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15. SAVE THE DATE!  

BIOINTENSIVE GARDENING WORKSHOPS WITH JOHN JEAVONS

*         March 30-31st - 2-day GROW BIOINTENSIVE Workshop 

*         April 1st - 1-day MINI-FARMING Workshop 

*         For registration material and agenda go to:
http://www.detroitagriculture.org/ 

*         This workshop will be directed by John Jeavons, author of "How
to Grow More Vegetables". 

*         Biointensive system is based on soil building using compost
and soil quality improving crops together with double digging where
needed. 

*         Crop scheduling and planting systems emphasize maximizing
yields through crop rotations and crop diversity together with an
understanding of meeting human nutritional requirements.

*         Registration is required and scholarships are available for
gardens in the Garden Resource Program in Detroit.

*         You can download a registration or call Ashley Atkinson at
313-237-8736.

16. Grand Rapids Food Film Series Feb 28, 2007

Winter Farmer's Market & Film Series

Food, Farming, Health, Education & Native Culture Foods available at
events to include: Light Dinner & Snacks. Local, organic and healthy
foods, and beverages, before the film and at intermission. This event is
produced in partnership with the GRCMC and Paul and Nancy Jones Keiser,
of "Agriculture and Health Alive." 

 

Wed. Feb 28 "BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE AT NEW HARMONY COMMUNITY FARM" 60
minutes (1997) Environmental activists and organic farmers Paul and
Nancy Jones Keiser began the first CSA farm in West Central Michigan
that was organized by Jacquelyn Lehman at Michigan's first charter
school, West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science in Walker City.
This film contains many food, farming and related facts, including the
first Medicine Wheel Garden in the region. "TROYER'S BARN RAISING" 60
minutes (1990) Watch the building of an Amish barn state-by-stage, with
a majority of the workers being Plain People. This is ancient social
cooperation in action! 

 

Wed. March 14 "A BIG COUNTRY: A WINTER'S TALE" 30 minutes (1984) Alex de
Podolinsky leads the Biodynamic farming movement "Down Under" in
Australia, wherein there are more than one million acres in production
using biodynamic principles and practices. Biodynamics began in 1924 in
what was then war-ravaged Eastern Germany, when Dr. Rudolf Steiner gave
eight lectures on how to solve the fertility problems in soils, plants
and animals which had been caused by European industrialization. "ITS
NOT JUST ABOUT VEGETABLES" 17 minutes (1986) In the Berkshire mountains
of Western Massachusetts, the first CSA farm in the US was organized on
the farm of Robin Van En in 1985. The idea of Community Supported
Agriculture came from Japan and Europe. CSA farms get people connected
to their food supply and a local farmer. Wed. March 28 "A FARMER TESTS
VERMICOMPOST TEA IN TRANSITIONING CORN AND SOYBEANS TO ORGANIC CULTURES"
38 minutes (2006) At the 2006 Fertrell Conference, Ohio farmer and
Fertrell Dealer Tim Kimpel shares his research and experiences using
Great Grow Compost Tea in his transitioning corn and soybeans to organic
cultures. Tim covers results with equipment, surface and subsurface
tillage, chemistry and biology soil testing, C.E.C., weed control,
nutrient balance, other organic fertilization materials, equipment used,
test strips and more! Fertrell President Dave Mattocks, who has
consulted with thousands of farmers and ranchers across North America
comments. Tim is in contact with Dr. Elaine Ingham, the foremost soil
micro-biologist in the English-speaking world. "SWINE HEALTH" 42 minutes
(2006) Swine health advisor Don Brubaker of the Fertrell Company has
spent many years working with pigs and hogs. He unlocks the secrets of
specifically what swine need to be healthy and productive. 

 

Wed. April 11 "A SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROJECT ON PINE RIDGE INDIAN
RESERVATION" 45 minutes (1993) Britta Steilman of a German clothing
company films Lakota Indian Mike Sierra's Ta S'ina Tokaheya project that
portrays organic agriculture and building with local materials about 15
miles from Oglala Village, South Dakota. The Black Hills, uranium
mining, visionary architect Bill McDonagh and organic farmers Paul and
Nancy Jones Keiser are featured with the Lakota people. Conditions on
Indian reservations are portrayed as are aspects of traditional cultural
ways and events. "SPIRIT: A JOURNEY IN DANCE, DRUMS AND SONG" 75 minutes
(1998) Conceived and composed by Maestro Peter Buffet, traditional and
modern dance forms are combined with jazz, rock and American Indian
music that contrasts modern urban industrialization with ancient
indigenous traditions. This performance was filmed in Green Bay,
Wisconsin by Back Row Productions. The instrumentalists are joined by a
Green Bay Youth Choir and chanting Indian voices with native garb in an
unforgettable artistic event!

17.  Choices Conference, March 7 at Kellogg Conference Center

 

On behalf of the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at
Michigan State University, we are pleased to provide you with a link to
conference registration brochure for the 2007 Choices Conference.  The
theme for this year is Take It Slow! 

The registration brochure is available at http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu/
<http://www.mottgroup.msu.edu/> 

 

 

The conference will take place on March 7, 2007, at the Kellogg Hotel
and Conference Center.  The early registration fee is $95 per person.
Please note that this year, there is a special pre-conference event on
March 6th.  It is a special celebration of Slow Food, presented by Slow
Food Red Cedar.  The fee for this program (also a fundraiser for Slow
Food Red Cedar) is $45.  Complete details for the March 6th program is
found on page 2 of this brochure.

 

 

Please contact Diane Drago if you have any questions.  We hope you can
join us in March!

 

Diane Drago, Conference Coordinator

[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>  

517-663-5147

 

18.  2007 Michigan Organic Conference

Saturday, March 3, Kellogg Conference Center, Michigan State University

   To register visit www.moffa.org <http://www.moffa.org/> 

Sessions for Consumers, Gardeners and Farmers with an organic lunch.

Rodale Farm Manager, "Sharing the Harvest" Author To Give Keynotes   

This year's Michigan Organic Conference will feature special new
sessions for consumers alongside sessions already popular with organic
farmers and gardeners, according to conference organizers. The all-day
conference takes place on Saturday, March 3 at the Kellogg Center
located on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing.

 "We've always held sessions that are of interest to organic farmers and
gardeners," said George Bird, the conference coordinator.  "But this
year we are adding two educational sessions for consumers.  One will
help them understand what's really organic and the other is designed to
guide them in choosing the kind of milk that's best for them."    

Sessions for gardeners and farmers will cover such production topics as
heirloom versus hybrid seeds, building soil for organic crops, selecting
animal breeds for organic farms, organic tree fruit pest management and
equipment for medium-sized organic farms, according to Bird.  Marketing
sessions include topics such as selling organic produce at farmers'
markets, marketing organic produce to restaurants, marketing organic
fruit and selling grains in local markets.   

In addition to the educational sessions, the conference will include two
keynote speakers.  Jeff Moyer, manager of the Rodale Institute research
farm, will provide the morning keynote.  Rodale is famous for pioneering
organic techniques and providing education and publications about
organic growing.   

The afternoon keynote speaker will be Elizabeth Henderson, founder of a
highly successful community supported agriculture farm or CSA, and
author of Sharing the Harvest, a book about CSAs.  CSAs involve
participation by local farm customers in the growing and financing of
the food they eat.   

The conference will include exhibits from organic-related businesses and
will be followed by a reception celebrating Michigan-produced foods.  A
special musical program is available to participants in the evening.

The cost is $65 to pre-register and $75 at the door.  Registration forms
and more information are available at www.moffa.org
<http://www.moffa.org/>  or by calling (517) 353-3890. The conference is
sponsored by the Michigan Organic Food & Farm Alliance, a nonprofit
organization which promotes locally produced organic food and educates
consumers about its benefits, and the C. S. Mott Chair of Sustainable
Agriculture at Michigan State University.

 

 

 

 


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