About Our Speakers and Presentations 

Growing Elderberries in Virginia
Roger Lenhardt is the owner and manager of Elderberry Life. His production farm includes 16 varieties of elderberry planted on 30 acres in central Missouri. The business has had an emphasis on education, teaching Farmers and Consumers about the virtues and benefits of the amazing native plant, the American Elderberry (Sambucus Canadensis).  For 5 years they have been conducting Education Workshops and Farm Tours.  They have successfully created a growers network in the Midwest with over 120 acres in production.  Rodger and his partner have produced and marketed 3 products that are now in over 40 stores.  They are working to create a growers network here in Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic region that is similar to their growers’ network in the Midwest.  This will help to be supportive of the local food movement and put regional farmers back to work. This presentation is geared for the commercial farmer and the DIY home owner and market/contract growers alike who are interested in elderberries. It will include many aspects about Sambucas from growing, processing, cultivating, and some uses for our amazing Native American berry. History and folklore, some traditional home remedies using the berries and flowers, propagation techniques, soil preference and growing conditions will be discussed. 

An Exploration of Practical Tools for the Farm and Garden
From hand tools to tractors and plant protection to harvesting equipment, this lecture will provide an overview of useful tools to help make life easier in the field.  As owner of a garden supply company and avid horticulturalist, Nazirahk Amen has over 20 years of experience in growing.  Through many aches and pains from a belief in hard work, he has come to realize working smarter can be a more enduring path.  In this lecture he will share his insight on some of the best tools of the trade.

Commercial Production of Organically-Grown Seeds
Ira Wallace is on the board of Organic Seed Alliance and is a worker/owner of the cooperatively managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange where she coordinates variety selection and seed grower contracts. Southern Exposure (www.SouthernExposure.com) offers over 700 varieties of open-pollinated heirloom and organic seeds selected for flavor and regional adaptability. Southern Exposure helps people keep control of their food supply by supporting sustainable home and market gardening, seed saving, and preserving heirloom varieties. in 2011 Southern Exposure was awarded "Sustainable Institution of the Year" by the CFSA community and named as one  Of the Top 15 Vegetable Seed Companies by Mother Earth News.  In addition, Ira is a member of Acorn Community which farms over 60 acres of certified organic land in Central Virginia, growing seeds, alliums, hay, and conducting variety trials for Southern Exposure.

Richard Moyer hails from families of fruit and vegetable explorers, a legacy being passed on to his six children.  For 15 years in Bristol, TN, the Moyers produced all their fruit on a large suburban lot, and vegetables all year long.  After interning on a pasture-based farm during 2007-2008, the Moyers moved to their own farm.  All children are now involved in various enterprises, including small-scale seed production.  An important part of their family income, seed production complements their off-season vegetable production, value-added products, market sales, cover crop rotations and dairy goat grazing.

Diversified Production of Livestock for Direct Marketing
Scott Wilson, along with his wife Alison and their nine children, are full-time farmers on their 25 acres in Suffolk, Virginia. Full Quiver Farm provides all-natural meat and poultry products to lovers of natural, locally raised foods in the Hampton Roads area. Scott started the Full Quiver Farm project in 2003 following a desire to work along-side his family in a family based business. He left his job in computers in 2007 to farm full time. Their enterprises include pastured poultry, pasture-based laying hens, Thanksgiving turkey, pasture raised pork, cow share dairy, and grass finished beef.

Adrienne Young-Ramsey is a highly acclaimed Singer/Songwriter who has championed Sustainable Agriculture since the release of her Grammy nominated CD, Plow To The End of the Row, in 2003. A full time touring musician for many years, she became a resident of Nelson County upon marrying Luke Ramsey, and they began coordinating 'Backyard Revolution', a historically based living skills festival under the umbrella of the non-profit Surlie Foundation at venues like Heritage Harvest Festival, at Monticello, and the Floyd Festival. Her radio program, also called 'Backyard Revolution', airs on 106.1 The Corner, in Charlottesville, focusing on the agrarian traditions and wisdom of our Indigenous and Colonial Heritages.

Thinking Upstream – Decision Making For Organic Farmers, Even In Tough Years
Transition can be a challenging and confusing time, when farmers realize they need a new vision for their farm. This is especially daunting in seasons with erratic weather. Mary-Howell and Klaas Martens will discuss an integrated decision-making approach to crop rotation, weed control, soil health management and machinery choices that provides new and experienced organic farmers tools to build resilience and success.

Bio-Extensive Market Gardening
In this old-fashioned slide show, the Nordells will describe how and why they developed their land-extensive approach to small-scale vegetable production. They will illustrate how taking land out of production makes it so much easier to take advantage of cultural practices, such as cover cropping, rotation and stale seedbedding. In their case, going bio-extensive has created virtually weed-free conditions and made it possible for them to use minimum tillage in their certified organic market garden.
Anne and Eric have been growing vegetables, small fruits and herbs in north-central Pennsylvania since 1983. They are frequent contributors to The Small Farmers Journal and have self-published a booklet and video about their horse-powered market garden titled, "Weed The Soil, Not The Crop."

Pastured Poultry Palooza
Elliott McGann began farming in 2009 as co-founder of Hope Grows, becoming one of the youngest full time farmers in Georgia.  On six acres he and his partner Arianne McGinnis raised pastured eggs, poultry, pork, and turkeys all sold at farmers' markets and through their Farm Trust CSA.  He designed and operated the first on-farm processor in the region.  He is passionate about growing clean, fair food and using efficient ecologically based systems.  He currently is learning about urban farming at Growing Power in Milwaukee, WI.
This presentation will be a comprehensive introduction to pastured poultry production: including laying hens, broilers, and turkeys. Topics will include brooding, breed selection, pasturing models, marketing, their unique CSAs and on-farm processing. Special emphasis will be given to evaluating markets, economic sustainability, and low input solutions.

Organic Production of Grass and Legume Hay
A New England native trained in the Midwest and Florida, Sue Ellen Johnson has worked in the field of alternative agriculture and forage for 30 years. In November 2011 she joined the Piedmont Environmental Council as their Director of Agriculture.  She has working farm experience with dairy, horses and poultry. While serving as the North Carolina State University Forage Specialist,         Dr. Sue Ellen Johnson designed and supervised a field trial comparing organic and conventional alfalfa. This talk will address how forage mixtures, and forage cutting and grazing practices can minimize chemical inputs to forage systems. 

Dr. Chris Teutsch conducts forage research at Virginia Tech’s Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center located outside of Blackstone, VA.  His research program has focused on increasing the profitability of ruminant livestock operations in Virginia by reducing the amount of conserved forage (hay) used during the summer and winter months.  Hailing from northeastern Ohio, he has received awards from the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council and the Virginia Agribusiness Council for his contribution to Virginia’s forage and livestock industry.

Organic Production and Processing of Edamame and Sweet Sorghum
Dr. Michael Bomford is a research scientist and extension specialist at Kentucky State University, and a Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute, which is dedicated to leading the transition to a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable world. His work focuses on organic and sustainable agriculture systems suitable for adoption by small farms operating with limited resources. His current research projects examine practical ways to reduce food system energy use and meet farm energy needs using renewable resources produced on-farm. Michael’s doctoral research was conducted at West Virginia University, on one of the nation's first land grant university farms operated entirely according to national organic standards. He is a founding member of the Organic Association of Kentucky.

ECO City Farms – A Model for Urban Agriculture
Fueled by the vision of veteran environmental justice activist Margaret Morgan-Hubbard, Engaged Community Offshoots (later to be known as ECO City Farms) was founded in 2010. Morgan-Hubbard and her lean staff of three were among the early cadre of urban agriculture missionaries who came from around the country to train with Will Allen at Growing Power in Milwaukee.  They returned inspired by the example of one model for urban agriculture that is thriving in one community after 20 years of trial and error, and began the process of adapting that model for their own community in Prince George’s County, Maryland. To date, ECO City Farms is the only commercial-scale urban farm inside the Capital Beltway of the Washington DC area. 
 Christian Melendez began farming while a student at University of Maryland where he sowed seeds at Engaged University’s Master Peace Community Farm for 2 years. While at the University, Melendez created and led two alternative spring break trips focused on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. For two summers, he taught gardening and nutrition to middle school youth as part of the Free Minds Collective. Melendez is a graduate of Growing Power’s Commercial Urban Agriculture course. He is also a graduate of the Mid-Atlantic Better Composting School and a Certified Maryland Compost Facility Operator.

At ECO City Farms, which evolved out of Engaged University, Melendez manages production and sales of the farm’s produce, teaches several sections of the Commercial Agriculture Certificate program with Prince Georges Community College and coordinates work and educational programs for interns, volunteers and school groups.

Renee Brooks Catacalos was a key organizer of Sowing Seeds Here and Now! A Chesapeake Urban Farming Summit in June 2010 presented by ECO City Farms. Since then she has worked with ECO City Farms to share its story through events, print and online communications with a complex mix of audiences including: foundation, corporate, government and individual funders; consumers and retail buyers of the farm’s produce; leaders and neighbors in the farm’s working-class community who have historically not had access to farmers markets and fresh produce; farmers and others in the sustainable agriculture community. Catacalos formerly was editor and publisher of Edible Chesapeake magazine, and has a background in public relations, marketing and international relations.

 Mushroom Cultivation for Everyone, Beginner to Advanced
If you think growing mushrooms is too complicated or the grower’s guides aren’t enough, this workshop is designed to get you growing and understanding the best ways to cultivate delicious mushrooms at home or on your farm.  Inexpensive start-up options for beginners and many commercial ideas to expand on, this class will energize your efforts and maximize your production!  Topics include: Life Cycle and Ecology of Fungi; Mushroom Psychology (behavior, fungal empathy, intuitive growing); Choosing, Buying, and Storing Spawn; Woodland Mushroom farming (logs, wood chips, and composts); Indoor Production (small and large scale); Converting existing structures into grow rooms (barns, chicken houses, storage containers: Marketing your mushrooms (trends, demand, strategies); Organic Pest Management; Alternative Product Development (powders, extracts, composts).  This workshop is taught by Tradd Cotter, founder of Mushroom Mountain in Liberty, South Carolina. Tradd has been studying the art of identifying and cultivating mushrooms in the Southeast for over 18 years.

Free Range Poultry, Redesigning the System Through Innovation and Cooperation
Reginaldo (Regi) Haslett-Marroquin launched the Northfield-based Rural Enterprise Center program of Main Street Project in 2006, but has a long history of successful transnational entrepreneurial leadership. A Guatemalan native, he began working on economic development projects with indigenous Guatemalan communities in 1988, served as a consultant for the United Nations Development Program's Bureau for Latin America, and as advisor to the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. He was a founding member of the Fair Trade Federation and led the creation of numerous social ventures including Peace Coffee, a successful fair-trade coffee company based in Minnesota. Regi received his agronomy degree from the Central National School of Agriculture and studied at the Universidad de San Carlos in Guatemala. He also received a bachelor's degree in International Business Administration from Augsburg College, Minneapolis. Regi’s current work at the Rural Enterprise Center is dedicated to addressing critical barriers to success for aspiring Latino and other immigrant farmers such as access to land, access to training and technical assistance, and access to financial systems and resources compatible with the socio-economic conditions of people living in poverty -- especially Latino immigrants who currently provide the largest share of cheap labor to the dominant food and agriculture system.

Managing for Alternative Pollinators
Nancy Adamson works jointly as Pollinator Conservation Specialist for the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation at the East National Technology Support Center in Greensboro, NC. She supports organic and conventional farmers protecting and planting pollinator habitat. She studied native bees important for crop pollination while earning her Ph.D. in entomology from Virginia Tech and has devoted much of her career to habitat restoration. She worked with the cooperative extension in Frederick, MD, collected native plant seeds for propagation and use in habitat gardens with Chesapeake Natives, inventoried natural areas for the Heritage Program in NJ, led educational programming at a native plant arboretum (Adkins), and established wetland mitigation plantings with Environmental Quality Resources.  Her program highlights the importance of pollinators, bee biology, bee-friendly farming, and resources to support “farming for bees.

Organic Management of Weeds
By focusing first on a full toolbox of sound cultural practices and appropriate cultivation tools, organic weed control can be successful, even when the weather throws unexpected curves.  Join Klaas Martens for a discussion on how to design an effective system to control weeds in organic grain crops and how to identify and address weed problems before they take over.

Organic Production Systems for Onions and Colored Bell Peppers
Dr. Timothy Coolong is currently an assistant professor and vegetable production specialist in the Department of Horticulture at the University of Kentucky.  His has state-wide responsibilities and working with both commercial organic and conventional vegetable producers.  He conducts an applied research program that coincides with his wide range of interests. Timothy has conducted research focusing on increasing irrigation water use efficiency, conservation tillage for improved water use in vegetables, and organic production systems for a number of crops including muskmelon, onion, and pepper. Prior to coming to Kentucky, Timothy conducted his graduate research at the University of Georgia focusing on environmental factors that influence flavor potential and postharvest quality in Vidalia Onions.

Transitioning to Organic Production of Sheep and Goats
Susan Schoenian is the Sheep & Goat Specialist at the University of Maryland’s Western Maryland Research & Education Center. She has been with University of Maryland Extension since 1988. She has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and Montana State University, respectively.  At her research center, Susan conducts the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. She is the author of several web pages pertaining to small ruminants, and has a small flock of purebred and Katahdin sheep on her small farm in Clear Spring, Maryland. There is a growing demand for organically produced meat, dairy, and fiber and standards have been established, but how can sheep and goat producers make a successful transition to organic production? Internal parasites will present one of the biggest challenges to profitable production and maintaining high standards of animal welfare.

 Organic Specialty Crops for Transitioning Farms: Peanuts, Onions, and Cover-Crop Seed
Relinda Walker, an organic farmer who has transitioned 67 acres on her dad’s south Georgia Farm, describes her journey including the first commercial organic crops of peanuts, onion seedlings and cover crop seed in the region. She’ll talk about the production and marketing challenges, equipment, and acreage as well as the partnerships she developed with ag researchers, the extension service and commercial growers. Relinda has done educational outreach for Georgia Organics, organizing field days and working with local Vidalia onion, peanut and blueberry farmers to help them learn to grow according to organic principles. She attended the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership in 2006, received the 2009 Big Cypress Award from the Ogeechee-Canoochee River Keeper, and was named the 2011 Land Steward of the Year by Georgia Organics.

Cover Cropping, Pollinator Habitat and More: Conservation for the Transitioning Organic Farm
Mark Schonbeck (VA) currently participates in a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)-funded Conservation Innovation Grant project on Integrating Sustainable and Organic Agriculture into NRCS Programs, and in SARE-funded training in organic horticulture for agricultural professionals in the South, as well as individual consulting for organic farmers.  He has conducted on-farm research in organic reduced till vegetable production, cover crops, and mulching. He has developed educational materials on organic soil and weed management.  Mark serves on the Board of Directors of Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Southern SAWG), edits the quarterly newsletter for Virginia Association for Biological Farming (VABF), and serves as VABF liaison to Southern SAWG and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.  In this presentation, Mark and David Lamm will discuss  NRCS conservation programs and practices that can help farmers make the transition from conventional to organic production, while optimizing their resource conservation and soil improvement strategies.

David Lamm (NC) has worked for the NRCS for over 35 years, starting as a soil conservationist and District Conservationist in NE Indiana. In 2002 he moved to Georgia as the Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, overseeing all conservation programs for the state. While in Georgia, David began working with organic producers to help them solve resource problems on their farms. In 2008, David took a job at the East National Technology Support Center working on organic farming related issue for the agency. He has spent much of the past year helping develop the Conservation Stewardship Program and EQIP Organic Initiative.

Production of Specialty Crops in High Tunnels
Chris Mullins has been an Extension Specialist at Virginia State University since 1999. His main area of responsibility is research and education in commercial vegetable production, particularly high tunnels for season extension and greenhouses. He has also been directly involved with construction and retrofitting of approximately 80,000 square feet of greenhouse space in several different regions of Virginia.

Dr. Reza Rafie is a Horticulture Extension Specialist with Virginia State University. His current research and extension interest is working with high-value specialty vegetables and small fruits. Dr. Rafie takes a marketing approach in identifying crops with proven market trend potential that will ultimately help the growers’ bottom line.  He has many years of international experience and in the past has worked with privately-owned fresh fruit and vegetable companies.

Gary Scott is a member of VABF and a small farmer in Nelson County. He is cooperating with Dr. Reza Rafie, with Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University, in a grant funded demonstration concerning high tunnel production of raspberries.

Charlie Maloney is a member of VABF and a small farmer in King and Queen County. He is cooperating with Dr. Reza Rafie, with Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University, in a grant funded demonstration concerning high tunnel production of ginger.

Management Systems for Coyotes, Deer and Voles Pete Bromley is Professor Emeritus of wildlife science at North Carolina State University and a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He has 45 years of experience in the wildlife science profession, as graduate student, legislative commission staffer, professor, and volunteer leader of wildlife conservation organizations. Dr. Bromley is a down home people person who is a scientist with a pragmatic orientation and is passionate about conservation of natural resources, conservation education, hunting and fishing. From 1977 to 1990, he was Wildlife Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech, where he advised landowners in enhancing wildlife on their lands, controlling wildlife damage, and he led the wildlife 4-H program for Virginia. Dr. Bromley served as the Extension Leader for Fisheries, Wildlife and Aquaculture at NCSU from 1990 to 2003. Pete has experience in wildlife consulting and is currently conducting wildlife management planning and implementation of wildlife habitat improvement projects on three farms in Rockingham County, NC. He has written a number of articles on hunting, fishing and the outdoor life. He lives with his wife and one of his three daughters in rural place between Eden and Stoneville, North Carolina, where he tends a garden, small orchard and fruit plantings and trains his hunting dogs.

Homeopathy In the Field  The practical application of homeopathy on the farm and garden is explored in this lecture. We will outline the basic precepts of homeopathy and show how simple homeopathic preparations can lead to a healthier life for your plants and animals.  Working almost 15 years as a professional homeopath believing that the best health insurance starts with growing your own food, Dr.  Nazirahk Amen has taken his clinical experience with humans and turned it towards plants and animals.  Coming from this lecture participants should feel comfortable exploring the use of simple homeopathic preparations that can increase wellness on the farm or garden.

National Organic Program of USDA: Approved Practices, Procedures and Materials Brian Cricket Rakita has been working in sustainable and organic agriculture since the early 90's.  He has been working for Quality Certification Services certifying farms as organic since 2008.  He is also the former manager of the Goochland Farmers Market and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.  In addition, he is the Seed Project Coordinator for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association.