JOIN US FOR CFSA’S 25TH ANNUAL
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE

DECEMBER 3 – 5, 2010
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

Top 10 Reasons
to Attend this Year’s Sustainable Agriculture Conference

1. Location!
We are so pleased to be hosting SAC in Winston-Salem this year. We will be right downtown, a short walk to restaurants and brew pubs, and five minutes from beautiful Old Salem. We will also tour the wonderful farms around Winston-Salem!

2. The Keynote Speaker - Michael Shuman
The SAC theme this year is, “Local & Organic Arrives:  Our Opportunity is Now.”  Local and organic food is at a popularity level that we would have only dreamed of a few years ago.  How do we, as a movement, seize this opportunity and take it to the next level?   Our keynote this year, author,attorney, economist and entrepreneur Michael Shuman, will offer us compelling and provocative ideas about this important topic.

Michael is known as one of the nation's leading voices on "buy local" and serves asresearch and economic development director for the much-heralded BusinessAlliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).  His books, "The SmallmartRevolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition" and"Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age" have becomebibles of the "buy local" movement.  Not just calling for more localbuying, Michael is a thought leader in how we increase the supply oflocal goods -- a key issue for the local food movement today.  Recently,Michael has been focusing specifically on food and farming and will give usthe latest on Bay Friendly Chicken, a community-owned, eco-friendly poultryenterprise based in Maryland.  He helped start the company and is itsPresident. Using his experience with this and other community investmentprojects, Michael will offer concrete ideas on how we can use our localwealth to create businesses and support farms to reach a larger scale.  Andhe will talk about WalMart and the pros and cons of engaging with big boxretailers and the wholesale market.  Michael has been a regular commentatoron NPR and PBS news programs, and is a internationally-known lecturer andconsultant.  He is a graduate of Stanford University and Stanford LawSchool.  Don't miss this opportunity to hear this timely message from one ofthe brightest leaders in the local food and local economies world. 

For more information on Michael, go to www.smallmart.org. andwww.livingeconomies.org.

3. Great Speakers!
We will have a panel with key national and state leaders grappling with how we grow the movement beyond our niche impact. And an overview food and farm policy roundtable will get you up to speed on all the key issues.

4. Cutting Edge Workshops!
Julie Major from International Biochar Initiative in Montreal; Jim Adkins of the International Poultry Center; Diane Eggert of the Farmers’ Market Federation of NY; Chuck Mohler on weed control and crop rotation; David Orr on organic insect controls; soil expert Joel Gruver, and staff from Animal Welfare Approved on pastured hogs.  Plus, Carolina favorites: Tony Kleese, Tradd Cotter, Charlie Headington, Chuck Marsh, and Debbie Roos!   

5. There is Something For Everyone!
There really is something for everyone! For gardeners, we have experts like Chuck Marsh talking about permaculture and Bountiful Backyards staff about fruit trees.  For cooks, Greek chef Angelina Koulizakis-Battiste (Angelina’s Kitchen) will demonstrate how to cook with local meats and we will have a cool class on basic canning.  For community food activists, we will be showcasing community projects from around the Carolinas, including farm to school and county level farm planning and a special Carolina Food Policy update featuring food and farming experts.  There is a new track on Farmers’ Markets, a whole track for beginning farmers, another on how to make your farm business thrive, plus in-depth tracks on horticulture, soil fertility, livestock, and food safety.

6. Cheese Making!
A very special SAC offering this year is a five hour hands-on cheesemaking workshop at Goat Lady Dairy -- taught by master cheesemaker Steve Tate. This very affordable Friday session will sell out, so don’t delay.

7. Fun Friday Tours!
We’ve packed the Friday, Dec. 3 pre-conference with an amazing lineup of tours and workshops.  But, space is limited!  Register now to guarantee your spot for Cheesemaking with Goat Lady Dairy’s Steve Tate, the Vegetable Intensive Workshop with Alex Hitt of Peregrine Farm, the Poultry Mobile Workshop, intensives from Tradd Cotter and Joel Gruver  or the Food Policy Intensive led by our top regional food policy leaders.  And how about the one-of-a-kind tours of heirloom horticulture at Historic Old Salem, the new Edible Schoolyard Project in Greensboro, or local organic wineries?  Right now there are spaces available in all of these outstanding choices!  But, don’t wait – they’ll fill up fast!

8. More Networking!
The energy and excitement generated by the folks who attend our conference is one of the best reasons to attend. Tap into the heart of the local food movement. Catch up with old friends or meet new ones! We will have expanded time for networking and visiting the Exhibit Hall. Friday afternoon we will have a “Speed Networking” session for those who want to meet new people.

9. The Food!
And, of course, not to forget, all weekend long we will enjoy local and organic food coordinated by the talented and energetic chef, Kris Reid. Kris has been meeting with the hotel staff and they are ready to do the local-organic magic. Bring your appetite.

10. We've Kept Costs Down!
Our registration costs reflect our committment to create a gathering of all kinds of folks who are passionate about local, organic farming. We know that some of you do a lot with very little. And, so our conference costs haven't gone up for a few years now even though we've expanded conference offerings and keep bringing in more and more big names. There are also special discount rates for students, interns, and apprentices and work exchanges for folks who'd like to help out at the conference in exchange for a conference registration discount.

If you have questions about the conference, contact SAC organizer Fred Broadwell at fred@carolinafarmstewards.org. We look forward to seeing you in December!.

Check out last year's conference!