Get the Dirt 2024

DIG IN and GET THE DIRT about soil health on small farms! This full-day event is for conservation and agricultural professionals* (ICP staff) who work with urban and small farmers, vegetable growers, and diversified farmers.

AGENDA:

Click here to download a printable .pdf agenda

8:00 – 8:30 am Networking & Coffee - visit the information booths

8:30 – 8:45 am Welcome

8:45 – 9:30 am Keynote 

Growing Community & Conservation in a Small Business 

Lali Hess Owner of The Juniper Spoon, Crawfordsville, IN 

Owner of The Juniper Spoon, a farm-to-table catering business, Lali brings more than 30 years of farming, cooking, and business experience to her craft. She will share her experiences with balancing sustainability, right livelihood, and business-ownership, while finding her niche in farm-to-table catering.

9:30 – 9:40 am BREAK

9:40 - 10:35 am Breakout Session 1

Invertebrate Soil Life, Dr. Stephanie Frischie Agronomist and Native Plant Materials Specialist at The Xerces Society OR Integrating Perennials, Jonas Carpenter Co-owner of Mavourneen Farm

10:35 - 11:30 am Breakout Session 2

Small Farm Agronomy, Kegan Hilaire Small & Diversified Farm Consultant & Organic Consultant at Rodale Institute OR Promoting Native and Beneficial Insects, Dr. Laura Ingwell Assistant Professor Horticulture Extension Entomology at Purdue University

11:30 – 12:30 pm LUNCH

Catered by The Juniper Spoon

12:30 – 1:25 pm Breakout Session 3

Organic Agriculture Session, Ashley Adair Organic Agriculture Specialist at Purdue Extension OR Regenerative Homesteading, Bree Ollier Natural Resources Conservationist at Hendricks Co. SWCD & farmer at Copper Cataract Homestead

1:30 – 2:30 pm Conservation Planning Case Study

Cara Bergschneider Urban and Small-Scale Conservationist at USDA-NRCS Kevin Allison Urban Soil Health Specialist at Marion Co SWCD Marian Rodriguez-Soto Urban Soil Health Specialist at Urban Soil Health Megan Ayers Urban Soil Health Specialist at Urban Soil Health & farmer at Unvarnished Farm This session will demonstrate the process of conservation planning on small farms.

2:30 – 3:00 pm Awards & Closing Remarks

3:30 – 5:30 pm Social Hour – Porter Farms

Learn about Porter Farms, a partnership between Indiana Farmer Veteran Coalition and Hendricks Co. SWCD established in 2019 as a working veteran farm and demonstration space. We will have appetizers and drinks. If you felt inspired by one of the sessions and want to continue the conversation, do so by joining us in the social hour.

*The primary audience is staff of Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP) organizations: conservation planners and field office staff of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Purdue Extension, and other ICP agencies. Growers are welcome to attend.