"Safe, Local, Organic: Building a Healthy Food Economy"
December 4-6, 2009 at the Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC

Join Carolina Farm Stewardship Association for our 24th annual conference. The event provides educational workshops for beginning gardeners, advanced organic farmers and folks interested in sustainable living. The movement's most respected organic educators will be with us at the Blue Ridge Assembly, a retreat center amidst 1200 acres of Appalachian mountains and home to hiking trails, mountain streams, historic buildings, and a crafts center for the kids! Conference meals will feature local and organic farm food, including breakfast both days.

So what makes this year’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference so outstanding? Our keynote for one thing. Timothy LaSalle is CEO of The Rodale Institute. Rodale, and its magazine Organic Gardening, are synonymous with organic. Dr. LaSalle is an exciting speaker and forward-thinker with a vision of a better farm and food world, one based on solid research and holistic practices. Dr. LaSalle has been a dairy farmer, professor and environmental leader for decades. You won’t want to miss this important message from one of the country’s leading organic voices.

Our keynote speaker, Dr. Timothy J. LaSalle is, without doubt, one of the most sought-after speakers on organics and sustainable farming in America today. CEO of The Rodale Institute, the organic research facility
started by J. I. Rodale in 1947, LaSalle leads a team of scientists documenting the wonders of organic farming systems. LaSalle weaves together the story of Rodale’s legendary research eff orts with an understanding of why it is important today. An outspoken leader, he is a strong advocate about how our current farming systems have a profound impact on health and nutrition, climate change, and world hunger and poverty. Dr. LaSalle has worked with the Northwest Earth Institute and the California Agriculture Leadership Foundation and was a professor at California Polytechnic State University, where he taught dairy science. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear this holistic thinker and visionary who will inspire and inform you!

And the location? This year’s conference takes place at the beautiful Blue Ridge Assembly retreat
center in Black Mountain, just minutes from Asheville, North Carolina. The retreat center off ers a relaxing getaway for you and your family with aff ordable lodging, modern meeting facilities, and stunning views amidst two cascading creeks and 1200 acres of forestland. Our location provides us access to the many sustainable farms and farm programs in the Asheville area.

conference schedule

Friday, December 4, 2009
8:00 am – 7:00 pm	Registration Booth Open
9:00 am – 3:00 pm	Vendor set-up
9:00 am – 4:00 pm	Organic Certification Workshop (including lunch)
9:00 am – 4:30 pm	All Day Farm Tours (including lunch)
9:00 am – 12:00 pm	Morning Workshops (Horticulture, Livestock and Extension Agents)
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm	Afternoon workshop (Community Food Security)
1:00 pm – 4:30 pm	Afternoon Farm Tours
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm	Visit Exhibits, Seed Exchange and Silent Auction
4:30 pm – 6:00 pm	Reception
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:15 pm – 8:00 pm	Lynn Miller, Founder/Editor, Small Farmer's Journal; VP, Small Farms Conservancy
8:00 pm – 9:15 pm	Awards and Panel: “The Local and Organic Movement: An Action Update”
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm	“Farms and Markets Around the Globe” with Dr. John O’Sullivan
Saturday, December 5, 2009
7:00 am – 7:00 pm	Registration Booth Open
7:00 am – 8:00 am	Morning Yoga with Black Mountain Yoga
7:30 am – 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:45 am – 10:00 am	Concurrent Panels: A. Research Update or B. Activist Update
10:15 am – 11:45 am	Workshop A
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm	CFSA Annual Meeting
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm	Workshop B
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm	Workshop C
4:30 pm – 5:15 pm	Regional Networking Sessions
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm	Visit Exhibits, Seed Exchange and Silent Auction
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm	Reception
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:15 pm – 9:15 pm	Awards and Keynote Address with Dr. Timothy LaSalle
9:15 pm until	Nightlife in Black Mtn or Asheville; relaxation at BRA
Sunday, December 6, 2009
7:00 am – 8:00 am	Morning Yoga with Black Mountain Yoga
7:30 am – 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:00 am – 9:00 am	Registration Open
8:30 am – 10:00 am	Workshop D
10:00 am – 10:15 am	Break
10:15 am – 11:45 am	Workshop E
12:00 pm	Conference Ends (lunch on your own)

farm tours ( full farm tour descriptions)

Time	Title	Location
Friday AM	Produce	Thatchmore Farm, Full Sun Farm and Warren Wilson Organic Garden
9 to 4:30	Livestock	East Fork Farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm and Warren Wilson College Farm
Friday PM	Extension Agents Tours	Blue Ridge Food Ventures and Madison Family Farms
1 to 4:30	Livestock, Vegetables and Fruit	Flying Cloud Farm and Hickory Nut Gap Farm
	Urban Gardens / Farms	Bountiful Cities Project and Gladheart Farm
	Ecovillage: Creating Sustainable Community	Earthaven Ecovillage

Workshops & panels At-A-Glance ( full workshop descriptions | speaker bios )

Time	Track	Title	Speaker
Friday AM	All day course	Organic Certification course (9 - 4)	Jim Riddle, Marty Mesh
9 to 12	3 hour intensive	Food Safety for Extension Agents	Bu Nygrens, Veritable Vegetable, San Francisco
	3 hour intensive	Season Extension and Cool Season Crops	Dr. John Wilson, Diana McCall and Black Mountain Community Garden
	3 hour intensive	Livestock Health -- Advanced	Ann Wells, Springpond Holistic Animal Health, Arkansas
Friday PM	3 hour intensive	Community Food Security	Mark Winne, Community Food Security Coalition
1 to 4:30
Friday PM 7 to 9	Panel I	The Local and Organic Movement:  An Action Update Patryk Battle, Jim Riddle, Bu Nygrens, Nancy Creamer, Lynn Miller, Roland McReynolds, moderator
Saturday AM 8:30 to 10:00	Panel 2A	What Exciting is Happening in Sustainable Ag Research:  An Overview Geoff Zehnder, Paul Mueller, Timothy LaSalle, more university researchers from the Carolinas, John O'Sullivan, moderator
	Panel 2B	Local & State Farm and Food Activism:  An Update Jennifer Curtis, other panelists-TBA, Scott Marlow, moderator
10:15 to 11:45	Soils	Soil 101	Julie Grossman, NCSU
	Horticulture	Veggie Diseases	Frank Louws, NCSU
	Special	Agro-forestry	Ben Bergmann and Noah Ranells, Fickle Creek Farm
	Livestock	Holistic Animal Health -- Beginner	Ann Wells, Springpond Holistic Animal Health, Arkansas
	Livestock	Drafthorses	Lynn Miller, Small Farmer's Journal
	Forests	Non-Timber Forest Products	Jeanine Davis, NCSU and Alyx Perry, Southern Forests Network
	Horticulture	Season Extension	Steve Moore, NCSU
	Gardening	The Liberated Gardener	Frank Hyman, Cottage Garden Landscaping
	Cooking	Cooking with Local Foods	Mary Lane, chef
	Permaculture	Backyard Economics	Chuck Marsh, Useful Plants Nursery
	Policy	Community Food Security	Mark Winne, Community Food Security Coalition
Saturday PM	Soils	Biochar	Steve Hopkins, NCSU
2:15 to 3:15	Horticulture	Organic Grain	Chris Reborg-Horton, NCSU
	Livestock	Pastured Hogs Part 1	David Stender, Iowa State University
	Special	Top Ways to Fail on the Farm	Scott Marlow, RAFI-USA
	Horticulture	Organic Weed Control -- Beginner	Mark Schonbeck, Virginia Association for Biological Farming
	Special	Crop Mobs:  A Model of Agrarian Community Building	Trace Ramsey & Rob Jones
	Livestock	Mobile Processing Unit (Poultry)	Casey McKissick, Crooked Creek Farms, and Smithson Mills, consultant
	Insects	Pollinator Conservation	Debbie Roos, NCSU
	Special	Networking on Organic Action Plans	Tony Kleese and Sally Lee
	Cooking	The Local Grain & Bread Story:  Past to Present	Jennifer Lapidus, artisanal baker
	Gardening	Perennial Vegetables	Frank Hyman, Cottage Garden Landscaping
	Special	Farm to School	Emily Jackson, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
Saturday PM	Soils	Compost Teas	Patryk Battle, Sparkling Earth Farm
3:30 to 4:30	Livestock	Pastured Hogs Part 2	David Stender, Iowa State University
	Horticulture	Organic Strawberries	Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, NCSU
	Marketing	Marketing Mix:  CSAs, Restaurants, Tailgate Markets	Bill Dow, Ayrshire Farm
	Horticulture	Organic Weed Control--Advanced Clinic	Mark Schonbeck, Virginia Association for Biological Farming
	Cooking	Food Preservation	Kathleen Lamont
	Marketing	Grower-Based Distribution Models	Bu Nygrens, Veritable Vegetable and Sandi Kronick, ECO
	Policy	Community Gardens at Churches	Claire Hermann, Come to the Table and guests
	Special	Children on Farms	Spence Dickinson, Spence's Educational Farm
	Networking	Nutrition:  Networking Key Issues	Freda Butner, NC Dept. Ag & Consumer Services
	Networking	Animal Welfare in the Carolinas	Discussion/networking
Sunday AM	Horticulture	Commercial Veggie Production	Stefan Hartman, Black River Organic Farm
8:30 to 10:00	Marketing	Marketing Tricks and Tips	Jason Roehrig and Shiloh Avery, Tumbling Shoals Farm
	Livestock	Raising Animals Natural Behaviors	Staff of Animal Welfare Approved
	Horticulture	Growing Raspberries	Walter Harrill, Imladris Farm
	Special	Farm Transition	Andrew Branan, NC Farm Transition Network
	Forestry	Timber on the Farm	Alyx Perry, Southern Forests Network and a local forester
	Mushrooms	Mushrooms Beginner class	Tradd Cotter, Mushroom Mountain
	Policy	21st Century Farmers Markets	Robert Andrew Smith, Leaflight Foundation
	Energy	Biofuels Part 1	Staff of Piedmont Biofuels
Sunday PM	Horticulture	Heirloom Tomatoes	Jeanine Davis, NCSU
10:15 to 11:45	Special	Planning Your Sustainable Farm Enterprise	Tony Kleese, consultant
	Livestock	Organic Dairy	Gerry Cohn, Organic Valley
	Special	Internet and Social Networking Opportunities for Farmers	Kari Brayman, CFSA Communications Director
	Mushrooms	Mushrooms Advanced class	Tradd Cotter, Mushroom Mountain
	Energy	Solar Projects on the Farm	Mike Morris, National Center for Appropriate Technology
		Seedsaving with Cricket	Cricket Rakita, CFSA Saving Our Seed Coordinator
	Energy	Biofuels Part 2	Staff of Piedmont Biofuels