Conference
Agenda &
Speakers
Sunday, February 7
On-Site Registration 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Pre-Conference Mixer 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Includes screening of Food for Thought, Food for Life, directed by Susan Rockefeller, an engaging and
informative call-to-action film that inspires us to think differently about what we eat, and to make changes
that will positively impact our health, our environment, and our communities.
Monday, February 8
On-Site Registration
8:00am – 5:00pm
Welcome & Conference Overview 9:00am – 9:15am
Opening Panel: Why Does Food Quality Demand Our Attention? 9:15am – 10:15am
How is fresh fruit & vegetable quality defined in the U.S.? And what are the obstacles to improving our food?
Our opening panel will include perspectives from a farmer, a chef, a hospital food systems specialist, an
agriculture extension specialist and a produce supply chain expert to frame our conference dialog.
Panelists: Derek Christianson, Brix Bounty Farms; Chef Peter Davis, Henrietta's Table; Marydale DeBor, Fresh
Advantage; Matthew Kleinhenz, Ohio State University and Eben Kennedy, Wegmans Food Markets.
Facilitated by Craftsmanship Magazine Founder & Publisher Todd Oppenheimer.
Break 10:15am – 10:30am
Morning Plenary Session: The Pre-Harvest Quality Equation 10:30am – 12:00pm
Crop genetics, agronomic practices and environmental factors all influence the quality of fresh food before it
is ever harvested. This 3-part session illuminates how these factors impact quality and highlights approaches
that hold promise to restore nutrition and flavor.
o Food Quality by Genetics (30 min.) How has breeding for yield and the supply chain impacted flavor and
nutrition, and how are breeders and geneticists innovating to restore them?
Speaker: Phil Simon, PhD, USDA-ARS, University of Wisconsin
o Food Quality by Management (30 min.) This talk will describe the role agronomic practices play in crop
quality, contrasting intensive, sustainable and regenerative management practices.
Speaker: Jill Clapperton, PhD, Principal Scientist and Co-founder, Rhizoterra, Inc.
o Food Quality by Environment (30 min.) Recent climactic and environmental changes are impacting water
availability, soil fertility, erosion, greenhouse gas emissions and emerging pest & pathogen concerns. This
talk describes approaches to build agricultural resilience in the face of them.
Speaker: Laura Lengnick, PhD, Author of “Resilient Agriculture”
Lunch Break
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Workshops 1 1:30pm – 2:25pm
(A) Building a Climate Resilience Plan for Your Farm, No Matter What Its Size. Speaker: Laura Lengnick, PhD
(B) Assessing Quality throughout the Season: Brix & Beyond! Speaker: Matt Kleinhenz, PhD, Ohio State Univ.
SN2016 Preliminary Program
Monday, February 8, continued
Workshops 2 2:30pm – 3:25pm
(A) How to Maximize Seed Quality and Vigor for Better Yields. Speaker: John Kempf, Founder & CEO,
Advancing Eco Agriculture
(B) Fostering Beneficial Soil Microbial Communities for Soil Fertility & Plant Growth. Speaker: Jill Clapperton,
PhD, Principal Scientist and Co-founder, Rhizoterra, Inc.
Break / Snacks & Coffee-Tea Service in the Forest Room
3:30 – 4:00pm
Workshops 3 4:00pm – 4:55pm
A) Proven Practices for No Till and Low-Till Vegetable Production. Speaker: Dan Kittredge, BFA
(B) Soil Health Metrics for the Biological Farmer: An Integrated Approach. Speaker: Carmen Ugarte, PhD,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Workshops 4 5:00pm – 5:55pm
(A) Be Your Own Soil Balancing Consultant: Soil Tests & Mineral Math. Speaker: David Forster, Agronomy
Consultant, Bionutrient Food Association
(B) Regenerative Biological Farming on a Shoestring Budget. Speaker: Will Bonsall, Farmer & Author
Break and Dinner in Kripalu Dining Hall 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Evening Keynote: Flavor as Nutritional Guide – What Your Body Knows that You Don’t!
Featuring Mark Schatzker, Author of “The Dorito Effect” 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Tuesday, February 9
On-Site Registration
8:00am – 10:00am
Morning Plenary: An Exploration of Phytochemicals & the Gut Microbiome 8:30–10:00am
o A Phytochemical Primer: Why They Matter & The Role of Agriculture (30 min.)
Plants provide a wealth of essential “phytonutrients” - many of which are associated with health benefits
but are not yet recommended by Dietary Guidelines. How are phytonutrients produced in plants and
what leads to their variability? And how can farmers increase these compounds in their crops?
Speaker: Joe Scheerens, PhD, Ohio State University
o
Thriving vs. Surviving: Phytonutrients as Currency for Human Health (30 min.)
This talk will explore the health science of phytochemicals, specifically: What are the benefits and
disadvantages of obtaining phytonutrients from plants rather than supplements? How can consumers
use nutrition as a preventative measure against disease states, and as a catalyst for optimal health?
Speaker: Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
o
Optimizing Nutrient Intake Through Cultivation of the Gut Microbiome (30 min.)
Only in the past decade has research provided insights into how gastrointestinal microbial communities
affect human health. This talk will look at prospects for optimizing our nutrient intake by establishing
favorable gut microbiota, an approach that parallels biological management in regenerative agriculture.
Speaker: Kathie Swift MS, RD, LDN, FAND
Break
10:00am – 10:15am
Workshops 5
10:15 – 11:10am
(A) Epigenetics and the Science of Nutrition and Lifestyle Change. Speaker: Mark C. Pettus MD, FACP,
Director of Medical Education, Wellness and Population Health, Berkshire Health Systems
(B) Prompting Plant Quality Changes through Soil Inoculation. Speaker: Kevin Panke-Buisse, PhD, Cornell
Conference Location: The Kripalu Center at 57 Interlaken Rd, Stockbridge, MA 01262
SN2016 Preliminary Program
Tuesday, February 9, continued
Workshops 6
11:15am – 12:10pm
(A) Biological Management of Orchards. Speaker: Linda Hoffman, Old Frog Pond Farm, Harvard MA
(B) Advanced Seed Saving: Biennialism & Pollination Control. Speaker: Will Bonsall, Farmer & Author
Lunch Break
12:10pm - 1:30pm
Afternoon Plenary 1:30 - 2:15pm
The Farmer as Healer: Local, High Quality Food as a Game Changer in Healthcare
Speaker: Marydale DeBor, JD, Founder & CEO, Fresh Advantage; Founder, Plow to Plate
Workshops 7
2:15 – 3:10pm
(A) Farming with Pollinators: Developing Habitat for Beneficial Insects.
Speaker: Charlotte Trim, Consultant and Orchardist.
(B) Maximizing Small-Area Production with “Crowding”: Intensive Beds, Companions, and 3-D Spacing.
Speaker: Will Bonsall, Farmer & Author
Break / Snacks & Coffee-Tea Service in the Forest Room
Workshops 8
3:10 – 3:40pm
3:40 – 4:35pm
(A) Mid-Season “Corrections”: A Guide to Foliar Spray Selection & Application.
Speaker: Derek Christianson, Brix Bounty Farms.
(B) Permaculture and Biological Farming Integration for Small Acreage Productivity.
Speaker: Jonathan Bates, with BFA Agronomy Consultant David Forster
Closing Plenary: Biological Management for Food Quality
4:40 – 5:30pm
Dan Kittredge, biological farmer, educator and BFA Executive Director explains an ecosystem-centric
approach to farming for crop quality, and integrates perspectives from our conference sessions.
Conference Location: The Kripalu Center at 57 Interlaken Rd, Stockbridge, MA 01262