Savanna Institute will bring together farmers and chefs at its Perennial Farm Gathering October 6th-8th in Wisconsin

Indigenous food advocate Chef Sean Sherman to deliver keynote address

Spring Green, Wis. – Back in person for the first time in five years, the Perennial Farm Gathering hosted by the Savanna Institute will take place Sunday, October 6th to Tuesday, October 8th at Monona Terrace in Madison. Chef Sean Sherman, founder of The Sioux Chef, will deliver the event keynote “The (R)evolution of Indigenous Foodways” alongside more than 20 sessions on food and farming practices focused on beneficial perennial crops.

Perennial fruit and nut crops, such as elderberries, black currants, chestnuts, and hazelnuts are among the favorites on the agenda at this year’s gathering. Chefs Odessa Piper and Beth Dooley will host a session on “Culinary Creativity With the Fruits and Nuts of Agroforestry,” and forest farming expert Steve Gabriel will offer practical advice to growers in his session: “Why Trees Die (and what we can do to help them!).” Graziers Brett Chedzoy and Cherrie Nolden will share their journey in “Pushing the Boundaries Between Forest and Pasture: Tales from Two Ecologists Turned Farmers.”

Free farm tours will be offered at Savanna Institute’s farm campus in Spring Green before the gathering on Saturday, October 5th, 1-5pm, along with live music, a cider press, and tastings.

Sponsors for the event include Compeer Financial, Canopy Farm Management, Agroforestry Coalition, Marbleseed, NĀTIFS, American Farmland Trust, River Hills Harvest, American Hazelnut Company, The Nature Conservancy, USDA National Agroforestry Center, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, Wisconsin Farmers Union, Wormfarm Institute, Alliant Energy, Cutler Fence, Meadowlark, Nature’s Path, Scattergood, Green Lands Blue Waters, Midwestern BioAg, Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition, and Organic Valley. 

Tickets for the Perennial Farm Gathering are now on sale at savannainstitute.org/pfg2024.

What:

Perennial Farm Gathering, hosted by the Savanna Institute

When:

Saturday, October 5th, 1pm – 5pm (Farm Tours, Spring Green)
Sunday, October 6th – Tuesday, October 8th (PFG2024, Madison)

Who:

Perennial agriculture enthusiasts, farmers, foresters, chefs, Indigenous leaders, activists, researchers, policymakers, and investors

Where:

Monona Terrace, Madison WI with Farm Tours in Spring Green, WI
Register at savannainstitute.org/pfg2024

About the Savanna Institute
The Savanna Institute is a nonprofit organization that works with farmers and scientists to lay the groundwork for widespread agroforestry, a beneficial method of farming with trees. Learn more at savannainstitute.org.

Sponsor the Gathering

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with the Midwest farming community who are invested in creating habitat for wildlife, improving water and soil quality, producing healthier crops and animals, and helping restore natural balance to the climate.