Two leaders in the field of agro-ecology vividly show how agriculture can be transformed into a powerful force to heal the biosphere, mitigate climate disruption and create prosperous local communities. With: Florence Reed, founder of Sustainable Harvest International, which helps thousands of farmers convert from destructive slash-and-burn farming to organic practices in Central America; Miguel Altieri, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at UC Berkeley, one of the world’s leading experts in agro-ecology. Hosted by Arty Mangan, Director of Bioneers’ Restorative Food Systems Program.
How can new innovative types of urban farms produce healthy food, generate jobs, rebuild lives, and revitalize marginalized neighborhoods? Urban farming master Michael Ableman will share his experiences and guidance on how to develop vital urban farming initiatives in your community, and how to avoid the pitfalls that doom many projects. Michael is co-founder/Director of Sole Food Street Farms, the largest urban farm in North America in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, the poorest zip code in Canada rife with addiction, HIV, prostitution and homelessness.
Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture: Real World Permaculture for Farmers, runs New Forest Farm, a rare example of a large-scale farm implementing Permaculture and Biomimicry principles. Mark will dramatically illustrate how he is “redesigning agriculture in nature’s image” by using Keyline design, earthworks, water management, silvo-pasture, alley cropping, and perennial polyculture agro-forestry to hydrate the land, build soil fertility, sequester carbon, and restore the vitality of the ecosystems in his care.
There have been prominent women in the Permaculture and sustainability movements, but there are still barriers to full participation by women, Indigenous people and other often disenfranchised frontline communities. How can the sustainability movement become more inclusive and better support struggles for human rights and social justice in these trying times? An interactive panel with: Starhawk, Marisha Auerbach, Wanda Stewart, Pandora Thomas, Delia Carroll, Maya Blow, Karen Taylor and Jasmine Fuego.
