2016 Winter Conference
Thank you to all consumers and producers, speakers and vendors, who attended our 10th annual conference. It was a huge success with over 100 attendees. Check out what our conference was like for 2016, and anticipate what we will have in store for 2017!
10th Annual Food and Growers Conference
For Producers, Gardeners, and Consumers of Local Foods
Saturday February 6, 2016, Check in begins at 8:30 AM
Batesville Intermediate School, 707 Columbus Ave, Batesville IN 47006
$25 per person, $15 per additional person in same household.
Limited seating--Please RSVP by Feb 2 by emailing deanna_hookway@etczone.com or call 812-212-5432.
Program Director, Michele Colopy has nearly twenty years of experience in nonprofit organizations, and holds a Master's degree in Nonprofit Management/Arts Administration from the University of Akron. Her nonprofit experience includes work in the performing arts, housing and homelessness, foreclosure prevention, community development, and health and wellness. The Program Director also holds a B.S. in Recreation from Kent State University, and a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Akron. Ms. Colopy has worked with the Pollinator Stewardship Council since March 2013. Her father was a beekeeper in Ohio. She keeps honey bees in the city, and has replaced her crabgrass front yard with pesticide free pollinator flowers for her honey bees and native pollinators.
Mac Stone is a co-owner of Elmwood Stock Farm, the largest certified organic farm in Kentucky. His family organically farms 550 acres; over 60 acres are in vegetables. The family produces Certified Organic, beef, vegetables and small fruit, eggs, chicken, heritage turkeys (acclaimed by Cook's Illustrated) and tobacco. On-farm composting and pasture rotation has helped to reduce off-farm inputs for the 550 acre operation. Primary markets include a CSA farm share program, farmers markets, local restaurants, and retail store accounts. Mac administered the Kentucky Proud Program. Mac recently retired from Kentucky State University, administering a grant program for small scale farmers in Kentucky. Now he focuses on farming and marketing wholesome organic foods for the family farm, and working with non-profit agriculture and food organizations.
Cheryl Carter Jones is an Indiana farmer and a board member of the Local Growers' Guild, a cooperative of farmers, retailers and community members dedicated to strengthening the local food economy in central and southern Indiana through education, direct support and market connections. For more information on the guild, visit localgrowers.org.
Matt John is the Program Chair of the Agricultural program at Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, IN, where he started the Agricultural program at that campus. In addition, Matt also consults on several projects with farms and other organizations including Heifer International, ATTRA and various agricultural organizations and education institutions. Matt has spent a significant amount of time working with heritage poultry breeds and projects. He recently was one of the featured speakers at the Midwest Heritage Poultry Conference in Missouri and has raised and bred many varieties of poultry.
