2018 Food & Farm Forum Set For December 7-8

 The Food & Farm Forum is a primary annual gathering of ASAN’s statewide network of farmers, gardeners, community leaders, and good food advocates. Approximately 200 diverse participants from across the state will convene for a weekend of “cross-pollinating”–swapping stories, ideas, and wisdom, in order to build a more robust local food system in Alabama.  The 2018 Food & Farm Forum is set for Friday-Saturday December 7-8, 2018 there will be a Pre-Forum sessions Thurs Dec 6.  The event will be held at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama.

Even with last year’s snow event in central AL, nearly 100 individuals from across the stat attended to learn more about permaculture, foraging, meat processing, herbal healing, and more. Our 2018 agenda is coming together with more amazing opportunities to learn.

The Food & Farm Forum will consist of peer-to-peer, hands-on, and experiential learning, in the form of workshops, panel discussions, and breakout conversations. The Forum will engage people’s minds, hearts, and bodies, regardless of skill level or experience. For the first time ever we will be holding a Youth Food & Farm Forum geared towards youth ages 14-21.

The Forum aims to spark and stoke the flames of community-level-collaborative action–action needed to create a food system that is more ecologically regenerative, broad-based, and equitable, and this is both deeply-rooted in and deeply responsive to the communities (human and non) that comprise it. This, we believe, is better for Alabama’s people, environment, and economy.”

Register HERE

THURSDAY DECEMBER 6

Afternoon              Pre-Forum intensive sessions
6:00-9:00              Registration open
6:00-9:00              Those who reserved box dinners may pick them up
8ish until?             Campfire and socializing

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7

8:00-9:00am        Breakfast
9:15-11:30           Concurrent sessions I (2.25 hours)
11:45-12:00         Welcome and announcements
12:00-1:00pm      Lunch
1:15-2:35             Concurrent sessions II (1.25 hrs)
2:50-4:10             Concurrent sessions III (1.25 hrs)
4:10-4:45             Break
4:45-6:15             “Market Fair” social, expo, and seed swap (On Friday evening before dinner, we will gather for drinks, snacks, a seed swap (and giveaway), a job / apprenticeship / internship fair, and a market featuring Alabama artisans of food, crafts, and more… just in time for the holidays!  Be sure to bring seeds to share, cash, and your shopping list!)
6:30-7:45             Dinner
8:15-10:00           Night activities and socializing
11pm                    Quiet hours

SATURDAY DECEMBER 8

8:00-9:00             Breakfast
9:15-11:40           Plenary activities
11:40-11:55         Group photo
12:00-1:00           Lunch
1:20-2:35             Concurrent sessions V
2:50-4:05             Concurrent sessions VI
5:45-7:15             Dinner
7:00-9:00             Night activities and socializing
11pm                    Quiet hours

Confirmed Sessions:

• Sustainable Woodland Management for Small Farms and Landowners – Levi Brown
• When Do You Know if You’re Ready for Wholesale? (panel)  – Carey Martin and Natalie Bishnoi, Food Bank of North Alabama / Farm Food Collaborative (moderators)
• Making Space for Youth: Youth Leadership Development in Food and Ag Work – Mark Bowen, Forsyth Farmers Market (GA) and Farm Truck 912
• Putting Solar to Work on the Farm Using Passive Solar Structures and Off-Grid Solar PV – Daryl Bergquist, Earth Steward Solar Consulting
• Cooperative Farm Marketing – Laurie Moore, Moore Farms and Friends
• Pests and Weeds – How Are You Managing Them? A Farmers’ Roundtable Discussion – Caylor Roling, EAT South
• Farm Hacks: Building our Way to Sustainability – Billy Mitchell, National Farmers Union
• Hydroponic Farming in Shipping Containers – Dale and Angela Speetjens, ShipShape Urban Farm
• Growing a New Market with Microgreens – Danica Abejon, Sweet City Micros
• Carpentry Life Skills – Wade Austin, W. H. Austin Design Build
• Vegan Made Easy – Adyre Mason, The Veggie
• Make Compost Not Waste – Matt Nesbitt
• On-Farm Processing of Poultry and Rabbits (panel) – Jesie and Matthew Lawrence, Marble Creek Farmstead / Marble City Meats (moderators)
• Off-farm Livestock Processing: Using a Processing Plant (panel) – Jesie and Matthew Lawrence, Marble Creek Farmstead / Marble City Meats (moderators)
• Fermentation 101 – Pete Halupka, Harvest Roots Ferments
• Growing Weeds as Food Crops: Turn Weeding Into Profits – Cameron Strouss, Deep Roots Apotheke and Clinic
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge Applied to Alabama Foodways – Sehoy Thrower

Panels:

When Do You Know If You’re Ready for Wholesale?

On-Farm Poultry/Rabbit Processing

Farm Hacks-Building our way to sustainability

Media Release/Mindy Santo/ Program Assistant, alabama sustainable agriculture network (ASAN)