The Ecological Farming Association will present the Steward of Sustainable Agriculture Awards (Susties), the Advocates for Social Justice in Sustainable Agriculture Awards (Justies), and the Golden Pliers Award at the EcoFarm Awards Dinner Banquet on Friday, January 25 as part of the 39th EcoFarm Conference. The Sustie Award honors those who have been actively and critically involved in ecologically-sustainable agriculture and have demonstrated their long term, significant contributions to the well-being of agriculture and the planet. The Justie Award honors those who...Read more
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Take a sneak peek at this year's menu, designed by Asilomar’s executive chef Greg Lepesh and sourced from our community of farmers, ranchers, and food artisans. Join us! Meal tickets may be be purchased as part of your EcoFarm Conference registration . Wednesday Lunch 12:00 - 2:00PM Posole (BL/Gf/V) Baja Salad (Veg/Gf/V) Jalapeno Dressing (Veg/V/Gf) Roasted Pork (M) Roast Tofu-Veggie (Gf/S/V) Fruit n Nut Power Bars (Veg/D/E) Wednesday Dinner 6:00 - 8:00PM Heirloom Tomato Salad(Gf/V) Shepherds Pie (M/D/W) George’s Curry (BL/N/W/V) Papaya Chutney(Veg/C/W) Greek &...Read more
By Rebecca North We live in trying times, and now more than ever, we need to create support systems. None of us can go it alone, and we hope the Advancing Equity in Ecological Farming Pre-Conference will change the way you think about how farming is defined in the 21st century, as we creatively problem solve and strategize how to build each other up and change things at a local level. Join us on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, to examine the intersectionality of community building, identity, and farming, and to connect, organize, and learn. The Pre-Conference will be...Read more
Moving forward in a dynamic and ever changing ecosystem, the focus on regenerative agriculture management is gaining acknowledgement as having a significant impact on the climate change issues we face in this country and around the world. Join us at EcoFarm again this year as we explore regenerative practices in several conference workshops and an exciting, hands-on, all inclusive, gender neutral, Women in Regenerative Ag pre-conference at Paicines Ranch. Paicines Ranch Field Day at EcoFarm 2018. Photo by Ben Kerrick. The answer is, indeed, beneath our feet. In...Read more
Urban Shepherdess, Regenerative Ag Advocate, Entrepreneur, Educator & Aspiring Stunt Performer I call myself modern day urban shepherdess, shepherding animals, people and projects. Working in both the built landscapes of urban metropolises as well as on the land with my comrade graziers, I am committed to supporting a new era of working on the land with livestock and innovative agrarian entrepreneurship. My work takes place in the fields of education and advocacy for the good food & fiber movement, supporting efforts to enhance ecological health of the land...Read more
I was incredibly grateful to be able to attend EcoFarm in 2018 after receiving a scholarship. Spending several days surrounded by inspired and passionate farmers invigorated my own motivation to do great work in the agriculture world. Workshops ranging from flower farming, to marketing and sales, to broad-acre range management provided a plethora of useful information that I can take forward with me in my career, making my businesses more profitable, more adaptable, and the work more personally fulfilling. Meeting lifelong farmers whose wisdom and mentorship can alter...Read more
Wednesday, Jan 23 Keynotes Denisa Livingston Denisa Livingston (Diné, New Mexico, USA) is an unapologetic food justice organizer, social entrepreneur, an Empowered-to-Serve National Ambassador for the American Heart Association, and voted as the first woman to be the Slow Food International Indigenous Councilor of the Global North. Her mission is to improve and empower the lives of others. She is committed to addressing the diabetes epidemic, the dominant culture of unhealthy foods, and the lack of healthy food access on the Navajo Nation. Denisa has been a...Read more
Rachel Kohn Obut's life was impacted by last year's Sonoma Fires. Soon after, she was awarded an EcoFarm Conference Scholarship to help her put down roots and begin her own small farm called Little Moon Farm . "The Scholarship I received to attend the 2018 EcoFarm Conference was so immensely helpful for me transitioning post-fire and starting a new farm business this year. For the past few years, I was managing a farm that suffered serious losses in the Sonoma Fires last fall. I had significant losses of income and property. I had recently moved from Sonoma to Napa...Read more
Full Belly Farm is taking a year off from the Hoes Down Harvest Festival. We are re-envisioning this wonderful event and are excited to bring back an even more magical, educational, and meaningful festival come 2019. So please put October 5, 2019 on your calendar! The Hoes Down Harvest Festival is dedicated to honoring and promoting the knowledge of agricultural arts and sustainable rural living through inspiration and education. Our goals extend beyond the weekend of fun and education. Every year for 30 years, the Hoes Down Harvest Festival has generated valuable...Read more
Wise Words from Well Seasoned Farmers is a long-standing EcoFarm Conference tradition. This year, farmer activists Chris Bunn and Wendy Johnson shared their experience with EcoFarm attendees. Watch the session, now on video! Chris Bunn, 72, is a second-generation Salinas vegetable grower whose father began shipping Bunny brand lettuce in 1927. His family helped establish the Salinas Valley Vegetable Exchange, a very early example of growers getting together to market as a group. Chris grew up in a very dynamic farming community that has seen huge change over the 100...Read more