Workshop 2026 | Sobremesa Foundation

Workshop Series 2026:

Come to Daisy Garton Community Farm in Bloomington, IN

for a three-day workshop featuring two topics and presenters.

Dates:

Sunday August 23 - Tuesday August 25

(See start/end time for each session below)

Location:

Daisy Garton Community Farm:

451 N. Pete Ellis Dr. Bloomington IN 47408

Tickets:

Registration is completed separately for each topic using the buttons provided below.
Sunday's session is free to attend. Monday and Tuesday are $35 for one day, or $50 for both.

Day 1

Topic: "Agricultural Resource Management and Business Planning for Beginning Farmers"

Presented by*: Miller, Shoaf, Koetz, Sherfick

Sun Aug 23, 9:00a - 5:00p

Summary:

"This one-day workshop is designed to help beginning farmers develop the practical management and business skills needed to build successful and resilient farm enterprises. While production skills are essential, long-term farm viability also depends on effective planning, resource management, financial decision-making, and market development."

Regster for Day 1

Click Here for more details

Days 2 - 3

Topic: "Soil Health and Plant Nutrition: Building Fertile Soils and Resilient Farms"

Presented by: Jairo Restrepo

Mon/Tue Aug 24/25, 8:30a - 5:00p

Summary:

"This workshop tour aims to strengthen regenerative agriculture networks across the Midwest by making high-level ecological farming education accessible to small-scale growers and underserved communities. It combines scientific principles with hands-on learning to engage participants in the foundational concepts of regenerative and organic agriculture."

Regster for days 2 or 3

Click Here for more details

*Hugh Farrell was originally scheduled to present for Day 1. His name may remain on previous publications

About the Speakers

Jairo Restrepo

La Mierda de Vaca

Agronomist, Agricultural Engineer and worldwide lecturer, with over 40 years of experience and a trajectory that has spanned in more than 30 countries, giving workshops, conferences and private consultancies.

Born in Colombia and naturalized in Brazil, Jairo has had a critical impact worldwide, in the development of organic agriculture in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Oceania. Focusing mainly on the development of innovative techniques that recover traditional rural knowledge, emphasizing fertilization and nutrition techniques, recovery and conservation of soils, diagnosis of the soils, and the planning of transition processes for chemically treated farms that want to evolve towards organic agriculture.

Jairo has published 11 books in Spanish and sold over
30.000 copies worldwide.

Martha Miller

Monroe County Soil & Water

Martha Miller has been the District Manager at Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District since the fall of 2003. Her land ethic was instilled in her by her parents from a young age. They laid the foundation, proving to be a valuable segue into this position.

In her time at Soil & Water she has come to realize conservation is about continually learning. Learning from those that walked the earth before us, gaining knowledge from their accomplishments and their mistakes, both make up the story of conservation.

Martha is passionate about sharing the conservation story, sharing about new and innovative ideas; as well as about time honored and proven techniques that help us all protect and conserve our soil, our water, and our natural world! She does this by combining her personal interest of photography and writing, through her position she has visited places and had experiences she likely would never have had if it had not been for her career at Monroe County Soil and Water.

Rebecca Koetz

Purdue Extension

Rebecca Koetz is the Purdue Extension Urban Agriculture Educator for Northwest Indiana. She focuses on food systems work, food justice, beginning farmers, urban agriculture, sustainable agriculture, school gardens, community gardens, and coordinating Master Gardeners.

She works part-time for the Northwest Indiana Food Council as the Agriculture Education Specialist. She coordinates an organic farm manager apprenticeship program with Indiana Dept. Of Labor.

She completed the Food Finance Institute training in 2025 with ISDA to help form the Indiana food business consultants network and co-leads a collaborative farm and food systems learning cohort and a sustainable farm labor learning cohort.

Nathan Shoaf

Purdue Extension

Nathan Shoaf earned his Ph.D. in Forestry and Natural Resources and his M.S. in Horticulture from Purdue University.

His research interests center on soil health, soil remediation, contaminant fate and transport, risk perception, and science communication, with a particular focus on urban agriculture and specialty crop production.

Drawing on this research, Nathan works collaboratively with stakeholders, Extension professionals, and Purdue faculty to strengthen statewide Extension programming and develop practical, research-based educational resources for diverse audiences.

Grant Sherfick

Indiana Small Business Development Center

Grant Sherfick is a business advisor, entrepreneur, and community development leader serving as a Rural Ecosystem Navigator for the Indiana Small Business Development Center in the South Central Region. He supports entrepreneurs, small businesses, and community partners across rural Indiana with business formation, growth strategy, government contracting readiness, and ecosystem development.

Grant is the Principal Owner of HDMG, Inc. — Heartland Development Marketing Group — and previously owned H&H Hometown Hardware in Shoals, Indiana. His background includes small business ownership, business development, procurement, defense contracting, marketing, and operations leadership.

In addition to his professional work, Grant serves as Vice President of the Martin County CEO Program, President of the Historic Shoals River District, and a Board Member and Executive Committee Member of the Martin County Alliance for Economic Growth. He is passionate about helping rural communities build stronger businesses, stronger networks, and stronger local leadership.

Day 1 Details

"Agricultural Resource Management and Business Planning for Beginning Farmers"

Overview

This one-day workshop is designed to help beginning farmers develop the practical management and business skills needed to build successful and resilient farm enterprises. While production skills are essential, long-term farm viability also depends on effective planning, resource management, financial decision-making, and market development.

Participants will explore how to assess and manage farm resources, set realistic goals, evaluate market opportunities, and develop a farm business plan that aligns with their values and available resources. Through presentations, discussions, and hands-on exercises, attendees will learn tools for improving farm profitability, managing risk, and making informed decisions about land, labor, equipment, and finances.

This workshop is ideal for beginning farmers, incubator participants, gardeners transitioning to market production, and anyone interested in developing a sustainable farm enterprise.

Learning Objectives

• Identify and evaluate key farm resources and assets

• Understand the components of a farm business plan

• Develop enterprise and marketing goals

• Learn basic financial planning and recordkeeping practices

• Explore strategies for improving farm profitability and resilience

• Connect with other beginning farmers and agricultural professionals

Workshop Agenda

9:00 AM – Welcome and Introductions

Overview of Daisy Garton Community Farm and participant goals

9:30 AM – Assessing Farm Resources and Opportunities

Land, soil, infrastructure, equipment, labor, and community assets

10:45 AM – Break

11:00 AM – Building a Farm Business Plan

Mission, vision, goals, enterprise selection, and business structure

12:00 PM – Lunch and Networking

1:00 PM – Financial Planning for Beginning Farmers

Recordkeeping, budgeting, cash flow, pricing, and risk management

2:15 PM – Market Development and Sales Strategies

CSA programs, farmers markets, restaurants, wholesale, and value-added products

3:15 PM – Farm Walk and Resource Assessment Exercise

Applying resource management concepts at Daisy Garton Community Farm

4:00 PM – Developing Your Farm Action Plan

Participants create next-step goals and priorities for their operations

4:45 PM – Questions, Discussion, and Closing Remarks

5:00 PM – Workshop Adjourns

Regster for Day 1

Day 2 & 3 Details

"Soil Health and Plant Nutrition: Building Fertile Soils and Resilient Farms" by Jairo Restrepo

Overview

This workshop combines scientific principles with hands-on learning to engage participants in the foundational concepts of regenerative and organic agriculture.

Through lectures, discussions, and practical demonstrations, participants will explore the vital relationship between soil health, plant nutrition, and the quality of the food we produce. The training will focus on restoring soil fertility and biological activity while providing farmers and gardeners with practical tools they can implement immediately.

Participants will learn how to produce their own organic fermented fertilizers (bokashi), prepare liquid biofertilizers, cultivate and reproduce beneficial soil microorganisms, and formulate mineral-based preparations for managing plant diseases and insect pests. Special emphasis will be placed on utilizing locally available resources and materials to create effective, low-cost inputs that can be produced on-farm.

This Midwest workshop tour will bring together farmers, gardeners, educators, students, and community leaders seeking practical solutions for improving soil health, crop productivity, and ecological resilience. Through a combination of in-depth instruction and hands-on activities, participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to reduce reliance on costly external inputs, strengthen the biological health of their soils, improve plant nutrition, and build more economically and environmentally sustainable farming systems.

Workshop Topics

Participants will learn practical regenerative techniques including:

Soil remineralization and biological soil management
Plant nutrition and microbial health
On-farm fermentation and microbial preparations
Composting and bokashi methods
Production of low-cost biological fertilizers and foliar sprays
Mineral balancing and nutrient cycling
Seed, soil, and plant vitality practices
Building resilient farming systems with local resources

Community Impact

This workshop tour aims to strengthen regenerative agriculture networks across the Midwest by making high-level ecological farming education accessible to small-scale growers and underserved communities.

Expected outcomes include: