The Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture will hold its annual “Farming for the Future Conference” in State College February 2 to 4.

This year, PASA will offer six pre-conference “tracks” on Thursday. These sessions offer participants a chance to delve more deeply into special topics, and also to become better acquainted with other people of common interest.

Two tracks are intended to meet the needs of the fastest growing segments of the farm community, including many farmers of either gender who did not grow up farming. Other pre-conference tracks this year include “The Link between Nutrition and Agriculture” (back by popular demand), “Pastured Poultry” (with help from the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy), “The Art of Country Living” and “The Art of Cheese.”

Conference speakers include: Sandra Steingraber, noted biologist and author of Living Downstream, will open the conference Friday morning. Ag-economist-turned-activist John Ikerd will close the conference Saturday afternoon. Among other topics, Ikerd will discuss themes from his new book Sustainable Capitalism: A Matter of Common Sense. ''

Brother David Andrews, executive director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference of Des Moines, Iowa, will give a pre-conference presentation on Thursday evening titled, "Weaving a Diverse Landscape: Food as a Common Thread," with a discussion of the NCRLC’s Eating is a Moral Act campaign.

Other workshops cover such farming interests as fruit and vegetable production, sustainable livestock, soil regeneration, conservation practices (including alternative energy systems) and federal farm policy initiatives, as well as a host of issues of interest to farmers and the non-farming public alike.

Examples of general interest sessions this year include “Towards Social Justice in Agriculture” and a panel to look at the issue of “Sacred Foods: The Critical Impact of Religion on Our Food Systems.”'

Special credit (0.6 CEU) is available to potential professional composters who participate in three sessions offered at this year’s conference on Saturday by the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania. Participants in this program will also receive a complimentary copy of “The Practical Guide to Compost Marketing and Sales” by Ron Alexander.

For more information, visit the 2006 Conference webpage or call PASA at 814-349-9856.

12/30/2005