In the new book Inflamed, renowned political economist and New York Times bestselling author Raj Patel teams up with physician Rupa Marya to offer a radical new cure: the deep medicine of decolonization. Decolonizing heals what has been divided, reestablishing our relationships with the Earth and one another. Combining the latest scientific research on globalization with Marya’s stories of her work in marginalized communities and the wisdom of Indigenous groups, Inflamed points the way toward a deep medicine that has the potential to heal not only our bodies, but the...Read more
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Health care systems can be lucrative markets for small and mid-sized farmers and ranchers looking to earn a fair price for their healthful products. Hear how hospitals in California are buying locally-produced and organic foods, featuring the ins and outs of the relationship between a California regenerative grass fed beef rancher and UC Davis Medical Center. Join the speakers for a live Q&A following the presentation. This is the first installment of EcoFarm’s three-part webinar series on farm to institution. Tuesday, August 3 12 - 1:30pm PT Presenters: Chef...Read more
Join us for a welcoming from Nikiko Masumoto (she/her/hers) of Masumoto Family Farm, and storytelling and conversation with Nikola Alexandre of Shelterwood Collective (he/him/they/theirs) and Dede Boies (she/her/they/theirs) of Root Down Farm. Our moderator Rebecca North will guide us through a conversation about the challenges and opportunities for accessing land and resources, the assumptions of what farming is, and the creative ways that marginalized folx have found to connect with and tend the rest of nature. This webinar is intended for LGBTTQAI+ and allies as we...Read more
We welcome workshop and speaker proposals to be considered for the 42nd EcoFarm Conference, January 19-22, 2022. Proposals are due Thursday, June 17, 2021. Proposal guidelines The educational content that EcoFarm Conference presents is crowdsourced – generated by the community. That means that whether you're a farmer, rancher, distributor, retailer, consumer, industry rep, consultant, activist, student, educator, or simply a lover of food and farms, we want to hear from you! Approximately half of our conference workshops are dedicated to technical farming or ranching...Read more
About Ecological Farming Association (EcoFarm) EcoFarm is a 40 year-old non profit organization based in Santa Cruz, CA. Our 2020-21 budget is $600,000, and we have two full time staff, three part time staff, and two to three seasonal part time contractors. EcoFarm’s primary program is our annual conference, which has historically taken place on the Monterey peninsula in January, with the 2021 version happening online due to the pandemic. Our mission is to nurture safe, healthy, just, and ecologically sustainable farms, food systems, and communities by bringing people...Read more
At EcoFarm Conference 2021, long-time organizational and social justice consultant Alfredo Vergara-Lobo invited us to be change agents in a discussion-based plenary that asked us to reimagine a more equitable world and to come up with ways to increase equity at EcoFarm, in the food/farm movement, and in our own communities. We have compiled these beautiful visions and commitments as a follow-up and reminder to those who participated. Equity was framed to include race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, abilities, and other...Read more
Join EcoFarm and the CCOF Foundation for a deep dive into the details of the organic labeling requirements for organic meat producers, including marketing strategies for organic livestock producers who don’t have access to certified organic slaughter facilities. Expect to learn about marketing tips from successful organic meat producers, organic labeling requirements from organic certification experts, and state-wide efforts in California to address the lack of certified organic slaughter facilities. More information: Organic regulations and labeling requirements are...Read more
Come learn about the latest research in small-scale, intensive, minimal-disturbance, ecological farming systems! Since 2017, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers has been working with Singing Frogs Farm, Hillview Farms, and others, to carry out on-farm research of the soil health impacts of their farming systems. At the same time, the Bowles Laboratory at UC Berkeley has conducted a 3-year experiment looking at the effects of key practices of these farming systems. After several years of soil health data collection, these two groups are now ready to discuss...Read more
Many questions enter into the compost purchase decision, such as: What is the source material? What contaminants might be present? How does one read the test information on C:N ratio, salts, microbes and metals? How will regulations such as AB 1826 organic waste recycling affect compost supply quality and quantity? and How much compost should you apply and when? This webinar will answer these questions and address other topics, such as how to report compost applications to the Regional Water Board, what to ask when searching for a supplier, and lessons learned from...Read more
The small-scale grain movement in California has been growing and gaining steam for years, but the shifting market demands in the last year have certainly infused the grain community with new energy. In this conversation, we will hear from four endeavors around the state that will give the farming community a window into the current climate for California grain. Zion Taddese, founder of Sheba Farms LLC, will describe her ambitious cross-border enterprise growing and processing teff both in California and in Ethiopia. Rob Barnett, farmer, community organizer and...Read more