April farm conference: the Healing Land

The country needs more farmers urgently. But with fewer than 1% of the people in the country checking the little box that says 'farmer' when they declare their profession on their income tax form, where do new farmers come from? And if our present national food production system has a few problems, where will the new farmers-in-training get corrective information?

There aren't many schools with programs for alternative agriculture, and there is no one-size-fits-all system for good land stewardship.

But it's not hopeless. Homesteading -- small farms for family food -- should be a big part of the answer, giving us clean, secure, local food supplies AND a natural incubation for ecologically-intelligent young farmers.

This is not a pipe dream, and here in eastern Ohio the evidence is all around us. Families on land in the country, with dairy cows and goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, and gardens, are springing up like morels in May. They're using good grazing practices to put fertility back in the soil; they're raising pasture-savvy animals that self-medicate using native plant species. They're eating the best food on the planet, and they are growing it themselves.

And you're invited to come watch. On Friday, April 1 there will be morning and afternoon tours offered on five local farmsteads; Saturday will be a full day of talks, panels, and live demonstrations. Space is limited to 300 attendees, so there will be lots of opportunity to ask questions. Farming is possible; farming is beautiful; you can farm.

Come to The Healing Land's April conference and see what we are talking about.