Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 4-6, 2008 Pre-Conference Intensive Study, Dec. 1-3, 2008 Hyatt Regency St. Louis at Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri

Register for these intensive seminars here.
Complete details follow ... Wheeler/Ward ... Brunetti ... Andersen ...

Eco-Ag University — Acres U.S.A. Pre-Conference Advanced Learning
Non-Toxic Farming School
A Complete Farm Program Utilizing State-of-the-Art Eco-Agriculture
Phil Wheeler, Ph.D. & Ron Ward

7 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Monday & 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues.-Wed., December 1-3, 2008
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri
Cost: $400/person

     Covering the current state of the art of ecological farming science, methodologies and wisdom, this course will present a complete farming program designed to move farmers off of chemical agriculture or improve their sustainable, biological or organic operation.
    Starting with a brief assessment of participant knowledge levels, the course moves through an explanation of science, agriculture, and why agriculture evolved to its current state. Participants will learn to understand a plant and its needs. The energy concepts that influence agriculture will be covered. An explanation of the characteristics of a health soil, as well as how a healthy soil can be destroyed are explained. The understanding and utilization of insects, crop disease and weeds as indicators of soil health and ecosystem functioning are explained, as well as ecological methods of control.
    Understanding the various types of fertilizers and how they function in the soil and plant is explained in depth, with a focus on pH, calcium and liming, and other materials. Participants will learn how to use a refractometer for field evaluation of a plant, and receive a thorough explanation of the art and science of foliar feeding. Soil testing by the major methods utilized in non-toxic farming — cation-exchange capacity, LaMotte and via scanner — will be covered.
     Soil and crop field monitoring will be discussed, as well as the roles of compost utilization, cover cropping and tillage. Soil recovery, or repairing damaged soil, will be covered, as well as a practical discussion of the first steps toward starting a biological recovery on your farm. Extra time will be devoted to individual questions, special topics, animal health nutrition, and marketing what you produce.

About the presenters
     In 1971, Dr. Phil Wheeler started his own organic farming operation near Vestaburg, Michigan while working for Michigan Tech University. He and his wife Louisa raised their children while tending goats, collecting eggs, raising organic beef, pork and lamb for direct marketing and unloading truckloads of natural fertilizers. He also worked with other organic farm input supply companies.
     In the mid-80s Phil and Ron Ward became partners in TransNational AGronomy, a fertilizer and technology company that operated for a decade. During that time they wrote The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook. Ron comes with a varied educational and work background, having previously worked in the counseling of troubled youths and in sales management, recently rejoining Phil in his firm Crop Services International (CSI).
     CSI is a leader in technology, testing and providing natural inputs such as mined phosphates, sulfate of potash, gypsum as well as fish, seaweed, and a wide variety of biological and other products to increase soil, plant and animal life. Its mission is to provide the most advanced soil testing, technology and products to enable farmers and growers — of all sizes and types — to improve the health of their soils, crops and animals.
     As growers follow their guidance to mineralize, bio-activate and balance their soils they will gradually see their crops become cleaner [less toxic contamination] and more nutrient dense. Nutrient dense means that crops more completely approach their genetic potential and maximize the amount of minerals, phytonutrients, vitamins, omega 3 (and other) oils, amino acids, enzymes, sugars etc. necessary for animal and human nutrition. When livestock and humans are provided with clean, high quality nutrition they are able to express their genetic potential to the fullest.

Intensive pre-conference courses by pre-registration only; space limited.

• Register for this course online or call 1-800-355-5313.
• Order Phil and Ron's book, The Non-Toxic Farming Handbook.
• Audio presentations by Phil Wheeler and Ron Ward.

Eco-Ag University — Acres U.S.A. Pre-Conference Advanced Learning
Keynotes of Animal Health
A Whole-Farm Approach to Achieving Health, Productivity and Nutritional Quality
Jerry Brunetti

8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday & Wednesday, December 2 & 3, 2008
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at Union Station, St. Louis, Missouri
Cost: $300/person

     The lesson that "grass is best" is now almost cliche at organic/sustainable farming conferences. The next level of knowledge stems not from the benefits of rotation, but what constitutes the best grass. Food is vastly complex.  Jerry Brunetti's discussion will move beyond the simplistic measures of crude protein, rate of gain, feed conversion, etc. He will look at feedstuffs from the perspective of supplied amino acids, fatty acids, essential sugars, phyto-alexins, pigments, fat- and water-soluble vitamins and more. Essential feed materials actually transcends species: your livestock benefits, you as the farmer benefit, and your customers benefit.
     Whether dairy or beef, pigs or small ruminants, a healthy herd begins with such keystone concepts as biodiversity on the farm, acid/alkali balance in feedstuffs, nutrient-dense forages, and more. Eco-consultant and livestock feed specialist Jerry Brunetti details the keynotes, or key management issues, essential for a successful livestock operation. Learn why mineral-rich foods are the best medicine. Understand why true livestock health lies in soil ecology and a foundation based on sound soil science. Learn what kinds of recipes — consisting of plants, minerals, vitamins, phyto-ceuticals, nutri-ceuticals and essential oils — can be incorporated into a therapeutic arsenal of livestock remedies to both prevent and treat animal ailments.
     Come away from these packed two days of instruction and Q & A with an infinitely deeper understanding of feeding animals and the source of their true health. A popular speaker at eco-farming events around the world, Brunetti explains the laws of nature in terms farmers can embrace and doles out specific steps you can utilize on your farm right away. The seminar will have a heavy emphasis on ruminants, but the principles and lessons will also cover pigs, poultry, horses and companion animals.
     

About Jerry Brunetti
     Jerry Brunetti is managing director of Agri-Dynamics, a 29-year-old firm that specializes in the formulation and production of health products for farm livestock, equine, pets and humans. An animal science major at North Carolina State University, he also owned a cow-calf operation in West Virginia and was a milk marketing manager for the NFO. He consults on wide-ranging topics and contends there are curiously similar dynamics at work through nature and across breeds. He works with such materials as seaweeds, herbs, enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, chelated minerals, “rare-earth” minerals and more.
     His human healing methods are the subject of the video Cancer, Nutrition & Healing, and he is a frequent contributor to Acres U.S.A.

Intensive pre-conference courses by pre-registration only; space limited.

• Register for this course online or call 1-800-355-5313.
• To learn more about Jerry Brunetti's philosophy of livestock care, read a few of his Acres U.S.A. articles, available online.
• Order Jerry's videos Keys to Heard Health and Holistic Veternary Care (with Dr. Hue Karreman).
• Preview Jerry's Brunetti's amazing talks through archived recordings from previous Acres U.S.A. conferences.
• Learn more about Jerry Brunetti and his company, Agri-Dynamics, on the web.

     "Real medicine and real health begin in the soil" is not just a metaphor. Nutrition determines the state of health and well-being of both humans and animals, and that nutrition comes via food from the soil. Dr. Andersen will discuss current trends in human health, the medical system, trends in new illnesses and old illnesses, and then discuss medical and non-medical therapy options available. He will talk about aging and natural hormone replacement, about IV therapies, childhood problems, autism and more. Dr. Andersen will cover the human health consequences of food both good and bad, GMO issues, the problems behind the recent salmonella and E. coli outbreaks. Finally, he will talk about food quality and how to find, select and evaluate food, prepare it for your family's optimal health.
     In this all-day seminar, respected agricultural consultant, teacher, author and physician Dr. Arden Andersen shares his lifetime of study and experience in healing via food and medicine.

About Dr. Arden Andersen
     Dr. Arden Andersen, schooled as both an agronomist and a medical doctor, is one of the world’s top consultants on advanced soil and crop management using Reams-method agronomy, radionics and more. Dr. Andersen consults with farmers, gardeners and fertilizer companies on biological agricultural practices. He specializes in nutritional management and advises people in “building biology” for optimizing the energy environment of buildings, homes and livestock facilities. He teaches classes including agricultural radionics stressing operator competence and biological understanding and problem solving in soil and crop management.
     Dr. Andersen brings a unique background to the study and practice of soil management. He grew up on a dairy farm in Michigan, apprenticed with Dr. Carey Reams, worked as a research assistant with Dan Skow, D.V.M., and as a field researcher with Philip Callahan, Ph.D. In addition to his B.S. in agricultural education, he holds a Ph.D. in biophysics and a D.O. from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific.
     Dr. Andersen is the author of numerous books, including: Science in Agriculture; Real Medicine, Real Health; The Anatomy of Life & Energy in Agriculture; and others. In addition to consulting, he works in general preventative and nutritional medicine in California.

Intensive pre-conference courses by pre-registration only; space limited.

• Register for this course online or call 1-800-355-5313.
• To learn more about Arden Andersen, read the interview "Let Food be Your Medicine" in the June 2006 issue of Acres U.S.A., available online.
• Preview Arden Andersen's spellbinding talks through archived recordings from previous Acres U.S.A. conferences.
• Purchase Arden's books, Real Medicine, Real Health, Science in Agriculture, or The Anatomy of Life and Energy in Agriculture.

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