Workshops for 2012-2013

For the third year running, the Real Food Campaign, a project of the Bionutrient Food Association, will be presenting another series of workshops for the coming growing season. Our goal is to engage and build on what you already know and are doing, and to find ways to increase the bionutrient level of your soil and crops for greater yields, healthier produce and better marketability.

Participation-based with questions and answers, the workshop series is designed for farmers, growers, and gardeners of any type to learn current research and proven methods, and go step-by-step through the processes that will lead to optimum crop health and sustained yield.

Workshop Leaders

Dan Kittredge
Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association and Real Food Campaign, Dan is the son of prominent leaders in the organic movement, and has been an organic farmer since childhood. His experience managing organic farms and developing sustainable agriculture techniques has connected him to farmers in Central America, Russia, India and the United States. Dan is passionate about raising the quality of nutrition in our food supply through collaboration with committed individuals, businesses, and organizations that support the value of people growing and eating really good food.

 

Derek Christianson
Derek is the farmer at Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth, MA, where he aims to produce and promote the production of nutrient dense foods, using sustainable growing methods which focus on improving soil health for long-term agricultural viability. Central to this mission are efforts to improve food security through community projects which increase knowledge and awareness of sustainable production techniques on farms and in backyard and community gardens.

Derek will be facilitating three workshops in Massachusetts - Dorchester, Martha's Vineyard, and Plympton/South Shore, with Dan leading the rest.

The Bionutrient Rich Crop Production workshops are designed to inform and support participants to grasp and apply innovative and reliable principles and practices for producing more nutritious food crops that lead to healthier lives. The learning focus of the series includes soil biology, mineralogy and energy dynamics. At the same time, we intend to establish a relational infrastructure among growers that will provide the basis for increasing collaboration between them, and also with the businesses and organizations that supply their needs and buy their products.

The workshop will begin with an analysis of participants' soil tests, discussion about cover crops, and recommended soil amendments. These are ways to build the battery of the soil and stimulate its digestive processes to assure maximum potential for effective crop growth and improved yield in the following spring and summer. Specific forward-looking topics and themes will be addressed and explored, and a gradual immersion will take place as we reach an increasing depth of understanding about the multi-faceted nature of the biological system of the soil and the interaction that takes place between the soil, the air, the plants and our observations and interventions.

Each session will consist of a classroom-style discussion and hands-on demonstration and practice. Those participants who provide their email will also receive monthly e-newsletters to supplement the workshop presentations. Registrants will be expected to procure their own soil tests as desired, and instruction for interpreting those will be covered during the workshop.

Those registering and paying the full amount for any course may do so securely online with a credit card below. Those wishing to mail in a check may click below for a form to be printed out and mailed in. The cost of the workshops is $150 for the two sessions. Returning students are entitled to a discounted workshop cost of $125. The one-day workshop on Matha's Vineyard, MA is being sponsored by The FARM Institute, who are kindly covering participant fees at this site. Additionally, substantial financial assistance is being offered by the Forrest C. & Frances H. Lattner Foundation to encourage farmer participation. This grant has been given in recognition of our efforts to increase the supply of bionutrient rich food as rapidly as possible in our region, and offers generous support for growers who wish to attend the course, but need assistance. For more information about financial assistance, please contact the course administrator, Gary Neves.