soil greenhouse system can help realize long-term viability. Jack Algiere will share well established greenhouse growing methods as well as advanced techniques for improved efficiency and quality. He will also explore the growing interest in equipment and tool design for the next generation of diversified grower. For Jack Algiere’s bio, see pg 17.
Traditional Foods Series: Fermenting Vegetables & Fruits Maureen Diaz, Mama’s Follies Presidents Hall 1
In this hands-on workshop you will learn how easy it is to turn your healthy home-grown produce into delicious, nutritious and healthenhancing foods that can be safely stored for months, even years! Maureen Diaz will prepare several ferments including a fruit chutney and a melange of vegetables. Your taste buds and your tummy will be delighted! For Maureen Diaz’s bio, see pg 14. The Traditional Foods Series is made possible by the underwriting support of the Weston A. Price Foundation & the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Mighty Mitochondria Jerry Brunetti, Agri-Dynamics Inc. Presidents Hall 2
Join Jerry Brunetti as he discusses health from the inner workings of the cell outward. Health of the organism relies on the health of its 10 trillion cells. Within each cell is the mitochondria, the power furnace of the cell. The mitochondria is the key to cellular longevity. When there is mitochondrial damage, illness appears — be it autism, diabetes, cancer, etc. Jerry will detail the science, implications, tests available and steps you can take for your own personal health in order to age well and live disease free. For Jerry Brunetti’s bio, see pg 18.
Farming & Gardening to Conserve Native Pollinators Nancy Adamson, Xerces Society Shelby Fleischer & Dave Biddinger, Penn State University Presidents Hall 3
Colony collapse disorder continues to devas-
tate US honeybee colonies and rental fees in apple orchards have quadrupled since 2006. Increased costs and projected shortages have shifted public focus to the 22,000 other bee species in the world that have gone largely unnoticed, but which provide significant pollination services to our fruit, nut and vegetable crops. There is evidence that some of these pollinators’ populations, including that of bumble bees, are also declining. This workshop will help with identification of major groups of bees and illustrate their natural history. Presenters will demonstrate their importance in fruit and vegetable crops and discuss means to conserve or augment populations in agriculture and the garden by providing additional floral resources, nesting sites and mitigating pesticide impacts. Nancy Adamson works jointly as Pollinator Conservation Specialist for the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Greensboro, NC. She studied bees important for crop pollination in apple, blueberry, caneberry and cucurbits and meadow restoration in the mid-Atlantic. She ran the horticulture and Master Gardener programs for Frederick County Maryland Extension and has long been involved in inventorying, collecting seed and propagating native plants for habitat restoration. For Dave Biddinger’s bio, see pg 21. For Shelby Fleischer’s bio, see pg 17.
Artful Remedies to Wet/Eroded/Ugly Landscapes Stacy Levy, Art/Land/Water Presidents Hall 4
Leftover and overlooked pieces of the agricultural landscape can be reconfigured to function and create visual interest. Stacy Levy is an ecological artist who works with natural processes on the site, in both temporary and permanent projects. This workshop will investigate artful ways to take wet areas and eroded slopes and give them visual interest. Stacy Levy is an installation artist who works to show the presence of urban nature. She has created large scale commissions in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston, Phoenix and Japan. Many of her recent projects utilize stormwater runoff to make rainwater an asset to the site. Stacy often works collaboratively with architects & landscape architects. She has recently worked with the Philadelphia Water Department on the Springside Water Wall and Rain Garden and with Biohabitats and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society on Pier 53 on the Delaware River to create a park where the plant roots and freeze/thaw cycles begin to breakdown the hardscape.
Grazing in the Trenches: Grazing Plans as Real, Living Documents Troy Bishopp, The Grass Whisperer Room 104
Having a visual grazing plan on paper and not just in your head pays dividends. It absolutely helps with making critical grazing
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decisions on the farm and with life. This interactive session will explore all the nuances of understanding and implementing a working grazing plan. Troy Bishopp will demonstrate his three years of experience using this tool and describe how it’s been integrated on neighboring grazing farms. Troy Bishopp, aka “The Grass Whisperer,” has been a spirited farmer, promoter and practitioner of grazing management for over 26 years. He’s grazed on the family’s farm and on leased land using planned grazing strategies and contracted grazed dairy heifers/grass-finished beef to achieve the farm goals. He also works as a grazing professional for the Madison County Soil & Water Conservation District, The Upper Susquehanna Coalition and NE SARE. This former Toastmaster president writes articles for local and national media outlets while maintaining a monthly Grass Whisperer column in Lancaster Farming.
Low-Tech & Low-Budget Blacksmithing 101 Gary Gilmore, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry Room 105
Blacksmithing is the craft of using a hammer and heat to forge iron into usable forms. The modern world has no need for this ancient occupation but that does not mean it is no longer useful. This session will go over the process involved in forging iron and how to put together a simple forge with material you probably have around the house. There will be no hands on demonstration but come to this session with your questions and ideas. For Gary Gilmore’s bio, see pg 21.
ing products to the public either on or offsite. This session will discuss these specific liability risks as well as statutory and contractual provisions that can be utilized to protect farmers and landowners. By understanding and acting to minimize potential liabilities, farmers can help to ensure the long-term viability of their operations. Professor Ross Pifer is the Director of the Agricultural Law Resource and Reference Center as well as the Rural Economic Development Clinic at Penn State Law. In these capacities, he has made numerous presentations on a variety of agricultural law and natural gas topics throughout the country. His family farms in Jefferson County. This session is made possible by the underwriting support of Hunter Insurance Group.
Income Positive Poultry: Meat Production Jeff Mattocks, The Fertrell Company Room 108
Often the line is blurred between keeping birds as a primary enterprise, a means of diversification on the farm or as a hobby. This session is directed to taking the art and science of raising poultry to the next level and maximizing profitability of the enterprise. Through fine-tuning everything from bird selection to feed formulation and presentation to housing options, this session will provide information for the serious poultry grower to enhance profitability and optimize production. For Jeff Mattocks’ bio, see pg 18.
Holistic Management Series: Reading the Land II — Monitoring Over Time & Record Keeping Byron Shelton, Landmark Decisions, LLC Room 106
You will learn to understand yearly monitoring transects that assess the ecosystem processes in detail, and what these transects tell about the trends in land condition based on the use of tools on the land. Included will be discussion on basic and comprehensive monitoring, baseline and historical data, creating your future landscape, when to gather the data, equipment needed, establishing transects, recording transect information, taking photos, recording your observations and analyzing the data. For Byron Shelton’s bio, see pg 12.
Farm Liability: What You Should Know Before It’s Too Late Ross Pifer, The Agricultural Law Resource & Reference Center at Penn State Room 107
All farm operators and landowners should be aware of the liability risks that they face by inviting the public onto their land and by sell-
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Adding On-Farm Commercial Kitchens Robin & Mark Way, Rumbleway Farm Room 204
Robin and Mark Way from Rumbleway Farm in Maryland started their certified commercial kitchen because it married nicely to their on-farm USDA poultry processing facility. They use the kitchen for canning and preserving as well as for creation and preparation of their on-farm dinners and cooking classes and their off-farm catering gigs. For Robin and Mark Way’s bio, see pg 16.
Employing Migrant Farm Workers Joan Norman, One Straw Farm Ben Wenk, Three Springs Fruit Farm Room 205
This session will focus on helping eager, hardworking members of our communities provide opportunities for the betterment of their families through socially responsible employment on your farm. Learn from the experiences of two farms relying on immigrant labor, including H2A and non-H2A employees. What are your legal obligations and what are your moral obligations? How
can you get started? Speakers will be focusing on reconciling these issues and many more under the status quo without getting distracted by policy issues, reform, and other pitfalls — though they are a good discussion for a later day. Joan Norman and her husband Drew run One Straw Farm, a family owned and operated Food Alliance certified vegetable farm located in Baltimore County, Maryland. Joan oversees all media relations, employee communications, business development, marketing and sales. One Straw Farm supports a Community Supported Agriculture Program, complemented by sales to area farmer’s markets, restaurants, colleges, hospitals and wholesale distributors. For Ben Wenk’s bio, see pg 12.
Wild Mushrooms: From Foraging to Forest Farming Eric Burkhart, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center Tom Patterson, Wild Purveyors Room 206
There are many reasons why one might want to forage for seasonal wild mushrooms in Pennsylvania (and the region) including for personal consumption, outdoor recreation and/or as a source of supplemental income. In this workshop, presenters will focus on the latter of these reasons and explore wild mushroom foraging and marketing in the region and how seasonal mushrooms can be used to enhance your farm or forest-based enterprise. Presenters will also discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with cultivating or farming wild forest mushrooms in order to meet market demand. Mushrooms to be discussed in this workshop include morels, chanterelles, oysters and hen-of-the-woods. For Erik Burkhart’s bio, see pg 14. For Tom Patterson’s bio, see pg 16.
Organic Grains: Adding Value from Planting to Harvest Joel Steigman, Small Valley Milling Room 207
Growing high quality organic grain requires far more than relying on the organic label. Join Joel Steigman as he explains the nittygritty of what’s required to put quality organic grain in the bin: timing, varieties, market demands, equipment choices, weed control, crop monitoring and troubleshooting. This session will emphasize the planting to harvest aspects of adding value to organic grain by producing an excellent, clean product. This session is intended for the larger scale growers who are growing tens of acres, not one or two acres, of small grains. Joel, Elaine and Eric Steigman organically farm 300 acres in Dauphin County. Their fascination with heritage grains fueled their diversification into small grains. They developed a milling and flour making facility to help with the overall farm sustainability.
WORKSHOPS
Saturday
Creative Cover Crops to Build Fertility in Veggies, Row Crops & Pastures Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens, Lakeview Organic Grains Matt Steiman, Dickinson College Farm Room 208
Cover cropping is a fundamental practice for sustainable farming. Cover crops can build soil fertility, reduce erosion, fight weed pressure, support beneficial insects and more. This practical workshop will discuss the varieties, tools, techniques and management details needed to incorporate cover crops into any farming system. The presenters will share their experiences from vegetable, row crop and livestock farming. Participants will walk away with a “tool box” full of cover crop information for their own use. For Mary-Howell & Klaas Martens’ bios, see pg 25. For Matt Steiman’s bio, see pg 23.
Hogs: Breed Selection & Finishing Strategies for Desired End Use Eliza MacLean, Cane Creek Farm Chuck Talbott, WVU Extension Service & Black Oak Holler Farm Senate Suite
All pigs are not created equal, though all are created to be useful. The type of animal chosen should depend on the end product desired — thus optimizing its usefulness — as well as the management practices and resources of the unique farm. If your market is bacon, you don’t need a hog that puts energy into making huge hams. This session will cover selection of breed/type of animals, options for breeding and finishing (especially considering the desired time of slaughter) and the resources available to the farmer. For Eliza MacLean’s bio, see pg 16. For Chuck Talbott’s bio, see pg 14.
See you next year!
23rd ANNUAL Farming for the Future Conference FEBRUARY 5–8, 2014
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IN ADDITION TO SUPPORT FROM OUR SPONSORS, FUNDING FOR CONFERENCE PROGRAMMING WAS PROVIDED BY
by Agri-Services LLC
Mahlon Stoltzfus, Authorized Distributor (484) 798-4631
In addition to the funding support provided by the companies and programs listed above, the conference programming is developed by a team of PASA Staff, Board and volunteers. Special thanks goes to Grow Pittsburgh’s Edible Schoolyard Team, Chatham University’s Naturality Club and Kat Alden and the team of Centre County volunteers for planning and running the Future Farmers programming throughout the conference. To suggest future programming, please do so on your evaluation form, by filling out our online form available at pasafarming.org, by emailing Kristin at kristin@pasafarming.org or by calling (814) 3499856 ext 11.
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture 104 North Street • P.O. Box 419 • Millheim, PA 16854-0419 • (814) 349-9856 • fax: (814) 349-9840 • pasafarming.org
2013 Farming for the Future Conference Sponsors
OPENING KEYNOTE SPONSOR
PASABILITIES SPONSOR
GUARDIAN
Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds
CHAMPION AgChoice Farm Credit / MidAtlantic Farm Credit • Agri-Service, LLC • BCS America • Blessings Blends • Delaware Valley College • Earth Tools Inc. • Eberly Poultry Farms • FarmMatch.com • The Fertrell Company • Johnny’s Selected Seeds • Kretschmann Farm • Lakeview Organic Grain • Marushka Farms • McGeary Organics • Mid Atlantic Alpaca Association (MAPACA) • Moyer’s Chicks • Northeast Sustainable Agricultural Research & Education (SARE) • Organic Valley • PA Farm Link • Schafer Fisheries • Schnupp’s Grain Roasting, Inc. • Seed Savers Exchange • Small Farm Central • Southern Exposure Seed Exchange ALLY Albert’s Organics / UNFI • Center for Rural Pennsylvania • Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund • Future Harvest / CASA • Harvest Market • King’s AgriSeeds, Inc. • Lancaster Ag Products • Longwood Gardens, Inc. • Natural by Nature • Organic Mechanics • Organic Unlimited, Inc. • Peace Tree Farm • Penn State University Press • Pennsylvania College of Technology • Purple Mountain Organics • Rodale Institute • Seedway, LLC • SF & Company • Tait Farm Foods • Union of Concerned Scientists • Weston A. Price Foundation • Wild for Salmon, Inc.
SUPPORTER American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA) • Bio-Organics • Brushy Mountain Bee Farm • Certified Naturally Grown • Communities Alliance for Responsible Eco-Farming (CARE) • CSI, Inc. • Dairy Connection Inc. • eOrganic • Filtrexx International • Harris Seeds • High Mowing Organic Seeds • Kallari L3C • Mid-Atlantic Microbials • National Agricultural Statistics Service • NCAT / ATTRA Program • Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Integrated Pest Management and Fruit Tree Improvement Programs • Pennsylvania Downtown Center • Sue’s Salves, LLC • Tierra Farm • Tuscarora Organic Growers Cooperative
F R I E N D S O F T H E CO N F E R E N C E 2 0 1 3 Bob Anderson • Marilyn & John Anthony • Sara & Bruce Baldwin • Barnhart Family • Nancy & Bob Bernhardt • Blue Rooster Farm • Greg Boulos • Jerry Brunetti • Dancing Hen Farm • Lisa & Duane Diefenbach • Melanie & Mark Dietrich Cochran • Patricia Eagon & James Stafford • Eva Edelstein • Helen & Bill Elkins • T. Lyle Ferderber • Four Paws Farm & Vineyard • Michele Gauger & Kevin Spencer • Wesley & Kathy Gordon • Jennifer Halpin & Matt Steiman • Todd & John Hopkins • Kristin & Steve Hoy • Sukey & John Jamison • Mary & Aaron Kolb • David Lembeck • Gretchen Ludders • Becky & Steve Marks • Cassie Marsh-Caldwell & Scott Caldwell • Tracy & Jeff Mattocks • Sally & Karl Meyer • Sue & Ken Miller • Mill Hollow Farm • Jennifer Montgomery • Jamie Moore • Libby & Dave Mortensen • Ginni & Larry Mutti • Jean & Ray Najjar • Oyler’s Organic Farms • Pennsylvania Farmers Union • Rita Resick • Melissa & Thomas Reynolds • Susan Richards & Robert Amsterdam • Carrie Ryan & Randy Scott • Carolyn Sachs • Susan & Don Sauter • Louise Schorn Smith • Heidi Secord & Gary Bloss • Debra Brubaker & Hannah Smith-Brubaker • Lauren & Ian Smith • Leah Smith & Alberto Cirigo • Paula & Brian Snyder • Rick Stafford • Judy Styborski • Karen Styborski • Emily Trovato & Greg Strella • Sandie & John Walker • And others who contributed after this program went to press