Speakers 2010
NOTE - MP3 and You Tube presentations are posted. Unfortunately, not all were recorded and some are incomplete. Scroll to the end of each speaker's bio to access PDF, MP3 or You Tube presentation.
Steve Apfelbaum - The Earth Partners and Applied Ecological Services, Inc. - Brodhead, Wisconsin
Steven I. Apfelbaum is among the most well-known leaders in the field of ecological system restoration, conservation development, and the restoration of hydrology in the world. He is founder of Applied Ecological Services (AES), a multi-million dollar international ecological restoration services company based in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Under his leadership, AES has implemented projects that include the international-awarded closure plans for the 2,400 acre Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island in New York that will be transformed into a new central park three times the size of the existing central park in Manhattan. Other major projects include the nationally acclaimed Prairie Crossings conservation development project in Grayslake, Illinois, which has been featured in over two hundred press articles in 2003-2004, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Conference Presentation: Restoring Natural Capital
PDF Size 2188KB
Apfelbaum Talk MP3
Dr. William Chameides, dean, Nicholas School of the Environment - Duke University, Durham, NC
Bill has combined more than 30 years in academia as a professor, researcher, teacher, and mentor with a 3-year stint in the NGO world as the chief scientist of the Environmental Defense Fund. He joined Duke as the Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment in 2007.
He is a:
Bill's research focuses on the atmospheric sciences, elucidating the causes of and remedies for global, regional, and urban environmental change and identifying pathways towards a more sustainable future. Specifically his research helped lay the groundwork for our understanding of the photochemistry of the lower atmosphere, elucidated the importance of nitrogen oxides emission controls in the mitigation of urban and regional photochemical smog, and the impact of regional environmental change on global food production.
Bill has served on numerous national and international committees and task forces and in recognition was named a National Associate of the National Academies for "extraordinary service." In November, 2008, Bill was appointed the Vice Chair of the Committee on America's Climate Choices,commissioned by Congress to develop a multi-decadal roadmap for America's response to climate change.
Bill blogs on The Green Grok, The Huffington Post, and the website for Scientific American, and is a guest blogger on the Popular Science Magazine's website.
Research Interests: global, regional, and urban-scale environmental change; causes, impacts, and paths toward sustainable development.
Conference Presentation: Sequestering Carbon for the Carbon Market: Doing it and Proving it
PDF Size 1592KB
Chameides MP3
Abe Collins, New Soil Matrix, Inc. - St. Albans, VT
Abe is a cattle grazer in St. Albans, VT, and the founder of New Soil Matrix, Inc.and New Soil Quantum, Inc. Abe is a co-founder of the Soil Carbon Coalition, which is sponsoring the Soil Carbon Challenge, a local/global contest to see how quickly land managers can accrue carbon in soils. Previously, he co-founded Carbon Farmers of America, a Vermont farmer-owned company that introduced the idea and practice of accelerated topsoil formation as a means of mitigating and adapting to climate change to many farmers and policy makers around the world. Abe's focus for the last 15 years has been studying and developing management tools to grow new topsoil as a means of achieving food, water and climate security and reversing desertification. He has carried that work through to New Soil Matrix to assist agricultural producers and policymakers to scale and monetize topsoil formation toward sustainably increasing production and cost-effectively meeting the environmental security priorities of our time.
Conference Presentation: Underground Economics: Making Markets to Solve Cities' Problems Through Soil Formation
PDF Size 1194KB
Abe Collins You Tube Part 1
Abe Collins You Tube Part 2
Abe Collins You Tube Part 3
Abe Collins You Tube Part 4
Abe Collins You Tube Part 5
Dr. Jeffrey Creque, agroecologist with the Marin Carbon Project - Petaluma, CA
AND
John Wick, rancher, director and steering committee member of the
Marin Carbon Project
John is co-owner with his wife, Peggy Rathmann, of the Nicasio Native Grass Ranch. His background is in construction project management. As Director of the Marin Carbon Project, Mr. Wick's role is to help launch the Marin Carbon Project and to plan, execute, and finalize projects according to deadlines and within budget. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of Steering Committee members, member organizations, volunteers, contractors, and consultants in order to deliver projects according to plan.
Creque & Wick Conference Presentation: Range Science and Range Management: Finding Common Ground
PDF Size 7274KB
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 1
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 2
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 3
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 4
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 5
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 6
Brock Dolman, director of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
Brock Dolman is a Sowing Circle Community member and the Director of OAEC's WATER Institute and Permaculture Design Program, and he co-directs our Wildlands Biodiversity Program. He co-instructs Basins of Relations and permaculture-related courses. Brock also co-manages the Center's biodiversity collection, orchards and 70 acres of wildlands. Living up to his specialized generalist nature, and rekindling the dwindling art of the peripatetic natural historian, his experience ranges from the study of wildlife biology, native California botany and watershed ecology, to the practice of habitat restoration, education about regenerative human settlement design, ethno-ecology, and ecological literacy activism towards societal transformation. Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
Conference Presentation: A Watershed Perspective
PDF Size 8235KB
Dolman MP3
Dr. Christine Jones, independent scientist - Australia
Dr Christine Jones is an internationally renowned and highly respected groundcover and soils ecologist. She has a wealth of experience working with innovative landholders to implement regenerative land management techniques that enhance biodiversity, increase biological activity, sequester carbon, activate soil nutrient cycles, restore water balance, improve productivity and create new topsoil. Christine has organised and participated in workshops, field days, seminars and conferences throughout Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the USA and has a strong publication and presentation record.
Christine received a Community Fellowship Award from Land and Water Australia in 2001. The LWA Community Fellowship Program was designed to `provide recognition to individuals with an outstanding track record in mobilising and inspiring the community to better manage their land, water and vegetation'
In March 2007, Christine launched the Australian Soil Carbon Accreditation Scheme, the first incentive payment scheme for soil carbon in the world - making Australia a leading nation in the recognition of soils as a verifiable carbon sink. The ASCAS project rewards landholders for adopting innovative techniques designed to sequester soil carbon and improve soil water holding capacity, thus reducing the atmospheric concentration of both carbon dioxide and water vapour, the two major greenhouse gases. Amazing Carbon Website
Keynote Address: Soil Building Through Microbial Pathways: Mechanisms for Soil Carbon Sequestration
PDF Size 10,222KB
Jones MP3
Greg Judy, rancher and 'mob-grazing' educator - Clark, MO
Greg and Jan Judy of Clark, Missouri run a grazing operation on 1400 acres of leased land that is made up from 11 farms. Greg and Jan went from near bankruptcy in 1999 to paying off a 200 acre farm and house in 3 years with custom grazing on leased land and are completely debt free. Today they own 3 farms and lease 8 farms. Holistic High Density Planned Grazing is used to graze cows, cow/calf pairs, bred heifers, horses, and stockers. They also own a 250 head grass genetic cow herd, 300 head hair sheep flock, goat herd, and graze Tamworth pigs. They have also started direct marketing grass-fed beef, lamb and pork. Their website is: greenpasturesfarm.net. Greg is absolutely convinced that there is no better way to get into the grazing business then to lease some fallow land, employ high density grazing and use other people's livestock to do it. Since switching from Management Intensive Grazing to Holistic High Density Grazing 3 years ago, the results have been breathtaking. The Judy's use no lime, no fertilizer, no seeding, no chemicals, no equipment. The Judy's focus solely on increasing animal density, trampling plants to form the litter bank, animal performance and long grass recovery periods between grazing. Plant diversity has exploded along with increased grass quantity each successive year combined with increased profit.
Greg wrote a book in 2001, entitled "NO RISK RANCHING, Custom Grazing On Leased Land", which gives a complete breakdown on the methods they used to build their operation from scratch. In 2008 Greg wrote a second book "COMEBACK FARMS, Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management". Greg's new book covers all the methods they use with Holistic High Density Grazing, multi-species grazing, grass finishing animals, eliminating costly inputs. Greg has given numerous talks and schools all over the United States on the benefits of Holistic High Density Planned Grazing, leasing land, multi-species grazing, custom grazing and wildlife management. The Judy's hold Holistic High Density Grazing Schools at their farms teaching the principles of HHDG. Greg does consultant work for other people interested in setting up HHDG grazing systems. Greg quit his off farm job of 30 years and is now a full time rancher. Green Pastures Farm
Conference Workshop Presentation: Mob Grazing Workshop
PDF Grazing Part 1 Size 7789KB
Judy Grazing Part 1 MP3
PDF Grazing Part 2 Size 324KB
Judy Grazing Part 2 MP3
Plenary Talk:Healing the World with Holistic High Density Grazing
PDF Size 6445KB
Judy Healing MP3
John Kamanga, coordinator of the South Rift Association of Land Owners - Kenya, Africa
SORALO is a land trust that brings together 15 group ranches to coordinate conservation, tourism and research in the South Rift Region in Kenya. John has wide range of experience in participatory development planning; training and management of community based projects; and small business development and training. He also has over 15 years experience working with community development projects in many parts of Kenya, specifically working on rangelands with pastoralist communities. John also spoke at the Quivira 2008 Conference.
Conference Presentation: Carbon and Conservation for Pastoral Communities
PDF Size 7825KB
Kamanga MP3
David R. Montgomery
David studies the evolution of topography and the influence of geomorphological processes on ecological systems and human societies. He received his B.S. in geology at Stanford University (1984) and his Ph.D. in geomorphology from UC Berkeley (1991). His published work includes studies of the evolution and near-extirpation of salmon, fluvial and hillslope processes in mountain drainage basins, the evolution of mountain ranges (Cascades, Andes, and Himalaya), and the analysis of digital topography. Current research includes field projects in the Philippines, eastern Tibet, and the Pacific Northwest of North America. In 2008 Montgomery received a MacArthur Fellowship.
His book, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations won the 2008 Washington State Book Award in General Nonfiction.
Conference Presentation: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations
PDF Size 17,475KB
Montgomery MP3
Jeff Moyer, farm manager/director - Rodale Institute - Kutztown, PA
Jeff has 34 years experience in farming operations, which involves all planted areas, research trials, production field, greenhouses, gardens and grounds. The Rodale Institute Farm is a Research and Education Facility located on 333 acres in Southeastern, Pennsylvania. As Farm Director, I have vast experience and knowledge regarding Organic farming, Agronomic crops, Vegetable production, Livestock production (diary and beef), Apples and Composting systems. Here is a list of projects I spearheaded, and currently an active member:
Conference Presentation: Organic Management Strategies to Improve Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration
PDF Size 3988KB
Moyer MP3
Dr. Constance Neely, consultant for land, livelihoods and climate change
Constance L. Neely is a senior consultant on land, livestock, livelihoods and climate change with a focus on small-holder, pastoral and sylvopastoral systems. In mid-2010, she also joins the CGIAR World Agroforestry Center in Nairobi part time as a program development facilitator. She has served as a facilitator for sustainable development, sustainable agriculture and rural development, and holistic, people-centred and multi-stakeholder approaches for the last 20 years. She holds a Ph.D. in agroecology, with an emphasis on conservation agriculture, and is a Certified International Facilitator and Holistic Management Educator. She served as the Vice President for Advocacy at Heifer International with an emphasis on food systems, gender and climate change. Before joining Heifer staff, she worked with Holistic Management International and Heifer International focusing on the nexus of land-livestock-livelihoods in light of climate change. Constance has served as a visiting expert and senior consultant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome over the last 12 years in participatory sustainable land management, sustainable agriculture and rural development, sustainable livelihoods, and a facilitator of electronic and face-to-face multi-stakeholder dialogues and global, regional and national strategic planning and training efforts on sustainable agriculture, land and water related topics. She has also served as a consultant to the World Bank, IFAD and the OECD. From 1992 until 2003, she was the Deputy Director of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM CRSP) funded through the USAID and working in Asia, Africa and Latin America. She is the past president and a current board member of the International Farming Systems Association and has served on the International Landcare Committee. She co-chairs the Global Livestock Working Group and the Grasslands Carbon Working Group. Constance is from Atlanta, Georgia and is a co-founder of Kalani Organica Coffees and Teas in Seattle, Washington and Hallowed Hawk Farms in Watkinsville, Georgia, USA.
Report Overview pdf
Full Report pdf
Conference Presentation: Livestock, Landscapes and Livelihoods: the Contribution of Global Grazinglands to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
PDF Size 4855KB
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 1
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 2
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 3
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 4
Nancy Ranney, Ranney Ranch Grassfed Beef - Corona, NM
The rugged mesa country along the Gallo Canyon south of Corona in central New Mexico is home to the Ranney Ranch, a cow-calf operation purchased in 1968 by George and Nancy Ranney. In 2002, George, Ed, David and Nancy Ranney, with the capable support of Melvin Johnson, long-time manager, took up a new challenge of caring for the long-term health of the land while responding to growing national demands for healthy, locally raised food, clean energy and sustainable solutions to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The family instituted a rotational grazing program on the ranch, began direct-marketing range-raised, grassfed beef from Ranney Ranch, and, along with neighboring Gallo Canyon ranchers, signed a contract with FirstWind to develop wind resources. We are currently working on carbon sequestration and biomass production feasibility studies for the area.
Nancy spent her childhood years on a farm in northern Illinois raising and showing horses and fell in love with New Mexico as a teen when her parents bought the Corona ranch. She has a master's degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from Harvard University and has worked for planning/design firms in central California. She is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and of the New Mexico Cattle Growers, is on the Board of Directors of the Quivira Coalition and is the current President of the Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA).
Conference Presentation: Working with Carbon: The Interplay of Range Management, Grassfed Beef, Wind and Biomass
PDF Size 14,160KB
Written Talk - PDF size 5,859 KB
Sara Scherr, EcoAgriculture Partners - Washington D.C.
Sara J. Scherr is an agricultural and natural resource economist whose career has focused on agricultural and forest policy in tropical developing countries. She is founder and President of Ecoagriculture Partners, an NGO that supports agricultural communities who manage landscapes both to increase production and incomes, and to enhance wild biodiversity and ecosystem services. She is a member of the United Nations Environment Program Advisory Panel on Food Security, the Policy Advisory Group for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Katoomba Group. She recently served on the Board of the World Agroforestry Centre and the United Nations Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger. She formerly held senior positions at Forest Trends, the University of Maryland, College Park, USA; the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C.; and the World Agroforestry Centre, in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Scherr received her B.A. in Economics at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in International Economics and Development at Cornell University. She has published over 37 articles in refereed journals and 13 books, including Ecoagriculture: Strategies to Feed the World and Save Wild Biodiversity (with Jeff McNeely), A New Agenda for Forest Conservation and Poverty Reduction: Making Markets Work for Low-Income Producers(with Andy White and David Kaimowitz),and Farming with Nature: The Science and Practice of Ecoagriculture (with Jeff McNeely).
Worldwatch Report 179
Conference Presentation: Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use
PDF Size 1303KB
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 1
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 2
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 3
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 4
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 5
Craig Sponholtz, Dryland Solutions, Inc. - Santa Fe, N.M.
Craig Sponholtz, founder and president of Dryland Solutions Inc., is a watershed restoration specialist and agro-ecologist currently residing in Santa Fe, NM. He spent a decade with the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico and Arizona working mostly in Wildland Fire Management. Craig studied Permaculture in Australia at Bill Mollison's Tagari Farm. In 2005 he received a Master of Arts degree in Agro-Ecological Restoration from Prescott College. As an undergrad Craig studied natural resource management as well as sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. His interest in the visual arts continues today and finds it's outlet in the rockwork he sculpts for stream restoration projects. He works throughout the southwest with private landowners, non-profits, tribes and government agencies. Craig has a passion for teaching and getting the word out. He leads workshops in erosion control and passive waterharvesting techniques that seek to give his students the skills and encouragement needed to go out and make a difference in their home watersheds.Dryland Solutions, Inc.
AND
Doug Weatherbee - Mexico
Doug Weatherbee firmly believes "sustainable agriculture is not enough, we must engage in ecosystem regenerative agriculture."
Based in Mexico, Doug is a Certified Soil Foodweb Advisor and owner of SoilDoctor.org. Consulting with small, medium and large scale farms and ranches in Latin America and the United States; he uses an applied soil microbiological (eco)systems approach to transform soils degraded by industrial chemical agriculture and even "conventional organic" farming, into regenerative microbiological agricultural systems. He teaches intensive biological agriculture workshops and gives presentations on soil microbiology. Though rooted in soil microbiological agriculture, Doug draws on multidisciplinary approaches including agroecology and agroforestry, Induced Meandering river and watershed restoration, Holistic Management, Keyline Design, and permaculture. Doug is cofounder of Fullbelly Farmers, a new not-for-profit that aims to bring the Soil Foodweb microbiological approach to smallholder subsistence farmers living in extreme poverty in the developing world. He is also a Certified Permaculture Designer and Educator.
Soil Doctor
Sponholtz & Weatherbee Conference Presentation: Bringing Life Back to Your Land: Moisture, Microbes, and Climate Change
PDF Size 13,739KB
Sponholtz - Weatherbee MP3
Craig Sponholtz You Tube
Steve Apfelbaum - The Earth Partners and Applied Ecological Services, Inc. - Brodhead, Wisconsin
Steven I. Apfelbaum is among the most well-known leaders in the field of ecological system restoration, conservation development, and the restoration of hydrology in the world. He is founder of Applied Ecological Services (AES), a multi-million dollar international ecological restoration services company based in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Under his leadership, AES has implemented projects that include the international-awarded closure plans for the 2,400 acre Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island in New York that will be transformed into a new central park three times the size of the existing central park in Manhattan. Other major projects include the nationally acclaimed Prairie Crossings conservation development project in Grayslake, Illinois, which has been featured in over two hundred press articles in 2003-2004, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
Conference Presentation: Restoring Natural Capital
PDF Size 2188KB
Apfelbaum Talk MP3
Dr. William Chameides, dean, Nicholas School of the Environment - Duke University, Durham, NC
Bill has combined more than 30 years in academia as a professor, researcher, teacher, and mentor with a 3-year stint in the NGO world as the chief scientist of the Environmental Defense Fund. He joined Duke as the Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment in 2007.
He is a:
- member of the National Academy of Sciences,
- fellow of the American Geophysical Union,
- recipient of the American Geophysical Union's MacElwane Award.
Bill's research focuses on the atmospheric sciences, elucidating the causes of and remedies for global, regional, and urban environmental change and identifying pathways towards a more sustainable future. Specifically his research helped lay the groundwork for our understanding of the photochemistry of the lower atmosphere, elucidated the importance of nitrogen oxides emission controls in the mitigation of urban and regional photochemical smog, and the impact of regional environmental change on global food production.
Bill has served on numerous national and international committees and task forces and in recognition was named a National Associate of the National Academies for "extraordinary service." In November, 2008, Bill was appointed the Vice Chair of the Committee on America's Climate Choices,commissioned by Congress to develop a multi-decadal roadmap for America's response to climate change.
Bill blogs on The Green Grok, The Huffington Post, and the website for Scientific American, and is a guest blogger on the Popular Science Magazine's website.
Research Interests: global, regional, and urban-scale environmental change; causes, impacts, and paths toward sustainable development.
Conference Presentation: Sequestering Carbon for the Carbon Market: Doing it and Proving it
PDF Size 1592KB
Chameides MP3
Abe Collins, New Soil Matrix, Inc. - St. Albans, VT
Abe is a cattle grazer in St. Albans, VT, and the founder of New Soil Matrix, Inc.and New Soil Quantum, Inc. Abe is a co-founder of the Soil Carbon Coalition, which is sponsoring the Soil Carbon Challenge, a local/global contest to see how quickly land managers can accrue carbon in soils. Previously, he co-founded Carbon Farmers of America, a Vermont farmer-owned company that introduced the idea and practice of accelerated topsoil formation as a means of mitigating and adapting to climate change to many farmers and policy makers around the world. Abe's focus for the last 15 years has been studying and developing management tools to grow new topsoil as a means of achieving food, water and climate security and reversing desertification. He has carried that work through to New Soil Matrix to assist agricultural producers and policymakers to scale and monetize topsoil formation toward sustainably increasing production and cost-effectively meeting the environmental security priorities of our time.
Conference Presentation: Underground Economics: Making Markets to Solve Cities' Problems Through Soil Formation
PDF Size 1194KB
Abe Collins You Tube Part 1
Abe Collins You Tube Part 2
Abe Collins You Tube Part 3
Abe Collins You Tube Part 4
Abe Collins You Tube Part 5
Dr. Jeffrey Creque, agroecologist with the Marin Carbon Project - Petaluma, CA
AND
John Wick, rancher, director and steering committee member of the
Marin Carbon Project
John is co-owner with his wife, Peggy Rathmann, of the Nicasio Native Grass Ranch. His background is in construction project management. As Director of the Marin Carbon Project, Mr. Wick's role is to help launch the Marin Carbon Project and to plan, execute, and finalize projects according to deadlines and within budget. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of Steering Committee members, member organizations, volunteers, contractors, and consultants in order to deliver projects according to plan.
Creque & Wick Conference Presentation: Range Science and Range Management: Finding Common Ground
PDF Size 7274KB
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 1
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 2
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 3
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 4
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 5
Jeffrey Creque & John Wick You Tube Part 6
Brock Dolman, director of the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
Brock Dolman is a Sowing Circle Community member and the Director of OAEC's WATER Institute and Permaculture Design Program, and he co-directs our Wildlands Biodiversity Program. He co-instructs Basins of Relations and permaculture-related courses. Brock also co-manages the Center's biodiversity collection, orchards and 70 acres of wildlands. Living up to his specialized generalist nature, and rekindling the dwindling art of the peripatetic natural historian, his experience ranges from the study of wildlife biology, native California botany and watershed ecology, to the practice of habitat restoration, education about regenerative human settlement design, ethno-ecology, and ecological literacy activism towards societal transformation. Occidental Arts & Ecology Center
Conference Presentation: A Watershed Perspective
PDF Size 8235KB
Dolman MP3
Dr. Christine Jones, independent scientist - Australia
Dr Christine Jones is an internationally renowned and highly respected groundcover and soils ecologist. She has a wealth of experience working with innovative landholders to implement regenerative land management techniques that enhance biodiversity, increase biological activity, sequester carbon, activate soil nutrient cycles, restore water balance, improve productivity and create new topsoil. Christine has organised and participated in workshops, field days, seminars and conferences throughout Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the USA and has a strong publication and presentation record.
Christine received a Community Fellowship Award from Land and Water Australia in 2001. The LWA Community Fellowship Program was designed to `provide recognition to individuals with an outstanding track record in mobilising and inspiring the community to better manage their land, water and vegetation'
In March 2007, Christine launched the Australian Soil Carbon Accreditation Scheme, the first incentive payment scheme for soil carbon in the world - making Australia a leading nation in the recognition of soils as a verifiable carbon sink. The ASCAS project rewards landholders for adopting innovative techniques designed to sequester soil carbon and improve soil water holding capacity, thus reducing the atmospheric concentration of both carbon dioxide and water vapour, the two major greenhouse gases. Amazing Carbon Website
Keynote Address: Soil Building Through Microbial Pathways: Mechanisms for Soil Carbon Sequestration
PDF Size 10,222KB
Jones MP3
Greg Judy, rancher and 'mob-grazing' educator - Clark, MO
Greg and Jan Judy of Clark, Missouri run a grazing operation on 1400 acres of leased land that is made up from 11 farms. Greg and Jan went from near bankruptcy in 1999 to paying off a 200 acre farm and house in 3 years with custom grazing on leased land and are completely debt free. Today they own 3 farms and lease 8 farms. Holistic High Density Planned Grazing is used to graze cows, cow/calf pairs, bred heifers, horses, and stockers. They also own a 250 head grass genetic cow herd, 300 head hair sheep flock, goat herd, and graze Tamworth pigs. They have also started direct marketing grass-fed beef, lamb and pork. Their website is: greenpasturesfarm.net. Greg is absolutely convinced that there is no better way to get into the grazing business then to lease some fallow land, employ high density grazing and use other people's livestock to do it. Since switching from Management Intensive Grazing to Holistic High Density Grazing 3 years ago, the results have been breathtaking. The Judy's use no lime, no fertilizer, no seeding, no chemicals, no equipment. The Judy's focus solely on increasing animal density, trampling plants to form the litter bank, animal performance and long grass recovery periods between grazing. Plant diversity has exploded along with increased grass quantity each successive year combined with increased profit.
Greg wrote a book in 2001, entitled "NO RISK RANCHING, Custom Grazing On Leased Land", which gives a complete breakdown on the methods they used to build their operation from scratch. In 2008 Greg wrote a second book "COMEBACK FARMS, Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management". Greg's new book covers all the methods they use with Holistic High Density Grazing, multi-species grazing, grass finishing animals, eliminating costly inputs. Greg has given numerous talks and schools all over the United States on the benefits of Holistic High Density Planned Grazing, leasing land, multi-species grazing, custom grazing and wildlife management. The Judy's hold Holistic High Density Grazing Schools at their farms teaching the principles of HHDG. Greg does consultant work for other people interested in setting up HHDG grazing systems. Greg quit his off farm job of 30 years and is now a full time rancher. Green Pastures Farm
Conference Workshop Presentation: Mob Grazing Workshop
PDF Grazing Part 1 Size 7789KB
Judy Grazing Part 1 MP3
PDF Grazing Part 2 Size 324KB
Judy Grazing Part 2 MP3
Plenary Talk:Healing the World with Holistic High Density Grazing
PDF Size 6445KB
Judy Healing MP3
John Kamanga, coordinator of the South Rift Association of Land Owners - Kenya, Africa
SORALO is a land trust that brings together 15 group ranches to coordinate conservation, tourism and research in the South Rift Region in Kenya. John has wide range of experience in participatory development planning; training and management of community based projects; and small business development and training. He also has over 15 years experience working with community development projects in many parts of Kenya, specifically working on rangelands with pastoralist communities. John also spoke at the Quivira 2008 Conference.
Conference Presentation: Carbon and Conservation for Pastoral Communities
PDF Size 7825KB
Kamanga MP3
David R. Montgomery
David studies the evolution of topography and the influence of geomorphological processes on ecological systems and human societies. He received his B.S. in geology at Stanford University (1984) and his Ph.D. in geomorphology from UC Berkeley (1991). His published work includes studies of the evolution and near-extirpation of salmon, fluvial and hillslope processes in mountain drainage basins, the evolution of mountain ranges (Cascades, Andes, and Himalaya), and the analysis of digital topography. Current research includes field projects in the Philippines, eastern Tibet, and the Pacific Northwest of North America. In 2008 Montgomery received a MacArthur Fellowship.
His book, Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations won the 2008 Washington State Book Award in General Nonfiction.
Conference Presentation: Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations
PDF Size 17,475KB
Montgomery MP3
Jeff Moyer, farm manager/director - Rodale Institute - Kutztown, PA
Jeff has 34 years experience in farming operations, which involves all planted areas, research trials, production field, greenhouses, gardens and grounds. The Rodale Institute Farm is a Research and Education Facility located on 333 acres in Southeastern, Pennsylvania. As Farm Director, I have vast experience and knowledge regarding Organic farming, Agronomic crops, Vegetable production, Livestock production (diary and beef), Apples and Composting systems. Here is a list of projects I spearheaded, and currently an active member:
- Provided the media with a reliable source and perspective for information on the current agricultural issues.
- Project Leader on the highly acclaimed Biological NO-Till project, where cover crop systems and specialized rolling equipment are being developed to facilitate No-Till planting systems with herbicides.
- Past Chairman of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) and current Board Member
- Assisted in writing the National Compost Standards, Pasture Regulations, Aquaculture Standards for fish production and Organic seed use document
- Committee member for the Leonardo Academy's (ANSI) for Sustainable Ag
- Speaker at farming seminars and workshops nationally and around the world.
- Production and Research expertise in crop production, livestock production (beef), greenhouse management, compost systems and cover crop management.Rodale Instiute
Conference Presentation: Organic Management Strategies to Improve Soil Health and Carbon Sequestration
PDF Size 3988KB
Moyer MP3
Dr. Constance Neely, consultant for land, livelihoods and climate change
Constance L. Neely is a senior consultant on land, livestock, livelihoods and climate change with a focus on small-holder, pastoral and sylvopastoral systems. In mid-2010, she also joins the CGIAR World Agroforestry Center in Nairobi part time as a program development facilitator. She has served as a facilitator for sustainable development, sustainable agriculture and rural development, and holistic, people-centred and multi-stakeholder approaches for the last 20 years. She holds a Ph.D. in agroecology, with an emphasis on conservation agriculture, and is a Certified International Facilitator and Holistic Management Educator. She served as the Vice President for Advocacy at Heifer International with an emphasis on food systems, gender and climate change. Before joining Heifer staff, she worked with Holistic Management International and Heifer International focusing on the nexus of land-livestock-livelihoods in light of climate change. Constance has served as a visiting expert and senior consultant to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome over the last 12 years in participatory sustainable land management, sustainable agriculture and rural development, sustainable livelihoods, and a facilitator of electronic and face-to-face multi-stakeholder dialogues and global, regional and national strategic planning and training efforts on sustainable agriculture, land and water related topics. She has also served as a consultant to the World Bank, IFAD and the OECD. From 1992 until 2003, she was the Deputy Director of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM CRSP) funded through the USAID and working in Asia, Africa and Latin America. She is the past president and a current board member of the International Farming Systems Association and has served on the International Landcare Committee. She co-chairs the Global Livestock Working Group and the Grasslands Carbon Working Group. Constance is from Atlanta, Georgia and is a co-founder of Kalani Organica Coffees and Teas in Seattle, Washington and Hallowed Hawk Farms in Watkinsville, Georgia, USA.
Report Overview pdf
Full Report pdf
Conference Presentation: Livestock, Landscapes and Livelihoods: the Contribution of Global Grazinglands to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
PDF Size 4855KB
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 1
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 2
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 3
Dr. Constance Neely You Tube Part 4
Nancy Ranney, Ranney Ranch Grassfed Beef - Corona, NM
The rugged mesa country along the Gallo Canyon south of Corona in central New Mexico is home to the Ranney Ranch, a cow-calf operation purchased in 1968 by George and Nancy Ranney. In 2002, George, Ed, David and Nancy Ranney, with the capable support of Melvin Johnson, long-time manager, took up a new challenge of caring for the long-term health of the land while responding to growing national demands for healthy, locally raised food, clean energy and sustainable solutions to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The family instituted a rotational grazing program on the ranch, began direct-marketing range-raised, grassfed beef from Ranney Ranch, and, along with neighboring Gallo Canyon ranchers, signed a contract with FirstWind to develop wind resources. We are currently working on carbon sequestration and biomass production feasibility studies for the area.
Nancy spent her childhood years on a farm in northern Illinois raising and showing horses and fell in love with New Mexico as a teen when her parents bought the Corona ranch. She has a master's degree in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning from Harvard University and has worked for planning/design firms in central California. She is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and of the New Mexico Cattle Growers, is on the Board of Directors of the Quivira Coalition and is the current President of the Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA).
Conference Presentation: Working with Carbon: The Interplay of Range Management, Grassfed Beef, Wind and Biomass
PDF Size 14,160KB
Written Talk - PDF size 5,859 KB
Sara Scherr, EcoAgriculture Partners - Washington D.C.
Sara J. Scherr is an agricultural and natural resource economist whose career has focused on agricultural and forest policy in tropical developing countries. She is founder and President of Ecoagriculture Partners, an NGO that supports agricultural communities who manage landscapes both to increase production and incomes, and to enhance wild biodiversity and ecosystem services. She is a member of the United Nations Environment Program Advisory Panel on Food Security, the Policy Advisory Group for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Katoomba Group. She recently served on the Board of the World Agroforestry Centre and the United Nations Millennium Project Task Force on Hunger. She formerly held senior positions at Forest Trends, the University of Maryland, College Park, USA; the International Food Policy Research Institute in Washington, D.C.; and the World Agroforestry Centre, in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Scherr received her B.A. in Economics at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in International Economics and Development at Cornell University. She has published over 37 articles in refereed journals and 13 books, including Ecoagriculture: Strategies to Feed the World and Save Wild Biodiversity (with Jeff McNeely), A New Agenda for Forest Conservation and Poverty Reduction: Making Markets Work for Low-Income Producers(with Andy White and David Kaimowitz),and Farming with Nature: The Science and Practice of Ecoagriculture (with Jeff McNeely).
Worldwatch Report 179
Conference Presentation: Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use
PDF Size 1303KB
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 1
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 2
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 3
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 4
Sara Scherr You Tube Part 5
Craig Sponholtz, Dryland Solutions, Inc. - Santa Fe, N.M.
Craig Sponholtz, founder and president of Dryland Solutions Inc., is a watershed restoration specialist and agro-ecologist currently residing in Santa Fe, NM. He spent a decade with the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico and Arizona working mostly in Wildland Fire Management. Craig studied Permaculture in Australia at Bill Mollison's Tagari Farm. In 2005 he received a Master of Arts degree in Agro-Ecological Restoration from Prescott College. As an undergrad Craig studied natural resource management as well as sculpture, printmaking and ceramics. His interest in the visual arts continues today and finds it's outlet in the rockwork he sculpts for stream restoration projects. He works throughout the southwest with private landowners, non-profits, tribes and government agencies. Craig has a passion for teaching and getting the word out. He leads workshops in erosion control and passive waterharvesting techniques that seek to give his students the skills and encouragement needed to go out and make a difference in their home watersheds.Dryland Solutions, Inc.
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Doug Weatherbee - Mexico
Doug Weatherbee firmly believes "sustainable agriculture is not enough, we must engage in ecosystem regenerative agriculture."
Based in Mexico, Doug is a Certified Soil Foodweb Advisor and owner of SoilDoctor.org. Consulting with small, medium and large scale farms and ranches in Latin America and the United States; he uses an applied soil microbiological (eco)systems approach to transform soils degraded by industrial chemical agriculture and even "conventional organic" farming, into regenerative microbiological agricultural systems. He teaches intensive biological agriculture workshops and gives presentations on soil microbiology. Though rooted in soil microbiological agriculture, Doug draws on multidisciplinary approaches including agroecology and agroforestry, Induced Meandering river and watershed restoration, Holistic Management, Keyline Design, and permaculture. Doug is cofounder of Fullbelly Farmers, a new not-for-profit that aims to bring the Soil Foodweb microbiological approach to smallholder subsistence farmers living in extreme poverty in the developing world. He is also a Certified Permaculture Designer and Educator.
Soil Doctor
Sponholtz & Weatherbee Conference Presentation: Bringing Life Back to Your Land: Moisture, Microbes, and Climate Change
PDF Size 13,739KB
Sponholtz - Weatherbee MP3
Craig Sponholtz You Tube