8:00 a.m. –
8:10 a.m

Morning Welcome

8:10 a.m. –
9:10 a.m

Drought Resilience: Balanced Soil & Water Use Efficiency

Dr. Kris Nichols, Ph.D., Food Water Wellness Foundation

As the scarcity and cost of long-term water supplies continue to increase for growers, the challenge to use water efficiently increases exponentially. Dr. Kris Nichols, a longtime expert in natural and organic growing systems, will focus this session on how building soil health through biological development and chemical balancing can improve the soil’s ability to store water. Orchardists, ranchers and farmers will walk away with an understanding of how balanced soil decreases the need for water in the long run, and what tactics support that goal.

9:10 a.m. –
10:10 a.m

Rhizophagy Cycle: How Plants Extract Nutrients from Soil Microbes

Dr. James White

Success in life is often about strong relationships, and the relationships between our plants and soil is no different. Dr. James White, an expert at the rhizophagy cycle, will unveil an amazing world of biology, mycology, and elemental chemistry that shows how plants and the soil interact. He will demonstrate how plant root systems attract and absorb microbes, how microbes interact with plant root cells, how bacteria extracts nutrients through oxidative processes, and how those little hairs on the roots — trichomes — fix nitrogen. You will leave with a clear picture of how your nutrients cycle between plant and soil, all thanks to a complex, natural world.

10:55 a.m. –
11:25 a.m

Case Study #1: Integrating Livestock into Vineyards

Kelly Mulville, Paicines Ranch

What if it were possible to design a vineyard that required very few inputs or human labor, produced consistent yields of high quality grapes, grew animal protein, improved soil health, sequestered carbon, increased biodiversity, and delivered a solid financial return? Kelly Mulville will share this vision of how to integrate animals into vineyard systems and the benefits this tactic can bring, including added soil fertility. You will walk away knowing how to integrate commercially viable livestock into your operations, and own a catalog of management tips to help you avoid costly mistakes.

11:25 a.m. –
12:25 p.m

Featured Session: Needed: A New Agronomy Based on Living Soil

John Kempf, AEA, Acres U.S.A.

John Kempf, an entrepreneur, farmer, and industry-leading consultant, will show you why a new type of agronomy is needed to help today’s farmers and ranchers. John will question why our current model does not consider any possible contributions of soil biology and assumes a “dead soil.” In his work transitioning millions of acres around the world toward natural soil health management techniques, he has seen the opposite: soils with active biology consistently outperform contemporary agronomy management systems in stressed conditions, including drought. You will walk away with a picture of this new agronomy involving the sciences of rhizophagy, EZ water, and cellular endocytosis as the primary mechanisms of plant nutrition, and understand how this model delivers consistently superior crop performance.

12:25 p.m. –
12:55 p.m

Case Study #2: Whole Systems Approach to Intensive Vegetable Systems

Gina Colfer

With goals of nutrient density and high value at the market, there is no silver bullet in a soil management system for vegetable growers. With this unique case study, Gina Colfer will demonstrate the components to a healthy soil, then break down how she builds these components with a whole systems approach. You will walk away knowing how to improve soil and plant health, increase biodiversity, incorporate a sound and validated integrated pest management program, and document the changes and improvements for future generations.

12:55 p.m. –
2:00 p.m.

Lunch (Roundtable Discussions)

Time to network and learn from each other! Select a seat at a table themed around a unique topic related to soil health management systems, and join a discussion with your peers on problems to solve and solutions to implement, and explore the realities of soil health management in a commercial production system.

2:00 p.m. –
2:15 p.m

Roundtable Key Take-Aways

Expand your learning by joining and listening to your peers, who will share key outcomes of discussions from lunch.

2:15 p.m. –
2:45 p.m

Case Study #3: How Monitoring Influences Better Decisions at the Soil Surface

Jackie Eshelman

Join us for another case study, where we talk about the importance of observation and measurement in making decisions on the farm.

2:45 p.m. –
3:35 p.m

Soil Mycology: Natural Crop & Orchard Resilience

Kyle Kaszynski & Brandon Potter

Oregon’s Kyle Kaszynksi and Brandon Potter are actively writing a book on mycology’s role in growing systems for Acres U.S.A. Their research into the critical role mycology plays in successful annual or perennial crop production systems will open your mind to the importance of fungal networks in a resilient ecosystem. Fungal networks that help trees and crops communicate, share nutrients, and break down organic matter are also amazing to learn about. You will walk away being able to connect the dots between the relationships between plant health, soil microbial life, and fungal networks, and why mycology should matter to the largest scale commercial farm, orchard or ranch.

3:35 p.m. –
4:25 p.m

Bring It Home: Farmer Panel Q&A

Rick Clark, Kelly Mulville, TBA

You won’t want to miss the final discussion between a few of our presenters and hosted by Sarah Day Levesque. These talented speakers and practitioners will connect on a peer-to-peer level, disagree on the finer points, share personal anecdotes about what they’ve learned in their career, and engage with the audience in a thoughtful question-and-answer session. You will walk away feeling confident in your decision to move in a positive direction down the soil health management spectrum. Subject to change.

4:25 p.m. –
4:30 p.m

Closing Comments