2018: Plan to attend the Healthy Farms Conference of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society. The dates for 2018 are February 9th and 10th and it will be held at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln.

Keynote:

Wes Jackson;   founder and president emeritus of The Land Institute, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kansas Wesleyan University, Salina; a master’s degree in botany from the University of Kansas, and a doctorate in genetics from North Carolina State University. He established and served as chair of one of the country’s first environmental studies programs at California State University-Sacramento and then returned to his native Kansas to found The Land Institute in 1976. He is the author of several books, including New Roots for Agriculture, Becoming Native to This Place, Consulting the Genius of the Place, and most recently Nature as Measure. Wes is widely recognized as a leader in the international movement for a more sustainable agriculture. He was a Pew Conservation Scholar in 1990, a MacArthur Fellow in 1992, and received the Right Livelihood Award in 2000. Life magazine included him as one of 18 individuals predicted to be among the 100 important Americans of the 20th century. Smithsonian in 2005 included him as one of “35 Who Made a Difference.”

Lodging- There are several options for lodging including 2 level suites. Make reservations at 1-866-706-7706, attendees will need to ask for Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society event rate. The hotel comes with numerous family friendly options and includes a pool and workout area. The hotel will also be providing a complimentary reservation link to the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society for online reservations, coming soon.

Sessions: This year’s agenda offers a number of breakout sessions with topics ranging from farm accounting to organic row cropping and holistic orchards to sustainable vegetable production. We will also once again have a full youth program with many of the presenters being youth and presenting on projects from their farms.

Fly Management

Cover Crops

Hops Production

Holistic Management Financial Planning

HM Biological Monitoring

Grazing Cover Crops

Estate Planning for Sustainable Farms and Ranches

Budgets for small farms including veggies, fruit and small livestock

Increasing Farm Productivity

Farm Accounting

Purchasing a Small Farm

Hugelkultur

Creating diverse habitats for native wildlife and farms to coexist

Exploring New Ideas In Sustainable Agriculture

Grazing Management

Writing Grants

Pastured Hog Production

Slow Meat; a Slow Food look at sustainable meat production

And more!

 The complete list will be available on our website and will be updated as they are confirmed!

About: The Healthy Farms Conference has been hosted by NSAS for over 40 years.  From Aurora to Grand Island and Nebraska City to Columbus, the conference has laid the framework for promoting sustainable agriculture and local foods in Nebraska and the Midwest. The Healthy Farms Conference features over 20 breakout sessions aimed at equipping farmers, aspiring farmers, foodies, and advocates to with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.  The conference also features several keynote sessions meant to inspire and motivate people to action, and that what they are doing and why they are doing it makes a difference. Together we can change the world one farmer, one eater at a time! The conference also provides support for current farmers by fostering growth and stability in sustainable farming methods, including organic agriculture and sustainable agriculture.  We do this by helping farmers to develop innovative ideas and projects that can impact their local communities and areas. A variety of interactive educational opportunities are available for adults and youth. Participants will have the chance to network with farmers, university faculty, and fellow agricultural colleagues. Besides providing informative, educational sessions the conferences has commercial and educational exhibits. The Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society has been hosting the Healthy Farms Conference for over 40 years.

Roundtable Discussions- We will once again be hosting the roundtable discussions on Saturday morning of the conference.  The format will be similar to last year, and we will set aside additional time for these discussions. Have a topic? Email William @ healthyfarms@gmail.com!

NSAS Annual Awards- Each year at the Healthy Farms Conference we recognize farmers, young/beginning farmers, chefs & organizations who are making a difference.  If you would like to nominate someone please email. Nominations should include a brief message as to why this person, farm, or group should be nominated. We request that nominations be received by December 1st.

Exhibitor/Sponsor Information- There are numerous ways to participate in the conference including exhibitor and sponsor opportunities.  If you are interested please email William at healthyfarms@gmail.com

All-Nebraska events & Food!
The first and original local foods event in Nebraska. A majority of the foods for the entire conference including all meals and breaks will be sourced from NSAS members, and from local sustainable farms.  We are creating a menu unique to the season and place and welcome farmers to provide input on what products they might have available at the time to feature at the conference!

The All-Nebraska Evening will consist of a local foods dinner, a live auction fundraiser and we’ll cap the evening with local musicians providing the entertainment. February 9th

Website- Check for complete details to be updated at, http://nebsusag.org/conference.shtml
Look for the official conference brochure later this month and December complete with registration instructions and how to register online.

The Healthy Farms Conference is the annual conference of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society.  

For information and to join please visit, NebSusAg.org