Keynote talks: Darren Greenfield of (Weimar Institute Farm USA), will present the primary messages. These talks include:

It All Makes Sense  -  A look at how God designed gardening to benefit us.

Embracing the Curse  -  The cursed ground holds so many blessings. Satan does everything in his power to keep us from experiencing them.

For Such a Time as This - The relevance of agriculture now, and in the near future. 

Gardening by the Book  -  A Biblical approach to growing nutrient-dense food, as God changes our Characters in preparation for heaven. 

Cooperation vs Competition  -  Much counsel given for agriculture has been ignored, resulting in much loss. Is there hope of turning the tide this late in earth's history? 

Other keynotes by Jeremy Price (orchardist from WA) who will deliver two keynote talks, entitled Deep Ripping and My Heavenly Farm, while Sheldon Vincent will speak on The Proverbial Garden (see more details for Sheldon below in the Market Garden stream notes).

Session Titles

1: Awaken the Passion - There are many good reasons to grow fruit, I’ll show you why you should, and that now is the time to get into it. 

2: Dirt or Soil - Most people have no idea of the life that is right under their feet. You will meet "the team", and be shown how they can work for you (for virtually nothing).

3: Getting your hands dirty - There are many things to consider when establishing an orchard, so we will spend time here to make sure you get it right. 

4: Recipe for success - It doesn’t matter what you grow, you must follow a process, you will be given a proven formula that is easy to implement. 

5: Keeping in shape - Most home orchardists underestimate or misunderstand pruning and canopy management, so I am going to set the record straight and show you the right way. 

6: Keeping the nasties at bay - You don’t want to lose your precious crop to pests and disease. You will learn basic principles to ensure you will get to taste the work of your hands.

We are pleased to announce that this year's conference will include six sessions on Business Planning skills.  Loren Engelbrecht will be presenting these - Loren has over ten years experience as a Business Management and IT Consultant, so we are excited to be able to provide this option.   We think you will agree that too often we either overlook or misunderstand the importance of implementing sound business principles and skills when we are planning and even operating our own industries ... whether we are home gardeners with some flowers and bees, serious market garden or large acre farmers, or in the various industries that support agriculture.

These Business Planning sessions are designed for new and established businesses, covering these key areas:

1. Market research 
2. Marketing planning
3. Legal and risk management planning
4. Operational planning
5. Human resources planning 
6. Financial planning

So, bring along your business idea and we'll help you begin working through a 36-page Business Planning Template. 

Warning:  these workshops may be somewhat challenging and hard work, relevant only for people who are planning to start or run a small business.

But if you're prepared to put the work in during the sessions, you could walk away with the basis for your business plan!

Link to original source: https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/business-plan-template

Sheldon owns and operates a 100 acre vegetable farm in New Zealand and will be sharing his insight with us.

Sessions include:

1 My Journey On the Land - Blessings of growing up in the country. God’s protection and leading. A great place to grow kids. 

2 So You Want To Be a Grower? - What crops to grow and a myriad of other things you need to consider before you begin. Market, area needed, varieties, soil type, profitability, etc.

3 Seeds Don’t Grow in Packets - Production cycle, timing, continuity of supply, growing different crops in the same season. Managing the work load.

4 Work / Life Balance - Help! I’ve planted too much and I can’t bear to waste it! Stress management, holidays, stewardship, balance, Sabbath.

5 Living is Giving - What does success look like? Engaged children, nutrient dense food, co-operating with our Creator.

6 Question and answer panel with Darren, Rod and Sheldon.

Sheldon will also be taking one keynote session entitled The Proverbial Garden. A collection of proverbs relevant to agriculture and lessons we can take from them.

In our upcoming soils course I want to share a journey of discovery: “He who taught Adam and Eve in Eden how to tend the garden would instruct men today. There is wisdom for him who holds the plow and plants and sows the seed. The earth has its concealed treasures, and the Lord would have thousands and tens of thousands working upon the soil…” Adventist Home p. 143.1

             Do we know how to release this treasure? For most people that treasure remains concealed and their results are disappointing. But there is a good way to work the soil, and we need to go on a journey down deep to discover what our soil needs to be healthy.

By the end of this course we will reach an understanding about:

• The soil management ideologies that have risen and fallen through history
• An appreciation for the soil as a living thing and the laws that govern its health:
  • Air – If it's alive it must breathe!
  • Water – If it's alive it must drink!
  • Balanced Nutrition – the building blocks of a healthy system
  • Sunlight – the energy that drives the system
  • BioActive – the largest underground workforce that gets the job done
  • Rest & Rotation – Planning for sustainable soil health

We will discover how to restore our soils in the following ways:

• Reading the basic soil health indicators using a shovel - and answering the question: "what does my soil need?"
• Becoming confident with principles of ‘intelligent’ tillage – "Am I restoring or destroying by tilling?"
• Utilising tools for improving soil water for drought tolerance and strong growth
• Learning how to make the most of a soil test
• Planning how to feed the soil and the plant to achieve good quality, disease resistance and yield
• Learning nutrient budgeting basics – how to choose fertilisers and products
• Learning how to work with soil biology

This class is designed to be friendly for anyone who works the soil. The principles remain the same regardless of scale. Gardening and farming examples will be used. Attendees are welcome to bring any samples of soil, pictures and soil tests with them.

Session titles:

Country Living - a stream dedicated to practical sessions

Session 1 & 2 Tractor/Machinery Safety & Maintenance with John Higgins

Tractor/Machinery Safety & Maintenance 
Machinery is a near essential part of developing and maintaining a country property, and we need to know how to use it safely and how to keep it running. The key to avoiding much heartache and wasted money is preventative maintenance - knowing how to keep your new (or old!) pride and joy running like a well oiled machine. A basic knowledge of minor breakdowns and their simple repair can save a lot of money for the beginning (and long standing!) property owner.

John Higgins has been a tractor and machinery enthusiast for the last 60 plus years. After many years operating heavy machinery in quarrying, underground mining, tank/dam construction, airstrip building, clearing and truck driving, he began working for machinery dealerships, ultimately becoming Branch Manager in Coffs Harbour. After returning to his native NZ, John owned a business selling and servicing logging, construction, and agricultural machinery along with forklifts and irrigation equipment. In later years John specialised in operator training & licensing, and as an NZQA Assessor in the fields of forestry & construction equipment, forklifts, cranes, chainsaws and agricultural machinery. He currently lives near Beechwood NSW, and keeps his hands dirty and mind alert by helping out friends who can benefit from his skills and experience.

Session 6 Seed Saving  with Kerryn Martin

HOW TO SAVE SEED and Keep our Vegetable Heritage Alive 

93% of our vegetable varieties are now extinct.  In 2008 the top 10 seed companies accounted for two-thirds (67%) of the global prioprietory seed market. For the home grower, the practice of saving seed, once common place due to necessity, has now largely been replaced by our reliance on the seed companies.  We no longer hold the knowledge of how to save seed and keep it pure - it is simply easier to buy the packet of seeds from the store.  Learn about the absolute miracle of plant pollination and the basics of how to save your own seed in this practical and informative presentation.
Kerryn Martin is owner/grower of 'The Lost Seed' an Australia wide mail-order seed company which provides home growers and market gardeners with rare and heirloom vegetable seed and tubers etc.  She has a passion for not only keeping our vegetable heritage alive but also educating home growers on how to save their own seed - a knowledge and skill which is now almost forgotten.