The Restorative Food Systems is one of Bioneers’ main programs. From the beginning, the organization has placed a central priority on organic food, ecological farming and resilient and just food systems. Arty Mangan has been the program’s lead since 1998 and has engaged in many projects that helped Bioneers gain practical knowledge and establish strong relationships, creating a network that connects agricultural issues to other key areas such as social and racial justice and ecological design.

We’re very happy to once again provide a wide array of talks, workshops and special events to educate people about such an important topic. Please see the special programming on Food and Farming below and we hope we will see you this Fall!

Food and Farming Programming – 2017 Bioneers Conference 

Keynote talk

• Carbon Farming: Sequestering carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil is emerging as one of the strategies to radically mitigate climate disruption. John Wick and Calla Rose Ostrander of the Marin Carbon Project share their breakthrough carbon farming research and practices.

Workshops

• Street Farm: Growing Food and Jobs in the City – Farmer/author Michael Ableman has developed the largest urban farm in North America in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, the poorest zip code in Canada, providing food for high-end restaurants and jobs for people struggling with addiction, HIV, prostitution and homelessness.
• Restorative Agriculture – Mark Shepard’s New Forest Farm is a rare example of large-scale permaculture farm that mimics a savannah ecosystem. He has planted fruit and nut trees in a perennial polyculture system that imitates natural ecosystems and produces building materials, fuel and nutrient dense food.
• International Agroecology: Restoring Ecosystems and Local Economies – Two leaders in the field of agroecology, Florence Reed of Sustainable Harvest International and Miguel Alteri, co-founder of the Latin American Scientific Society of Agroecology, show how agriculture can be transformed into a powerful force to heal the biosphere, mitigate climate disruption and create prosperous local communities.

Special Events and Activities

Seed Exchange

Seeds are our future. Share open-pollinated seeds to help conserve the living botanical treasure of biodiversity. Hosted by these expert seed savers: Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, Tesuque Pueblo Farm, Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library, The Living Seed Company, the Sustainable Seed Company, and special guest indigenous (Mohawk) seed master Rowen White of Sierra Seeds.

Post Conference Intensive Monday, October 23, 10-5 PM

Carbon Farming: Capturing atmospheric carbon and storing in the soil—carbon sequestration—is among the most practical and promising ways to mitigate climate change. Carbon farming also has multiple agricultural benefits: protecting against drought and flooding, enhancing fertility, and boosting production. Tour the beautiful Stemple Creek Ranch and see how a carbon ranching plan is implemented. Learn the science and best practices from researchers, farmers and leaders in local food systems, and regional economy who are designing systems that mitigate climate change while using carbon as an asset.