San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit
Posted March 4, 2014 at 5:08 am by Tim Dustrude
It’s March 7 & 8, 2014, on Orcas Island
The 2014 San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit will offer a two-day program packed with information and inspiration, including a stellar line-up of keynote speakers and session leaders.
March 7, Hands-On Friday – will include three workshops, 1:30-5:00 p.m., covering biochar production, farm-to-school programs, and farmstead butchering.
March 8, Summit Saturday – features over 20 break-out sessions, a delicious local lunch cooked by chef Christina Orchid, a panel discussion with local San Juan County elected officials, a seed swap, and more. Follow the link below for the detailed schedule.
Keynote speaker Steve Jones, grain breeder and director of the WSU NW Research and Extension Center, Mt. Vernon, will inspire and challenge us with examples of successful innovation on small farms and in local food systems in the NW.
Keynote speaker David Montgomery, University of Washington geologist and author of Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations, will explain the perfect parallel between the rise and fall of ancient civilizations and the state of their soils, bringing the message home and challenging all of us to restore our farmland soils.
Participating organizations include Organic Seed Alliance (OSA); Washington State University (WSU) NW Research and Extension Center; NW Agriculture Business Center (NABC); and the WA State Small Farms Team.
The summit will take place at the Orcas Island School, 715 School Rd., Eastsound, Washington. Scholarships and affordable accommodations are available. To find out more about the schedule go to www.sjcarc.org/summit. For accommodations contact Candace Jagel at (360) 370-7664 or [email protected]. To register, go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/560288.
We hope you’ll join us on Orcas Island, March 7 & 8!
More information about specific events:
Join fellow farmers and gardeners at San Juan County’s Agriculture Summit on Friday, March 7th to learn all about Biochar. This Hands on Friday workshop offers an interactive, educational, and highly stimulating presentation/workshop about what biochar is (and is not) along with details about how and why biochar can help you achieve your growing goals. Tom Miles and volunteers will explain and demonstrate devices for making biochar on the farm. Learn about the many benefits of soil conditioning with biochar, application techniques and amounts, carbon stability, and other practical advice from Renel Anderson, Biochar Supreme, who produces biochar and uses it to grow commercial flowers and vegetables on her Washington farm. This workshop is free. Register today.
For information about the presenters go to: www.nwbiochar.org
www.biocharsupreme.org
Don’t miss the chance to win half a lamb raised by Jones Family Farms. San Juan County’s Agriculture Summit will be raffling three halves of beautiful Lopez Grassfed Lamb – yep that’s 3 winners! Raffle tickets must be purchased no later than March 5th and can be bought on the Summit’s page Brown Paper Tickets.
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