1. Art and Diseño

Virginia Biological
Farming Conference
Online at:
VABF.org
Contents:
Sponsors…
2
Conference Schedule…
3
Sessions Schedule...
4-5
Session Descriptions…
7-11
Hotel Map…
10
Exhibitors…
Back Cover
THANK your 2015 VBF Conference Sponsors __________________________
Enthusiasts:
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Countryside Organics
Colonial Farm Credit
Virginia FAIRS
Contributors:
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Lancaster Ag
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Relay Foods
Simple Soil Solutions - ABC Beef
Turner: Farm Family Insurance
Virginia Farm Bureau
In-Kind
Lamplighter Roasting Company
Ellwood Thompson’s
Seven Springs Organic
2
______________________________________________________________2015 VBF Conference Overview
Friday, Jan 30, 2015
1
9:00 AM- 12:45 PM
Registration
9:00 AM
Silent Auction Opens
9:00 AM
Exhibits Open
10:00 - 11:30 AM
Friday Morning Sessions
10:00 AM
Youth Program Begins
11:45 AM
Organic Potluck Lunch- Entrees
James River Corridor - 1st
11:45 AM
Organic Potluck Lunch- Desserts
Shenandoah A & B - 2nd
11:45 AM
Seed Swap --Book Signing Table
1st Floor
1:00 PM
James River Foyer - 1st Floor
Chesterfield Room - 1st
1st and 2nd Floors
Details: Page 4
Bon Air Suite -1st
Welcome: Jewel Hairston, Franklin Jackson, William Hale James River Ballroom - 1st
1:15 PM
Keynote: John Ikerd
Sustaining the Sustainable Ag Movement
2:30 PM
Visit Exhibits and Silent Auction
1st and 2nd Floors
Visit Authors' Book Signing Table
James River Foyer -1st
James River Ballroom - 1st
3:00 - 4:30 PM
Friday Afternoon Sessions
Details: Page 4
4:30 PM
Visit Exhibitors, Seed Swap
1st and 2nd Floors
4:30 PM
Book Signing Table , Silent Auction
1st Floor
5:15 PM
Local Biologically Grown Dinner
Thanks for Food, Farmers, & Chefs
James River Ballroom -1st
6:10 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 - 10:30 PM
Rick Felker -VABF
James River Ballroom -1st
Soil Health Video Premiere - Chris Lawrence-NRCS
Growing VABF: Breakouts
Evening Entertainment Jam
Taste of Virginia —Silent Auction
James River Ballroom - 1st
1st floor
Saturday, Jan 31, 2015
Breakfast on your own
8:15 AM
Youth Program continues
Bon Air Suite -1st
8:15 AM
Exhibits, Silent Auction, Seed Swap continue
1st and 2nd Floors
8:15 - 9:45 AM
Saturday “Early” Sessions
9:45 - 10:15 AM
Visit Exhibits, Seed Swap and Silent Auction
Book Signing Table
10:15 - 11:45 AM
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
1:30 - 3:00 PM
3:00 PM
3:30 PM
Details: Page 5
1st and 2nd Floors
James River Foyer -1st
Saturday “Mid-morning” Sessions
Silent Auction Bidding ENDS
High Bidders : Collect your items from 1:30-3:30
Local Biologically Grown LUNCH
Sustainable Ag Policy Update: Mark Schonbeck
VABF Annual Meeting
William Hale, Election, Grow VABF
Saturday “Afternoon” Sessions
Details: Page 5
Youth Program ends - Please pick up your child!
Conference Ends, Exhibits Close
Please leave us your evaluations and nametags
Bon Air Suite
Chesterfield Room - 1st
James River Ballroom -1st
James River Ballroom - 1st
Details: Page 6
Travel safely!
3
Schedule of Concurrent Sessions __________________________________________________________________
2013 Conference Schedule
FRIDAY Morning Sessions 10:00 - 11:30 AM
Title
Are you losing money with every carrot bunch you sell?
Presenters
Ellen Polishuk
Room
James River EF -1st
Orchard Health
Michael Phillips
James River G
Livestock Husbandry on Pasture
Ben Coleman
James River H
Plant Disease Management in Organic Systems
Meg McGrath
Shenandoah C -2nd
Mushroom Opportunities
Mark Jones
FRIDAY Afternoon Sessions 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Title
Bio-Intensive Market Gardening
Beneficial Insects and Farmscaping
Shenandoah D
Presenters
Jean-Martin Fortier
Room
James River EF -1st
Dr. McBug “Richard McDonald” Symbiont Biological Pest James River G
Company, Sugar Grove, NC
Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests
Pam Dawling
Experiences with Multi-Farm Marketing
Old Dominion Hops,
the Farm Bus,
The Livestock Conservancy
Building Fertility and Lowering Operating Costs through
Multi-Species Management
Forrest Pritchard
James River H
Shenandoah C -2nd
Shenandoah D
Mealtimes:
Look at
TABLE TOPIC
signs to find a
conversation
Update your
member
information
or join VABF
at the
registration
desk or
online.
4
________________________________________________________________Schedule of Concurrent Sessions
SATURDAY Early Sessions 8:15 - 9:45 AM
Title
The Color of Food:
Photography & Storytelling from Farmers of Color
From Seed to Seed:
Planning and Planting for a Year-Round Harvest
Livestock Guardian Dogs: Breeds and their use
Expert Grower Roundtable:
Plant Disease Management
43560 Project Update
Presenters
Room
Natasha Bowens
James River EF -1st
Ira Wallace and Cindy Conner
James River G
Renard Turner
James River H
Meg McGrath, Edmund Frost,
Ellen Polishuk
Clif Slade
SATURDAY Mid-Morning Sessions 10:15 - 11:45 AM
Title
Presenters
Farmer's Opportunities with SNAP-EBT
and Healthy Food Incentives
Virginia Markets for Organic
Elizabeth Borst
Michael Judd
Virginia Organic Research Updates
Edmund Frost, Mike Sands,
Dan Gagnon, Laban Rutto
Producing Asian Greens
Pam Dawling
SATURDAY Afternoon Sessions 1:30 - 3:00 PM
Title
FSMA Readiness for Small-Mid Size Farms:
A Proactive and Practical Approach in Virginia
Home Orchard Care
Sustainable Urban Agriculture: The Future of Food
Integrated Poultry-Compost Enterprise
Shenandoah D
Room
James River EF -1st
Fairfax County Farmers Markets,
James River G
Lumi Juice; Relay Foods
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist
Hands-on Irrigation
Shenandoah C -2nd
Presenters
James River H
Shenandoah C -2nd
Shenandoah D
Room
Jon Davidson Berry Hill Irrigation,
James River EF -1st
Clif Slade Slade Family Farms
Laura Strawn, Adrianna Vargo,
James River G
and Amber Vallotton
Michael Phillips
James River H
Cashawn Myers,
Tenisio Seanima, Todd Niemeier, Shenandoah C -2nd
A'Lelia Henry, Bashta Abdul
Karl Hammer
Shenandoah D
Thinking:
5
Conference Features__________________________________________________________
SEED SWAP Sponsored by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
Share seeds, enthusiasm and experience. Bring any seeds you have to share whether you’ve saved them or have packet varieties left-over from this year.
Trade seeds with other gardeners and farmers in our bioregion. Everyone takes
home some new varieties and knowledge! The VBFC seed swap is a fun, relaxed
tradition for everyone!
Use the BULLETIN
BOARD to find,
sell ,trade, share:
equipment, work, land,
opportunities….1st floor
Shhhhh…. Silent Auction
in Chesterfield Room
Check out the auction offerings and
bid high - on some things that are
fun and /or useful
Bidding opens Friday at 10:00 am and
continues till 11 on Saturday.
Support VABF and get to know the
businesses that support VABF!
Also in Chesterfield:
VABF MUGS
Designed to fit your hand and cupholder–
Handcrafted in Richmond, VA USA!
All natural, lovely gift! Grow VABF!
Conference Local Food Suppliers
Anna B 's Gluten Free
Dickie Bros Nelson Cty
Ellwood Thompson’s
Hudson Henry, Palmyra,
Hungry Hill, Nelson Cty
L amplighter Coffee
Manakintowne Spec. Growers Powatan VA
Mattawoman Farms
Mission Home, Free Union
Mona Lisa Pasta, Charlottesville
Mtn View,Fairfield, VA
Pink House Farm,Mineral
Polyface Farms
Shady Lane Farm Charlottesville
Sharondale Farms, Sharondale,Va
Shenandoah Growers farm, Harrisonburg
Singing Earth Farm Waynesboro local
Slade Family Farm Surry VA
Twin Oaks Tofu, Louisa,
VA Vinegar Works,Nelson Cty
Walnutwinds Farm Blair VA
kids program info
Youth aged 5-12 years may
be registered for VABF’s program exploring food, fiber,
food science, and crafts in the
Bon Air Suite. Make way for
farmers of the future, when
you see the kids at meals!
Authors’ and their Books at the Book Signing Table (1st floor)
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______________________________________For speaker bios : go to vabf.org Session Descriptions
FRIDAY MORNING
Are you losing money with every carrot bunch you sell? Ellen Polishuk
Mixed vegetable growers are hampered in making pricing and cropping decisions because they don't have a handle on the costs of production. Just because you sell out of a crop doesn't mean it is profitable. Let's explore cost of
production and pricing so that you spend your precious time and resources growing crops that will pay you and
your bills!
Orchard Health Michael Phillips
Our primary role as orchardists is to build system health. Understory management that embraces forest edge ecology is critical when it comes to getting a leg up on fruit tree diseases. Equally telling is the nutrient density—and
flavor!—of the apples we then harvest for our families and communities. Come learn about fungal allies, root relationships, fertility considerations, and the biodiversity that makes good fruit possible no matter what your level of
experience.
Livestock Husbandry on Pasture Ben Coleman
I hope to convey a message of hope for all land managers on every scale. It has taken us 25 years to learn how to
manage livestock on pasture that heals the land, heals the animals, and heals the community. Still, we are humbled daily by Nature. I will share old wisdom and personal experiences of animal husbandry techniques that give
animals the chance to reach their full genetic potentials. Following Nature gives all the answers for happy, healthy
animals and guess what...it is FREE!
Plant Disease Management in Organic Systems Meg McGrath
Accurately identifying the cause of symptoms is the first step in effectively managing diseases. Understanding the
pathogen’s life cycle is important because knowledge of its biology dictates what cultural management practices to
use. Some pathogens can be in or on seed. Crop rotation is an important management practice for pathogens
that can survive at most a few years in soil and when any other sources of the pathogen can also be managed. Some pathogens can be dispersed long distances by wind. Forecasting programs help identify when some
diseases become a concern. The host range of pathogens can be very narrow (only one crop), small but diverse
(unrelated plants), or huge (hundreds of plants). Pathogens change, resulting in decline in ability of resistant varieties to suppress a disease, increase in occurrence of a disease, and even new diseases.
Mushroom Opportunities Mark Jones Sharondale Mushrooms
Learn about mushroom production techniques and marketing opportunities in Virginia. Sharondale Mushrooms
markets edible mushrooms and mushroom production supplies through a variety of channels.
Welcome from Conference Partners: Sue Ellen Johnson PhD, an agroecologist, is the new Executive Director of
VABF. Dr. Jewel Hairston, a leader in Family and Consumer Economics, is Dean of VSU’s College of Agriculture.
Dr. Franklin Jackson leads VSU’s Extension team as Associate Dean. William Hale farms organic grains and other
seed crops in Louisa County. He is President of the VABF Board.
Sustaining the Sustainable Agriculture Movement: John Ikerd
Keynote. The progress we have made however it is measured over the last 30-40, 20 or 10 years is significant, but
we need to think and work strategically and with integrity for the sustainable agriculture movement to progress and
transform and protect agriculture in Virginia and globally.
www.colonialfarmcredit.com The Experts in Rural Finance
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Session Descriptions
Speaker bios and contact info: go to vabf.org____________________________
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
Bio-Intensive Market Gardening Jean-Martin Fortier
Les Jardins de la Grelinette is a micro-farm located in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, just north of the American
border. Despite growing on 1.5 acres of land, owners Jean-Martin and Maude-Hélène manage to feed more than
200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stands. For more than a decade the market garden
has provided their only household income. Their operation generates close to $140 000 in sales with a profit margin of around 45 %. The secret of their success resides in the low-tech, high-yield methods of production they have
developed by continuously focusing on growing better rather than growing bigger, making their operation more lucrative and viable in the process.
Beneficial Insects and Farmscaping Dr. McBug “Richard McDonald”
Get to the ‘roots’ of your pest problem instead of treating the symptoms! We have a totally different pest spectrum
than we had 10 years ago. Folks are dealing with all kinds of Asian (and some African) pests. What are the natural
enemies that can work with an organic IPM program to hold off these pests until we get their natural enemies approved for release. Know the Top Ten beneficials every organic farmer should have as part of the livestock on their
farm. Using the completion backwards principle, we approach pest problems by first identifying a natural enemy
that attacks each specific life stage of the pest. Create an ideal habitat landscape design for these natural enemies, including their overwintering sites.
Multi-Species Grazing: Forrest Pritchard
Building Fertility and Lowering Operating Costs through Multi-Species Management
Using a grass-based, rotational grazing platform, learn how cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry can be effectively managed into a symbiotic system, as well as the pros and cons of each enterprise. The talk covers a broad overview of
multi-species grazing management, with an emphasis on farm economics, soil building, and direct marketing of
products in Virginia.
Experiences with Multi-Farm Marketing Devon Kistler, Mark Lilly, Jeannette Beranger
Leaders of Old Dominion Hops, the Farm Bus, and The Livestock Conservancy will provide real world examples of
how farmers successfully work together to market farm products. A discussion will follow.
Succession Planting for Continuous Vegetable Harvests Pam Dawling
How to plan sowing dates for continuous supplies of popular summer crops, such as beans, squash, cucumbers,
edamame and sweet corn, as well as year round lettuce. Using these planning strategies can help avoid gluts and
shortages.
FRIDAY EVENIING
Perspectives and Premiere: Rick Felker, Chris Lawrence, Antoinette Goodrich
Certified organic farmer Rick Felker shares his perspectives on VABF as he ends his service on the VABF Board.
Chris Lawrence -NRCS Virginia State Agronomist will moderate a discussion of the video ‘”Proceeding with an
Open Mind”. This joint NRCS-VABF video features Antoinette Goodrich of Laughing Water Farm. This is the first in
a series of “Common Ground” films profiling Virginia farmers managing soil health.
Grow VABF:
Thirty minute meetings looking to engage you more in Virginia’s alternative ag movement.
1. Regional Working Groups: Learn about and get involved forming regional VABF groups for field days.
2. Volunteering your individual talents for VABF Moyers
3. 2016 conference committee sign-up: Sara
Evening Entertainment Jam - Taste of Virginia - Silent Auction– Seed Swap
Relax…stick around or come back downstairs:
Enjoy music (bring your instruments), seed swap., silent auction… Taste Virginia.
Friday evening:
Video premiere! Grow VABF! Seed Swap! Silent Auction!
Taste of Virginia and Entertainment Jam…...
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___________________________Speaker bios and contact info: go to vabf.org Session Descriptions
SATURDAY MORNING
The Color of Food: Photography & Storytelling from Farmers of Color Natasha Bowens
A photographic storytelling with the author of the book The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farming. In this visual and audio presentation, learn from farmers and food activists of color revolutionizing the food system and preserving cultural foodways around the country. Their stories as well as their portraits aim to honor, preserve and amplify the role of communities of color in the food movement while challenging the status quo of agrarian identity. The presentation highlights important issues tied to food and farming such as culture, community,
health, land ownership, race and gender.
From Seed to Seed: Planning and Planting for a Year-Round Harvest Ira Wallace and Cindy Conner
If you dream of frost sweetened greens, vine ripened tomatoes, shelves full of home grown delights and year-round
harvests from your garden learn how from master gardener Ira Wallace and Bio-intensive minifarm
teacher Cindy Conner. This session will introduce you to succession planting , cover cropping, variety selection and
many other tools and techniques to help you plan and plant for an abundant harvest for your table and pantry as
well as providing habitat for beneficial insects and saving seeds to plant for the next year.
Livestock Guardian Dogs; Breeds and their use Renard Turner
Vanguard Ranch has raised Turkish Akbash Livestock guardian dogs for over 15 years. We find them to be an excellent deterrent to predators.
Plant Disease Management Expert Grower Roundtable Meg McGrath, Edmund Frost, Ellen Polishuk,
Listen in as advanced growers and a plant pathologist have a conversation about organic approaches to plant disease management
43560 Project Update Clif Slade
This Virginia approach to organic vegetable and flower production generates $1/square foot! Learn about a method
that is working on farms around Virginia and beyond.
Farmer's Opportunities with SNAP-EBT and Healthy Food Incentives Elizabeth Borst
Are you interested in expanding access to all Virginians to fresh healthy food? Have you heard about the new
USDA $100 million Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program to support healthy food incentives? Join us to
learn how Virginia farmers can gain a share of $1.6 billion in SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Incentive Program, formerly Food Stamps) disbursed annually in the Commonwealth, and how accepting SNAP EBT can help
build your market share.
Virginia Markets for Organic Chelsea Roseberry, Jack Turner, Cassy Kelly
Fairfax County Farmers Markets; Lumi Juice; Relay Foods
What is the demand for certified organic or CNG products in Virginia? Hear from three buyers!
Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist Michael Judd
Making permaculture look good is an art. Join author and designer Michael Judd in an exploration of edible/
permaculture landscapes designed and created in the D.C. Metro area. Learn new elements to edible landscaping
that move away from just annual garden beds and into approachable designs that graft together ease of care, aesthetics and ecological function.
Producing Asian Greens Pam Dawling
Detailed information for market and home growers. Many varieties of tasty, nutritious greens grow quickly and bring
fast returns. This session covers production of Asian greens outdoors and in the hoophouse. It includes tips on variety selection of over twenty types of Asian greens; timing of plantings; pest and disease management; fertility;
weed management and harvesting.
Virginia Organic Research Updates Edmund Frost, Mike Sands, Dan Gagnon, Laban Rutto
Summaries on four Virginia projects: 1. Powdery/ downy mildew resistance; 2. Pasture soil health;
3. Tomato grafting 4. Cultivation of stinging nettle
quality assurance will also be discussed.
Sustainable Agriculture Policy update Mark Schonbeck
Whirlwind 15 minutes on Federal sustainable agriculture policies affecting Virginia in 2014 and 2015, leads into
VABF’s annual meeting and election. Lunch and learn!
9
116 South Addison St.
1719 Summit Ave.
Richmond
lamplightercofffee.com
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____________________________Speaker bios and contact info: go to vabf.org Session Descriptions
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
Hands-on Irrigation Jon Davidson, Clif Slade
Get an update on how to design and manage the latest in effective, economical farm irrigation systems for our region.
FSMA Readiness for Small-Mid Size Farms: A Proactive and Practical Approach in Virginia
Laura Strawn, Adrianna Vargo, and Amber Vallotton
Learn about how the Produce Safety Rule may affect your farm, and how Virginia's Fresh Produce Food Safety Team,
and other collaborative projects throughout the state, are gearing up to help farms make this transition successfully. Discover technical resources and training you can access, to both ready your farm for FSMA and improve your
on-farm food safety practices, using a risk-based, preventative approach. A pilot project (with Local Food Hub's 70+
farms) for a scale-appropriate, tiered approach to quality assurance will also be discussed.
Home Orchard Care Michael Phillips
Successfully growing fruit for your family becomes straightforward when you narrow the big picture down to getting the
basics right. Fungal and bacterial disease can be successfully managed with deep nutrition and competitive colonization. Major insect challenges can be resolved safely when you perceive who, what, and when. This overview of complementary sprays backed by biodiversity and soil health will set the stage for successfully growing tree fruit in the MidAtlantic region.
Sustainable Urban Agriculture: The Future of Food? Moderator: John Lewis
Cashawn Myers, Tenisio Seanima, Todd Niemeier, A'Lelia Henry, Bashta Abdul
The conversation of urban agriculture has the farm world ablaze from community gardeners to high tech vertical urban
farms; it seems everywhere we turn the topic of conversation is local food and how it can be produced in cities. What
differentiates urban farming from farming in a rural environment? What is a food desert? What are the social implications and special considerations of urban agriculture? What does this mean for the farmer of the 21st century? what
does it mean for you?
Integrated Poultry Compost Enterprise Karl Hammer
Case study via SKYPE: The VBF conference catapults into the tech era with a big screen live conference session with
Karl Hammer “live from Vermont”. Hammer’s successful compost and poultry operation within city limits is a regenerative, biological ag business success story.
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2015 VBF Conference Exhibitors:
ABC Beef: About Being Conscious Beef
AgrAbility Virginia
Berry Hill Irrigation
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
ChiknEGG Productions
Common Wealth Seed Growers
facebook.com/ConsciousGrassBeef
agrability.ext.vt.edu
berryhilldrip.com
cbf.org
chiknegg.com
commonwealthseeds.com
Countryside Organics
countrysideorganics.com
Cultivating Health
Earth & Sky Solutions
cultivatinghealth.org
waycooltools.com
Farm Credit
colonialfarmcredit.com
Homeplace Earth LLC
Inocucor Technologies Inc.
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
homeplaceearth.com
inocucor.com
reynolds.edu
Johnny's Select Seeds
Lancaster Ag
johnnysseeds.com
lancasterag.com
Lar-Lyn Farms
lar-lynfarms.com
Lickinghole Creek Brewery
lickingholecreek.com
Natural Resources Conservation Service
PA Country Equipment
Piedmont Environmental Council
Purple Mountain Organics
Quality Certification Services
va.nrcs.usda.gov
pacountryequipment..com
pecva.org
purplemountainorganics.com
qcsinfo.org
Relay Foods
relayfoods.com
7 Springs Farm Organic
Farming and Gardening Supplies
Sharondale Farms
[email protected]
sharondalefarm.com
Simple Soil Solutions
simplesoilsolutions.com
Sneed's Nursery & Garden Center
sneedsnursery.com
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
southernexposure.com
Turner Insurance- Farm Family Insurance
USDA Farm Service Agency
USDA/NASS/VA FO
Va Ag Tech/Agri-Seed
Va Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition
[email protected]
fsa.usda.gov
nass.usda.gov
[email protected]
vabeginningfarmer.org
Virginia FAIRS
vafairs.com
Virginia Department of Agriculture
vdacs.virginia.gov
Virginia Farm Bureau
virginiafarmbureau.com
Zimmerman's High Tunnels
zimmermanshightunnels.com
THANK YOU:
Please give your VBF Conference Partners Feedback:
Hand-in your evaluation OR evaluate online:: vabf.org
Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, veteran status,
national origin, disability, or political affiliation. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of
Cooperative Extension work, Virginia State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Dr. Jewel Hairston, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State University ,
Petersburg; Dr. Ed Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg.
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