It’s already September, and we’re pretty sure we’re not alone in being amazed that 2021 is going by so quickly! Luckily, there is still plenty of time and there are still plenty of opportunities to continue your education in eco-agriculture practices with Acres U.S.A.
Here are 4 ways you can continue your education in eco-agriculture, with variety in regards to time commitment, cost and access.
1 – Attend the Eco-Ag Conference this December
The annual Acres U.S.A. Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show is entering its 46th year as a leading event for those seeking tools and resources for ecological farming. Ask anyone who has been and they can tell you its impact – from the high-level agricultural knowledge to the strength of the networking communities it forms.
The conference offers a number of ways to learn, including:
- All-day Eco-Ag U workshops, going in-depth on one subject with respected experts in the field. This year’s instructors include John Kempf and Nicole Masters. See all of our instructors and learn more here.
- Regular conference sessions, which last about an hour each, also taught by amazing experts such as Rick Clark, Judith McGeary, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin and many more. Learn more here.
- The Trade Show. Exhibitors are an extremely valued extension of the in-depth content at the Eco-Ag Conference. Walk the Trade Show floor to speak with industry experts about the ins and outs of eco-farming. You can find our growing list of exhibiting sponsors here.
- Free Barn2Door Workshop. On Dec. 7th, take part in the amazing free workshop – Go to Market! Best Practices from the Top 100 Farms – presented by Barn2Door. Learn more here, then sign up here.
The 2021 Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show will take place Dec. 6-9, in person, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Learn more here, and sign up to register here.
2 – Expand your eco-ag library
The Acres U.S.A. Bookstore contains hundreds of titles on topics ranging across eco-agriculture. And we’re getting more books in all the time! Keep an eye on our New Titles Collection for the latest books on farming, sustainable systems, food, livestock and more.
Acres U.S.A. also publishes books, and you can find eco-farming classics (such as Eco-Farm, written by Acres U.S.A. founder Charles Walters) right beside new titles (such as A New Farm Language, just published in the spring of 2021). Check out the Acres U.S.A. Published Collection here.
The best way to become familiar with our books, new and old, is to sign up for the Book of the Week newsletter. We deliver weekly deals and free excerpts straight to your inbox. It’s the best way to expand your eco-ag library!
3 – Learn at your own pace online
Take the stress of travel and a hand-line schedule out of your education, and sign up for one of our Eco-Ag U Online courses! Tap into the knowledge of eco-agriculture’s top farmers, ranchers, scientists and consultants from your own home. All classes are designed by expert agronomists and professional farmers, and curated by the educational experts at Acres U.S.A.
Popular courses include Practical Permaculture and Agroforestry for Farmers by permaculture expert Mark Shepard, and Biological Farming: Develop a High Yield Crop Production System by the father of biological farming himself, Gary Zimmer. We even have short courses available, so you can try out a topic before buying into the full course.
Our newest course is the 2021 Healthy Soil Summit Replay, which features presentations by Rick Clark, Dan Kittredge, Mimi Casteel and more! You’ll find more event replays for Healthy Soil Summit, Advancing Hemp and Eco-Ag Conference available as well.
Check out Eco-Ag U Online today!
4 – Listen while you work (or walk or wait)
If you’re not listening to the Tractor Time podcast, then you’re missing out! With two episodes per month in 2021 – plus two years’ worth of episodes before that – Tractor Time podcast brings you in-depth interviews with eco-agriculture farmers and experts from around the world.
Some of our most popular episodes include:
- Episode 50: Dr. Vandana Shiva on the Toxic Cartels
- Episode 37: Dr. Zach Bush on Glyphosate, Farming and Human Health
- Episode 25: Fred Provenza, Author and Animal Behavior Expert (An exciting note: Fred Provenza is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming 2021 Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show)
You can subscribe to Tractor Time podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Additionally, we have just launched a new 3-part podcast series in partnership with FarmTogether, an investment company focused on sustainability. The goal of the FarmTogether Investing Podcast is to help you understand how farmland can be an investment tool, and how it can help support sustainability and the regenerative farming movement.
