Pre-Conference Events

8 A.M. - 5 P.M.

Starting at The Barn at Cedar Meadows

1419 W. 3000 N. 

Cedar City, UT 84721

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The Amigo Farm tour is always a good time. We meet in Cedar City early in the morning and enjoy hot beverages and pastries before we load the shuttle bus. Symbria Patterson, a founder of Red Acre Center, will be aboard as your guide enjoying an organic lunch and snacks along the way. 

 

This year we will head south. We return to see the spectacular view, growth, and what has changed at Five Fingers Farm since they were last on the farm tour in 2018. Now a multi-generational farm, these transplants from the city continue to learn and grow. Using no-till and rotational grazing methods. They have raised beds, greenhouses, a milking parlor, and the latest addition, a tiny home on solar using gray water. They grow for themselves, have sold at farmer's markets, and sell direct to consumers.

We will be going to the ever-changing town of Hildale.

Boasting an annual music festival, coffee shops, a brewery, and a winery.

We will tour the Vineyard at Water Canyon Winery a family-owned and operated winery specializing in 'natural wines.' They do not add sulfites, preservatives, or foreign yeasts during there fermentation process. 

 

Nature Attunement Micro Greens, we will be the first to tour Elissa and Esthers' new facility. They offer a beautiful mix of pea, radish, broccoli and rutabaga microgreens.

 

Finney Farm and Farm Stand a lisc. raw milk dairy home to some 41 brown swiss cows.The Barlows are a father-son duo offering raw milk, raw butter, raw cream, raw milk cheese, cream-top yogurt and small-batch frozen yogurt. More recently, they've added grass-fed beef to their wares. Located on land abutting the backside of Zion, offers a stunning view of red cliffs and a wide-open sky. 

 

So if you are up for a full-day adventure, join us. 

9 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.

at Red Acre Farm

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In this pre-conference workshop we will explore practical and affordable ways to generate sustainable on farm fertilizer, how to use the Biodynamic preparation, and best dates for working astronomical influences for the whole farm. Indigenous wisdom and relationships for connecting and understanding the broad workings of nature will guide our journey.

12 P.M. - 4 P.M.

Location TBD

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Learning how to safely preserve food at home is one of the best things you can do for your food security. In this class, master food preserver Anna Cash will teach you about safe canning practices, the simple tools necessary for canning, and foraging for food in an urban environment. Anna has taught hundreds of people how to preserve food safely in their home kitchens.

 

Pressure canning can feel daunting or scary for a lot of people and Anna is here to demystify how to utilize a pressure canner to save space in your freezer and preserve your harvest. This class is perfect for ranchers who’d like to free up freezer space, hunters who’d like to do the same, gardeners who’d like to fill their shelves with homegrown produce, or anyone wanting to add value-added items to their repertoire.

 

We will be pressure canning beef, potatoes, vegetable soup in quart jars. Each participant will leave with a quart of soup.

 

The class will be 4 hours long and all supplies will be included with the class fee. Bring a friend and enjoy a hands on experience!

1 P.M. - 4 P.M.

at Red Acre Farm

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Come learn how the power of observation and some simple in-field tests can tell you how healthy your soil is as well as identify resource concerns that might be impacting the productivity of your soil. Additionally, they will be using a rainfall simulator to demonstrate how the principles of soil health impact its ability to be resilient to extreme weather conditions.