Eldersburg— In mid-January aspiring farmers, transitioning
farmers, and experienced farmers will come together with regional buyers,
backyard gardeners, parents, teachers, students and other consumers interested
in local foods to share information and learn about sustainable agriculture for
the 10th Annual Conference of Future Harvest – A Chesapeake Alliance
for Sustainable Agriculture (CASA).
Future Harvest-CASA is an educational non-profit
organization dedicated to promoting profitable and environmentally sustainable
food and farming systems in the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware.
This year’s keynote speaker, Nina Planck, grew up on a
vegetable farm in Virginia
and sold her family’s vegetables at farmer’s markets as a child. Ms. Planck is
an expert on farmer’s markets and local food. Her recent book: Real Food: What to Eat and Why, explores
the nutritional and cultural significance of traditional foods.
The 2009 conference theme, “Connect Locally: Food, Farms and
Communities,” emphasizes the focus on making and sustaining connections between
producers and consumers. In-depth seminars, panels and roundtable discussion
groups on Friday will cover agritourism, soil fertility, farm to school and
hospital programs, and raising healthy food. The 16 workshops planned for
Saturday will cover the nuts and bolts of sustainable agriculture operations, farmer’s
markets, specialty crops, reaching out to new farmers through mentorships,
grass based systems, profitable grain production, and market gardening. Meals
will feature locally-grown food, showcasing the region’s great local food options,
even in January. For more information, visit www.futureharvestcasa.org/09conference.html.
