Hey Everyone,

While I've been lurking around the site for a while, I haven't posted in some time.

I wanted to get the word out here early about The Sustainable Local Food and Farm Conference which will be held Saturday, January 22, 2011 at the Gold Miner's Inn Hotel and Conference Center in Grass Valley, California.

If you are interested in sustainable farming and ranching (i.e. growing and raising your own food) this will be an all day lecture series well worth attending.

The committed speakers for this event are all nationally known and well respected for their knowledge in farming and ranching without the need for chemical pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics.

The keynote speaker is Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in Swope, Virginia. He is a multi-generational farmer who speaks around the world. He is featured in the book; The Omnivore's Dilemma, and in the movie; Food, Inc , and has authored several books on sustainable farming. Also speaking is Dr. Will Winter , DVM, who is the founder of the American Holistic Livestock Association, and is also an author and lecturer on sustainable farming. Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy will give two lectures as will Aaron Lucich who is the creator of the forth coming documentary; We Are What We Eat .

All of these individuals are amazing, dynamic speakers who will give you great insight into how you can improve on your current practices, or start on this path without making the same mistakes that so many do. The Gold Miner's Inn will have room packages if you are from out of the area, and Grass Valley is only about an hour northeast of Sacramento. A local organization, Nevada County Grown will be presenting the event. Pre-registration will begin in October for this event, but I am guessing that some of you will want to mark your calendars now.

FWIW, I'm not a guy who stands to make a buck off the event, just someone who knows that this lecture series will provide a world of insight for those wanting to sustainably feed themselves.