Embark on a sensory journey with "Change You Can Taste: The Heritage Grain Revival," a captivating presentation that explores the profound impact of reviving heritage grains in our modern food landscape. This presentation delves into the rich history and cultural significance of heirloom grains, showcasing the integral role they play in shaping culinary traditions and preserving biodiversity. Join Bill McDorman as he provides a compelling narrative of the heritage grain revival, exploring the profound shift towards sustainable agriculture, regenerative practices, and the resurgence of forgotten flavors. Discover the stories behind ancient grains and their unique terroir, understanding how they contribute not only to the palate but also to the health of our planet. This presentation promises to inspire a new appreciation for the heritage grains that hold the power to transform not just our plates but the entire food system, offering change that you can truly taste and savor.

Never mind your carbon footprint, or buy those carbon offsets. We are a carbon-based ecosystem, it is the energy basis for life on Earth. Take a deep dive into the soil carbon cycle dynamics and understand the various types of carbon and processes involved in building soils.

Join the discussion about flowers as a national agricultural crop, your place in the growing Utah

flower farm community, and topics of interest to your farm. Loretta will share information and

links to resources as well as advice from her experiences - successes and failures in flower

farming. You may submit specific questions to loretta@journeyfarm.net before January 1, 2024.

Learn more about the practical side of tillage reduction––how reducing tillage increases the time you have to grow food and do the other things you love.

One hundred years ago the Biodynamic farming method was born with Rudolph Steiner’s foundational work “The Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture.” The backbone of the Biodynamic method is the host of soil “amendments” or what we call, the set of nine “preparations.” Well researched and long proven effective these preparations, and their timely applications, are the keys to awakening dynamic relationships in your Whole Farm Organism. These preparations stimulate the life forces building health and vitality from soil health to plant and animal health, to our health.

In this workshop we will explore the roots of an agriculture that includes both physical and spiritual/ conscious aspects, a holistic and evolutionary approach to rebuilding your relationship with your homeland, all with the goal of returning us to the path of regenerative health and vitality.

“We are the living links in a life force that moves and plays around and through us, binding the deepest soils with the farthest stars.” ~Alan Chadwick

The trials and tribulations.

Are you saying you're organic? Join a discussion with three experienced certified organic farmers as they demystify the meaning behind the label and share their authentic experiences with organic certification. They will delve into the nuances of declaring your farm as organic and weigh the pros and cons of certification. Whether you're a farmer seeking clarity on the certification journey or a consumer eager to understand the authenticity of organic claims, this workshop promises valuable insights into the real-world implications of choosing to go organic. Join us for an engaging conversation that goes beyond the label and explores the depth of commitment to sustainable and organic practices in agriculture.

We will cover the basics of how to get the most vegetable production out of your greenhouse or hoophouse, including crop selection, spacing, variety selection, fertility, watering, and more!

Come learn about the impactful contributions of these flower farmers and their respective organizations to the landscape of Utah's floral scene.

Each panelist represents a unique part of Utah's growing flower farming industry and the local flower market. Gain insight on their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities within the industry. Our panelists will discuss the intricacies of their work and how it directly impacts local flower farmers in Utah

This session will provide valuable insights, fostering a deeper understanding of the collaborative efforts that contribute to the growth and sustainability floral farming in Utah.

Setting out to design and build his own house, Stan had no idea it would consume much of the next decade of his life. Instantly in love with the style, Stan read everything he could on the subject. He traveled to Canada for a workshop. He then navigated the gauntlet of building and zoning codes to ultimately design, engineer, and self-build his family's rammed earth house. 

As a trained Holistic Management teacher and practitioner, Doniga Markegard brings her experience of managing her family ranch holistically. Holistic Management is a value-based decision-making framework that integrates all aspects of planning for social, economic, and environmental considerations. This key regenerative agriculture tool is also known as Whole Farm/Ranch Planning—a tool recognized by the USDA as a critical tool to help farmers and

ranchers develop successful businesses as well as improve land health so they can continue to support their communities with quality food. These practices and tools can also be applied to any business, family or individual project or life purpose. When we manage holistically we are bringing in all aspects of science and traditional knowledge. Everything is interconnected and each part plays a role in the larger context of life. All studies are intertwined and ultimately

grounding in the understanding of nature.

It's not enough to plant the flowers you like and hope that they'll sell. This session will walk farmers through the keys to building a thriving, viable farm business, from crop selection to business planning to careful sales channel analysis. 

A major hurdle to starting and growing a small farm is securing the marketing, storage, and fulfillment resources required to overcome the monopolistic tactics of "Big Ag." Learn simple ways to come together with other farmers to share the load and prosper.

For some growers, farmers markets are the key to their success. For others, they’re a mixed bag. In this panel discussion, we’ll break down the opportunities and challenges for local farmers selling at Utah farmers markets, discuss the alternatives, and explore how we can move towards stronger and more diversified local food economies in Utah.

Cut flowers can be one of the most profitable crops on a small farm, but building an efficient and financially sustainable farm business can be a challenge when trying to grow a vast array of crops and sell through multiple channels. Lennie Larkin’s forthcoming book from Chelsea Green: Flower Farming For Profit, teaches both established and aspiring flower farmers how to strategically build the business behind the blooms. This presentation will focus on methods for increasing profitability in cut flower and veggie operations, starting with data-driven crop planning. Lennie will share the methodology and some results from her Western SARE-funded cut flower crop cost of production research with ten small farms using Know Your Cost To Grow, a program created by Oregon Tilth in Collaboration with the OSU Center for Small Farms & Community Food Systems, and share actionable strategies for getting in touch with your own cost of production.

In this breakout session, we will briefly talk about the 33-year history of Growing for Market Magazine, and then we will open the floor to questions, and I would like to ask growers what the biggest challenges are on their farms, so we can try to line up some articles or podcast interviews in the new year to help with their challenges.

Outside of the University, Ros lives in a passive solar, 100% electric strawbale home she designed and built with her husband within a walking/biking only community in Moab, UT. Her perennial edible-centric landscape is fed primarily by greywater and rainwater. She rides a mountain and electric commuter bike as her primary modes of transit and supports local farmers and local economies both within and outside of her work. She is a mother of two wild boys and is helping them recognize, and express gratitude for, the abundance that mother earth provides.

Utah's Farm to School community event serves as a gathering point for dedicated advocates in the Farm to School and Farm to Early Care and Education realms, providing an invaluable opportunity to celebrate shared achievements, foster meaningful connections, find inspiration, and collaborate to nurture the growth of farm to school. This workshop will provide farmers, ranchers, and school districts with information and an opportunity to discuss Utah Farm to Fork.

• Seperate Registration Required

It isn't always up and to the right for ranches. This past year included a mass predation event and bad feed. It's not failing, it's learning, and it's worth sharing. 

Mitch will share 3 Springs experience and learnings going from raising 130 pastured broiler chickens their first year to 1,000 in their 3rd year.  This will be a case study in what it takes for you to raise your own flock in the Mountain West. He'll share expenses, revenue, marketing, regulations, management, feed choices, as well as nutrient density of 3 Springs chicken compared to other large producers.

If Utah wants to be more resilient in their food system, how and should poultry be part of the picture?  We'll share possible solutions and willl leave time for Questions and Discussion. 

A short overview of different pruning systems and discussion of pruning

wounds. Followed by a Q&A with presenters Charlie Perington and Danielle Ringle.

Happy to talk about anything tree related and share their experience and preferred

resources. Bring your questions and woody wonders.

Jessie and Stephen struggled separately to reach the customer base they knew existed for their cut flowers. When they met in the fall of 2021 at a garden party by the zinnias the conversation on how to avoid composting their flowers and dreams began. Two short years later their business, Picklinq Collective, has become the "go to" place for local flowers along the Wasatch front. They have learned many lessons on their road to success and want to share them with you! Join Jessie and Stephen as they walk you through the benefits when working in a collective model. How they have solved the issue of "time" for both growers and clients and how this can be applied to more than just flower sales.

Any of us involved in the art of small scale agriculture are motivated by a desire to engage with nature. Nature is motivated by the desire to engage with us. In my years of experience with the art, I have found that there are a few esoteric practices that open us to the power of nature. We will explore these practices in this workshop presentation.

Mushroom cultivation is the fundamental skill needed to work with fungi in a variety of ways. From medicine making to caring for soil fungi, knowing what makes fungi happy can improve your life as a farmer or gardener. We'll talk about species selection, growing parameters, preparation steps, why mushrooms like humidity, and how to trick them into thinking we have it! You'll leave this workshop with resources and ideas to start or add to your fungal journey.

The Stars and the Spirit are guiding lights in approaching a more holistic and profound connection with our land and the Life we work with. Harvesting these cosmic rhythms is practical and balances our efforts in the physical, earthly realm. These timely additions to our stewardship give us a measurable edge in our challenging efforts.

Using the 2024 Biodynamic Almanac, as a basis for working with current astronomical observations, we will explore the potential effects of the moon and stars and an expansion of our ideas of the heavens and how they practically apply to our relationships with the life we co-create with as agrarians.

America is becoming increasingly centralized & regulated. No industry faces this as intensely as those in food production. Independent producers face a myriad of obstacles from burdensome regulation to competing quality against deceptive volume in the marketplace. With more on the way like the Food Safety Modernization Act & market-access bottlenecking, independent producers need to look into new avenues of growing their business while protecting their methods & relationship with their customers. Phillip Taylor of The People Restored addresses how utilizing Private Membership Communities can protect your business & grow it with like-minded customers.