Small Acreage Management Upcoming Programs
Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum 2020
Syngery of the Soil: Growing Healthy Food
January 24th & 25th, 2020 at the Montrose Pavilion in Montrose, CO
Join us for the 8th annual Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum at the Montrose Pavilion.
The Western Colorado Food and Farm Forum has a wide array of breakout sessions which convey vital, regionally specific agricultural information in areas including: soil health, nutrient density, orchards, livestock, irrigation, financial management, entrepreneurship & more!
The annual conference is for anyone with an interest in the future of agriculture, including: ranchers, farmers, gardeners, students and Ag professionals. Whether you’re looking to improve or innovate your existing practices, the forum has many resources and networking opportunities.
Scholarships towards registration will be available to Youth in Agriculture and New/Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.
Keep up to date on forum info through their Facebook page by clicking HERE!
EARLY BIRD PRICING AVAILABLE NOW!
(Ends Jan 10th) Register HERE!
Keynote address by Nicole Masters, Director, Integrity Soils
“Soil-Gut-Health”
Over 80% of human health ailments are now being attributed to gut function, and the same is true for plant and animal health. Reflecting on the similarities between our own gut function and the soil/plant connection illuminates how through restoring soil-gut function we can restore water, carbon, nutrient cycles and profitability.
FRIDAY WORKSHOPS:
Growing Your Farm Family Business: How to attract, develop, and retain your team and customers through coaching, Jan Salisbury
As a leader and business farm owner you wear many hats—from CFO, to agricultural expert, chief sales person and leader of teams—all to achieve your goals. Leaders who coach develop and empower others using evidenced-based skills. Based on a highly effective program that has developed over 600 leaders in diverse businesses, we will learn key skills that increase collaboration and trust in your stakeholders. Put on the “coaching” hat in this workshop and when you lead your farm business! We will be highly experiential, so bring it!
Turning Your Soil On for Optimal Plant Health and Nutrient Density, Nicole Masters
Get to the root of how to create a productive, healthy and profitable farming system that creates nutrient dense food with Nicole Master of Integrity Soils. Learn how you can harness microbial and plant signals for optimal plant health and nutrition. Common weed, disease, crop and animal health issues will be covered in this fascinating look at the latest research related to root shoot signals and synergistic soil functions.
Greening the Desert and Your Bottom Line: increase stocking rates, profitability and biodiversity with 6 inches of rain and livestock, Alejandro Carrillo
Explore how you can move from continuous to planned grazing by adapting the principles of Holistic Management and regenerative agriculture to increase stocking rates, profitability, and biodiversity. Backed by data, this half-day session will illustrate how bare, unproductive, degraded land was restored to healthy, lush, productive grasslands across the Chihuahuan Desert. By mimicking and respecting Nature, infiltration rates have been dramatically increased to create a resilient environment that thrives with just six inches of rain for the whole year. Increase your ability to read nature and the important roles of low maintenance genetics, dung beetles, and perennial grass quality. No mechanical or chemical work has been used to restore grasslands, just cattle.
Saturday conference: 15 workshops focusing on innovative crop, livestock, specialty crops, marketing and regenerative management practices that will help you increase profits, create a sustainable future and lower stress. Selection of topics below
- Small But Mighty: understanding the microbes in your soil
- Practical Field Skills for Assessing Soil Health How to Improve Soil Health Using In-Field Tools and Observation
- Fencing Your Friends and Foes
- Seedling and Seedbank Management Practices for Improved Weed Control
- Entrepreneur Best Practices for Growing Your Family Businesses
- Positioning Your Operation for Financial Success
- Grain Production and Processing for a Local Market
- Drip/Micro Irrigation strategies and benefits
- Advancing Your Soil Health (How can you tell?)
- Unpacking Your Seed Source
- Agri-hoods
- H2A and Labor shortages
Special Events
- Friday evening Chili Dinner @2Rascals Brewery hosted by the National Young Farmers Coalition
- The Farmer to Farmer Invention Convention returns with $500 in cash prizes. Do you have a problem solving technique or innovation that you’d like to show off? Let us know!
- Saturday Evening Bowling is back! Details posted on website soon!
