Kingston hosting Ecological Farmers Conference

Nov 29, 2016

Event takes place Nov. 30 to Dec. 2

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

More than 250 people are expected to attend the 3^rd Annual Ecological Farmers of Ontario Conference, taking place in Kingston, Ont. from Wednesday, Nov. 30 to Friday, Dec. 2.

The conference’s theme is building resilient and sustainable farms while facing climate change and other agricultural challenges.

Over the three-day conference, farmers can take advantage of more than 30 information sessions on a variety of topics, including field crops, low-till vegetables, mob grazing and local food infrastructure.

In addition to the information sessions, a number of guest speakers will be on hand to share their expertise and experiences with farmers.

Speakers include Bruno Fallodor, a biodynamic compost expert from New York, and Paula Anderson, a Peterborough-area farmer and professor with Trent University’s Indigenous Environmental Studies Program.

Anderson’s presentation will focus on the history of placing farming systems over food systems that First Nations people have cultivated.

Organizers say the event allows farmers to discuss a wide range of issues related to agriculture.

“This event brings farmers together to navigate tough questions and issues. Not only is it practical and cutting-edge farmer training, it also provides unique opportunities for community building and examination of issues facing the ecological agricultural movement across Ontario,” Angie Koch, board president of Ecological Farmers of Ontario, said on the organization’s website.

“These farmers encounter the effects of climate change every day, and are constantly engaged with the development of creative mitigation strategies to work towards a sustainable future.”

Farmers interested in attending the conference are required to register.

Video: Cleaning Sheep Barns & Setting Up Chutes

Indoor sheep farming in winter at pre-lambing time requires that, at Ewetopia Farms, we need to clean out the barns and manure in order to keep the sheep pens clean, dry and fresh for the pregnant ewes to stay healthy while indoors in confinement. In today’s vlog, we put fresh bedding into all of the barns and we remove manure from the first groups of ewes due to lamb so that they are all ready for lambs being born in the next few days. Also, in preparation for lambing, we moved one of the sorting chutes to the Coveralls with the replacement ewe lambs. This allows us to do sorting and vaccines more easily with them while the barnyard is snow covered and hard to move sheep safely around in. Additionally, it frees up space for the second groups of pregnant ewes where the chute was initially.