Agendas
Learn From the Experts
Every year, we set a new standard for innovative and practical learning in modern and regenerative agriculture. Learn from top-notch speakers about tactics that build soil biology, balance chemistry, improve structure and integrate biodiversity like livestock, companion crops and cover crops.
This schedule will continue to be updated for the 2024 event – sign up for our email newsletter to get informed of program updates as they happen!
Eco-Ag U Workshops | Dec 2-3, 2024
Each all-day Eco-Ag U workshop is chock full of opportunities to learn from expert instructors, ask your specific, burning questions and connect with others traveling down similar paths as you in smaller group discussion and networking times.
All workshops take place on December 2 and 3 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will include refreshment breaks and an opening reception on Monday evening, December 2. Refreshments and beverages will be provided throughout the day.
For full Eco-Ag U Workshop descriptions, visit the Eco-Ag U Workshop webpage here.
Keep an eye on this page for updates, or sign up for our newsletter to receive event news in your inbox!
Lunchtime will be your opportunity to get outside the venue on your own and visit a local Wisconsin establishment. Eco-Ag U workshops and presenters can be found below as they become confirmed.
Ecosystem Restoration Through Soil Regeneration
Understanding Ag LLC: Gabe Brown, Allen Williams, Chuck Schembre, Brian Dougherty, & Luke Jones
Monday, December 2 & Tuesday, December 3
Unlocking the Potential of Regenerative Agriculture
John Kempf
Monday, December 2
Building Permaculture Operations
Mark Shepard
Tuesday, December 3
Bio-Intensive No-Till Vegetable Production
Jesse Frost
Tuesday, December 5
Day 1 | Monday, December 2, 2024
Workshop Day
*Attendance of all-day Eco-Ag U workshops require “1 or 2-Day Eco-Ag U + Conference” registration.*
- Workshop 1: Ecosystem Restoration Through Soil Regeneration with Understand Ag
- Workshop 2: Unlocking the Potential of Regenerative Agriculture with John Kempf
- Eco-Ag U Registration Opens: 7:30am
- Eco-Ag U Workshops: 8:30am - 4pm
- Eco-Ag U Mixer: 4:30-6pm
- Tradeshow and Bookstore Open: 4:30-6pm
4:15 – 6 p.m.
Eco Ag U Mixer
Riverview Ballroom 1, Cincinnati Marriott RiverCenter, Lobby Level
Sponsored by: Simple Soil Solutions
For full Eco-Ag U Workshop descriptions, visit the Eco-Ag U Workshop webpage here.
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Introductory Level sessions
On-Farm Water Management - Mark Shepard
Grand Ballroom C
Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture and Water for Any Farm, will lead a lively discussion about how to manage water — whether you have too much or too little. Learn how to make a change that will positively impact generations to come. Learn techniques around how to channel water through high-fertility areas, store water through smart land management, or drain water properly without losing valuable topsoil. You will walk away with specific tactics you can employ immediately to store or drain water from your land.
Foundations of Soil Biology - Dennis Warnecke & Steve Becker
Grand Ballroom D/E
As Tainio Biologicals founder Bruce Tainio used to say, “Soil microorganisms are the key link between mineral resources and plant growth.” As scientific methods have evolved, this linkage has become more and more evident. A plant relies heavily on its microbiome for: proper function, growth, health, and production. Without these microscopic “friends” plant life (as well as all other life on Earth) would look very different and many ecological systems would collapse. During this session, Dennis and Steve will take an in-depth look at the relationship between soil biology and plant health, and explore ways to use this key component for crop success.
3 p.m. – 5 p.m
Introductory Level sessions
Wake Up Your Soil With Weeds - Vail Dixon
Grand Ballroom C
When weed seeds germinate, it’s a signal that the conditions are right for soil biology to prioritize that plant in the ecosystem. Understanding why weeds are there and how they work to transform soil helps us design the most efficient and effective way to work with them to change the soil and growing system. The fun begins when we can finally stop fighting them and create what we want. This session goes deep into real world case studies to give you ideas of what works in grazing, cropping and vegetable systems, and what doesn’t.
Growing Top-Shelf Food for Chefs - Marty Travis and a Cincinnati Chef
Grand Ballroom D/E
Do you want to explore the business of supplying restaurants your farm products? The most important aspect is developing a strong, long lasting friendship with the chef. Come and understand what it takes from the chef side and the farmer side to have a successful farm to chef experience. Marty Travis, farmer and the author of My Farmer, My Customer, and one of his chef colleagues in Cincinnati, will lead the discussion about how to sell into a premium market.
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
ACRES U.S.A. BOOKSTORE OPEN
Event Center 1
Find us on the Trade Show Floor!
5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Book Signing – Marty Travis
Trade Show Floor
Get your books signed by famed farmer Marty Travis, author of My Farmer, My Customer.
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
KEYNOTE: David Montgomery & Anne Biklé
Grand Ballroom C
What Your Food Ate: David and Anne will entertain the audience by sharing information from their latest book.
A grand synthesis of science, history, and visits to farms reveals the connections between soil health and human health. The pathway runs through the bodies of crops, animals, and microbiomes into our own, showing that agriculture can not only feed the world, but nourish it too.
You will walk away motivated and able to connect the dots between human health, soil health, animal health and crop health. As Montgomery says, “It’s a lot of dots to connect, but we’ve done the homework.”
Eco-Ag Conference and Trade Show: Tuesday - Thursday
Workshop Day & Conference Start
Day 2 | Tuesday, December 3, 2024
- Workshop 1: Ecosystem Restoration Through Soil Regeneration with Understand Ag
- Workshop 2: Nutrient Density Unveiled: Bridging Biology and Technology with Dan Kittredge
- Workshop 3: Building Permaculture Operations with Mark Shepard
- Eco-Ag U Registration Opens: 7:30am
- Eco-Ag U: 8:30am - 4pm
- Conference Registration Opens
- Opening Keynote: 4:30-5pm
- Reception on Trade Show Floor: 5-6:30pm
- Trade Show and Bookstore Open: 10am-6:30pm
- Trade Show FREE & Open To The Public: 10am-6:30pm
For full Eco-Ag U Workshop descriptions, visit the Eco-Ag U Workshop page here.
The Trade Show will be FREE and open to the public all day Tuesday. The conference will kick off on Tuesday afternoon.
2:30-3:15 p.m.
Benefits of Biochar in Regenerative Farming
Sponsored by Pyreg
Grand Ballroom B
This session will focus on the extensive benefits of biochar – crop yield increases, decreased water and fertilizer uses, increased microbial growth, and improved soil health. Ancillary (non-soils) benefits include the production of renewable energy and carbon credits.
3:15-4 p.m.
Productive Gardening Made Easy
Sponsored by Weston A. Price Foundation
Grand Ballroom B
We lead such busy lives, that even those
who are producing good food for others,
often don’t have the time to produce for
themselves. Come learn about non-traditional methods Maureen has developed to produce nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits for her own family, with very little time or space.
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
KEYNOTE
Welcome to the Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show
KEYNOTE: Building the Capacity to Steward Our Land - John Kempf
Grand Ballroom C/D/E
John Kempf will enlighten us on how farmers and those that support them can build the capacity to steward our land and what systems and tools are needed to do so.
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
TRADE SHOW OPENS
Event Center 1
Join us for a Welcome Reception on the Trade Show Floor.
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
ACRES U.S.A. BOOKSTORE OPEN
Event Center 1
Find us on the Trade Show Floor!
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from Grassroots Carbon Benefit at 9:40 a.m. and a vendor to be named at 10:05 a.m. on the floor.
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 4
Get your questions answered by Dr. Kris Nichols.
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Soil health
Carbon soil management - Jesse Frost
Grand Ballroom C
Certified organic marketer and host of the No-Till Market Garden Podcast, Jesse Frost will lead this session on managing carbon in soil.
Nutrient density and Human Health
Production methods and nutrient composition - John fagan
Grand Ballroom B
This session will examine the relationship between different production methods (conventional, Albrecht and organic) and the nutritional composition of the crop those systems produce. John Fagan will share unique research that uses a special mass spectrometric analytical methodology can allow you to see the full spectrum of nutrients in the food and measure between 1,200 and 4,000 different nutritional compounds.
Farm Strategies
Cover Cropping – Jimmy Emmons
Grand Ballroom D/E
Oklahoma grower Jimmy Emmons explores how he integrates cover crops in his own 2,000-acre operation near the town of Leedey. Attendees will learn about the economic benefits of cover crops, as well as the benefits to water retention and soil health. Look at real case studies into how his systems manage water, biodiversity and soil health.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
CONSULTING HALL
Meeting Room 4
Get your questions answered by organic no-till farmer Rick Clark.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
FREE TRADE SHOW COFFEE & presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from Hiwassee Products at 11:40 a.m. and a vendor to be named at 12:05 p.m. on the floor.
11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Book signing: Gary Zimmer
Event Center 1
Get your book signed by Gary Zimmer, author of The Biological Farmer and Advancing Biological Farming, right across from the Acres U.S.A. Bookstore.
12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Soil Health
The New Paradigm of Crop Nutrition - DAVID KNAUS
Grand Ballroom C
With rapidly developing innovations in regenerative and organic agriculture, economies, businesses and consumers are either reaping the benefits or falling behind the curve. Join Apical founder and CEO David Knaus on an exploration of the changing modern agronomy industry through the laboratory analysis of plant nutritional stress and agronomic problem solving using regenerative organic inputs. Attendees will learn how to implement simple strategies such as identifying plant nutrient excesses and antagonisms that make a visible impact on crop performance and build long term success.
Nutrient Density & Human Health
Environmental Impact on Health - Dr. Nasha Winters
Grand Ballroom B
It’s no longer a matter of if you have toxicity, rather how much, how bad and what to do about It. This presentation will highlight the top known environmental toxins, their source, how to evaluate for, and how to mitigate them. Dr. Nasha will bring on tangible and actionable ways to get the toxins out of your life and your body.
Farm Strategies
Organic Regenerative with No-Till - Rick Clark
Grand Ballroom D/E
“Change is good,” Rick Clark says, as he talks about how he is able to successfully manage his Indiana farm with a no-till system. You will gain confidence in changing your own systems by learning how Rick approaches planting into cover crops, harvesting, fertilizing, and pest and weed management in his unique, innovative farming system.
2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Book Signing: Dr. Nasha Winters
Event Center 1
Get your books signed by Dr. Nasha Winters, author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer and Mistletoe, on the Trade Show Floor, right across from the Acres U.S.A. Bookstore.
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Soil Health
Building Soil Biology for Climate Resistance - Kris Nichols
Grand Ballroom C
Damaging weather. Hotter, longer dry seasons. Shorter, more intense wet seasons. Sound familiar? Dr. Kris Nichols will lead a session looking at how soil biology can help store water, maintain ground temperature, and provide natural defenses for our fields in a time of rapid climate change. You will be able to connect the dots between the signs of life in your field and the natural defenses they are employing in your ecosystem.
Nutrient Density & Human Health
Care and Feeding of Microbiomes - Anne Biklé
Grand Ballroom B
From crop to cow, the microbiomes found in agricultural systems are as dependent on us for care and feeding as we are on them. Anne Biklé, who will co-lead Tuesday’s keynote talk, will explain how when we integrate their dietary and habitat needs into farming practices, we reap plant and animal foods that nourish our bodies and safeguard our health.
Farm Strategies
Cover Cropping for the Small- to Medium-scale Grower – Jesse Frost
Grand Ballroom D/E
Cover cropping strategies are often discussed in reference to larger scale systems, while small to medium scale producers are left wondering. Jesse Frost will address cover cropping for these operations, explaining the why and how, including when to sow, pairings, and how to terminate it.
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from SQM at 3:40 p.m. and Ward Labs at 4:05 p.m. on the floor.
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 4
Get your questions answered by biological farmer Gary Zimmer.
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
RoundTable Discussions
Grand Ballrooms C & D/E
Join your peers in discussions around common topics.
SOIL HEALTH
Today's Realities of Agriculture – Acres U.S.A. Leadership
Grand Ballroom C
Join the team at Acres U.S.A. for an interactive discussion about the issues that matter most to eco-farmers today. Bring your passion and your questions to this unique opportunity to both engage in peer-learning and inform the Acres U.S.A. team on what you need addressed most in 2023.
NUTRIENT DENSITY & HUMAN HEALTH
Path to Nutrient Density – Dan Kittredge
Grand Ballroom B
Dan Kittredge, founder of The Bionutrient Food Association, will explain the latest progress in his tools for testing nutrient density in our food. Learn about the future of grocery shopping and food selection, as Dan explains how soil management can be directly related to the nutrients in our food and how we make this information mainstream.
FARM STRATEGIES
Kentucky Resources for New Farmers – Organic Association of Kentucky
The Organic Association of Kentucky leads a discussion on the resources that are available in Kentucky for beginner farmers.
8:30 p.m.
Book Signing: Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
Event Center 1
Get your books signed by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, author of In the Shadow of Green Man, on the Trade Show Floor, right across from the Acres U.S.A. Bookstore.
Day 3 | Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Trade Show Open All Day
- Registration: Opens at 7:30am
- Morning Keynote: 8:30am
- Sessions: 8:30am-5pm
- Bookstore: 8am-6:30pm
- Trade Show: 8am-6:30pm
- Reception on Trade Show Floor: 5:15-6:30pm
8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Trade Show & Bookstore OPEN
Event Center 1
Stop by, talk to vendors, shop for books! Breakfast and coffee available for purchase.
8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
KEYNOTE
MORNING KEYNOTE:
Bringing it all together: No-till, cover crops, and livestock - Macauley Kincaid
Grand Ballroom C/D/E
Learn about how Macauley “Mac” Kincaid, Young Regenerative Producer of the Year, transitioned his farm from a struggling, conventional farm to a profitable and diverse 100% no-till farm and grazing operation. Despite his neighbors saying it couldn’t be done, he found a way using soil health principles and gaining an understanding of the role plants, animals, and microbes have in the carbon cycle.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from SQM at 10:10 a.m. and Natural Resources Group at 10:35 a.m. on the Trade Show floor.
10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 1
Get your questions answered by human health expert Dr. Nasha Winters.
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Book Signing: Andre Leu & Megan Neubauer
Event Center 1
Andre Leu, author of Growing Life, Poisoning Our Children, & The Myths of Safe Pesticides, will sign his books on the Trade Show floor, across from the Acres U.S.A. bookstore from 10-10:30 a.m.
Megan Neubauer, author of Pick-Your-Own-Farming, will sign her new book on the Trade Show floor from 10:30-11 a.m.
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Plenary
PLENARY SESSION:
Carbonomics: The Amazing Economy of the Soil - Keith Berns
Grand Ballroom C/D/E
Sometimes the best way to understand a complex system is to compare it to other systems that we already understand. Green Cover Seed co-founder, Keith Berns, does just that in his Carbonomics presentation where he compares the economy of a country to the underground economy of the soil. Learn how principles like supply, demand, currency, capital and infrastructure all apply to the soils under our feet and how a properly functioning soil system is a powerful and robost underground economic system.
12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from Greenacres at 12:35 p.m. and Sym-Agro at 1:00 p.m. on the floor.
12:15 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 1
Get your questions answered by plant biology expert Dr. James White.
12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Book Signing: Nina Galle & Maureen Ash
Event Center 1
Nina Galle, author of Ready Farmer One, will sign her book on the Trade Show floor, across from the Acres U.S.A. bookstore from 12:15-12:45 p.m.
Maureen Ash, author of Holding the Lines, will sign her new book on the Trade Show floor from 12:45-1:15 p.m.
Richard Oltree will be signing Minerals for the Genetic Code on the Trade Show floor from 1:15-1:45 p.m.
1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Soil Health
Farm Green & The Economic Benefits of Regenerative Practices - Rick Clark
Grand Ballroom C
Rick Clark, CEO of Farm Green, will discuss real-world examples and a step-by-step guide to change the way you farm to reduce inputs and put money back in your pocket, including equipment, tools, techniques needed to increase soil health at any scale and the benefits of cover cropping and epigenetics.
Soil Health
Case Study: Unintended Consequences of "Bioengineered Ingredients" - Dr. Don Huber
Grand Ballroom B
This session will show some of the far-reaching unintended disruptive effects of “Bioengineered (Genetically) Engineered” processes encountered in production agriculture.
Research on newly available biological materials to degrade residual glyphosate in soil will be discussed.
Human Health
Friend or Foe: How Noxious Weeds Can Heal - Dr. Nasha Winters
Grand Ballroom D/E
Here we will dive into what may be perceived threats to the field, whereas they are actually very healing to our inner terrain. A few tips and tricks on how to make the most of these invasive species, turning them from enemy to friend.
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from American BioChar at 3:10 p.m. and SoilBeat at 3:35 p.m. on the floor.
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 1
Get your questions answered by cover crop and carbonomics expert Keith Berns.
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Book Signing: Dr. Don Huber & Dr. Nasha Winters
Event Center 1
Dr. Don Huber, author of Mineral Nutrition & Plant Disease, will sign his book on the Trade Show floor, across from the Acres U.S.A. bookstore from 3-3:30 p.m.
Dr. Nasha Winters, author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer, will sign her book on the Trade Show floor from 3:30-4 p.m.
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Soil Health
Do Not Underestimate the Impact of Restoring the Health & Diversity of Your Soil's Microbiome! - Dr. David Johnson & Hui-Chun Su Johnson
Grand Ballroom C
David C Johnson, PhD, and his wife, Hui-Chun Su Johnson, are the co-creators of the Johnson/Su Compost BioReactor.
Dr. Johnson has opened a new window for viewing the interdependence between plants and soil microbes as a system. Hear Dr. Johnson discuss how he developed the BEAM process, Biologically Enhanced Agricultural Management. David and his wife, Hui-Chun Su Johnson, will also talk about
the construction, filling, and management of the
Johnson-Su static pile.
Optimization of these plant-microbe associations promotes:
- Restoration of soil fertility
- Improved growth of crops
- Increased Plant-Water-Use Efficiency and Soil’s Water Holding Capacity
- Increased Soil Microbial-Carbon-Use Efficiencies and Soil Carbon Storage Capabilities.
These benefits provide a path with appropriate practices to significantly increase farm and ranch productivity and profitability due to better plant, soil, and ecosystem health. Rebuilding a healthy living soil, soil’s microbial community population, structure, diversity and biological functionality, will also provide a robust and practical mechanism to reduce atmospheric CO2 within a regenerative agricultural system.
Soil Health
Applied Microscopy for the Grower: Seeing What's Up Under Your Toes - Dr. James White, John Duke & Ruben Parrilla
Grand Ballroom B
Microscopes and imaging equipment have become much more accessible for the grower. As the role of microbiology in the soil continues to be of great significance, microscopes will soon be the most important tool on the farm. In this session we will show you how you can visually assess the microbiology of your soil, compost, biological inputs, and the Rhizophagy Cycle.
Management Strategies
Management Strategies to Improve Productivity & Profitability - Lydia Dresbach & Megan Neubauer
Grand Ballroom D/E
Stacked enterprises, direct marketing, agritourism, U-pick, field trips. These two farmers are part of successful multi-generation farms. Learn how you can increase ROI and profit from your own operations, while introducing communities to agriculture and where their food comes from.
5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Tradeshow Reception
Event Center 1
Added this year! Join us for another Reception on the Trade Show Floor.
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Film Screening: Common Ground
Grand Ballroom C/D/E
From the filmmakers of ‘Kiss the Ground’ (Netflix) comes the follow-up documentary ‘Common Ground’, winner of the Tribeca Film Festival. Common Ground is an important new documentary film featuring Woody Harrelson, Mark Hyman, Ray Archuleta, Jonathan Lundgren, Gabe Brown, Rick Clark, Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, Rosario Dawson, and many others. Directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell, Common Ground provides hope for future generations with concrete ways to fix a broken planetary system. The film explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, our health and the planet.
Day 4 | Thursday, December 5, 2024
Trade Show Open All Day
- Registration: Opens at 7:30am
- Sessions: 8:30am-5pm
- Bookstore: 8am-6:30pm
- Trade Show: 8am-6:30pm
- Closing Keynote: 5:15-6:30pm
8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Trade Show & Bookstore OPEN
Event Center 1
Stop by, talk to vendors, shop for books! Breakfast and coffee available for purchase.
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Soil Health
The Hidden Helpers: Microbial Modes of Action in Organic Crop Production - John Wong & Stephen Lapp
Grand Ballroom C
John Wong presents the three modes of action that microbes employ to assist crop health and yield: biofertilization, hormone production, and enzyme production. Using published science mixed with common sense, organic farmers can utilize microbes to optimize crop yields and boost net profits. Timing is critical. Wong will define the proper times to apply microbial inputs. Stephen Lapp, Ohio farmer, will cover practical applications during the growing season. They will both round the session out with a cost/benefit analysis of microbial input.
Management Strategies
Farm Runoff Management for Climate Survival - Mark Shepard
Grand Ballroom B
Whether you live in arid New Mexico or the Maritime Acadian rainforests, precipitation happens! Don’t take this essential resource for granted!
This workshop will provide the attendee with a basic understanding of how to capture, spread & store rainfall and runoff. Don’t just drain it away! You will need it later!
In this workshop we will cover the basic terminology and uses for: terraces, swales & berms, Water and Sediment Control Basins (WASCOBs), Pocket ponds, Ponds for livestock and irrigation, siphon pipes & hydrants, and how to arrange them across the landscape for drought and flood-proofing. When it rains, KEEP IT ALL! Use it later when needed!
Animal Agriculture
Radically Traditional Farming, One Family, One Farm, Six Generations – Will Harris
Grand Ballroom D/E
Will Harris will take you on his 30-year journey to a different way of producing food.
White Oak Pastures is a six generation, 152-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia. Starting in 1995, they transitioned away from industrial agriculture techniques and began operating their farm as a living ecosystem. They now raise 10 species of humanely treated animals living in symbiotic relationships with each other. Their lands are holistically managed to become increasingly a living organic medium that is teeming with life. They take pride in farming practices that focus on regenerative land management, humane animal husbandry, and revitalizing their rural community. They know radically traditional farming creates products that are better for the land, their livestock and their village. They are fiercely proud of their zero- waste production system that utilizes each part of the animals they pasture-raise and hand-butcher on their farm.
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from Financial Wealth Solutions at 9:40 a.m. on the floor.
9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 1
Get your questions answered by soil microbiome experts Dr. David Johnson & Hui-Chun Su Johnson.
9:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
Book Signing: Will Harris & Mark Shepard
Event Center 1
Will Harris, author of A Bold Return to Giving a Damn, will sign his new book on the Trade Show floor, across from the Acres USA bookstore from 9:30-10 a.m.
Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture and Water for Any Farm, will sign his books on the Trade Show floor from 10-10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Soil Health
Innovative Cover Cropping Strategies - Keith Berns
Grand Ballroom C
If you have wanted to plant cover crops but have “run out of time” because of fall harvested crops like corn and soybeans, then this session is for you! Join Green Cover Seed’s Keith Berns as he shares many of the innovative cover cropping strategies he has observed with the thousands of cover crop seed customers he has worked with over the years. Cover crops can and will work in a corn/soybean rotation, so come and learn how.
Soil Health
Using Compost in Market-Scale Production: Risks, Rewards, and the Four Types of Compost - Jesse Frost
Grand Ballroom B
Not all compost is created equal. In this session, farmer Jesse Frost breaks down proper compost usage, how to acquire compost, what the four different types are, and how to avoid the current contamination issues prevalent in commercial compost.
Animal Agriculture
Building a Regenerative Poultry Industry Sector – Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
with Dr. Beth Fisher
Grand Ballroom D/E
Reginaldo will walk the audience through the process for building system-level regional infrastructure, farm-level strategies for transitioning land and building farm operations designed for regional aggregation, and provide a quick dive into the production process, finances, and operations management. This is a mindset training aimed at setting the participant on a path for building farming operations with regional scale in mind.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from Tainio Biologicals at 11:40 a.m. and Pyreg at 12:05 p.m. on the floor.
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 1
Get your questions answered by livestock expert Will Harris.
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Book Signing: Jesse Frost & Reginaldo Harlett-Marroquin
Event Center 1
Jesse Frost, author of The Living Soil Handbook, will sign his book on the Trade Show floor, across from the Acres USA bookstore from 11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Reginaldo Harlett-Marroquin, author of In the Shadow of Green Man, will sign his book on the Trade Show floor from 12-12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Soil Health
Measuring Microbes with DNA sequencing to Gain Insights into Your Regenerative Farm System - Dr. Laura Kavanaugh
Grand Ballroom C
Healthy crops depend on a firm foundation of microbial interactions. This session will explain how the emergence of powerful new DNA sequencing technologies can provide low-cost and valuable insights into the microbial universe on your farm. You will learn how you can use this data to understand how your farm management practices impact microbial life and ultimately your crop health.
This session will also explore potential applications of DNA sequencing and what it can tell you about the impact of applications like fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides on microbial life.
Management Strategies
Cropping Systems to Optimize the Space and Time Continuum - Jason Mauck
Grand Ballroom B
We will explore the edges of crop production. How we can empower the intelligence of life to capture more light, infiltrate more water, and add to our bottom line.
Farm Business
Regenerating Agriculture: Paying Farmers and Ranchers for Best Practice Ecosystem Services to Improve Productivity, Resilience and Profitability – Andre Leu
Grand Ballroom D/E
Regeneration International has started a new project that uses market premiums and ESG funds to pay farmers for various ecosystem services, such as increasing soil carbon and biodiversity. Two pilot projects have begun in the USA and Mexico. We see this as an incentive to increase the number of regenerative and organic farmers and ranchers. The presentation will show the range of production benefits through maximizing photosynthesis to feed the soil microbiome, such as higher soil fertility, resistance to pests and diseases, increased water capture and retention, resilience to adverse weather events (heavy rains and droughts), higher yields of quality produce and higher incomes.
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Free Trade Show Coffee & Presentations
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it!
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
KEYNOTE
Closing Keynote:
Lessons from a Lifetime of Biological Farming - Gary Zimmer
Grand Ballroom C/D/E
Gary Zimmer, “father” of biological agriculture, will guide you through the lessons he has learned throughout his 50+ years of biological farming. As Burke Teichert once said, “if you’ve been farming the same way for 10 years, you’ve had one year of experience 10 times.” Throughout Gary’s lifetime of biological farming, he has continued to learn and is always experimenting with new things: new types of crops, acroecology, perennial crops, or just the best use of the land for the current climate and soil conditions. Learn from a seasoned and successful farmer and consultant why there’s a lot more to soils than just the numbers on the soil report and how you can use this information to elevate your operation into a profitable and healthy operation.
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
CLOSING PANEL
Moving Regen Ag Forward with the Next Generation
Moderated by Will Harris
Panelists: Macauley Kincaid, Jason Mauck, & Lydia Dresbach
Grand Ballroom C/D/E
How do we take the lessons learned in agriculture and move regenerative agriculture forward with the next generation?
U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers are growing older. The average age of U.S. farm producers is 57.5 years old and this age has been increasing over the years. Our nation is going to become reliant on younger producers to take the reins.
There are big shoes to fill.
Our panelists are lighting the way.
Will Harris of White Oak Pastures, with his success in building a fruitful and sustainable legacy to pass on for generations to come, will moderate this session.
Lydia Dresbach of Dresbach Farms is part of three generations of her family farming together in Southern Ohio. Using regenerative has become a focus of their farm in stewarding the land to the best of their ability.
Mac Kincaid, Young Regenerative Producer of the Year, despite his young age, is already a success story, transitioning his farm to 100% zero-tilled, 100% cover cropped, and livestock-integrated operation of almost 1,000 acres.
Indiana Farmer, Jason Mauck, is blazing a new path using cash and cover crops in unison. Jason works 3,000 acres and holds the Indiana state record for the highest yield per acre of soybeans. He looks at agriculture through a different lens with the next generation in mind.
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Plant Nutrition & Crop Protection
Managing Plant Nutrition - John Kempf
Grand Ballroom C
Eco-Ag thought-leader John Kempf leads a lively and insightful session on the strategies to regeneratively manage plant nutrition.The founder of AEA and executive editor of Acres U.S.A. will walk you through why and how foliar sprays can stimulate nutrient cycling and soil life.
Animal Agriculture
Regenerative Poultry Production - Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
Grand Ballroom B
Scaling up your chicken operation to become a commercial operation can be difficult. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin’s system of integrating poultry into your crop and pasture operation is spreading around the world because it helps farmers see clear, humane paths forward, and how to reach the larger markets. He brings an indigenous-based approach to putting poultry back into its natural environment and to the business development process for aggregating and scaling the collective impact of small farms for a new and regenerative industry.
Farm Business
Balancing Farm Finances - Paul Dorrance
Grand Ballroom D/E
Farming is time consuming enough as it is, who wants to pay attention to balance sheets, income and expense charts, or enterprise profitability? The answer to that question should be “everyone,” but too many times farmers concentrate on operational considerations at the expense of their financial bottom line. Learn how to treat your agricultural enterprise as a business, ensuring a better balance between the financial and operational aspects of farming.
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
FREE TRADE SHOW COFFEE & PRESENTATIONS
Event Center 1
Fuel up and meet some vendors while you’re at it! Also, enjoy presentations from Holganix at 12:10 p.m. and a vendor to be named at 12:35 p.m. on the floor.
12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Book signing: Paul Dorrance
Event Center 1
Paul Dorrance, author of Farming Without Losing Your Hat, will sign his book, published in 2022 by Acres U.S.A. Find him across from the Acres U.S.A. bookstore.
12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Consulting Hall
Meeting Room 4
Get your questions answered by Dr. James White.
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Plant Nutrition & Crop Protection
Managing ecosystems for insect control - Jonathan Lundgren
Grand Ballroom C
The focus of agroecologist Jonathan Lundgren’s work is assessing the ecological risk of pest management strategies and developing long-term solutions for regenerative food systems. In this session he will address how you can manage your farm ecosystem to manage pest risk.
Animal Agriculture
Organic Hog production - Rick Carr and Sara Major
Grand Ballroom B
Most pigs raised in the United States are housed in commercial confinement operations with poor conditions that restrict innate behaviors that are associated with chronic stress. Animal welfare is improved when pigs are given outdoor access, but raising pigs outdoors presents additional obstacles. In this workshop, Rodale Institute employees will give an overview of the benefits and challenges of pastured pork production.
Farm Business
Capital Resources to Fund Regen Farmers… and the Systems Around Them – Angela Blatt & Sarah Day Levesque
Grand Ballroom D/E
Investment in food and agriculture-related businesses is essential to increase capacity in local food economies. While there is a tremendous amount of capital flowing to agriculture, historically the proportion supporting regenerative farming has been limited. Events during the past few years, and 2022 in particular, have shown a small but noticeable increase in local food systems investments. This session will explore the types of public and private capital that can support regenerative farmers and provide case studies that show how capital has been utilized to expand their efforts within the food system.
2:15 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Book signing: TBD
Event Center 1
Get your books autographed by your favorite Eco-Ag authors.
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Plant Nutrition & Crop Protection
Managing Plant Disease - Don Huber
Grand Ballroom C
Plant diseases are a major limitation to improved production efficiency and crop quality as they reduce nutrient availability, uptake, distribution, or utilization by the plant. Disease symptoms frequently reflect the altered nutritional status of the plant, but it’s not always easy to determine what to do once this fact is discovered. Dr. Don Huber updates his classic talk with the latest information about managing plant disease without using harmful chemicals. Dr. Huber’s research has been critical to connect human health and soil health; if you have not been to a Dr. Huber talk, you have missed out on something special.
Animal Agriculture
Managing Predators with Livestock Guardian animals - Paul dorrance
Grand Ballroom B
Integrating your farm with some sort of livestock is almost always the right answer, but isn’t as easy as simply buying animals and putting them on the land. Enter the heroes of the hour: Livestock Guardian Animals. Learn about different options for guardian animals and their unique behaviors, as well as required adaptions for successful integration, using specific examples from one farmer’s journey.
Farm Business
OPEN
Grand Ballroom D/E
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Keynote: Farmer Panel – Vail Dixon, Jimmy Emmons, Jonathan Lundgren and Gary Zimmer
Grand Ballroom C
Listen, engage, and learn as leaders in the transition to an ecological agriculture system explore the shifts that need to happen to make lasting impacts on your farm and across the agriculture sector.
Speakers
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Speakers Include:
GABE BROWN
GARY ZIMMER
ALLEN WILLIAMS
DAN KITTREDGE
LUKE JONES
MEGAN NEUBAUER
DR. NASHA WINTERS
BRIAN DOUGHERTY
MARK SHEPARD
DEREK SCHMITZ
STEFANIE JAEGER
