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:
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: Hugh Farrell
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."
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."
About the Speakers
Hugh Farrell
Marbleseed
Hugh stepped in as the executive director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center in March, 2025. He has a background in developing housing cooperatives and organizing community land trusts. In addition, he has a long history of collaboration within the cooperative food sector, helping to build pipelines that train practitioners in kitchen cooperatives and agricultural cooperatives.
Passionate about Indiana and its cooperative potential across both rural and urban communities, Hugh brings a deep commitment to fostering cooperative development.
He earned a degree in history from Indiana University in 2013 and is currently pursuing a PhD focused on the 20th-century history of zoning, development, and family structure in the Midwest.
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.
Day 1 Details
"Agricultural Resource Management and Business Planning for Beginning Farmers" by Hugh Farrel
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.
Led by agricultural educator and farm business specialist Hugh Farrell, 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
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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
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Soil remineralization and biological soil management
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Plant nutrition and microbial health
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On-farm fermentation and microbial preparations
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Composting and bokashi methods
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Production of low-cost biological fertilizers and foliar sprays
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Mineral balancing and nutrient cycling
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Seed, soil, and plant vitality practices
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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:
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Increased knowledge of regenerative soil practices
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Reduced production costs for farmers and gardeners
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Improved soil fertility and environmental stewardship
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Greater community collaboration around sustainable food systems
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Expanded access to culturally relevant agricultural education
Workshop Agenda
Day 2: Foundations of Soil Health and Biological Fertility
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8:30 AM – Registration and Welcome
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9:00 AM – Introduction to Soil Health and Regenerative Agriculture
10:30 AM – Break
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10:45 AM – Plant Nutrition and Mineral Balance
12:00 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – Introduction to Biological Fertility
2:30 PM – Hands-On Demonstration: Bokashi Production
4:00 PM – Group Discussion and Questions
5:00 PM – Adjourn
Day 3: Farm-Made Inputs and Ecological Crop Management
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9:00 AM – Review and Discussion
9:30 AM – Liquid Biofertilizers and Microbial Preparations
11:00 AM – Break
11:15 AM – Beneficial Microorganisms and Soil Inoculants
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:30 PM – Mineral Preparations for Disease and Pest Management
3:00 PM – Farm Walk and Field Applications
4:15 PM – Developing a Soil Health Action Plan
5:00 PM – Closing Discussion and Workshop Conclusion
