Fields Without Fences at NOFA NJ Winter Conference
/Post Conference Update:
The spirit of collaboration and exchange was alive and well at this weekend’s NOFA NJ Winter Conference! Snap shot of our merry band of permaculture panelists. As promised, *lively* conversation ensued, good times were had by all ;)
(Pictured left to right: Johann Rinkens, Mark Shepard, Andrew Faust, Lindsay Napolitano, Michael Judd)
Will we be seeing you at this weekend's Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey Winter Conference?
Fields Without Fences will be there participating in what will likely be a rousing panel discussion with esteemed permaculture practitioners Andrew Faust, Mark Shepard, & Michael Judd at 3:15pm on Saturday!
Still time to sign up!
Full event description:
NOFA-NJ 2018 Winter Conference
Framing Regenerative Agriculture: What Do We Mean & What Is To Be Done?
Panel Participants: Andrew Faust, Michael Judd, Lindsay Napolitano, & Mark Shepard
Moderator: Johann Rinkens
What is regenerative agriculture and how can it address many of the environmental and economic problems we currently face? Join esteemed permaculture practitioners Andrew Faust, Michael Judd, Lindsay Napolitano, and Mark Shepard in conversation with moderator Johann Rinkens as we engage in a discussion surrounding the in and outs of regenerative agriculture; what does it mean to be “regenerative,” what practices can we employ at both a home and farm scale, and how does our relationship to our environment impact our way of seeing and acting in the world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The term “regenerative agriculture” first came into use at Rodale Institute in the 1980s and was initially presented as a way to move beyond “sustainability” and the limits that word places on language and actions. Slowly drifting into the agricultural milieu without much fanfare, the focus on regenerative agriculture receded into the landscape, narrowly maintaining a place within the permaculture movement throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. It is only now returning to mainstream organic agriculture dialogue thirty five years after the initial seed of the idea was sown. Regenerative agriculture is now embraced by the likes of the World Bank and United Nations, and once again asks how can we go beyond sustainability and use agriculture as a regenerative vehicle for our landscapes and economies. What is agriculture? What is its role beyond feeding populations? Can it be leveraged in a systemized way to do the work of widespread ecological regeneration? This discussion calls into question what the primary role of agriculture is in light of its consumption of large swathes of land, its focal point within policy initiatives, and its basis as the source of many of our material needs. Can a permaculture approach to regenerative agriculture imply a continuity of thought linking its early proponents to the current resurgence of interest in regeneration, resiliency, carbon sequestration, and restorative economies?
Andrew Faust is a permaculture designer and educator with the Center for Bioregional Living based in Ellenville, NY. He often teaches in New York City and offers consultations in permaculture design and natural building. Michael Judd is a designer and natural builder with Ecologia, Edible and Ecological Designs and author of Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist. He makes his home at Long Creek Homestead in Frederick, MD. Lindsay Napolitano is a farmer, herbalist, and permaculture consultant with Fields Without Fences based in Frenchtown, NJ. Mark Shepard is a farmer, author, and consulting agroforester with New Forest Farm, Forest Ag Enterprises, and Restoration Agriculture Development. He is also the author of Restoration Agriculture: Real World Permaculture for Farmers.
