In 2023, the Perennial Farm Gathering brought together 600 people, 60 presenters, and 20 sponsors online over three days of community-building for perennial agriculture. Keynotes by authors Robin Wall Kimmerer and Ross Gay kept us rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the creative joy that tending a garden can bring. Now, you can watch PFG2023 videos on our YouTube Channel for free. Save the playlist.
Author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer delivered the keynote address, “The Fortress, the River and the Garden.” Dr. Kimmerer is a decorated professor and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Her books Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom and Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants has earned her worldwide acclaim. She is also the founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, whose mission is to create programs which draw on the wisdom of both Indigenous and scientific knowledge for our shared goals of sustainability.
Joining as a keynote presenter was poet and orchardist Ross Gay, who delivered his talk: “Cultivating Sustainable Joy.” Dr. Gay is an award-winning author and creative writing professor, publishing four books of poetry—Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude—and three collections of essays—The Book of Delights, Inciting Joy, and The Book of (More) Delights. He is a founding board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard, a non-profit, free-fruit-for-all food justice and joy project.
For free access to PFG2023 videos, make sure you’re subscribed to our channel and save the playlist to get all the videos as they’re posted. Notice: In April, paid access to PF2023 recordings will no longer be available. Subscribe today on YouTube.
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Find storytelling from Midwest farms and technical skill-building webinars for perennial agriculture on our YouTube Channel.
In 2024, the Savanna Institute will host its Perennial Farm Gathering in-person Sunday, October 6th to Tuesday, October 8th at Monona Terrace in Madison. Free farm tours will be offered in Spring Green on Saturday, October 5th. The Perennial Farm Gathering, held each year for perennial food and farming enthusiasts, will be back in-person for the first time in five years.
The Savanna Institute, a nonprofit research and education organization, is now accepting sponsorships for PFG2024. Tickets for the Perennial Farm Gathering will go on sale in May at savannainstitute.org/pfg2024.
Sponsor the Gathering
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the Midwest farming community who are improving water and soil quality, producing healthier crops and animals, and helping restore natural balance to the climate.