Southeast Garden Conference 2018

Join gardeners of Southeast Alaska in Haines February 16th-18th for a 3-day conference on growing local produce in our short challenging growing season. Focusing on home use and small-scale farms, topics will include soil health, gardening practices, storage and preservation, composting, and food security.

Format will include break-out sessions with local experienced growers, community extension personnel and sharing forums. There will be many opportunities to network and share knowledge.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER JEFF LOWENFELS

Jeff Lowenfels, acclaimed long-time Alaskan author of The Teaming Series Books on Organic Growing and long time author of Alaska Dispatch Garden Column will be the keynote speaker and will present several sessions. 

FOCUS ON: 

• Soil Health

• Food Security

• Short Growing Season

• Composting

• Gardening Practices

• Storage and Preservation

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

DAY 1 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16

1:00 WELCOME Mardell Gunn, Conference Organizer

1:05 - 1:45 INTRODUCTION CIRCLE - Meet Southeast Gardeners, Zephyr Sincerny, Haines Library

1:45 - 2:30 PRODUCTIVE AND FLAVORFUL PRODUCE VARIETIES PANEL Refining the ‘varieties list’ based on the historical experience of growers, Joe Orsi, Moderator 

15 min break

2:45 - 3:15 GROWING INSIDE STRUCTURES- Advantages and Challenges Samia Savell, USDA-NRCS

3:15 - 3:30 THE STARVIN MARVIN PROJECT Jolanta Ryan, Takshanuk Watershed Council and Haines School 6th graders

3:45 - 4:15 BREAKOUT SESSION 
ROOM A - GROWING HYDROPONICALLY David Love, Root Cellar Farm
ROOM B - HIGH TUNNEL DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION CONSIDERATIONS Will Murray, USDA-NRCS

4:15 - 5:00 A simple SOLAR COLLECTOR to heat the root zone of gardens Chris Bartsch, Yukon 

6:00 POTLUCK DINNER

7:00 - 8:15 HOW PLANTS EAT - Jeff Lowenfels- Keynote Speaker - jefflowenfels.com

*Jeff has been writing an award-winning garden column for Alaska's Dispatch News for over 40 years. He is the founder of Plant a Row for the Hungry, a program that encourages all gardeners to donate one row to feed the hungry.

DAY 2 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17

8:00 - 8:30 Coffee/Tea and Snacks available

8:30 - 9:30 FROM GROWING PRODUCE TO SMALL SCALE FARMING IN SOUTHEAST: LESSONS LEARNED, Joe Orsi, Orsi Organic Produce

9:30 - 10:45 BASIC FOOD WEB - HOW ORGANICS WORK Jeff Lowenfels

15 min break

11:00 - 12:00 BREAKOUTS
ROOM A - BEGINNING GARDENING - Creating a happy home for your plants: A novice gardener's chance for success in our challenging SE AK conditions Darren Snyder, Cooperative Extension, UAF
ROOM B - EXPERIENCED GARDENERS - BUILDING HEALTHY SOIL Microbes? Nematodes? An exchange of what we have tried and what we have learned Melissa Aronson, Moderator 

NOON LUNCH

1:00 - 2:00 How to EAT from HAINES YEAR ROUND Rebecca Brewer, Haines Locavore

2:00 - 3:00 BREAKOUTS SESSIONS

ROOM A - NAVIGATING FOOD PRESERVATION: A SAFE FOUNDATION Kate Fossman, RDN, LD, SEARHC Community Dietitian 
2:00 - 2:30 ROOM B - GROWING MICROGREENS Amy Erfling, Jewel Gardens
2:30 - 3:00 ROOM C - SOIL TESTING & NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT in HOME GARDENS Samia Savell, USDA-NRSC

15 min break

3:15 - 4:15 FERMENTATION AND GROWING FROM SUMMER TO YEAR ROUND EATING

4:15 - 5:00 FAMILY FOOD SUSTAINABILITY, Lia Heifetz, Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition

6:00 PM DINNER

EVENING ACTIVITIES TBD

DAY 3 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18

8:00 - 8:30 Coffee/Tea and Snacks available

8:30 - 9:30 COMPOSTING Jeff Lowenfels

9:30 - 10:30 WHY AM I NOT GETTING THE RESULTS I USED TO?, Darren Snyder, Cooperative Extension UAF

15 min break

10:45 - 11:15 BREAKOUT SESSION
ROOM A - SPUDS GALORE, Ed Buyarski, Ed’s Edible Landscape
ROOM B - THE SOUTHEAST ALASKA MASTER GARDENER PROGRAM

11:20 - 11:50 BREAKOUT SESSION
ROOM A - FROM SALMON TO SPRUCE TIPS: REFLECTIONS ON SELLING THROUGH, Salt & Soil Marketplace Colin Peacock, Salt & Soil Marketplace
ROOM B HOW TO MAKE SOIL IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA, Erika Merklin, local grower

12:00 - 12:30 GROWING GARLIC: HOW IT'S DONE FROM 3 GROWERS Ed Buyarski, Dave Love and Joe Orsi

12:30 - 1:00 CONFERENCE WRAP UP

1:00 LUNCH

2:00 END OF CONFERENCE (Alaska Marine Highway Juneau ferry departs 4 pm)

* This schedule is subject to change. 

Registration Information-- Space is limited so sign up now! 

Early Bird available until January 15th -- $75

Standard January 16 - February 1 -- $90

Sunset after February 2 -- $100

Payment information:

Major credit cards and checks accepted with easy online payment.

To pay by check select Payment Method "check" in dropdown menu in the Registration section.

Pay by check to avoid credit card surcharge. 

WHAT YOU GET

Three days of educational programming about gardening in Southeast Alaska. Forums, Panels, Breakout Sessions, How-To's, and three feature sessions by Keynote Speaker Jeff Lowenfels, author of Teaming with Microbes and longtime writer of the Alaska Dispatch's Garden Column.

FOOD INCLUDED

• Friday Evening Potluck Dinner (Haines folks please welcome our guests and SUPERSIZE) 
• Saturday Lunch
• Saturday Dinner 
• Sunday Lunch 
• Coffee/Tea and Snacks

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation to and from the ferry will be provided. There may be a small fee for those who use this service.
Ferry from Juneau arrives Friday 11:30 am, departs Sunday 4 pm. Ferry from Skagway arrives 3 pm and departs Sunday noon.

POST CONFERENCE ACTIVITY

If you stay to participate in activities on Monday, Presidents’ Day, transportation to ferry will be arranged. Juneau ferry departs Monday 5:15 pm.

Post-conference activities will take place Monday. Activities are weather dependent. Local ski or snowshoe rental is $15-20/day. 

ACCOMMODATIONS

For accommodations in Haines visithaines.com

The Aspen Suites, Captains Choice Motel and Eagles Nest Motel are offering conference attendees a discount. Please identify yourself as a Garden Conference participant to receive the reduced rate. Reservations must be made prior to February 9, 2018.

Are interested in being hosted in a home in Haines? Sign up in registration section.

Yes - We'll send you the host contact information mid-January. Contact them and arrange your stay.

BONUS!

There will be a pressure canner gauge tester at the conference. Bring your dial gauges to find out if how they are performing. 

SEED AND TOOL EXCHANGE

Bring what you've got to share!

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For information about scholarship, registration, accommodations, transporation, payment by check, or other requests, contact Leslie Evenden at (907) 314-0608 or email leslieevenden@gmail.com.

Date: February 16-18, 2018 1:00 PM-2:00 PM

Location: Harriet Hall at Haines Fairgrounds | 296 Fair Drive, Haines, AK 99827

Event website: eventbrite.com