Tennessee Organic Growers Association to Host Joel Salatin at Annual Organic Conference: “Local and Organic Food to the Rescue”

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Tennessee Organic Growers Association will host their 6th annual conference, this year expanded to two days and featuring noted farmer and activist Joel Salatin, in Franklin, Tennessee on Friday and Saturday, March 5th and 6th, 2010 at the Cool Springs Marriott

The conference begins at noon on Friday with an afternoon touring local farms that specialize in producing products for local direct sales, ranging from animal to mushroom production, and all practicing organic and sustainable methods. The tours offer fellow farmers and growing enthusiasts a personal look inside farm operations and an opportunity to talk directly to farmers about their successes, hurdles and opportunities. Bus transportation is provided for the tours, which conclude at 5 p.m..

On Friday evening TOGA invites conference participants to visit one of Nashville’s locally owned restaurants that support our local farming community. The restaurant will host a prix-fix menu for a limited number of conference attendees and feature local products as well as an opportunity to meet with the chef and talk about their commitment to buying local foods. Space is limited to 20 diners. More information, including prices, restaurant site and how to register will be available in February at the Tennessee Organic Growers Association web site: www.tnorganics.org.

A full day of workshops starts on Saturday at the Cool Springs Marriott with a welcoming breakfast session at 8:30 a.m., featuring an organic breakfast from Whole Foods Market and Bongo Java Coffee. Workshop sessions commence at 9:00 a.m., where professional farmers, hobby farmers, backyard gardeners and local food enthusiasts alike will find sessions that fit their skill level and areas of interest, and range from urban farming, mushroom production, organic fruit production, beekeeping to local food systems and more.

Taking a mid-day break from workshops, attendees will enjoy lunch provided by Whole Foods Market and feature meats from Peaceful Pastures Farm, Bongo Java Coffee, Provence Breads and locally grown produce. Complimenting lunch, keynote speaker Joel Salatin will inspire the crowd, addressing the importance and implications of creating strong regional food systems based on sustainable and organic growing methods.

For more information on the conference or to register for the event online, visit the TOGA Web Site.