Monday, October 7th
The (R)evolution of Indigenous Foodways
Keynote Speaker: Sean Sherman
Oglala Lakota Chef Sean Sherman, founder of The Sioux Chef, is decolonizing our food system. From growing up on Pine Ridge to an epiphany on a beach in Mexico, Chef Sean Sherman shares his journey of discovering, reviving and reimagining Native cuisine.
How to Consistently Grow High Quality Berries
Speakers: Craig Solverson, Mike Breckel, and Jim & Bernis Ingvaldson
What does a high quality berry – elderberry, black currant, aronia, or honeyberry – look like? Feel like? Taste like? What are the key preparation, practices, and processes needed to grow a consistent berry from year to year? How hard is it? What has worked and what hasn’t worked? What mistakes have been made and what can others learn from those? What should growers, processors, buyers, and consumers expect in growing, handling, processing, purchasing, and consuming these berries? Come find out what a panel of growers do and share your tips, tricks, and practices as well!
Growing Perennial Markets Panel
Speakers: Terry Durham, River Hills Harvest
Ariel Pressman, Whole Farm Strategies
Pamela Saunders, American Hazelnut Company
This panel of food system leaders discuss topics in processing, distributing, and connecting people to perennially grown foods through the marketplace. From farm to table and producer to consumer, these leaders play a role in growing access to healthy, locally grown foods that are beneficial for the environment. We will especially look to talk about challenges and overcoming those challenges as it relates to getting products to market.
Tuesday, October 8th
Why Trees Die (and what we can do to help them!)
Speaker: Steve Gabriel, Wellspring Forest Farm
In natural forests, mother nature plants hundreds of thousands of seeds, only to see a few hundred survive to become a mature forest. This, and other lessons from nature, offer us a way to humbly approach tree planting in agroforestry systems. Regardless of the type of agroforestry we want to employ on the land, understanding the fundamentals of tree propagation, planting, and care are critical to success. This session will explore tree biology, ecology, and discuss tips and techniques in the field and nursery to support healthy trees for the long term.
Pushing the Boundaries Between Forest and Pasture: Tales from Two Ecologists Turned Farmers
Speakers: Brett Chedzoy, Forest Ecologist/Cattle Grazier, and Cherrie Nolden, 1dr Acres Farm
When we put livestock in existing forests, does the forest ecosystem truly benefit? Can we use livestock management to nudge forest succession into a healthier direction? Will the invasive species that we manage with grazing ever truly go away? To dive deeper into this topic, we will hear the experienced perspectives of Brett Chedzoy, a Forest Ecologist and cattle grazier with operations in New York and Argentina. We will also hear from Wildlife Ecologist, Ruminant Nutritionist, and multispecies grazier, Cherrie Nolden who farms in SW Wisconsin.
Urban Oases: Cultivating Perennial Crops and Resilient Green Spaces in Cities
Join us as we feature local and regional partners in discussing the successes, obstacles, and nuances of establishing perennial crops in urban spaces. We’ll cover the benefits of urban (agro)forestry, some strategies to approach or start your own community project, and talk about how to integrate trees, shrubs, and perennial crops together with other regenerative and climate smart practices for a larger vision of urban resilience.
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15% off for Farmers / Students with code FOOD15
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Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the Midwest farming community members who are invested in improving water and soil quality, producing healthier crops and animals, and helping restore natural balance to the climate.
